Wanderers Welcomed Back

Three of our friends have been absent from blogger world for varying lengths of time and each has been missed. Now, they have returned. Welcome them "home". With friends, "mi casa es su casa" (my house is your house) so "home" is appropriate. Glad you are back, guys.
..............................................................................................
SheaNC has been a card carrying friend of IAB for quite a long while. SheaNC changes avatars from time to time. Now he has a Charlie Brown avatar. Once he had a little guy swigging down drinks.

SheaNC

My favorite of his was the computer guy. I loved it! It seemed to be my theme song. I'd like to have it for my avatar but that would be like identity theft; too many of his readers/friends identify the computer guy with SheaNC.



Click over to his site and welcome him back.

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The Future Was Yesterday has been involved in the exhausting endeavor of moving to a newly purchased home, so has been offline for a bit. Gadfly characterizes his humor as "indistrial strength", and so it is. He sings much the same songs as do Granny and I but in a much more down to earth manner. Welcome him back at:

The Future Was Yesterday

"....Gawd, but it's good to be back!:)"

[WA: and good to have you back, Dan'l]

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And...welcome back our multicolored frog, Kvatch. As you see from his comment re-posted below that "Blognonymous" is dead; long live "Ragebot". Check out his new site, Ragebot

Kvatch said...

Hey...while we're on the topic. I just thought that I'd pop in and let you know that I've returned to blogging as well, but...

Blognonymous is dead!
Long live Ragebot.

Got a great crew. Even the Frogette is blogging with us. Hope you'll pop by.

.................................................................

I won't name other friends who we miss very much, but we hope they return shortly!

Choice of Candidates = Genitalia or Pigmentation?

Choice of Candidates = Genitalia or Pigmentation?

I am not by nature a violent person. I have engaged in violence only twice in my many years - once protecting a childhood chum and once defending my teenybopper daughters against a physical attack by a neighbor woman (nut job?). I won but was terribly embarrassed over the loss of dignity (I was wearing a dress!). I combed wads of pulled-out hair from my very sore scalp for days. Being inexperienced in physical altercations, I might not have won except for the teen aged neighbor lad who coached me from the sidelines, shouting: "Now, give her an uppercut, Mrs. B!!", etc. For a teenager of the era, he was remarkably well versed in fighting techniques and tended to disdain scratching and hairpulling as effective means of vanquishing an opponent . Even though violence served the purpose in those 2 incidents, I avoid it and choose to exercize restraint and attempt tact and diplomacy in strained situations.

However, of late my restraint is sorely tested during political discussions. If I hear one more female declare she will vote for Hilary because "we need a woman in the White House" or people say they will vote for Obama because "we need a black man as President", I fear I will blow my stack. I will confine violent tendencies to my fevered imagination but I am tempted almost beyond endurance to shriek:

"DO REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OR SKIN PIGMENTATION QUALIFY A PERSON TO LEAD THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON EARTH? What part of Hilary's genitalia will she lead with? What part of Obama's melanin will he lead with? Don't you stomped idiots think there are IMPORTANT issues to consider about the candidates??"

In politics, I am an Independent, I suppose, since I know of no other label that seems apt. Perhaps the label "free thinker" fits but I'm not sure of even that. Why do we have to wear labels or be pigeon-holed into neat little boxes? In my teens I accepted my sub-culture's standards of morality and respect for authority but began to question the strict party-line Baptist religious beliefs. As a young adult and a bit more experienced in the outside world, I began to question the political party lines. Finding points of agreement and disagreement in religion, politics and many other situations I encountered, I sought my own way to determine what I believed. I found both good and bad, right and wrong, truth and lies in the majority of choices offered. I made up my own mind. Truth, good, right and points of agreement are where you find them even if there are lies, bad, and wrong and points of disagreement also present.

During the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater and Lyndon B. Johnson, I decided there was no choice between the best candidates, but merely a choice between the lesser of two evils. Some of our readers weren't even born then or were small children so may be unfamiliar with the candidates. As a native Texan with close knowledge of Johnson, I distrusted him very much, but he did offer a few good programs. Goldwater was more of a question but he had both good and bad points.
[Goldwater--- The Johnson campaign and other critics painted him as a reactionary, while supporters praised his crusades against the federal government, labor unions, and the welfare state. ... By the 1980s, the increasing influence of the Christian Right on the Republican Party so conflicted with Goldwater's libertarian views that he became a vocal opponent of the religious right on issues such as abortion and gay rights. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Goldwater) ]

Ever since then I have viewed our presidential choice as the lesser of two evils, with the exception of the campaign between John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. In light of subsequent history, JFK was probably the BEST choice.

Now, once again it seems that America is offered a choice between the lesser of two evils. Researching the records of the candidates, trying to ferret out how they REALLY stand on issues, who their main campaign donors are (who has a leash around their necks or with whom are they in bed), do they have the backbone and integrity to resist the tremendous pressures to yield or compromise with neocons and super rich corporations, etc.. takes a lot of time, but we have until November to accomplish that.

