"A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation."
-- James Freeman Clarke
-- James Freeman Clarke
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Monday, November 7, 2011
A "Friend" Against Kasich
Nov 7th, 2011
No joke. Very conservative radio host Bill Cunningham, who is indeed a personal friend of the Ohio Governor, appeared on the Ed Show and explained his recent commercial imploring Ohio voters to vote tomorrow to repeal Kasich's union-busting legislation known as "issue 2."
No joke. Very conservative radio host Bill Cunningham, who is indeed a personal friend of the Ohio Governor, appeared on the Ed Show and explained his recent commercial imploring Ohio voters to vote tomorrow to repeal Kasich's union-busting legislation known as "issue 2."
Sunday, August 21, 2011
She's Going To Run
Aug 21st, 2011
If you thought the entrance of Gov. Rick Perry dragged the debate down, just wait. It seems clear the Sarah Palin is about to join the race. In spite of months of the beltway crowd arguing that she would not, they never seem to have considered the fact that Palin is a certifiable megalomaniac. She can't not run. She is far and away her own favorite person in the world, after all. In her mind, how could she possibly deny America the amazing gift of herself?
Watch the video below. It looks like a campaign ad. It sure as heck sounds like a campaign ad. I think it is a campaign ad.
If you thought the entrance of Gov. Rick Perry dragged the debate down, just wait. It seems clear the Sarah Palin is about to join the race. In spite of months of the beltway crowd arguing that she would not, they never seem to have considered the fact that Palin is a certifiable megalomaniac. She can't not run. She is far and away her own favorite person in the world, after all. In her mind, how could she possibly deny America the amazing gift of herself?
Watch the video below. It looks like a campaign ad. It sure as heck sounds like a campaign ad. I think it is a campaign ad.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Nothing To See Here, Folks
August 4th, 2011
An apparently very nervous Reince Preibus (which still sounds like a creepy Star Wars name) is using his position as head of the RNC to tell the media they should just ignore next week's recall elections in Wisconsin. At the very least, he argues, whatever happens has no bearing on the issues looming in 2012. Uh huh.
From TPM:
"I don't think its a test run," Preibus said on a conference call with reporters this morning. He added that even though some of the key issues on the ballot in the coming weeks in his home state are "a similar debate to what we're having in the country," the "the localized nature of it doesn't allow it to be analogous to the 2012 election."
If the polls are to be believed, that's good news for the GOP."
We will be watching closely... sorry, Reince.
An apparently very nervous Reince Preibus (which still sounds like a creepy Star Wars name) is using his position as head of the RNC to tell the media they should just ignore next week's recall elections in Wisconsin. At the very least, he argues, whatever happens has no bearing on the issues looming in 2012. Uh huh.
From TPM:
"I don't think its a test run," Preibus said on a conference call with reporters this morning. He added that even though some of the key issues on the ballot in the coming weeks in his home state are "a similar debate to what we're having in the country," the "the localized nature of it doesn't allow it to be analogous to the 2012 election."
If the polls are to be believed, that's good news for the GOP."
We will be watching closely... sorry, Reince.
The Looming Wisconsin Recalls
August 4th, 2011
Things are looking very good for the Democratic contenders in next week's Wisconsin recall Elections. That is, if the dishonest and potentially criminal activities of the Koch funded Americans For Progress don't effectively steal it.
Things are looking very good for the Democratic contenders in next week's Wisconsin recall Elections. That is, if the dishonest and potentially criminal activities of the Koch funded Americans For Progress don't effectively steal it.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Exasperation Within
July 3rd, 2011
Milt Shook recently wrote a "101" lesson plan for progressives who are as much under siege from their own fringe as they are from the conservative movement:
"...a large number of far-left “progressives” were actually crowing at the “silver lining” in the 2010 election results; that about half of all “Blue Dog” Democrats lost. Yes, that’s right; they were HAPPY. Nancy Pelosi was replaced by an orange Boner, the committee chairs all went from being progressive Democrats to being right wing Republicans. We went from having a House of Representatives that passed hundreds of relatively progressive bills to one that has repeatedly tried to kill Medicare and damage Social Security.
