If we're going back to the Old Testament, I gotta go with Sarah getting knocked up at 90 years old .

Sarah got pregnant at 90 becuase she was overhyped.

But to the fair for the last decade or so, we've gotten for the most part good competitive games.

Hell kids growing up I'm sure now expect Super Bowl games at the least to be decent.

And to show Janet Jackson's boobs.

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR and JENNIFER AGIESTA, Associated Press – Sun Jan 16, 8:24 am ET

WASHINGTON – As lawmakers shaken by the shooting of a colleague return to the health care debate, an Associated Press-GfK poll finds raw feelings over President Barack Obama's overhaul have subsided.

The poll finds that 40 percent of those surveyed said they support the law, while 41 percent oppose it. Just after the November congressional elections, opposition stood at 47 percent and support was 38 percent.

McCain Calls Obama a 'Patriot,' Rejects Critics Who Say He's 'Unworthy' to Lead

By Bruce Drake, Politico.com

Sen. John McCain lost a bitter campaign against Barack Obama in 2008 and has been at loggerheads with him for much of Obama's first two years in office. But the Arizona Republican this weekend called Obama a "patriot" intent on using his presidency to "advance our country's cause" and rejected accusations – many coming from members of his own party and the tea party movement – "that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America."

McCain made his comments in an article he wrote for the Washington Post opinion page, posted on Saturday, in which he praised Obama for giving a "terrific speech" in Tucson at a tribute for victims of the shooting spree that took place there a week ago.

McCain said that Obama had "comforted and inspired the country" and performed an important service by encouraging "every American who participates in our political debates - whether we are on the left or right or in the media - to aspire to a more generous appreciation of one another and a more modest one of ourselves."

"Our political discourse should be more civil than it currently is, and we all, myself included, bear some responsibility for it not being so," McCain said.
The shootings in Arizona have prompted much introspection about the tone and tenor of American politics even though the reasons why the suspected gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, carried out the massacre remain obscured by his history of bizarre behavior.

But the fact that his victims included a congresswoman holding a community meeting and the constituents who came to speak with her was likely a factor in connecting the violent incident to the political debate, along with suggestions and accusations that the rhetoric of political partisans had contributed to what had happened.

Obama has been one target of harsh political rhetoric since running for and becoming President. Some of it has questioned whether he really shares the values of most Americans; accused him of pushing the country in a socialist direction; and, suggested that he does not have an appreciation for the U.S. as an "exceptional" nation.

On the other side of the spectrum, some critics have implied or outrightly suggested that the rhetoric of McCain's former running mate, Sarah Palin, and some in the tea party movement, was responsible for what occurred in Arizona by using inflammatory imagery, ranging from Palin's now-famous map putting gunsights over congressional districts she was targeting, to Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's 2009 quote in which she said she wanted people "armed and dangerous" on the issue of the Democrats' energy proposal.

McCain wrote that Obama had "appropriately disputed the injurious suggestion that some participants in our political debates were responsible for a depraved man's inhumanity."
While not specifically mentioning Palin, McCain appeared to be referring to her, in saying, "Imagine how it must feel to have watched one week ago the incomprehensible massacre of innocents committed by someone who had lost some essential part of his humanity, to have shared in the heartache for its victims and in the admiration for those who acted heroically to save the lives of others - and to have heard in the coverage of that tragedy voices accusing you of complicity in it."

But as the former GOP standard-bearer, McCain also spoke out against those who have sought to paint Obama's views as inimical to American ideals.

"I disagree with many of the president's policies, but I believe he is a patriot sincerely intent on using his time in office to advance our country's cause," McCain said. "I reject accusations that his policies and beliefs make him unworthy to lead America or opposed to its founding ideals. And I reject accusations that Americans who vigorously oppose his policies are less intelligent, compassionate or just than those who support them."

During the 2008 campaign, Palin had said of Obama, "This is not a man who sees America as you see it and how I see America ...Our opponent though, is someone who sees America it seems as being so imperfect that he's palling around with terrorists who would target their own country?" (She was referring to onetime left wing radical William Ayers who participated in some Chicago educational projects with which Obama had been involved).

"His worldview is dramatically different than any president, Republican or Democrat, we've had," Mike Huckabee told Politico last August.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a possible GOP presidential contender in 2012, said to the National Review in September, ""What if [Obama] is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior, can you begin to piece together [his actions]? That is the most accurate, predictive model for his behavior."

While there is no way to tell whether those particular statements had an impact, a USA Today/Gallup poll in December found that while 80 percent of Americans thought that America "has a unique character that makes it the greatest country in the world," more than a third said Obama does not share that belief.

