Sunday, December 16, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Uncommon Occurrences: UFOs and Impeachment
Written as a weekend column for Huffington Post. As of uploading to my blog at 11AM, HuffPo doesn't have it up just yet. Hopefully it'll get a chance to bemuse and enlighten their readership.
So Tim Russert pegs Kucinich with a question about whether he saw a UFO. Definitely the punk move of the night and, despite what Hillary-protectors might say, it’s his job to challenge her with tough questions. Not because she’s a woman, not because she’s in the lead, but because she doesn’t say anything when she’s up there. And don’t get me started on Brian Williams presenting her with “will you be the president that reduces cancer” question on a tee ball stand, right after Kucinich gave the Spock Sign. The juxtaposition is like suggesting Isaiah 2:4 is the Gospel of the Neocons. But it’s funny how a candidate like Kucinich, with some of most substantive, direct answers to all questions, is never asked much of anything. Universal not-for-profit healthcare? No blood for oil? Impeachment of Cheney & Bush? I mean, John Lennon reported to seeing a UFO, the Egyptians couldn’t have lifted those 2 ton stones without alien anti-gravity beams; we KNOW this stuff. Is it any surprise that many world governments have now disclosed their top secret UFO documents? The French have! Sarkozy may not want to discuss his divorce, but all that stuff about de Gaulle and visitors from beyond is available to the global community. Paul Hellyer, a former Canadian Defense Minister, recently implored all governments of the world to fully disclose knowledge of alien technology. He believes that their hyper-advanced technology can “help save civilization.” I’ve read my Isaac Asimov, watched Back to the Future Part II, and what the hell? The future is really letting us down. What happened to Doc Brown telling us “where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” That’s 2015! Pick up the pace, OPEC! Exxon, Shell & Chevron, stop taping butterflies to those solar panels. Oh, and your derricks are shooting blanks. Ultimately though, isn’t a car that runs on a kitchen scraps just a whole lot cooler?
For the record, until I was 12 I often slept with my head buried under my pillow, afraid I was going to be abducted by aliens. I attribute that to seeing ET at the drive-in when I was 2 and totally misinterpreting. I’m from a formerly rural valley of eastern Pennsylvania, where people used to see strange lights out above the distant farm plots. Now sprawled out where Peppermint Avenue meets Dickinson Lane, that sounds far less scary than endless cookie sheets of houses with roads that feel like you’re staring down that long hallway in Kubrick’s The Shining. Hummers for him and H3’s for her, staring you back. Petroolll, they cow. All of a sudden, alien technology sounds a whole lot friendlier. And don’t worry if they’re hostile like in Independence Day. We can team up with Iran and bolster their nuclear program. Winning the Intergalactic War trumps World War III, hands down.
All that said, I can’t believe I’d ever have ill words for Jon Stewart, but this past week he stung the most delicate pangs of my bleeding heart. Halloween night, The Daily Show ended its segment on the debate with Kucinich’s UFO question. The camera comes back to Stewart, who says with cloying sarcasm, “Sanjaya, why are you still in this competition?” Now I could be mistaken, but that was a low blow. Maybe the delivery was meant to be an empathic “you’re the guy who gets put in the kooky left field pen by the media,” but that wasn’t my read. (And if so, you should know better than to perpetuate it). No, I got more of “you’re the crappy, insufferable candidate who has somehow made it this far.” I have to remind myself that reality’s more of an inverted system, where the candidates with the most integrity, the most courage, are left to the laughable margins. The hippie-vegan/hot wife/elfkin punch lines can only go so far; so let’s either bring the jokes up to snuff, or consider taking the guy seriously.
If you’re live next week, Mr. Stewart, I challenge you to run a segment on impeachment proceedings. I’m curious whether anyone other than the 4AM C-SPAN broadcast will cover it (I don’t know what C-SPAN broadcasts at 4AM, just go along with it). So what it’s going to be? Kucinich sees little green men, or Kucinich impeaches little greedy men? Both sound like great copy. And if your writers are on strike, blog about it. Please.