One thing I have learned over the many decades of adulthood is that campaign promises and "gull the gullible public" speeches are not to be believed nor trusted. I will choose the candidate who I judge to have the most points of agreement and less of disagreement. I don't think we will find one with whom we can agree 100%. I tend to favor those who are ostracized from mainstream media and parties. Is it because they are in opposition to the BushCo cabal , and so many others are Bushie a$ kissers - Repubs in Dems clothing.

COMMENTS:

The Future Was Yesterday said...

" If I hear one more female declare she will vote for Hilary because "we need a woman in the White House" or people say they will vote for Obama because "we need a black man as President", I fear I will blow my stack."

And I fear that's exactly where many votes have went! We learned nothing from Pelosi???

You blow that stack, baby! I'll be right beside you bitch slapping the complainers. Gawd, but it's good to be back!:)

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:38:00 PM

Worried American said...

Glad you are back, too! You have been sorely missed both here and on your blog. As Gadfly says, your "industrial strength humor" was missed too. Now two of our faves are back; still have a few absentees. Come on back, friends; all is forgiven!

Bitch slapping assistance welcomed.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:58:00 AM

Daniel said...

Hey, Worried, like you I'm depressed. The system is in action again and America will end up with a President who serves the purposes of the elite. Again. It's sickening.

300 million people and you end up with a handful of losers. Enough to make a man turn to drink. Hemlock will do.

Cheers.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:44:00 AM

betmo said...

we keep getting the losers because the majority of the population are dumber than a bag of hammers. i have no patience for this type of stupidity- and i have posted on it at my place. clinton's platform and obama's platform are on their websites and their voting records are public records. if you can't be bothered to do a bit of research- well here we are again. on the other hand, we were told at the start of this race- which ponies we would be allowed to bet on- and damn! if the candidates didn't weed themselves out for us ahead of the major primaries of super tuesday. nice of them, no?

Thursday, January 31, 2008 5:51:00 PM

Worried American said...

I opened a new blog with info on each candidate including their position on issues. Few appear interested. Ofcourse we have a number of flip-floppers- ones who changed their position to cater to the voters - but will undoubtedly resume their old positions as soon as the election is over.

If counting on the sheeple to elect the predetermined candidate for prez doesn't work, the regime can always rig the voting machines, etc.

The only two who seem to care about the nation and to represent the constituents have either been forced out or allowed so little good press that they don't have a snowball's chance in hell.

All of the remaining candidates have said if elected they would use signing statements as Bush has (to violate the constitution and to thwart Congress) except McCain, and he's a Bush clone.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 11:23:00 PM

SheaNC is Back! Also, Dirty Polictics as usual.

Yay! Everyone! SheaNC is Back! He is busily re-doing his blog and has already posted a few posts. In lieu of posting myself, I call your attention to two of his. You Go! SheaNC! He says it very well.

On Corporate America dictating who will be our next president:
Fascism Rules Amen, Sheanc!

Sheanc's evaluation of candidates: Talk and Choose

Hilary Clinton / Edwards Speak of Excluding Other Candidates- Kucinchi comments on Being Frozen Out

watch video Video Description BeyondTheNews.com When will these candidates learn to turn or take off their microphones? At the end of an NAACP Presidential Forum in Detroit in which fringe candidates Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich repeatedly upstaged the top two tiers, John Edwards approached Hillary Clinton at her podium and, perhaps forgetting that microphones were still on, can clearly be heard saying "we should think about at some point... maybe some time in the fall, we'll try to have a more serious debate with a smaller group of people." Hillary agreed with Edwards, saying "We've got to cut the numbers of these, because they are just being trivialized." Edwards responded "And they're not serious. They're not serious," then walked away. Hillary caught up to him to add "I think there was an effort by our campaign to do that, but it somehow got detoured," saying "We've gotta get back to it." While shaking Dennis Kucinich's hand, she added "our guys should talk." Personal Message Perhaps another reason the media and other sources exclude the "minor" candidates. The more powerful elite, like Hilary Clinton and her backers, want the "little guys" off the debates. The Clintons have extremely strong connections with the Neocons, Bushies, and Big Business, and ofcourse, Big Media. It lacks little imagination to figure out why candidates like Kucinich and others were deemed a threat and blocked from exposure to the American public. The "chosen" cannot afford to allow the citizens to hear their messages or the predetermined winning candidate might lose!

Kucinich Rebuttal to plot by Hilary and John Edwards (a gentlemanly response to crappy plot):


COMMENTS:

SheaNC said...

Thanks for the kind words and the link-up :) I'll try to justify your confidence in me!

Monday, January 28, 2008 8:58:00 AM

Kvatch said...