McCain said in his article, "It probably asks too much of human nature to expect any of us to be restrained at all times by persistent modesty and empathy from committing rhetorical excesses that exaggerate our differences and ignore our similarities. But I do not think it is beyond our ability and virtue to refrain from substituting character assassination for spirited and respectful debate."

McCain's sentiments were echoed on CBS' "Face the Nation" by former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, "In the first moments after this, there was a rush to judgment on both sides, you know, left-wingers trying to blame it on right-wing Tea Party, Sarah Palin; right-wingers trying to fight back and defend themselves against what was really an outrageous charge...And I thought the president's speech put it on a different tone. And I think we have a chance, even though a couple of days later; I think we have a chance to do the same thing that we did after September 11."

He's back at a 53% approval rating.

It will only go up, and I'm now quite certain he'll be favored in the 2012 election.

Funny thing is, the Dems should lay off Palin. She's unelectable, yet she can win the Republican nomination. Whereas Romney is electable, but he may not get the nomination. It's no small wonder the Republicans are hanging her out to dry on the Arizona tragedy.

It sickens me when I hear members of our government, the leaders of our country for that matter, say negative things like this about the President, the Leader, the Commander in Chief of our great nation! ESPECIALLY during a time of war!




Our enemies see things like this being said and they sit there and laugh, probably saying that if we, as a nation, cannot pull together and show a unified front, show support during these times for our Commander In Chief then we are weak and will never be able to defeat them. That we will never be able to overcome adversity. Scumbags like the extremists who want to destroy this nation and our ideals use these types of remarks as fodder to instill false confidence in those that they are trying to turn against this nation and the rest of the free world.

Disagreeing with the President and some of his policies is one thing...it's what keeps us a democracy and is what has kept us a free nation for so long,...but to blatantly make disgusting remarks like " The President is a miserable failure" or "The President is unworthy of leading America" is just outrageous! It is not a form of debate or a way to keep our government in a checks and balances mode. It's an outright attack that just breeds hate, causes unneeded division within our government and our nation, and arms our enemies with more strategies to try and use against us.

Palin's burying herself. If she does intend to run in 2012, it won't be on the Republican ticket. After the whole target map and
"reload, not retreat", she heaps insult upon injury with the "blood libel" whine on her FB page. It's All Palin All The Time, isn't it?

In the face of the President's speech, Sarah Palin had the perfect opportunity to humble herself and agree that this vitriol does the nation no good. However, she went on Hannity and said that nobody was going to shut her up.

,Looking at his recent success, you wouldn't have guessed that his party got kicked between the legs in the midterms. But for whatever reason, the departing Democrats with a fire lit under their asses gave us the most productive lame duck Congress session since WW2 with hits like:

*The Tax bill compromise with the Republicans which pissed off our own Lilo, and I did agree with him on the particulars, but I'll quote what someone said the best of that deal: "Bad policy, Good politics." The party base was furious at Obama, but now polling indicates he's more popular with the party base now than Clinton was at this point of his Presidency. And Bubba fumes again.

*Repealing that stupid DADT, which turned out harder to exterminate than you would expect despite over 75% of polled Americans supporting repeal.

*Passing the START Treaty which aside from the direct positives on paper, is vitally essential behind the scenes to keep Russian support on tougher sanctions against Iran. If START had died in the Senate, the sanctions would have unraveled and that tight economic squeeze on Tehran would have been relaxed. That really was why GOPers like Lugar pressed for passage, as did recruited old GOPers like Kissinger and Fmr. President George Bush Sr. to go public in their support.

*Completing a new free trade agreement w/ South Korea that eliminates Korean tariffs on American agricultural products and certain exemptions on American-produced automobile imports from their very strict safety standards. It could (potentially) double U.S. exports into Korea in the next few years.

*Passing the Food Safety Act which among many things, now force manufactures to issue a recall if the FDA deems a failure in food safety standards. Believe it or not, such previous public recalls were done voluntarily. Think about that shit for a moment.

*Passing the Local Community Radio Act and Shark Conservation Act. The first loosens up FCC regulations and allow more low-power FM radio stations, specifically in urban areas. The second bans "shark finning" on all American coastal waters, that practice where fishermen would capture sharks, cut off the precious fins (shark fin soup is popular in Asia) and then throw the fin-less bodies back into the sea where they would drown.

Some essential bills, others maybe trivial except to special interest groups that lobbied hard for them, but none the less Americans like it when Presidents get shit done. And shit got done, even if Obama doesn't deserve credit for repealing DADT. That honor goes to the Senators Joe Lieberman and GOPer Susan Collins.

Combine all this with his deservedly well-praised speech at Tucson (especially in contrast with Palin's own "blood libel" speech that same day) and House Republicans really wasting their time on Health Care Reform Repeal*, Charles Krauthammer was right: Obama is the new Comeback Kid.



