A Watched Phone Never Texts

Here are a few random thoughts while pondering why Barack Obama hasn't named Hillary Clinton as Vice President.

I personally would love to see John McCain choose Joe Lieberman as his Vice Presidential nominee. I'm deadly serious. Now McCain isn't going to do that, the Republican backlash would just be too overwhelming, but Lieberman reflects my values and my positions on a dozen important issues. And I admire and respect Lieberman.

But, let's also remember that Dick Cheney ate Lieberman's lunch in the 2000 Vice Presidential debate. Of course, Cheney also ate John Edwards lunch in 2004. Never mind that it turns out that Edwards is out to lunch.

Now that I think of it, Cheney would eat the lunch of any prospective candidate currently being mentioned by either party. Except maybe Hillary Clinton. Maybe. Cheney is just that powerful and brilliant.

Now if any of my progressive or liberal readers survived my praise of Lieberman above, they are absolutely going into a blind rage over my praise of Cheney. They shouldn't. Even if you disagree with every thought, position, word or deed Cheney ever even considered, you simply cannot deny the absolute impact of his Vice Presidency. There has never been and will never be a more powerful or influential Vice President.

History will long remember Vice President Richard B. Cheney. Probably longer than history remembers George Bush.

So do we really follow Cheney with Vice President Evan Bayh? Vice President Tim Pawlenty? Do we think history will remember them? Give me a break.

A powerful election would be Obama-Clinton against McCain-Lieberman.

But Obama seems to lack the courage to make the difficult choice. I think he fears Hillary and especially Bill. And I doubt McCain has the courage to buck the conservative right.

Perhaps I'm being unfair. Perhaps courage has nothing to do with it. But can we be happy with either McCain or Obama choosing the homogenized, bland, poll driven, do no harm Vice President?

If it's the top of the ticket that really matters, why not make a daring Vice Presidential choice.

The Middleman

If you are actually blogging, or even worrying about, the "Cone of Silence" or McCain's superior performance in Saturday night's Saddleback Forum, you need to just relax and tune into tonight's episode of The Middleman, one of the most brilliant television series ever created.

Created by Javier Grillo-Marxuach from his own graphic novels (or comics if you prefer) by the same name, The Middleman is absolutely overflowing in trivia, cultural references and inside jokes. If somehow you glossed over this series thinking it's some sort of modern day Batman (the Adam West version), you need to sit back down and watch it again. It's closer to modern day Get Smart, with Natalie Morales a legitimate heir to Don Adams brilliant comic timing.
But the writing is well beyond Get Smart's simple humor and mild satire. Each of The Middleman's thematic shows is a veritable treasure trove of layered humor, nuance and tribute to past cultural icons. You literally need to watch each episode several times to catch and find the references. And even then you'll need to log into one of the many Middleman forums and read comments from other viewers.

The comedic acting, led by Morales and the equally talented Matt Keeslar, is wonderful. Mary Pat Gleason, as the annoying and all too human android Ida, is a joy to watch.

Watch every detail. No detail is too small and absolutely nothing is unimportant. In a recent episode that overflowed with Ghostbuster references, a street sign had the name "Ray Palmer Jr. Ave."

So, take a break from your stress over who will be nominated as Barack Obama's Vice President and immerse yourself in an hour of real fun and frivolity. Discover one of television's hidden treasures, The Middleman.

A Forum of Excellence

I almost didn't watch tonight's double header forum where mega-church superstar Pastor Rick Warren hosted back to back live interviews with Barack Obama and John McCain. Fortunately I ignored my instincts and tuned in. This was undoubted the finest night of the entire 2008 election.

The night was simply amazing. Dr. Rick Warren told us that he is friends with both candidates and claims to not have a favorite in the Presidential race. He told his worldwide audience and his church members that agrees with each candidate on some issues and disagrees on others.

Regardless of his personal beliefs he was absolutely fair and even handed with both Obama and McCain. Warren's performance as host was flawless. Warren himself set the rules for the evening and demanded a civil and courteous discussion. He asked each candidate the same questions, although McCain's answers were so succinct, Warren was able to ask him additional questions in his one hour appearance.

And the questions were excellent, thoughtful and probing. And Warren was amazingly fair. There were no "gotcha" questions and each candidate could spend an unlimited amount of time crafting his answers. No buzzers, no red lights and no snarky 30 second retorts. Warren set a new standard for candidate debates or forums, one you can bet the journalist driven debates will fail to meet.