Hey...while we're on the topic. I just thought that I'd pop in and let you know that I've returned to blogging as well, but...

Blognonymous is dead!
Long live Ragebot.

Got a great crew. Even the Frogette is blogging with us. Hope you'll pop by.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:02:00 AM

Worried American said...

Big cheers here on IAB> THREE of our faves are back now. Gads, but you guys have been missed! So glad your're back, Kvatch!

Hmm! You WILL keep your multicolored frog avatar, won't you? We LOVE the frog!

Will check out the new site forewith.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:07:00 AM

Why They Hate Us

Why Does the World Hate Us?

It is NOT for our "freedom" as Bush claims.

Video Clip courtesy SheaNC .




This video show only a drop in the bucket of America's crimes against the weaker nations and crimes against humanity as our regimes attempted to assert control of the world.

Yeah and another one bites the dust - kicked in the uh-huhs

***************************************************************
You Tube Video;

watch video Video Description Another one bites the dust-Queen

© 2008 YouTube, Inc.

[...]

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS YOU CAN HURT A MAN
AND BRING HIM TO THE GROUND
YOU CAN BEAT HIM
YOU CAN CHEAT HIM
YOU CAN TREAT HIM BAD AND LEAVE HIM
WHEN HE´S DOWN
BUT I´M READY, YES I´M READY FOR YOU
I´M STANDING ON MY OWN TWO FEET
[...]

And Yet Another One Drops (DAMMIT)

Now Dennis Kucinich has dropped out of the race, one of the few candidates that seemed to have some honor, integrity and offered solutions instead of empty pie-in-the-sky rhetoric. He was made to be a buffoon because he saw a UFO - I posted on that - and most people interpreted it as the "little green men" type of sighting. He was laughed at because of his short stature, the fact that his wife was a head taller than he, and he (and Hilary) stood on a box (at one of the few debates he was allowed to speak) so that all candidates would be even in the lineup. He was even sniggered at because he showed affection to his wife, called "making out" by a reporter. He was part of the list of candidates referred to as "minor".

So, on the negative side, he saw a unidentified flying object, he is short, he shows affection for his wife, and was called a minor candidate. What the blue blazes of hell does that have to do with anything? On the positive side, examine a FEW of the good qualities of the man.

Excerpts from Biography; Wikipedia:
As Mayor -After Kucinich refused to sell Muni Light, Cleveland's publicly owned electric utility, the Cleveland mafia put a hit on Kucinich. A hitman from Maryland planned to shoot him in the head during the Columbus Day Parade, but the plot fell apart when Kucinich was hospitalized and missed the event. When the city fell into default shortly thereafter, the mafia leaders called off the contract killer.^[14] [...]while Kucinich's supporters say that Kucinich kept his campaign promise of refusing to sell Muni Light to CEI and was brave for not giving in to big business. [...] In 1998 the council honored him for having the "courage and foresight" to stand up to the banks and saving the city an estimated $195 million between 1985 and 1995.<sup>[15]

[WA: The MAFIA puts out a hit on a mayor for refusing to sell a public utility to big business? What does that tell you about Big Business? What does that tell you about the courage and honesty of a short man who saw a ufo, loved his wife,and was regarded as a minor candidate BUT who kept campaign promises and acted in the best interests of the city and citizens instead of caving to pressure from powerful people?]

[WA: After losing the next mayoral race he suffered severe financial setbacks; one year he filed income tax of just $34. He grew up poor and endured poverty as an adult, so was in tune with America's working class and the poor.(as many of our rich candidates do NOT understand)]

Bio: cont:</sup>
In 2003, Kucinich was the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Award, an annual award bestowed by the Religious Society of Friends-affiliated organization Promoting Enduring Peace.<sup>[1]

[To read his bio and position on issues, check http://choices08.blogspot.com, scroll down sidebar to Dennis Kucinich. ]

Politically he was blocked from debating several times and had to go to court to be allowed to speak; he was ignored or laughed at by other candidates and the media. He received short shrift from all. He did not deserve that. [Hilary Clinton, with powerful backers, and John Edwards (shame on you, John) agreed to block some other candidates because they "trivialized" the debate. When will these people LEARN about open mikes? I'll post that video later).

I spent hours and hours researching candidates bios, histories, news articles, and viewing too blasted many videos, checked out the pats and the pans. Journalists are expert at ferreting out the least bit of potential scandal - even if they have to skew the facts_ and so far I found not one bit of negative reports on this man, but plenty on his positive qualities and record. Except for seeing a ufo, being short, embracing his wife, etc..

I do not agree with all of Kucinich's positions on issues but I agree with most of them. If he had won I probably would not have voted for him as I have my own pet maverick I favor - but I might have changed my mind during the next 9 months. But there is one thing I agree on: The so-called "MINOR" candidates were treated unfairly and disrespectfully by both the media and some of the other candidates. It was cheap, petty, nasty, unAmerican and unDemocratic behavior on their part. Kucinchi caught the brunt of it, more so than other mavericks. Why? Did they fear him because he was a threat to them if he got equal time, if the public was allowed to become acquainted with him? It is a rotten shame. No wonder Gadfly hates politics so much.

