Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Back To Life, Back To Reality...
It would be much easier if I could just talk about music and sports all the time...
Fueled by fierce fighting in Fallujah and insurgents' counterattacks elsewhere in Iraq, the U.S. military death toll for November equalled the highest for any month of the war, according to casualty reports available Tuesday.
At least 135 U.S. troops died in November. That is the same number as last April, when the insurgence flared in Fallujah and elsewhere in the so-called Sunni Triangle where U.S. forces and their Iraqi allies lost a large measure of control.
We're now at at least 1250 dead US soldiers since the war began, 1111 since Bush went "Top Gun" on us, and 396 since we transferred sovereignty to Iraq...
But who really cares? Our Glorious Leader is in Canada to talk about the brilliance of Condoleezza Rice and the rest of the brainstrust that thought this war was a terrific idea.
Me, I'm still waiting for the Bush twins to sign up to fight Daddy's war...
Monday, November 29, 2004
Monday Music Trivia Quiz #2
This got a pretty decent response last week, so let's do it again!!!
Truth be told, I'd like this to be more of a pop culture/sports/comedy site, but none of those things get me as fired up as politics. With the possible exception of the 10-1 NFC East Champion Philadelphia Eagles...
Same rules as last week: Guess the artist/band that performed the following tunes. If you Google, you're a knob...
The 80's
1. "Everything She Wants"
2. "Something About You"
3. "Never Gonna Let You Go"
4. "I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight"
5. "Cruel To Be Kind"
6. "Der Kommissar"
7. "Your Love"
8. "Mexican Radio"
9. "Shattered Dreams"
10. "Suddenly Last Summer"
BONUS: Naked Eyes had two hits in the US (that I know of): "Always Something There To Remind Me" and this song with a repetitive title...
P.S. Check out this great article by Frank Rich entitled "The Great Indecency Hoax". My favorite part is when Rich cites Kid Oxycontin's reaction to the Monday Night Football-Desperate Housewives debacle...
Rush Limbaugh, taking a break from the legal deliberations of his drug rap and third divorce, set the hysterical tone. "I was stunned!" he told his listeners. "I literally could not believe what I had seen. ... At various places on the Net you can see the video of this, and she's buck naked, folks. I mean when they dropped the towel she's naked. You see enough of her back and rear end to know that she was naked.
Rush was so outraged at the clip, he scoured the internet so he could see it again...and again...and again...
Friday, November 26, 2004
Halliburton Can't Find One Third Of The Property They're Being Paid To Manage...
Wanna guess who paid for the property in question? If you live in the United States and pay your taxes, YOU DID!!!
Oh well, the beat goes on for DickCo.
A third or more of the government property Halliburton Co. was paid to manage for the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq could not be located by auditors, investigative reports to Congress show.
Halliburton's KBR subsidiary "did not effectively manage government property" and auditors could not locate hundreds of CPA items worth millions of dollars in Iraq and Kuwait this summer and fall, Inspector General Stuart W. Bowen reported to Congress in two reports.
Bowen's findings mark the latest bad news for Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, which is the focus of both a criminal investigation into alleged fuel price gouging and an FBI inquiry into possible favoritism from the Bush administration.
Who Gave Money To Kerry And Bush?
Newsmeat.com compiles Federal Elections data for your perusal.
This link lists celebrities, athletes, and miscellaneous others in the public eye and which presidential campaign they donated money to over the past few years...
Some highlights:
John Kerry
Zach Braff- very funny guy from "Scrubs"
Larry David- of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" fame
Franco Harris- recipient of "Immaculate Reception"
Heather Graham-"Rollergirl"...Need I say more?
Jennifer Garner- I don't get it, but a lot of guys do...
George W. Bush
Don King- crooked boxing promoter and double murderer
Troy Aikman- former Dallas Cowgirls quarterback...victim of about 685 concussions
Jason Sehorn- Mr. Angie Harmon...May still play football, I'm not sure...
Wink Martindale- washed-up game show host
Bobby Bowden- Florida State football coach...excellent judge of character...committed to the education of his student athletes...
This Guy Can't Even SPELL "Supreme"!!!
Nothing makes a slow Friday after Thanksgiving more enjoyable than coming across a gem like this...
