The Tears of a Clown

So, apparently CNN.com's Ruben Navarrette Jr. is trying out for a job at Town Hall or some similar bastion of right-wing pseudojournalism. It's the only explanation I can come up with to explain his latest column.

It's just poorly written from top to bottom, jumping between subjects and mixing metaphors so that keeping track of his train of thought becomes nearly impossible. But beyond an overall writing style reminiscent of a barely-passing high school sophomore, he also manages to throw out some nuggets of stunning ignorance.

As Palin herself pointed out in a recent CNN interview, imagine if she had been the one to imply that electing Obama would invite calamity. Biden does it, and the media shrug.

Yeah, imagine. Or don't bother, since trying to find video of Palin implying that Obama cavorts with terrorists is about as difficult as finding furniture in an Ikea showroom. And McCain himself, just the other day, said that foreign enemies would "test" Obama, but would not dare to test him. So, yeah, no real reason to stretch your imagination, is there? You can just look at the stories run by the news network you work for.

I also thought the Democratic Party was supposed to go to bat for the little guy, the everyday Joe the Plumber.

Tell that to Joe Wurzelbacher, the Ohio resident who got his 15 minutes -- and 40 lashes -- because he dared question Obama about his tax plan.

Because a plumber making more than $250,000 a year? Totally normal. Hell, all the other plumbers at the country club probably make fun of him for driving a standard Corvette instead of a custom Porche. It takes about 2 minutes of listening to Joe Wurzelbacher to figure out he's about as genuine as a e-mail penis enlargement offer. This is not a guy who was ever wavering on who to vote for in this election. He's just another selfish douchebag who makes more than I ever will but doesn't want to pay his fair share. Fulfilling the "American Dream"™, in the mind of people like ol' Joe, means one should be exempted from contributing back to the system that allowed them to succeed. Fuck Joe Wurzelbacher and fuck people like him who think that their success should mean everyone else pays to keep them afloat. I should want my tax policy determined by greedy, entitled assholes like Joe Wurzelbacher? Fuck that.

Obama supporters like to talk about how the Democratic presidential nominee has lived the American Dream. So why is it to so hard for them to conceive of a situation where someone dreams of earning more money a few years from now than they earn today. Has Barack Obama consumed all the social mobility this country has to offer, so there isn't any left for the rest of us?

There's nothing wrong with dreaming of earning more money, Ruben, you self-righteous ass. If money motivates you, by all means, set some goals and try to climb that ladder. Where I start having a problem is with the idea that earning more money should lessen a person's monetary obligations to the society that allowed him to succeed. Taxing the rich does not make the rich poor. It makes the rich slightly less rich. That's it. The concept that taxes dissuade financial success is ludicrous. Being wealthy offers privileges and opportunities unavailable to anyone else, whether they pay their share of taxes or not. If those privileges and opportunities are important to an individual, that individual will work toward them, whether they'll gain bonus tax advantages or not.

And, frankly, taxation is a zero-sum game. You can cut spending, but at the end of the day, there's a budget that has to be met. If the rich get tax breaks, one of two things happens. The vast majority of Americans pick up the slack, so that the middle class is paying for the excesses of the wealthy, or we borrow more money, driving up the national debt and letting our children pay for the excesses of the wealthy. I don't like those options. I don't begrudge the wealthy the excesses their success affords them. But I think they can pay for them on their own.

Seventy percent of the wealth in this country is owned by ten percent of the population. Think about that. So if we cut taxes for the top ten percent, as has been done by the current administration, we're losing revenue on seventy percent of the circulating wealth. This is not a system that punishes the rich. We are paying for the rich to become richer, and they're convincing us that they're doing us a favor. Anyone who earns more than $250,000 is in that top 10%. Pretending that they are middle-class is a lie that is meant to evoke sympathy from people who hope desperately that they may one day be part of that elite 10%. 90% of them never will, and their children will pay for their short-sightedness.

Still, we're told, this tempest in a Gucci bag has some Republicans worrying that shopping sprees at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue might undermine Palin's everywoman image. To think, just last month, the criticism was that Sarah the Moose Hunter wasn't sufficiently sophisticated or glamorous. Now her wardrobe signals the hockey mom is high-maintenance.

