ZED x2

Who cares about either of them and their pride lists.

I care about how people are treated in this country and by this country.

I give a 10 for the stuffed flag answer.

Howdy, Blue Texan!

And we we’re all proud of Cindy when she fed the monkey by stealing drugs from her charity too.

Damn proud.

Republican Proud!

That’s funny, one of the local wingnuts used almost the exact wording explaining how “Real Americans” remembered the “corruption and incompetence” of the two “worst Presidents” we had ever had, Carter and Clinton. I really shouldn’t read the Letters to Editor in the local paper, especially since they added the on-line comments!

Given that she’s lived through segregation, My Lai, and Abu Grhaib, though, that’s a fairly disturbing thing to say. Always? Really? No matter what it does?

Including torture of enemies? As was done to her husband?

And the day when GWB slapped a signing statement on her husband’s anti-torture legislation?

That must have been a *very* proud day…

I am sure she is proud that McCain used her family’s wealth to start his political career too. Or that McCain pulled a Newt Gingrich when his first wife was having problems. Real classy people those two are.

Of course they were against the intervention in the former Ugoslavia, but that’s different– that doesn’t mean they were against Ameruhkuh.

“My friends, thanks. Don’t listen to good, eloquent speeches. Listen to my speeches. And listen to me talk about how much experience I have. And look over your shoulder. See those brown people? Those terrorists? Venezuela? Yeah. My friends, that’s why you have vote for me.“

John McCain

Last Night

Yugoslavia.

Cindy is proud of her broken man for broken government.

The Story of Cindy McCain makin’ us all proud by stealin’ drugs.

Remember the link:

http://www.salon.com/news/feat…../18/drugs/

From wikipedia

Jingoism is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as “extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy”.[1] In practice, it refers to sections of the general public who advocate the use of threats of or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what they perceive as their country’s national interests, and colloquially to excessive bias in judging one’s own country as superior to others.

This pretty well sums up the MacJack family.

The thing to remember is there is a very BIG distinction between the two emotions…..Pride and Love and the opposite not proud and hate..

When I was stationed in Greece circa 1979….. I was not proud of what my country was doing overseas BUT I still loved my country, it was after all my country.

When Rummy started Shock and Awe …. I was beyond not proud…. I was ashamed but I still loved my country because it is my country.

I love my children but at times they do things that I am not proud about.
See different emotions…. YOU CAN love you country and still not be proud.

Americans have a long history of events that should make us NOT proud. The big one the wingnuts are bringing up is Reagan tearing down the Berlin law…. Gee if I remember that correctly (was in europe) it was the Germans who tore down that wall. History is viewed in the perspective of that person’s experience.

Brave words from a woman who was addicted Percocet and Vicodin, and stole the drugs from her non-profit to feed her habit. (H/T to tbogg for the link)

How Cindy McCain was outed for drug addiction

The entire story would likely have gone unreported if attorney John Dowd hadn’t entered the picture. He wrote to Maricopa County attorney Richard Romley, a political ally of McCain, and asked him to investigate Gosinski for extortion. …

Thus began the inadvertent outing of Cindy McCain. Although the federal investigative materials were not public, the county investigative materials were. Romley launched an investigation, and one of the first things his people did, naturally, was ask the feds to turn over their investigative materials.

New Times finally got hold of the county investigative materials and we did our own story. So did the Arizona Republic, which was uncharacteristically aggressive, perhaps because the McCain machine had left the paper out of the loop on the story of Cindy’s addiction.

Among the questions asked: Did Cindy McCain get preferential treatment by the feds? True, Cindy was a first-time offender, which partially explains the fact that she did no prison time; instead, she entered a diversion program. But at the time, defense lawyers told New Times that if Cindy McCain had been a poor minority and not married to a U.S. senator, she likely would have been locked up.

This is a standard political attack- Obama screwed up with her statement and McBush is jumping on it- that’s how the game is played. It’s so early that it doesn’t matter- what’s important is how the Obmama people respond. If they respond well and turn the thing around- they’ll get less attacks in the future- if they don’t respond or respond badly- they’ll get a lot more. Let’s see what Obama can do!

This is a stupid topic that will go away soon.

Sometimes honesty is not the best policy. Michelle Obama is right when she implies this country has done lots to be ashamed of including Vietnam and Iraq, but wrapping oneself in the flag has always been a powerful political move. No point unnecessarily stirring up these powerful emotions. It’s like the General Betrayus ad-generates more heat than light.

Push ‘em back, push ‘em back, waaaaaaaaaaay back. Way to go, Blue Texan.

Republican talking point LIE Of The Day: Obama most liberal Senator, as evidenced by the latest Rethug on MSNBC this morning.

I’m thinkin’ every Democratic talking head who goes on teevee needs to respond to the first question from the host with this preface: “First let me correct the record…The Republicans are lying when they call Obama the most liberal Senator. They and the National Review which created this distorted talking point need to quit lying about Barack Obama….”