It's almost enough to make me turn Repub instead of Independent. I said ALMOST. (I do not vote straight party lines; I vote for the candidate I think is best or the lesser of two evils, regardless of party, gender, or race).</sup>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080124/pl_nm/usa_politics_kucinich_dc_3

Kucinich drops out of U.S. presidential race

Thu Jan 24, 5:44 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Dennis Kucinich told a newspaper on Thursday he would end his race for the U.S. presidency after registering little voter support in the early state contests.

Kucinich, 61, a liberal member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Cleveland, Ohio, told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer he would make his withdrawal announcement in that city on Friday.

"I want to continue to serve in Congress," he said.

His campaign issued a statement saying he would announce plans on Friday for "transitioning out of the Democratic presidential primary race."

Kucinich is an outspoken Iraq war critic who has consistently voted against funding the war and led anti-war efforts in Congress.

He said he would not endorse another candidate in the race for the Democratic nomination to contest November's presidential election.

Kucinich attracted ardent supporters and stayed in the race even after it became clear that his campaign was going nowhere. His 30-year-old wife, Elizabeth, who stands a head taller than her husband, was generally at his side on the campaign trail.

Kucinich was ridiculed for saying at a Democratic debate that he had seen a UFO, a fact that was revealed in a book by actress Shirley MacLaine.

(To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/)

(Reporting by Steve Holland, editing by David Alexander

Dennis Kucinich waves to the crowd after speaking at the New Hampshire Democratic Party 100 Club dinner in Milford, January 4, 2008. Kucinich told a newspaper on Thursday he would end his race for the U.S. presidency after registering little voter support in early state contests. (Jason Reed/Reuters)"

Dennis Kucinich waves to the crowd after speaking at the New Hampshire Democratic Party 100 Club dinner in Milford, January 4, 2008. Kucinich told a newspaper on Thursday he would end his race for the U.S. presidency after registering little voter support in early state contests. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
WA: Does ANYONE know how to eliminate the wide blank area at the bottom of this post? I have deleted as much html that seemed pertinent, to no avail. Please give me any tips you may have. Thank you.

Post on Huckabee follows this post -below the blank acreage.

COMMENTS:

SheaNC said...

Hi, Granny & Worried! I am a Kucinich fan, too. I am hoping whoever wins will be smart enough to allow Kucinich into the administration. In my travels on the web, more people liked him than any of the rest. At least we know good candidates exist, even if they are prevented from winning...

Sunday, January 27, 2008 10:41:00 PM

Worried American said...

Hi sheanc!! It is S-O-O-o good to hear from you! We have missed you. I fear that the so-called "major" candidates that will win the nominations will not want a maverick like Kucinich anywhere around. He is too honest and believes in serving the people who elected him- imagine that!

Do cme back again. You have a new avatar. I like Charlie Brown just fine but my favorite is the little man beating his head on the computer keyboard - I relate to that one.

Monday, January 28, 2008 1:11:00 AM

On January 15 I promised a political blog listing all candidates, their biographies and histories, positions on issues, and funding amts and sources. It has been a hassle de luxe. It is ready for viewing at http://choices08.blogspot.com. News items and videos will be added on post pages.
The primaries will soon be over and losers will be pulled to draft page. Winners will remain on sidebar. Gadfly helped somewhat but she hates politics. She opined that it was an "almighty pile of sh*t" (the most printable comment) and wanted to use that as the signature user name. I demurred so she offered "Sh*t Almighty". We compromised on SheeshAlmighty but most posts are made under Worried American. See marquee on this blog and also on Choices08 blog.

Please continue to posts below.

OOO! Huckabee; Some Ladies Are Pissed At You!

WA: This is old news but has recently been re-hashed in the mud slinging war that takes place every election.
A group of ladies here at the old people's apartment complex were talking politics in the community room. Several ladies from the Holy Ghost Redeemer Baptist Church endorsed Huckabee because he stood for family values. That failed to elicit much comment until the "submit to husbands" matter arose and the firestorm erupted. There are a few old independent minded rebels in this place and I thought for a bit there was going to be an old fashioned hair-pulling. Even some of the Baptists joined in the rebels' hullaballoo. There are a lot of good Christian black ladies who refuse to consider submitting to their men :-) I didn't join in the acrimonious arguing but observed the affair with great interest. The hair pulling might have taken place except for the intervention of the Manager. Spoil sport!
Can you image the reaction of the police if they were called out on a civil disturbance only to find it was a bunch of old gray haired ladies scratching and pulling hair? Some of them might have even started swinging their purses!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>



http://thinkprogress.org/2007/12/11/huckabee-wives-should-graciously-submit-to-husbands
HUCKABEE: wives should ‘graciously submit’ to husbands.

