Political mudslinging reaches new low

Hillary Rodham Clinton may not have gone with all of Mark Penn's suggestions during the primaries, but she did use one of them. Penn, a longtime pollster and strategist for Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination for President, wanted Clinton to make an issue of Obama's "diverse, multicultural" upbringing.

He suggested, in a memo titled "Lack of American Roots" that Obama's, "roots to basic American values and culture are at best limited."

Fast forward to today and look at the Campaign that McCain's handlers are running. They have taken a cue from Penn's notebook, and are attacking Obama on nothing more than "he's different." McCain's campaign is taking the low road where Clinton left off, and he's trying to portray Obama as some sort of star - like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears - who is only an air-headed entertainer/speaker.

Forget about real issues like the economy and the two wars we're embroiled in, the McCain campaign would rather run a mudslinging contest and to rely on Jingoism to carry him to the White House.

 

TODAY's THREAD:

Is McCain's strategy going to be his key to the Oval Office?  

Presidential pardons are a bad idea

 

For our commander-in-thief, bumbling along in the final days of his occupancy in the White House, there is one last perk that he'll get this December.

Every lame duck president has taken advantage of this blanket pardon  idea since Washington pardoned the men who started the so-called whiskey rebellion in 1794.

Some past examples are; Nixon pardoned Jimmy Hoffa, President Ford pardoned Nixon, Jimmy Carter pardoned Vietnam war draft dodgers in 1977, President H.W. Bush pardoned Casper Weinberger, and President Clinton pardoned his buddy Marc Rich after getting hefty donations from his wife Denise.

My point? Abuse of power. There's been times, as in President Carter's case, that the pardon really was warranted. But there also has been numerous cases of really bad people getting a pardon like Marc Rich (who by the way fled the country and was pardoned while living overseas.)

Here's more information about presidential handouts.

TODAY'S THREAD:

Should the practice of presidential pardons be stopped? 

Monkeying around...

These guys are wondering when the next As It Stands column is coming out in the Mack Press?

The answer? August 19th

The subject is: economical pets...hmmmmm

Recycle Or Else!

Another week is underway blogger buddies and today's topic is about forced recycling.

Apparently San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom thinks that "enforced" recycling is the answer to the city's trash problems.

He floated the idea of having mandatory recycling, like some other cities do, and went one step further, creating the first composting law in the country.

Customers will get colored bins and God help them if the coffee grounds are found drizzling through the wrong colored bin! Gavin is proposing a $1,000 fine for violators. I suppose they will also have to create "trash police" to enforce such a draconian law!

TODAY'S THREAD:

Should people be forced to compost - even if it means enforcing the law with big fines?
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If it's Sunday...

...then it's time for As It Stands! Today's column deals with animal activists who go too far in their zeal to stop animal research.

They throw fire bombs at people's houses and cars. What's the difference between them and any other terrorists? None, in my opinion. I'm kinda funny about things like that.

When someone physically attacks others in the name of some ideology they are taking the wrong approach to solving their difference. Might does not make right. Terror does nothing but set the table for death.

I did not pick on all animal groups that are actively seeking better lives for animals. I picked out ALF (Animal Liberation Front) to highlight how some can be so negative. I offer the reader their full view by providing a link to their press office. I think some people are going to be surprised at what they read there.

TODAY'S THREAD

"Do you think groups like ALF are really helping the cause for animals?"

The rise and fall of a politician

Greetings to you all! Have you heard the latest? Once presidential candidate John Edwards has been a bad boy! The National Enquirer has been dogging him for a year now ever since they got a hot tip that he was cheating on his wife who is battling cancer. In a scene right out of the movies, Edwards ran from the reporter from the National Enquirer when he was caught trying to slip out of the motel where his girlfriend (and possibly new daughter) were staying at 2 a.m. in the morning.
He ran right into a men's bathroom and blocked the door! Can you imagine what a scene that was?
So, the next day he had to fess up to the mainstream press (who by the way felt sheepish about getting scooped on such a big story by a "rag" publication) and tell them he had an affair (as in past tense). The problem with that is why was he visiting her then at that time of night? There's something rotten (and not in Denmark) about his claims that the baby girl is not his.
If Obama had him down as a possible veep, that thought has vanished with all of Edward's credability with voters. Just last year some national organization gave him the Daddy-of-the-Year award! Talk about irony. The guy even admitted that he was in love with himself!
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TODAY'S THREAD:
Why is it that so many politicians cheat on their spouses?