(In case you didn’t hear it from your fearless network reporter, Congressman Kucinich will be offering a privileged resolution on the House floor this Tuesday to introduce HR 333, articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney. The bill currently has 21 House co-sponsors. Democratic leadership is likely to table the measure, so if you feel differently, contact your representative.)
So Tim Russert pegs Kucinich with a question about whether he saw a UFO. Definitely the punk move of the night and, despite what Hillary-protectors might say, it’s his job to challenge her with tough questions. Not because she’s a woman, not because she’s in the lead, but because she doesn’t say anything when she’s up there. And don’t get me started on Brian Williams presenting her with “will you be the president that reduces cancer” question on a tee ball stand, right after Kucinich gave the Spock Sign. The juxtaposition is like suggesting Isaiah 2:4 is the Gospel of the Neocons. But it’s funny how a candidate like Kucinich, with some of most substantive, direct answers to all questions, is never asked much of anything. Universal not-for-profit healthcare? No blood for oil? Impeachment of Cheney & Bush? I mean, John Lennon reported to seeing a UFO, the Egyptians couldn’t have lifted those 2 ton stones without alien anti-gravity beams; we KNOW this stuff. Is it any surprise that many world governments have now disclosed their top secret UFO documents? The French have! Sarkozy may not want to discuss his divorce, but all that stuff about de Gaulle and visitors from beyond is available to the global community. Paul Hellyer, a former Canadian Defense Minister, recently implored all governments of the world to fully disclose knowledge of alien technology. He believes that their hyper-advanced technology can “help save civilization.” I’ve read my Isaac Asimov, watched Back to the Future Part II, and what the hell? The future is really letting us down. What happened to Doc Brown telling us “where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” That’s 2015! Pick up the pace, OPEC! Exxon, Shell & Chevron, stop taping butterflies to those solar panels. Oh, and your derricks are shooting blanks. Ultimately though, isn’t a car that runs on a kitchen scraps just a whole lot cooler?
For the record, until I was 12 I often slept with my head buried under my pillow, afraid I was going to be abducted by aliens. I attribute that to seeing ET at the drive-in when I was 2 and totally misinterpreting. I’m from a formerly rural valley of eastern Pennsylvania, where people used to see strange lights out above the distant farm plots. Now sprawled out where Peppermint Avenue meets Dickinson Lane, that sounds far less scary than endless cookie sheets of houses with roads that feel like you’re staring down that long hallway in Kubrick’s The Shining. Hummers for him and H3’s for her, staring you back. Petroolll, they cow. All of a sudden, alien technology sounds a whole lot friendlier. And don’t worry if they’re hostile like in Independence Day. We can team up with Iran and bolster their nuclear program. Winning the Intergalactic War trumps World War III, hands down.
All that said, I can’t believe I’d ever have ill words for Jon Stewart, but this past week he stung the most delicate pangs of my bleeding heart. Halloween night, The Daily Show ended its segment on the debate with Kucinich’s UFO question. The camera comes back to Stewart, who says with cloying sarcasm, “Sanjaya, why are you still in this competition?” Now I could be mistaken, but that was a low blow. Maybe the delivery was meant to be an empathic “you’re the guy who gets put in the kooky left field pen by the media,” but that wasn’t my read. (And if so, you should know better than to perpetuate it). No, I got more of “you’re the crappy, insufferable candidate who has somehow made it this far.” I have to remind myself that reality’s more of an inverted system, where the candidates with the most integrity, the most courage, are left to the laughable margins. The hippie-vegan/hot wife/elfkin punch lines can only go so far; so let’s either bring the jokes up to snuff, or consider taking the guy seriously.
If you’re live next week, Mr. Stewart, I challenge you to run a segment on impeachment proceedings. I’m curious whether anyone other than the 4AM C-SPAN broadcast will cover it (I don’t know what C-SPAN broadcasts at 4AM, just go along with it). So what it’s going to be? Kucinich sees little green men, or Kucinich impeaches little greedy men? Both sound like great copy. And if your writers are on strike, blog about it. Please.
