President-Elect Watch: Day 3

Keep dreaming – (first)

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November 7, 2008

Op-Ed Columnist

Change I Can Believe In
By DAVID BROOKS New York Times

I have dreams. I may seem like a boring pundit whose most exotic fantasies involve G.A.O. reports, but deep down, I have dreams. And right now I’m dreaming of the successful presidency this country needs. I’m dreaming of an administration led by Barack Obama, but which stretches beyond the normal Democratic base. It makes time for moderate voters, suburban voters, rural voters and even people who voted for the other guy.

The administration of my dreams understands where the country is today. Its members know that, as Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center put it on “The NewsHour,” “This was an election where the middle asserted itself.” There was “no sign” of a “movement to the left.”

Only 17 percent of Americans trust the government to do the right thing most or all of the time, according to an October New York Times/CBS News poll. So the members of my dream Obama administration understand that they cannot impose an ideological program the country does not accept. New presidents in 1932 and 1964 could presuppose a basic level of trust in government. But today, as Bill Galston of the Brookings Institution observes, the new president is going to have to build that trust deliberately and step by step.

Walking into the Obama White House of my dreams will be like walking into the Gates Foundation. The people there will be ostentatiously pragmatic and data-driven. They’ll hunt good ideas like venture capitalists. They’ll have no faith in all-powerful bureaucrats issuing edicts from the center. Instead, they’ll use that language of decentralized networks, bottom-up reform and scalable innovation.

They will actually believe in that stuff Obama says about postpartisan politics. That means there won’t just be a few token liberal Republicans in marginal jobs. There will be people like Robert Gates at Defense and Ray LaHood, Stuart Butler, Diane Ravitch, Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Jim Talent at other important jobs.

The Obama administration of my dreams will insist that Congressional Democrats reinstate bipartisan conference committees. They’ll invite G.O.P. leaders to the White House for real meetings and then re-invite them, even if they give hostile press conferences on the White House driveway.

They’ll do things conservatives disagree with, but they’ll also show that they’re not toadies of the liberal interest groups. They’ll insist on merit pay and preserving No Child Left Behind’s accountability standards, no matter what the teachers’ unions say. They’ll postpone contentious fights on things like card check legislation.

Most of all, they’ll take significant action on the problems facing the country without causing a mass freak-out among voters to the right of Nancy Pelosi.

They’ll do this by explaining to the American people that there are two stages to their domestic policy thinking, the short-term and the long-term.

The short-term strategy will have two goals: to mitigate the pain of the recession and the change the culture of Washington. The first step will be to complete the round of stimulus packages that are sure to come.

Then they’ll take up two ideas that already have bipartisan support: middle-class tax relief and an energy package. The current economic and energy crisis is an opportunity to do what was not done in similar circumstances in 1974 — transform this country’s energy supply. A comprehensive bill — encompassing everything from off-shore drilling to green technologies — would stimulate the economy and nurture new political coalitions.

When the recession shows signs of bottoming out, then my dream administration would begin phase two. The long-term strategy would be about restoring fiscal balances and reforming fundamental institutions.

By this time, the budget deficit could be zooming past $1.5 trillion a year. The U.S. will be borrowing oceans of money from abroad. My dream administration will show that it understands that the remedy for a culture of debt is not more long-term debt. It will side with those who worry that long-term deficits could lead to ruinous interest-rate hikes.

My dream administration will announce a Budget Rebalancing Initiative. Somebody like Representative Jim Cooper would go through the budget and take out the programs and tax expenditures that don’t work. “If we have no spending cuts, then we’re saying government is perfect. Nobody believes that,” Cooper says.

Having built bipartisan relationships, having shown some fiscal toughness, having seen the economy through the tough times, my dream administration will then be in a position to take up health care reform, tax reform, education reform and a long-range infrastructure initiative. These reforms may have to start slow and on the cheap. But real reform would be imaginable since politics as we know it would be transformed.

Is it all just a dream? I hope not. In any case, please be quiet and let me have my moment.

I read on Greta Wire that Chris Matthews spent a hour on his show Hard Ball bashing Sarah Palin about the rumors. Does anyone know if this is true?

Here is an explanation of cable choice. Please remember that this does not represent censorship since people would be free to order 50 channels of pornography (the liberal standard for freedom of speech) and pay for zero children’s channels if that is what they choose. What is wrong with people choosing their own channel content? Wouldn’t you like to delete and quit paying for MSNBC and CNN? Perhaps replace them with real news channels of your choosing?

WARNING WARNING entering a non liberal approved zone WARNING WARNING

http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/cable/documents/TWCableChoice.asp

Oh I’m never gonna be first I didn’t even know we went upstairs…
Here’s a repost Anna7000 it called Morning Joe and you know the channel it’s on at 6 in the morning till 9am.

#4 Anna – Your letters are always so well written and say exactly what I’m thinking. You go PUMA!

