Night of Delusion

What an incredible roller coaster ride Hillary Clinton “treated” us to. I am more than dubious about her intention to use this forum to present all her most wonderful and hopeful ideas, and take some comfort knowing her words will be heard far and wide. She spoke of issues we have all wanted to hear about, and more. I was impressed by her command of the audience, her ability to never get rattled while the audience shouted their encouragements and personal hosannas. But her ability to make you think, this is it, she’s going to …, the roller coaster would cross the peak and it’s all downhill again.

And what was the deal with keeping people in a bunker, without the ability to use cell phones or know what was going on in the outside world? New Yorkers locked in the basement of Baruch College! WITH ANDREA MITCHELL!!!! Is Hillary the ultimate control freak or what? Maybe I’ve had it all wrong about the Clintons, thinking she was the nurturing one while he slay the dragons. If she plays Bill like she played the media and us, his cojones must be in constant pain.

Deconstructing Randi

Road Sage says it quite well, touching on all the ambivalence and frustration and resignation and I-knew-it-was-coming-tion. And you knew, too. Read Road:
Randi Rhodes & Her Eff’ing Adjectives!
Rhodes Quits Air America and how might we think of this outcome.
By Road Sage
She pushed the envelope. It was her style.
And it was her personality to get indignant –but mostly about things that mattered. But sometimes her anima would not let things go—once she got her brain’s wires wrapped around it. She just had to follow her dendritic synapses to wherever they led.
And of course she was one who could tell the blatant and unmitigated truth. No mealy-mouther her. No—not Randi Rhodes. But that is why people listened to her—she would often say what other flocks of angels feared not tread. Yeah she had courage and gallantry for a sense of justice—for sure.
That is why she is valuable to a truth-starved society like ours. She could wake people up—that is if she is not upsetting them too much.
But then she called Hillary Clinton a “f**king” whore at a speech event in the Frisco Bay area. It got on the Internet via YouTube and made a splash—daring. So when the stuff it the fan her bosses at Air America suspended her “indefinitely” over the mouthy flap.
Then she quits her radio talk show host job at Air America.
[...] But what is not so amazing is that the mainstream media actually printed the story of Rhodes quitting her job at Air America! Normally the mainstream does not much recognize her. Could it be then that America did in fact get the message about Clinton being a war-mongering prostitute and that this could add to the eventual death knell for Hillary’s campaign?
But even more importantly, Randi Rhodes has passion and commitment—even if sometimes headstrong. Passion, awareness and commitment is something far too lacking in much of mainstream America—which seems non-committed like Camus’ character Meursault in his book The Stranger. It seems that most Americans, in general, are under developed in the potential for being humanely socialized to be aware and human. Some have noted that even saints have at times acted with faults, and although few would claim Randi a saint, at least most could say: “thank you Ms. Randi Rhodes for caring a great deal. And thank you for your imperfect self—at least you are out there fighting for a difference”.

http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2008/04/96486.html

Air America is a Big Fucking Whore!

Liberals cannot take a joke. Clearly, the censors at Air America were more concerned they might lose corporate funding than growing their audience. Just watch the video and you'll see the crowd was intensly responsive. As for use of the "fuck" word, Randi's a veteran, what the hell did they expect?!!! I'd just like to know where this happened, the context, etc.
From The Huffington Post:
Air America host Randi Rhodes called both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton "whores" in a recent appearance, seen below. Rhodes, who hosts a weekday radio show on Air America, said to the cheering crowd, "What a whore Geraldine Ferraro is! She's such a fucking whore!" She then proceeded to say, "Hillary is a big fucking whore, too" to a mixed audience reaction. "You know why she's a big fucking whore? Because her deal is always, 'Read the fine print, asshole!'"
Watch:

