Coat Manufacture in Oregon Set to Sky Rocket

From the Oregon GOP via the Salem Statesman Journal:

...The other piece of the economic puzzle is long-overdue tax relief for Oregon families. Today, someone making minimum wage in Oregon pays the exact same tax rate as someone earning $250,000 per year. That isn't right.

Increasing the tax exemption so the working poor pay less is the right thing to do, and it will put our economy on a strong foundation to weather the coming storm.

Doubling the tax exemption will put $375 million back into Oregon's economy and create 19,951 jobs across the state, according to the Legislative Fiscal Office. Those jobs would cut our unemployment rate in half and create incentives for out-of-state companies to relocate to Oregon.

...

Numbers only go so far proving why a change in the tax exemption is a good idea. Oregon families can make the argument far better. For a family of four earning $35,000 per year, doubling the tax exemption isn't abstract; it is an extra $400. That is money that can go toward winter coats for the kids or a high school activity fee.

Now, I am no economist, but I fail to see how cutting taxes on the working poor is going to create 20,000 jobs. Not that I'm against cutting taxes for the working poor mind you, although I actually doubt that a family of four earning a total of $35K actually pays $400 in income taxes, let alone would save $400 in income taxes, but maybe. Of course, the real problem with the Oregon income tax is that it is essentially flat. Now, I know that many of my brothers and sister in AFT-Oregon would disagree with me here, but I remain resolutely in favor of progressive taxation, so I would take a serious look at raising the top end of the Oregon tax rate at the same time I check out lowering the bottom end. Maybe there is a way to make this revue neutral.

Anyway, anybody got any idea how putting $400 in the hands of a family of four to spend on coats or high school activity fees (you gotta be fucking kidding me) creates 20,000 new jobs? Selling coats? Coaching wrestling? And how why would an out-of-state company want to relocate to Oregon because we lowered taxes on the working poor? Is there any way that makes sense? Help me out here.

Foolish Heart

You heard it hear first (unless, of course, you heard it someplace else before this):

McCain-Giuliani 2008

You're probably thinking that there's no way the Republicans would run two old white guys against either Hillary or Barack; they'd have to have more sense than that. To you all, I offer this and this and beg of you not to overestimate the GOP again.

Here's my thinking: The Republican establishment hates McCain. From what I understand, passionately. They do, however, think, for reasons unknown, that Giuliani is great. So I am simply going with the notion that McCain needs to mollify the establishment in order to get the resources he needs to win the nomination. Because I don't think this is going to be an election about capturing moderate or independent voters (mostly because I think this race will be too polarizing for many fence-sitters and because as the War is McCain's only issue, which is an issue that most people have already made up their minds about). Instead, I think this race will be about turnout, and turnout is driven by enthusiasm, volunteers, money, and energy. All of those things the establishment can give you.

Which leads me to the main weakness of my theory, that McCain will have to pick a evangelical Christian to attract their support. This would be a better argument than your lame "two white males" argument I previously had you advancing (Die straw man! Die!). Obviously, this is a strong argument that puts Huckabee, Santorum, and...?...into play. I guess that's my man point. Is there a standout evangelical candidate these days? If so, why didn't he/she(?) run in this most wide open of fields? I think McCain is going to have to count on getting the votes of the evangelicals, but needs the support of the establishment. At least, he has a better chance of getting establishment support through a VP pick than he does getting the evangelical support.

Back to my pro-Giuliani argument. Giuliani seemed to have run as a version of George Bush, with a messier personal life and worse hair. He pretty much went with the neo-cons for foreign policy and Reaganomics for fiscal policy. This makes the establishment happy. Because they actually think things have been going pretty damn well these past 7 years. (Which is why McCain's VP choice is likely not to make a wit of difference when Obama takes office). The GOP loves Rudy so much I bet they even think he could challenge Clinton or Obama in New York. Make 'em spend resources where they don't want to. And obviously he could help in Florida. (Remember, until about a month ago, GOP politicians were still endorsing Giuliani, thinking he was going to take Florida, California, and New York and bury McCain and Romney). There is nothing Captain 911 can't do.

