I think Wulfgar is totally flirting with me… kinda weird, but flattering too.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it would would out. I mean a fish could love a bird, but where would they live?
It’s pretty clear that race is going to play a big role in national politics this year. Certainly there is some benefit having an open discussion about race and equality in America. The question is whether that discussion has the goal of real progress - yes, this Republican admits there is racism out there - or as the goal of scoring quick political points.
For someone like Mark T, it’s not tremendously surprising to hear accusations that all Republicans are racist and all racists are Republicans. Mark is an ideologue with an ax to grind - he thinks he’s well reasoned when in fact he is just incapable of seeing his own bias. Sadly, there are many people like Mark who are comfortable labeling entire groups of people with broad-sweeping accusations of… well labeling entire groups of people with broad-sweeping accusations. The irony is lost on them.
Considering the partisan blinders that Lamnidae wears and her track record for mis-reporting facts and carefully protected double standards, it’s not surprising to read her suggestion that the Republicans are either racist or harbor racists for political gain.
The fact of the matter is that the GOP and American traditional media have been turning a blind eye to racists in their ranks for a number of years now that other traditional wedge issues are running out of electoral steam. Ignoring homegrown bigots like former Sen. Conrad Burns and Rep. Denny Rehberg, the obvious example here is Rep. Tom Tancredo, who’s track record includes a bill that would end “birthright citizenship,” several high-profile speaking events before groups identified as hate organizations, and attempting to deport an undocumented immigrant high school student with a 3.9 GPA after he was profiled in the local paper.
Her crocodile tears will mean a lot more to me when I see her condemning the racists in her own party.
The fact of the matter is that the Democrat Party and American traditional media have been turning a blind eye to racists in their ranks for a number of years now as one of their primary wedge issues for major elections. Ignoring homegrown bigots like Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright, the obvious example here is Rev. Jesse Jackson who’s record includes a laws that would require the consideration of race in hiring practices and several high-profile speaking events before groups that segregate membership by race.
Sound familiar? It might, if you remember the intellectual aerobics that the left goes through to carefully define themselves out of racism.
Whether we are currently experiencing a technical recession or not isn’t really the point. The point is, it feels like we are, and when it comes to the economy, feelings are often more important that cold data. Feelings dictate actions and actions determine the economy - not the other way around. The fact of the matter is, the solution to economic downturn is rarely some tax stimulus or grand government plan, but it’s the restoration of confidence (sometimes sparked by a stimulus or government action) which leads to the willingness to spend money which restarts the grinding of economic gears.
Of interest to me, however, is the question over which party, Republican or Democrat, a struggling economy benefits in November. The Helena Independent Record weighs in on this question while reporting “more bad news” on Montana’s economy.
The poor economy, perhaps even more than the record of the current president on the war, the response to Katrina, and so on, may turn the tide to Obama, even in Montana. It surely doesn’t help Republican John McCain to have an important economic advisor — Phil Gramm — who insists the economy is fine and people should just get over it. Now, that is stupid.
But why? Read the rest of this entry »
Wulfgar forwards the suggestion that Republicans consider the 9/11 attacks to be in their favor.
My God.
My God.
Even for Wulfgar, this crosses the line. What a completely insulting thing to say. Insulting to Republicans, sure (that’s par for the course), but more insulting to the victims and their families. 9/11 - and the resulting pictures of destruction and death wrought on the United States and the very act itself - doesn’t favor any party or person. It was a heinous act of evil that is not a symbol for any party. Remembering that horrible day is not a rallying cry for a political party.
Perhaps what Wulfgar is noticing is that the American people trust conservatives more then gut-the-military Democrats when it comes to national security. Maybe he’s noticing that conservatives are more likely to remember that the world has evil in it - the evil that was demonstrated in September 11, 2001 - while liberals have forgotten that such evil exists outside of the Bush Administration.
But since the warrant for his point is a timeline, let me suggest that Wulfgar go find a clue and read the 9/11 Commission Report. I read it. It’s free, right there on the internet.
And if that has too many words for Mr. Bookstore, here’s an convenient time-line provided by the United States Army. And while you’re looking at it, try to remember Bill Clinton was inaugurated January 20, 1993 and left office January 20, 2001.
Update: If you love blog pissing contests, keep reading past the page break.
Senator Obama’s latest gospel of hope passed on by the Billings Gazette seemed to be a noble one. Equality in the workplace, an idea that all people should be behind. Except for you know, Obama himself…
Riggs called Obama hypocritical, noting that in the Democrat’s Senate office, female staff members are outnumbered and outpaid by men by an average of nearly $10,500 per person. In contrast, he said, McCain not only has more women on his Senate staff than men but pays the women about $3,500 more on average than the men. Neither comparison counts interns.
I won’t rehash what Dave Budge has said while doing a great job of covering the recent market woes.
Today’s move by the SEC to crack down on short selling of stocks has me a little skeptical that our regulators know what they are doing.
Short-selling has long had a bad name because an investor is essentially betting on the market to lose. However, short sellers serve an important role in that they act as a counter overly bullish investments. They were the first to blow the whistle on Enron, the subprime market, and the dotcoms of the late ’90s.
Unfortunately, with the recent economic downturn, the geniuses in Congress and regulatory agencies have chosen to go after boogeymen rather than the underlying economic problems. Whether it be blaming oil companies for colluding or now investors who are short-selling stocks.
Here is a thought, maybe instead of wasting time investigating a legal practice the SEC should go after individuals who leak internal financial data from banks causing them to collapse.
For off-shore drilling to happen, three things have to happen.
1) The Executive Moratorium has to be lifted.
2) The Congressional Moratorium has to be lifted.
3) States have to allow exploration.
Congressman Denny Rehberg has just posted a video (hat tip MT Politics) describing his energy solutions. It’s a five minute exploration of his “four part plan” for energy independence, which is also outlined on his website.
After all the build-up with the war, the economy and healthcare, could the immediacy of pump-shock actually rule the day in November? We’ll see, but if big-ticket Republicans are smart, they’ll do everything they can do to talk about the differences in energy policy.
Drill, drill, drill!
Katie Brown, Gubernatorial Candidate Roy Brown’s daughter has entered the blogging world over at Montana is Going Brown.
Ignoring the interesting choice of names for a blog, her approach seems pretty unique in that it is not overtly political but takes more of a human approach to this game we call politics. She’s quite adept with a camera and has even uploaded a video or two.
It’s worth a read if you’re interested in the people behind a campaign instead of just the cold hard issues. I think she’s doing a great job of giving her dad a softer side - now if Brown would just embrace the energy background and promise to develop Montana’s Resources… use the money to pay teachers better, expand the Pov, fund SCHIP… but let’s get that stuff out of the ground so it can contribute to a solution.
For this blogger, at least, Big Oil Roy is about as high a compliment as can be paid - especially when juxtaposed with Big Tree-Hugger Brian.
Drill, drill, drill!
Glad Senator Reed could end the speculation before it ever started.
I wonder when Tester and Schweitzer will join in the circus of taking their name out of consideration for VP, despite never really being considered in the first place.
