PAUL RANTS

Posted by Paul at November 29th, 2006

So who’s it gonna be?

The 2008 presidential race is shaping up to be one of the more interesting contests in memory. No shortage of personality this time around. I’m thinking Rudy has the broadest appeal (well, not to me of course). He comes off as the most principled and likable of the three. Plus, he’s not a Washington insider like the others. At least he comes out and says where he’s socially conservative, while McCain apparently just pretends not to be. I used to admire McCain’s integrity, but he goosestepped for Bush/Cheney too much for my tastes. Once a maverick, now beat into submission by the right-wing, McCain no longer seems poised to take the country in a new direction. But don’t count him out yet. He wants it as much as Hillary.

Charasmatic Senator Obama may be too green to win it all (or is he?), which leaves the Democrats with their likely choice, Hillary Clinton. She may be too polarizing a figure, and too poll-driven as well. Everyone knows she’s a lefty at heart, yet she behaves like a centrist. This could work against her. I wish the Democrats had a more stable high profile contender. Unfortunately, it looks like Hillary has already been bankrolled to steamroll anyone else who may bubble up in her party. But it’s still early. Hopefully another blog-worthy Democratic — or better yet, independent — contender will emerge.

Stay tuned…

UPDATE: Rudy, Obama Top Likabilty Poll; Kerry Last

Posted by Paul at November 27th, 2006

Michael Richards apologizes on Jesse Jackson’s show

Michael Richards broke an unspoken cardinal rule — white people must never use the “N” word. It appeared Richards was trying to be outrageous and over-the-top in his reaction to some hecklers, but of course it just came off as racist. He took his manic stage persona to an offensive extreme. In these days of Borat and Jackass, comics are pushing the boundaries of taste and acceptability in an effort to make people squirm and laugh nervously.

Richards’ outburst was nasty and uncalled for. The hecklers rightfully unloaded on him, and he later apologized on the Letterman show. Now the two-week apology junket starts with an appearance on Jesse Jackson’s radio talk show. So… case closed, right? Not quite. Can you say lawsuit? Step in, Gloria Allred… One hateful word has so much weight that some are now calling for it to be banned by everyone, including black comics. I don’t know, but… wouldn’t banning the “N” word just reinforce its negative power?

(Use BugMeNot to log on to LA Times)

Posted by Paul at November 20th, 2006

The Fox network wants to put an unpunished psychopath on air to discuss how he hacked two innocent people to death. Twelve years later, the families and friends who live with the memory of these brutal murders, and the aquittal, are about to be spat upon, once again.

Anyone who thinks that more than a race-baited jury or a lackluster prosecution are responsible for this double murderer’s freedom must now eat their words; why would a grieving, unjustly accused man now choose to regale us with how he “would have” decapitated the mother of his children with a hunting knife?

The contempt the publishers of this book have for the Goldman family is equal to O.Js. Although the Goldman’s are owed millions of dollars in settlement money, Harper Collins assured they wouldn’t get any of the book advance by handing the money off to an intermediary to be laundered first. A narcissist psychopath is one thing. A publishing house and a television network that enable him, while profiting from a double murder, is another.

CLICK HERE NOW: DON’T PAY OJ

UPDATE: O.J. Simpson Book, TV Special Cancelled

First Rummy, now O.J… The undeniable power of PAUL RANTS :)

Posted by Paul at November 12th, 2006

It’s strange that if we had listened to left wing Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich and got out of Iraq back in 2003, the right wing might still hold congress. More importantly, we would be a stronger, more respected, wealthier nation. If anyone has a mandate in the new congress it’s the left wing of the Democratic party that supports radical change; not only in Iraq, but from the corrupt system that let someone like Jack Abramoff flourish.

It’s time for some accountability. As we swing away from right wing neo-conservatism our momentum should take us left-of-middle. The middle will pussyfoot, not step on any toes. The Iraq war was the common denominator in this election. It’s a huge, painful issue. It must be addressed.

We need a real war on terrorism: tax dollars spent on going after and stopping anyone who would do this nation harm; real homeland security; aggressive diplomacy with rogue nations. We financed the failed neocon agenda, but now the left controls the purse strings, or should anyway. A new direction is needed. To the victor goes the spoils.

Posted by Paul at November 11th, 2006

Great cartoon by Mike Luckovich. Right on the money.

Well, it was bound to happen. Corporate interests, fear mongering, the religious right, corruption, and most of all the gross mismangement of a needless war, have all taken their toll on the electorate. What the Democrats will do now is up for debate, but I rather like not knowing yet, as I’m sure to be underwhelmed. First off, we have two more months of the lame duck Republican congress, and we know exactly what they will do: sit on their hands as a few hundred more of our troops are killed and maimed in Iraq.

Let them eat sand.

Bush talks reconcilliation now that he has no choice (lame duck, quack quack), but he certainly wasn’t about to lift a finger when it counted. Will he do anything of substance with his last two years? Look at him, he’s intractable. History will tell the tale of King George’s folly. Long live the opposition.

Posted by Paul at November 6th, 2006

Marine Corps Times — Time for Rumsfeld to go

Can anyone explain to me why this man is still our Secretary of Defense? Rumsfeld has no credibility to anyone, including all four branches of the military. Doesn’t that make him obsolete as the supposed leader of the military? OK, to be fair, he still has the White House on his side. You might think Richard Nixon did harm to the idea of an insular executive branch, but by still supporting Rumsfeld, Bush is making Nixon look like a harmless paranoid. At least Nixon was only trying to protect himself. Bush is protecting…whom exactly? Not our troops, certainly. Not the people of Iraq. The terrorists welcome Rumsfeld’s tactics, so if anyone is being protected it’s them.

Could it be that Bush is now trying to protect the idea that God put him here to oversee this conflict in the middle east? It’s out of his mortal hands; who cares if it seems mismanaged and pointless to everyone but neocons and and their evangelical sheep? Sanctioned war profiteering has reached a new low. Attack and plunder in the name of a vengeful Christian God with corporate interests. Sadly, these appear to be the combined reasons our president still supports Rumsfeld’s job performance, and why no reasonable person could support his.

UPDATE 11-08-06: In the wake of the Democrats taking the House and barely squeaking out the Senate, the president has announced Rumsfeld’s resignation. A little late in the game — for the Republican party and the nation — but welcome news from the cornered commander in chief… Now, if he’d just cut Cheney and Rove loose I could really take him seriously.

UPDATE: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld

VIDEO: Rummy in rare form (funny!)

Posted by Paul at November 1st, 2006

Kerry clams up, GOP demands apology

Well, John Kerry just handed Karl Rove a golden nugget:

You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t you get stuck in Iraq. — John Kerry

It doesn’t really matter that Kerry wasn’t talking about our soldiers in Iraq (or that he was talking about the Bush administration). It doesn’t matter that Kerry is a war hero who saved soldiers lives in Vietnam and Bush had his daddy keep him out of the war in Vietnam. It doesn’t matter that Kerry is not even running for anything. It’s already out there, being emailed to every Republican candidate and get-out-the-vote operative in the country. Their new talking point is “Kerry should say he’s sorry”, and though they may be desperate, you can bet they’re glad to have it.

This is how Rove operates. Kerry should have known that, frankly. His “botched joke” was nothing short of reckless. Kerry of all people should have known full well what Rove would do with a comment like that. I’m glad Kerry showed a little anger in his response (two years too late), but the damage is done. And this isn’t about to go away anytime soon. At least not until Wednesday, November 8th.

UPDATE: Kerry: I’m sorry