Barack Obama appeared first, but McCain was held offstage in a soundproof room and never heard Obama's questions or answers.

Barack Obama did an excellent job. Obama was at ease in the format and at ease with Warren. He was thoughtful and articulate in all his answers. He took time to think through each questions and answered honestly and thoroughly.

Obama fielded some tough questions and showed strength and candor. He never pandered and didn't avoid straightforward answers even when his answers were bound to be at odds with the evangelical audience. As a result Obama was richly rewarded with audience approval and genuine applause. Obama proved he a a master communicator. And I was impressed.

Then came John McCain. Obama had set the standard so very high. I feared McCain would pale in comparison.

However, while Obama was good, McCain was simply masterful!

McCain was sharp, fast and funny. He actually appeared to have more energy than Obama. And he was a heck of a lot sharper. McCain never hesitated. He had the ease and confidence of a man who has firmly thought through his positions and is comfortable with his beliefs.

Like Obama, McCain never shyed away from tough questions. While Obama occasionally answered questions more thoroughly than McCain, Obama's slower pace and rambling answers came off as nuanced and lacking in confidence when compared to McCain.

I've just watched the forum a second time. I don't know how he did it, but McCain had more charisma tonight than Obama. This just wasn't the way it was supposed to be!

I personally still like both candidates. Either will make an excellent President. And I still stand by my prediction that Obama will win the election. But anyone who thought it would be a lopsided election with Obama's youth, superb communication skills and strong position on the issues simply sweeping away the wrinkly old white haired guy needs to think again.

If tonight was Round One, McCain won handily. Obama is in for the fight of his life!

Death of a Nation

It's tragic that the Olympics, a shining symbol of peace and equality of men and nations, is being over shadowed by Russia's invasion of Georgia and the death of that fledgling democracy.

Our eyes have turned from the sports coverage and are glued to CNN and FOX NEWS as we watch in fear and horror as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin gobble up one country and prepare to invade another.

Their actions are eerily reminiscent of Hitler's first forays into eastern Europe. Once Hitler learned the west was impotent, full of bluster and rhetoric, but short on real action, he felt free to build his European Empire.

Does Putin now feel secure to rebuild the Russian Empire?

Putin's timing is flawless. The U.S. President is a lame duck with only 5 months left in office. The U.S. citizenry are fully distracted by the electoral process, resplendent with our own bluster and rhetoric, with both candidates totally impotent until next January, 2009.

By January, 2009 the world's landscape will likely have changed forever.

The Lesson We Need to Learn

Like almost everyone on Earth, I'm both sickened and frightened by the unfolding events in Georgia and Russia. While Georgian President Saakashvili has proved himself to be a fool, Russia's twins Putin and Medvedev have proven to be opportunistic aggressors who will topple the fledgling democracy and reclaim their satellite state.

But these events simply accentuate the urgent need for America to IMMEDIATELY begin the development of OIL and ENERGY RESOURCES within the United States.

As Russia has bombed near the ONLY OIL PIPELINE carrying oil from the Caspian to the West not under direct Russian control, America runs the risk of having over 80% of the world's oil under the control of tyrants hostile to the United States.

Nancy Pelosi's blockade of all compromise legislation on oil drilling and the development of alternative energy resources (especially nuclear energy) grows more foolish and more dangerous by the minute.

I genuinely believe it is time for Nancy Pelosi to step down as the Speaker of the House. It's time for the "blue dog democrats" to not only campaign for additional oil drilling and energy independence, but to campaign on a promise to vote against Pelosi's continued control of Congress.

I TOLD You I Wanted Paris Hilton for President!

I told you I wanted Paris Hilton for President!!

She has the ENERGY POLICY that actually makes the most sense.

And the best ad!!

See more Paris Hilton videos at Funny or Die

Barack Obama: Two Steps Forward... One Gigantic Leap Backwards

TWO STEPS FORWARD

A "Tip o' the Wizard's Pointy Cap" to Barack Obama's bold yet totally logical move to forge a compromise with Republicans and allow some limited additional oil drilling in exchange for a major advance in conservation and alternative energy legislation.

