All three Presidential candidates managed to agree on one thing, namely that mercury in vaccines causes autism.
Except.
There is no mercury in vaccines. Hasn't been for years. And yet, autism rates continue to climb. Not to mention that the mercury you get from coal fired electric generating plants is much more of a problem. Yet no one seems to worried about that.
Here's more on, what I contend will be, the determinate of Hillary staying in the race or not:
The Wall Street Journal notes a new financial report showed Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign "struggling for cash. That could limit her ability to stay competitive in the final nine Democratic contests with Barack Obama, who has considerably more money to spend on advertising and organization."Obama is killing her in fund raising. This is the party insiders, activitists and key players voting. More evidence:
Obama reported that he had $42 million available at the end of March to spend on the primaries. Clinton's filing showed she had only $8 million in the bank and debts of $10.3 million to outside vendors.
The Los Angeles Times: "Obama strategists said Monday that they expected to announce a series of additional endorsements by uncommitted superdelegates shortly after Pennsylvania votes. A strong showing by Obama in Pennsylvania would give superdelegates more comfort in coming forward, but a bad loss might send them back to the assessment stage."They'll read the Pennsylvania results the way they want to, then use it as the reason to back Obama.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post quotes Democratic strategist Tad Devine predicting a new wave of superdelegate support going to Obama.
Said Devine: "Unless Obama collapses between now and then, I believe they will move quickly after the voting is done in June, and move towards him. That will be the third wave of superdelegate movement, and whoever wins the third wave will win the nomination. This fight will not go to the convention."
Just so you know, two more American soldiers and a slew of Iraqi's were killed yesterday.
Speaking of John McCain. Isn't there a bit of a disconnect between his public statements and this?
In other McCain-related news, the LAT points out that when the senator released his tax return last week, he disclosed that he received a tax-exempt $58,358 for what his staff called a "disability pension" from the Navy because of "his limited body movements due to injuries as a POW."Oink oink. Mind you, if I hurt from the war I'd certainly take the disability pay. But then, I'm not running for Preznit and proclaiming that I'm fit as a fiddle now am I. Isn't this a bit like those insurance investigators who take movies of people seeking disability for back problems who are seen lifting heavy stuff? I think the guy either a) takes the pay and when asked about his health discloses his disability openly or, b) doesn't take the pay and returns it from the time he's been running.
Here is one of a hundred ways that the lack of willingness (read: greed) of U.S. citizens to pay their taxes social dues ends up hurting all of us:
The NYT and WSJ highlight how this is the latest example of the growing rift between the United States and China over safety issues. Meanwhile, it's becoming clearer just how little oversight there is of imported products. A new government audit says the FDA would have to invest an additional $56 million next year simply to begin full inspections of foreign plants. At the current pace, "the F.D.A. would need at least 27 years to inspect every foreign medical device plant that exports to the United States, 13 years to check every foreign drug plant and 1,900 years to examine every foreign food plant," reports the NYT.Mind you, $56 million is a drop in the bucket when you consider we're spending that much in about fours in Iraq. But if you look at the government's budget, you'll see where the priorities are. Including this numbskull:
In a blunt piece inside, the WSJ says that the tax cuts Sen. John McCain is vowing to push through as president "would either cause the federal deficit to explode or would require unprecedented spending cuts." He has proposed a total of more than $650 billion in tax cuts a year that would mostly benefit "corporations and upper-income families." Details are scarce, but he has promised deep cuts would equal $160 billion a year, which was "the total budget in 2007 for the departments of Education, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice and State."
Do you ever wonder why you seem to be paying so much more for stuff, yet the government keeps saying that inflation is around 2%? Here's why:
The blue line is comparing apples and apples. In other words, it's inflation as it was originally measured by the government. The red line is inflation as reported by the government after "modifications" in the calculation process in the 80's and 90's, primary to stiff those with entitlements.
So we are actually in the ranges we were in during the inflationary 70's and 80's. And it's not going to improve anytime soon with continuing pressure from energy, food, and metals.
Remember how peak oil folks have been issuing warnings ranging from mild to apocalyptic? Recent developments are just the kind of headlines that you'll see as the water heats up on the boiling frog.
Digby tackles the idea that conservatives won't back McCain in the general. She concludes:
The conservatives never get enough credit for being pragmatic. They are. When faced with the total repudiation of their most precious ideals in the wreckage of the worst presidency ever, they picked the one guy in their whole party who any voter could possibly believe wasn't a loyal Bushie. The only thing they required was that he was a bloodthirsty sonofabitch who would keep the flame of war alive. He is happy to oblige.I think that's true. But. I also think that enthusiasm plays a role in elections. While conservatives who do vote will vote for McCain, the question is how many will actually vote? The dislike of McCain won't show up in percentages, but rather in numbers. And the numbers that matter are voters and $$$. Compare those numbers with Obama's.
I've contended in the past, and continue to believe that this will be the real determinate in the primaries:
(CNN) – Hillary Clinton began one of the most crucial stretches of her presidential campaign in debt, newly disclosed financial reports show.
According to campaign reports filed with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend, the New York senator began the month of April with close to $32 million cash-on hand. But only $9 million of that total are funds that are able to be spent in the primary races. The report also showed Clinton owes more than $10 million, meaning the Democratic presidential candidate was in the red even before she heavily stepped up television advertising in Pennsylvania.
Robert Rapier works in the petroleum business and writes about it extensively. In his latest post, he has included a letter to his children on the reasons why he's moving to Dallas. (Hint: he's buying farmland).