No, you stupid, stupid fuck. You don't get to misrepresent what happened a month ago to make your idiotic point. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, was concerned that Sarah Palin wasn't "sophisticated or glamorous" enough to be vice-president. You're making that up out of whole cloth because it's the only way to lend any crumb of credibility to your argument. The argument was that she was too UNINTELLIGENT and INEXPERIENCED to be vice-president, and nothing has happened to change that. Now, frankly, if the Republicans want to spend $150,000 for their expensive wind-up talking Barbie doll, that's up to them. But they shouldn't be surprised when people who earn less than that in a year start to question the party's priorities.

I know I haven't been blogging a lot lately, and there are many reasons for that. But mostly, it's that this election has turned into a steaming pile of horseshit, and I can't wait for it to be over. Whiny bullshit like this commentary just mirror the whiny bullshit coming out of the Republican party. The McCain campaign is calling Obama a terrorist, and then crying foul over Liberals pointing out that Joe Wurzelbacher is a lying, rich douchebag. There's no sense of perspective anymore. Barak Obama is a good candidate, John McCain is a crappy candidate who has built a campaign designed solely for the purpose of convincing people not to vote for Barak Obama, and yet conservatives want me to believe that the discrepancy in the message is the fault of the media. The problem with the media is the same problem that allows someone like Sarah Palin to run on a major party presidential ticket: a dangerous percentage of Americans respect ignorance more than intelligence. And it looks like Ruben Navarette Jr. just figured out he can make money by pandering to them.

Donald Trump Got The Memo

... and he's happily joining in on the McCain Lie-athon to the White House!

On Larry king, via CNN.com:

Trump: Well, I know John McCain, and John McCain's a great guy, a tremendous guy. I've known him for a long time. And I'm with him, and I'm with him based on the fact that I have great knowledge of John McCain. Also, this is not the right time for tax increases and Obama wants to increase your taxes drastically. So this is not ...

King: In all fairness, he says he doesn't.

Trump: This is not the right time.

King: Obama said 95 percent would be reduced under his plan.

Trump: Well, I'll tell you, the people that create the jobs and the people that really create a lot of things in the country, they're going to be taxed into oblivion. And I'm not even sure when you look really at his tax, I think everybody's going to be taxed a lot more. So I like the fact that taxes won't be raised under McCain.

Notice how quickly "your taxes" became Donald Trump's taxes. And while one could, I suppose, argue that he was referring to Larry King's taxes, it would have made more sense in that context to say "our taxes." No, The Donald was just taking an opportunity to spread The John's bullshit talking point.

Also, another use of the phrase "taxed into oblivion." Which is apparently how the selfish wealthy (as opposed to the wealthy who gladly pay their fair share) see being taxed into being only slightly less wealthy. If going from ultra-mega-rich to super-mega-rich is oblivion, what must those people think of earning less than $250,000 a year? These people want you to vote for their economic interests, because they're afraid of the hellish existence that earning only ten times your income would impose on them.

Highest Common Denominator

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. This is what a campaign should look like. Notice the lack of flashy graphics and dramatic music. There are no clips of celebrities, no unflattering pictures of the opponent. Just a candidate spelling out his position instead of marketing an image. There is, of course, an image being presented: that of a statesman. A statesman, of all things. In this day and age. Speaking as an adult to adults, no less. This is what we would have expected from John McCain, if John McCain were still the John McCain of 2000 election. But he sold his pride and integrity to the soulless marketers of the conservative political machine.

I'm not saying I think this will work. I'm not at all sure that it will. But if there's any hope for democracy in this country, then this is what people really want. This should resonate, even if you don't like the ideas, because it lets us respect a candidate as a statesman, not as a product to be consumed.

McCain Fails His Charisma Check

John McCain's campaign considers "Dungeons and Dragons Player" to be an insult needing no further explanation.

It may be typical of the pro-Obama Dungeons & Dragons crowd to disparage a fellow countryman's memory of war from the comfort of mom's basement, but most Americans have the humility and gratitude to respect and learn from the memories of men who suffered on behalf of others.