This isn't a "flip-flop" and it certainly isn't "caving in to the Republicans." It's doing what every great leader must do to build consensus and lead the country through a crisis and into the future.

From the AFP story (like all good bloggers I avoid the AP whenever possible): With oil prices hitting voters, Obama budges on offshore drilling

Obama told reporters in Florida that the bill, proposed by a group of Republican and Democratic senators on Friday, "has some of the very aggressive elements that I've outlined in my plan to move us in the direction of genuine energy independence." "If we have a plan on the table that I think meets the goals that America has to set, and there are some things in there that I don't like ... I would consider it because that's the nature of how we govern in a democracy."

Brilliant!


A GIGANTIC LEAP BACKWARDS:

This is a most disturbing development. Barack Obama is getting really horrible advice from his campaign. File this under how to lose an election.

From CQ Politics: Obama, McCain Set Debates, But "Town Hall" Idea Is Dead

Barack Obama and John McCain will debate head-to-head three times - and almost certainly only three times - according to an acceptance letter Obama's campaign manager sent to the Commission on Presidential Debates Saturday afternoon. The presidential debates are scheduled for Sept. 26 in Oxford, Mississippi, Oct. 7 in Nashville, Tenn., and Oct. 15 on Long Island, N.Y. The Obama campaign also agreed to the standard vice presidential debate, which is slated for Oct. 2 in St. Louis. The letter, written by David Plouffe, appears to bring to an end discussion of additional joint appearances, a point of contention between the two camps since McCain formally proposed a series of free-wheeling town-hall forums in early June.

While I continue to attempt to avoid linking to or even quoting stories from the Associated Press because of their amazingly hostle attitude toward blogs and bloggers, I'll paraphrase the AP report in saying that Obama's reversal on town hall debates is part of a play-it-safe strategy.

Douglass K Daniel, writing for the Associated Press broke the story. Daniel told his readers that unnamed advisers to the Obama, speaking on condition of strict and absolute anonymity, said that Obama is reluctant to take chances or give McCain a high-profile stage now that Obama's the front-runner.

This "play it safe" strategy is astonishingly stupid. Obama is acting like he is afraid of McCain.

It looks even worse because, at one point, the Obama camp was not only endorsing McCain's debate proposal, they were demanding it! From the CQ story linked above:

Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, had suggested after McCain first raised the prospect of town-hall debates in May that Obama would be interested in having more debates than just the typical three post-convention meetings and would favor a more open format. "We're at war. Our economy is in turmoil. And we've got so many challenges that the people of this country deserve a serious discourse, and it shouldn't be limited necessarily to three kind of very regimented debates in the fall," Axelrod said on FOX News Sunday May 11. "We ought to begin sooner, and we ought to have a free-flowing conversation about where we want to take this country." Under McCain's plan, the candidates would have met once a week between June and the Democratic National Convention at the tail end of August. Though it left room for negotiation of details, the McCain camp suggested that the candidates appear together for 60 to 90 minutes at each meeting and take "blind questions" from members of an audience ranging from 200 to 400 people.

Obama's stand hurts the American public and they will see it that way. And it adds to the Obama elitist image. McCain is carefully crafting himself as a populist. Obama is sipping his half decaf mochachino latte right into John McCain's trap.

Not that McCain will let us miss the image. Here's the McCain camp reply:

"John McCain looks forward to debating Barack Obama as often as possible, but it's disappointing that Sen. Obama has refused his offer to do joint town hall meetings," McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said. "We understand it might be beneath a worldwide celebrity of Barack Obama's magnitude to appear at town hall meetings alongside John McCain and directly answer questions from the American people, but we hope he'll reconsider."

I hope Barack Obama will reconsider, too.

The Twitter Revolution

File this under Nancy Pelosi is a blithering idiot who doesn't deserve to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Nancy Pelosi is trying every possible move to shut down the House of Representatives and silence the Republican Representatives who continue to speak from the podium and demand the House return to session and pass a comprehensive COMPROMISE bill that attacks the energy crisis from every possible angle from new technology to conservation to releasing oil reserves to new oil drilling.

Nancy Pelosi cannot accept this amazing gift to get virtually every single Democrat proposal passed if she would only extend a small (almost insignificant) olive branch to Republicans.

Instead she is playing King George to the Republican Revolutionaries. She's turned out the lights, turned off the C-SPAN cameras and ever turned off the microphone. She's trying to clear the chamber.