In June 1998, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a “statement on the family” that asserted, “A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” Two months later, then-governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full-page ad in USA Today specifically endorsing the Convention’s view on marriage:

You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband’s sacrificial leadership.

As Andrew Sullivan notes, “The group did not back away from the ad after a media firestorm. It seems to me that Huckabee should be asked if he still stands by that. And if he thinks it applies to Senator Clinton.”

[WA: ;-)

UPDATE: C&L has more. December 11, 2007 3:08 pm |
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=2510

EVANGELICAS' USA Today ad affirms SBC for family stance

Posted on Aug 27, 1998 | by Tom Strode.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--A full-page ad in USA Today Aug. 26 voiced the affirmation of 131 evangelicals to the Southern Baptist Convention that "you are right!" in holding forth the Bible's teachings on marriage.
[...] The ad also appeared in the Aug. 22 issue of WORLD, an evangelical magazine based in Asheville, N.C.
The ad was initiated by Dennis Rainey, executive director and co-founder of the FamilyLife ministry division of Campus Crusade for Christ.
Among those signing the USA Today affirmation are [...] Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and his wife, Janet;[...].
The ad notes an expanded list of names of evangelicals supportive of the SBC family stance is posted at the Internet site, www.youareright.org.
[...]
The SBC article describes marriage as "the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime." [...] A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ."

[WA: get that ladies? "servant" number? A servant position to your hubby dearest - no matter how much you love (or don't love) him?]

The evangelical leaders' USA Today ad states to the Southern Baptist Convention:
"You are right because you recognized that the family was God's idea, not man's, and that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman for a lifetime.
"You are right because you called husbands to sacrificially love and lead their wives.
"You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership.

[...]. The author of the article is Chad Brand, assistant professor of Christian studies at North Greenville College, Tigerville, S.C. Copies of the publication may be requested by calling (615) 244-2355.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

WA: "one man and one woman" = that rules out gay marriage; "for a lifetime"=rules out divorce. I was reared in a Baptist Bible thumping home and community and although homosexuality was never mentioned back then, divorce was taboo. For most folks of that persuasion it still is, somewhat like the Catholics. My mother had a wall eyed hissy fit when I divorced my first husband (even though she thought he was awful) and although she finally accepted it, she forbade me to date because I might fall in love and want to marry again!

Her reasoning? The scripture said, "what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder"(no divorce) so re-marriage would mean I would live in adultery (gasp). I not only married again, I married again twice. By some people's standards, that fact alone makes me headed straight for hell on a greased, downhill slide. Think I could get away with pulling a Jimmy Swaggert and tearfully confess, "forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned"?

Nah! the scripture says that one is forgiven only if you are truly repentant (and I ain't) and that God knows one's heart (I'm a goner!)



Nope! Not None of Me! Ofcourse I only got a divorce, danced, and sometimes actually partook of strong spirits, and worst of all - I did not submit to any of my 3 husbands' dubious leadership!

And Another One Bites The Dust

Fred Thompson quits presidential race

By DAVID ESPO and LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Tue Jan 22, 6:54 PM ET

NAPLES, Fla. - Republican Fred Thompson, the actor-politician who attracted more attention as a potential presidential candidate than as a real one, quit the race for the White House on Tuesday after a string of poor finishes in election primaries.

"Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," the former Tennessee

senator said in a brief statement.

Thompson's fate was sealed last Saturday in the South Carolina primary, when he finished third in a state he had said he needed to do well in, if not win.

Related Video

Republican Fred Thompson quits presidential race

ABC News » All news video

AP Photo: Then-Republican presidential hopeful, former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson fields questions from the media during a...

• Slideshow: Fred Thompson

• Fred Thompson Drops Out of the Presidential Race at The New York Times, Jan 22
• With Thompson Out, Who Benefits Most? at The Washington Post, Jan 22

.............................................................................................................
The First Casualty:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080120/ap_on_el_pr/hunter_withdraws

Rep. Duncan Hunter exits Republican race

Sun Jan 20, 12:42 AM ET

SAN DIEGO - Rep. Duncan Hunter is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination after a poor showing in the Nevada caucus.

"I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable," Hunter said in a statement issued Saturday in advance of a speech planned later in the evening to campaign workers and other supporters.

"We thought we'd do much better in Nevada, but the numbers weren't there," said campaign spokesman Bob Bevill. "We were not able to get any traction."

In recent weeks Hunter, a California congressman, was forced at every stop to dispel rumors that the campaign was already dead and was unable to talk about the issues, Bevill said. The best showing of Hunter's campaign was in Wyoming's Jan. 5 caucuses, in which he won 8 percent of the vote, finishing third behind Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson.

"The media has a 'vote someone off the island' mentality and Duncan Hunter was a casualty of that," said Bevill.

