Thursday, November 13, 2008

THIS JUST IN! DISAPPOINTMENTS SET IN!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
 
 
SEXISM IS ALIVE AND THRIVING IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. 
 
THESE REPORTERS WORKED THE ROLODEX ENTITLED "OVERLY EXPOSED, SO-CALLED FEMINIST LEADERS" AND STUMBLED ACROSS ROBIN MORGAN.
 
"WELL," MORGAN EXPLAINED, "I HAVEN'T HAD MUCH TIME TO THINK ABOUT MY BABY'S CABINET.  I'M STILL GETTING OVER SEXY DADDY'S BIG WIN.  I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MUCH CLOSER AND WE WOULD HAVE A RECOUNT BATTLE.  HAVING ALREADY PROSTITUTED MYSELF FOR THE CAMPAIGN, I WAS GOING TO PULL OUT THE BIG GUNS AND RAISE MONEY FOR THE RECOUNT BATTLE BY POSING IN CROTCHLESS PANTIES."
 
SO THEN YOU MIGHT SAY BARACK'S ELECTION NIGHT WIN TRULY WAS A VICTORY FOR EVERY ONE.
 
 
 
 
Tuesday's snapshot noted on IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh's court appearance for being the victim of police state actions carried out Oct. 15th in Hempstead, NY on himself and thirteen other IVAW members who were trying to deliver debate questions for Senators John McCain and Barack Obama..  Kimberly Wilder (On The Wilder Side) provides an update, "I attended court today in the stands for Adam Kokesh. Adam was there with his attorney, and some other supporters. More to follow, and possibly a few photos of Adam and his attorney. The main outcome: Adam Kokesh will have his trial on Thursday, December 11th. Sounds like the trial would happen sometime after 10am. In addition, Wednesday, December 10th and Thurs. Dec. 11th are appearance dates for some of the other Hempstead 15. So, we will standby for which dates the IVAW folks would prefer the community come out in full force for."  Adam (Adam Kokesh - Revolutionary Patriot) explains, "In requesting that I be released on my own recognizance (or ROR as everyone else had been) so I could get my bail money returned, my attorney was told by the prosecutor that he would like to have my bail raised!  The judge declined, but that would have put me in jail again until I could get bail posted at the raised amount.  The judge also declined Mr. Moore's motion to dismiss, or take an ACD, adjourn in contemplation of dismissal.  The prosecutor conferred with the police officer who would be testifying, and came up with a date to schedule the trial.  So trial is now scheduled for 9:30 AM on December 11th.  For reasons I can't discuss, we are very excited about this going to trial."  IVAW has just published Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan: Eyewitness Accounts of the Occupation in book form.
 
Turning to the 2008 presidential election, On The Wilder Side notes that Green Party of Connecticut officials have registered an objection that "'REGISTERED' WRITE IN votes were not counted in all towns across the state, as required by state law".  Rebecca addressed the topics of write-ins Friday and noted that Cynthia McKinney (Green Party presidential candidate) received only 53 votes in Connecticut and Rebecca focused on Texas where the Ralph Nader - Matt Gonzalez ticket allegedly received 3,053.  It appears many states have areas that were 'selective' in their counting. [That is not questioning the outcome or saying "The election was stolen!"  That is noting write-in votes appear not to have been counted.] Joel S. Hirschhorn (Dissident Voice) reviews the election numbers:
 
 
This year, among the four most significant third-party presidential candidates, Ralph Nader without a national party did the best with 685,426 votes or 0.54 percent of the grand total (a little better than in 2004 with 0.4 percent but much worse than in 2000 running as a Green Party candidate with 2.7 percent). He was followed by Bob Barr the Libertarian Party candidate with 503,981 votes or 0.4 percent of the total (typical of all Libertarian candidates in recent elections, including Ron Paul in 1988), followed by Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party with just 181,266 votes or 0.1 percent, and then Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party with only 148,546 votes or 0.1 percent.
Showing the problem of ballot access, engineered by the two major parties, is that there were only 15 states where all four were on the ballot. In all but one, Nader received more votes than the other three third-party candidates. In four states only one of the four candidates was on the ballot; in one state none of them were ( Oklahoma ).
Nader's best state was California with 81,434 votes, as it was for McKinney's with 28,624 votes. Baldwin was not on the ballot there. Alan Keyes received 30,787 votes in California . Barr's best state was Texas with 56,398 votes. None of the other three were on the ballot there. In his home state of Georgia where he had been a Representative Barr received 28,420 votes (and none of the other three were on the ballot). Baldwin's best state was Michigan with 14, 973 votes. Nader was not on the ballot there.
In round numbers, Barack Obama raised $639 million or about $10 per vote, and John McCain raised $360 million or $6 per vote, compared to Ralph Nader with $4 million and $6 per vote, Bob Barr with about $1 million or $2 per vote, and Cynthia McKinney with only about $118,000 or less than $1 per vote. Money matters, but the ability of the two-party duopoly to keep third-party presidential candidates out of nationally televised debates matters more for media attention, money and votes.
 