Several commentators have been comparing this action to the Boston Tea Party.

Pelosi has enormous power. She alone controls the C-SPAN cameras, power and microphones. She has ordered the Capitol Police to clear the chamber.

But the galleries are full and even Democrat staffers are filling the chambers and all are cheering on the Republicans who refuse to be silenced. Tourists are cheering loudly.

Thanks to TWITTER, all of America has been involved all afternoon. Both Rep John Culberson and Rep. Pete Hoekstra are Twittering Live from the House Floor. If you are a Twitter member just start following @petehoekstra and @johnculberson to catch the action live.

If you don't want to Twitter, make sure you refresh Michelle Malkin's Blog frequently. The news organizations are also catching on as is talk radio.

I'll finish this entry with another quote from Malkin's amazing blog;

So, to recap: The “most open and ethical House ever” went dark– and C-SPAN and every other media outlet were powerless to broadcast the proceedings of the GOP revolt–because Nancy Pelosi and the Dems didn’t want the public to see and hear the voices of GOP lawmakers on the House floor talking about their energy proposals.

Nancy, is this how you advise America’s daughters to use their power?

What are you afraid of?

Tell Nancy to keep the cameras rolling when our representatives are on the floor.

Here’s her blog.

Floor revolt: No vacation for House Republicans; GOP calls for special session on gas prices

Great News from The House of Representatives! Courtesy of Michelle Malkin: Floor revolt: No vacation for House Republicans; GOP calls for special session on gas prices

Republicans are on the floor right now!! No cameras. No C-SPAN. But plenty of action.

Malkin (you've just got to love her) just couldn't resist getting in a dig at Nancy Pelosi: "Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, is busy hawking her miserably performing book–currently 1,726 on Amazon.com"

And, yes, The Wizard has fallen to the dark side. I've officially adopted Malkin's really scary photo of Pelosi. And, yes, I have no respect for Pelosi at all. I'll be glad to send a contribution to Cindy Sheehan (not that Pelosi is in any danger, it's just a matter of principle).

Racing the Play Card

I'm waiting for a real Presidential Election Campaign. I'd do almost anything to have one. You know, a campaign where candidates discuss the real issues and make genuine proposals on how to address the problems facing Americans.

I'm not expecting to see any such campaign. Not now or ever. And the thing about low expectations is that you are rarely disappointed.

Over the last two weeks I've watched the Barack Obama campaign self destruct. Not the kind of train wreck that leaves your eyes glued to the television, but, instead a slow and painful disintegration of a candidate who over reaches, plays to the camera, and puts his ego in front of the voters.

I was one of the few who said the media circus of Barack's foreign trip was a huge mistake that would never play well at home.

Indeed, it seemed that Obama learned nothing on his "fact finding" journey. Worse, he boldly telegraphed his intention to "learn nothing" by announcing his Iraq Strategy before leaving the shores of the United States.

Except for the brilliant Katie Couric (attention CBS, give that woman a lifetime contract) the vacuous press coverage only added to the feeling that Obama knew very little and learned even less. The trip wasn't about Iraq, or Afghanistan or Germany, or France, it was all about Obama.

The absolute low point was Obama's speech to what used to be 200,000 European fans. The whole idea of the speech was a huge mistake to begin with. It was never going to play well here in the United States. It diminished Obama, turning him from a leader into a rock star. But Obama made it much worse be delivering a stock speech that said virtually nothing. Europe was disapponted. America was mystified.

Attention Barack, what you say matters. And when you have nothing to say, you'll never hide the fact by saying it beautifully.

Because I was one of only a handful that realized the trip was going so badly, Barack Obama returned basking in the glow of a press corp so in love with Obama they'll tell him anything he wants to hear.

"Yes dear, your speech was brilliant."

"No honey, you don't look fat in that suit."

So, returning to his home country, where we really are in trouble and we really need his leadership, Obama went on the stump with new speeches and tag lines that were all about Obama. He told us how absolutely brilliant his campaign was. He actually begged us at one campaign stop not to blame him for campaigning so brilliantly.

As 80% of Americans want us to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, Obama told us to check the air pressure in our tires.

We no longer had a candidate for President, we had Marie-Antoinette. And Obama's poll rating plummeted. Suddenly he was tied or actually below McCain.

