Looking, Sounding, Acting Presidential

The NYT has a story about Obama 's response to Gustav. The news has been covering the fact that McCain and Palin are traveling down to the area because Palin's "executive experience could be useful." And not for political reasons?

When asked about it, Obama did not rise to the political bait and responded that he will use his donor and volunteer list to help:

“We can activate an e-mail list of a couple million people who want to give back,” Mr. Obama told reporters after leaving services at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Lima. “I think we can get tons of volunteers to travel down there if it becomes necessary.”

He will not be traveling to the coast out of concern that he might interfere with the emergency efforts:

“The thing that I always am concerned about in the middle of a storm,” Mr. Obama said, “is whether we’re drawing resources away from folks on the ground because the Secret Service and various security requirements sometimes it pulls police, fire and other departments away from concentrating on the job.”

He added, “I’m assuming that where he (John McCain) went that wasn’t an issue. We’re going to try to stay clear of the area until things have settled down and then we’ll probably try to figure out how we can be as helpful as possible.”

Thanks for keeping your promise to keep the campaign focused on the big issues and not the little stuff1

Trouble in the Twin Cities

Glenn Greenwald is reporting that the police are doing raids on homes where suspected peace protestors are living/staying. The NYT is reporting that they are searching homes and arresting some folks involved in groups such as the "RNC Welcoming Committee" and "Food Not Bombs," perfectly legal organizations organizing protests of the convention:

In the house that had just been raided, those inside described how a team of roughly 25 officers had barged into their homes with masks and black swat gear, holding large semi-automatic rifles, and ordered them to lie on the floor, where they were handcuffed and ordered not to move. The officers refused to state why they were there and, until the very end, refused to show whether they had a search warrant. They were forced to remain on the floor for 45 minutes while the officers took away the laptops, computers, individual journals, and political materials kept in the house. One of the individuals renting the house, an 18-year-old woman, was extremely shaken as she and others described how the officers were deliberately making intimidating statements such as "Do you have Terminator ready?" as they lay on the floor in handcuffs.

Please circulate this story. While several nasty incidents did happen in Denver to keep protesters away from the DNC, here we have SWAT teams pre-emptively acting against protesters. This is not acceptable.

Palin Hates Polar Bears, Rove Hates You.

Thanks to my main squeeze Sam who sent me this link that details some of Palin's greatest hits on the environment (she's not a fan of it, apparently). She is perhaps best known for suing the federal government to have the polar bear to be removed from the Endangered Species list so they could be hunted. Fortunately, that bid failed.

The link also includes lovely photos of Palin posing with and wearing animal pelts like this:

Interestingly, this photo used to be on her Wikipedia page. Eagle eyes might have realized Palin was the pick Thursday night because NPR reported that someone was furiously editing her page, removing things that might be considered un-Vice Presidential. Like photos of her wearing dead animals?

Also thanks to my granNE who sent me this link with quotes from Karl Rove. Ironic, eh?

"I think he's going to make an intensely political choice, not a governing choice," Rove said. "He's going to view this through the prism of a candidate, not through the prism of president; that is to say, he's going to pick somebody that he thinks will on the margin help him in a state like Indiana or Missouri or Virginia. He's not going to be thinking big and broad about the responsibilities of president." Rove singled out Virginia governor Tim Kaine, also a Face The Nation guest, as an example of such a pick. "With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."

Under Water Again?

I am thinking about the people in New Orleans as Gustav bears down on them and I have my paws crossed that it will weaken and change course. I fear that the problems revealed by Katrina both in terms of infrastructure and emergency response mechanisms have not been fixed.

And so we never forget, let's keep in mind where Bush/McCain were when Katrina hit New Orleans:

We can do better. So much better.


I hope we do better this time. We're thinking of you, New Orleans.

Is Our Children Learning?

Ahahahahahaha! Thanks to GranNE who sent me this bit of humor from TPM.

This was for sale on the McCain website. For reals. It nicely brings together two of my ma ape's least favorite things--misused apostrophes and Young Republicans!

For Moms.

Lest we get distracted...

Here's Obama's platform on women. Here's McCain's platform on women.

And I just wanted to mention the DNC's tribute video for Barack Obama:




The media keeps saying that ordinary Americans can't relate to Barack Obama's story but I happen to know that my ma ape was also raised by a Midwestern mom who values education and service to others and disliked injustice.

More of the (Mc)Same!

Gus asked my opinions on the nomination of Sarah Palin as McSame's VP nominee. Gus knows that I am a feminist scholar and spend much of my time sleeping on my ma ape's library of feminist theory. So I wanted to weigh in.