Hunter, a Vietnam veteran, was elected to Congress in 1980 as part of President Reagan's sweep into power. He appealed to some conservatives by focusing on military issues and border security.

AP Photo: Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., talks to supporters and members of the media after announcing that...

Slideshow: Rep. Duncan Hunter

COMMENTS:

Daniel said...

Well, poor Fred is Dead and Dunc has flunked! How many D*%kheads does that leave in the competition? Fair Dinkum, what a motely crew!

And the winner of the World's Most Mediocre Race is...........? Yawn!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 4:00:00 PM

Worried American said...

I'm not yawning, Daniel. I'm almost weeping in despair.A motley crew, indeed. All promise pie in the sky but the only one(s) who offer the recipe for the pies are short shafted by the media (and others) and called "minor" candidates! Hilary (the Bush clone, a pseudo-Dem) and John Edwards conspire on an open mike to cut the others from debates - and guess what? They get cut. The public at large depends on the media to obtain info on the candidates and the mainstream media blandly crafts what the public may hear and see. It is all a hype.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008 5:49:00 PM

Big Media guides Voters and Votes?

There have been news reports about certain candidates being excluded from media events. Do you think the American public has a right to hear issues discussed and positions reported by ALL candidates? How are the people to decide for whom to vote if they can only hear the favored few?
Here is an example of one of the exclusions and the opinions of the citizens who came to hear.
Click on "here" at the bottom of the article to view the short video.
.........................................

Help Defend the Integrity of Our Voting System

Once again, America is faced with questions about the integrity of machine-counted ballots and about the rights of Americans to decide for themselves who they should be allowed to vote for in this crucial Presidential election.

In New Hampshire, it's a question of whether votes were counted or manipulated. In Nevada, it's a question of whether the GE-owned NBC television network should have the power to decide who your choices should be for President.

Read more...

..................................................................................................................



You Won't See This on TV
After an initial invitation, followed by an exclusion, a lawsuit and an appeal, MSNBC successfully barred Dennis Kucinich from the Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.

Click here to watch

If video doesn't load, return to post and reclick on "here"

.............................................................
OTHER CRAPOLA:

Supreme Court denies Kucinich bid

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Texas to print presidential primary ballots without Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich’s name.[***Because this candidate refused to sign a LOYALTY OATH to the candidate the party chose to run!!]

1/15/2008 09:06:45 PM

Court: MSNBC can bar Kucinich

By Ken Ritter, Associated Press Writer

The Nevada Supreme Court said Tuesday MSNBC can exclude Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich from a candidate debate.

1/15/2008 08:48:27 PM

Democrats tout plans for economy in Nevada debate

By Jill Lawrence, USA TODAY

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday attributed recent racially tinged remarks to her own and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s "exuberant and sometimes uncontrollable supporters" and said she’s glad the two of them want to move on.

1/15/2008 8:46:28 PM

Judge grants Kucinich entry to NV debate

A Nevada judge said Monday that Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich must be included in Tuesday’s candidates’ debate in Nevada.

1/13/2008 01:04:38 PM

New Hampshire to recount primary votes

New Hampshire officials said Friday they will conduct a hand recount of the state’s Democratic and Republican presidential primaries at the request of two *minor candidates.

...............................................................................

WA: Did you see THAT? *MINOR CANDIDATES? MINOR?? That is insulting and denigrating. How dare the media speak of them as MINOR? Such language dismisses the candidates as of no importance - to leave that impression in the minds of the citizens.
Some candidates questioned the accuracy of the vote counts per machine. See posts below about how EASY the voting machines are to rig.

COMMENTS:

betmo said...

thank you worried. i was hoping i wasn't the only one concerned about this. not because it's kucinich but because it is undemocratic.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 8:20:00 AM

Rig Elections and Steal Votes

How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative

On Jan.11 I posted Rigging Electronic Election Machines To Steal Votes/Elections

and on Jan.10 More Corruption and Election Hanky Panky

Now we have a man who worked on the Republican National Committee who gives us tips on stealing an election. It worked, didn't it?

-------------------------------------
How to Rig an Election: Confessions of a Republican Operative
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/74030

Allen Raymond, a former Republican National Committee operative, shares secrets from the GOP bunker

Allen Raymond worked inside Republican election circles for years, until he was convicted of illegally jamming telephone lines to New Hampshire Democratic Party offices on Election Day in 2002. After serving five months in jail, he and co-author Ian Spiegelman wrote How to Rig An Election, Confessions of a Republican Operative. The book details Raymond's rise in GOP campaign circles; the attitude, tactics and strategies used to win; and how the RNC asked his firm to jam Democratic phone lines, but would not defend him in court after Democrats fought back and pressed court charges. AlterNet's Steven Rosenfeld interviewed Raymond about his political education, GOP tactics and his take on the current presidential field.