God I’m always a day late dollar short (no wonder i’m always broke) guess you don’t need the show anymore huh Anna, very good letter they also have a box on his homepage that you can send letters to the show and sometimes they read them on the air if you want that one too.

By the way when BO picks his male cabinet and male supreme court judges and puts that former President of Harvard in I think a PUMA shout out to NOW and NARAL and Emily’s list and the tea party ten is in order.

Hay hay Pumas!

Let the miraculous future commence

Oh btw, the youngish sounding cable customer service rep agreed with me that the news today is the pits.

Why was Carl Cameron even allowed to report that gossip? When I saw him on Bill O’, I thought he was having an orgasin while he talking about this gossip. This was not news. Just pure hateful gossip. He should have never been allowed to “report” on this. He’s needs to be fired!

Big Cat Lover: Yeah! We need a mass outpouring of protest.

There is no reason that the cable company should be choosing your channels. The reason they do is because it is a cartel, no one can bring content to market but them and they do not regard their channels as entertainment but rather as advertising venues which have limited value if they can’t beam them into your home and charge you for them.

I say we push hard on cable choice and then as an alternative educate people in how to cut the cable and still have access to free programing.

SEATTLEGIRL #13
If I have learned anything, being raised in the South, it is that AA’s here treat their women like crap…if folks think that Jerry Springer’s show is a farce..I wished it was. Ladies, anyone who thought that BO would have included women in his appointments was wearing rose colored glasses. There was a TV show many years ago, The Little Rascals. On this show, the boys had their exclusive club, “The He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” On this show, Spanky,the tough white guy, Buckwheat, the poor black guy and Alfalfa, the sissy nerd, can all be friends. However, the girls just bring trouble.

Grizzly #274 downstairs:

When I mentioned Scott McClellan’s book, I stated that it was confirmed by various reporters.

Please read this:

Jessica Yellin — currently a CNN correspondent who covered the White House for ABC News and MSNBC in 2002 and 2003 — was on with Anderson Cooper last night discussing Scott McClellan’s book, and made one of the most significant admissions heard on television in quite some time:

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think the press corps dropped the ball at the beginning. When the lead-up to the war began, the press corps was under enormous pressure from corporate executives, frankly, to make sure that this was a war that was presented in a way that was consistent with the patriotic fever in the nation and the president’s high approval ratings.

And my own experience at the White House was that, the higher the president’s approval ratings, the more pressure I had from news executives — and I was not at this network at the time — but the more pressure I had from news executives to put on positive stories about the president.

Grizzly, I am also an Independent and have been so for over 35 years.

When I post something, I do my best to ensure that I don’t post any hearsay and innuendo. I spend a lot of time checking my sources.

I think your posts are great, but it’s just that on Bush and his admin, they made their bed and they have to lie in it. They dug themselves in a hole all by themselves.

That said, the Democratic Congress these past 2 years have been awful and they put us in the financial mess we’re in currently.

I think there’s enough blame to go around for both parties.

Here’s an olive branch…

Zee

Lynette tried to do this very thing with the Obama campaing before she jumped ship and started campaigning for McCain. She asked them point blank if they would guarantee that half of the top positions would be filled by women and they wouldn’t sign on. I believe they made a comment that suggested they would be looking for the very best people and that Lynette responded by saying something to the effect that surely among the hundreds of millions of women in America they could find ten worthy of these posts.

No go.

Wow. The blog is so quiet. Are people stuck downstairs?

They are trying their best to trash Sarah Palin, not only to discourage her from ever considering a run at the white house but also to discredit her so no one would want to vote for her in 2012………….THEY DONT WANT A WOMEN LEADING THE MOST POWERFUL NATION IN THE WORLD!

“Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by developing a plan to require 50 hours of community service in middle school and high school and 100 hours of community service in college every year.”

http://www.change.gov/americaserves/

indy 11.07.08 at 2:09 pm

Grizzly #274 downstairs:

When I mentioned Scott McClellan’s book, I stated that it was confirmed by various reporters.
______________________
Scott McClellan is not a reliable source. I live in Austin, and I know all about his family. His Grandfather was a lawyer Dean Keaton (UT at Austin), and his father also. His father worked for LBJ a wrote a book a few years ago. His mother was mayor of Austin a few years back..Carol Keaton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn. She is always swithching party’s depending on what ever election she thinks she can win, last one running for the state of Texas. My point? This whole family will say or do whatever to promote their careers.

I don’t think the kids will like it.

Well I am just saying.

shampoovta 11.07.08 at 2:23 pm

I don’t think the kids will like it.

******************

They have community service or service hours in the high school. The kids actually like it.

I have to say I have worked in a high school for 3 years now and this is not my experience. I can ask the kids on Monday if you would like.

Student athletes have to spend so much time doing CS projects

Indy-

Thanks for the explanation. I don’t disagree that Bush made his own bed – I pretty much stated the same in my rather long post downstairs.

But, while there is more than enough blame to heap on Bush, I believe the media added fuel to the fire by taking it to the point where Bush’s errors in judgment were used as a smokescreen to blur any others who were culpable. And took that disdain to a level of outright hatred.