North Carolina Supreme Court justice-elect Conservative Paul Newby still has his campaign website up. Conservative Paul Newby ran as a conservative automaton for a position that is supposed to be neither liberal nor conservative.
You might remember his creepy black-and-white yard signs littering North Carolina during election season. Apparently, he sees the world only in those colors, like any conservative worth his salt.
Here is the message that greets you on Newby's website:
North Carolinians select Newby for Sepreme Court Justice!
You simply have to stand in awe of Conservative Paul Newby's faith-based approach to spelling...
Obviously, this is a tongue-in-cheek post. I don't think a spelling error makes someone a bad judge. If he presides like he campaigns, Newby's going to be a disaster whether he can or can't spell...
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Pennsylvania Turnpike Workers Go On Strike...
The 2,000 turnpike toll collectors and staff of Pennsylvania Teamsters Locals 250 and 77 went on strike this morning.
The following is the joint statement from the unions regarding their reasons for striking:
It is truly unfortunate that after fourteen months of negotiations, last night at 5:00 P.M. Pennsylvania Turnpike officials arrogantly informed us that they were not interested in discussing our recent comprehensive proposal to settle the contract and avoid a strike. Instead, they insisted that our members just accept the Turnpike's terms.
The Turnpike's strategy in negotiations has been to offer our members less in each successive proposal. This is clearly not good faith bargaining and clearly not in the best interest of the traveling public or our hard-working members. In fact, the Turnpike's strategy seems designed to provoke a strike.
The dedicated Turnpike employees that we represent are very frustrated and angry over the Commission's approach in bargaining. They have been without a contract since October 1, 2003 and without a pay increase for over two years. Their resentment and anger only increased upon learning that the Commission refused to consider retroactive pay in our negotiations and had been awarding pay increases of over 4% every six months to the non-Union staff.
The Turnpike's refusal to address the legitimate concerns of our members and their arrogant approach to negotiations left our members with no alternative but to exercise their right to strike. We truly regret the inconvenience to the traveling public, but everyone should remember that we were left with no realistic alternatives. Our members were forced to fight for their own and their families' economic security.
I support the union and will keep their info posted on my site until their dispute is settled.
And if you're traveling the PA Turnpike this holiday weekend, you're riding for free, baby!!!
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
What's The Difference...
...between this and this???
Thank you Clear Channel!
Our Glorious Leader smiles upon you with favor!!!
Queen Is The Greatest Rock Band Of All Time...
Let's get the debate started...
I'll put them above the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and any other band since rock music came into being. While we're here, I'll put Freddie Mercury up as the greatest rock frontman in history as well...
Give me your opinions, but make sure you present a decent argument, or I will smoke you...
My first submissions into evidence:
Bohemian Rhapsody (this song alone would make them HOF material)
Killer Queen
We Will Rock You (let me know if you go to any sporting event and don't hear this song)
We Are The Champions (see above)
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Somebody To Love
Don't Stop Me Now (probably my favorite, for now...)
Another One Bites The Dust
Fat Bottomed Girls (predating the whole "Baby Got Back" thing by about 20 years)
Now I'm Here
I could go on, but that's only what shows up on Volume One of their Greatest Hits and I'm not even close to being finished...
Discuss...
GOP House Didn't Want Intel Reform To Make Democrats Look Good...
Fuck improving our nation's intelligence capabilities...Fuck the 9/11 Commission's findings...Fuck preventing terrorism in a more streamlined manner...
If GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert can't get the majority of GOP votes (apparently the only ones that matter now), the bill doesn't need to be passed...
"I am convinced that had the speaker brought the bill to the floor, it would have passed," Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine and chief author of the measure, said in an interview on Sunday. "That's what's so frustrating. Here we have a bill that's been endorsed by the White House, by the 9/11 commission, by the 9/11 family groups, by the speaker of the House, and we can't get a vote."
But Mr. Hastert did not want to split his caucus and did not want the bill to pass with less than ''a majority of the majority," said his spokesman, John Feehery. "What good is it to pass something," Mr. Feehery said, "where most of our members don't like it?"
To review: The Democrats were on board, but Hastert didn't want them to be the reason that this legislation got passed...