Cindy McCain may have to revert back to Stepford wife mode. She does NOT want the spotlight.

I don’t much like the title of the post. I really hope we do not want to get in the hog-slop with them or anybody else. Isn’t there a way to pushback without sounding like “their” repulsive echo. I hope so, and I think Obama is trying to be very careful in his language for the most part. There was a PBS feature last night about the Klan in Arkansas. We need to let those people stay as far under their rock as possible.

There is much to be proud of and much to be ashamed of in this country. There always has been and always will be.

That said, anyone should know that to say “This is the first time I’ve been proud of my country” is to court electoral disaster, regardless of what country they live in.

The GOP stupid doesn’t seem to go away.

Well said. ’tis truth.

It’s so early that it doesn’t matter- what’s important is how the Obmama people respond.

Or in fact how the voters respond to Obama. If people who were wavering between clinton2 and obama get a WTF moment obama may well benefit from this continued rightwing idiocy

That’s what Kerry’s advisors said about the Swiftboat fiasco. It would be very foolish to count on it going away by itself. This incident calls for a very carefully crafted backoff.

Thanks Blue Texan.

It’s difficult to believe that up until the 1960’s, white supremacy was LEGAL throughout the U.S., north and south. It was perfectly legal, to not interview someone for a job, because they were Irish, Italian, Jewish, female, Native American or African American. It was perfectly legal not to rent or sell them a place to live. The Jim Crow laws were the cornerstone of segregation, Hitler used them as a model for his Nurnemberg Laws (1933).

According to Jim Crow, it was perfectly legal not to allow their children to attend school. It was perfectly legal for a physician not to treat them and for an attorney not to consult with them. It was perfectly legal not to extend them credit or the writ of habeas corpus.

OT, I’m glad you brought up My Lai. I never even knew about
Hugh Thompson, Jr., RIP, until I started reading FDL. Without him it would have been even worse.

Hey -forget GWB for a moment – it would be nice to have a *real*, competent, eloquent First Lady after 7 years without having one of those either…

Democrats. We are ‘the family values party’. That is… we subscribe to the notion that health care should be provided to everyone, we demand quality education for our kids, we pursue decent and equal wages for our working women and men, and want them to have the right to organize, we like diplomacy rather than war, we think birth control is better left in the hands of the ladies who carry our children, we approve, in no uncertain terms of ethnic equality, we like the rule of law, we are partial to freedom of religion, privacy and liberty, and we are on the side of fairness. We support our soldiers and want them home, safe and sound. And most importantly, we love the constitution. And the list goes on and on. If these few things are not ‘family values’, then I don’t know what is.

There was a PBS feature last night about the Klan in Arkansas. We need to let those people stay as far under their rock as possible.

IMO, it’s better to tip over that rock and shine a light on them. Remove their power to instill fear by taking off their hoods and discrediting their arguments.

C’mon, I posted on this yesterday: for silly statements, I call it a tie.

Two words for ya Cindy, Kitty Dukakis

Lets see…. Is Cindy McBush proud of….

Genocide in Dufar?
Millions if Iraqi refugees?
Millions of Iraqi citizens dead in this war/occupation?
Iran contra?
Reagan negotiating behind the government to keep the hostages until elected?
Death squads in south america?
Embargo with North Korea?
Embargo with Saddam era Iraq where thousands of children died?
That Reagan ignored the AIDS/HIV growing epidemic?
How about Abu Ghraib?
And 47 million Americans without Health Insurance?

OK, here’s the thing.

Y’all need to simmer down. Attacking someone for being ‘proud of their country’ just smacks of being so angry that nothing they say can or will have any positive impact on you.

Don’t fall into the trap of rejecting everything that comes out of someone’s mouth just on principle. It’s an emotional stance that smacks of wingnuttery at its finest– and we’re (supposed to be, in our own minds) better than that.

yup

Watch the mighty wurlitzer try to gin up some outrage on this… it will
not work because we are in another political time frame now, the old
line of attack against the left has been worn out after decades of
success. Not complacent here, just seems that Bushco has actually trashed
their own methods by overexposure and repetition. They also lack a credible personality to carry the message. McCain is another sacraficial
candidate like Dole, marking time for the 2012 run by Jeb. It’s over.

Ruth Marcus, Wapo columnist, calls for Hillary to let herself go – be more like John McCain.

yeah – that oughta bring in those Democratic votes…

I can only take her at her word. If she’s always proud of the country, she’s proud of segregation.

I thought Blue Texas covered that here:

To wingnuts, patriotism means loving your country like a child loves her mommy — it can do no wrong. Ever.

That’s probably a better way to say it; my point is that I do not want us to be in the same mudslinging “pissing” contest. Both these women probably misspoke. And the racist card, explict and innuendo, will be deceitful and nauseating. (per Rush yesterday). I just think our response has to be measured to not respond in kind. It’s way too easy to say “Yeah your mother…” but gets us no where.