I think after all of the smoke clears, what will become evident is that our intelligence failures had more to do with the Iraq war than any other reason. And, we will also start to find, by dribs and drabs, that the WMD issue was altogether false.

I mentioned yesterday that I place a lot of weight in Jossef Bodansky’s works. He is an intelligence professional with contacts and sources all over the world. I discovered Bodansky after 9/11, when I was trying to figure out just how in the hell we did not see this coming.

And I find Bodansky very credible and independent. Just a couple of reasons why I place a good deal of reliance in his work;

In 1993, Bodansky wrote a book (Target America I believe was the title). In that book, written after the first attack on the WTC in 1993 but 8 years before 9/11, Bodansky warned about some obscure radical in the Muslim world that few of us ever heard of and certainly paid no mind to – Osama Bin Laden. He warned that this was perhaps the most dangerous man to the US.

In that 1993 Book, Bodansky also strongly warned that America was vulnerable to an attack by radical Islam – and that there were plans in the works to use commercial airliners as flying bombs against symbols within the US. That was 8 years before 9/11.

In 2004, after the invasion of Iraq, Bodansky write another book entitled “The Secret History of the Iraq War”. He pulls no punches regarding the folly of that decision. But he also gets beyond the partisan rancor to focus in on the real culprit behind those monumental blunders – the abject failure of our intelligence apparatus.

A passage from page 2 of the book pretty well sums up his analysis, which is excruciatingly detailed later on:

In official Washington. the policy formulation and decision-making process usually fail when the delicate balance between leaders and professionals is distorted–when the intelligence community and other institutions fail the political leadership by providing inaccurate information and poor analysis, or when the leaders ignore that expert advice. In the case of the war in Iraq, the professional establishment failed the White House. When put into rpactice, the administration’s policy fell short of expectations. The preparations for and conduct of the war were marred by endemic and profound intelligence failures and unprecedented politicization of the military planning and actual fighting. Page 2

The Secret History of the Iraq War
Yossef Bodansky , Harper 2004

Selected passages are posted in google books: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=zyz-ZeMS7dcC&dq=the+secret+history+of+the+iraq+war+yossef+bodansky&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=YM8LS4jFh2&sig=2uiB3Tlr0iEsF04LgDEHxRJyft0&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPA2,M1

Just as I never bought into the GOP’s attempt to glue horns and paste a pointy tail on Bill Clinton, so too have I resisted the attempts to have any mention of the name George Bush met with wailing and gnashing of teeth.

By the way, Bodansky also had this to say in his 2004 book:

“The conflict to come will be a total war for all involved: a fateful clash of civilizations and religions for the future of the respective peoples.”

Any pressue put on Obama and the democratic party to appoint women should be very clear that he appoint females who are not his best friend from Illinois and did not work/support him on his presidential run. They should include nonpartisan well qualified women for the position. Otherwise, the dnc will use these apointments as rewards for those women who fell in line and ‘worked’ for the reward.

gumbykat #35:

Did you read my post here #25? In Grizzly’s post she did not mention that what McClellan said about Bush and his Admin pressuring networks for favorable stories was CONFIRMED BY REPORTERS.

I heard them on TV myself. In Post #25 I quote one of them.

I don’t post hearsay and innuendo.

If you want to get the full picture, you have to read her initial post downstairs and our responses to one another.

Grizzly #204
Indy #217
Grizzly #232
Indy #263

So what if the smear is a lie? It will be repeated often enough until bought
http://edgeoforever.wordpress.com/2008/11/07/i-won-against-peace-and-prosperity/

Hey guys!!!!

Just checking in – read some posts and IMO:

Community service should be something you CHOOSE to do. Not something that is required. If they tell me I HAVE to do this – then what else can they tell me I HAVE to do?
Then, my friends, we will no longer be free. Freedom will havd turned into some freedoms……

This Sucks!

Zee :
I don’t know what NOW will do but here is there contact info
Contact the NOW Action Center

Address:
National Organization for Women
1100 H Street NW, 3rd floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

Phone: (202) 628-8669 (628-8NOW)

Fax: (202) 785-8576

TTY: (202) 331-9002
http://www.now.org/comments.html to email them

Regarding #5 comment. Sorry, Murphy, to imply Liberals are intolerant but I have spent countless hours trying to get “women’s groups” to join the cable choice movement since they are logical victims of the present system and their response has always been “OMG there are conservative people in that movement!” Well everyone who is not a male 18-34 with an IQ under 70 is getting screwed by the current system and the fact that we would choose different channels under cable choice than the conservatives who started the movement should not stop us for working for our own good. It is possible to have goals and needs in common with the most conservative people.

Emailing NOW now! Thanks for the address

Good morning (?) everyone! Gawd, I wish I HAD taken those speed reading classes. I’ll never catch up!!!

scarlet 11.07.08 at 2:50 pm
You have mail, Hon.

