Where’s the Outrage?

An emotional woman stood up in John McCain’s Town Hall in Las Cruses, NM, yesterday. She had a long rambling statement. She ended with the suggestion that we will have to reinstate the draft if we are going to chase Bin Laden to the gates of hell. John McCain thanked the woman for her answer and then said that he didn’t disagree with anything that the woman said.

I don’t know if John McCain heard all of the question or perhaps he zoned out. A draft? I think that a draft is necessary if are going to continue our occupation of Iraq and possibly invade or fight another county. We need more soldiers. On the other hand, this could be somewhat disastrous to John McCain. A draft? I suspect that the McCain will have a statement out early in the morning restating what the Senator “meant” to say.

Tags: Election 2008, Military // 3 Comments »

My answer is that Barack Obama needs to point out what Senator John McCain has said. Obama needs to remind the voters that John McCain has been on Rumsfeld’s side when it was a slam-dunk then McCain jumped on the anti-Rumsfeld band wagon when things got tough. McCain pushed for war with Iraq and was one of the first to hint that Iraq was behind the anthrax scare. Barack Obama doesn’t need to stoop to questioning John McCain’s patriotism. He just needs to point out the huge swings in John McCain’s positions. Fortunately for Obama, the press loves McCain. There is plenty of video tape of McCain. Senator McCain has never been camera shy.

Tags: Election 2008 // Add Comment »

I’m not putting much stock in national polls. I’m trying to keep my eyes on statewide polls. For what this is worth, McCain seems to have cut into Barack Obama’s lead. Let’s see what the polls show when the race really starts in 2 weeks.

By the way, many commentators are trying to make a big deal out of Barack Obama’s performance over the weekend. As you recall, Barack Obama and John McCain were invited to the mega-church — Saddleback. Barack Obama was in front of a conservative audience. The audience was polite but clearly sided with John McCain. As expected, John McCain gave answers that were cut and dry. Barack Obama gave answers that were more nuanced. There were no unexpected questions. Barack Obama’s performance was a little wooden. John McCain’s performance was — John McCain. I suspect that Barack Obama will perform better down the stretch.

Tags: Election 2008 // Add Comment »

The following about how Paul Revere saw life at age 50 is from Paul Revere And The World He Lived In by Esther Forbes—

“Very few people ever live their middle years in the same world they grow up in as children. None whose lives have been broken in two by a great war ever do, and none of Paul Revere’s generation did. They could fall to rioting, as they did in the western part of (Massachusetts.) They could slip into embittered old age as did Samuel Adams. Or they could take things as they found them and go ahead. Paul Revere did the last.”

Reagardless of if you’ve been in a war or not, this seemed to me a useful passage for people of all ages.

Above is a picture of the Boston house Paul Revere lived in for much of his life. Please click here for a Paul Revere reading list. Paul Revere lived 1735-1818.

Tags: Books, General // Add Comment »

• Russian flights off the coast of Alaska? What Russian flights off the coast of Alaska? Secretary Condoleezza Rice warned Russia that these flights needed to stop. Does any of this make sense to you?
• Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones from Ohio died today of a brain aneurysm at the age of 58. She was the first black female representative of Ohio. She was the chair of the powerful Ways and Means committee. She was a liberal Democrat. I know that her leadership will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and her constituents.
• Again, I would emphasize that we ignore national polls. We need to focus locally and nationally everything will take care of itself. Last week, all the talking heads from right were asking the question why Barack Obama’s lead wasn’t substantial. Now, two national polls are showing Barack Obama with a three-point lead, well within the margin of error. The real race starts in 2 weeks. Obama has with stood McCain’s attack dogs and he is still standing tall. he will be fine. We need to step to the plate and help him knock this one out of the park.

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Tags: Domestic Issues, Election 2008 // Add Comment »

Thank you, Barack. Thank you for stating the obvious but it needed to be stated again. Barack Obama directly responses to Senator John McCain and his ridiculous charges from yesterday. McCain knows that he will lose on the issues. Therefore, he plays these games.

From JohnMcCain.com:

With less than three months to go before the election, a lot of people are still trying to square Senator Obama’s varying positions on the surge in Iraq. First, he opposed the surge and confidently predicted that it would fail. Then he tried to prevent funding for the troops who carried out the surge. Not content to merely predict failure in Iraq, my opponent tried to legislate failure. This was back when supporting America’s efforts in Iraq entailed serious political risk. It was a clarifying moment. It was a moment when political self-interest and the national interest parted ways. For my part, with so much in the balance, it was an easy call. As I said at the time, I would rather lose an election than lose a war.