(In case you didn’t hear it from your fearless network reporter, Congressman Kucinich will be offering a privileged resolution on the House floor this Tuesday to introduce HR 333, articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney. The bill currently has 21 House co-sponsors. Democratic leadership is likely to table the measure, so if you feel differently, contact your representative.)
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Gravel's Media Manipulation
Originally written for Huffington Post, this is an article covering Mike Gravel's alternate debate held October 30th in Philadelphia. This version is unedited, the HuffPo version can be found here.
Philadelphia, PA –
When NBC excluded Mike Gravel from its October 30th Democratic Debate, the Former Senator did not take things lying down. Support videos sprouted up on YouTube, and Gravel’s campaign organized an alternate debate one block away. He began the evening by listing NBC’s criteria for his exclusion, presented to his campaign on October 19th, and refuted them. NBC cited that he had not visited New Hampshire and/or Iowa at least 14 times, which Gravel countered with 20+ campaign-verified visits to New Hampshire, more than most other candidates. Another requirement, polling at 5%, was voided by the fact that numerous candidates are below that margin (Chris Dodd, Joe Biden & Dennis Kucinich). The final, and only irrefutable requirement, was that the campaign had yet to raise $1 million. That was part of yesterday’s agenda, in addition to fighting censorship and raising visibility of Gravel’s candidacy.
The ensuing event contrasts starkly with the impression most probably have of Gravel, especially if they base it solely upon his debate performances. Typically given the least speaking time, Gravel’s responses could be characterized as Bulworth meets Howard Zinn meets Peter Finch in “Network”. Exasperated candor, sincerity, and moral urgency all wound together. But here Gravel was master of ceremonies, able to speak to his heart’s content and the crowd’s delight. Whenever a candidate’s response or debate topic merited commentary, he’d call out “pause,” talk freely with the candidate frozen on-screen behind him, and offer his take on “politics as usual.” Gravel’s campaign broadcast the event live from its website for supporters to tune in.
Gravel sat on stage by his lone podium, 77 years of grizzled experience, unsung hero of the Vietnam era (having filibustered the draft by himself and read The Pentagon Papers into the public record), watching the debate with supporters, totaling around 250. Attendees included a team of NYU filmmakers, Drexel and UPenn students, kindred Kucinich supporters, and a generous handful of Ron Paul supporters, curious to hear more about the maverick Democrat with some similar views to Paul (ending the Iraq war and US militarism, ending the Drug War, eliminating the IRS & income tax, and Constitutional integrity). Even a handful of Students for Hillary were present, although they left nearly as soon as Gravel pounced on statements made by the former First Lady.
An Army counterintelligence officer in West Germany during the Korean War, Gravel demonstrated this with a keen analysis of the political game. He offered commentary like an Orwellian pundit, frequently taking Clinton’s language to task for its doublespeak. And while Hillary-bashing has become de rigeur as of late, Gravel referenced last month’s debate, during which he condemned Clinton’s vote for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Before candidates were really making noise about its implications for war with Iran, he turned to Clinton point-blank and said “I’m ashamed of you, Hillary, for voting for it.” Though received with little fanfare at the time, since then many supporters, Gravel included, feel this may have cost him attendance at Tuesday’s debate.
He warned of the incessant “drumbeat to war and saber rattling” in light of no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, and the consequences of invading Iran. “Worldwide recession, oil $150+ per barrel. Minimum.” As president, Gravel promised to unilaterally reduce America’s nuclear weapons stockpile by one half, “as an example to the rest of the world.” He noted that every permanent member of the UN Security Council has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which obligates other nations to feel “if you don’t have it [the bomb], you want it.”
Against sanctions and wanting instead “to start treating the world as equals,” Gravel condemned Bill Clinton’s sanctions against Iraq that caused the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children. “The innocent of the innocent,” he intoned. He blasted the US mindset of “policing the world” as code for American Imperialism. Later, exasperated by Clinton’s repeated “carrots and sticks” foreign diplomacy soundbite, he exhorted “Talk to them like the equal human beings that they are!” Strong applause greeted this comment, as did other adages shared throughout the evening.
