I’ll be back sometime within a few days with updates

Sorry if it looks as though the blog has been abandoned, it isn’t. Just basking in a great victory for progress in America, and I’ll be back once my batteries are recharged for some new righteous indignation!

WoooooooHooooo! President-Elect, Barack Obama.

What a wonderful day for change, but foremost in my mind is the return of the United States from being an international joke.

First Election Results In!

Obama wins both Hart’s Location, and Dixville Notch (in my wonderful New Hampshire). The ballot tally in Hart’s Location was 17-10 for Senator Obama. Dixville Notch gave Senator Obama a greater victory, 15-6!

The tally now stands at 32-16

John McCain is not expected to overcome this 16 vote deficit.

Palin Claims US is at War With Iraq AND Iran

She is now officially the dumbest politician on the national stage.

It’s dangerous for her to be anywhere close to any public office in the US. Mayor is too much for an idiot of this magnitude.

The Undeniable Idiocy of Palin

Sarah Palin sometime just before, and just after saying something completely asinine

Celebrities are notorious for saying some of the most outrageously asinine things that can be imagined. Tom Cruise, the master of glibness, has a streak of about 20 years of this, as does Jon Voight. These aren’t sane men, at least not if their silly comments are a peek into their actual worldview, and not just moments of confusion in front of the cameras. It doesn’t matter what their political views are, bat-shit insane extends throughout the whole spectrum. We expect this from them, and the other people famous for memorizing lines of dialogue, but Sarah Palin? She has a special place in the bat-shit insane category–a place reserved for those that should know better, but are just far too dumb to understand.

Politicians seeking the highest offices of the nation are supposed to be intelligent. They need to have the wherewithal to analyze and solve problems of such magnitude that history is affected by their decisions. A sound base of understanding and capability to piece together the various doctrines set forth by the forefathers and the preceding great administrators of our democracy is absolutely mandatory to make such decisions. One of the most basic of these doctrines is the Bill of Rights.

We should be able to expect that someone put forth as a major party candidate has a firm understanding of the Bill of Rights. It’s only twenty seven amendments that need to be understood, and one of those was repealed, simplifying the task. With sixteen years in politics, no matter the level she was serving at, one could reasonably expect Sarah Palin to have a firm grasp of these simple concepts. However, she has fallen far short of reasonable expectation, and her latest insight into the Bill of Rights leaves us no doubt as to the level of idiocy she has attained.

For those that have refused to read, or even take a quick gander at the Bill of Rights, here’s the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

There’s six main points within the this amendment, so let’s just take “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…”

Sarah Palin, in all of her glory, stated today:

If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don’t know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media.

How monumentally idiotic is this statement? Not all of the marble quarries, in all of the countries on earth, could possibly provide the material to celebrate this idiocy with a monument fittingly large enough. It’s that convoluted, that moronic, and that far off from what the First Amendment deals with. We expect more from a major party nominee for Vice President.

Let’s just deal with her First Amendment right to free speech, for the time being. She has the right to say a lot of things–there is no denying this–and she’s speaking very, very freely. Some could argue that she’s even riding a fine line between free speech, and speech that is slanderous (per se). I won’t go into that here, as slander is tort law, and we’re just dealing with the First Amendment in a more pure state.

She hasn’t been stopped, by any party, from speaking. Many, if not most, of her speeches are televised, broadcast around the country, and the world, for billions to hear. There has been no speech filter placed between herself and the masses huddled in front of the evening news, and no attempt to stop her from spouting off what she wants to on the stages constructed for that purpose. Her freedom of speech has not only not been denied, it has been amplified far beyond the common person’s ability.

Her assertion that the the press is threatening her ability to exercise her freedom of speech is ludicrous. She cites the “fear of attack” by the ‘mainstream media’ as that threat to her freedoms. Nowhere in the First Amendment does it state, nor in any precedent, that the press cannot examine and analyze the speech made by an individual to the point of making that person fearful to speak freely. On the contrary, the press is guaranteed to do such things, right there after the individual’s right to the freedom of speech.

The press needs to be free to criticize Sarah Palin’s various opinions and statements put forth in order for our democracy to function well. It’s not a matter of getting her to stop speaking, or to dissuade her from do so, but to inform the general public of the veracity (or lack thereof) and implications of the various statements she makes. The freedom of the press, especially in disseminating information and opinion contrary to that which is put forth by our politicians, is not only in the best interests of the public, it is mandatory for the continuation of informed voting.