Straw man lives! What about the idea of running Condi? Wouldn't Condi be perfect? You see, if the Dems nominate Hillary, the blacks will be irate and they'll vote for John McCain's VP! And the GOP will win! Or, if the Dems nominate Barack, then women will be irate and they'll vote for John McCain's VP! The GOP cannot lose! Yes, Condi Rice is the answer to all of the GOP's problems. Taking my own advice, I will not overestimate the GOP, but I can't believe for a second that anyone with actual political sense (and, yes, I'm looking at you Kathleen Parker) would think that women or blacks are going to vote for John McCain in order to put Condi near the White House.

Anyway, there you have it. Like the Oregon lottery, this post should be used for entertainment only and not investment purposes.

Showing Those Frogs a Thing or Two

This is how I torture my daughter, because I love her:

Dear Swimming Teacher,

Amber has been sick the past few days, so please excuse her from swimming if she doesn't feel up to it. Although she should try, as she'll never swim the English Channel if she doesn't start practicing now.

Sincerely,

David M. C----, Esq.

Thorp Blogging

Knew you'd all want to be kept in the loop on this.

You see the A-Train has been sending text messages to his old girlfriend, Maureen, bragging about his various accomplishments in the basketball arena. Thus far, Maureen has remained unimpressed and focused on her career as a (successful!) junior newspaper photog. Well, the plot thickens with today's (yesterday's) strip wherein I am maybe lead to believe that it is the A-Train who may possibly set this fire in order to get Maureen's attention; thus, the "hot" reference. Of course, the strip immediately returned to its basketball plot with Coach Thorp blowing up at the A-Train for missing a pick in practice, so you never know. Of course, this being the Thorp, it's possible todays strip took place 3 years after yesterday's.

Mitt and the Old Folks

I've already made fun of Mitt's economic program once, but this calls for additional mockery. From a CNN interview with A Coop (via Crooks and Liars):

Cooper: If you were president, what additional steps would you take to try and avoid a recession?

Romney:… and finally one more thing. I think people sixty five and older should not have payroll taxes taken out of their wages to allow folks to stay in the work force and to keep more of their income. They’ve paid for social security already. Let’s build up our work force and not go outside of the country to bring immigrants. Let’s let our own people keep more of their money and stay in the work force.

Now, one would imagine that this is someone's bright idea. And then either that someone had enough juice to force it on all the Romney advisers who must have thought this was a horrible idea, leading me to believe that it is Romney's own idea, or everybody in the Romney campaign is batshit. Because I can't see which demographic thinks replacing immigrant workers with senior citizens is a good idea. I can't see anyone thinking this is a good idea. In any way.

I Could Walk, But Why?

Ah, snow day, is there a more glorious day off than you?

Progressive Eugene

The fine students here at the UO, well the ones in the vaunted "Pit Crew" that attend basketball games anyway, spent the better part of last night's basketball game "taunting" UCLA's center, Kevin Love, with the chants "Love is a faggot" and "Love is a pussy."

Despite my fervent wishes, I don't believe there was any irony intended, this was just the best they could come up with.

I am mollified only be the fact that this was not the most objectionable thing I saw yesterday. Surfing the sphere, I came across this, from Republican operatives.

This is the smallest consolation you can imagine.

I Didn't Know I Had to Sign Up

The average GTF receives maybe 7 notices in any one term from the union informing them that they need to sign up for health care. We over-bombard. We send notices to every member, whether they have signed up or not, because they may have a colleague who might mention that they haven't signed up and Johnny GTF can be Johnny-on-the-spot with the HC 411.

So, when a GTF calls me and tells me that they went to the dentist last November and the insurance company is refusing to pay for it, it frustrates me to no end to hear them say that they didn't know they had to sign up for health care. This is just one of those things that you should make sure you have taken care of before you go see a doctor, yeah?

Whaaaaaaa...?

