Official No Blood for Hubris Mental Health Interlude

"According to the Washington Post, Barack Obama and actress Scarlett Johansson are email buddies. Apparently they email each other back and forth. So, you've got a 23-year-old gorgeous, blonde actress emailing a married presidential candidate. Well, what could go wrong there? Not to be outdone today, John McCain admitted he had been exchanging flirty emails with Angela Lansbury." --Jay Leno


"CNN reports that John McCain is aggressively trying to win over the independent vote. Yeah, of course, to John McCain, independent means anyone who can make it to the toilet without help." --Conan O'Brien


"And John McCain is campaigning very hard. Every day I pick up the newspaper, he's someplace else. He's got a new strategy. Well John McCain just announced he wants to do a series of town hall meetings where he'll meet with the public. Yeah, it's all part of McCain's 'Speak Up, I Can't Hear You' tour." --Conan O'Brien


"McCain came out this week with a list of 20 possible running mates. He would not reveal the names of all of them, but he said they all share certain traits, like knowing CPR. He said he wants someone who is ready take over on day two." --Bill Maher


"Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain have all been arguing, claiming that they're the most qualified person to answer the White House phone at 3 a.m. Yeah, McCain said, 'I'm the most qualified, because I'm usually up at that hour peeing anyway.'" --Conan O'Brien


"John McCain is now crisscrossing the United States campaigning. Or, as they're calling it, Antiques Roadshow." --Jay Leno


"We're leaning more and more about John and Cindy McCain. He's on this big biography tour. I guess his wife Cindy is worth over $100 million because the family made money selling Budweiser beer. So he has a wife 20 years younger than him, free beer, and unlimited money. I think I speak for all guys when I go, 'Why is he running for president?'" --Jay Leno


"Did you hear about this? Two State Department employees were fired -- this is a bit of a scandal -- because they were looking at Barack Obama's passport file. Not only that, but the same person was also looking at John McCain's Civil War records." --David Letterman


"John McCain's daughter is in the news. John McCain's daughter says that a lot of guys don't want to date her because her dad makes her too high-profile. Yeah. That's part of the reason. It's also because McCain's daughter is 63 years old." --Conan O'Brien


UPDATE: Yes, you read it here, an entire post that is naught but a vast festival of ageism, posted by oneself, apparently unable to blog more at present about Elephant-in-de-Room Dem on Dem internecine bloody warfare.

I visited the Fully-Abandoned Orange Cheeto on a mission for a friend, and learned that being concerned about FISA makes one a "traitor" and a "purity troll." O-kay. I went elsewhere and learned that I am not allowed to be a PUMA Obamist for that would betray PUMA purity. O-kay. Then I went to the Confluence and learned about widespread cyber-attacks against PUMA bloggers. O-kay.

It all makes me want to put a big paper bag over my head and go into a deep corner of the room and have a good long sulk. And then rip out Unity Pony's IV.

How about you?

Oh Frabjous Day Upon Which Barry & Hilly Will Strongly Assert the Utter Non-Death of Unity Pony !!!

It's Unity Day, progressive Dem boyz and girls!

Let's all be very nice to one another, okay? No more petulant PUMA-bashing! No more reminding the bloggerboyz of their long-term pustulant intra-party bad manners!

Why?

Because -- we like you! We really like you!

We really like us! (We like us?)

Whatever.

Anyhow, let's all cheer for the
Barry-Hilly Dog & Pony Unity Pony Show in Unity, New Hampshire!!

In celebration of this important media event occasion, I announce my a new personal political career goal -- turning timid centrist Barry into a dyed-in-the-wool progressive! What do you think about that, prog-Dem boys and girls? I mean, if he'll say anything to get elected (and he has, he has), why shouldn't he be saying what I want him to say, eh?

Feet to the fire 24/7. Power to the people.

Every solicitation for money I get -- and I'm getting a lot -- I am returning by mail, marked with comments, like "FISA?"? "Single payer universal health care?" "Endless list of liberal dem pet cause principled stands to be taken asap?"

I want Barry to know how I really feel, because Hilly already knows how I feel, and I don't care how Hilly feels anymore, alas, due to her losingness. Sorry, Hilly. I have listened to Barry's call for getting overness, and I've gotten over it. (Sniffs. Wipes away tears. Chokes a little). I'm throwing you under the bus, Hilly. Rilly. Under which you have already thrown yourself, I'd like to point out, Hilly. Really. It's for our own good. It's just not about you anymore.

Now, it's all about Barry. I don't know how to love him -- as he is.

But I see no reason why he should not change his ways. Barry is just so very Cirque-du-Soleil Mongolian acrobat flexible, is that not a good thing? Can I not use this flexibilitude therefore to mold him, scold him, knock him into shape? Can I not use netroots nation power and tiny-donor checkbook power to create real new shiny new new change, for a change?

I mean, why not?

It's so -- creative class-y!

I want a real progressive president.


Why can't I just make one up?



.

Would Someone Please Hold Obama's Feet to the Fire So I Don't Have To? I'm a Little Busy Today. Thx.

Yes, I know that Unity Pony is back on life support.

Too many frickin' spangles. Too much arugula. I told her so, but would she listen, the bitch? Nah.

The cure is here, via Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy posting at correntewire. (One really needs the hypertext to appreciate the brilliance of this post, and of the most of the comment thread that follows).