I’m doing nothing of the sort. I’m pointing out that it’s completely fake to say you’re always proud of the country. The country makes mistakes, terrible, tragic mistakes, that no one should take pride in.

I apologize for following up to my own comment, but I want to point out that there was a team of “spin doctors” who followed Reagan, the Great Communicator, around and talk to the press after each of his speeches, explaining what the president really meant. Recall, Reagan was so far into Alzheimers that he all but drooled on himself during his final debate. And as he aged he tended to stray from his script and would launch into some absolutely crazy blithering.

My point is that slips like Michelle made need not be fatal, but they must be handled carefully and quickly. It turns out that Barack did a very good job of respinning it this morning:

“I’m proud of my country,” she said. “I don’t know about you, if you had heard those words earlier, I’m very proud of my country.”

The Obama campaign e-mailed reporters a clarification of Michelle Obama’s remarks.

“What she meant is that she’s really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of Americans who’ve never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grass-roots movement for change.”

You rock, sir, in many ways. Well said.

This is where I have to disagree….

Michelle may and probably misspoke BUT Cindy McCain’s comment was calculated and planned. There is a big difference. She planned this attack and it was all over the local TeeVee here in AZ…. Do not underestimate that woman, it is partly due to her shrewed work that McBush is where he is now.

Senator Obama inspires.

And the day when GWB slapped a signing statement on her husband’s anti-torture legislation?

Wonder if she was proud when her own husband voted against the bill to make torture illegal recently? Wonder if she’s proud when her husband flip-flops against his own principles to pander to the right?

I cringed when I heard Michelle’s statement. While she certainly has the standing and the right to say it, it was not smart politics.

It may be that we overwhelm R’s in the turnout game this fall. OTOH, keeping in mind the turnout was close enough in the past two elections for the ‘pugs to steal, it may be a close run thing (I believe that will turn out to be the case).

This is exactly the kind of thing to energize the lizard brains – it plays right into the Osama/Obama BS, as well as their fear and loathing of uppity and ungrateful brown people.

Let sleeping dogs lie, fergawdssake! The time to impose ourselves is when we control both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Every campaign makes mistakes – winners make the right adjustments. For all of our sakes, I hope Obama responds brilliantly and moves on.

OT… if you run microsoft XP and get updates automatic , check your FIREWALL setting… it might have turned it off….!

Control panel adjust to on .
This has been for all FDL’S

Typical GOP thinking there is no problem unless it effects us but then its always someone else’s fault, cause were perfect. In our drug coma marriage getting fish poison and plastic surgery after surgery all for a man who apparently shows G.W more affection than he shows his own wife.
Cause hey if you got Keating Five bribe money coming in you don’t have to work all that hard to fundraise for you political campaign, that and the Senate has some easy hours.
I think she still might be using.

Exactly. Which is why we need to hit her back.

Well said.

FWIW, from the slave perspective, the Civil War was about elevating them above the level of cattle. Most abolitionists favored segregation.

Hmmmmm. Plagiarism! http://firedoglake.com/2008/02…..nt-1284918

I just clicked on a link at Kos…my computer got confused…I rebooted, and now all my bookmarks are gone.

I really hope we do not want to get in the hog-slop with them or anybody else. Isn’t there a way to pushback without sounding like “their” repulsive echo. I hope so, and I think Obama is trying to be very careful in his language for the most part.

Part of Obama’s appeal is that he doesn’t “bite” when the rethugs bait him with innocuous crap. Let the hysterical talking heads babble on. People see Obama as staying above the fray leading America(hopfully) to a new political reality.

The presidency is Obama’s to lose. McCain will have to be aggressive to have any chance at all.

I think we are asking people not to apply that level of literalism to the McCain statement. By the rule you apply, I guess, we would have to take Michelle at her word, too, no matter how overstated. It seems to me…

Maybe– but that doesn’t mean you should fall into the same trap, and everything the wingnuts say is worthy of ridicule, as opposed to saying everything the country does is worth of adoration.

Leave it alone. Someone says they’re proud of their country, and they can always say “Because we’ve gotten through all of that, and we’ve gotten better, and we continue to get better, even when we do bad things.” And that would be a stance I’d actually agree with.

Ol’ Mrs McBush has alot of skeletons in her closet. She has now introduced herself to the riff, and so let the scrutiny begin. I keep hearing the wingnut meme that they are gathering all their forces to go against Obama…Um….what do they think ,the netroots are just going to sit by and let the swiftboating go unanswered AGAIN…UH…Methinks …NOT …by a long shot.

It’s way too easy to say “Yeah your mother…” but gets us no where.

Ya mean like – “Your momma is so fat that the sign inside one restaurant says, “Maximum occupancy, 512, or Your momma.” !

Or is that one of the ones I should leave alone?

My point is, the fact that McCain is applying that literalism to Michelle — rather intentionally — so should she be subjected to the same literalism.

