Non-Candidates
Bloomers And Newts, Oh My?
The increasingly bitter nominating contests in both parties seem likely to offer an ample supply of disgruntled
voters from whom billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg could draw upon for a Presidential run. He could hijack Ralph Nadar’s Green insurgent party or petition himself as an entirely new party candidate. Giuliani, McCain and Obama are political androgynous candidates, they draw well among both Democrats and Republicans and, so far, seem to alienate relatively few voters, and thinks one time Clintonista Dick Morris, pose obstacles to Bloomberg. But, if Hillary and either Huckabee or Romney get their party’s nod, it is easy to see Bloomberg emerging as an alternative.
Less Affluent Favor Gas Tax Holiday.
According to a rasmussen Poll released Thursday forty-six percent (46%) of America’s Likely Voters favor a federal gas tax holiday this summer. A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 42% are opposed and 12% are not sure. Most voters who earn more than $75,000 a year oppose the gas tax holiday. Most who make less than $60,000 a year favor that policy change. Among those make less than $20,000 a year, 62% favor the gas tax holiday while only 11% are opposed.
McCain proposed suspending the 18 cents a gallon federal tax and Hillary supports it. Obama opposes it.
Dizzy’s Ten Post Round-Up
There’s no news like good news. Sadly, there is no good news in today’s Ten Post Round-Up:
1: A serious drug ring was busted up at San Diego State University….
2: Whites and Blacks use drugs at the same rate, yet Blacks are far more likely to be arrested for drug offenses…
3: The offices and home of Special Counsel, Scott J. Bloch, who oversees protection for federal whistleblowers, have been raided…
FBI Searches Office of Special Counsel Building–Crooks and Liars
4: The “Robbins” half of Baskin-Robbins, has passed away (the other half - Baskin, died awhile back). Both left behind more than 1000 flavors enjoyed by ice cream lovers the world over…
5: They saved the school and were served with pink slips…
CENSUS BOONDOOGLE RAISES COSTS TO $14 BILLION
UPS can put thousands of delivery-drivers on the streets everyday each carrying a hand held gadget to track millions of packages but the U. S. Census Bureau failure to build an effective hand-held computer will cost taxpayers an extra for $1.3 billion – no, you are not seeing things that’s a $1,300,000,000,000 boondoogle.
So, it is turning instead to 600,000 temporary workers to do a paper and pencil census in 2010 just like 1910. Another massive federal bureaucracy run amuck. The $1.3 billion hi-tech gadget glitch will add $2.2 to $3 billion to the 2010 census costs that are now expected to total a mind numbing $13.7 to $14.5 billion.
GM CEO Predicts Bankruptcy
In a letter to shareholders General Motors’ Chairman and CEO Porter Stansberry says he sees light at the end of the tunnel but it is a GM bankruptcy and that a company cannot suffer 40 years of bad decisions, bad ideas, and bad debts and expect to compete with the rest of the world’s automakers.
He says, “what’s killing us is a legacy of debts and obligations we cannot possibly repay.” Stansberry says, “nor do we have any pleasant way to repudiate our promises. The only answer is bankruptcy.” He likens it to promises made under Social Security saying, “we cannot make enough money selling cars to afford the service on our $33 billion debt load, ” and “or the $11 billion we owe in cash pensions. These debts are killing us.” He thinks, “we’ve finally entered the end stage – the death spiral.”
“Given our current burn rate, I estimate we will declare bankruptcy in a little more than three quarters, “he predicted.
Toyota pays workers $43 an hour to make cars in the U. S. but the United Auto Workers demand $67 an hour from GM, Ford and Chrysler. Plus, they make cars that consumers judge to be inferior. Turn out the lights the party is over in Detroit, and Dearborn.
My Candidate: None Of The Above
A lot of potential voters are feeling the strain of the current primary battle going on between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Of course, Obama’s supporters are up in arms about the Clinton camp’s apparent racial comments, not to mention the apparent “slips of the tongue” that seem to be a regular part of Hillary’s stump speeches.
As well, Clinton’s supporters are up in arms about the apparent misogynistic comments coming from the Obama camp. Many even argue that Clinton deserves the Democratic nomination simply because she’s a woman (their argument is that sex should trump race in this election).
Then, there are those Democrats and Progressives who aren’t keen on either candidate, for whatever reason. Of course, they wouldn’t dream of ever voting for a Republican, particularly not John McCain. Many voters are also not keen on voting for relatively or veritably unknown third-party candidates, either.
Many people believe that voting for either a Democrat or a Republican is a sell-out vote, no matter how you cut it. They call it “voting for the lesser of two evils” and of course, that means, no matter how you vote, you are still voting for “evil”. And, there are a lot of people who are not down for voting for “evil”, but they still want their vote to be heard. Instead of “voting for the lesser of two evils”, they prefer to vote “None of the Above” or “NOTA”.
Dizzy’s Ten Post Round-Up
Sometimes it’s hard to believe in the “benevolent brotherhood of man”. Today’s Ten Post Round-Up will probably not make it any easier:
1: The Supremes say it’s OK to require government-issued photo ID card in order to vote…
As Election Nears, Supreme Court Upholds Repressive Voter ID Law–AlterNet
2: The Secret Service rampant with racism?…
Cox reports “Noose allegedly found at Secret Service Training Center” and the Secret Service already has serious problems with racism–AMERICAblog
3: Money-saving tip: A stamp that is always equal to whatever postage is being charged for a 1 oz. letter, forever…
4: Well, it looks like the media has found Jesse Jackson’s replacement…
5: More of your tax dollars at work, supporting the troops, in Iraq…
DynCorp Manager Used Armored Car To Transport Hookers in Iraq–Muckraked
Is Arnold The Terminator?