A commenter on the wing-nut site Real Clear Politics had this head-scratcher of a comment about the brokered GOP convention in 1920:

That convention gave us the great Calvin Coolidge as VP, and when Warren Gamaliel [Harding] went to his great reward, he became the greatest President of the Twentieth Century ("You're the top, you're a Coolidge dollar").

I fear we shall not see his like again.

Unless, Of Course, It Dies in the Next Couple of Days, In Which Case, I'm Glad I Had This Opportunity

Awesomely Emerald

Headline from the Emerald:

In memory of Heath Ledger: the greatest actor of our generation

The Extra 'B' Is for 'Bygone'

There was a time, not long ago, when a working knowledge of the Simpsons was a prerequisite to fitting in around the GTFF office. By "working," I, of course, mean "encyclopedic." It was the bridge that spanned all. From Paul to Dave to Ash to Goff to Lindgren. We may not have agreed on everything much, but we could all appreciate a nice Simpsons reference. Not to say that you weren't valued if you didn't speak Simpsons or you were thought any less of, it was just that entire conversations could, and did, consist entirely of Simpsons references.

Inevitably, we come to the part of the post where I inform you that times have, sadly, changed.

During yesterday's Board meeting, we were discussing the upcoming brown bag lunch series and it was suggested that it could be a "BYOBB" series. I, of course, was sitting there waiting for someone to point out that this particular gag had already been used. No one did. When I pointed it out, the room reacted with what can only be described as pity. Pity for an old man who remembers an old show.

Another Thorp Update Wherein I Defend the Arrogant Star

Just as I suspected, the A-Train and I are on the same page.

Isn't asking a high school player being interviewed on the radio to remember to mention his teammates more nebulous contributions asking a bit much? Are the A-Train's teammates really so petty that they can't celebrate their friend's success instead of pouting because he didn't mention their 'D'? Isn't the fact that AT was the one interviewed an indication that maybe his contributions to the team's success are the most important contributions?

Worse Than a Cold, But Not as Bad as the Flu

I'll Boycott Anything!

I'm joining in the Wonkette boycott, even though I only have the vaguest idea what is going on. On the recommendation of Goff. Any friend of Goff's is a friend of mine (with the obvious exceptions).

Screw them all!

Finally, Someone Who Speaks to Me

Video deleted because of poor formating on Mitt's part. Screw him. Plus I just heard this commercial on NPR. Seriously, does Mitt need the 30 free seconds? It's not like he actually says anything. He's going to fix the economy by making it strong. By cutting taxes. And putting people and businesses first.

Only the multi-millionaire son of a multi-millionaire has the credentials to speak to me about living in the "real economy." Nothing says "I know that you worry about declining home values, increasing mortgage payments, your car payments, your kids' college education, your student loan bills, needing a new roof, the cost of health care, the lack of health care, the fact that your dad has saved $0 for his retirement, the rising cost of electricity, rising gas prices, rising milk prices, rising food (all inclusive) prices, the weakness of the dollar, and all the other things you worry about" quite like having organized an Olympics. I mean, if he can pull off a Winter Olympics(!), then I know that he's got the right plan for helping me with all my needs.

I rocked it on over to Mitt's site just to find out what he's got in store for me, economy-wise and I think his Salt Lake City experience is paying off. Mitt thinks the economy is broken. I agree. He thinks we need real solutions from Washington. I agree. He has pledged to fix the economy by making the economy strong. This seems like a very good start. He's going to change things by cutting taxes. I thought we tried that. Then he's going to cut taxes for businesses. Which is more tax cutting. And then he's going to cut taxes for businesses that hire people over the age of 65. Which will help increase unemployment, which I must admit, is not what I had in mind. And then he's going to do other things to help business create jobs, which will only have the unintended consequence of helping businessmen make more money. Which is, again, not exactly what I had in mind.

But then, I remember that anyone who could bring me this, knows what I need maybe a little bit better than I do.