(Those of you who litmus-test party loyalty are directed to this here post here wherein VastLeft endorses you-know-who, just as I did, but he did it a day earlier).

Some of us have become personae non grata by noticing again and again how far from a tonic for what ails Bush-afflicted America Barack Obama really is. One of the great, undertold stories of this campaign is the complete meltdown of the left blogosphere, where virtually no intelligent intra-party debate remained possible because major forums like Daily Kos and Democratic Underground — and practically every A-list blog’s comments threads — turned into echo chambers for Clinton hate and Obama infallibility.

Nearly every leading blog put its thumb on the scale for Obama, willing into reality the idea that this equivalating fellow with minutes’ worth of experience in the Senate was an ideal standard-bearer for progressive values – despite rhetoric that gave ground to the radical right with every syllable, and despite throwing Democratic constituencies under the bus at every turn.

Go read it. All the way to the arugulous end.

Oh come on. What do I have to do, beg?

Threaten?

"Read his post, and its hypertext, and the comment thread, or else I'll kill off Unity Pony?"

Work with me here, people.

Takes two sides to do the Unity Pony Tango.



After you're done, read Arthur Silber. It's good for your complete recovery from Bushist fascism and its ceaseless moral bankruptcy. at powerofnarrative).

(And send Arthur some money, like good progressive bodhisattvas, eh?)

And what's up with FISA? Can we hold everyone's feet to the fire so they support Feingold and Dodd, pretty plse.? Thx?

Here's Act Blue re FISA accountability (h/t to JC)

And here's another condescending post to make Unity Pony just a little sicker than she already is. Not to mention, this one, Invisible Women. I hadn't even noticed how de-materialized I've become.

Happy Blogiversary to Us!

Lookee, lookee -- it's our third blogiversary, for a blog that was started by mistake, and is still mistaken. How did we manage?


We must feature blasts from the past. We'll no, we mustn't, but we are anyhow because why not.

Torture Recipient John McCain Caves In, Supports Dirty Bush's Pro-Torture Program

Dirty Bush's Pro-Atrocity Crowd: Water Torture By Any Other Name Would Be -- Waterboarding

Canned Hunts: Killing For Fun

First We Maim Your Minds. Then We Dump You. It's Hard Work. Still.
In Nightmares Begin Responsibilities
Bubble Boy: Sending Our Kids Out to Die For His Right to Remain a Maroon
Huzzah! Bubble Boy Brings Back Burqas

Who Will Rid Me of These Booger-Chomping, Testosterone-Deprived, Sniggering Sexist Fratboys?

None Dare Call It Sexist


And one's own weal favowite:

Wook! It's Officiaw Snowfwake Adoption Week At No Bwood for Hubwis!!
----------------------------------------------------------------

Its My Party & You'll Cry If I Want 2 Not Send U Munny Cuz Yr Not Sayin The Right Stuff Yet Sweetie

Whee. He wants my money. He wants money from former Clinton supporters. Can he ask for it? Why yes, he can!

Obama's FISA Cave-In, fundie courting, netroots dumping, crowd-booing Gov. Granholm via throwing of Clinton Dems under bus whilst soliciting munny from them; driving Dem bus all the way to Chicago without asking anyone's permission because of being the Chosen One, running campaign that happily uses racist frames to demonize Clinton & Clinton Lee-Atwaterly in the name of "whatever makes one's candidate win is ethical 4 the end justifies the means," sweetie, dissing Clinton by pressuring Dean to keep her name off the ballot in Denver, la-di-da, la-di-da, la-di-da.

But--it's all good. Obama wants our votes and our money. Me, I want my party back.

Out of respect for some parts of blogtopia (Skippy coined that) I have promised my vote, as a Puma Obamist, though I came really really really really close to joining Dems Who Fucking Hate McCain 4 McCain (VastLeft coined that). (Oh, and I am in love with Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy, btw. Please read all his posts, referenced above. Then we can talk.)

Vote, ok. Because John McCain is a fascist pig.

But not my wallet & not my heart. Not so far, not so fast.

What's wrong with me, eh?

This is what's wrong with me. Part of it, anyhow. (There are more things, but let's do that later.)

"Tensions Remain Betwen Obama and Clinton Supporters."

BLOGGER READS ARTICLE ON INTERNETS TUBES, SMACKS RIGHT HAND ON FOREHEAD LOUDLY, CRYING OUT IN ANGUISHED INCOMPREHENSION.

Obama meets with Hillary Clinton supporters; he's looking for money. They're talking about him addressing the concerns of Clinton supporters.

(And remember, he JUST said this. This is not a quote from months ago. He JUST said this. After all the brouhaha about sexism.)

Does he listen and respectfully respond?

F*ck, no. It's like FISA. (Where he listened respectfully and caved in.)

The Chosen One listens, and responds with this:

“However, I need to make a decision in the next few months as to how I manage that [the inexplicable continuing wrath of Clinton-supporters] since I’m running against John McCain, which takes a lot of time,” Obama said.

“If women take a moment to realize that on every issue important to women, John McCain is not in their corner, that would help them get over it.”

BLOGGER SPITS COFFEE AT THIS JUNCTURE RIGHT HERE. COUGHS, CHOKES.

"Get over it"?