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger owns an Austrian M-47 tank and he’s getting it back from an Ohio museum so he can ‘enjoy it’. Californians say he’ll need it along with asbestos underwear unless he stops acting like a Governor and becomes one. Although he continues to have a 63% approval rating among Republicans his overall job approval has sagged to 45%. His approval rating is lowest in the Greater LA region and highest in the inland area according to a mid-month Survey/USA poll.
Kalifornia’s Kamikazi Konservatives Konvene
Remnants of California’s once proud Reagan Republican Party head to San Francisco this weekend for what some are calling the “telephone booth” semiannual state convention. Attendees will debate a platform critics say is nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Perhaps the biggest controversy surrounds party GOP financier Larry Dodge’s refusal to bailout the bankrupt party, and his long list of complaints.
Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be conspicuously absent. Last September, he said the party was “dying at the box office”and he’s done nothing to revive it since as it continues to bleed nearly 10,000 registered voters a month. Schwarzenegger left the state and went to the National Governors Association meeting in Washington DC.
Billionaire State Insurance Commissioner, and champion of the defeat of Proposition 93 the scheme to extend terms of the current legislature, Steve Poisner will speak and be begged for money to avoid the bill collectors. Poisner is reported to be interested in running to replace a disappointing Schwarzenegger who will “term out” in 2010.
Echt (ekht) adjective, authentic; typical. [From German echt (genuine, typical)]
Hillary to the Supreme Court!
Only if necessary.
It Hillary loses the nomination in Denver in August 2008 to Obama and the delegate count from Michigan and Florida would have given her the win, you can believe it that it will be Democrat vs Democrat in court, possible all the way to the Supreme Court. Bush v Gore only more gore.
LOSING THE REAGAN REVOLUTION IN CALIFORNIA
California’s Republican Party is in disarray and under overt attack by loyalist many of whom who have simply lost faith in its leadership. It is broke – technically bankrupt and in Chapter 7. The man who would have bailed it out with a $3 million check has written a scathing letter demanding change but did not include a check.
Reports that an Australian citizen was hired by its beleaguered chairman to run the party’s day-to-day functions and may not even have legal status have created a firestorm.
DIAGNOSIS: HYPOCRISY
I have decided to blog here because a blog about hypocrisy will never run out of material. You might think otherwise. You might say, “Well, Snark, I manage to survive without saying one thing and doing the exact opposite, most days, why can’t the politicians?”
Hidden Camera on Mayor Bloomberg
Dear Mayor Bloomberg,
Surveillance is illegal without a warrant.
Sara Kugler, in her 1-18-8 article, http://www.topix.net/forum/source/am-new-york
“‘Bloomberg proposes more high-tech solutions for governments “
Florida Republican’s Boycott Today’s Primary in Sympathy With Democrats
In a rare show of unity between parties, it appears that local politics is stronger than national parties and are refusing to vote since the Democrats Delegates will not count in Denver, CO at the national convention this August. Sort of gives me goosebumps.
While some are going to the polling booths according to the New York T imes, some reports indicate that those who are too embarrassed to show unity with the Democrats in public by boycotting publicly, many are going in and in the privacy of the booth are refusing to Punch The Chad.
Republicans enjoy nice nice, even a little foot in mouth by Huckabee, no matter
There was a Republican debate Thursday night in Florida. It started like reading the survivors list from the Titanic – a lot shorter than it was originally. Romney, McCain, Giuliani, Paul and Huckabee more or less agreed that the proposed Bush-House economic stimulus package is good but does not go far enough, fast enough or long enough.
Bad Florida, bad, bad Florida, You Don’t Count
Florida will pay for it’s performance in past presidential elections by being banned from
2008. Democratic candidates are vacationing in Florida but refuse to campaigning there.
1/24/2008 Thursday, Conservatively Speaking
M |
onday night Democrats had the HIP BOOT DEBATE in South Carolina that had their three remaining presidential candidates wading around in a hog wallow of slung mud sponsored by CNN/BLACK CAUCUS. It was the most heated and acrimonious thus far. If looks could kill Barrack would be dead. Aside from the mutual if inconclusive splattering the most interesting part was the closing segment that the three spent discussing how Democrats could defeat Republican John McCain next November.
Clinton and Obama bickered and gnawed on each other leaving Edwards to whine that it was a three and not a two person debate. The crowd was mostly with Obama. It is axiomatic that when three people are running and two are attacking each other the third wins. That would make Edwards the winner but not last night. Obama marginally took a split decision. But, no minds were changed.
Wednesday morning ABCs Good Morning America clarified the various debate charges pointing out that both Clinton’s have made charges against Obama that are simply untrue and Obama tiptoed around the truth too.
Mike, Arnold, It Takes a Constititutional Amendment
|
|
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger grace this week’s Time magazine cover, and on Tuesday the two “joked” about forming a presidential ticket. Bloomberg’s was very palsy-walsy with California’s Governor Schwarzenegger as he ripped Washington for various sins. Maybe that explains Arnold’s flip-flop telling the press he refuses to endorse anyone on the eve of the California February 5th primary. Schwarzenegger is term limited. Rumor was he had been eyeing Senator Barbara Boxer’s seat if she does not run for reelection in 2010 but she has announced she will run and she remains very popular so that’s off the table.
BLOOMBERG-SCHWARZENEGGER 2008.
LONGEST BUMPER STICKER: Maybe ever in American History
Due to a consensus of printers across American who are against it, to say nothing of legislators who say it can’t happen soon enough, and most importantly the likely hood that Arnold might be better playing the Chuck Norris to Huckabee gig for Bloomberg, it might have been decided for this election sycle to let Arnold rotatate from California to Ambassador to Austria.