And do you know WHY this happened? In part, it’s because about 25 “Blue Dogs,” almost all of whom voted with Democrats at least 80% of the time, were replaced by right wing Republicans and teabaggers.
Does that sound like ":progress" to you? Really? If you do, then you must be one of those geniuses who thinks both major parties are the same."
Indeed, many of those Shook refers to as "far-left" bear the responsibility for last November's poor turnout. The fear that was stoked by the Drudge/FOX/Red State types on the right was matched and, in some ways, surpassed by the cynicism spawned within liberal ranks by our own self-declared purists.
Milt Shook recently wrote a "101" lesson plan for progressives who are as much under siege from their own fringe as they are from the conservative movement:
"...a large number of far-left “progressives” were actually crowing at the “silver lining” in the 2010 election results; that about half of all “Blue Dog” Democrats lost. Yes, that’s right; they were HAPPY. Nancy Pelosi was replaced by an orange Boner, the committee chairs all went from being progressive Democrats to being right wing Republicans. We went from having a House of Representatives that passed hundreds of relatively progressive bills to one that has repeatedly tried to kill Medicare and damage Social Security.
And do you know WHY this happened? In part, it’s because about 25 “Blue Dogs,” almost all of whom voted with Democrats at least 80% of the time, were replaced by right wing Republicans and teabaggers.
Does that sound like ":progress" to you? Really? If you do, then you must be one of those geniuses who thinks both major parties are the same."
Indeed, many of those Shook refers to as "far-left" bear the responsibility for last November's poor turnout. The fear that was stoked by the Drudge/FOX/Red State types on the right was matched and, in some ways, surpassed by the cynicism spawned within liberal ranks by our own self-declared purists.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
More Strange Bedfellows
April 10th, 2011
A hat tip to Tea Party proponent and Blog Talk Radio host Mark Gillar. No, really. He and I were recently discussing the Waukesha situation on twitter. Politely, I might add. We may not agree on much, but we agree on the principles of fairness and the rule of law. I would like to see more folks across the spectrum get on board and acknowledge that this is the most important issue here. He is convinced that the outcomes will not be changed by a recount. I am not so sure. But my mistrust is purely political. It is more than possible that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus is just profoundly incompetent. It would not be the first time an initial appearance of impropriety was simply the topcoat on a pattern of stupidity. The point is this; we both want to turn on the lights.
A hat tip to Tea Party proponent and Blog Talk Radio host Mark Gillar. No, really. He and I were recently discussing the Waukesha situation on twitter. Politely, I might add. We may not agree on much, but we agree on the principles of fairness and the rule of law. I would like to see more folks across the spectrum get on board and acknowledge that this is the most important issue here. He is convinced that the outcomes will not be changed by a recount. I am not so sure. But my mistrust is purely political. It is more than possible that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus is just profoundly incompetent. It would not be the first time an initial appearance of impropriety was simply the topcoat on a pattern of stupidity. The point is this; we both want to turn on the lights.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Credit Where Due
April 9th, 2011
by F. Grey Parker
Yesterday, I wrote a piece on the right wing's callous double standards regarding election fraud. I stand by my arguments and my critique of their tactics immediately following the apparent victory of the Democrat in Wisconsin's Supreme Court Race. Although I am not walking back any of my statements on arch-conservative John Fund's history of fear-mongering nor letting him off the hook for his still despicable April 7th WSJ column written prior to the stunning discovery of "uncounted votes" favoring the Republican, I need to make a clarification.
Mr. Fund has written a piece in today's WSJ that demands he not be grouped with the other conservatives I went on to expose as crass opportunists in the wake of the "magic vote" affair. He has very clearly stated what so many of his fellow travelers will not.