Okay, you bitchez, you heard what the man said -- he's got important GUY shit to do, ladies. He's running against Johnny-boy! This is the big leagues, not the League of Lady voters! He's way too busy for our whiny shit.

Just f*cking get over it!


Obama Campaign Targets Clinton Donors.

You Don't Own Me - The most amazing bloopers are here

Silence Gives Consent

Our Presumptive Democratic nominee's recent powerful statement denouncing FISA, and denouncing those who would support this most recent hideous Bushist fascist attempt to get the telecoms off the hook for having rolled over, belly-up and played dead when Dirty Bush and Big snapped their Bushist fascist fingers:

(crickets )

"Feingold and Dodd on the FISA Cave-In," via Common Iowan.

Glenn Greenwald, here.






.

You Don't Own Me

You Don't Own Me - The most amazing bloopers are here

I had a dream.

A dream of the meaning of what being a PUMA Obamist is all about.

My dream was a song.

What is my dream telling the Democratic Party and the nominee-to-be?

Will they get it?



Update: Who's not coming out swinging against FISA?

Answer: you-know-who.


(And on this happy note, see VastLeft's "I don't know how to love him" at Vast Left-wing Conspiracy.)

McCainist Sexism: Classic Rape Joke Still A Real Knee-Slapper

Rape, anyone?

Hands up?

No, really, raise your hands? It's okay.

Anyone for rape?

No takers?

Gee, it's like that commenter here who, oddly enough, minded when I called him sweetie. Mind? Mind being called sweetie? Why would anyone mind, eh?

Now there's this one:

"Rape is like bad weather. As long as it's inevitable, why not lie back and enjoy it?"


Haha.

Classic joke! Classic!

One had forgotten this classic joke, really, one had! One had not recalled, however, its funniness! Which might have something to do with one's being a certified rape crisis counselor, or maybe it is that special time, and one is just feeling sensitive to the point of periodically wanting to attack. You know, suddenly the claws come out.

Anyhow, the classic fun-rape joke turns out to be a favorite of a McCain donor. And John McCain, who himself seems a little over-sensitive at times, is annoyed that some people are finding his donor's fondness for the classic fun-rape joke something objectionable.

And, the swine, they keep asking him about it!

McCain was asked why his staff had even scheduled a fundraiser with Williams, who in 1990 joked that rape was like bad weather: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.” McCain was visibly agitated. He furrowed his brow, fidgeted with his notes, blinked rapidly, scowled, squinted, scoffed and grimaced before answering.

Well, ok, then, so he's not giving back that donor's money, and he hasn't said it was a not so funny joke. Obama gave back all the money from the Ferraro/Clinton big fucking whore fundraiser oh wait wait no he didn't nor did he apologize. He did apologize for "sweetie" and then revealed he calls people sweetie all the time but its just a bad habit so nevermind. But hey its way better than calling them cunts so he sure wins my girlie vote by golly.

On the upside, at least some reporters are asking candidates about this kinda stuff. Is that progress?

"After canceling a fund-raiser to be held at the home of Texas Republican oilman Clayton Williams, Republican presidential candidate John McCain will not be returning $300,000 raised by the controversial oilman.

During an unsuccessful 1990 bid to unseat late Texas governor Ann Richards, Williams remarked that women should give in while being raped. “As long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.” Williams also said he would campaign against Richards like you would a cow on his ranch, “head her and hoof her and drag her through the dirt,” said Williams.

Democratic National Committee spokeswoman, Karen Finney, called Williams's comments, “not only outrageous and disgusting, they degrade our values as Americans.” Finney continued, “Senator McCain should know that you cannot expect the American people to trust you if you say one thing when you stand on the stump and turn a blind eye to this kind of language when you think no one will notice.”'

Pot calleth kettle black a bit there, sweetie.

Some of us noticed some blind-eye turning, yep. Not to mention some actual use of degrading and disgusting kinda stuff by those who ought to know better but so far don't.

PUMA Obamist = Zero Tolerance.

Anyone paying attention?






(Lie back and enjoy these sweets, sweeties: America's Favorite Progressive Candy: Keith Olbermann Gummi Penises!)

(Feel Free to Bludgeon Me With This One, However) ;)

Our dear John.

His Bush-brown-nosed nose sniffing up Bubble Boy's stinky armpit as if it it held the last line of coke.


Why does John McCain hate the Constitution so much?

"McCain: Guantanamo Decision One of the Worst Ever."

I think John just lost the election.



(Please note my official change in affiliation. All credit goes to John McCain, story above. I read what John said. I heard a roar of thunder. There was a magical flash, a puff of smoke, a soft rain of sparkles, and suddenly I found myself riding on Unity Pony!

But wait -- is Unity Pony beginning to look a lot like a Unity Puma? Yes, yes, I think she is. No DNC Kool-Aid for this PUMA Obamist. There are scores to be settled with the parties who have done us wrong, & attention must be paid.

I retain hold on my wallet and heart, and will use them as Archimedes' Lever, just as The Ghost of Dr. Violet Socks, at Reclusive Leftist, says. There's a price to be paid for your bad behaviors.)

Update: A very nervous George Will is begging Barack Obama NOT to choose Hillary Clinton as his running mate because choosing Hillary would make Barack SO look like a pussy in George Will's eyes.