A passing of the torch?

Greetings blog buddies! As you know today marks the opening day of the Olympics. Our chimp look-alike Commander-in-Thief started things off real swell by knocking China's Human Rights record. If it wasn't for the fact that the Bush regime totally ignores human rights I wouldn't have had a problem with W's speech. But propaganda is all he knows. His timing on the world scene has been consistently horrid. He knows just what to say to tick off the rest of the world.
I find it ironic that Bush is trying to take the high road when in fact all he travels are the low roads!
The Chinese are going all out to impress the world with their architectual wonders, i.e., The Bird's Nest and The Ice Cube.
What's really going on is a passing of the torch. But not the Olympic torch. America and the rest of the world are being shown that China's military and economic power deserves to carry the torch of the world leader.
America has been building up to this economic change of the guard for year's by importing everything China makes. Forget about the quality of the stuff they turn out. It's cheap and the masses can usually afford it.
So when they light that big Olympic cauldron in The Bird's nest the symbolic ceremony will be hailing the world's competition in sports and China's economic power in the world.

TODAY'S THREAD:

Are you going to watch the Olympics or have they become too political?

Another Thread for the day

I can't believe what a couple of big babies the Clinton's are! Now Hillary is hinting that she wants her supporters to "speak up" at the Democratic National Convention and allow them to nominate her as the Dem's choice for president. Excuse me? I thought we were finished with that nasty little process after the primaries.
That doesn't appear to be the case. Bill keeps whining that he's not a racist (by the way who called him that?) and has been emitting sound bites that are less than supportive of Barack. Insiders say Bill still has his dander up about no one showing him any respect for his presidency. I suppose the "no one" he's talking about is Obama. In Bill's lust-driven mind, Obama should have been bowing every time he sees "Master Bill," and praising his wonderful presidency that saw such monumental failures as NAFTA!
Hillary is really a case though. This is a woman who was sure the presidency was going to be handed to her on a plate because; a.) she's a woman and it's time for a woman president (regardless of how qualified she is) to lead this country, B.) she quite naturally assumed she was going to inherit the presidency because she is of the royal American blood that has controlled our top office for the past 22 years! Yes...it's either the royal house of Bush or Clinton during those dark decades, and C.) she's not a black man with a Muslim sounding name - therefore she will get all those white supremacy votes that will make the difference and assure that the Democrats get in the Oval Office.
It's time for change all right! But it may not happen if the Democratic Party is torn over who their candidate will be!

The Thread:

"Are the Clinton's dividing the Democratic Party and paving the way for John McCain?

Thursday Thoughts about Television

Another day in Paradise folks! I finished a future column yesterday about television. I touch on it's early history and the cultural impact it has had on Americans. The love/hate relationship with the Boob Tube has been going on since the first telecast in 1928.
Once upon a time it was safe for all family members to watch tv, but that has changed these days. Your kids could be watching an adulterous affair in Prime Time, or Tia Tequila whose "reality" show involves men and women trying to woo her!
A generation of couch potatoes have passed their constant viewing habits on to the next generation which has become "the overweight generation." TV's as babysitters is commonplace.
Still, there are good things on tv and it really boils down to watching it in moderation. You can drink too much water and get sick. The same goes for tv. You can watch it constantly while your health fails from lack of exercise. And don't forget about the subliminal messages that are beamed out 24/7 on the tv. The key is to be selective about what you watch and how much you watch it.
The evolution of tv's has been nothing short of amazing. The latest models make you feel like your right there with whatever your viewing.

TODAY'S THREAD: Would our lives be healthier if televisions were never invented?

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Parting shot for the day

"I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food."

W.C. Fields