The GOP House: If It Doesn't Make Us Look Good, FUCK IT!!!
Monday, November 22, 2004
Monday Music Trivia Quiz...
I'd like to do this every once in a while in order to prove to myself how much useless crap music trivia my mind can hold. A quick warning: my tastes in music have been derided as being everything from "a little fruity" to "totally gay" and all points in between.
Not that there's anything wrong with that...
Can you identify the artists (original artists, not covers) who recorded the following hits from the 70's?
NO GOOGLE!!!
1. "Lonely Boy"
2. "Car Wash"
3. "Jackie Blue"
4. "Don't Pull Your Love Out On Me Baby"
5. "Hooked On A Feeling"
6. "Fox On The Run"
7. "Dirty Work"
8. "Don't Stop Me Now"
9. "Baby Come Back"
10. "Still The One"
Best of luck. There's no prizes involved. Just the satisfaction that you've wasted a fair part of your existence learning about the abject mindlessness that is pop music...Enjoy!!!
The GOP Congress Buys The President A Yacht With Your Tax Dollars...
This will be my answer the next time anybody (Tull) asks me how we intend to pay for healthcare for all of America's children, rich or poor...
The U.S. Congress on Saturday passed a $388 billion package financing government programs in this fiscal year after days of tough talks, but a last minute snag means it may not be sent to President Bush for signing into law for several days.
The Senate voted 65-30 for the legislation late on Saturday that sets aside funds for a range of priorities including a presidential yacht, foreign aid and energy. It is one of the final pieces of work for the 108th Congress and they may return to finish a spy agency overhaul before the end of the year.
Let our Our Glorious Leader give up his new yacht so even one child can get healthcare that couldn't before, and I say it's a fair trade. I guess that's my idea of "moral values"...
John McCain nailed the GOP Congress on Meet the Press:
It's all the Republicans' fault...
UPDATE: On The GOP House side, conservatives have derailed action on the 9/11 Commission's requests. Good for them.
If the next big attack comes, I know I'll rest easy knowing that the GOP House did all it could...
Friday, November 19, 2004
John Kerry Wants You To Co-Sponsor A Bill...
Senator John Kerry is back with an absolutely fantastic idea...
When Congress reconvenes in January, he will introduce a bill to cover every single child in this country with the healthcare they need. Roughly 8 million children in this country are currently not covered by some form of healthcare. Even the most hardened conservative would have to agree that is insane by the standards of this great nation.
Take a look and sign the petition. This bill won't be co-sponsored by other Senators, it'll be co-sponsored by us...
Thursday, November 18, 2004
GOP Sets Its Priorities After The Elections...
Priority #1: Changing House rules in order to enable Tom Delay to keep his post as House Majority leader even if he's indicted for fundraising wrongdoings...
Priority #2: Proposing a new tax structure that would put millions of Americans at risk of losing their employer-provided health benefits...
Priority #3: Raising our nation's debt ceiling to $8.2 TRILLION in order to further facilitate our glorious leader's sensible brand of fiscal conservatism.
I think it's brilliant to give a guy who spends like a drunken sailor a bottle of Jack Daniels and the keys to your car.
Don't you???
GOP Gets Itself A New Jesus...
This is right up there with Al Franken's "The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus"...
"Twenty shekels to anyone who votes for ME!!!"
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
The Party Of Morality Changes The Rules To Protect The Bugman...
Moral relativism abounds in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives. If you're top dog in the House can't keep himself out of legal trouble, just change the rules so he can't be touched.
Dear God, what will we tell the children???
House Republicans approved a party rules change Wednesday that could allow Majority leader Tom DeLay to retain his leadership post if he is indicted by a Texas grand jury on state political corruption charges.
By a voice vote, and with a handful of lawmakers voicing opposition, the House Republican Conference decided that a party committee of several dozen members would review any felony indictment of a party leader and recommend at that time whether the leader should step aside.
The current party rule in this area requires House Republican leaders and the heads of the various committees to relinquish their positions if indicted for a crime that could bring a prison term of at least two years. It makes no distinction between a federal and state indictment. Three of DeLay's political associates already have been indicted by that Texas grand jury.