On how politicians learn their lessons—“Their lessons are not measured through loss of human life and suffering.”
Evoking his military voice: “If you truly value your troops, you protect them from harm’s way.”
Speaking out against censorship: if any candidate was missing, the first thing Gravel would have done is point to the missing podium and demand, “Why isn’t this person here?” He mused that the very fact that no one spoke up shows that they may not recognize the gravity of censorship (or they don’t want to be excluded themselves).
On his fellow candidates: “The more I look at them, I more I want to be president!”
Known for his candor and honesty, Gravel decried buzzwords like change as “meaningless code that do well in focus groups.” Addressing Obama’s rhetoric of hope, Gravel offered that “hope without substance means nothing,” and that it won’t withstand Clinton political machine. He blasted the Clintons for “hijacking the Democratic party in 1992 with Wall Street.” To that end, he also took exception to Chris Dodd’s comment that “electing a Democrat is the single-most important thing,” condemning party-first compromises of “power over substance.”
Of course, the event was not all punditry. Gravel and the audience cheered Edwards’ call for Democrats to stand up for party values, and Biden’s crack that Rudy Giuliani’s vocabulary consists of “a noun, a verb, and 9/11.” The audience burst into giddy applause, with Gravel giving a thumbs up and offering, “best line of the night!” Many viewers were annoyed by the UFO-sighting question to Kucinich, immediately followed by Clinton’s “will you pledge to fight cancer” softball.
Gravel touched on many of the same issues addressed at the Drexel debate. Our education system needs top prioritization, with more rigorous schooling an essential. He aspires for the US system to be like Finland, Sweden, and Spain, with fully-funded pre-K through doctoral studies. He explained his plan for universal not-for-profit healthcare, which involves a voucher system that is funded by a retail sales tax, has one public plan (Medicare/Medicaid) and five private plans that compete against each other. He believes the replacement of income tax with a progressive fair tax will help shift America from a consuming to a savings nations, necessary to counter “our $50-70 trillion fiscal gap”.
Before taking a final round of questions for the night, Gravel laid out the cornerstone of his campaign, the National Initiative. He lights up when explaining this legislation, which he’s spent over a decade crafting with top Constitutional scholars. Once enacted, it would empower citizens to propose ballot-initiatives at the federal level and supersede the partisan stalemate often found in Congress. This would bring Americans out of “political adolescence”, and empower them as lawmakers. To those that felt unqualified to make laws, he quipped, “Congress doesn’t read 95% of the legislature they vote on!”
Two large projection screens flanked the stage, prominently featuring contact information for General Electric. GE, who owns NBC, is one of the primary profiteers in the Military-Industrial Complex, and Gravel says the reason behind his exclusion. He was also shocked that the DNC did not stand up to NBC, for his rights as a candidate. Rather, they deferred that “it’s a private company’s decision.” Gravel had similar trouble finding a place for the event, with some venue declining once they heard he would mention GE. Signs with the slogan “No Corporate Media Censorship, Support Free Speech: Mike Gravel for President” covered the walls of the venue and neighboring street posts. As the only candidate with military service pre-Vietnam, Gravel often evokes Dwight Eisenhower, the first (and last) president to address the threat of the Military-Industrial-Complex. Gravel has said: “Someday the American people will want peace so badly that they will push the government aside and just seize it.” With the National Initiative and his leadership, Gravel believes that the American people will be able to make those steps.
While NBC may have excluded Gravel, if his debate was any indication, he knows the political brain well. For those in attendance, he gave a candid look at its mechanics. His venue is with the people, and this event embraced that philosophy. He’s currently invited to next month’s debate, and if this event was any indication, he won’t mince words.
