Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! Go!: June 08, 2008

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June 14, 2008

Senator Obama, Trade and the Big Picture

Barack Obama waited just three days after Hillary Clinton pulled out of the race to declare, on CNBC: "Look. I am a pro-growth, free-market guy. I love the market." Demonstrating that this is no mere spring fling, he has appointed the 37-year-old Jason Furman, one of Wal-Mart's most prominent defenders, to head his economic team.
On the campaign trail, Obama blasted Clinton for sitting on the Wal-Mart board and pledged: "I won't shop there." For Furman, however, Wal-Mart's critics are the real threat: the "efforts to get Wal-Mart to raise its wages and benefits" are creating "collateral damage" that is "way too enormous and damaging to working people and the economy ... for me to sit by idly and sing Kum Ba Ya in the interests of progressive harmony".

Furman won't last long with the campaign or (hopefully) the Obama administration. Not with talk like that. As for the Senator's "I love the market" quote, what else was he supposed to say on CNBC where everything is about crazy insane rich white guys and the only other time a black man has been seen on that network was... frickin' NEVER?

Regardless, the Senator is going to say some things during the general that you and I might not always agree with. Senator Obama is a liberal, but he's also a pragmatist. His pragmatism is going to be frustrating sometimes, but it's mostly a good thing. It allows him to be more honest than most politicians of recent memory (see his Philadelphia Address on race, or this, or, "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times ... and then just expect that other countries are going to say OK.").

But don't lose sight of the larger picture. He's rewriting the way politics is played -- for the better -- and continuing the goals of Howard Dean from four years ago (he's less liberal than Dean, but so what). He's creating a new paradigm for transparency and accountibility and respectability. No-one in our lifetime has been better suited to accomplish these goals, and no-one is better suited to wipe away a considerable amount of the stink left behind by the Bush administration.

Discuss...

05:03 PM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Morning Awesome

07:45 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

June 13, 2008

Whoa. Tim Russert Died Today.

Terrible news.

The New York Times is reporting that MSNBC's Tim Russert has died of a heart attack at the age of 58.
Russert suffered a massive heart attack and collapsed Friday afternoon in NBC's Washington bureau, according to the New York Post

MORE... My condolences to his wife, Maureen, and his son, Luke. While I didn't always agree with his choice of questions or the makeup of his panels, I always admired his professional consistency and very much related to his insatiable love of politics, America and presidential history.

MORE... Ezra Klein:

Presumably, he's up somewhere beyond the cloudline, hectoring God about His inconsistencies. "But Lord, in Exodus 6:12, you clearly said..."

MORE... A friend e-mailed me and mentioned that if you Google "Tim Russert" my recent Huffington Post essay about his Farrakhan questioning of Senator Obama comes up as #7 in the results. I wish it wouldn't for the next several days. I was extraordinarily hard on Russert in that piece -- not necessarily unfair, but rough. Hopefully it'll be bumped down soon.

MORE... Chuck Todd and Keith Olbermann:

MORE... Senator Obama:

"I've known Tim Russert since I first spoke at the convention in 2004. He's somebody who, over time, I came to consider not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn't a better interviewer in TV, not a more thoughtful analyst of our politics, and he was also one of the finest men I knew. Somebody who cared about America, cared about the issues, cared about family. I am grief-stricken with the loss and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family. And I hope that, even though Tim is irreplaceable, that the standard that he set in his professional life and his family life are standards that we all carry with us in our own lives."

03:45 PM | Comments (8) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Real 3D Cartoon Characters

This isn't political, but I don't care. Check it out... Would someone pay me to make a CG feature film that has the same production values as these old Hanna-Barbera Viewmaster slides? How awesome do these look:

So much better than the over-saturated, floaty, madcap, pop culture hack jobs that are released as "kids movies" these days.

Stupid White Men

In this week's NBC/WSJ poll, Senator Obama leads among all demographic groups. Except white men.

Yet among white men — who made up 36 percent of the electorate in the 2004 presidential election — Obama trails McCain by 20 points, 55-35 percent. “That is the reason why this election is close,” Hart notes.

Yeah, it's time for white guys to take a seat on the sidelines for a while.

Same goes for hillbillies and Soccer Moms. All three groups combined gave us eight years of George W. Bush.

02:11 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Nope. Sorry. No frickin' way.

There's no way Huffington Post is more "scurrilous" than goddamn Michelle Malkin. Vanity Fair seems to forget that Malkin stalked a little boy who dared to publicly support SCHIP.

10:52 AM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Shocking!

The McBush Town Hall was stacked with supporters. And this is weird -- FOX News broke the story.