I like the Bull Moose's take on the DeLay situation the best:
And this is the party of ethical reform?
Christian Wingnuts See Gay In Everyone...
This is really friggin stupid...
A small school in rural Texas is in a little hot water for having a day each year where boys dress like girls and girls dress like boys.
Not surprisingly, local conservobots see this as a way for their kids to be "queered up" against their wills...
A parent's concerns prompted the district 150 miles northeast of Houston to scrap its annual "TWIRP Day" -- when boys dress like girls and girls dress like boys-- in favor of "Camo Day."
TWIRP stands for "The Woman Is Requested to Pay," and for years Spurger schools hosted the day during Homecoming Week to give boys and girls a chance to reverse social roles and let older girls invite boys on dates, open doors and pay for sodas.
Sounds harmelss, right? Wait until the seedy underbelly is exposed...
Delana Davies, a 33-year-old mother of three, said she contacted Superintendent Angela Matterson on Tuesday after reading a school notice about "TWIRP Day."
Davies, whose 9-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter attend Spurger Elementary, said she viewed the day not a silly Homecoming Week activity, but as an effort to push a homosexual agenda in a public school.
"It's like experimenting with drugs," said Davies, who also has a 2-year-old daughter. "You just keep playing with it and it becomes customary. ... If it's OK to dress like a girl today, then why is it not OK in the future?"
Please shoot me in the head if I EVER become one of these people...
The NFL Shows It's Ass Over "Decency" On Monday Night Football...
As AmericaBlog points out, the ills of society bubbled over this Monday night when that pantheon of all-American decency, Monday Night Football, was besmirched by Desperate Housewives' star Nicollette "One too many facelifts" Sheridan getting naked and jumping into Terrell "3TD's" Owens' arms.
Here's what the NFL had to say about it:
ABC's opening was inappropriate and unsuitable for our Monday Night Football audience. While ABC may have gained attention for one of its other shows, the NFL and its fans lost.
The NFL has deemed the opening ad unsuitable...
The Coors twins with the massive bombs and the 3-hour cameltoe-festival that is the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, however, are a-OK where the NFL is concerned.
This is where we're heading, America!
The league that gives Jamal Lewis a mere 4-game suspension after he receives a prison sentence for a drug prosecution wants you to know that Nicollette Sheridan's naked back is simply beyond the limits of good taste...
My only problem with the ad was that they didn't have Teri Hatcher prancing around in a towel. She's in the lead for "Comeback Hottie Of The Year" in my book. Didn't she hit the wall like 5 years ago?
Bravo...
UPDATE: Shocker of the century: Colin Powell's FCC-leading son is after ABC for their heinous show of morality as well...
"I wonder if Walt Disney would be proud," said Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co.
WWWDD?
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Calvin And Hobbes Channel Dubya...
This must be what Cabinet meetings look like once the doors close...
"Powell, either agree with me or take a hike!"
This also looks eerily simliar to the strategy that Bush is adopting in choosing his new Cabinet members...
Monday, November 15, 2004
What TV Shows Are You Bummed Got Cancelled?...
For me, I'll go with Austin Stories from MTV and Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist from Comedy Central.
Austin Stories was a particulary stupid look at the lives of three slackers in Austin, Texas that ran for only 12 episodes. Dr. Katz was a really dry look at the stupid idiosyncracies of many funny comedians as seen through the eyes of their therapist (a comedian in real life), Jonathan Katz.
Any other good ones out there?
Bush's EPA Unsuccessfully Targets Low-Income Children...
I'll remember this the next time some conservative GOP wackjob talks about "protecting our children". Clearly, it's not these children they're referring to...
The Environmental Protection Agency announced that it has suspended a study looking into the effects that pesticides have on children, after top EPA scientists questioned the ethics and safety of the research itself. The $9 million federal study, partially funded by an alliance of chemical companies, would pay low-income families almost $1000, plus electronics and clothes, to maintain current pesticide use in their homes for two years.
The Children’s Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) targeted families in Duval County, Florida and was to study the effects on small children of using chemicals and pesticides in the home. In addition to the one-time $970 payment, the EPA was offering incentives such as a free camcorder, VCR, t-shirts, bibs, and a framed certificate of appreciation. While the EPA’s website said it would not ask families to apply pesticides in their home to be part of the study, it does require that parents "maintain [their] normal pesticide or non-pesticide use patterns for [their] household." The EPA would then monitor changes in development of children in the house.