I totally get this. McCain is polling way ahead of Obama with older voters, and older voters are more likely to actually vote than younger voters. And most older voters may agree that D&D players are generally shiftless, lazy, basement-dwelling sociopaths. Of course, statistics don't bear this out. A 2004 survey at GenCon found that 70% of roleplayers had college degrees, and less than 10% had no higher education at all. 62% reported an annual income of more than $50,000. (The median per capita income in 2005 was $25,857.) But the McCain campaign is apparently banking on the assumption that people who were raising teenagers in the 80's still think of roleplaying gamers as godless, lazy slackers. The kind of people who don't take as gospel anything that comes out of the mouth of a one-time prisoner of war. Even if it's obviously plagiarized.

The Audacity of Doing One's Job

Sorry it's been slow here. Other projects going on, vacations, etc. So yeah. Kinda slow for a bit.

This cracked me up, though. Apparently, the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign thinks that some comments Barack Obama made to a meeting of Democratic congressional leaders was an obscene display of arrogance. Obama said that his campaign had "become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions." The RNC circulated this comment under the heading "Barack Obama Audacity Watch."

So, according to the RNC and McCain campaigns, a politician actually trying to improve America and not being afraid to lay claim to that goal is just arrogant. Not, you know, doing what he was elected to do.

Republican Umbrage Resurfaces

General Wesley Clark: He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron. He hasn't been there and ordered the bombs to fall. He hasn't seen what it's like when diplomats come in and say, "I don't know whether we're going to be able to get this point through or not, do you want to take the risk, what about your reputation, how do we handle this publicly?" He hasn't made those calls, Bob.

Bob Schieffer: Can I just interrupt you? I have to say, Barack Obama hasn't had any of these experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down.

Clark: I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.

So there's that. The McCain campaign's response:

Campaign Manager Rick Davis: Sending Wesley Clark out as a surrogate for your campaign and attacking John McCain and his war record and his military experience and his service is, I think, just the lowest form of politics.

I would love to hear, from Davis, McCain, or anyone else on the campaign team, exactly which part of Clark's statement was untrue, unfair, or an attack. Pointing out that spending time in a POW camp does not equate to executive experience is like saying that going to kindergarten isn't the same as playing wide receiver on a professional football team; it is offensive only in that it is so blatantly obvious, it should never need to be said.

Monsoon of Venom

There's an awful lot of Clinton-supporter craziness going on today. I suppose it could be because her projected landslide in West Virginia won't mean much, but even more likely, it's because the inevitable truth is beginning to sink in, and it hurts. It hurts enough, apparently, that the threats of staying home in November are threatening to flood the discussion. And I hate to generalize or paint with broad brushes, but the feminist contingent seems to be the loudest on this front right now. (With the notable and sobering exception of Amy, who, as usual, rocks out.)

I think it's great that you've got the determination and fortitude to stick to your guns and refuse to vote for any candidate other than Hillary Clinton. Really. That's fantastic. I hope you pass those admirable qualities on to all of your unwanted children and grandchildren when the Supreme Court, bolstered by McCain's justice nominations, overturns Roe vs. Wade.

Seriously, people. It's bad enough that we have to convince huge numbers of racist, blue-collar, and backwater Democrats that Obama is a better candidate than McCain. It'd be great if we didn't have to waste our time on activists who should fucking know as much already.

Knee-Jerk Umbrage

(sigh)

warmonger (wôr'mŭng'gər, -mŏng'-): a person who advocates, endorses, or tries to precipitate war.

John McCain is a warmonger. The question isn't whether or not Ed Shultz should have called him one. The question is whether or not you think that it's an insult. And if your values line up enough with John McCain's to vote for him, you shouldn't consider it an insult, because you are a warmonger too.

John McCain advocates and endorses the war in Iraq. You could even argue that he's been complicit in precipitating war with Iran, giving him the whole trifecta.