Thanks to the courage and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines and to brave Iraqi fighters the surge has succeeded. And yet Senator Obama still cannot quite bring himself to admit his own failure in judgment. Nor has he been willing to heed the guidance of General Petraeus, or to listen to our troops on the ground when they say – as they have said to me on my trips to Iraq: “Let us win, just let us win.” Instead, Senator Obama commits the greater error of insisting that even in hindsight, he would oppose the surge. Even in retrospect, he would choose the path of retreat and failure for America over the path of success and victory. In short, both candidates in this election pledge to end this war and bring our troops home. The great difference is that I intend to win it first.

Barack Obama finally states that we all love America.  We have different views on how to get America back on her feet but we all love America. (see video below)

I feel I have to say something about John McCain’s constant mentioning on the Surge.  John McCain acts as if a great military strategy has been carried out.  When it fact more has happened beyond what we did.  The Sunni leaders decided to kick Al Qaeda out of their country.   We have helped but it was their idea.  It has been called the Awakening.  This started before our Surge.  Without the cooperation of Sunni tribal leaders we would still be in deep do-do.  Yes, the Surge was worked to control violence in Baghdad but it has also separated neighborhoods.  As we barricaded off Sunnis and Shias we have caused people to be forced out of their homes.  This is not mentioned by McCain at all.  McCain would never mention that a group of Sunni leaders that supported the Awakening were recently blown up.   The picture that John McCain paints - America has kicked ass and taken names under the great leadership of General David Petraeus - is overly simplistic and only partially true.

 

 Obama talks about Patriotism: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Election 2008, Military // 5 Comments »

Keith Olbermann has slowly taken John McCain’s speech at the VFW (veterans of foreign wars) and deconstructed it. He has pulled McCain’s Iraq victory speech in 2003. This is the speech in which John McCain declared victory. We were done according to John McCain. McCain has called Barack Obama on shifting positions on Iraq but no one has been on both sides of the fence at the same time as well as Senator McCain.

This is a very good special comment by Keith Olbermann.

It should be mentioned that I cringe when I hear that someone is speaking to the VFW. It was at the VFW that Dick Cheney laid down the saber. Remember -

“Simply stated, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction. There is no doubt he is amassing them to use against our friends, against our allies, and against us. And there is no doubt that his aggressive regional ambitions will lead him into future confrontations with his neighbors — confrontations that will involve both the weapons he has today, and the ones he will continue to develop with his oil wealth.” Vice President Dick Cheney at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, August 26, 2002.

Tags: Bush Administration, Countdown, Election 2008, Iraq // 2 Comments »

From the Weather Channel:

Bringing heavy tropical rains and tropical storm-force winds, the first U.S. landfall of Tropical Storm Fay occurred Monday afternoon over Key West, Florida; a second landfall will occur Tuesday morning.

A hurricane warning is now in effect for southwestern Florida while a tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida Keys and the majority of Florida’s Atlantic coast.

As of 11 pm EDT, Fay was located about 60 miles south of Naples, Florida with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. Fay is moving to the north at 9 mph. This northward motion (perhaps slightly east of north) is expected to continue through landfall. View Fay’s projected path. (more… )

Tags: Environment // Add Comment »

Some on the left object to the idea of Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana being chosen as running mate for Senator Barack Obama. The claim is that Mr. Bayh is a centrist, or within the context of the Democratic Party, on the right.

Here is an account of votes Evan Bayh has made in the Senate. 

Here is Senator Bayh’s Senate page.

Here is Mr. Bayh’s official Congressional profile.   

Here is a Chicago Tribune profile of Senator Bayh.

I don’t object to Senator Bayh’s possible selection. I want to win the election. If the Obama campaign makes the call for Mr. Bayh, that’s fine by me.  

Senator Bayh has shown the ability to win in Indiana. Indiana, bordering Mr. Obama’s Illinois, is seen as a swing state in 2008 despite a strong Republican history. If Mr. Bayh can help in Indiana, and maybe in next-door Ohio as well, then he is my man.

And I’m not so certain that Mr. Bayh is as to the right as is being suggested. The following is from his profile in the 2008 Almanac Of American Politics—

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Tags: Election 2008, Party Politics // 4 Comments »

Like most Americans, I watch swimming once every four years. I used to swim for exercise so I know how hard the sport is. Michael Phelps has won eight gold medals. This brings up the question that everyone has been asking, or will ask: Is Phelps the greatest athlete of our time?