Several EPA scientists expressed outrage about the study, saying it unfairly targets low-income families, attempting to lure them into an agreement with high-tech gadgets when they may not fully understand the health consequences for their children. In an email obtained by the Washington Post, Troy Pierce, an EPA life scientist in Atlanta, said the study "goes against everything we recommend at EPA concerning use of [pesticides] related to children. Paying families in Florida to have their homes routinely treated with pesticides is very sad when we at EPA know that [pesticide management] should always be used to protect children."
CHEERS: That should take it's place right up there with "Clear Skies" and "Healthy Forests" as far as Orwellian Bush administration terminology goes...
Friday, November 12, 2004
The Wingnuts Are Already Becoming Bolder...
If this keeps up, 2006 will definitely become the Democrats' 1994.
From the wingnut AgapePress:
...A Virginia pro-family advocate says the people who helped re-elect President Bush don't support homosexual relationships -- the administration apparently does. Joe Glover, president of the Family Policy Network, has worked tirelessly for family values, including the fight against legalized homosexual "marriage." He says it was conservative Christians who put the president back in office and who held to the belief that the president shared their views. But Glover says the day after the election, that all seemed to go out the window. "The day after George Bush was elected president again, because of this morals revolution taking place in our country, he allows his vice president to not only put his lesbian daughter on the platform, but to bring her lesbian 'partner' up on the stage with him," Glover says. "It almost seems to be a slap in the face from the get-go against the very conservatives that re-elected the president at a time when he ought to paying them some homage and respect." Glover says the Cheney daughter's open flaunting of her homosexuality is the antithesis of what the administration claims to stand for -- and that the post-election display sends a mixed message to Bush supporters.
So I'm guessing GOP'ers will say that this kind of talk is okay, but John Kerry was "not a good man" for having the unmitigated gall to speak respectfully about Mary's sexuality.
2006 can't get here soon enough...
SI's Most and Least "Rootable" College Hoops Teams...
This is a pretty good list, although I personally would put Wake Forest, St' Joe's, and Temple at #1, 2 , and 3.
1. Vermont
2. Wake Forest
3. Xavier
4. Temple
5. Coppin State
6. St. Joseph's
7. Air Force
8. UConn (don't know about this one)
9. Illinois
10. Texas Tech (WTF???)
Now for the scumbags (how do Duke and UNC not make this list?):
1. Cincinnati (this pick validates the entire list)
2. Memphis
3. UNLV
4. Missouri
5. St. John's
6. Maryland
7. Arizona (Their coach is a Zell Miller look-alike and their graduation rate rhymes with "hero". Works for me!)
8. USC
9. Florida
10. Jim Harrick's next team (Nice...)
Amendment Removing Racist Language Likely To Fail In Alabama...
Lovely...
With an amendment to delete segregation-era language from Alabama's Constitution headed toward defeat by a narrow margin, state officials say an automatic recount would likely be set for November 29th.
A spokesman for Secretary of State Nancy Worley said the attorney general's office issued an advisory opinion stating such a recount should be held after the completion of the statewide election canvass on November 24th. Unofficial returns showed Amendment Two trailed by two-thousand-494 votes out of the one-point-38 million cast last week. A new state law mandates a recount when an amendment is defeated by fewer than one-half of a percent, and Amendment Two was within that margin.
In an unrelated story, Alabama went to Bush 63-37.
Not an accusation, I'm just saying...
Thursday, November 11, 2004
Voters Most Likely To Encounter Terrorism And/Or Homosexuality Overwhelmingly Voted For John Kerry...
So what the hell were Red Staters thinking?
Discuss...
Honor The Brave On Veterans Day...
My uncle Jim (I called him "Unc") was one of the most influential people in my life. Although he wasn't my actual uncle, he was a great friend of our family and actually lived with us for most of his life.
He was the best friend a kid could ever have. A true old-school tough guy with great character and an even greater heart. A die-hard Democrat from South Philly, he more than anyone, helped to form my political beliefs and views on the world we live in. He always felt for the little guy and urged me to do the same.