I never had a chance to thank you for your concern, yesterday, Anna~~~so thank you, now.

NOW is so useless. I called them several times this year as I wanted to get involved with their cause here in NYC but they never got back to me. not even once. i guess they don’t care about us women anymore.

be prepared for disappointment, pumas.

murphy 11.07.08 at 2:37 pm

I cancelled my 10 year memberships in NOW and The Feminist Majority when they both endorsed Psychobama.

OF MY TWO “HANDICAPS” BEING FEMALE PUT MORE OBSTACLES IN MY PATH THAN BEING BLACK.

SHIRLEY CHISHOLM

mountainsong

67 – LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!
71 – You’re welcome.

#76 – Anna. Exactly.

I’m embarrassed for our country. The guy is an idiot

Andy martin wants us to do a prowl:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

INTERNET POWERHOUSE ANDY MARTIN TRIGGERS ANOTHER ANTI-OBAMA FIRESTORM WITH “MAGIC MOMENT ON THE INTERNET”

MARTIN ASKS INTERNET AUDIENCE TO CONTACT MCCAIN ELECTORS FOR A UNIFIED CHALLENGE TO OBAMA IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

“THE ORIGINAL INTENT” OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS WAS THAT THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE WOULD HAVE INDEPENDENT SIGNIFICANCE,” SAYS MARTIN; THEY SHOULD NOT BE RUBBER-STAMPING SOMEONE WHO REFUSES TO RELEASE HIS ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE

WILL CONSERVATIVES RESPOND? OR MEEKLY SURRENDER?

I never realized how easy it is to detox from television. And I haven’t even seen his face (oops, one time in a newspaper someone left on a table) since 2 days before the election. Kowledge of verything that occurs with him comes from here and the Internet.
PS~~~Al Gore? I trhought the Internet was a creation of the CIA.

Murphy,

What could be wrong with community service is that it’s a vehicle to indoctrinate children and youth. When we have Obama Youth exercises going on in public high schools, and grade schools being alienated in the class room then there’s something wrong. If world authoritarian views are espoused in the training for these programs, then its a problem.

#85 ladyhawkke

Thank you for posting that — I’ve been trying to spark interest in a dialogue about this all morning. If it’s possible to get a hold of the actual radio interview from last night… it is awesome to listen to. Only the archive links provided are incorrect and keep leading to the current radio show rather than the archived program from last night.

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=302396723240343

An article on Nobo’s proposed Universal Voluntary Citizen’s Service

Investor’s Business Daily is very anti O. Hence I have been reading their editorials on a frequent basis. This one comes from a series “The Audacity of Socialism”. This is their take on the subject of “community” service and how much is projected to be spent on the program of what they believe will be highly indoctrinated.

Anna 20-29

Well, yeah, I was stuck downstairs catching up and replying even though no one’s down there.

And yes, I remember Obama’s camp was asked point-blank to pledge for gender parity.

That is why I posted an action in the action forum for us all to go to Obama’s new site, which is asking for suggestions and suggest the same thing!

Heh.

gordana glad to help what you said about being the angriest my husband said the same thing a month ago and that really hurt him to feel that way.
Hey if anybody wonders why slyt2 is on at 3:08 it’s because general hospital is not on , if you wonder why it’s not on because Obamballs is going on and on about getting a dang dog from a shelter and the kids school so I am missing what is going on with Carly and Sonny and Jax and luke and Laura.

OMG AW AW AW his first press meeting he sounds a dumb as some of the other s to many aw um a um .

News conference. Anyone watching?

#mzebest I didn’t know there was a radio interview. Which one?

My Donation Receipt

Murphy, I wish it could be more

Donation Details

Donation amount: $20.00 USD
Total: $20.00 USD
Purpose: Puma PAC
Reference: Keep the Lights On

#101 Gordana That is because he has a picture in front of him with their seats and names

Murphy your link in your article “Trashing Sarah Palin” doesn’t seem to be correct.

oH come on your killing me Charlie, who the heck is Jack and I don’t care, his done talking put my soap on … God there back on the dog again..man

O.K. I found the link and it’s working
http://www.talkstreamlive.com/listen.aspx?showid=3481

#40
“Palin spent money on clothes probably because what you wear to speaking engagement with the press in Alaska is a little different than what you wear to a National debate with Joseph Biden. Just saying!!”

Yes, not to mention she did not buy or keep the clothes! They were a campaign expenditure and are to be auctioned for charity.

So Glenn Beck is saying that we should be patriotic and not challenge his BC. What is going on? We need to see the BC! I’m clinging to a thread.

#114 ladyhawkke

After you listen to it — I’d be interested to hear what you think cause it sounds like an awesome idea to me.

EVERYONE — PLEEEAAASSSE TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO THIS

http://www.talkstreamlive.com/listen.aspx?showid=3481

Grizzly:

I’ve followed bin Laden antics way back in the early 90’s, too. He tested Clinton in 1993 in his first year and Bush,too, in his first year. Will he test Obama in 2009? Stands to reason our country should be on high alert.