It's not often you see real journalism these days. If you have a few moments, go watch this and you'll see some.
Finally, the Pennsylvania primary is next week. Let me save you a whole lot of grief from watching the cable bobble heads explain it all to you. Here's the spin:
In advance of the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, the Chicago Sun Times reports Sen. Barack Obama's team "will call it a victory if he keeps Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to a single-digit lead."So you, dear reader, are now totally capable of deciding who wins in Pennsylvania.
However, Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said Obama should be expected to do well because of "earth-shattering, record-breaking, eye-popping, extraordinary spending by the Obama campaign."
Here is a very simple explanation of why the recent jump in food, metals, and other commodity prices are not speculative bubbles.
The chess pieces continue to move around inside Iraq. At least according to Michael Gordon, who is often wrong.
Has al Sadr moved his forces out of Basra as is claimed? Is he gearing up for an offensive against the U.S. government in Baghdad? Have the Iranians abandoned al Sadr and thrown their full weight behind Maliki? Are the Sunni's gearing up for an offensive?
I don't think anyone knows for sure. But one thing is certain, Americans and Iraqi's continue to die while we seem to be preparing for the next battle of the Iraq Civil War.
Today, it's the ever-deserve George Stanglepuss:
Not long ago, while cruising through the cable universe looking for something to watch that didn't involve the Knights Templar or a really big tumor, I came upon The War Room, Chris Hegedus' documentary about the 1992 Clinton campaign that starred those two Sorkinite heartthrobs, James Carville and George Stephanopoulos. Look how clever they are. See James drink a beer and talk like Doug Kershaw on Quaaludes while falling for Mary Matalin, who, as the movie was being filmed, had just rejoined the Republican campaign fresh off her acclaimed performance in the TV movie V.Heckava job George.
See George deplore how the campaign has descended to this gutter level, as though Bill Clinton would have a girlfriend, and as though this kind of thing would materially affect the way President Bill Clinton would do his job. George is shocked by this, and saddened. And he fears for the reporter's professional life. See George tell the reporter that, if the reporter runs with this lurid, innuendo-laden trash, he will have no friends any more among the Important People in Washington. His career will be over. Nobody will talk to him again. Ever. He will have to eat his lunch in the cafeteria alone, every day, while everyone at the Cool Kids table mock him. He will never get picked for basketball. This is not the kind of thing that has any place among the serious issues that will affect all Americans, and it is far beneath the proper parameters of what is proper dialogue for something as important as a presidential race.See George.
An indescribable foof.
p.s. -- The foofhood extends to a second day. Worse and worse.
Please, go away Joe:
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), the Democratic Party’s 2000 vice presidential nominee, is leaving open the possibility of giving a keynote address on behalf of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) at the Republican National Convention in September.
Republicans close to the McCain campaign say Lieberman’s appearance at the convention, possibly before a national primetime audience, could help make the case that the presumptive GOP nominee has a record of crossing the aisle. That could appeal to much-needed independent voters.
This is a story that would make any Republican proud:
The Los Angeles Times leads with California school districts' cries to parents for funding in the face of sweeping budget cuts. Potential layoff notices have been handed to 20,000 teachers, librarians, and nurses, as districts ask for as much as $400 a year from each student's family.It's not enough that most teachers use their own money on the classrooms and students. California schools have been on the slide since the famous refunding priorities in the 70's. What refunding? The one that shifts people from paying their dues to society to buying lots and lots of S.U.V.'s!
In case you didn't know it, John McCain is one.
If he won, I don't think he'd be the first. We seem to like to elect spoiled brats.
Added: I think John McCain is going to remind folks of the pre-viagra Bob Doll.
Added: What a petty prick:
A platform that had been adequate for taller candidates had not taken into account the needs of the 5-foot-9 McCain, who left the suite and went looking for a man in his early 20s named Robert Wexler, the head of Arizona’s Young Republicans, which had helped make arrangements for the evening’s celebration. Confronting Wexler in a hotel ballroom, McCain exploded, according to witnesses who included Jon Hinz, then executive director of the Arizona Republican Party. McCain jabbed an index finger in Wexler’s chest.
“I told you we needed a stage,” he screamed, according to Hinz. “You incompetent little [expletive]. When I tell you to do something, you do it.”
Hinz recalls intervening, placing his 6-foot-6 frame between the senator-elect and the young volunteer. “John, this is not the time or place for this,” Hinz remembers saying to McCain, who fumed that he hadn’t been seen clearly by television viewers. Hinz recollects finally telling McCain: “John, look, I’ll follow you out on stage myself next time. I’ll make sure everywhere you go there is a milk crate for you to stand on. But this is enough.”
McCain spun around on his heels and left. He did not talk to Hinz again for several years.
You mean to tell me that members of the media have been punked by the government?
The NYT successfully sued the Department of Defense to gain access to thousands of e-mails and internal documents relating to its posse of military T.V. commentators. The 8,000 pages of information "reveal a symbiotic relationship where the usual dividing lines between government and journalism have been obliterated." These "military experts" often communicated with the Pentagon to receive the latest agenda before going on camera, and some used the inside information to assist private companies in obtaining military contracts. More unfortunately, "members of this group have echoed administration talking points, sometimes even when they suspected the information was false or inflated. Some analysts acknowledge they suppressed doubts because they feared jeopardizing their access." Several of the purported military experts express regret over their actions, while the Pentagon defends the operation as a genuine effort to inform the American people. The networks, with the sole exception of CNN, refused to comment.This is shocking! Thank god for the internets.