ALTERNET: The title of your book is How to Rig an Election. Can elections be rigged?

RAYMOND:: Sure. We're not talking about what people often think about, like ballot box stuffing. Certainly, that stuff goes on here and there. What we are really talking about in the book is how messages are created and delivered to the voting public, in a way that orchestrates and manipulates response. It's all about feeling an emotion; it's not about raw issues and logic.

In the book I give a lot of examples of rigging elections by, put it this way, guys like me -- I used to be a campaign manager. Once you are all said and done and deliver a message, two plus two equals whatever I want it to equal. The facts and sometimes even contorting the facts to lead voters to conclusions that may not necessarily, if you step back, make any sense -- but, in context, make all the sense in the world.

There's that aspect of it. Then there's just the more raw aspect of it, which leads up to the culmination of the book, which is the 2002 New Hampshire phone-jamming scandal.

ALTERNET: Why is emotion more important than facts?

RAYMOND:: Well, because people are looking at the candidates. The candidates are on television, mostly. That's where they get their information, particularly on presidential campaigns. Less so in congressional campaigns and local elections, but in presidential campaigns, that's where voters get their information -- by watching the television news. The characters are there. They are defined for them. They know what they look like. They can read their facial expressions. They can hear their words if they're spoken. Largely, that's where people are getting their information, as opposed to information from print media, which is just not the case anymore.

The candidates can't help but speak and emote. It's that famous saying from the Roger Ailes book, "You are the message." [...]

to read rest of the article and other ways elections are influenced and tampered with, click on
http://www.alternet.org/democracy/74030
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The people being influenced by what they watch on TV? Gadfly had a couple of good posts on that:


Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters




Poll: Mitt Romney Is Candidate Most Voters Want To Get Into Bar Fight With

ThomasLB said...

Emotion has always played too big a role in such an important decision.

That's why Huckabee scares me. He comes across like such a benign, toe-in-the-sand aw-shucks Gomer-Pyle sort of guy that you completely miss what a dingbat he really is.

To paraphrase Richard Jeni, at least Charles Manson has the decency to look like a nut the first time you meet him.

Monday, January 21, 2008 6:31:00 AM

Gadfly said...

Absolutely correct, thomaslb! I have a post to do on him. He is a fundie at heart, no matter what church he belongs to.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 4:19:00 AM

Baby Kaleb- A Heartbreaking Tragedy

This post is taken from BLASe's blog, Every Picture Tells A Story and passed on to our readers. Please pass it on to your readers. If you pray, please pray for this most innocent, helpless victim of stupid violence. If you do not pray, please concentrate your most positive and good thoughts for him and for his grieving parents suffering one of the most agonizing experiences a parent can endure. Spread the word about the dangers of shaking a baby.
Video: about 9 minutes in two parts. First half is Kaleb's pre-injury life. Second half has hospital photos. A heart breaking tragedy.
At the bottom of the video are tiny thumbnails. Click on to hear video of their stories. MacKynzee's story of a brutal beating by her father is terrible. Abuse of babies and children is the most horrible crime. (Gadfly suggests punishments for the perps that are not printable but sound like a good idea).
I have emailed BLASe to see if she has updated news of Kaleb.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Baby Kaleb

This family is asking for your prayers to bring their baby boy back to them. This is also a very strong message to people about the effects of shaking a baby.

Posted by BLASe at 11:54 AM 0 comments

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1. Shaken Baby Syndrome Information Page: National Institute of ...

   Shaken baby syndrome information sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders ... Shaking makes the fragile brain bounce back and forth ...

   www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/shakenbaby/shakenbaby.htm - 18k - Cached

2. Shaken Baby Alliance

   The Shaken Baby Alliance is the advocate for victims of Shaken baby Syndrome and the support structure for the families afflicted by this serious form of child abuse.

   shakenbaby.org - 9k - Cached

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
UPDATE ON BABY KALEB:

BLASe replied to my email very quickly. Great news! The baby is responding to light, the sound of his mother's voice, and "talks" (coos and makes noises) when interacting with her. Considering the brain/neurological damage so many babies suffer from the shaken- baby injuries, Kaleb's progress is indeed miraculous. Please continue to hold him up in your prayers and positive thoughts that he will make a full recovery. Physical therapy will be long term and some progress may be measured in millimeters instead of yards, but every millimeter of progress is a small miracle.

From:
To:	"Worried American"
Subject:	RE: Baby Kaleb
Date:	Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:08:37 +0000

Hi and thank you very much.
.................................................

These are the last two of Kristy's (baby Kaleb's mom) Myspace entries.

Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Happy New Year! Happy New Year to all of you! We pray that this year is filled with healing for Kaleb and all members of our family. We also pray for justice for our beautiful son! We leave everything in God's Hands and pray for peace that surpasses understanding. I hope everyine had a great and safe New Year. Josh Kaleb and I stayed home and spent it together. We are so thankful that we were able to ring in the New Year together! Kaleb is still doing wonderful!He is my little chatterbox! He loves to talk! In the AM he is always in such a happy mood... but he has ALWAYS been a happy baby since the moment he was born. Today I was watching A Baby Story and I started to think back to when Kaleb was born... When he came out and they layed him on my chest he didn't even cry... He just looked around and made a couple little noises but nothing like what you see on these shows. He has always been so happy with life and takes in everything so peacefully. I am so thankful that he loves his life... This is why it is so hard for me to understand WHY this happened to him. But we trust that God has a GREAT plan for his life! He has already done so much for him! I love to see him smile! He is getting so much stronger and can hold his head up for a little longer now. I know that with in the year he WILL be sitting. He is such a character.. He always has something to say about his therepies. He loves to play with his light up toys and coos at them often. When he wants attention he says something that sounds like "mum". He hasan EEG coming up next week and I pray that imporvements are visible! I know they will be. I am being bombarded with questions about the trial. No it has not happened yet. I don't know when it will but when it does our memories are as clear as they were May 9. I am sorry that I cannot tell you more... I wish I knew more. I wish all of you a BLESSED NEW YEAR. Tuesday, January 15, 2008 EEG and more Kaleb had his EEG and as far as we know everything looked fine. First they held a strobe light over his face for about 10 minutes to see if he had any type of seizure and the nurse said that all that it showed was that he got excited! Which is great because that confirms that he def. sees something. Then they had him fall asleep because I guess it is common for kids to have seizures during the REM cycle of sleep. That also showed no seizure like activity. Then I had to wake him up by calling his name and he woke up! So I am SURE that he hears! I bet a lot of his recovery stems from the hyperbaric chamber. He is doing SO WELL! He is so happy. He gets in these laughing spells lately where 2-3 times a day he just laughs and laughs. I think that he sees angels because a lot of time he just stares up and smiles and laughs. I love to see him so happy and not in pain. I am so thankful for all of the days I am able to see him awake and taking in his surroundings. I couldn't bare to go through three months of him being unconscience again. I cherish every waking moment with him. He has been doing well in his therepies. We are doing some water trials in speech therepy on thursday. This is where the therepist will take syringes of water and put it in his mouth to see how we reacts to it. The goal is that he swallows it as soon as it goes in his mouth... If this takes place it might be a indication that he might be able to tolerate eating. But that is a long ways away. In physcial therepy he hasn't completely gained control over his neck and head so we still have to support it like a newborn baby. When he is laying on his back he is able to lift his butt off the ground and scoot back! So maybe sometime soon we will be getting him a scooter board. We are so blessed to have our baby boy! I thank God EVERY DAY for all of the blessings he has given our family. Thank you all of you for praying for our son and loving him so much! You can see the updates on Kaleb's mom's myspace here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=34091583 ................................................................................................ Thank you for visiting my blog :) I will go find you now. Lesly. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> WA: I can relate to the grief and anguish of parents/grandparents of a brain damaged child. I posted on my brain damaged grand daughter in Feb 2007, Twenty Years of Heartbreak and Oceans of Tears and I would not have that happen to this young family nor to Baby Kaleb. I was struck by Kristy's comment about Kaleb's laughing episodes and that "I think that he sees angels...". Our Betty had laughing times and my beloved Grandmother always said when babies did that, angels were playing with them. Our Betty - laughing: Laughing in glee. What does she find to laugh about in her dark, almost silent, empty world? She knows nothing of our world and does not respond to it , nor does she respond to "baby play". My grand mother said that angels were playing with babies who laughed as she does. That's as good an answer as any. COMMENTS: Gadfly said... This is so terrible and heartbreaking for this to happen to an innocent baby. Dammit, I'm bawling like a baby. Crying my eyes out. Bad sh*t happening to babies and little kids gets me where it hurts. Nobody should take their mad out on a little kid, no matter how bad they get on your nerves. Sunday, January 20, 2008 2:08:00 AM Blogger Gadfly said... I don't do My Space but lots of other people do. Click on Kristy's My Space url , click on title "a totally different baby",and scroll down to commenter I'm Me and Can't Change it (Tim) and check out his bulletin below his comment. Maybe some of the My Space people will also post his bulletin about the baby rapers and baby stealers. I gave my opinion on a post on Ain't Gonna Take It. Old Woman says I can't publish what I'd like to do to them so I just gave generalities. Nvisiblewmn could help out with her baseball bat too. Sunday, January 20, 2008 2:53:00 PM Scarlet W. Blue said... Your faith in me and my bat is touching. And we, bat and I, are at your service. I can't stand this kind of stuff either. Sunday, January 20, 2008 9:13:00 PM Granny said... Oh that poor family. I do have a MySpace (which I rarely use) so I went over and read and looked at the pictures of that beautiful child. Sunday, January 20, 2008 9:31:00 PM