Iraq debate on Meet the Press shows
why Jim Webb could be the next VP
Webb to Graham:
“This is something I really take objection to…It’s politicians who try to put their political views into the mouths of soldiers.”
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/graham.flv[/flv]
6:16 version
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/graham2.flv[/flv]
3:57 version
Watch out for Sen. Jim Webb to appear on the Democratic presidential nominee’s VP shortlist.
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Iraq: US can leave “anytime they want”
CNN reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asserts the international forces in Iraq can leave anytime they want. Yes, we are free to go.
Nouri al-Maliki:
“We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at anytime they want”
If our president wants us to believe him when he talks about what is best for the Iraqi people, then we should certainly believe the Prime Minister of Iraq. Shouldn’t we?
Either way Nouri al-Maliki has opened the door to a US withdraw, which is probably how the Bush administration wants it to play out anyways.
The head of the Iraqi government has said the Iraqi forces can handle the job should the international forces withdraw.
Why does that ring a bell? Oh ya! In a June 28, 2005 speech at Fort Bragg, N.C., on the one-year anniversary of the Iraqi transitional government, the president said:
“Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.”
The president also stated in the same speech:
“Like free people everywhere, Iraqis want to be defended by their own countrymen.”
Let’s sum up:
According to Bush’s own strategy, the US can stand down now.
Earth to Bush: “anytime they want” is NOW.
Nouri al-Maliki might not be performing a set-piece aria as an obese female soprano, but it’s close enough.
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http://www.qunl.com/lady.jpg
R.I.P Gilmore Candidacy
No more Gilmore. First of 12 GOP candidates drops out.
According to Mike Allen of the Politico, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore is ending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Being the first of 12 GOP candidates to drop out of the race, Gilmore told Politico:
“Because of the front-loading of the primaries, I would have basically had to stop campaigning and spend full time organizing hundreds of people to raise money for me”
He is considering a second run as governor of Virginia and a possible replacement for Sen. John Warner (R-VA).
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XPf5XPQhQg[/youtube]
What could have been: Gilmore’s announcement as a candidate
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH_DWqC20ao&mode=user&search=[/youtube]
Gilmore on Republican Principles
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcO4bRR6d4g&mode=user&search=[/youtube]
On his candidacy and the top tier Republican nominees
In the above commercial Gilmore states:
“The three leading challengers for our party’s nomination may be good men, but they simply do not share our conservative values.
John McCain has fought conservatives time after time, even invoking the rhetoric of class warfare to oppose the Bush tax cuts.
Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney both repeatedly opposed core conservative values to win elections in New York and Massachusetts”
“…I will represent the Republican wing of the Republican party.”
Looks like the Republican wing has just lost a feather.
The remaining 11 GOP candidates in no particular order:
* Rudy Giuliani
* John McCain
* Mike Huckabee
* Sam Brownback
* Tommy Thompson
* Ron Paul
* Mitt Romney
* Michael Charles Smith
* Tom Tancredo
* Duncan Hunter
* John Cox
With conservative Gilmore’s poor numbers and the top three GOP front runners excluded from Gilmore’s “Republican wing”, it’s probable that other feathers will drop off soon.
Perhaps the GOP should change their logo from
to
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[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/religion.flv[/flv]
Christian extremists interrupt Hindu during Senate invocation
Those pesky Christians are at it again, this time interrupting the Senate invocation performed by a guest Hindu chaplain.
According to Eric Kleefeld’s article on TPM Cafe:
“Today was a historic first for religion in America’s civic life: For the very first time, a Hindu delivered the morning invocation in the Senate chamber”
The invocation by cleric Rajan Zed was interrupted by Christian Rights activists who think their concept of the universe is right and everyone else is wrong:
“Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight,” the first protester began.“This is an abomination,” he continued. “We shall have no other gods before You.”
The protesters belong to Operation Save America who, according to their website, “unashamedly takes up the cause of preborn children in the name of Jesus Christ.”