There's No 'U' in 'Win'

I haven't kept you up on the happenings at Gil Thorp because the Comics Curmudgeon has been doing a fine job with this story line, but I wanted to comment on something he has overlooked. The third panel features Andrew "The A-Train" Gregory. We are supposed to dislike him because he's a ball-hogging braggart, a real Clyde, if you will. But, based on today's evidence, it's hard to deny that the A-Train gets the results. I guess will find out if the Milford basketball team wants to make sure everyone feels good about themselves, or, you know, win basketball games. I say, climb aboard the A-Train...next stop, Titletown!

EW Letter(s) of the Week

I almost came to the end of the ol' Weekly without finding a suitable candidate. The last two letters saved me. In tribute, I give you both. They both come from the over-the-top-conservative counter reaction to the typical over-the-top liberalism. In the first, we find out public schools are communist, and in the second we learn that illegal immigrants have it easy compared to native-born Americans.

ANOTHER GLUE-SNIFFER

Your article "Kicker Costs are Hidden" (1/3) pushes people in the wrong direction for understanding the finances of Oregon.

Fact: 33 percent of all taxes go to pay for PERS. That means every government budget for schools, etc, pays 33 percent of it's budget on average to PERS. Lane County owes approximately $100 million and the Springfield School District owes $62.5 million. The state is paying $270 million in interest to support PERS. The 2007 Report from Moody's verifies that net tax supported debt is up more than 300 percent in the last 5 years.

Getting some of our money back is evil? The PERS debt at the local levels could have been offset by forward contracting or hedging, which was verified by State Economist Michael Kennedy. They chose not to [do] that, and instead they shifted that cost off to the children and their families. The same with Lane County. They also failed to forward their gas costs; a loss of $5 million for each entity, once again financial incompetence shifted to the taxpayer and their families.

If you're going to make a statement about slashing money for schools, health care, and other vital services, you need to understand the real costs. The abolition of private property means tyranny. Government wage rates are an average of 40 percent than the private sector; their benefits; 60 percent higher than the private sector.

Schools: There are two-year waiting lines for children to attend private schools. Most people do not want their children to attend government schools. What happened to the rights of those have a different view of what is right for their own children? You sound like another "glue-sniffer," socialist/communist for government tyranny, which is the major form of greed and selfishness, not the "kicker-refund" people.

Fred Starkey, Springfield

NATIVE ALIEN

I just became aware that illegal aliens can get driver's licenses, live, work, anywhere in the U.S., and get over the borders easily, while I, a native born American, can no longer travel from one state to another with American driver's ID that is only a few months too old. Oh, even though I have Medicare cards, health insurance benefit cards, local bank accounts and Visa debit cards.

Amazingly, only a few years ago, in a major U.S. city, foreign students on expired visas, whom I lived with, had jobs, and immigration never looked for them. They disappeared into America. I need to learn from my foreign alien friends, I guess, because now I am the foreign outsider in my own land.

D.H. Bucher, Eugene

Headache, Dizziness, and Feelings of Nausea May Result

When Rizzo was listing all the things that she could do that were worse than making out with a boy or two, I don't believe she mentioned slathering your squeaky chair with WD40 shortly before a bargaining session, but this was probably due to a lack of time or the difficulty in finding an appropriate rhyme with "session," rather than its failure to be worse than the aforementioned canoodling, because, believe me, the WD40 was a bad idea.

Hello!

Headline from today's Emerald:

Senate VP resigns, citing 'backdoor politics'

If You Wouldn't Mind...

At last night' E-Council my VP-Organizing suggested we have a rally before the next bargaining session and he expressed his hope that we could get "some blue out there." At first I thought he was advocating that we do something crazy enough to get the cops involved, but then I realized he was merely referring to the color of our t-shirts. I guess that will be exciting as well.

This if for you.

Bacon, Eggs, and Spam

Got this today, liked it:

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By the way We sell only quality goods.

Not Something You Expect to See

From a UO faculty handbook:

(Note: Oregon state agencies often spell "employee" with only one ‘e.’)

Awesomely Emerald

It's been awhile since we visited with my favorite Emerald columnist, Nik "No C" Antovich. This week Nik asks a very important question, "Can Osama bin Laden and others sympathetic to him be blamed for fighting a war over culture?"