SMITH: "I reported at the top of this hour that the campaign had told us at Fox News that the audience would be made up of Republicans, Democrats, and independents. We have now received a clarification from the campaign and I feel I should pass it along to you. The McCain campaign distributed tickets to supporters, Mayor Bloomberg, who of course is a registered Republican, and other independent groups."

I suppose McBush didn't want any questions about "not too important" or, you know, calling his wife a c**t.

09:59 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Morning Awesome

07:17 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

June 12, 2008

We Don't Torture

LONDON (AP) — The U.S. government has photographic evidence that a Guantanamo Bay inmate was tortured with a knife after being taken to Morocco by U.S. forces, a British human rights group said Tuesday.
Reprieve said their client, Binyam Mohamed, had his genitals slashed repeatedly with a doctor's scalpel while in custody in Morocco after he was flown there from Pakistan by American officials in 2002. It also said his U.S. captors later took pictures of the abuse to show authorities that his wounds were healing.

Goddamn. Apart from being an atrocity, it makes all the fuss about waterboarding seem tame by comparison.

(h/t Atrios)

02:01 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Senator Obama's Birth Certificate

The far-right has been attempting to add more rumors to their list of hilarious lies. The latest one is that Senator Obama refuses to release his birth certificate because he isn't who he says he is.

Well... Here's the birth certificate.

And here's more from Markos.

01:04 PM | Comments (7) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Letterman Is Awesome

11:08 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Hugging Cheney

Senator McCain says "hell yeah" when asked if there's a place for Cheney in his would-be White House:

Asked whether he’d be interested in Cheney had the vice president not already have served under Bush for two terms, McCain said: “I don’t know if I would want him as vice president. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah.”

Of course. Senator McCain would need staffers who are comparatively more youthful.

07:58 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Racist

Bill O'Reilly:

This isn't, you know, the inner city; you would think that these [suburban white] kids would have some kind of a values system.

Black kids don't have a values system. Now where's my m-f-ing ice tea!

07:12 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Morning Awesome

07:11 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

June 11, 2008

Almost Forgot

New Huffington Post item today. One in which I talk directly to the President about his legacy.

07:46 PM | Comments (7) | Posted By Bob Cesca

I've Got A Fever...

...and the only cure is MORE HILLBILLY.

‘We’ll end up slaves. We’ll be made slaves just like they was once slaves,’ he said. Telvor, a white Democrat who supported Hillary Clinton in West Virginia’s primary, said he planned to vote for Republican John McCain in November. ‘At least he’s an American,’ he added with a disarmingly friendly smile.

(h/t Drunk Cyclist)

11:30 AM | Comments (5) | Posted By Bob Cesca

WTF?! Quote Of The Day

Washington Post's Robert Samuelson:

By contrast, no one can claim that McCain lacks convictions. … He has a hard time changing his mind, even when the evidence overwhelmingly suggests he’s wrong.

My name is Robert Samuelson and I live in a frickin' hole!

11:12 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

McCain Voters

If you happen to be a McBush Troll, take the "I'm Voting for Senator McCain" pledge here. If you're a female Senator Clinton supporter who refuses to support Senator Obama, here's a pledge for you:

The McCain Loyalty Oath for Women
I _____________ pledge to transfer my support from Hillary Clinton to John McCain. I agree to do all I can do to get McCain the vote. In order to achieve this noble goal I promise to support McCain's...

* fight to overturn Roe v. Wade and my right to choose.
* fight against equal pay for men and women.
* opposition to providing low-income and uninsured women and families with health care services ranging from breast and cervical cancer screening to birth control.
* opposition to sex education and support of abstinence-only education.
* making birth control covered by insurance.
* endorsement of women's rights more "in theory" than in practice.
* pet name for his wife.

As a woman I promise to apply McCain's principles to my own life and vow to...

* call myself and my female friends the C word.
* picket abortion clinics.
* not use contraceptives.
* drink bleachso I don't catch HIV and drink Mountain due so I don't get pregnant.
* give back part of my salary to male coworkers.
* not vote, but pursue education and encourage my father/husband/brother male friends to vote for McCain.

Once McCain is elected, I will continue to support him and I will not complain about my losing my right to choose, and other reproductive freedoms. And I will continue to refrain from pursuing equality for women.

Sincerely,
Signature __________

Between now and November, I'll be watching the polls and making the futile observation: "Why the frickin' hell are these people supporting McBush?"

For instance, Rasmussen has a fresh poll from New Jersey where margins are widing in favor of Senator Obama (48-39). However, 46 percent of men, 34 percent of women, 83 percent of Republicans, and 13 percent of Democrats are supporting McBush. Seriously? These people deserve to pay the Saudis $4 per gallon for gasoline. These people deserve to have their homes losing value by the day. These people are supporting deficits, war, and more death. More everything!