"Ms. Nickolaus {Waukesha, WI County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus} ought to resign her position out of a sense of shame. An independent investigation is called for, if for no other reason than to clear the air and to recommend procedures to ensure such errors don't happen again. Just as many Wisconsin officials have ignored or downplayed evidence of vote fraud (see the Milwaukee Police Department's 2008 detailed investigation) so too have sloppy election procedures been allowed to fester in some counties.
If the mistake was innocent, it resulted from a lack of transparency. Ms. Nickolaus has long been criticized for keeping her county's election data on private office computers that are not part of the county network. But of equal concern is her decision to no longer report the individual breakdown of results from cities in her county on her office's website. If she had, everyone could have seen that the city of Brookfield was listed as reporting that no votes had been cast. In addition, Ms. Nickolaus's office never reported what percentage of the county's vote had been counted at any point on election night.
Ms. Nickolaus still hasn't provided a full explanation of what happened, but the public deserves answers. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says she ended the prior clerk's practice of reporting election results for individual cities because it was "not her responsibility" and she didn't "have the staff to enter all the data that's required for such reporting." That is an absurd excuse. Many smaller Wisconsin counties are able to post such data on their websites and provide proper transparency."
by F. Grey Parker
Yesterday, I wrote a piece on the right wing's callous double standards regarding election fraud. I stand by my arguments and my critique of their tactics immediately following the apparent victory of the Democrat in Wisconsin's Supreme Court Race. Although I am not walking back any of my statements on arch-conservative John Fund's history of fear-mongering nor letting him off the hook for his still despicable April 7th WSJ column written prior to the stunning discovery of "uncounted votes" favoring the Republican, I need to make a clarification.
Mr. Fund has written a piece in today's WSJ that demands he not be grouped with the other conservatives I went on to expose as crass opportunists in the wake of the "magic vote" affair. He has very clearly stated what so many of his fellow travelers will not.
"Ms. Nickolaus {Waukesha, WI County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus} ought to resign her position out of a sense of shame. An independent investigation is called for, if for no other reason than to clear the air and to recommend procedures to ensure such errors don't happen again. Just as many Wisconsin officials have ignored or downplayed evidence of vote fraud (see the Milwaukee Police Department's 2008 detailed investigation) so too have sloppy election procedures been allowed to fester in some counties.
If the mistake was innocent, it resulted from a lack of transparency. Ms. Nickolaus has long been criticized for keeping her county's election data on private office computers that are not part of the county network. But of equal concern is her decision to no longer report the individual breakdown of results from cities in her county on her office's website. If she had, everyone could have seen that the city of Brookfield was listed as reporting that no votes had been cast. In addition, Ms. Nickolaus's office never reported what percentage of the county's vote had been counted at any point on election night.
Ms. Nickolaus still hasn't provided a full explanation of what happened, but the public deserves answers. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says she ended the prior clerk's practice of reporting election results for individual cities because it was "not her responsibility" and she didn't "have the staff to enter all the data that's required for such reporting." That is an absurd excuse. Many smaller Wisconsin counties are able to post such data on their websites and provide proper transparency."
Hear hear. I think, as he goes onto posit, it may well be true that there is no actual fraud. Perhaps, the candidate I supported with much passion has indeed legitimately lost this race. I might not like it, but that's not germane. Which was my whole point yesterday. The only reasonable American response is to shine a whole lot of light on Wisconsin. Then certify a result that is confirmed to be true. Either way.
Again, John Fund has argued for justice and fairness. I challenge all the members of the right who have been mocking calls for a full investigative review to grow up. And join him
Friday, April 8, 2011
Oh, It's Different If THEY Might Have Done It
April 8th, 2011
Please CLICK HERE to petition the Justice Department to investigate "magic votes" in Wisconsin.
by F. Grey Parker
UPDATE: 4/9/2011 John Fund did the right thing today
An incredibly ugly thing happened yesterday in America. I am not explicitly referring to the discovery of "magic votes" that were previously uncounted due to "human error" in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. That is a factor in what disturbs me, to be sure. More troubling than this potential impropriety is that the previous day's media cycle began with a coordinated series of attacks
throughout the usual conservative outlets making baseless claims of "potential fraud" by Democrats in the race. At that time, it looked like the liberal was winning.