Cynical move, my friend.

Obama gave a spectacular speech and reminded us that we are a new America--we have changed and we will continue to do so, including exploding the myth that the GOP represents mainstream values. McSame needed to steal the media cycle and needed to stoke the faux flames of the supposed divisions in the Democratic party. So? Nominate a woman!

It was a smart move, tactically, because now McSame pwns this news cycle. And it reinforces his mavericklicious! image. He nominates a woman who is the same as Bush/Cheney on social issues. She is opposed to gay marriage and most gay rights (though she says she has gay friends--yipee!). BUT--no one knows anything about her. So he's able to continue to look "independent" by doing the surprising thing of nominating a woman! An outsider! So even though policy-wise she is identical to the Bush/Cheney insanity--the media is too distracted to notice.

So it was smart, tactically, and now Republicans will try to win over Hillary voters by saying that any attack on her is sexist. But women are not a monolithic hive mind and they did not vote for Hillary because she has a uterus and to suggest so is an insult. Women, like every other group, vote on issues. I would be very happy to put Biden's record on women's issues against Sarah Palin's any day. Her nomination was met with cheers by Mike Huckabee, Ralph Reed, and James Dobson. That tells us what we need to know.

But most of all--shame on you, McSame--for making a choice that reinforces the opinion that women and minorities only get positions by virtue of their "novelty." It was a cynical choice that utilizes women for your political ends. Not cool, dude.

Here's a good discussion of it, and here's the best bit:

So in a campaign where the candidate on the top of the ticket has contended that he is immune to criticism on the basis that he was a POW, the we can expect Republicans to argue that the Veep pick should be immune to criticism because she is a woman.

The pick of Palin is dripping with transparent condescension, the notion that the enthusiasm behind Hillary was simply the result of her being a woman, that it had nothing to do with what she actually stood for, and in that sense it's equally sexist. Palin is essentially a hard-right ideologue, and therefore nothing like Hillary as far as substance is concerned. It's not very different from running Alan Keyes against Barack Obama in 2004. The conservative media reaction has already engaged in paternalistic language, with FOX News reporting on television that "McCain broke the glass ceiling," implying in fact, that the pick had nothing to do with Palin or her qualifications, but merely her gender. It's fitting that the party positing affirmative action as a program that picks people exclusively based on race or gender rather than qualification should do something similar given an opportunity for political advancement. While Obama is promising change through policy, not simply through the circumstances of his birth, the McCain campaign thinks his appeal is simply visual and demographic, and therefore something they can exploit.

One of the things that stuck with me from Obama's speech was that the GOP has been successful in making campaigns that should be about big issues about little things--like John Kerry windsurfing, Al Gore's sighs or Swiftboating. Now it is time to talk about those big things because they matter to us much more than how many hours Barack Obama spends at the gym or how many children Sarah Palin has. This is a distraction, an attempt to substitute personality for policy.

No way, no how.

My Review.

Here is my review of Obama's speech:


Delicious! Here's video of the speech and you can read a transcript here:

Gore in the House!

Hi Al!

I can't help but think how much better this speech would be if it were being given by outgoing President Al Gore.

I wonder if there has ever been a time in history when the counterfactual in an election is so dramatically different?

Anticipation!

To gear us up for tonight--Baby Barack (when he was still Barry) with his mom!

I can totes relate as the baby of a single mom.

And some day maybe I will grow up to be president.

It's OVER!

The Weekly World News's Aliens have called it! It goes to Obama! And according to them, they've gotten every election right since 1980. The Aliens know! Pack it in and go home, McSame!

Speechification

Look! It's our next Veep!



And our former Prez! The best line: People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.



Also John Kerry (our shoulda been Prez) gave the best speech I've ever seen him give so good on him.

I've been practicing my speechification because I know that my invitation to give the nomination speech for Obama was just lost in the mail and his peeps will be showing up any minute to whisk me to Denver. Mile High, here I come!

See me practicing, guys?


What do you think I'm saying?


And how many jokes about the VP shooting people in the face can I fit in?


See how hopeful I am? I have my own halo!

And my new friend Gucci asked where to get a Barking for Barack Tee--my shop is here.

Little Dudes Rule!

My granNE says this is her favorite speech this far from my diminutive (in height) friend, Dennis Kucinich:



Go Dennis, give it to the neocon-artists!

Convention Comedy!