One must always consider George Will's eyes, must one not? I'm sure he's not actually worried about some dumb old Unity Ticket Democratic Party landslide that might roll the Republican party back into the Middle Ages 4-everrr.


McCain

Bludgeon Me Not With Roe v. Wade

I know that John McCain is a sexist pig. He's a Bushist Fascist Republican, after all. I expect him to be a cunt-calling, dumpy-wife-dumping, Chancellor-Merkel-petting, pubic-hair-on-the-coke can, government-forced maternity kinda guy.

Liberal/progressive Democrats I expect not to be cunt-calling sexist pigs.

Or even regular old garden-variety sexist pigs.

Litmus test: IF sexist, THEN non-progressive. Q.E.D.

I mean, how hard is that?

So when those on the left side of the aisle begin shrieking like those on the right, I get a little worried.

I'm worried.

And not just about poor little cotton-candy pink Unity Pony with her big round sad eyes, puking and retching in the ER, waiting for 2 days to be seen because the hospital found out her health insurance was bogus and tossed her out of the ICU.

What worries me is all this stuff about Hillaryists being responsible to save Party Unity Pony.

Uh -- not.

It's the malign acceptance of sexism (in Big Tent Democrat's term) among so-called progressives that is driving large sections of its base into the arms of -- someone.

Someone else. To McCain/The Greens/sitting out this election/none of the above/not sure yet call me later.

This breach was caused by the behavior of deeply gender-biased otherwise adult boyz who just don't get it, and needs to be healed by actual progressive men who do 'get it'. Like sending Nixon to China. Those boyz -- and you know who they are -- aren't going to listen to girlz in the first place, and they haven't. If they'd listened when we first spoke up -- and speak up we girlz did -- they wouldn't still be in the mess that they're certainly in.

And it is their mess, not ours. It is the bilious stench of classic neanderthal testosterone-deficient sexist sniggering fratboy crap, coming from, of all people, "progressives," that has contaminated our Democratic political environment and spread through the body politic like Ebola.

It's got to stop.

Real progressive men can save Unity Pony, so
this is a call to arms.

Arise, cool dudes, and join the Sweetie Rebellion.

Ball's in your court. ;)

(Note to self: did one just indulge oneself in a rescue fantasy? Hm.

Let's reframe: Marine on point discovers dangerous enemy target, calls in airstrike, transmits relevant coordinates.

Yes, it's just a metaphor, people. But it works.)

Unity Pony DeathWatch?/Unity Pony ResuscitationWatch?

I think I'm evolving. That's a little scary. I woke up this morning and found my mind had, of its own accord, changed.

Again. Well, you know how broads are.

A couple of days ago I decided, having teetered on the brink for some time, and with consultation with people I respect and shutting out my experiences with vitriolic persons who behave like Bushist fascists in Liberal Democrats' clothing, NOT to follow the Way of the Puma (and those of you who know what I'm talking about know what I'm talking about).

This morning I discovered that I want Hillary Clinton to be on this ticket any old way at all, even as VP.

Framing it thus: Hillary consents to be VP, and her role as VP changes by specific agreement with her running-mate, from the role of all previous Vice-Presidents: she assertss power as VP, with her own portfolio of issues, such as universal health care. The Democratic party and Barack Obama throw their support behind the ERA. The Democratic party, all of it, figures out that to be sexist equals not being a Democrat. The party re-defines itself in a civil manner, rejecting this odd virus of demonizing that it has somehow caught from Karl "Miss Piggy" Rove.

Demonize the demons of the anti-habeas corpus, moral/fiscal bankruptcy-of-America, pro-torture crowd for a change, why don't we?

Thoughts?


Update:

Remember Bushist George Will, who really really wanted Hillary Clinton to drop out of the race for the good of his party?

Well, now he really really wants Hillary Clinton NOT to be Obama's VEEP. Then George says that Obama would look pussywhipped if he chose her. Hm. Someone's got his panties in a twist. Maybe Unity ticket = Democratic Party landslide?

Paul Krugman, one of the few who really gets it, "Who, us? Sexist?"

HOWARD Dean tells it like it is. At least he knows how to use the S word. A beginning. On the other hand, the article is accompanied by a headless shot of Hillary's cleavage. New York Times. Feh.

This is a great clip, by Sarah Haskins via Shakesville, of Obama and McCain both targeting Hillary Clinton voters: TARGET WOMEN: SUFFRAGE.

Obama & the Equal Rights Amendment

Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

Section 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.



I had almost forgotten about the ERA, first proposed in 1923. I knew it hadn't been added as an Amendment to the Constitution, but somehow it had slipped out of sight.

Turns out that 38 states need to approve the Equal Rights Amendment.

35 States have already done so.

That means there are only 3 states to go, from among these 15: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.

Surely Florida is ready to ratify. And Illinois. Arkansas is close.

Maybe it's time for Obama to put his money where his mouth is -- and pledge to get the ERA ratified.

That would be a good place to start, if we're still trying to save poor lil' Unity Pony with her big round sad eyes and two broken ankles, lying in ICU on a respirator, struggling, wheezing with COPD. She might have a bit of Ebola, too, I'm thinking that's blood there, not glitter, on her cute cotton-candy pink mane.

(Here, up and out of the ashes, is the phoenix-like, spontaneously-arisen Sweetie Rebellion section of blogtopia, via Reclusive Leftist.)

The Real McCoy McCain

O-kay.