In World War II, he served in the Phillipines and earned two Purple Hearts and the Bronze Star. He was a true hero before my parents were even born. He was my hero the day he passed away two years ago. He's still my hero today and always will be.
When I visited Washington, DC two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see the brand new World War II Memorial. It is awe-inspiring, to say the least.
When I got there, as luck would have it, someone had placed two small American flags on either side of the "Philippines Sea" part of the Pacific front memorial.
I guess he must've known I'd be there that day.
Thanks, Unc...
My Belated Congratulations To The GOP'ers Around Here...And A Request...
I've spent quite some time thinking about how I would put this post together ever since I got back from Mexico.
To all the conservatives that regularly view this site to break my balls or otherwise, I offer my sincere congratulations. However, that sentiment doesn't come without a small request.
My request is that each of you admit that the victories the GOP enjoyed last week came about, in large part, because your party's willingness to play to people's fears and hatred.
I'm not going to talk about disenfranchised voters, faulty computers, or a media bias one way or the other. I have no interest in any of those things right now.
What I am interested in is a sober admission that fairly clearly states the following:
"I admit my party played to the worst in its constituency and beyond by feeding the already burning fires of homophobia in this country."
With anti-gay initiatives on the ballot in several states, including the one that mattered the most, Ohio, conservatives offered up as political cannon fodder every gay or lesbian person in this nation.
Sadly, it worked...
As people with a strong set of political beliefs, my wife and I suffered quite a bit from what happened last week, but we both feel that the people who will feel the most stinging effects won't be us or our fellow Democrats (including great people like John Kerry, John Edwards, Ralph Campbell, Wayne Goodwin, Jim Wynn, and Alan Thornburg), rather it will be those who have officially become the scapegoat-of-choice for all of society's ills: homosexuals.
This election will only serve to make legislative gay-bashing a more acceptable and effective political weapon in elections to come.
As a straight married man, I've never taken issue with gay people's desire to marry. I actually look at it as an honor that more people would think so much of the institution to want to become a part of it. It wouldn't diminish what my wife and I have one bit. Those who believe it would, really should think about themselves first, and how secure they are about their own situation.
If more people don't come to this realization, darker days will probably lay ahead for not just gay Americans, but ALL Americans. The Fred Phelps's and Jerry Falwell's of this world are already sharpening their "moral" talons in order to make gay people seem like the reason our country is in trouble.
The worst part is that they now know just how powerful that message can be...
Honest conservatives really should step up and acknowledge in some way the poison that helped sweep them to victory...
UPDATE: Bob Jones (Bush's racist, anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic wingnut ally) is already proving me right.
In your re-election, God has graciously granted America--though she doesn't deserve it--a reprieve from the agenda of paganism. You have been given a mandate. We the people expect your voice to be like the clear and certain sound of a trumpet. Because you seek the Lord daily, we who know the Lord will follow that kind of voice eagerly.
Don't equivocate. Put your agenda on the front burner and let it boil. You owe the liberals nothing. They despise you because they despise your Christ. Honor the Lord, and He will honor you.
Had your opponent won, I would have still given thanks, because the Bible says I must (I Thessalonians 5:18). It would have been hard, but because the Lord lifts up whom He will and pulls down whom He will, I would have done it. It is easy to rejoice today, because Christ has allowed you to be His servant in this nation for another presidential term. Undoubtedly, you will have opportunity to appoint many conservative judges and exercise forceful leadership with the Congress in passing legislation that is defined by biblical norm regarding the family, sexuality, sanctity of life, religious freedom, freedom of speech, and limited government. You have four years--a brief time only--to leave an imprint for righteousness upon this nation that brings with it the blessings of Almighty God.
2nd UPDATE: Frank Rich explains why the red states' "moral values" don't amount to much...
Tuesday, November 2, 2004
AMF!!!
I'm off to Mexico!!!
Bye suckers!!!!
Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry!Ker-ry! Ker-ry!
First Exit Polling Data Comes Out...
Please don't read too much into these numbers...