I admit last night I got a little teary eyed seeing Ted Kennedy and then Michele Obama rocked the house and then the Obama girls came out and OWNED that convention. (Seriously, girls, you need a corgador!). But I have to say that this billboard--spotted in St. Paul, home of the GOP Garbage Dump:


Makes me a little excited for their convention or, at least, the Daily Show coverage of it. In particular I can't wait for the return of my third favorite Canadian minx, SAM BEE.

(My favorite Minx? Sophie. Second favorite? Lola. Four favorite? Jason Jones.)

We're on a road to nowhere...

What is John McCain doing while the Democrats convention?

Thanks for the LOL, Gus!

Tonight at the Convention!

Tonight Michelle Obama is speaking at the convention!

While she is distracted I'm going to try to text message her daughters to come pick me up. I wanna live in the White House!

Go with Joe!

Congrats to Ike and Jake who correctly identified MY SENATOR JOE BIDEN as the next VICE PRESIDENT! And now, Joe, I need a lift to Denver!


I've got on my tee:

I've hauled out my donkey stuffies:



I've schooled my baby brudder in the finer points of American paw-li-ticks:

And now we're gnawin' on some elephant ears! (Please note: no actual elephants harmed in the making of this post. In fact, we would like to liberate that noble beast from being the mascot of the Ignoble Party.)


So, Joe, I hope you're ready to be an attack dog to save us from Four More Years!


We dogs are here to help ya out.

We're a bit more bark than bite.

But we'd make darn cute delegates!


P.S. Auntie Linda and Onkel George, can we crash at your pad in Boulder?
P.P.S. Please stock the fridge with beer and Senor Miguel burritos.

Drop it like a sock

I've had more entries in the Veepstakes but it looks like we will have to wait until tomorrow to declare a winner. Until then, here is a video of Obama explaining how his daughter things the song "Drop it like it's hot" is "Drop it like a sock."



This will only make me ramp up my campaign to be adopted by Malia Obama who has made important policy pronouncements like "Everyone should like ice cream" and who has been asking for a dog for years. Call me, Malia!

Veepstakes!

Remember when our Vice Presidents were mostly dumb and incompetent rather than diabolical, evil AND incompetent?

This week Obama is going to announce his running mate. There's been much speculation about Bayh, Kaine, and my own Senator Joe. Which would be ironic because Joe got himself in big trouble for his comments that Obama was clean and articulate. But then he also had the best debate zinger saying that all of Giuliani's sentences include a noun, a verb, and 9/11. He also has mad foreign policy skillz. But I'm not a fan of speculation since it is usually just filling air time on 24-hour news shows and all too often includes Chris Matthews. Also, I am not good at it.

But that doesn't mean I won't play the game! And you can play along at home! You may guess up to two possible VPs and if you're correct you will win Barking for Barack swag! If you lose--I'll send you my baby brudder. Haha!

Here are some other guesses so far:

Lenny: Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)! Lenny is making a gutsy pick, perhaps anticipating stealing the thunder from a possible cross-party McCain-Lieberman ticket?

Gus: Janet Napolitano (Governor of AZ--D). Napolitano is a popular guv who is good on economic issues.

Wally T.: Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) or Governor Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS)

ETA: J-Ape's Picks: Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius. He LOVES the ladies!

PS. Bonus! Guess McSame's VP! I say Joe "Benedict Boring Arnold" Lieberman or Tim "Mullet" Pawlenty! But if you pick Dan Quayle, McSame, you will truly be mavericklicious!

But I would like to take this opportunity to plug a running mate for Obama who could bring vim and vigor to the campaign:


Ernest for something!

Forbes magazine is suggesting...Stephen Colbert!

Stephen Colbert, the blowhard host of Comedy Central’s Colbert Report, has long claimed that an appearance on his show translates to a big boost in popularity for candidates.

It turns out that, for once, he isn't full of it. According to James H. Fowler, a political scientist at the University of California, San Diego, the Colbert bump is real.

Fowler’s analysis, published by the American Political Science Association, scours campaign contributions and finds that after making an appearance on his show, Democratic politicians benefit from a 40 percent increase in contributions for the next month.

I just tried to check the Colbert Report website to see who is booked for next week but I can't find the list of upcoming guests.

Update: Uh-oh. I just found their upcoming guests and they include Bob Barr and Mike Huckabee-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Partay!!!!!!!!!

I'm talking, of course, about the party we will be having on The whole world is invited! And you should bring one of these (thanks for the tip, Gus). We will have dozens of Bush pinatas and we will fill them with bully sticks, meatables, and Wallymelon chunks!

President Obama, you're invited but I understand if you're a little busy. I promise, though, we'll have a lot more fun than that stuffy Inaugural Ball they throw!

Ooooh...Diverse.