Philadelphia, PA –
When NBC excluded Mike Gravel from its October 30th Democratic Debate, the Former Senator did not take things lying down. Support videos sprouted up on YouTube, and Gravel’s campaign organized an alternate debate one block away. He began the evening by listing NBC’s criteria for his exclusion, presented to his campaign on October 19th, and refuted them. NBC cited that he had not visited New Hampshire and/or Iowa at least 14 times, which Gravel countered with 20+ campaign-verified visits to New Hampshire, more than most other candidates. Another requirement, polling at 5%, was voided by the fact that numerous candidates are below that margin (Chris Dodd, Joe Biden & Dennis Kucinich). The final, and only irrefutable requirement, was that the campaign had yet to raise $1 million. That was part of yesterday’s agenda, in addition to fighting censorship and raising visibility of Gravel’s candidacy.
The ensuing event contrasts starkly with the impression most probably have of Gravel, especially if they base it solely upon his debate performances. Typically given the least speaking time, Gravel’s responses could be characterized as Bulworth meets Howard Zinn meets Peter Finch in “Network”. Exasperated candor, sincerity, and moral urgency all wound together. But here Gravel was master of ceremonies, able to speak to his heart’s content and the crowd’s delight. Whenever a candidate’s response or debate topic merited commentary, he’d call out “pause,” talk freely with the candidate frozen on-screen behind him, and offer his take on “politics as usual.” Gravel’s campaign broadcast the event live from its website for supporters to tune in.
Gravel sat on stage by his lone podium, 77 years of grizzled experience, unsung hero of the Vietnam era (having filibustered the draft by himself and read The Pentagon Papers into the public record), watching the debate with supporters, totaling around 250. Attendees included a team of NYU filmmakers, Drexel and UPenn students, kindred Kucinich supporters, and a generous handful of Ron Paul supporters, curious to hear more about the maverick Democrat with some similar views to Paul (ending the Iraq war and US militarism, ending the Drug War, eliminating the IRS & income tax, and Constitutional integrity). Even a handful of Students for Hillary were present, although they left nearly as soon as Gravel pounced on statements made by the former First Lady.
An Army counterintelligence officer in West Germany during the Korean War, Gravel demonstrated this with a keen analysis of the political game. He offered commentary like an Orwellian pundit, frequently taking Clinton’s language to task for its doublespeak. And while Hillary-bashing has become de rigeur as of late, Gravel referenced last month’s debate, during which he condemned Clinton’s vote for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment. Before candidates were really making noise about its implications for war with Iran, he turned to Clinton point-blank and said “I’m ashamed of you, Hillary, for voting for it.” Though received with little fanfare at the time, since then many supporters, Gravel included, feel this may have cost him attendance at Tuesday’s debate.
He warned of the incessant “drumbeat to war and saber rattling” in light of no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, and the consequences of invading Iran. “Worldwide recession, oil $150+ per barrel. Minimum.” As president, Gravel promised to unilaterally reduce America’s nuclear weapons stockpile by one half, “as an example to the rest of the world.” He noted that every permanent member of the UN Security Council has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which obligates other nations to feel “if you don’t have it [the bomb], you want it.”
Against sanctions and wanting instead “to start treating the world as equals,” Gravel condemned Bill Clinton’s sanctions against Iraq that caused the deaths of 500,000 Iraqi children. “The innocent of the innocent,” he intoned. He blasted the US mindset of “policing the world” as code for American Imperialism. Later, exasperated by Clinton’s repeated “carrots and sticks” foreign diplomacy soundbite, he exhorted “Talk to them like the equal human beings that they are!” Strong applause greeted this comment, as did other adages shared throughout the evening.
On how politicians learn their lessons—“Their lessons are not measured through loss of human life and suffering.”
Evoking his military voice: “If you truly value your troops, you protect them from harm’s way.”
Speaking out against censorship: if any candidate was missing, the first thing Gravel would have done is point to the missing podium and demand, “Why isn’t this person here?” He mused that the very fact that no one spoke up shows that they may not recognize the gravity of censorship (or they don’t want to be excluded themselves).
On his fellow candidates: “The more I look at them, I more I want to be president!”