Hopefully this will expose the entire exchange as absurd.

The Cindy story is top diary over at Kos with hundreds of comments. The cat’s outta da bag…

Meant to say to the Michelle statement; going to work. Hate to leave such good company.

McCainiacs pushing Obama on campaign financing. We must make sure McCain’s murky dealings pattern– Keating, campaign loan this season, etc… don’t get lost in the conversation…

And not get distracted by the Rethugs effort to build a “cat fight”

Cindy “Bud Girl” McCain cannot remember last week, much less the last
7 years of St.McCain enabling another alcoholic joy ride in a stolen car.

These kinds of smears have to be rebutted, and very hard.

Remember the Swift Boats?

I went to Alabama in 1963 with a classmate and listened to his relatives tell me: “You Yankees have it all wrong; we love our colored folk ’round here.” I suddenly realized that they though they were being accused of mistreating their pets and livestock. It was quite an education for me. Quite different from the out-and-out race hatred I’d seen in the North.

Perhaps to make your point even stronger you should update your post with Michelle Obama’s full quote.

LS …that diary is just the beginning. From what I am hearing there are going to be some interesting youtubes with pics coming in the next few weeks….not going to be pretty, I don’t know if I agree with that tactic, but Mrs Stepford McBush started it.

Hours of discussion and thousands of words about pride have not elucidated one freakin issue one freakin iota

Yes she did…she cast the first stone…bring it on.

Giving credit to John Edwards….

This tempest…. exactly how will this help people get health care, get our military out of Iraq, help rebuild Katrina?

It is starting…. about time too…
Sorry Cindy McCain, It’s Time to Take the Gloves Off

Yep.

marking time for the 2012 run by Jeb

Oh we can only hope that they try and run Jeb in 12.

Oh please, baby, please, please, please!

You’re right — post fixed.

It used to be that way here in regards to Hispanics but the Brown Scare changed all of that….

To wingnuts, patriotism means loving your country like a child loves her mommy — it can do no wrong. Ever.

Interesting. ‘Cause I think a lot of us love our country the way a parent loves a child. We always love them, and when they mess up, we try to help them do better next time.

I saw this heartbreaking film on PBS, in which certain towns practiced ethnic cleansing a hundred years ago, and still begrudge the reparations or the return of black citizens. It’s a good one. I recommend it. I doubt McCain’s wife will watch though.

I cribbed that line from Al Franken. But #15 was right — it’s about pride.

Love that.

I don’t know… I’m not really proud of more than 50% of Democratic primary voters who are just enthralled by a guy who speaks lemon meringue. Sometimes I think the only reason he is supported is because he is half-black. I think the general election is going to be W vs. W. An insincere, inexperienced, unaccomplished, speechifyin’, half-black, young guy vs. an over-70 lunatic, rage-susceptible, very-white guy, who thinks a hundred years or more in Iraq would be just fine. Jesus! We’re in for another four years of insane destruction.

She does look like a Stepford wife from the original movie.

I was only guessing at what the pukes must be thinking, and the ‘96 run
by Dole was an obvious suicide mission. Jeb is just too slick for the
post Junya years, he is history as well… the pukes will have to retool
themselves… heh.

I agree the title doesn’t “work” with wingnuts and large swaths of the Jane and Joe six-pack crowd. I think Blue Texan understands that within the FDL community, we are patriots who really do love our country, warts and all. We just aren’t going to pretend the warts don’t exist.

I am proud of America with my eyes wide open. Am I proud of our sins, beginning with the genocide of native Americans, running though slavery and up unto Abu Ghraib? Of course not.

I am proud because the founders wrote a “promissory note” of what might be. We have made spectacular advances (ending slavery, the New Deal, civil rights), and in the past eight years, regressed further than we believed possible.

If we lived in China or Saudi Arabia, we would have no claim on that promissory note. Europe enjoys the benefits of that note because we saved them from madness twice in the last century, and kept the USSR from overrunning them.

I understand we criticize our country because we love it, and want it to fulfill its potential.

We also need to understand that can be perceived as unpatriotic to the uninitiated, and manipulated by the ‘pugs.

The solution is to show the love along with the critique.

I think the general election is going to be W vs. W. An insincere, inexperienced, unaccomplished, speechifyin’, half-black, young guy vs. an over-70 lunatic, rage-susceptible, very-white guy, who thinks a hundred years or more in Iraq would be just fine.

What, you don’t like american idol?

gracias
si se puede
And Just disregard the inanities from the right today-it be mierda de toro, just flush toilet.

Nice. Gonna remember that one.

mierda de toro

Hey that’s not fair I don’t speak Latin

if you run microsoft XP

Why in heavens name would I ever do that?

“What, you don’t like american idol?”

*laughs* mmm, nope not at all

I like how the Team Obama response pointed out how Michelle and Barack both constantly talk about how only in America both of them can rise to this level, given their respective backgrounds, and how much they love this country for that.