As part of my bittersweet bittersweetie healing ritual, I'm going to concentrate for a while on the Real McCain, he who cunt-called his (second) wife, he who remained silent when asked how he was going to beat "the bitch," he who told in public the following joke: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."

Here, John tells us how he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Here, John tells us that he will "reduce the pain of high gas prices." What's he going to use? Morphine?

Here, John tells us how he wants to stay in Iraq until Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated. No, honestly, he really said that. About Al Qaeda in Iraq. Which wasn't there, prior to, you know, the invasion that John fully supported. And John is a little bit fuzzy still about telling Shi'a from Shinola. But hey. This guy was tortured. And he's pro-torture! Pro-torture torturees make great Presidents, I'm told.

To illustrate his character, here's John's classic-Republican-ugly-fat-poor-old-first-wife-dumping kinda guy . This isn't the wife he called a cunt, mind you, that's Cindy, the blonde rich one who's young enough to be his daughter, not that there's anything wrong with that. A good catch for John, she bankrolled his run for Congress -- John McCain who also called second wife Cindy a trollop. Because Cindy had too much makeup on and remarked on John's thinning hair. In particular, I like that John left his first wife because she was in a car accident and came out limping. After the war, he came home limping, but that was ok.

Our John seems like quite the sweetie, does he not?



Just to keep the poor traumatized Unity Pony on life support at least, keeping the conversation going, here's The Village is a Sack of Pus Waiting to Burst, from lambert at Corrente.

Here is one of my two favorite Obama-supporting bloggers, Big Tent Democrat, a person who actually gets it, "A New Version of the Malign Acceptance of Sexism.". When I read his short but sweet post, I can almost feel Unity Pony's long curly eyelashes begin to flutter, in a subtle sign of life, perhaps?

Here is the other of my two favorite Obama-supporting bloggers, Jesus' General, featuring John McCain in "I'm So Sexy for the Pundits."

They Shoot Unity Ponies, Don't They?

So, I'm having a moral quandary.

I'm good with being anti-McCain.

But -- every time I think about getting on the Obama bus, I find I want to throw myself under it instead.


Here's Anglachel, on "Bittersweet Acceptance." Yup. What she said.

And a little something from big tent democrat, one of my two favorite Obama-supporting bloggers. What I like best about BTD is that he gets it. May his getting-it-ness increase and pervade the universe.

And more about women and the media whore media's sexist sniggering fratboys (and their fratgirl enablers.)

And here is Bob Somerby, toward whom I, like, totally bow down with folded hands, w00t!ing.

It's All Our Fault If Obama Loses, BTW, Sweeties

Yuh, in case you were wondering.

They're so cute, the Obamists, are they not, when they're trying to shove Party Unity Pony, spandex spangles and all, down your throat?

How about this lil' lady's piece, right , here, from The New Republic.
Watch out. It's proudly sexist and ageist, which seem to be hallmarks of the New Faux Liberalism.

She calls it "Clinton Dead-Enders and the Crisis in the Women's Movement."

"Clinton Dead-Enders"?

What a charmer!

Why would I not support your boundless contempt, eh?


Oh, and here's CNN covering up Obama going golfing while the stupid bitch finally calls it quits. CNN tried to cover it up, because, you know, maybe it makes him look, well, you know, insensitive or Bush-like or something?

Over & Out: Every Man For Himself, Edition

Wednesday night

Dear No Blood for Hubris:

I wanted you to be one of the first to know: on Saturday, I will hold an event in Washington D.C. to thank everyone who has supported my campaign.

Over the course of the last 16 months, I have been privileged and touched to witness the incredible dedication and sacrifice of so many people working for our campaign. Every minute you put into helping us win, every dollar you gave to keep up the fight meant more to me than I can ever possibly tell you.

On Saturday, I will extend my congratulations to Senator Obama and my support for his candidacy. This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, but as I have always said, my differences with Senator Obama are small compared to the differences we have with Senator McCain and the Republicans.

I have said throughout the campaign that I would strongly support Senator Obama if he were the Democratic Party's nominee, and I intend to deliver on that promise.

When I decided to run for president, I knew exactly why I was getting into this race: to work hard every day for the millions of Americans who need a voice in the White House.

I made you -- and everyone who supported me -- a promise: to stand up for our shared values and to never back down. I'm going to keep that promise today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.

I will be speaking on Saturday about how together we can rally the party behind Senator Obama.

The stakes are too high and the task before us too important to do otherwise.

I know as I continue my lifelong work for a stronger America and a better world, I
will turn to you for the support, the strength, and the commitment that you have
shown me in the past 16 months.

And I will always keep faith with the issues and causes that are important to you.

In the past few days, you have shown that support once again with hundreds of thousands of messages to the campaign, and again, I am touched by your thoughtfulness and kindness.

I can never possibly express my gratitude, so let me say simply, thank you.

Sincerely,
Hillary Rodham Clinton

The Chosen One is Chosen Albeit Before the Polls Close & Results Are In But Who Cares 4 Chosen Is As Chosen Does & Evermore Shall Be So

Yes, boys and girls, it's true. I swear it.

The Chosen One at last has been Chosen.

I have no TV access at present, off as I am, hinting in the hinterlands, so I went to ABCnews.com, and they told me in that He has been Chosen-ed.