This cockamamie argument that the press labeling some of her speech as ‘negative campaigning’ is abridging her freedom of speech is not only wrongheaded, but a dangerous mischaracterization of the First Amendment. Her speech has not been infringed upon in the slightest, and to posit that criticism of her statements by the press is harmful to her First Amendment rights is laughable. That same press, that ‘mainstream media’ that she is attacking is the same press that gives her hour upon hour of coverage…in her own words. She could have even more camera time, if she so chose, but her ineptness as answering even the simplest of questions has made the McCain campaign limit the outlets of her free, and mind-numbingly foolish, speech.

Sarah Palin, spare us your horrifically idiotic interpretations of the First Amendment. Your ignorance knows no bounds. Your freedoms have not been threatened, but if you get elected all of our freedoms will be threatened by your idiocy.

Kim Jong Il on Death Bed, Yet Again

Kim Jong-il looking fly in his designer sunglasses

Kim Jong-il, known as both the autocratic leader of North Korea, and a fashion icon to millions in New Jersey, has reportedly fallen very Jong-ill. It has been reported through multiple channels that he had brain surgery to repair damage done by a stroke in August. The report comes from the print edition of Dong-a Ilbo, a South Korean newspaper.

The report cites a South Korean intelligence officer who disclosed that intelligence reports emerged Sunday (Oct. 26) regarding Kim Jong-il’s sudden ‘serious health problem’. The brain surgery that was performed after Jong-il’s August stroke had been reported as being performed by Francois-Xavier Roux, a neurosurgeon from France. Roux is considered an extremely competent, if not world class surgeon, who has denied the reports linking him to the surgery. Roux claims that during that time he coincidentally traveled to Beijing to attend a conference. All video and photos released recently seem to show Kim Jong-il attending functions months ago, further raising the speculation that the sunglasses-wearing man-god is in a dire situation.

Kim Jong-nam inherited smaller sunglasses than his father

Kim Jong-il’s oldest son, Kim Jong-nam, was thought to be next in line for the role of fashion god dictator, although no public declarations were made to that effect, and now he appears out of the direct line of inheritance. After a 2001 arrest and detention by the Japanese, Jong-nam may be somewhat out of favor, and Kim Jong-chol, a younger son, may be in line for the gig. Jong-chol was appointed to a high office within the Workers’ Party in 2007, making it a reasonable conclusion that he’s the next in line.

North Korea is denying the report, which, if their other denials are any indication, means that this is absolutely true. Sunglasses manufacturers are bracing for a possible economic downturn within their industry upon hearing the news, as Kim Jong-il is thought to provide at least four percent to the sunglasses industry’s revenues every year. If Kim Jong-chul begins to wear

This is thought to be Kim Jong-chul, although he wears no sunglasses, making the genetic comparison difficult.

sunglasses like his father and brother, they expect serious profit potential, considering he’ll have to build his collection from scratch.

If Kim Jong-il dies, there could be some wrangling within the ranks of the Workers’ Party to see who becomes the leader of North Korea, and a violent solution between the brothers is not out of the question. Jong-nam may feel resentment for his lack of favor stemming from his attempts to travel into Japan under a false name and passport. Jong-nam’s mother, Ko Young-hee, is Jong-il’s latest consort, and thus may confer more power to Jong-chul. If Jong-nam and Jong-chul do come to a power struggle, expect Jong-chul to have more party support.

Vote Flipping, Vote Caging, and Suppression Problems

Testimonials of vote flipping

And here’s the ‘problem’

And some nasty voter registration challenges in Missouri (‘caging’, a violation of the Voting Rights Act)

Vote caging exposé

pt. 2

Oh, my…more

Sen. Whitehouse (isn’t that the best name for a politician?) on vote caging

Sarah Palin and Ted Stevens-Video-What is Their Real Relationship?

This was a great day, and one that makes us also realize that there are elements in this nation that will fight against us every step of the way. I’m not talking about fighting against Democrats, or Republicans, but all of us, our freedoms and our democracy. There were the skinheads found, arrested, and taken out of action from outrageous plans of killing simply because of melanin levels in their proposed victims, and then there was Ted Stevens, the senior Senator from Alaska. Stevens was found guilty of all seven charges relating to his cabin’s refurbishment, and his relationship with Veco, an oil services company.