08:08 AM | Comments (7) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Morning Awesome

Wayne Coyne's guide to stagecraft.

06:10 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

June 10, 2008

Governor Strickland is Out

Which is fine by me. He has too much negative baggage (this and this especially).

05:34 PM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Pity Party for Joe Lieberman

One, two, three... Awwwwwwww.

Lieberman's people respond to Senator Obama's tough talk on the Senate floor last week.

“If the Obama campaign thinks they are going to intimidate Joe Lieberman with these sleazy tactics then they are sorely mistaken," the Lieberman aide says.

Poor Joe. So irrelevant.

04:53 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Weirdest News Story of the Day

A car dealership in Texas (of all places) is using a Senator Obama impersonator to sell Kias.

Now that I think about it, this is pretty cool -- because the only other political look-alike I can think of who regularly appears in car commercials is... Abraham Lincoln.

04:34 PM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Cowards

Democratic Congressmen Dan Boren and Tim Mahoney won't endorse Senator Obama.

They're both cowards. Let them know it.

Contact:
Congressman Boren.
Congressman Mahoney.

04:17 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Lame Apology

ED Hill is lame and awful. Almost as lame and awful as her lame and awful show which has been cancelled.

04:11 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Lunch With The Senator

Senator Obama enjoys lunch with some grassroots donors in Muncie, Indiana.

03:39 PM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

The Gotham Font

I just discovered the name of the font that the Obama campaign has been using -- it's called 'Gotham' and it's based on the NYC Port Authority sign. I just spent a couple minutes experimenting with it. Here's a self-made logo using the 'Gotham Medium' variation which is also used in the official Change We Can Believe In logo:

Yeah, I'm a graphic design geek. Wanna fight?

03:16 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Holy Crap! Someone Alert FOX News!

Terrorists have infiltrated every facet of American life. From tennis-playing ex-presidents to Liebercrats to big league baseball stars to -- holy crap -- our precious supply of crooners! All terrorists!

(h/t Oliver Willis)

02:00 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Republicans Give Big Oil A Sloppy Wet Kiss

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans blocked a proposal Tuesday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline.

Republicans are in bed with the oil companies.

Republicans are taxing American drivers.

Republicans are taxing working Americans.

Republicans fought a war for oil.

Republicans gave the oil companies a sloppy wet kiss.

Why are the Republicans so obstructionist?

Repeat all of the above. Over and over and over.

01:59 PM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Beer You Can Believe In

11:06 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca

McCain Fever!

Catch it!

(h/t GottaLaff)

08:23 AM | Comments (1) | Posted By Bob Cesca

This Is Hilarious

MCCAIN: Sen. Obama says that I'm running for a Bush's third terms. It seems to me he's running for Jimmy Carter's second. (LAUGHTER)

*chirp chirp*

The Republicans have nominated a man who makes Cheney appear youthful and whose laugh makes President Bush's "eh-eh-eh" seem less creepy.

08:06 AM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Morning Awesome

Happy birthday to Jerry Stiller. 81 years old today.

07:44 AM | Comments (0) | Posted By Bob Cesca

June 09, 2008

Maverick-ish

Ross Perot:

‘McCain is the classic opportunist. He’s always reaching for attention and glory,’ he said.
‘After he came home, Carol [his first wife] walked with a limp. So he threw her over for a poster girl with big money from Arizona. And the rest is history.’

What a guy. Classy!

04:48 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca

More Like This One, Please

Rasmussen reports:

Obama (D) 50%
McCain (R) 44%

Right on. Without leaners, Senator Obama's lead is eight points. 48-40.

12:11 PM | Comments (3) | Posted By Bob Cesca

What Obama Said to Lieberman...

Turns out Senator Obama verbally smacked Lieberman on the Senate floor for spreading the Muslim bullshit... Newsweek via TPM:

In a brief but animated Senate floor confrontation last week, according to a campaign aide who asked for anonymity when talking about private discussions, Obama told Lieberman he was surprised by Lieberman's personal attacks and his half-hearted denials of the false rumors that Obama is a Muslim.

Wait until everyone finds out that Senator McCain is really a Muslim.

12:06 PM | Comments (4) | Posted By Bob Cesca

Already Sick Of It

It's only been a couple of days, but you know what word I'm already sick of?

"Veepstakes."

It's almost as bad as calling the election a "contest" and referring to Senators Obama or Clinton by their first names (while no-one calls Senator McCain "John").

08:09 AM | Comments (2) | Posted By Bob Cesca