Update: One of my good friends reminded me of Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses who ran the hurdles undefeated for over 10 years. Then Keith Olbermann, a sports historian, reminded everyone of Jim Thorpe (see the video below). Okay, so Michael Phelps isn’t the best ever. He is still extremely good and he will be very rich, very soon.

Tags: Sports // 2 Comments »

Join Errington for the latest in national politics and sports! Topics include Russia-Georgia conflict and the response of the US…what is going on? Isaac Hayes, and more! This week, I decide that I would like to review the famous August 6th Presidential Daily Brief and the Downing Street Memo. I invite 2 great guests to discuss these important papers Greg Mitchell from Editor and Publisher and Faiz Shakir at thinkprogress.org. Also, note how I freeze when Faiz gives me a compliment. I’m not use to that. Great show. Enjoy!

 

 The Errington Thompson Show 08-16-08 [46:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Tags: Bush Administration, Iraq, Podcasts // Add Comment »

I have talked about Jerome Corsi’s latest pack of lies, Obama Nation, on a couple of posts (here and here). Rachel Maddow hosts Countdown. She briefly discusses a couple of Corsi’s lies. She then discusses the Obama response with Democratic Strategist Chris Kofinis.

Tags: Countdown, Election 2008, Party Politics // Add Comment »

Not much else needs to be said about Aretha Franklin. Here’s “Respect.”

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A friend of mine mentioned Jerry Wexler to me. I said, “Who?” Here’s what he wrote me:

Bad week for R&B, what with Isaac Hayes and Jerry Wexler dying. Wexler was THE reason that Atlantic Records and Stax Records were different from Motown.

Twenty essential Jerry Wexler recordings

1. Professor Longhair — “Tipitina” (1953)
2. Ray Charles — “I Got a Woman” (1954)
3. Big Joe Turner — “Shake, Rattle and Roll” (1954)
4. LaVern Baker — “Tweedlee Dee” (1954)
5. Champion Jack Dupree — “Junker’s Blues” (1958)
6. The Drifters — “There Goes My Baby” (1959)
7. Ray Charles — “What I’d Say” (1959)
8. Solomon Burke — “If You Need Me” (1963)
9. Booker T. & the MG’s — “Green Onions” (1962)
10. Wilson Pickett — “In the Midnight Hour” (1965)
11. Aretha Franklin — “Respect” (1967)
12. Dusty Springfield — “Son of a Preacher Man” (1969)
13. Dr. John — “Iko Iko” (1972)
14. Doug Sahm — “(Is Anybody Going to) San Antone” (1973)
15. Willie Nelson — “Bloody Mary Morning” (1974)
16. The Sanford/Townsend Band — “Smoke From a Distant Fire” (1977)
17. James Booker — “Winin’ Boy Blues” (1978)
18. Etta James — “Take It to the Limit” (1978)
19. Dire Straits — “Lady Writer” (1979)
20. Bob Dylan — “Gotta Serve Somebody” (1979)

Let me add a little more explanation from Rolling Stone:

Jerry Wexler, the legendary record man, music producer and ageless hipster, died at 3:45 a.m. today at the age of 91. Wexler was one of the great music business pioneers of the 20th century: as co-head of Atlantic Records from 1953 to ‘75, he and his partner Ahmet Ertegun grew the small independent R&B label into the major record company that it is today.

Wexler was much more than a top executive — he was a national tastemaker and a prophet of roots and rhythm. The impact of his deeds matched his larger-than-life personality. Because of him, we use the term “rhythm and blues” and we hail Ray Charles as “Genius” and Aretha Franklin as “Queen.” We came to know of a record label called Stax and a small town called Muscle Shoals, Alabama. We witnessed the rise of Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers, and we care about a thing called soul. (more… )

 

 Wilson Pickett - Live from Africa - Midnight Hour [3:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Senator Barack Obama did fantastic job in front of a relatively hostile audience. Pastor Rick Warren asked about his personal moral failures and his opinion on America’s moral failures. Obama talked openly about his youthful drug use. He also talks about America leaving behind those that are the least among us. It was a great answer.

Tags: Election 2008, Ethics, Religion // Add Comment »

There are some topics that we can argue over until the sun runs out of hydrogen and never make any headway. Abortion is one of these topics. There is no use debating this topic, people have already made up their minds. The problem with Senator John McCain’s position is that he would try to force all women to conform to his viewpoint. Women should be given the support and information necessary to make abortions truly a rare event as Senator Barack Obama said.