Getting back to the Iraq war. William Kristol is the architect of the war. I heard him on Terry Gross, NPR radio, two weeks before the invasion of Iraq. She asked him about his paper he wrote on a unilateral invasion on Iraq and Iran. He sort of said “we’ll see.”

You can listen to the interview on NPR. I did a couple of years ago. Also, here’s a letter he sent to President Clinton in 1998:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm

Clinton dismissed this notion because he felt there wasn’t hard evidence of WMD.

William Kristol now lays the blame for the Iraq War fiasco on the Administration not thinking thru the whole war game plan and exit strategy.

Scarlet #66 – Read my post #263, downstairs.

MZEBEST Please e-mail me at prowlhawkke at gee mail

mzebest

link doesn’t work

Had to open another window so I can listen to this and still read( and keep up with the blog)

OHHH OHHH general hospital is back on bye.

My take on community service for middle and high school students:
You should offer opportunities to do community service, you should encourage it and you should reward it, but you should not require it. These are minors and their parents should be making these decisions. Federal government requiring it is too authoritarian for me.

#118 ladyhawkke 11.07.08 at 3:16 pm

“So Glenn Beck is saying that we should be patriotic and not challenge his BC. What is going on? We need to see the BC! I’m clinging to a thread.”

~~~~~~

If you’re asking about this link — listen to the whole thing… it starts to get really good a quarter of the way in.

And I don’t think it’s Glen Beck… I believe it’s someone named Lan Lamphere

http://www.talkstreamlive.com/listen.aspx?showid=3481

PUMA ( and a few others like RD) is the best alternative to NOW that I’ve seen yet. The women here are just….incredible. Many are the days I just sit here, shut up, and listen to a collective intelligence that absolutely inspires me at a level worthy of aspiring to become a viable part of.

Is that even a sentence?

reposted from downstairs.

Our Brave New World
Good morning Pumas,
Over these many months of the bitter presidential campaign season my thoughts have been have been slowly molded from shapeless worries into formed beliefs. I believe that Aldous Huxley’s brave new world is not just coming. It’s here. I don’t like letting myself go to this dark place but I feel I must. You will see that now I am not using the terms “Democratic Party” or “democratic party”, just Party. Now that the campaigns are over, and McCain swept away like trash after a party, there will be NO criticism of “The One” from any source. OBozo is now the de facto dictator of the civil rights movement, African-American politicians, DNC, executive and legislative branches of government, the national press. Soon a national “crisis” will occur, requiring ever increasing levels of loyalty and self-sacrifice. OBozo will use the crisis to break ALL of his promises. All Pumas already know this.

We don’t have to look very far back in history or very far afield to see the results when a formerly “benign” ideology runs amok, a cult of the leader takes control and the masses line up behind him. I just didn’t see it coming in a Party I have always believed was the “good guy” looking out for the “little guy” against the forces of capitalistic evil. For a long time I think the Party was the “good guy”, under FDR, under Jimmy Carter, the Clinton administration and the Kennedys. But a wise old Greek once said of tyrants: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We now have the perfect storm for the unthinkable to occur: soulless, charismatic Obama, with his “biracial”, chameleon identity and empty slogans, financial control of all media, support from the “intellectual” class, a huge robot squad of unthinking fascist thugs fueled by resentments, raising the stakes for new levels of racism, sexism and class warfare.

Now there is the added twist of control through the communication highway of the internet.
If I remember my Orwell, Animal Farm, and 1984 also had a few cautionary examples of this totalitarian mentality.
What do the “Obama vision” and the “Obama Nation” have in common with all of the “isms” that take over the world?
1. Messianic messages (He’s the One) “The One” is everywhere and always on. He is constantly talked about and constantly praised.
2. A cult of personality (a “no-fault” biography and personality, continuous reshaping of the biography)
3. Top down control of the organization from the leader and his apparatchiks (Obama and Pelosi)
4. “Grass roots “ control by party faithful (community organizing)
5. Female subjugation and degradation
6. Erasing and reinventing history (the successes of the Clinton administration)
7. Rewards and punishments dispensed on the basis of “loyalty”.
8. Manipulation of news and control of “talking points”
9. Youth indoctrinated to worship the leader through songs, chants, camps, etc.
10. National “youth” movements.
11. Infiltration of “subversive” movements (ours) by trolls, turncoats and operatives
12. Dissenting voices silenced or ignored by a complicit press. Internal exile.
13. Disinformation campaigns, false information and no information
14. Internal security organization (Obama’s vision). Eavesdropping and wiretapping(FISA)
15. Obligatory community service
16. State power, e.g. the IRS, government agencies, used against resisters and complainers (Joe the Plumber).
17. Constant public denunciation and ridicule of the “other” (Hillary and Sarah Palin)
18. Opponents offered or bullied into “re-education” and acceptance
19. Nay-sayers, especially women, decried as mentally ill or bitter and whacky.