Thanks very much.

I had never heard of those towns.

FWIW, prior to its destruction in 1921, the African American section of Tulsa was known as the “Black Wall Street.”

We got called to Son in Ohio’s school yet again yesterday. He has Asperger’s Syndrome, and sadly we’re still without an adequate IEP at his middle school. This is the kid who starts high school next year. Occasionally he gets sent-home-but-not-technically-suspended, and yesterday was one of those days. This happens because of some behavioral issue on the part of our son–but also because the school does not have a proactive plan in place.

As my husband talked to one of the teachers, I was trying to calm my son and talk to him about the situation. So this was very much on my mind when I read the mommy comment. Could I say I was proud of him for his behavior in school that day? Of course not. But I was about helping him try to do better next time.

At some point McCain will get defensive and tell the media and us to stop attacking his family.
Now I don’t know about the Media but I do know that if any of us starts a false rumour about McCain we will be called on it and have to apologize or risk getting banned.
So our attacks at least will be based on truth or consequences for the commenter.
Which is more than Mr lets win in Iraq but hug the man who insults your daughter can say about Bush. Its more than Mr lets ignore what the Swift Vote Jerks are saying about a fellow Vet and keep hugging Bush.
So when McCain attacks us for investigating him and his family lets remember McCain only attacks people in the OutGroup.
Ingroup people treat him though as the anti alpha wolf, the wolf who always gets picked on by all the other wolves in the pack, but who’s name escapes me now.

wingnut patriotism or any patriotism in the hands of dubious power=death for young men and women, let’s be very clear about that. It is not a goddamn joke.
Like some fat bitch wearing purple heart on her chin.

(((Renee)))

“At some point McCain will get defensive and tell the media and us to stop attacking his family.”

“FUCK YOU! You little FUCKING JERK! Leave my FUCKING family alone!”

Oh, I live for the day.

OT at C&L:

http://www.crooksandliars.com/…../#comments

Prairie View A&M students organized to protest the decision, because they felt it hindered their ability to vote.

And a comment at C&L:
Jaden
“
I live in Houston close the beltway 8 SW side and this is the first time I’m hearing about this story =/

Shows just how our deaf, dumb, and blind media keeps us informed about what really is going on around us even ever so close.
“

From above title is:
Thousands of Students March 7 Miles To Vote
http://www.crooksandliars.com/…../#comments

Cindy McBush is now joining in the game- so she becomes FAIR game. It’s OK to take a shot at her- but Obama needs to take one that will give him an advantage…Sayin that Cindy has no business bein proud of this piece of shit country is probably not a winning line in my opinion.

It will be interesting to watch him get really pissed while his serene botox brows refuse to cooperate.

“FUCK YOU! You little FUCKING JERK! Leave my FUCKING family alone!”

Oh, I live for the day.

Would have been nice to see back in 2000 – delivered to one George W. Bush.

That story tracks with my experience. Rural NC has been mixed all of my life – black and white farmers shared the same communities. When intergration occurred, we didn’t need bussing – kids of both colors lived along the same bus route.

Imagine my surpise when I moved North, and found blacks mostly confined to the cities. Rural and suburban Ohio was whiter than rural NC. My wife lived in a bedroom community of a major city, and of a graduating class of 400, six were black.

Amazing.

“really proud”

How soon after the statement did it take for the “really” to get knocked off. I feel bad for Michelle as she spent to much time educating herself, the more you know the less you want to. Its more than sad.

“My country, no matter what” is a ridiculous way to think.

“I have, and always will be, proud of my country.”

Vietnam? A cause for pride? Watergate? Genocide of the Native Americans? Environmental destruction? Rampant religious findamentalism? Enron? Torture? Abu Ghraib? The K.K.K. and racism? Jena?

And on and on.

I have, and always will be, critical of my country. Because it’s the only way we shed light on the crimes and horrors that knee-jerk patriots like Cindy and John McCain want to whitewash over.

I posted about this last night, it made me proud and happy-kinda cleaned some of the shit off the windshield.

They mean always.

Did anyone else get the scare of their life yesterday listening to McC? He is a “superstitious figher pilot” amoung many other Dr. Strangelove references…what does that mean he is going to pick cool dates to bomb people on?

Yep it will be a long day at the Lake while listening to KO drinking Green Tea. Sometimes I wonder if the rise of the blogs is effecting caffine consumption?

I posted about this last night, it made me proud and happy-kinda cleaned some of the shit off the windshield.
—
Thanks, its a great story and a great picture. I hope Obama is right, or Clinton as the case may be.

Some are defending Obamas on the grounds that they are black and therefore experienced the rough side of america….that, of course, is the exact opposite of the way Barack wants to present himself…He’s the best candidate for president first and black second. If that gets switched- he loses.

An argument can be made that Barack grew up white in america anyway- but that’s neither here nor there. At this point he needs a log cabin to have grown up in.