What I think is funny is that McCain supporters get all self-righteous when it comes to using Obama's middle name. "Well, Hussein is his middle name. There's nothing wrong with saying so." But calling McCain a warmonger is just beyond the pale. I'll admit, there is a notable difference. Pointing out Obama's middle name is an attempt to insinuate that he has direct ties to Islam, which is patently untrue.

Aw Hell...

Not that it's a shocker at this point, but for the first time, McCain is running even with both Clinton and Obama in national polls. This should surprise absolutely nobody. While Clinton and Obama do everything in their power to ensure that the other is unelectable, McCain gets to make photo-op trips to Iraq, looking oh-so-presidential and carefree. The media loves him, and the Democrats are too busy infighting to do anything about him.

The Democrats are blowing this election. It has been handed to them on a gilded platter, and they're blowing it. Go ahead and read the comments section under just about any CNN Ticker post about either Democratic candidate. I hate to base anything on web commenting, but I think it's relevant that there are very, very few Republicans taking part in the argument. It's just line after line of Obama supporters calling Clinton a liar, or Clinton supporters calling the Obama campaign a cult. A frequently expressed sentiment goes along the lines of "If [Clinton/Obama] is the Democratic nominee, I'll vote for McCain." Really? Then you're an idiot. But since you're already doing the work of his campaign staff, why not toss him your vote too?

Jumping All Over It

Every time someone in the far-right blabbersphere gets called out for tearing into a Democrat for petty tabloid reasons, they almost unerringly shoot back with something along the lines of "Hey, now wait a minute. If this had been (insert name of topically important conservative here), the liberals would have been jumping all over it!" I've heard that kind of rhetoric used to defend the bashing of both Clintons over rumored infidelity and a supposed tryst John Edwards was having with a staffer, among many other examples.

Except, apparently not. Maybe I'm just missing it, but outside of a few jokes, the left doesn't seem to care very much about this McCain story. The noise around this is coming almost exclusively from the right. Where the article is mentioned on the left, the focus seems to be on McCain's platform as a straight-talker and his political ties to lobbyists, which were, of course, the main topic of the article. You know. Things that actually matter in a Presidential campaign.

For all their posturing and indignation, that article was exactly what the right wing blabbersphere needed. It was an excuse for hacks like Limbaugh and Ingraham to seamlessly shift from hating McCain with a passion to carrying his water for him. Which, of course, they happily did. Hell, Ingraham basically offered her services as McCain's own personal spin-monkey.

"I ask the McCain campaign this question: Do you need talk radio now?" [Ingraham] asked on her show this morning. "Do you think that talk radio's important to set the record straight, or do you think a press conference, where the media is shouting question after question at you — do you think that's going to put an end to all this?"

Because, you know, you're going to be the nominee, and we need our relevancy back.

Conservatives are Unrepentant Assholes

I love this headline:

Detainees Fight Could Hurt McCain

Here are a few choice quotes.

"Maverick status is looked upon as a strength in Congress, but a maverick in the White House is not looked upon with great admiration from our folks," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, said Monday.

"Politically, this isn't wise," added the Rev. Louis Sheldon, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, which supports the president's call for Congress to approve tough interrogation techniques for terrorism suspects.

I particularly enjoy the fact that someone who uses the title Reverend and someone who represents the Family Research Council are unabashedly arguing for the torture of human beings. These people are supposed to carry some sort of moral authority? Please.

I don't love McCain, but at least somebody on the right is putting his foot down somewhere. McCain ≠ The Corporate, Pseudo-Religious Right. He panders to them too often, but at least he's not suckling right up to the tit like that sycophantic waste-of-breath Mitt Romney.

The conservative movement in this country wants the President to be able to torture prisoners, degrading what little moral authority the United States still carries, and putting our own soldiers at risk. Not only is it morally reprehensible, but it's strategically unsound. The torture of American-held Muslims does little to aid intelligence gathering, as professional interrogators will avow that information garnered through torture is almost always what the prisoner thinks his torturers want to hear and seldom bears any resemblance to the truth. Meanwhile, as it fails to produce meaningful intelligence, it provides extremist recruiters with an invaluable tool to spread anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world. There is no justifiable reason to allow torture except to garner votes from the uneducated, nationalist contingent in America.

Go get 'em, McCain.