Known for his candor and honesty, Gravel decried buzzwords like change as “meaningless code that do well in focus groups.” Addressing Obama’s rhetoric of hope, Gravel offered that “hope without substance means nothing,” and that it won’t withstand Clinton political machine. He blasted the Clintons for “hijacking the Democratic party in 1992 with Wall Street.” To that end, he also took exception to Chris Dodd’s comment that “electing a Democrat is the single-most important thing,” condemning party-first compromises of “power over substance.”
Of course, the event was not all punditry. Gravel and the audience cheered Edwards’ call for Democrats to stand up for party values, and Biden’s crack that Rudy Giuliani’s vocabulary consists of “a noun, a verb, and 9/11.” The audience burst into giddy applause, with Gravel giving a thumbs up and offering, “best line of the night!” Many viewers were annoyed by the UFO-sighting question to Kucinich, immediately followed by Clinton’s “will you pledge to fight cancer” softball.
Gravel touched on many of the same issues addressed at the Drexel debate. Our education system needs top prioritization, with more rigorous schooling an essential. He aspires for the US system to be like Finland, Sweden, and Spain, with fully-funded pre-K through doctoral studies. He explained his plan for universal not-for-profit healthcare, which involves a voucher system that is funded by a retail sales tax, has one public plan (Medicare/Medicaid) and five private plans that compete against each other. He believes the replacement of income tax with a progressive fair tax will help shift America from a consuming to a savings nations, necessary to counter “our $50-70 trillion fiscal gap”.
Before taking a final round of questions for the night, Gravel laid out the cornerstone of his campaign, the National Initiative. He lights up when explaining this legislation, which he’s spent over a decade crafting with top Constitutional scholars. Once enacted, it would empower citizens to propose ballot-initiatives at the federal level and supersede the partisan stalemate often found in Congress. This would bring Americans out of “political adolescence”, and empower them as lawmakers. To those that felt unqualified to make laws, he quipped, “Congress doesn’t read 95% of the legislature they vote on!”
Two large projection screens flanked the stage, prominently featuring contact information for General Electric. GE, who owns NBC, is one of the primary profiteers in the Military-Industrial Complex, and Gravel says the reason behind his exclusion. He was also shocked that the DNC did not stand up to NBC, for his rights as a candidate. Rather, they deferred that “it’s a private company’s decision.” Gravel had similar trouble finding a place for the event, with some venue declining once they heard he would mention GE. Signs with the slogan “No Corporate Media Censorship, Support Free Speech: Mike Gravel for President” covered the walls of the venue and neighboring street posts. As the only candidate with military service pre-Vietnam, Gravel often evokes Dwight Eisenhower, the first (and last) president to address the threat of the Military-Industrial-Complex. Gravel has said: “Someday the American people will want peace so badly that they will push the government aside and just seize it.” With the National Initiative and his leadership, Gravel believes that the American people will be able to make those steps.
While NBC may have excluded Gravel, if his debate was any indication, he knows the political brain well. For those in attendance, he gave a candid look at its mechanics. His venue is with the people, and this event embraced that philosophy. He’s currently invited to next month’s debate, and if this event was any indication, he won’t mince words.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Rally cry of support for a True Patriot
Please take, use, and distribute far and wide across the land. Whether or not he's your candidate, Senator Gravel deserves to be heard. It is imperative to the democratic process that he be allowed to participate and share his views. Plus, he keeps the rest of the candidates honest and says things that no one else dares. Courage and integrity. Now more than ever.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The GOREacle Knows Best!
Belated props to Al Gore and his latest accolade: Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
This runs in stark contrast to President Bush, who was the 44th diner at Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast this weekend. Free pancakes for the POTUS. Stack 'em high! The sky's the limit! Just keep 'em below the smogosphere.
As to a potential candidacy--what do any of us really know? Do we even dare to breathe in the same carbon emissions that give the Goreacle his lucid visions? What I will say is, all the naysaying MSM pundits don't know shit.
Oh, he's doesn't want to challenge Hillary.