The GOP has announced its line-up for the convention which they say highlights the party's diversity. By which they mean they embrace white dudes of all different tie colors. As long as they're blue or red. 75% of the speakers are dudes. 86% are white. And one of them is Joe Lieberman.

And in a stunning display of racial sensitivity and not at all white dude privilege, Rush Limbaugh said:

"it is striking how unqualified [Sen. Barack] Obama is and, and how this whole thing came about with, within the Democrat Party. I think it really goes back to the fact that nobody had the guts to stand up and say no to a black guy." Limbaugh went on to say: "I think this is a classic illustration here where affirmative action has reared its ugly head against them."

Rock on, Rachel!

One of my favorite Air Americans, Rachel Maddow, is getting her own show on MSNBC after Keith Olbermann.

If you are looking for a cohost with more bite than bark, I'm there!

And for your viewing pleasure, here's Rachel Maddow making Rethug Joe Scarborough walk off the set with the anger. Because she has FACTS. And girl cooties!

A good 'un

This is a good ad, eh? (Not from the Obama campaign but from the series of YouTubes):

But, but, Iraq's different!

Criticizing Russia, McCain sez: "In the 21st century, nations don't invade other nations."

ORLY!

Someone needs his irony chip installed.

LOL!

I know I already exceeded my Bush Joke quotient for today but he's really being a jackass at the Olympics so I wanted to share with you a bit of genius--LOLBush from The Guardian!


Yes, John McCain, what we need right now is NOT someone who is popular and can improve America's image in the world. How else will the rest of the world continue to laugh (and shake their fists) at us?

U.S.A.! U.S.A.!

Call off the election! According to our President, America has no problems.

From Shakesville, can you find the war criminals in this photo?

Even the Cats are Barking

I hereby suspend the cat/dog animus until November so that we can get these naked apes back on track:


more cat pictures

Thanks to fellow barker Gus for sending along the funny.

LOLBush

Gus sent me this piece of political wit and wisdom:

The Whiff of Deperation

The latest anti-Obama argument comes to us from the journalistic minds of the Wall Street Journal: He's too skinny!

But in a nation in which 66% of the voting-age population is overweight and 32% is obese, could Sen. Obama's skinniness be a liability? Despite his visits to waffle houses, ice-cream parlors and greasy-spoon diners around the country, his slim physique just might have some Americans wondering whether he is truly like them.

We all want someone just like us! Like a Yale-educated cheerleader born to a wealthy Maine family with political connections? Or a Navy brat married to a multi-millionaire beer baron's daughter?? I sense this is a pre-emptive strikes against what will most certainly be an unflattering visual from the debates (ala Dukakis/Bush).

I do have to agree, however, with this sentiment by the wise political pundit, Sasha Obama:

During a July family appearance on "Access Hollywood," Sen. Obama's 7-year-old daughter, Sasha, revealed that her dad doesn't like ice cream or sweets. "Everybody should like ice cream," she said.

Anti-Obama arguments they will be making soon regarding the ways that He Is Not Like Us:

1) Too gosh darned smart.
2) His feet are larger than average.
3) He's never been arrested!
4) His family appears to like him.
5) Neither he, nor his father, vomited on the Japanese Prime Minister or any world leader.
6) He showers regularly.

One of us! One of us! One of us!

Friday Funny!

New York Governor David Patterson answers who he thinks would help McSame win New York: "a resurrection."

Lie Back and Enjoy It!

Elder Statesman Joe Lieberman had a lovely comment about the OMG! ObamaispopularlikeParisHilton ad:

"To some extent the appearance of Paris Hilton and Britney Spears -- people complain about it -- they should just relax and enjoy it,"

Nice one, Joe! I seem to remember another McCain supporter saying something similar:

At a press conference in Arlington, Virginia, CNN’s Dana Bash asked McCain why his staff had even scheduled a fundraiser with Williams, who in 1990 joked that rape was like bad weather: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”

Rape--always funny guys! That McSame, nothin' but the classiest dudes supporting him!

I believe I have figured out the meaning of the McSame ad which seems to suggest that Obama has something in common with Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. This shout out to Britney, coupled with McSame's bafflement about Viagra vs. birth control, is all an elaborate signaling system. He is not trying to run to be President, he is angling to be BOB DOLE. After a failed Presidential campaign he will continue on to a lucrative career endorsing erectile dysfunction drugs. Does everyone remember this gem?



I highly approve of this career move, Senator McSame and I look forward to fast-forwarding through your Viagra ads on my TiVo!

P.S. Britney, you can do better. It is as true of McLame as it was of Kevin.