Tags: Civil Liberty, Domestic Issues, Election 2008 // Add Comment »

• Greg Mitchell from Editor and Publisher has a column out today praising the media’s coverage of Corsi’s new book. He does reflect on how timid the media was four years ago in condemning Corsi’s famously wrong “Swift Boat” book.
• Senator John McCain, who denounced the swift boating of John Kerry, is silent about this new book “Obama Nation.” I wonder why? Again, isn’t this a character issue? If you, as a man of honor (which McCain says he is) know a book has published a pack of lies against your opponent are you not duty-bound to declare it unacceptable?
• Juan Cole, popular blogger and Modern Middle Eastern and South Asia history professor, has an excellent article in Salon.com. He explains how the Bush administration’s policy of trashing international law has lead directly to Russia’s invasion of Georgia.
• Pakistan continues to be a country that confuses me to no end. It appears that Pervez Musharraf may be stepping down. Pakistan is such a complex county. There are tribal areas which have no running water or indoor plumbing but then there are modern cities with the internet and movie theaters. Again, Juan Cole has a thoughtful explanation of what’s going on in Pakistan.
• CNN used to be my main source of news. I’m glad that has changed. When they asked the question “Is Obama the Anti-Christ” then I think that they are sending me a message. Don’t turn on CNN. If that is the message that they are sending, I will listen to their message.
• A real cease-fire seems to be taking hold in Georgia.

Tags: Domestic Issues, Election 2008, Foreign Affairs // Add Comment »

Jerome Corsi’s book “Obama Nation” will debut at #1 on the New York Times best sellers list. As with his previous book “Unfit to Command” (a swift full of lies), a coordinated effort has been made to make this book look like it is very popular. There are huge bulk sales. I’m not sure if each republican state party or county party are required to buy the book, but one or more groups have bought this book.

In the following clip, Corsi continues to push the notion that Senator Barack Obama’s birth certificate that is on his web site is a fake. He does not present any data except to say that he “knows” it is fake.

From Media Matters:

Additionally, Politifact.com, in a June 27 article, quoted Okubo (Hawaii Department of Health spokeswoman) stating of Obama’s posted birth certificate: “It’s a valid Hawaii state birth certificate.” Noting the unfounded “internet” rumor that Obama’s birth certificate is “Photoshopped and a wholesale fraud,” PolitiFact concluded: “There is not one shred of evidence to disprove PolitiFact’s conclusion that the candidate’s name is Barack Hussein Obama, or to support allegations that the birth certificate he released isn’t authentic. And that’s true no matter how many people cling to some hint of doubt and use the Internet to fuel their innate sense of distrust.” (more… )

I feel very confident that the right-wing will find something else wrong with Obama’s birth certificate.

Tags: Election 2008, Party Politics // 1 Comment »

This is a great video from MoveOn.org. They clearly show that this election isn’t in the bag. We are going to have to work until the election is over. Then we are going to have to work to help Senator Barack Obama create a nation that we can all be proud of.

Tags: Election 2008, Party Politics // Add Comment »

Public expressions of sentiment are often the kiss of death in America. If elected officials, corporations, the media, or just plain folks routinely express concern for specific groups of people, you can bet the objects of the attention are in for a rough ride. Old people. Children. Veterans– They all need to run for cover.

We say we care. But if so, why don’t we do more for these people?

I’ve long thought that the biggest sin of people who may need our help was simply vulnerability. In America, we often despise those we see as unable to “pull their own weight.” Recently, I read something that did not change my perspective on this question, although it did amend and expand my view.

I read the ancient Babylonian epic poem “Gilgamesh.” (The ancient tablet in the picture has a fragment of “Gilgamesh” written on it.) I read a 1970 translation by Herbert Mason, who was a finalist for the National Book Award. This poem is over 4500 years old.

In “Gilgamesh,” one of the two main characters, Enkidu, lives in innocence with animals. From the poem:

He ran with the animals,

Drank at their springs,

Not knowing fear or wisdom.

He freed them from the traps

The hunters set.

The hunters resent Enkidu for freeing the animals. They ask the King, Gilgamesh, to do something. Gilgamesh sends a prostitute to the woods to lure Enkidu out of innocence. The prostitute accomplishes her task and the animals no longer want anything to do with Enkidu.

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Tags: Books, General // Add Comment »