Operation Save America put out a press release on the issue stating that the protesters “were all arrested in the chambers of the United States Senate as that chamber was violated by a false Hindu god. The Senate was opened with a Hindu prayer placing the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ.”
A commentor to the article under the alias of pkafin wrote the following response:
Is the total irony lost on those three protesters that the commandment stating ‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’ is from the Ten Commandments. That makes it originally from the Jewish tradition and, in that respect, has little to nothing to do with Jesus?
Religious technicalities aside, Operation Save America has some other interesting tidbits on their website as well, with articles such as:
God is Going Back to School, with the introductory statement:
We are never more effective than when we take the battle to the very gates of hell – the public school.
and Homosexual Christian, with the introductory statement:
Here is one you will weep over. It represents the thinking of so many lost in the bondage and lie of homosexuality. If Jesus made me this way, then I must learn to accept the way I am and be free. The problem with this of course is that we are all born with a sinful nature and, by nature are destined to hell.
Aside from their fight against legal abortion, this organization protests other religions in a pluralistic society, believe their religious point of view belongs in public schools, and the hate mongering staple: believing homosexuality is immoral.
One ironic line in their press release epitomizes their hypocrisy: This would have never been allowed by our Founding Fathers.
This country was formed in large part as a means to escape religious persecution and allow religious freedom. By persecuting cleric Rajan Zed during the Senate invocation, Operation Save America have adopted the oppressive mindset our Founding Fathers fought against:
They have become the Orwellian Pigs from “Animal Farm”.
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See also:
Category: Religion
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/hotthill.flv[/flv]
“Hott 4 Hill” adds to the wave of political music videos
With the success of “I Got a Crush…On Obama” a new music video as been added to the 2008 election repertiore, Hott 4 Hill.
The parody suggests Sen. Hillary Clinton has a nice bottom and a longing for her to be bisexual.
A Huffington Post article fittingly calls the video, “off the mark”, and my own small commentary on YouTube and political candidates can be found here, with links to the most popular 2008 election political videos.
Which Democratic presidential candidate will next be graced with a gyrating twenty-something model? Former Sen. Edwards appears to be next in line, though it could be Gov. Bill Richardson.
Al Gore perhaps?
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/channel5.flv[/flv]
Cleveland News Channel 5
Or maybe Elizabeth Kucinich could give her husband’s humble campaign a boost with a sing-a-long, seeing as a Cleveland News Channel 5 commentator calls her “so stunning and she’s also so young” and “She’s a beautiful woman in more ways than one.”
And what of the Republicans? When will they jump on the hottie wagon?
Well the title of Catherine Price’s June 9, 2007 Slate.com article (1, 2) begs the question:
Is Jeri Kehn Thompson too hot for the White House?
Perhaps she is, but with presidential candidate “hottie” videos receiving millions of hits on the internet, the Thompson campaign might just be one Jeri Kehn pole dancing video away from the nomination.
Work it, girlfriend, work it!
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UPDATE, more videos added to the faux-political scene:
Gov. Rendell shuts down state government in hopes of securing an alternative energy future
According to this July 9, 2007 AP article, Democratic governor Ed. Rendell is locked in a budget stalemate with the Republican led Legislature of Pennsylvania. The impasse has forced a government shutdown of many nonessential state services.
Part of the disagreement hinges on Rendell’s energy plan for the state. According to AP:
“The centerpiece of Rendell’s energy plan would place a surcharge on electricity use for a fund for alternative energy programs and electricity conservation. Republican legislators and some Democrats oppose the surcharge and accused the governor of holding state employees hostage to force them to approve it.”
Critics further insist that with a $650 million surplus, state employees and those seeking state services should not have to suffer over what is viewed as a partisan debate.
Unfortunately, this type of criticism will occur more often as our political leaders take the difficult steps required to secure a future of alternative energy.