Kerry in Blue
Bush in Red
AZ 45 55
CO 48 51
LA 42 57
PA 60 40
OH 52 48
FL 51 48
MI 51 47
NM 50 48
MN 58 40
WI 52 43
IA 49 49
NH 57 41
Take a pass on the usual grain of salt and opt for one of those salt licks that horses are so fond of...
Bush Is The President Of Massachusetts, Too...
This is an idea I heard on Bill Maher's show this week, and I think it has a lot of merit.
When it comes to the rift between "Red" and "Blue" America, it's hard to say who's responsible, but you can be certain that when Bush and Cheney have been flitting across the country ripping on John Kerry as a "Massachusetts liberal" to the cheers of their followers, the problem hasn't gotten any better.
Doesn't Bush understand that he is the PRESDIENT OF MASSACHUSETTS?!?!?!?
He acts as if Massachusetts has somehow broken off from the rest of the United States and is inhabited by debaucherous heathens that are just looking to have a good time.
So, I had to chuckle this morning when I came across this article:
President Bush and Vice President Cheney make reference to "Massachusetts liberals" as if they were referring to people with some kind of disease. I decided it was time to do some research on these people, and here is what I found.
The state with the lowest divorce rate in the nation is Massachusetts. At latest count it had a divorce rate of 2.4 per 1,000 population, while the rate for Texas was 4.1
But don't take the US government's word for it. Take a look at the findings from the George Barna Research Group. George Barna, a born-again Christian whose company is in Ventura, Calif., found that Massachusetts does indeed have the lowest divorce rate among all 50 states. More disturbing was the finding that born-again Christians have among the highest divorce rates.
A second thought: Would we have a country without Massachusetts and everything that has happened there?
Correct me if I'm wrong here, but didn't Texas want to be it's own independent nation at one time?
P.S. Some amusing Fox News poll shenanigans from Andrew Sullivan:
October 30 - Fox poll shows Bush up by 2. Headline: "Fox Poll: Bush Up By Two Points Over Kerry"
November 1 - Fox poll shows Kerry up by 2. Headline: "Fox National Poll: Voters Split"
Monday, November 1, 2004
The Donnybrook's Official Election Prediction...
Thank God this shit is finally ending. If I'm wrong, sue me. I've got a real job...
Senator John Kerry (D)
284 Electoral Votes
47.8% of Popular Vote
President George W. Bush (R)
254 Electoral Votes
47.2% of Popular Vote
The remaining 5% of the popular vote will be split between Libertarian candidate Michael Badnarik (on the ballot in 48 states) and Independent candidate Ralph Nader in some mix.
The bottom line for this election is this: The drive for change is always more passionate and powerful than the drive to maintain the status quo. This election could prove to be the ultimate demonstration of this statement. I truly believe turnout will be huge, especially among young people and minorities, and this will swing the election to Senator Kerry.
Senator Kerry will win the crucial states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, New Mexico, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Minnesota along with the rest of his "safe" states (California, New York, etc...).
President Bush will take a close victory in Florida, but will lose New Hampshire and Ohio, both of which he took in 2000.
The 3 states I feel least confident about are Iowa, Wisconsin, and New Mexico. Although, I really feel like Kerry could lose Iowa and/or New Mexico, but probably not Wisconsin.
In the Senate, I think the Democrats will pick up seats in Illinois, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Alaska while retaining seats in South Dakota, Florida, and Louisiana.
The GOP will pick up seats in Georgia (which they already had with Zell Miller), North Carolina (sadly...), and South Carolina while retaining a seat in Kentucky.
Bottom Line for the Senate: 50 Republicans, 49 Democrats, 1 Democratic-leaning Independent. A 50-50 split by all accounts...
P.S. Since I'll be on a plane to Mexico (for vacation, not emigration, even if Bush wins) on Wednesday morning, I won't be around to get your comments after the election, but I look forward to seeing some interesting dialogue when I return on the 10th...
All You Need To Know About The New Bin Laden Tape...
...is that more than 3 years after he killed 3,000 people, he was still around to make it.
His words mean nothing to me.
His continued existence means everything...
"I want justice, and there's an old poster out West… I recall, that said, 'Wanted, Dead or Alive.'"
--George W. Bush
September 17, 2001
"And, again, I don't know where he is. I--I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."
--George W. Bush
March 13, 2002