20. Maintaining data and files on “enemies” through opinion poll collection, donation data, membership lists. (Obama probably uses Hillary’s website to gather information).
21. Disrespect and intimidation of “older” people and their values
22. Never explain, never apologize. Always deny. Always change the subject. Always accuse.

We have all seen abundant evidence of these tendencies. Note: Party officials now advocate doing away with primary elections. Well funded candidates will be selected by the Party and run unopposed.

Well, enough said. What to do about this? First, we must fight back, and we are. It was women, the great mass of middle-of-the-road women, women who fought for Hillary, that capitulated to trumped up fears of a Republican Party and handed over their power to the so-called dems. We are the majority, but we could not convince enough of us to not “get over it.”

I think a certain amount of anonymity, especially, when alone and in public, is in order so we won’t be attacked and victimized as GBPuma was. Remember, in the movie, “The Body Snatchers”? People who had not been “invaded” learned to pretend to be “normal” in order to prevent forcible takeover. As individuals, we may sometimes need to keep our heads down and our eyes open. But we strike when we can but the battle may be longer and tougher than we think.

Finally, we will all do what we can and try to grow our movement. We are doing that by making specific plans for action. I’m ready to dry my eyes and make a fist.

Just a thought.

Guess I am rested up…Huh?

mountain song – you are on a hysterical role! (btw, i can’t believe you actually try to catch up on posts. i can’t handle that. there’s way too much. mostly, i just jump in after perhaps a quick scroll). as far as your last “sentence” goes, you should give a shout out to lorelai for grammatical correction if needed! i read your sentence more as a stream of consciousness and it made total sense!

emme 11.07.08 at 3:21 pm

#40
“Palin spent money on clothes probably because what you wear to speaking engagement with the press in Alaska is a little different than what you wear to a National debate with Joseph Biden. Just saying!!”

************

Bit of a double standsrd eh? I don’t recall anyone in the media investigating ANY of the other candidates’ (& their families’)wardrobe expenditures.
————————–
You know the things with the clothes were being from Alaska, she did not have the proper clothes for our weather in the lower 48 for the season. I live in central Texas and I do not own a winter coat, just light weight jackets. We have more sandals in our clostets. We sell swimsuits here year round. I would not survive a winter up north with the clothes in my closet. When I went to Colorado in the summer, I nearly froze to death! I imagine her wardrobe would be the opposite of what we would wear.

Well, I live 30 miles from the Canadian border~~~and the expense of air conditioning is NOT a huge concern. We can always heat with wood.

RE: THAT CHILLING VIDEO OF THE SCHOOL TEACHER THAT KAT POSTED YESTERDAY

What would really lend power to such things would be if we (I know, the collective “we”, like who?, maybe me? – is that a sentence?) researched if there were similar nightmares unfolding but the other way around. I could envision places in the USofA where black children are made to feel uncomfortable because of their position and/or situations in communities that are deeply evangelical that might have a very strong political alliance and where it might not be too comfortable to be on the other side of the coin. I say this because I discovered this year that some of (and not just a little bit) of what we were shockingly exposed to and deemed as sexist assualt were things that have also been used against political candidates in the past, be they male or female. This is not to dismiss that sexism is alive and well in America. It is only to say that before we become emotional and full of righteousness about something, it might be good to learn about how or where it fits into an even bigger picture.

The video of what that foolish teacher did stands on its own. But if there are/were just as many situations that exist in reverse, it sort of levels of the playing field and rather than showing how manipulative and confrontational Obama supporters are, we would find that all across America there are all sorts of horrendous breaches of trust in our schools and other places when it comes to partisan and/or religious expression in places that should otherwise be neutral.

Ugh. Editor please!

Anna7000 11.07.08 at 3:35 pm

LOL It’s catching, isn’t it? hahaha

“i can’t believe you actually try to catch up on posts.”

errrr….there are some of us compelled to do that. Which is why I disappear for long stretches of time because it’s hard to keep up here….if you want to do anything else, lol!

OMG!!! I left that radio stream on and it sort of receded back into my unconscious when, suddenly, Rev. Wright is screaming at me and I damn near jumped hard enuff to fall off my chair.

murphy 11.07.08 at 3:39 pm
I think that’s valid. Remembering back to the last century and my own childhood (yes, it’s hazy now) I can remember kind of a self-indulgence over charitable acts that were encouraged in school. My family owned a couple sawmills.

LotusBoy 153 you are absolutely dead on! And I’ve been predicting these people are going to continue to wear Obama logos — you just watch and see! Which no one does after a campaign is over.

And this is why the debate on the community service is so interesting. Kids are easily indoctrinated, which is why even in college they can fall prey to cults. How do we know the required community service will not have other agendas?