If you're stunned to find out the answer is "No, they cannot," you'll want to head on over to the Emerald and check out the powerhouse reasoning that has led Nik to sympathize with al-Qaida. As a bonus, you get my snarky comment. If you've got a spare moment, leave a comment of your own. I'm hoping we can goad Nik into a full-blown holy war.

Geography Help

Check out these handy tips!

EW Letter of the Week

This letter relates to an ongoing discussion of the "Ask a Mexican" column the Weekly now runs. It is hilarious. It is racist against Mexicans. It is racist against everyone but Mexicans. It is not funny. It's funny, if you "get it," but Eugeneans are too white to "get it." It's not funny because stereotypes are not funny. Satire is humor. Satire is not effective humor.

You get the gist. This letter in particular gets at the heart of the around-the-bend nature of the discussion, where letters published months ago are referred to with no context and the "liberals," who have universally been panned as being tight-ass whities who can't handle a little barrio humor, are now accused of being racists for defending the column.

Plus, the letter is a delightful blend of Randian and Marxist thought. Not to say "only in Eugene," but God-bless it, it's what makes us Eugene!

GABACHO RACISM

Dear Ms Yamada and Mr. Sprague: I have some comments regarding your letters to the editor printed on Dec. 20. Gabacho racism is still racism, as is Latino racism is still racism. If either of you read last week's (12/20) "ÁAsk a Mexican!" with an open and not a "liberal," bleeding heart-filled mind, you would understand that Arellano is a Mexican nationalist and not the humanitarian, compassionate human rights advocate he so slyly portrays himself to be.

I feel the complaints that I expressed in my Nov. 22 letter are justified with Arellano's latest tantrum, and therefore, Mr. Sprague, how can you claim "ÁAsk a Mexican!" is "not mean-spirited"? The "liberal" rich fog that your mind is blanketed with is contrary to your asking of readers "be careful not to close your minds too quickly!" You go on to say "mainstream media is a very significant reason why there is not outright revolution in this country."

I ask you: What is the very significant reason why there is not outright revolution in Mexico? I'll answer: The flight of tens of millions of poor, uneducated, superstitious people from their homes in Mexico to go to the U.S. Whether entering with our OK or without is not relevant, it's the fleeing that matters, and also sending billions of dollars back to prop up the illegitimate Mexican government.

That old cliché, "You can't solve your problems by running away from them" definitely applies here. Though Mexican immigrants' rights advocates don't think it applies to them. The greater threat to immigrants from Mexico is NOT the white dominated government of the U.S., it's the Catholic church. Those with true open minds have already figured it out.

What about personal responsibility? The immigrant advocates also seem to think that it does not apply to the poor immigrants. Everyone needs to take responsibility for themselves; responsibility to improve one's life, to lift oneself out of poverty, to become educated and use common sense and not live life superstitiously, and not expect others to throw you a lifeline! As for the subdued masses in the U.S., we have subdued ourselves by allowing this shit to continue. We are too easily pleased, lazy and enjoy the good life.

Blame not the media, for the media are a creation by people and run by people. We allowed these people to get the best of us and they are only a few and we are too lazy to stop them.

I haven't forgotten about you, Ms. Yamada. The appropriate title of your letter should have been, "Don't Mexicans Get It"? I, as a human being of Dominican parents, know many Mexicans don't like other Latinos who aren't Mexican and want a "Mexicans only" access to the U.S., yet you and others want to bury that negative side regardless how true it is. Forty percent of Mexicans are in poverty, 45 percent of Dominicans, and 70 percent of Haitians. Are you a Mexican nationalist advocate? Are you a human rights advocate? You can't be both. Take another read of Arellano and drop your Mexican Catholic mentality, then you'll see your eyes were closed all along.

Juana Garcia, Eugene

As Much As It Pains Me to Say It

It still must be said...



SCABS!

Stewart and Colbert are doing bargaining unit work while there is a strike going on. The work they are doing enables their corporate masters to make money in an effort to break the strike. They are scabs and that much less cool for being so.