OT:

One thing I did not like from Obama last night was his talk about talking on special interested – which he left as a hanging sentance and turned it into some general social call. He really needs to finish that sentance.

Well said!

The Rethugs have hijacked family values for far too long. Those are the values we cherish in MY family.

I think it is probably safe to bet, those are family values that most Americans cherish, and it is about time we focused on them.

The smoothness with which Team Obama handled this gaffe by Michelle gives me confidence in his electability (and they’ll surely be up against some of the best on the other side). By contrast, Team Hillary is a disaster from almost all angles, e.g., http://firedoglake.com/2008/02…..nt-1284238

Wives of a feather…Cindy and Laura.

I became an Obama supporter last night. His speech was incredible. Hope he can play as good a game as he talks!

OT but just one thing to be pissed about.

The Supreme Court handed a victory to Medtronic Inc on Wednesday, ruling that patients cannot sue medical-device manufacturers in state court over harm from a device that has approval from federal regulators.
By an 8-1 vote, the court ruled a 1976 law creating federal safety oversight for medical devices

What activist judges.

OT- Renee, have you read Born on a Blue Day? I wish I had before my daughter entered school, particularly middle school. It is hell on most who go to middle school and quadruple so for those who don’t get the social cues.

Bush and McBush make a fine team. Maybe after McBush loses they can do some fishing together.

BTW, gang:

And I say again and again: Leftist progressives should not, repeat, should not, let the Right appropriate words like “patriotism” (as examples: The Patriot Act, Patriot Missiles and so on) and emblems like the Stars and Stripes for their own uses and purposes…

The left should not concede to the Right the opportunity to define these entities for the rest of us. Because you know what? If we let them, that then gives them the opportunity to label as unpatriotic anyone who opposes the Patriot Act and all that, which had been their strategy in the first place.

Much appreciated.

I had no idea about this, until you commented it.

Read the Boondocks cartoons, tears of a Clown funny.

They are moral monsters – McC

That was a real chesnut leading up to a minute long diatribe before he noted he was not talking about all of “them”.

Blue Texan:

Mommy hater.

I am incensed the democrats allow McCain to begin mounting his slanderous attacks against them answered

EVERY time McCain spews his propaganda against EITHER democrat, they BOTH have to DEMAND equal time to respond against the SLANDER

and if the channel refuses, they have to suit for slander

and then, when they respond against the mindless attacks from this decrepit moron, they have to be UNIFIED, and they have to LAUGH OUT LOUD that McCain even THINKS to suggest going forward with bush’s MORONIC agenda is somehow a good thing

they have to laugh at the very suggestion

then they have to challenge the patriotism of ANYONE that would vote to continue the war for the profit of this administration’s pals

they have to start challenging the patriotism of republicans and SMACK THESE IDIOT DOWN for suggesting a person could POSSIBLY be more patriotic by voting for these fascists

I agree with your concept

I think any time a republican even THINKS to mention patriotism the democrat MUST respond by challenging the patriotism of ANYONE that thinks they can vote for this adminsitration and it’s treasonous policies

Fortunately, there is a ton of material to use against McCain. It might be funny and disarming if Obama (like Dubya and Rove had done in SC) inferred that McCain had fathered a black child.

What they did was hijack some words and called them family values-those words having nothing at all to do with what we are, talking points without substance-the MO of the right. Anything of real value is anathema to them, because real value would then have to acted upon in the form of the nurturing of the citizens of America with things like health care and free education.

Not sure what’s going on here.

High Court Bars State Product Liability Suit Against Medtronic

Scalia was the lone dissent. Even Thomas didn’t vote with him.

OT- Renee, have you read Born on a Blue Day?

Aaagh! Checked it out of the library. Renewed it multiple times. Still haven’t read.

Please don’t go out slashing and burning Clintons (yes, I know Hillary could still win, but very unlikely now). They’ve set a 527 to run ads in OH so they can advance the “empty suit” lines. They just a set-up a Web site explaining the “facts” of the delegate debates, including why FL and MI should count, which is laughable on its face.
http://tpmelectioncentral.talk…..te_new.php

The more negative Team Clinton has gotten, the more the Clinton campaign has tanked. Why would you think the solution is to get more negative?!?! (my theory…it’s all they know how to do.)

If she doesn’t win TX and/or OH by 20% at least, she absolutely needs to drop out if she really cares about the DemocratIC Party and the American people. I can understand staying in now, since so many have invested so much in her campaign and needs to give it all she’s got, but without dominating wins in the remaining big states, she doesn’t have a chance. She’ll end up just sucking up millions of dollars and energy that could otherwise be used to defeat Repubs everywhere.

McCain just sounds like a lunatic. The more he rants on…the more Repubs will look to Huckabee…The Huckabee/Romney/Paul votes equal more than 50% of the votes in these primaries. That means that more than 50% of Republican voters don’t want McCain.

you know what?