I will say this…it’s been in the works for years. I have two articles saved from 2007 which talked about Obama’s plans for mandatory community service. lol! I horrified many a young Obot by warning them of this and they didn’t believe me.

And guess what else? He has plans for over 55’s to do community service, too. How about that?

Zee 11.07.08 at 3:38 pm
Exactly!!! It’s amazing how many new posts there are just in the time it takes to go potty, or brush my teeth. Let alone overnight!

I hope children are excluded from Rev Wright’s sermons!!!

Re: Someone’s post up thread, or maybe the previous thread, about one of the Kennedy’s possibly getting an Ambassadorship. If so, no big deal. Even Obama’s campaign manager said as much a few weeks ago during a radio interview. The real power is in the Cabinet. I wouldn’t care if Obama appointed 100% women as Ambassadors. In fact, if he didn’t appoint women to positions of real power, I’d be offended and consider that a patronizing crumb. PRESSURE HIM TO APPOINT WOMEN TO HIS CABINET, AND, FOR HIM TO ADDRESS HIS PROMISE TO UNIFY, THEN HE SHOULD APPOINT REALLY GREAT REPBULICANS AS WELL.

I have thought long and hard, and I can not think of any other VP candidate for McCain that would been able to help him defeat BO. I think Palin was his best chance.

Keep a very close eye on these state over the next 3 weeks as votes are being counted and possibly debated because they are so very close and changing constantly the results when certified may be different than the medias are/have reported…this election is far from over and decided yet!
NC
IN
FL
OH
VA
CO
And
MO
And NE and ME these 2 allot electoral by congressional district and are not winner take all.

MZEBEST Are you still here? I’m waiting for your e=mail

Anna7000 11.07.08 at 3:48 pm

mountain song – thanks. now I feel so in the know = nifsitk
LOL~~~yasvw

Time out. Please slow down while I’m away. ( Fat chance, I know)

gumbykat

You are in the age group that is ‘producing’ meaning working. The slacker young people and the lazy old people aren’t doing anything (in their opinion) so they have to ‘produce’. And this is a democratic party candidate? Sounds just like a conservative railing against ‘entitlements’ to me.

BigCatLover 11.07.08 at 3:54 pm

gumbykat

You are in the age group that is ‘producing’ meaning working. The slacker young people and the lazy old people aren’t doing anything (in their opinion) so they have to ‘produce’. And this is a democratic party candidate? Sounds just like a conservative railing against ‘entitlements’ to me.
———
Yea, your right! Have’nt thought about that. I’m sure like alot of you, I’m not sleeping well lately.

As a student of history, I can agree with you PUMAbear. It is scary to think that the forced community service may just be another name for reprogramming your mind. The children are the first people The Elect want in any group..

Responses to #40 You have given me more to think about…I was just thinking that a Sears or even a Nordstom dress may not be acceptable on National Television. I think that she should get to keep the freaking clothes… It’s not like she broke the bank.. How much did John McCain’s sutis cost? How about the great O’s wife’s clothes? Maybe…Sarah should keep the clothes after all the great O promised to pay all our bills and feed us..She can shoot her own food, so let the great O clothe her.

There are so many issues we can look back on, dig into further, ruminate about. There are so many issues we can look ahead to. There are so many issues in front of us right now and we’re all spinning with as many different focuses (foci???) as there are as many of us. But, I feel that if I learned nothing else from this year, it’s that I got the wool pulled over my eyes, more than once. The DNC was always a step ahead. Clinton’s name placed in nomination. No problem, they had another trick up their sleeve. Be a poll worker. Turns out it poll watchers who have access to the registered voter data base on election day to make get-out-the-vote calls to party members. Etc.

Sssoooooooooo, I say this because we can either try to have a voice in Obama’s cabinet appointments or let it slide by because we’re being distracted by other things (that we feel are important) or we can realize that this is a short window that will close pretty fast and if we don’t make it a priority now, we won’t have a chance again.

Lynette Long has started a “cabinet watch”. Unfortunately, the phone number she posted for BO says “this mailbox is full”! I contacted Lynette about it and hope she’ll post more contact info. (Does anyone know what the contact info for BO is at this point? I don’t think his Senate office is the place to contact any elected official about business that does not directly pertain to their duties as a Senator/Congresswoman/man, but I’m not sure if his regular campaign web site is still up and running.)

Scroll down to Lynette’s third thread for more info on her Cabinet Watch:

http://www.lynettelong.com/

Last post about the cabinet issue. Don’t want to belabor it (if I haven’t done so already).

Zee 11.07.08 at 3:59 pm

“I wonder what plans he has for me since I don’t fit into any of these age groups?”

You’re the worker bee, Gumbykat! Earn that revenue! Back to work!
—————————
You know since I be working so hard next time the hurricane evacuee’s come to Austin to flee their homes, I don’t think I’m going to have time to go to volunter, or drop off diapers,ect….
I guess O can solve that problem.

#172 ladyhawkke 11.07.08 at 3:49 pm

“MZEBEST Are you still here? I’m waiting for your e=mail”