Of course, it is a sign of labor's weakness that "that much less cool" isn't very much. But still.

Mad Wicked Awesome

I was trying to avoid posting over the anniversary post, but I have to share this with you all because it is the mad bomb diggity, as the kids say.

You should all dial it on over to the CBS webite and check out the CBS News video on reaching out to "hipster voters." I kid you not.

The Most You Can Love Someone

Twelve years ago today, Ginger Hayward and I stood in line at the Reno, Nevada licensing bureau and realized that they don't take credit cards. Given that our wedding plans were less than 12 hours old and we hadn't slept as we drove overnight to Reno, it's understandable that we had failed to fill our pockets with the cash we would need to complete our mission. Fortunately, the fine folks at Candlelight Wedding Chapel had us covered with 40 bucks cash money. A limo ride back to the Chapel later, we were standing in front of Reverend Seltzer (or so I heard her name) who expeditiously pronounced us husband and wife. We've long speculated that the good Reverend had a cigarette burning in the back room and wanted to get back to it.

A quick nap at the Circus Circus then we were back on the road so Ginger could pour coffee drinks at a hut in the Gateway Mall parking lot and I could do whatever the hell it was that I did to kill the days back then.

Not that most auspicious of beginnings, but we have certainly made the most of it and I, for one, have never for one second regretted it.

Hmmm....

Things just got decidedly more interesting.

A Larf For You

I read this on wingnut Michelle Malkin' s blog (no links) in the comments section, so it's meant unironically.

On January 7th, 2008 at 2:27 pm, 30 pcs of silver said:

Candidates like Paul, Huckabee, Dodd, Kucinich and potentially Bloomberg, must smell something in the air. There is no way these chums should have ever be seriously considered for POTUS. Surely, the list for unqualified candidates can go on but it is those listed above who surprise me. Has America changed that much over the years that we would accept these people as viable candidates for the highest office in the land?

Most Ridiculous Interesting Article of the Year, So Far

I've written of Reuben Navarette Jr. before. He writes for the San Diego Union Tribune and the Register Guard republishes his stuff. He, like Kathleen Parker, typically writes in the "I'm a non-partisan observer who just happens to think George Bush is teh greatest president ever and the Democrats want to feed your children to the secular Satanists" vein.

This weekend he made the argument that the Democrats are really struggling when it comes to diversity. Specifically, "white liberals" just cannot handle the success of Obama. Apparently, while liberals cannot tolerate the thought of a black man as a leader, as we like to keep the minorities subservient. Navarette offers three pieces of "evidence" for his thesis that 2008 might just become known as the year of the "annoyed white liberal." (I think Navarette believes that while liberals might vote for someone other than Obama, should he get the nomination. Or he meant to say 2007 was the year of the "annoyed white liberal.")

1. Joe Biden called Obama "articulate."
2. Bob Kerrey used his middle name, called him a Muslim, and said he went to a madrassa.
3. Elizabeth Edwards, responding to critical comments made by Michelle Obama about John Edwards, said she was "surprised and disappointed in Michelle."

And there you have it. White liberals, no longer able to suppress their latent racism have unleashed it on Obama. Navarette definitely sees this as a something that will affect the campaign.

[Racism is] a problem for them. Democrats have much of their brand tied up in the assertion that they're more progressive than Republicans, especially on racial issues. What if enough people conclude this isn't so?

At a time when Democratic leaders like to talk about “Republican dirty tricks,” it's becoming clear that Democrats know a few of their own.

I have a problem wrapping my head around all of this, so forgive me if I am stating the obvious, but it seems that a columnist for a mid-size American newspaper is actually trying to make the case that these three incidents are evidence enough of Democratic racism that minorities may just turn to the Republican party? Maybe not vote at all? Remember, he is writing this after Iowa and just a few days before Obama becomes the odds-on favorite to become the Democratic nominee. Yes, nothing says Party-of-Racism quite like nominating a black man to be president.