He's got more clout outside the political arena.
It would taint his message!
Bollocks, bollocks, and bullshit. Gore has repeatedly said that "no candidate" has addressed climate change with the urgency or aggressiveness truly required. He endorses both a carbon tax and cap & trade schemes; all candidates currently support only one or the other.
Addressing the UN on October 5th, Gore called for a "Global Marshall Plan" to combat climate change, that must be established & enacted by 2009, 2010 at the latest. He's previously called for a FREEZE on carbon emissions and no new coal plants unless they can trap the carbon.
All I'm saying is, who will make the environmental & climate change THE issue in their candidacy, their platforms, and their presidency? Gore has the ability to weave this together with numerous other crises we face, from energy independence to the war in Iraq to a healthier US economy. Until more candidates and citizens wise up to, as Dennis Kucinich might say, the interconnectedness of the world around us, we're indulging in a lot of political futility.
PS - SuperGore v. Hillary political deathmatch... I prefer the story arc of a fallen hero's return to grace, not a power-hungry robot without humility or integrity? What, too harsh? Nah................
This runs in stark contrast to President Bush, who was the 44th diner at Denny's Grand Slam Breakfast this weekend. Free pancakes for the POTUS. Stack 'em high! The sky's the limit! Just keep 'em below the smogosphere.
As to a potential candidacy--what do any of us really know? Do we even dare to breathe in the same carbon emissions that give the Goreacle his lucid visions? What I will say is, all the naysaying MSM pundits don't know shit.
Oh, he's doesn't want to challenge Hillary.
He's got more clout outside the political arena.
It would taint his message!
Bollocks, bollocks, and bullshit. Gore has repeatedly said that "no candidate" has addressed climate change with the urgency or aggressiveness truly required. He endorses both a carbon tax and cap & trade schemes; all candidates currently support only one or the other.
Addressing the UN on October 5th, Gore called for a "Global Marshall Plan" to combat climate change, that must be established & enacted by 2009, 2010 at the latest. He's previously called for a FREEZE on carbon emissions and no new coal plants unless they can trap the carbon.
All I'm saying is, who will make the environmental & climate change THE issue in their candidacy, their platforms, and their presidency? Gore has the ability to weave this together with numerous other crises we face, from energy independence to the war in Iraq to a healthier US economy. Until more candidates and citizens wise up to, as Dennis Kucinich might say, the interconnectedness of the world around us, we're indulging in a lot of political futility.
PS - SuperGore v. Hillary political deathmatch... I prefer the story arc of a fallen hero's return to grace, not a power-hungry robot without humility or integrity? What, too harsh? Nah................
Friday, September 28, 2007
FINISH HER! Or get started, at the very least...
Mortal Kombat references aside, I will quote U2's Sunday Bloody Sunday:
And the battle's just begun...
In the wake of Wednesday's debate, and other recent guffaw's in the media, people are actually commenting upon Hillary Clinton's "unsavory" behavior. Well someone's getting it right. The media had it wrong in the first place, teetering on the free pass to the Coronation Ball. Finally, some are perceiving her haughtiness, snippiness, and lest we forget, mechanized laughter.
I wish that The Daily Show hadn't done a bit on Hillary's calculated bubbliness at the start of the week. Had they not, I was hoping someone would address her moment at the debate, when she derisively laughed at Mike Gravel, if only for illustrating the severe danger in her Senate vote (which sided with Republicans and AIPAC-Lieberman in chastising Iran for waging “a proxy war against the Iraqi state and coalition forces in Iraq.”). Gravel's exasperated old uncle approach, which many deride, is sincere beyond words. People think he can't articulate his points, which is part of their very strength and urgency. The very SOUL of our nation is at stake, and he knows this. So disregarding the messeneger himself (which any Hillary-enabler is first to do), let's take the overall context:
A former US Senator, remembered for his strident passion to end the Vietnam war, expresses his shame and outrage at a current US Senator, who has just voted FOR a Senate Bill that antagonizes Iran, a country with whom we already have hangover-shaky relations.