~~~~~~~~

Which email is that? Sorry about any delays in my response. I’m at work and trying to keep up while in between doing my work at hand.

slyt2 – you’re hysterical – you want to get yourself worked up!

The web site of the President-elect (hat tip: Zee)

http://change.gov/

wontbackdown #195

thanks for that list!

Wow, 5% women on the consideration list instead of 50%

Progress, huh?

Oh, I’m sorry, I meant almost 20% —1 out of 5!

It will surly end up as 5% me thinks.

#199 HP Boston “Sometmes I think MO looks more afraid than angry………..”
**************
She should.

copied this from gretawire
I was not aware of it and want to make sure you
all are. No more Del Monte products in our family!
______________________
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s home district includes San Francisco. Star-Kist Tuna’s headquarters are in San Francisco, Pelosi’s home district. Star-Kist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi. Star-Kist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan workforce.

Paul Pelosi, Nancy’s husband, owns $17 million dollars of Del Monte stock. In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25, Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage. This would make Del Monte products less expensive than their competition’s.

Last week, when the huge bailout bill was passed, Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill adding $33 million dollars for an “economic development credit in American Samoa”.

What is really insightful into this party is how Harry Reid has gone after Joe Lieberman to take away his position although right now Joe is still in it; I guess after he pledged his support to Obie. What has happened to free speech; maybe this is why Hillary went over to the dark side and supported Obie because she knew she would be an outcast as Joe Lieberman. Hopefully our nation will not become a place where free speech is not accepted as we move into this presidency.

#203 Anna7000 “My vision includes a Cabinet comprised of at least 50% women. Since the DNC could not see fit to nominate a woman for President and our President-elect could not see fit to select a woman for his running mate, the least that should be done is to have women represented in the Cabinet in direct proportion to our numbers in the population. If not now, when? That is my hope for change.”

***************************
Unfortunately, doesn’t look like our President-’elect’ has the same clear definition of ‘change’ as we do. His cabinet choices look like the same ‘ol same ‘ol to me. Lots of good ol’ boys with a few token women thrown in for appearance.

I thought Obama looked ill euipped to be President…he needs the applause & chants, did you see how uncomfortable he was walking out for the press conf ? There was no free give & take with the ‘reporters’ it looked so staged..Ugh..4 years of this stuff. Watching him certainly drove home how he has been propped up all these monthes, he will not be in control…notice all of the old guard surrounding him ? A few years of The One and there will be thousands of people camped out at the Crawford ranch begging ..PLEASSSE Mr. Bush come back ! (and I’m a Liberal!!!!). Need to change my name now that the election is over..how to do that ?

Trying to keep up with you all and these links and the past ones. Sure a lot of reading.I’m sure there will still be more changes in Obumbus’s cabinet and some changes we will hate that are not out yet.Trust not

South Jersey Puma just sent me this video of a white man being arrested at a post-election Obama rally for wearing a McCain/Palin T-shirt.
It sux!!! Is this where our country is going?

YouTube – Man Arrested for Wearing McCain Shirt at Obama Victory Rally

My friend thinks maybe going to cafe press and printing bumper stickers and yard signs about OBO’s promises.
How about a petition to our members of congress and members of the senate about cabinet appointments.

Full page ads in city newspapers, anyone about OBO’s slighting of women? What does it cost? Where can an ad have the most impact?

What kind of organization is NOW and who funds them?

PUMAbear
Hello! Good to see you as usual.
I’ve uploaded the “idiot” link to Comic Relief for easy access. Thanks!
—————
NOW contact info is Sexism section

Mama,
I’m watching you.
QQ

PUMAbear #219
How about ads in AARP mags women’s magazines, etc.
************************************************
I followed up on advertising rates in AARP. The costs are prohibitive. However, I checked the online version of the newsletter, and they post letters to the editor and also permit readers to comment!

I smell opportunity. I think these readers represent a natural constituency to join our group. Letters & comments containing our PUMA brand would help draw them to us.

Here is a letter-to-the-editor in the October 1 issue:

“I have given this election and its ramifications a great deal of thought and research. If you are still of independent thought, please read this. Mr. Obama is eloquent, charming and convincing. He is also disingenuous, arrogant and seemingly naive. He espouses unification, and yet hits pits income Class against income Class, age Class against age Class, omitting that tax increases on corporations and higher income earners will by trickle down be placed on the shoulders of the Middle Class and poor of all age levels, young and elderly. He espouses racial unity, but allows his minions to play the race card…”
— posted by McDocs

http://bulletin.aarp.org/opinions/wherewestand/articles/voting_for_the_future_.html

Moderation…yes. Let’s certainly not be hypocritical here shall we. I apologize for not being a racist nor referring to people as fktards. You could do so much good but I have a notion you will be mired in hatred. I beg you PUMA’s…do not become what you despise. Sexist, racist and blind is no way to form a “more perfect union”. Undoubtedly, my comments will be rejected for not conforming to your agenda. You can not build progressive change by clinging to the worst of what you despise.

Good luck to all. I’ll be checking in…I do find the conversation enlightening.