Not That Kind of Jazz

I'm jazzed (and apparently an 80-year-old woman) about tonight's results. Let's put it this way. Obama kicked ass...great! Young, dynamic, black, with a kick-ass wife. Makes the spirit soar when you hear him speak. Edwards did well. I'm a little annoyed that I have to keep hearing how this ends his campaign. Let's hold on there Charlie, we got another one of these babies in 5 days. He was the second choice of a lot of people and a lot of also-rans just freed up some votes. We had three candidates do well. I could vote for anyone of them (okay, Hillary is not a favorite and has some serious problems, but I will end up being "excited" about electing a woman for the first time, especially since I don't see the Republican'ts being able to resist attacking her for being a woman).

On the other side of the aisle you have a party in complete disarray. The Republicans of Iowa have spoken and they prefer Mike Huckabee! Now, at one point they preferred Pat Robertson to George Bush, so they don't really count, but still. Romney looks damaged and unliked. Giuliani seems to be fading, Thompson will drop out, and the MSM have to resort to pretending like a 4th-place, 12% finish for Johnny Walnuts is some kind of victory. What I love most is that the Huck is leading in NH (my bad, must have been the peanut newer talking) and should be very strong in South Carolina. Is it possible that he could come out of Super Tuesday as the delegate leader? Can he get some momentum? Oh sweet Jesus, he's on Larry king talking about how his issues are those that the American people are talking about and, I am not making this, "I think the Republican party got it's groove back." Yes, the Republican party's groove is creationism and locking up abortion doctors. This guy did not get Lee Atwater's memos.

An awesome night indeed!

Endorsements

I know you've been waiting for my presidential endorsements. I'm sorry for taking you up to the last minute, so I'll get it out of the way quickly.

But first, this sidenote:

If I was caucusing in Iowa today, I'd find my self standing with the Kucinich people first. It is impossible to ignore the fact that on every survey I've done I end up matched with DK. Every debate I've watched, I find myself not only agreeing with DK, but actually shouting my agreement. He goes tragically, hilariously wrong at times, but he gets it right, so sweetly right, so many other times that it would be hard for me to not throw my support his way, at least initially. Then, after the first round...

I'd be standing with the Edwards people.

I can't say Edwards won my support as much as Obama lost it. I love me some Obama when he is giving a speech. I agree with his positions on most things. If he got the nomination, I'd gladly knock on some doors for him. But...he has underwhelmed in the debates. And I am very much not in love with his tendency to use Republican talking points when jibing at his rivals for the nomination. But most of all, I can't do the "we must end partisanship" vibe he is putting out there. Yes, we have gay friends in the red states, but the red-staters shun our gay friends. Yes, Republicans and Democrats must learn to work together, but we have been attempting to walk arm and arm with our Republican friends, only to find the knife planted deeply in our backs. If Obama has not learned by now that the Republicans have no interest in making common cause with us on the issues near and dear, I don't think he's going to learn it. A few months back, the rap on Obama was that he was naive for wanting to reach out to world leaders who are not friendly toward the US. I worry much more about his apparent naiveté about our "friends" across the aisle. What really seals the deal for me is that I have been unable to bring myself to wear my Obama shirt these last few months; the magic is gone.

Edwards has the hard-charging realist rhetoric I am looking for. I am still only 87% sure this is genuine, as he just comes off as a smarmy lawyer-politician. At least in the debates he does. His Christmas message seemed very genuine and, fortunately, our presidents don't too often engage in formalized debates or trials where the more unflattering side of Edwards would be reveled.

I wish I could say that there was some more meaningful policy points that make me go with Johnny E., but I look at policy positions at this point as mere talking points. Nothing any candidate has proposed at this time will become reality in a year or so. There is something called a Congress, or more pointedly a filibuster, so plans will have to be changed. Edwards has staked about as far left of a position as a mainstream candidate can and that's where I tend to swim.

Quickly: For the Republicans, I recommend Mike Huckabee. Seriously, too. He's a crazy, crazy Christian, but all the Republican candidates either are crazy Christians or will throw a bone to the religious right on relevant matters. But Huckabee is also a Christian who somewhat gets the whole compassion side of Christianity, not just the condemn thy neighbor part. He's befuddled enough to not know the "right" answer to every question, which opens the door to the possibility that every now and again he might actually do the decent thing.