Rather than take such a charge seriously and with the dignity expected of a Senator, former First Lady, and presumed next President (too many), she laughs. She scoffs. War is not funny, provoking further hostility is not funny. But heck, just laugh at the messenger, and the world laughs with you. Even though the comic, the jester, is always the one free to speak the truth, since everyone laughs along. In this case, AT the messenger himself. Forget that he was a one-man-wrecking-dove (copyright!! hands off, Colbert!) to filibuster against the draft (on and off for 5 months in 1971), causing Nixon to end the draft in 1973.
Instead of this moment, most of the media chose to pick up on Hillary's hard-lined stance against torture, flying in the face of Bill's endorsement of it, if to obtain information to squash an imminent terrorist threat. Then she gets all mushy about bickering over torture with Bill. Rather than alienating some with caustic commentary, Colbert invites everyone along with his customary wink and charm. Check his video on the MSNBC debates and the Clintons cuddling over torture.
It's like when Rocky makes Drago bleed! When Van Damme mounts a comeback against every villain he's ever faced! When Bono resurrects the crowd via Where the Streets Have No Name. Sufficed to say, there are chinks in the Clinton armor, and anyone who want a less Corporate-Militant America needs to get busy.
From PopMart, U2's ironic (and ironically misinterpreted) piss-take on corporate-pop-culture. They announced the tour from K-Mart, for crying out loud:
And the battle's just begun...
In the wake of Wednesday's debate, and other recent guffaw's in the media, people are actually commenting upon Hillary Clinton's "unsavory" behavior. Well someone's getting it right. The media had it wrong in the first place, teetering on the free pass to the Coronation Ball. Finally, some are perceiving her haughtiness, snippiness, and lest we forget, mechanized laughter.
I wish that The Daily Show hadn't done a bit on Hillary's calculated bubbliness at the start of the week. Had they not, I was hoping someone would address her moment at the debate, when she derisively laughed at Mike Gravel, if only for illustrating the severe danger in her Senate vote (which sided with Republicans and AIPAC-Lieberman in chastising Iran for waging “a proxy war against the Iraqi state and coalition forces in Iraq.”). Gravel's exasperated old uncle approach, which many deride, is sincere beyond words. People think he can't articulate his points, which is part of their very strength and urgency. The very SOUL of our nation is at stake, and he knows this. So disregarding the messeneger himself (which any Hillary-enabler is first to do), let's take the overall context:
A former US Senator, remembered for his strident passion to end the Vietnam war, expresses his shame and outrage at a current US Senator, who has just voted FOR a Senate Bill that antagonizes Iran, a country with whom we already have hangover-shaky relations.
Rather than take such a charge seriously and with the dignity expected of a Senator, former First Lady, and presumed next President (too many), she laughs. She scoffs. War is not funny, provoking further hostility is not funny. But heck, just laugh at the messenger, and the world laughs with you. Even though the comic, the jester, is always the one free to speak the truth, since everyone laughs along. In this case, AT the messenger himself. Forget that he was a one-man-wrecking-dove (copyright!! hands off, Colbert!) to filibuster against the draft (on and off for 5 months in 1971), causing Nixon to end the draft in 1973.
Instead of this moment, most of the media chose to pick up on Hillary's hard-lined stance against torture, flying in the face of Bill's endorsement of it, if to obtain information to squash an imminent terrorist threat. Then she gets all mushy about bickering over torture with Bill. Rather than alienating some with caustic commentary, Colbert invites everyone along with his customary wink and charm. Check his video on the MSNBC debates and the Clintons cuddling over torture.
It's like when Rocky makes Drago bleed! When Van Damme mounts a comeback against every villain he's ever faced! When Bono resurrects the crowd via Where the Streets Have No Name. Sufficed to say, there are chinks in the Clinton armor, and anyone who want a less Corporate-Militant America needs to get busy.
From PopMart, U2's ironic (and ironically misinterpreted) piss-take on corporate-pop-culture. They announced the tour from K-Mart, for crying out loud:
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