Both of these elements are a destructive force on our landscape. One outwardly spouts hate, and proposes a ‘cleansing’ of those people that they find don’t fit their perception of what America is, attacking democracy from the outside in; the other works quietly, behind closed doors, eroding democracy from the inside out. Both are heinous and devoid of redeemable qualities, but both are now stopped (at least for the time being) from doing anymore damage than they already have.

Outward from these individuals, however, are people and events that still need to be understood. A corrupt politician is nothing without the means to be so, and radical planners of hate crimes did not get their ideas from the ether. These people are interconnected with all sorts of other people and ideas, and the following is an example of the interconnectedness of Ted Stevens with someone else you may recognize:

There are legitimate questions about the running mate of John McCain. Here, on this blog, I briefly examined her house, and the similarities its building has to Ted Stevens’ cabin situation. They shared the same building supply company, and they both were massive improvements done in strange manners. When Governor Palin was Mayor, she made sure that building codes were not put in place before she built her house. Todd says he built the immaculate home with a ‘couple of buddies’. There were events going on down a short road from the Palin’s house construction site, though, that make the situation so strange. The Wasilla Sports Complex was being erected, and the same building supply company supplied both with their material–the same exact building supply company that was involved in the Ted Stevens’ cabin refurbishing. Oh, and did I mention, that building supply company seems to be a big Republican donor?

There they were, all too familiar with each other. Ted Stevens and Sarah Palin, mucking it up and making nice on camera. A show of support from Sarah Palin to a Senator who, at the time, had been indicted for the crimes he has now been convicted of. Governor Palin is so close to Ted Stevens that she headed up a PAC for him. A political Action committee that gave her the state stage from which to introduce herself to the Alaskan state Republican party. Before that she was a small town mayor. A former Alaska Independence Party member who switch to become a Republican in order to run for mayor. She was already scheming her way up the ladder, and Ted Stevens gave her that ladder. So what gives with her making nice in front of the cameras with a man about to be taken down with national media attention. It’s a risky move for a governor who, from what I’ve been hearing, was already lobbying to be the VP nominee.

I view the meeting and make nice session as a capitulation by Palin to Stevens. The embattled cannot dictate terms, especially something so major as a sit-down in front of news cameras without something to negotiate with. Stevens plays hardball. Not typical hardball, but hardball even by Washington standards. This is a class A, 100 percent certified bastard of a politician. The man was indicted on seven counts of corruption, and he still gets Palin, the sitting governor of the state with VP aspirations (and more) to defend him. He has something on her–something bigger than what can be passed off with a sleight of hand.

They both have ties to the oil industry that have been questioned. In Palin’s case, she negotiated a pipeline deal that favored only one company. That company happened to have an inside player, the head of Palin’s pipeline team had been hired as a lobbyist for the winning company. With Ted Stevens, he is now known to have taken over $250,000 worth of goods and services from an oil company. These events may seem disconnected, but they stem from the same attitude, the same inner circle, and from the same ethos and teachings that Stevens passed onto Palin when he groomed her for bigger things. Now the end game is afoot, and the lessons to be learned will haunt them both.

Palin – Massive Gaffe – Calls Israeli Embassy ‘Jewish Agency’

Palin's severe lack of knowledge about foreign policy was on full display in meeting with the Israeli Ambassador

Sarah Palin apparently doesn’t understand a couple of very basic concepts about Israel. It is not a Jewish state, no more so than Canada or Britain are Christian states. Israel is a secular government, just like the one here in the United States. Jewish isn’t a nationality, and Israel is not ‘Jewish’. This is such a very basic concept that I can’t even begin to fathom the depth of her ignorance.

Perhaps in the church where people speak in tongues, the congregants speak of the quickly approaching end times, and the certainty of dinosaurs and man living at the same time right after the earth was created (a mere 6,000 years ago) this type of thinking is encouraged. These radical evangelicals spout nonsense about Antichrists and demons, witches and angels, all the while claiming a false appreciation for Israel, contrived from the mistaken conception that the ‘apocolypse’ is coming any day now. They feign their friendship because Israel controls the ‘Holy’ land, and these radical, far right Christians need to imagine having access to that area.

As foreign relations gaffes go, this would be on par with calling up the Archbishop of Canterbury to negotiate a treaty between Britain and the US. It’s just that idiotic. What could her reaction be when she’s told that Israel is not a ‘Jewish’ state?

“Oh, gosh golly, you must be mistaken there fella, I know fer certain that those people wear those beanies!”