I am on EST in these hinterlands, and well do I yet know the polls in SD and MT could not possibly have closed, yet I was told that He Has Been Chosen.

Well, well, well.


A lot of persons must be really happy!

Good for them.

Me, I'm just here in the hinterlands, where it's hard to post at all, and I can't provide any links. I feel like invisi-blogger.

Speaking of invisible, I kept trying to find out the actual results from, you know, the primaries from last night, as this paragraph is being written the Morning After. Actual votes? Took about an hour to find that Hillary had beaten Barack in SD to the tune of 12% in a state he was supposed to win. But who cares. Tried to find out what happened in Montana, but at cnn and nytimes there was zero mention of any actual votes in any actual primaries. Oh well. It's so historic, winning this thing. It has previously been interesting to me that, in the last several primaries, whenever Hillary is beating Barack her win was pretty much ignored by the mwm and the Faux-Left Manichean Naderites. They're like that. Particularly the sniggering sexist fratboys (and their fratgirl enablers) are like that. Congrats to Johhny A and Kos and Soto, et al. They have beaten back the scary feminine archetype at last. Whew.


Here's the current probability of winning of The Not Chosen One versus McCain: 100.0%

The Chosen One came in at 56%.


Them what has made their bed get to lie in it, so bludgeon me not with Roe v. Wade, obamists. Not to worry, though. You can beat me and mine up again, all you want. It was all our fault, was it not?

Who cares? The hills are alive with -- the sound of --

Hope! Hope! Shiny! New! Shiny! Shiny! Change change change!

On to the GE!


And may the best man win!


.

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Hillary Electability Tsunami?

Via Hominid Views.

Hillary Trounces McCain Who Beats Obama.


Hillary Clinton v. McCain
100.0% Probability of Winning of Clinton winning against 0.0% Probability for McCain


Obama v. McCain

51.8% Probability of McCain winning against 47.4% Probability for Obama


Yes, yes, yes. I know. "Winning isn't everything!"

WWTSBQ?

Department of And Now For Something Completely Different, No Blood for Hubris Official Mental Health Interlude

This is George Orwell's grave. Look closely.
Is he spinning in it?

Fine article on inspiring experiential transcendentalist Harvard neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, here.

Click through to her absolutely fabulous speech, Stroke of Insight, at TED, and watch it all the way to the end. Or just click here.

-------------------------------
The No Blood for Hubris Official Mental Health Interlude endeth here. I'm off to the hinterlands, unlikely to post. Talk amongst yourselves.

In the meantime, something really disturbing from Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft. The point is to click through to the actual videoclip from YouTube, & watch and listen to the very end.

(I thought about writing about it, but it was really too disturbing. So I'm not. But I'm linking. That's what I do when there's something that is so disturbing that I don't actually want it on my blog, and how disturbing might that be? Very. Really. Sexist, racist, don't want to go there right now, but you should see it. Primary sources, gotta love 'em. )

"Thanks -- for the Vitriol!" scroll down.
Taking the FITH -- the divine series "Are You Fucked In the Head?"from vastleft at Corrente, here.

Thanks -- For The Vitriol

Let's talk a bit about what really makes us angry, boys and girls.

And WHO makes us really really angry.

And guess what --it's NOT the person(s) who are responsible for a war based on lies that killed 700+ sentient beings, for morally and fiscally bankrupting the country, for shredding the constitution, for deliberately drowning competent government so that more actual people actually die, and for making torture socially acceptable, among other things.

No, we're actually not hot under the collar about any of those things. Sadly enough.

No, someone ELSE makes us really really angry.

Let's talk a bit about Faux-Liberal Manichean Hysterical Vitriol Syndrome, ok?

It's the Faux-Liberal version of Ebola.

See, while the Ebola virus just makes you bleed out through every pore of your skin while you puke out your guts, sh*t yourself, and die in agony, the Faux-Liberal Manichaean Hysterical Vitriol Syndrome makes every thought you ever had SUDDENLY COME OUT AS IF YOU WERE TYPING IN ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME.

as in -- WWTSBQ HILLARY RACIST BILL RACIST WORSE THAN BUSH RFK RFK PLOTTING ON OBAMA B*TCH TEMPER TANTRUMS RUINING THE PARTY BOO HOO NOT VP BAD BAD PERSON B*TCH WHY WON'T SHE SHUT UP ROLL OVER AND DIE THAT B*TCH BIG F*CKING WHORE HILLARY

HILLARY STEALS OUR DEFENSELESS YOUNG AT NIGHT AND GOES TO HER LAIR AND PEPPERS THEIR INNOCENT BODIES WITH SALT AND PEPPER AND OLIVE OIL AND AND FANCY FRENCH SPICES OH GOD AND SHE ROASTS THEM AND TOASTS THEM OVER AN OPEN FIRE ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT TILL THEY'RE DONE JUST RIGHT AND THEN THE B*TCH STARTS EATING THEM FOR BREAKFAST ESPECIALLY ENJOYING THEIR CHUBBY LITTLE FINGERS WHICH TO HORRID FIENDS LIKE HER SEEM SO EXCEPTIONALLY SUCCULENT.


I have to agree.

The True Believers have every right to be furiously angry.

Obama's tanking, and it's all her fault.

Why can't she stop being so reasonable and so competent, out-classing her weak centrist opponent at every turn?