Here's the real punch line. If McCain's campaign wasn't so horribly run, McCain would actually be up by 10% and the pundits would be talking about the "unelectable Barack Obama."

Attention John McCain, when your opponent is self destructing, get out of the way.

In case we somehow missed the fact that Obama's campaign had become all about Obama, McCain issued the now famous Paris Hilton ad.

VIntage McCain. I believed this ad was so horrible and mean spirited that it would single handedly put Obama back in the race.

But no..... This should teach me not to raise my expectations too high. Barack Obama simply cannot get passed the concept that the entire campaign isn't all about Obama.

So out Obama trots the continuous chant about how his mysterious and unnamed opponents will try to scare voters by saying the Obama "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills." What the hell is Obama looking for? The sympathy vote?

McCain's camp finally erupted. Not on any real or important issue like energy independence, the economy, the war on terror or anything like that, but on the underlying tones or racism in Obama's self centered mantra.

Wow! Boy, am I gald this all consuming issue is out on the table!

And Obama's campaign was at first totally caught off guard by the McCain attack. They actually apologized and clarified Obama's remark.

"Barack Obama never called John McCain a racist," Obama senior strategist David Axelrod said.

So, as public enemies number one and two (Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid) sneak out of town without doing a single damned thing to begin to solve the energy crisis, the morning news shows and The New York Times and most bloggers and radio talk fests can all obsess over the injection of race into this already tawdry political campaign.

Right now, I'm ready to write in Paris Hilton for President.

The Looming Energy Crisis

The enemy is at the gates. And yet it is the internal posturing and deception by politicians that will prove to be our undoing.

The video report below is fascinating. In addition to T. Boone Picken's testimony before Congress, it contains many facts on oil production that might come as a complete surprise to most Americans.

All these things are just more facts to consider while Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi continue to block every single move to begin even the smallest effort to reduce or energy dependency.

Republicans have offered more compromise than on any issue... perhaps ever. Republicans are fully endorsing T. Boone Pickens comprehensive approach to energy alternatives and logical oil drilling.



Rank and file Democrats are rightfully afraid that the brain dead Pelosi and the puppet Reid will actually grab defeat from the jaws of victory. The Democrat Party's intransigence on this issue could greatly reduce the Democrat's potential House and Senate victories in November and might.... might... even cost Barack Obama the election.

Never in my experience have I seen a political party take such an indefensible position on an issue without any logical reason except the desire to "win."

Here we have Nancy (Nero) Pelosi fiddling while Rome (America) burns.

Blind Prejudice

I've been writing a great deal lately about the blind prejudice that all too often turns into absolute hatred in our political and economic discourse. Much of what is written in blogs and repeated on talk radio (from the left and right) is nothing short of hate speech.

And while racial prejudice and sexual discrimination (and the objectification of women in our society, hat tip to the ikonoclast) continue to fester and infect our society, the "Derangement Syndromes" surrounding political philosophies and our supposed opponents and members of opposing political movements has reached a boiling point.

It hit really close to my home (both physically close and close in terms of religion and values) Sunday with the shooting and murder of two members of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church during morning services. The shooting occurred during a children's performance. Thank God no children were killed.

The shooter, Jim D. Adkisson, left a letter in his car with the reason for his rampage. Adkisson "stated hatred of the liberal movement."

Thankfully Adkisson himself was not killed in the rampage and didn't have the chance to commit suicide. One report stated he had 76 shotgun shells and planned to use them all. He was wrestled to the ground by church members. He is now being held by the Knoxville police.

Among the many sins of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church were it's sponsorship of the American Civil Liberties Union and its support of women's rights and gay rights. They had recently put out a sign welcoming gays to the congregation.

These people were shot for the very beliefs I hold and practice every day.

As a society we must learn to respect each others views, religions and politics or we will find ourselves mired in internal fighting like the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, or past sectarian battle in Ireland.

Love is the spirit of this church and service is its law. This is our great covenant: to live together in peace, to seek the truth in love, and to help one another. Written by James Vila Blake and used in many Unitarian churches (including the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church) as a Statement of Faith.

If only everyone could live by this simple and non-sectarian creed. Please send your prayers and thoughts to the friends and members of the Knoxville community touched by this tragedy. This tragedy touches everyone.

Here is a link to the website of The Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church