To say, direct to the face of the Israeli Ambassador, “We look forward to … working with your Jewish agency,” is not only an affront to Israel, it’s an affront to all of those knowledgeable potential running mates of John McCain. To think that Sarah Palin, a governor embroiled in an ethics probe, completely lacking any understanding of the Bush Doctrine (the driving philosophical force behind this administration’s foreign relations), and closely connected to a secessionist group would be picked over…well, anyone, is unbelievable. But this–this very basic mistake of Sarah Palin’s may be the most telling. Israel isn’t a nation to her, it’s a religion.

Edit: There is a misconception among some because of the statement “Hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in the land of Israel to be known as the State of Israel.” in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. Israel, however, has universal suffrage, and is not theocratic. This precludes the language appearing in the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, in that it is the law of the land, and is direct contradiction to the previous statement. It is much like the United States being considered a nation that has legal slavery, even though the practice is now unconstitutional.

Another case made for Israel being a Jewish nation is contained within the Balfour Declaration, which is just silliness.Israel does not even have a state religion, negating the concept of ‘Jewish State’ referring to the religion, but rather pointing to a cultural usage of ‘Jewish’.

According to Daniel Elazar, of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs:

As understood by the Knesset and the Israeli Supreme Court, religious law stands in relationship to the secular law of Israel roughly as state law stands in relationship to federal law in a federation with a dual legal system. That is to say, it is distinct, tends to be exclusive in its sphere, but is held to certain national tests in its application…

It is important to understand that the government of Israel does not control or try to control the religious establishment…

New Ad Slams McCain on Gambling Ties

As I pointed out exactly one month ago today, John McCain has ties to the gambling industry that seem strange, at best. His contributors are the upper management of casinos, indicating an expectation of gambling expansion with his support. A watchdog group, called ‘Campaign Money Watch’ has released a new ad exploring the McCain/gambling industry connection.

Watch:

The following is a list I compiled last month of just Winn casino (and closely affiliated entities) employees that donated to John McCain and the RNC from April to July of this year. That’s right, this amount of money from only one casino operation in just three months:

Contributor	Date	Amount	Recipient
Early, Peter L	5/7/2008	$28,500	Republican National Cmte (R)
Schorr, Marc	5/7/2008	$28,500	Republican National Cmte (R)
Wynn, Elaine	5/7/2008	$28,500	Republican National Cmte (R)
Maddox, Matt	5/7/2008	$7,700	Republican National Cmte (R)
Peterson, Scott E	5/7/2008	$7,700	Republican National Cmte (R)
BUTLER, DE RUYTER O	5/2/2008	$3,000	Republican National Cmte (R)
Sinatra, Kimmarie	5/29/2008	$2,900	Republican National Cmte (R)
Wooden, Maurice L	5/7/2008	$2,700	Republican National Cmte (R)
EARLY, PETER L MR	4/28/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
KRAMER, RONALD J MR	7/31/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
MADDOX, MATT MR	5/9/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
NADY, LAURIE B MRS	4/28/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
OSELAND, ROBERT L MR II	5/9/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
PETERSON, SCOTT E MR	5/9/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
SCHORR, MARC D MR	5/2/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
SINATRA, KIMMARIE MRS	5/31/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
SINATRA, KIMMARIE MRS	5/31/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
Thomas, Roger	5/7/2008	$2,300	Republican National Cmte (R)
THOMAS, ROGER MR	5/9/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
WOODEN, MAURICE L MR	5/9/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
WYNN, ELAINE MRS	4/30/2008	$2,300	McCain, John (R)
ALLISON, WESLEY MR	5/9/2008	$1,000	McCain, John (R)
SCHALL, JASON M MR	5/9/2008	$1,000	McCain, John (R)
TOUREK, KEVIN JAMES MR	5/9/2008	$1,000	McCain, John (R)
Oseland, Robert L II	5/7/2008	$200	Republican National Cmte (R)
		$142,600

Information gathered from FEC reports through opensecrets.org

Something’s wrong with this picture. Why so much money, in such a short time from just one of the casino operations? Surely they’re getting something if McCain wins, and I doubt it’s any sort of oversight. You see, John McCain is a gambling man. He freely admits it. He plays craps, he gambles massive amounts of money. He’s been spotting gambling in high rollers rooms, not just run of the mill ones. This is a guy who doesn’t understand probability, someone who thinks that, for some reason, they are above certain mathematical truths.

Please take a short moment to support this site by voting for this post at Digg or Reddit