I just had a great idea of strategy for the democrats

mccain actually just said “he could send the troups anywhere he wants for a long period of time”

I bet we could get him to add to that “in a time of war”

we could then point out that that is the very purpose of this campaign, to keep us in “a time of war and the expensen of it” rather then “peace and prosperity”

and we will point out that this is the method heads of state have used for generations to gather power and treasure for themesleves and their rich pals

The thought of Cindy McCan’t and Bill Clinton as dueling First Spouse candidates is quite comical.

I like how the Team Obama response pointed out how Michelle and Barack both constantly talk about how only in America both of them can rise to this level, given their respective backgrounds, and how much they love this country for that.
reply

I agree and I think we should leave it at that for now. Going after Cindy McCain with a vengeance doesn’t really go along with Obama’s unity and change message. Better to make the McCain’s look small in contrast than to make the wingnuts rally around them. Keep the wingnuts depressed and at home, that’s what I say.

They will fall in line like good little soldiers.

How about if Michelle Obama publicly challenges Cindy McCain to debate.

Thanks for linking, I spaced out I was so pissed.

holy cow, we are in tons of trouble, tons, for generations with this supreme court;

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- The U.S. Supreme Court, in an 8-1 ruling Wednesday, said federal medical-device regulations prevent patients from bringing state product liability lawsuits unless a medical device company violated U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations.

so, through product flaw that they might know about, they kill you or a member of your family, you will have no redress, no compensation, and you will not be able to prevent them from killing someone else

I think a whole lot of them just won’t come out to vote in November. They hate McCain.

Yes. Is McCandyCain watching what’s happening in the Clinton/Obama race?!?! The negative stuff isn’t working anymore, yet, St. John is bascially saying exactly what Hillary has been trying out. It’s a new era in America politics, and people need to adapt of time will just pass them by. Hillary is learning this the hard way.

I don’t expect Team Obama to spend anymore time of this. They just give short, direct responses and simply move on. People are noticing.

In part I agree but it is part of the framing and taking back the language…. that they took and we let them…

Separate the emotions of Pride and Love….. Pride of country and Love of country… are very different AND that is the point of this discussion in my view.

Yes I love my country BUT not very proud of what it has done at various time.

I know how that goes, but it is a quick read. While my child didn’t have the genius side that this author had, it helped me understand better what it is like from the inside out. And I think his parents and teachers gave him space to cope as much as they could within their structures. You might suggest that the school supply copies of the book to their teachers too.

Forget about the jobs. They aren’t coming back. Wars? We got wars aplenty! Yeehah! Follow Bin Laden to the Gates of Hell! – McCain (and Ahab)

If you really want to do something about FISA, waterboarding, etc,

go here: http://www.pushtruth.com

Patriotism, definiition, death for the young personal aggrandizement for the old, always. Don’t use the word. I can love my country without its use. imho
Sorry, this is one of those hot button issues for me. My son will be fighting for these fucks.

They hate McCain.

That is a bipartisan sentiment.

With Cindy, it’s the dope talking. It’s easy to be proud when you’re high as a kite.

Bring it on, Cin’.

you make a great point but that is a weapon and tool the repukelicans use and we can turn it against them

we can’t let them own the power of the word, that gives grants them to much

Dropping in for a few drive-by’s. Great post, BT. Pat Buchanan was winding up the wurlitzer machine last night trying to make this an issue. Rachel Maddow chimed in that it was only folks like Pat that were making this an issue. She amde a comment something to the effect: Well what else can you guys claim: We have an angry white guy promising more of the same? Pat started smirking and agreed and admitted that the GOP will have to resort to these silly faux outrages in order to keep their side fired up.

As an Edwards supporter in 2004 and a Hillary supporter in 2008, I have been slow to come around to the Obama side.

I may be late to the party but, as of this morning after watching and reading another handful of Obama speeches, I am now firmly in the Obama camp. The thought of another election where negatives are thrown randomly hoping for dirt that sticks has now struck me as something this country needs to put out to pasture.

The George Bush style of politics whereby you split the country in a quest to win 50% plus one needs to go away in favor of the all inclusive approach that Obama professes.

Now let’s hope he rides this wave through Texas and Ohio and garners a large enough lead to seat the delegates of Florida and Michigan so they too can be counted, and follows that with a 50 state strategy to victory in November rather than a 50% plus one.

katymine, actually I’ve been raging mad about the patriotism bs for over 30 years now, dating back to when I was tear-gassed as a teenager during the Chicago Convention protests. The Democrats have been trying to win that argument for years and I guess I’ve decided that its difficult to for a whole lot of people to wrap their brains around the fact that patriotism and criticism cannot co-exist, and yet they themselves do it all the time. I lived through America love it or leave it and I saw the ugliness that spewed from people in the name of patriotism… I actually feel that we need to rise above the whole notion of patriotism, but I’m 100% positive that’s a position that would never get me elected president of the United States.