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader sounds warnings (at CounterPunch) today:
 
To its everlasting credit, the conservative American Bar Association sent to President Bush three reports in 2005-2006 concluding that he has been engaged in continuing serious violations of the Constitution. This is no one-time Watergate obstruction of justice episode ala Nixon that led to his resignation just before his impeachment in the House of Representatives.
Nearly two years ago Senator Obama, contrary to what he knows and believes, vigorously came out against the House commencing impeachment proceedings. It would be too divisive, he said. As one of one hundred Senators who might have had to try the President and Vice President in the Senate were the House to impeach. He should have kept impartial and remained silent on the subject.
As President, he cannot remain silent and do nothing, otherwise he will inherit the war crimes of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney and become soon thereafter a war criminal himself. Inaction cannot be an option.
Violating the Constitution and federal laws is now routine. What is routine after awhile becomes institutionalized lawlessness by official outlaws.
Domestic Policy abuses are also rampant. Just what are the limits of the statutory authority of the U.S. Treasury Department or the government within a government funded by bank assessments known as the Federal Reserve?
Don't read the $750 billion bailout law for any answers! The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi and the Majority Leader of the Senate, Harry Reid just sent a letter to Bush asking whether the White House believes the bailout law could be interpreted to save not just the reckless banks, but also the grossly mismanaged Big Three auto companies in Michigan.
Didn't Congress know what they were or were not authorizing? Or did the stampede started by the demanding Bush result in blanket, or panicked ambiguity by a cowardly Congress?
 
 
1- I didn't find this in the English media, but Arab media (including Al-Jazeera) reported today:

Iraqi Presidency Council said in its first reaction to Barak Obama winning the U.S. presidential election: there is only one U.S. policy in Iraq, and the changes that may occur during Obama's time "would be only technical."

2- As you've heard already, Obama picked congressman Rahm Emanuel to become the White House's chief of staff. Mr. Emanuel, an Israeli citizen who has served in the Israeli Army (he denies both), was the only one out of Illinois' nine congressmen who voted for the invasion of Iraq in 2002.
I know that the confetti has not settled down yet, but I think it's time already to ask the Obama-Biden campaign some questions about their foreign policy plans, especially regarding the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and regarding ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
 
And winding this up, the GOP ticket was John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin.  The Republican governor's conference took place today and Texas Governor Rick Perry explained it was focused on "what's  the Republican Party going to look like going forward."  He then stated, "It gives me great deal of pleasure to introduce one of our collegues, one of America's great republican governors, Governor Sarah Palin."
 
 
Gov Sarah Palin: Thank you [to Rick Perry], thank you so much [to those assembled].  Thank you, Governor Perry.  Thank you governors. Thank you very much.  Thanks. Honored to be here and to speak with and to my fellow governors.  It hasn't been that long since we all gathered.  I don't know about you, but I managed to fill up the time. [Laughter] Let's see I had a baby, I did some traveling, I very briefly expanded my wardrobe [Laughter], I made a few speeches, I met a few VIPs including those who really impact society like Tina Fey [Laughter] and aside from that it was pretty much the same-old, same-old since we last gathered.  But in the great campaign that has come and gone . . .  And it was great.  One of the nicer experiences that we had along the campaign trail was seeing so many of my RGA colleagues and I think you guys so much for your assistance with John McCain's good run.  Each of you gave your all to the cause and were helpmates and positive additions to Senator McCain's good run. You were there to help when things were looking good and you were there to help when -- once in a while -- things weren't looking so good.  And where I'm from in Alaska, life would be pretty lonely if all we had were fair weather friends.  And you have been friends in all seasons and for that I will forever be grateful and I know Senator McCain also would be so appreciative.  
 
Palin noted the campaign in her remarks.

Gov Sarah Palin: Along the trail, it was my husband, Todd, who was my right hand.  And among his many willing -- winning qualities is the gift that he has of optimism and just thankfulness in all situations that he finds.  And going forward, I'm going to count on those qualities a little more even.  Because of course there was a disappointment after a loss in a national election like that.  You run to win.  You run the race to win.  It's kind of relying on Todd with that optimism and the thanfkulness in all situations that I'm certainly going to be there with him along those lines.  But far from returning to the great state of Alaska with any sense of sorrow or regret, we carried with us the best of memories and joyful experiences that really do not depend at all on political victory.  For years to come, I'm going to remember all the young girls who came up to me at rallies to see the first woman having the privilege of carrying our party's VP nomination.  And they inspired me.  With an extra hurdel or two in front of us and in front of these young girls, I fell that we've got this mutually beneficial relationship now -- me and these young girls -- where we're going to work hareder.  We're going to be stronger.  We're going to do better.  And one day, one of them will be the president because in America there will be no ceilings on achievement -- glass or otherwise.  [Applause begins and grows ] And if I can help point the way --   [Pauses for applause to die down.]  If I can help point the way for these young women or inspire them to tap into their own gifts and talents and strengths -- to find their own opportunities -- Well, it is a privilege.