The Unbearable Heaviness of Hillary

First of all, know that I’m not a democrat or even a big Hillary fan. I’m not writing this as a groupie or as one concerned about “healing the party” or any other political motivations. What does motivate me is watching a human being become physically debilitated before my eyes and not being able to do anything about it. Damn, I’m saying I’m worried about the lady’s health and if having a blog means being able to write whatever I want (and maybe have an impact) then it would be wrong not to express these thoughts.
Since this campaign took off you could measure the toll it was taking on her by the extra pounds she’s put on and the deepening creases on her face. A year ago she had a genuine, warm smile and ease of movement as she stepped up to the podium. But now, when I see her on TV I cringe. She appears to be physically suffering from the weight of her burden as she pursues this valiant and perilous journey to “success.” Perhaps she believes political success will rectify the pains she suffers now, but that cannot be so.
A candidate for such a stressful and difficult position as president must love the process, even thrive in the relentless glare of public scrutiny. Just looking at these two pictures makes it clear that Hillary the person is not thriving. She is literally bound by the heaviness of herself. The extra pounds may add coverage and protection from the barbs and endless criticism, but cannot nourish her spirit. I wonder if there’s a part of her trying to satisfy someone else in this effort, a man like her dad or husband, or maybe she doesn’t want to let women down.
I'm just saying Hillary’s done the tremendous work needed to break ground for future candidates of the female persuasion.
Now Hillary should take care of Hillary, get a massage, hear the Stones, go shopping, hang with Chelsea, get exercise and back on track with her core constituency, right here in New York City.
Please, Senator, take good care of yourself so we can have you around for future battles.

Sock It To Them, Ralph!

Counterpunch has published comments and questions by Ralph Nader after last week's democratic debate. As usual, St. Ralph has questions which really, REALLY need answering. The link at the bottom will give you the whole article:
"Senator Obama, you have taught Constitutional law. Has President Bush violated the Constitution, federal statutes and international treaties during his two terms of office? If so, please elaborate and tell the American people what you think should be done about holding the self-described "responsibility" President accountable under the impeachment authority of Congress and other laws of the land?"
"Senator Clinton, you represent New York, which includes the large banking, brokerage and investment firms colloquially called Wall Street. Eliot Spitzer became governor of your state largely on his widely reported reputation for prosecuting corporate crooks who fleeced investors, pensioners and workers of hundreds of billions of dollars. He often remarked that the federal criminal laws were too weak and the Securities and Exchange Commission was too lenient.
"As the Senator from New York, what specifically have you done to advance a strong crackdown on corporate crime with tougher laws and larger enforcement budgets? And, specifically, what do you intend to do as President?"
"Senator Obama, you have often spoken about your health insurance plan as a way to reduce costs. Yet you do not discuss three major cost reduction opportunities. The GAO, the investigative arm of Congress, estimates that ten per cent of the entire health expenditures in this country go down the drain due to computerized billing fraud and abuse. This year, that amounts to $220 billion.
"Under a single payer plan, administrative expenses would be cut by about two-thirds. That would amount to hundreds of billions of dollars a year in savings. And the Harvard School of Public Health study estimates about 80,000 people die every year from medical malpractice in hospitals, estimating costs years ago of $60 billion a year. These are large savings in a $2.2 trillion a year health care industry.
"Do you agree and, if so, why have you ignored proposing practical actions in these areas?"
"Senator Clinton, you have long urged more money for children's programs. One way to make this possible is to end or diminish the complex system of corporate welfare-subsidies, handouts, giveaways and bailouts of business corporations. These amount to hundreds of billions of dollars a year, directly and through tax loopholes. Why have you not moved against such spending so that some of the money may go to help needy children? And specifically, what would you do as President to develop standards curtailing runaway corporate welfare programs pushed by corporate lobbyists?"
Is reportorial self-censorship limiting the questions presented to the Presidential candidates? You decide.
Ralph Nader is the author of The Seventeen Traditions
http://www.counterpunch.org/nader02022008.html

Monday Event

International Human Rights Day
Monday, December 10th
DEMONSTRATE
AGAINST
"The Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act"

Crimes in YOUR MIND could be prosecuted if you tell someone!

Citizen Squealers? Agente provocateurs? Hell no! We will not go.

PUT YOUR FEET IN THE STREET AND SCREAM YOUR OUTRAGE
WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!! GO-- Meet others outside Senator Hillary Clinton's office.

Monday December 10th
(International Human Right's Day)
12 noon to 1:30 PM
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
780 Third Ave @ 48th Street
New York, NY 10017
Demand Clinton Stop HR 1955 & S.1959

"The Violent Radicalization and
Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act"

Under the broad language of the Harman bill, anyone attending a "planned anti war rally" could be charged with trying to coerce a government and its people. Government need only charge that an individual in a group "thought about coercing a government or its people." Labor demonstrators that block or intimidate shoppers from entering a store could be charged with "coercing people" under Harman's "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act."
They already use this against so called eco terrorists, jailing one man for merely speaking about an incident for which he was already tried and jailed!
Funded by The RAND Corporation his bill is.
Tell your friends and there is a same action in Chicago, as Barack Obama is on the Committee that will hear this vote! http://nyc.indymedia.org/en/2007/12/93185.html