Through the Looking Glass

Watch this and tell me it doesn't strike you as something that you might have seen in a 1980s movie about a dark, dark future; and you would have found it over-the-top. Welcome to 2008.

Did Not See That Coming

From the CNN blog:

Huckabee is also facing heat for likely having to cross the writers' picket line to appear on the show [Leno], though earlier Wednesday he told reporters he didn't believe he would have to cross the picket line.

“My understanding is that there was a special arrangement for the late night shows and the writers have made this agreement to let the late night shows come back on. So I don’t anticipate it’s a crossing of the picket line. I support the writers by the way, unequivocally. Absolutely."

In actuality, only David Letterman's show has reached an agreement. Huckabee's campaign says the candidate will still appear on the show.

So the Huck is totally crossing a picket line and I love that this guy just can't find a loop that he's actually in, but I am somewhat shocked (is that possible?) to see that that he supports the writers. Unequivocally. Absolutely. Is there some small slice of Republican voters that would expect their candidate to support the writers' strike? Given that he totally flubs the details, this statement reads as off the cuff, as if the Huck actually does support the writers, to the extent that he has any idea what he is talking about. God bless him.

We Get It

I've grown weary of pictures of Hillary looking insane (no links). We get it. The woman has a tendency to make funny faces when she's talking, and since she's being digitally recorded every minute of her life, there are innumerable opportunities for finding "funny" pictures of her. Reputable news organizations should be able to resist using these photos, unless they are specifically discussing how Hillary tends to make funny faces. Of course, how this could be a relevant topic in relation to who the next President of the Unites States will be, I can only imagine.

But we get it. Enough.

Union Power

Slate has an article about how the Iowa caucuses are non-democratic crap. Fine. In a paragraph focusing on the lack of secret ballot, we get this:

What if you're in a union and want to pick someone your union hasn't endorsed, and your shop steward is there, watching you from across the room? Or the person who holds your mortgage? Or your spouse? Tough.

Isn't it time we retire the "union as tyrannical enforcer of 'solidarity'" trope? If there was a time that this meme had some validity, it is long past. A union "hard sell" these days lasts about 10 minutes and involves heavy use of the phrase "come on." What are they going to do to hypothetical Iowa union voter guy? Slash his tires? Haze him at work? Please. Any steward with his or her salt knows that they are going to need every single union member out knocking on doors for whomever does win the nomination. You're not going to alienate anyone over a freakin' caucus vote.

Of course, the idea that the guy holding your mortgage might do some unnamed but vaguely threatening because you voted a different way in a party primary has even less validity. What is the theoretical Iowa voter supposed to be worried about, that Old Banker Johnson is going to violate the terms of the mortgage by illegally attempting to foreclose because you stood with Obama's people...okay this is silly. To think that anyone who "holds your mortgage" might actually be at a Democratic Iowa caucus is bad enough. To think that they might do something with your mortgage based on your caucus vote is beyond silly.

I can see some women being afraid to vote different than their husbands. Still, if your marriage is so shaky that you can't publicly vote for someone different than your husband, you have more worries than the non-democratic nature of your state's caucusing system.

I love the secret ballot as much as the next guy and wouldn't want to go without it, but I don't think it's the end-all and be-all of democracy.

God Bless America

for freedom of the press:

The Washington Times demonstrates that in America we are allowed to publish anything we want, no matter how bat-shit.

'Sudden jihad syndrome' poses domestic risk

By Sara A. Carter
January 2, 2008

Sympathy for al Qaeda has produced "sudden jihad syndrome" in domestic terror cells unaffiliated with foreign terrorists and people seeking to carry out attacks in the U.S., a law-enforcement intelligence analysis says.

In case, you're wondering, the "law-enforcement intelligence analysis" was from the Texas Public Safety Department's Bureau of Information Analysis. I'm sure that's solid.