If we want or hope for Obama to bring people around to progressive ideas, I just don’t think that the redefinition of patriotism is the best place to start.

Thanks

we can’t let them own the power of the word, that gives grants them to much

Absolutely…

huh ,,, i hope it helped?

Thanks for your story. I hope and expect most other Hillary supporters will do the same. We’re all on the same team trying to accomplish the same things for the most part. Plus, we’ve got a great chance to dominate the House (even more) and the Senate races, and regardless of the Presidential race we can all get behind the idea of more than 60 vote advantage in the Senate. Harry and Nanacy won’t have anymore excuses for selling away America and giving away the Constitution.

Better and Better Democrats ‘08!

*sneezing* *rolls eyes*

whatever

I would pay to see that, talk about an unfair debate

Nice post.

I believe your expectations are wrong. I am a Hillary Clinton supporter who will not EVER support Barak Obama.

And if people here really think that attacking Cindy McCain is a winning strategy then you aren’t any better than the Republican scum that attacks spouses of those on their hit list as “fair game”. Most of the comments weren’t even worthy of discussion since they were just sophamoric insults. Cindy McCain looks like a Stepford Wife? That’s real class, that remark.

Michelle Obama stuck her foot in her mouth and gave the McCain campaign an excuse to jump in. Now time to move on. Repeated attacks on Cindy McCain is not a winning strategy. But kos and his pals like to attack women so I’m sure they have lots of nasty things to say. They always do. Funny, I used to think this blog had more class than that. My bad.

So we can see that you’re a) not voting for the Democratic nominee if it’s Obama; b) that you think Cindy McCain’s lame attacks on Michelle Obama are justified and c) think throwing McCain’s own words back at her — just as she did to Obama — is akin to “repeated attacks.”

Oy.

I do agree that calling McCain a trophy wife or stepford wife is inappropriate and counterproductive, however.

No patriot would ever say “My country right or wrong”. It’s like saying “My mother drunk or sober.”

Michelle did not “put her foot in her mouth” as you say. She spoke her mind, and good for her. Only fools (see King George’s 23%) are proud of their country all the time. A country that denies freedom to one segment of it’s population does not deserve my unwavering pride (that Mrs. Obama was a member of the class that was repressed just punctuates her sentiment). A country (and when I say country I mean government by extension)that invades another country and occupies it for no good reason does not deserve my pride. A country that tortures and attempts to take away my liberties under the guise of some illusory war on terror does not deserve my pride.

“Proud of Jim Crow”? Wow, THAT’S a bit of an over-reach!

Must every criticism of the Obamas ALWAYS have to be the sign of some sinister racism?

Memo to media: STOP CODDLING THE OBAMAS!

They can handle themselves just fine without your playing the race card to help them out.

I don’t know… I’m not really proud of more than 50% of Democratic primary voters who are just enthralled by a guy who speaks lemon meringue. Sometimes I think the only reason he is supported is because he is half-black.

Well lemon merengue means that the substance is tasty…and there is some eggs and sugar in it too! If you wanted a chorizo burrito…well, Bill Richardson was your guy. He had more experience in his little finger than Clinton has in her puffed up ego.

Whenever I see comments like this I wonder if the person has even bothered to actually examine Obama’s record as both a State and Federal legislator vis-a-vis someone like John Edwards, or Hillary Clinton. ACTUAL RECORDS…not words.

The reality is that there has been very little Democratic Senatorial legislation, much less PROGRESSIVE legislation, that has been able to advance through the Republican and Blue-Dog Democrat thicket over the past eight years…so any of those bills actually passed that you see… by and large those are gonna be “centrist” compromises of principles, or out-right sell outs.

Yet the ADA has consistently rated Obama as one of the most liberal Senators in the Senate (right there with Feingold), pushing progressive Bills and blocking regressive measures. His record in the Illinois State Senate shows someone that can author, and successfully push forward PROGRESSIVE legislation. But even in the Senate, IN A SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME, he has advanced more significant legislation than Clinton. And that’s mainly from the Foreign Relations Committee.

Clinton, despite her high-profile and claims of years of management capability obtained by osmosis from the WH has really done very little. Certainly she hasn’t shown any special magical ability to evade the Republican/Blue-Dog roadblocks. Her votes in Congress have been frequently compromising and centrist, although one would have to rank her a liberal.

Edwards, a co-founder of Lieberman’s New Democrat Coalition (along with folks like Breaux, Landreau, Kerrey, Nelson, and Robb) often sided with the Republicans and Blue Dogs…and tabled, blocked, and voted down scores of Progressive bills supported by other Democrats. He successfully re-packaged himself in his first Presidential campaign…but based on his record alone he was a Southern centrist (which made him a sort of “liberal” in that sphere, I guess). I always thought that the reason people supported him in 2004 was that he was an electable Southerner “fresh” and untainted by the “beltway”.

Edwards and Clinton…not so much.

and she’s SO proud of America’s new torture legacy . . .