By shutting down the state government to force a budget deal, Gov. Rendell is taking a national lead in emphasizing the future importance of alternative energy.
This is responsible and forward-looking.
Just because a budget deal could be reached without the energy plan does not mean it should be. Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it.
When would be a better time to address the issue of alternative energy and conservation? When there is no budget surplus? Should the governor wait until there are more democrats in the Legislature? No. The time to address this issue is now, even under difficult circumstances.
It’s a good thing there is an adult in the governor’s mansion.
Grow up Republicans, grow up.
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YouTube’s unknown influence on the race for President
YouTube has certainly become a force in politics this election cycle, the influence of which remains incalculable.
With the downfall of Republican incumbent senatorial candidate George Allen, partially due to his Macaca moment, YouTube videos are reshaping how campaigns are run.
Arguably starting with “Hillary 1984“, a pro-Sen. Barack Obama/anti-Sen. Hillary Clinton ad, YouTube videos have expanded the definition of a campaign ad– endorsed and un-endorsed.
Take the Sen. John Edwards mockery in “Feeling Pretty“, the pro-Obama music video “I Got a Crush…On Obama“, and the unique videos of former Sen. Mike Gravel, such as “Rock“, dubbed July 5, 2007 by Slate.com as “The First Presidential Campaign Ad for Stoners”.
But where, you may ask, are the Republicans in all this internet hubbub?
The strongest online presence is certainly Rep. Ron Paul. As of the date of this post a YouTube search for the Congressman elicits almost 25,000 hits.
And the other presidential and potential presidential candidates? Here are their July 5, 2007 YouTube video totals:
Save Republican Libertarian candidate Ron Paul, the Democrats clearly have a greater online video presence, for good or ill. Sen. Barack Obama has more videos about him out there than the top three Republican frontrunners combined.
But there are other candidates as well.
Under the username of campaigner2008, one political maverick and apparent PowerPoint wizard has been uploading videos of even lesser-known presidential hopefuls:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo-1AGm55uE[/youtube]
John Bootie, Conservative
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5sXt4EsN3k[/youtube]
Hugh Cort, Republican
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD8fi3ZCBBs[/youtube]
Karl Krueger, Democrat
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAi7z87svjs[/youtube]
Christine Smith, Libertarian
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbORNNvMazc[/youtube]
Richard Michael Smith, Republican
As Sen. John Edwards said in the following video while speaking about YouTube’s influence on the 2008 presidential election:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrbg1_ADHBI&mode=related&search=[/youtube]
“YouTube is going to play a role I can tell you that. There’s a lot out there happening on the net including YouTube that is outside the control of candidates and that is not a bad thing.”
Sen. John Edwards also stated that the political content on YouTube is “Very good for democracy.”
While good for democracy, it remains to be seen what type of influence the video campaign has on candidates’ electability.
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See also:
Update:
http://www.youtube.com/img/c_logo_no_text.gif
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/keith.flv[/flv]
BBC journalist freed
“Army of Islam” frees BBC journalist Alan Johnston after 114 days.
Bush *almost* pardons Libby
MSNBC reported at 2:48 PT that according to the Associated Press, President Bush has commuted the prison sentence of former vice presidential aide Scooter Libby.
Once again the Bush Administration sidesteps the law.
In a statement delivered for the president, Libby’s prison sentence was considered “excessive” and even without prison time, Libby’s sentence is a “harsh punishment” and “his reputation is forever damaged”.
The former chief of staff to the vice president still has to pay $250,000 and serve two years probation.
By not delivering a full pardon Bush is walking a middle ground between those who support Scooter Libby and those who believe in the rule of law.
Bush’s decision might help placate his Conservative base who have beleaguered the president due to his immigration reform proposal.
Coming from what many consider a dishonest administration, it should be no surprise that one of their own should not have to bear the heaviest burden for lying to federal prosecutors.
Working for the Bush Administration must be the best gig you can get. The president has certainly shown he can be a compassionate conservative.