Maybe/maybe not. Just ask George Bush Sr. who at this point of his Presidency seemed a lock, scoring 90% approval rating after Desert Storm. In fact he was seen as such a lock, many prominent Democrats considered '92 hopless and didn't run for President. Then here comes Bubba...

Certain factors will determine '12:

(1) The economy
(2) Foreign affairs
(3) GOP Nominee

The economic "recovery" has mixed signs so far, but maybe things are doing better when the barely-sworn in GOP House is already taking credit for the dip in unemployment. Presidents, deserving or not, get the credit (and blame) for the economy.

Actually, I think Obama is stronger in foreign affairs than on economics, a switch of what one traditionally expects from a Democratic President facing re-election. His double-down troop surge in Afghanistan has produced an underreported, quiet rise in non-support by Americans for that war, yet the Republicans still support it (and Tea Party is even more enthusiastic). Unless the war goes from quagmire to disaster, what will the GOP run on that issue? More troops? An invasion of Pakistan? Call Rambo?

Which leads to #3....



I'm starting a new thread topic in the next few days on '12, so I won't go into details except I'll say two quick things about the potential GOP presidential field: Pretty weak. All the cited candidates have major problems (not just Sarah) and even the one potential dark horse (a guy from Indiana) could be less Bill Clinton '92 and more Gary Hart '84.

And second, The primaries will be a train wreck.

*=And before people jump on me: It'll pass the House by party lines, die in the Senate by party lines, then HCR will get parsed apart by the House GOP committees which potentially could produce a backlash. Even if most polled Americans still oppose HCR as a whole, many individual provisions are wildly popular. If GOP puts a knife to them, people will get pissed.

WASHINGTON — The Republican-controlled House has voted to repeal the nation's year-old health care law, clearing the way for the second phase of the "repeal and replace" promise that victorious Republicans made to the voters last fall.

The repeal, which was passed by a vote of 245 to 189, has little or no chance of passing the Senate, where Democratic supporters of the law have the majority. And Obama has vowed to veto it if it reaches his desk.

When I listened to the State of the Union speech, I wondered, why did Obama develop that "Whisper as an emphasis"-style? It sounds as if he's talking to children. Sarah Palin did it a lot.

This made me laugh.

Hawaii Dems move to calm 'birthers,' make Obama's birth records available



Anyone got a Ben?

I don't know where he got it but I think many of the most effective public speakers know how and when to vary their tone, speed and sound to create interest, passion or anticipation in their listeners. Dynamics are important in public speech, When someone who understands how to modulate gives a speech they're also passionate about, the results in the audience can be impressive.

Oratory skills disguise vacuousness.

Are you speaking in general here? Because if you are than I would have to say that oratory skills are sometimes used to disguise vacuousness.

Much like written diarrhea does.

Which is to say oratory skills disguise vacuousness.

Which is not to say vacuousness is endemic to oration.

Stop with the digs already. I'm not digging my elbows into you, am I?

I'd be surprised if you genuinely thought my posts amount to written diarrhoea, even if you find their content disagreeable or don't follow or understand much of them.

Don't be.

Speaking of which...is there such a thing as Keyboard Kaopectate?

(Of course, there are times when I could benefit from a dose of it myself...)

I was searching the web for a transcript of Michael Savage's rant (yes, a rant) about America being a police state while listening to his show this past Thursday evening. I couldn't find a transcript, but I found the following which is just a small part of his rant.

"There is more discord in the US than in Egypt but people in US don't rise up because we're living in such a police state."

Did he bring this up before 2009?

[Federal]Judge Roger Vinson, a Reagan appointee serving in Pensacola, Florida, ruled that key components of the law are unconstitutional and that the entire law "must be declared void."

In the decision, Vinson writes:

"... I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here.

Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void."

Of course, this is far from over and the White House will most certainly bring it to the Supreme Court.

But for now....









And now, for a few personal messages.

To Judge Vinson:



To Former Speaker Pelosi:



To ObamaCare:

I wouldn't get happy too soon Apple. The decision will be appealed to the 11th circuit court and the Supreme Court does not have to accept an appeal.

I would change it from this to this

Nevermind Scalia and Thomas aren't fans of killing bills due to the Commerce Clause.

Ronnie, the important thing is that we're taking the advice of the President and Speaker Boehner and dialing down the rhetoric. It's nice to know that we can disagree respectfully.

What I find very interesting is that back in 2008 President Obama said he supported a health care reform proposal that did not include an individual mandate. He was so against including an individual mandate for any health care reform proposal that he even went on to say

"If a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house."