Why can't everyone see what they see through their viral Maenad filters, she's a racist classist tantruming hormonal periodicallydisturbed unlikeable ambitious thick-ankled hard-nosed-c*nt-assassinationist!

It isn't fair!

Why aren't all these irrational vile swiftboat smears working?

[insert foot-stomping here]

Why won't the stupid bitch quit?



Love and kisses to Kos, Johnny A, Soto, Arianna, KeithO, JoshMM, and all the rest whose outrage is endless against one of their own while letting the actual Bushist fascist pro-torture crowd totally off the frickin' rage hook, eh?

Clinton Trounces McCain Who Trounces Obama; Aravosis, Kos Suffer From Acute & Chronic PMS

Hi there, boys and girls! You enjoying the socio-political atmosphere these days?

I sure am.

Oh, and while we're having fun, let's check out the electability tsunami for today at Hominid Views.

Hillary.

CLINTON BEATS MCCAIN WITH NEAR CERTAINTY

99.9% probability of winning in a Clinton/McCain match-up?

w00t! Let's make sure the superdelegates don't know about that!

Obama.

MCCAIN GAINS ON OBAMA.

80.7% probability of McCain winning against Obama. But who really cares about winning, eh?


O-kay.

Let's make SURE we nominate the guy who's going to lose to McCain, because that really demonstrates party unity!

Now let's check on Aravosis/Kos, bloggerboyz who are SO dedicated to Democrats losing the election in November so that Dem Party Unity Pony stays alive? (Or do I mean so Dem Party Unity Pony dies a horrible death? Um, whateverrr.)

God, they just can't frickin' help themselves, can they?

The Democratic Party is imploding, women are leaving it in droves, men who support Hillary are leaving in droves, and these loudmouth sexist sniggering rabid fratboys just can't shut down their Pieholes of Misogyny Syndrome.

You can get the gist via Corrente, "Well, women are childish. We know this." I'm not linking to them. They just SO suck. AND -- they're destroying the Democratic party and making Karl "Miss Piggy" Rove smile.



[And here's The Great Purge, "Daily Kos Is a Nappy-Headed 'Ho'"]
[Here's my prescient post from April 2007, before The Great Purge "Markos Moulitsas Is A Nappy-Headed 'Ho'"]
[And here's Aravosis's own memorable horrible person terrible twos temper tantrum.}

It's the Sexism, Stupid! (Part 2 -- or is it 3?)

.Great article by Andrew Stephen at the New Statesman (via Corrente/Talk Left).

I can't really comment now, but it's worth a careful and complete reading. Someone quick send this to Keith Olbermann and Markos and all the rest of them.

HATING HILLARY

by Andrew Stephen

"Gloating, unshackled sexism of the ugliest kind has been shamelessly peddled by the US media, which - sooner rather than later, I fear - will have to account for their sins

History, I suspect, will look back on the past six months as an example of America going through one of its collectively deranged episodes - rather like Prohibition from 1920-33, or McCarthyism some 30 years later. This time it is gloating, unshackled sexism of the ugliest kind. It has been shamelessly peddled by the US media, which - sooner rather than later, I fear - will have to account for their sins. The chief victim has been Senator Hillary Clinton, but the ramifications could be hugely harmful for America and the world.

I am no particular fan of Clinton. Nor, I think, would friends and colleagues accuse me of being racist. But it is quite inconceivable that any leading male presidential candidate would be treated with such hatred and scorn as Clinton has been. What other senator and serious White House contender would be likened by National Public Radio's political editor, Ken Rudin, to the demoniac, knife-wielding stalker played by Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction? Or described as "a fucking whore" by Randi Rhodes, one of the foremost personalities of the supposedly liberal Air America? Would Carl Bernstein (of Woodward and Bernstein fame) ever publicly declare his disgust about a male candidate's "thick ankles"? Could anybody have envisaged that a website set up specifically to oppose any other candidate would be called Citizens United Not Timid? (We do not need an acronym for that.)

I will come to the reasons why I fear such unabashed misogyny in the US media could lead, ironically, to dreadful racial unrest. "All men are created equal," Thomas Jefferson famously proclaimed in 1776. That equality, though, was not extended to women, who did not even get the vote until 1920, two years after (some) British women. The US still has less gender equality in politics than Britain, too. Just 16 of America's 100 US senators are women and the ratio in the House (71 out of 435) is much the same. It is nonetheless pointless to argue whether sexism or racism is the greater evil: America has a peculiarly wicked record of racist subjugation, which has resulted in its racism being driven deep underground. It festers there, ready to explode again in some unpredictable way.

To compensate meantime, I suspect, sexism has been allowed to take its place as a form of discrimination that is now openly acceptable. "How do we beat the bitch?" a woman asked Senator John McCain, this year's Republican presidential nominee, at a Republican rally last November. To his shame, McCain did not rebuke the questioner but joined in the laughter. Had his supporter asked "How do we beat the nigger?" and McCain reacted in the same way, however, his presidential hopes would deservedly have gone up in smoke. "Iron my shirt," is considered amusing heckling of Clinton. "Shine my shoes," rightly, would be hideously unacceptable if yelled at Obama."

Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, American men like to delude themselves that they are the most macho in the world. It is simply unthinkable, therefore, for most of them to face the prospect of having a woman as their leader. The massed ranks of male pundits gleefully pronounced that Clinton had lost the battle with Obama immediately after the North Carolina and Indiana primaries, despite past precedents that strong second-place candidates (like Ronald Reagan in his first, ultimately unsuccessful campaign in 1976; like Ted Kennedy, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson and Jerry Brown) continue their campaigns until the end of the primary season and, in most cases, all the way to the party convention.

None of these male candidates had a premature political obituary written in the way that Hillary Clinton's has been, or was subjected to such righteous outrage over refusing to quiesce and withdraw obediently from what, in this case, has always been a knife-edge race. Nor was any of them anything like as close to his rivals as Clinton now is to Obama.

The media, of course, are just reflecting America's would-be macho culture. I cannot think of any television network or major newspaper that is not guilty of blatant sexism - the British media, naturally, reflexively follow their American counterparts - but probably the worst offender is the NBC/MSNBC network, which has what one prominent Clinton activist describes as "its nightly horror shows". Tim Russert, the network's chief political sage, was dancing on Clinton's political grave before the votes in North Carolina and Indiana had even been fully counted - let alone those of the six contests to come, the undeclared super-delegates, or the disputed states of Florida and Michigan.

The unashamed sexism of this giant network alone is stupendous. Its superstar commentator Chris Matthews referred to Clinton as a "she-devil". His colleague Tucker Carlson casually observed that Clinton "feels castrating, overbearing and scary . . . When she comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs." This and similar abuse, I need hardly point out, says far more about the men involved than their target . . .

Read on gentle readers, read on. Up to the part where we wind up with a weak candidate against McCain, who gets elected.

Yeah. What he said.

Obama: A Tale of Too Tepid Momentum

There's rustling in them thar hills.

Yep. There's rumblings.

Buyer's remorse? (Note pic from Obama mailer pushing Republican talking point anti-universal health care frame. Ooh, we don't want to be forced, do we? Universal health care = assault?)

Post-slick-salespitch need for cooling-off period?

And what's with the tepid finish?

"Momentum has disappeared," said Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire. "Except for that one stretch between February and March where Obama won 11 in a row, momentum has really taken a backseat to the demographics . . .

"I think there's concern . . . that his coalition has big holes in it. He hasn't consolidated the Democratic Party and he isn't any closer than he was after, say, Super Tuesday. That voter bloc, the white working-class voters, they are in places that Democrats need to win. Without Pennsylvania, without Ohio, the electoral-college map gets difficult for Obama . . .There are general election concerns there."

Yuh, I'd be worried, too.

McCain Takes the Lead Back From Obama, at Hominid Views.

Clinton Holds Her Lead Over McCain, at Hominid Views.

A great post by Anglachel on "Legitimacy, Not Unity."

The increasing rejection of Obama by voters is a measure of his declining legitimacy. People who once thought they would gladly vote for him, like me, are now implacably opposed to him. He is no longer legitimate in our eyes. He has not sought legitimacy, which would mean facing up to oposition and allowing himself to be challenged, questioned, and probably be found wanting by some people, but has opted to pursue power at any price.

Participating in and profiting from the media hatred of the Clintons, throwing out accusations of racism to try to forestall criticism and inflate AA vote counts, encouraging people to be "Obamacans" not Democrats, the "Democrat for a Day" strategy, engaging in intimidation and threats to extract caucus votes, aggressively trying to monopolize money specifically to silence alternative voices, and treating voters who do not choose him first with contempt.

Lack of legitimacy means relying on force to win. If you have to bully people to make them be quiet, you have lost legitimacy. If you have to remove votes from the contest in order to win, you have lost legitimacy.

From Corrente, "Gene Lyons Finds Uncreative Racists Who Spurn Obama Surprisingly Articulate and Informed."

And the most recent Quinnipiac Swing State poll.

Not happy news for Obama. Are the superdelegates listening?

May 22, 2008 - McCain Leads Obama In Two Of Three Key Swing States, Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds;
Clinton Has Big Leads In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania ---

FLORIDA: Clinton 48 - McCain 41; McCain 45 - Obama 41;
OHIO: Clinton 48 - McCain 41; McCain 44 - Obama 40:
PENNSYLVANIA: Clinton 50 - McCain 37; Obama 46 - McCain 40

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Don't Worry Your Pretty Little Heads About It, Sweeties

From Jeralyn at TalkLeft, "I Won't Back Down."

Obama Slips Against McCain, at Hominid Views. Obama 55.1% probability of winning vs. 41.9% probability of winning for McCain.

Clinton 89.7% probability of winning vs. McCain 10.2% probability of winning at Hominid Views.

Obama's "Sweetie" Challenge.

From Jeralyn at TalkLeft, "Who Had The Bigger Win Tonight?"

"Stages of Death -- The Obama Campaign" from garychapelhill at The Confluence.

Department of And Now For Something Completely Different

THE RADIANCE

I talk to my inner lover, and I say, why such rush?

We sense that there is some sort of spirit that loves birds and animals and the ants.

Perhaps the same one who gave a radiance to you in your mother's womb.

Is it logical you would be walking around entirely orphaned now?

The truth is, you turned away yourself,

and decided to go into the dark alone.

Now you are tangled up in others, and have forgotten what you once knew

and that's why everything you do has some weird failure in it.


By Kabir, version by Robert Bly