This is the modern, post-election playbook for the American Right. If they win, even by the slimmest of margins, it is called a "mandate." Ah, but if they lose, well then they goose step to their laptops and TV cameras and imply illegitimacy. It is red meat for those who believe that Americans with whom they disagree are, well, not really American.
Prominent right wing commentator and activist John Fund fired the first shot in Wednesday's WSJ. He laid the usual groundwork for mistrust and it was widely linked to by organizations like FOX.
Some selections from his agit-prop:
"Any recount will be scrutinized for irregularities and possible vote fraud. A recount in a similarly close race in neighboring Minnesota's 2008 U.S. Senate race stretched on for months, amid charges that some counties counted absentee ballots according to different standards than others did. Al Franken, the Democrat, was eventually sworn in after pulling ahead by 315 votes. His victory gave—for a time—Senate Democrats the critical 60th vote they needed to pass ObamaCare over a potential filibuster."
Please CLICK HERE to petition the Justice Department to investigate "magic votes" in Wisconsin.
by F. Grey Parker
UPDATE: 4/9/2011 John Fund did the right thing today
throughout the usual conservative outlets making baseless claims of "potential fraud" by Democrats in the race. At that time, it looked like the liberal was winning.
This is the modern, post-election playbook for the American Right. If they win, even by the slimmest of margins, it is called a "mandate." Ah, but if they lose, well then they goose step to their laptops and TV cameras and imply illegitimacy. It is red meat for those who believe that Americans with whom they disagree are, well, not really American.
Prominent right wing commentator and activist John Fund fired the first shot in Wednesday's WSJ. He laid the usual groundwork for mistrust and it was widely linked to by organizations like FOX.
Some selections from his agit-prop:
"Any recount will be scrutinized for irregularities and possible vote fraud. A recount in a similarly close race in neighboring Minnesota's 2008 U.S. Senate race stretched on for months, amid charges that some counties counted absentee ballots according to different standards than others did. Al Franken, the Democrat, was eventually sworn in after pulling ahead by 315 votes. His victory gave—for a time—Senate Democrats the critical 60th vote they needed to pass ObamaCare over a potential filibuster."
Kathy Nickolaus' Shaky Presser
April 8th, 2011
This warrants a serious investigation. Mrs. Nickolaus has a long history of questionable behavior. Many on the right think this is funny. Had these votes, which if confirmed are just over the requirement for a state funded recount under Wisconsin law, been for Kloppenburg, I don't think the right would be so gleeful. Do you?
UPDATE -This is the longer full video
This warrants a serious investigation. Mrs. Nickolaus has a long history of questionable behavior. Many on the right think this is funny. Had these votes, which if confirmed are just over the requirement for a state funded recount under Wisconsin law, been for Kloppenburg, I don't think the right would be so gleeful. Do you?
UPDATE -This is the longer full video
Quote Of The Day - Waukesha Edition
April 8th, 2011
Please CLICK HERE to petition the Justice Department to investigate "magic votes" in Wisconsin.
In light of the questionable events in Waukesha, WI yesterday, we are trying to round up as much information on the submission of "magic votes that favor Prosser in the state's Supreme Court race as we can. There is strong and somewhat damning coverage at AlterNet.
Please CLICK HERE to petition the Justice Department to investigate "magic votes" in Wisconsin.
In light of the questionable events in Waukesha, WI yesterday, we are trying to round up as much information on the submission of "magic votes that favor Prosser in the state's Supreme Court race as we can. There is strong and somewhat damning coverage at AlterNet.
"It is fraud to conceal fraud" - Legal Maxim
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Quote Of The Day
April 6th, 2011
"I got involved because I wanted to help inspire more people to get off their butts and register and vote - not just in this election, but in every other election from now on, you know?" -- Jello Biafra
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Goo-Goo Syndrome
March 22nd, 2011
We know what the right is up to. They are following a blueprint handed to them from their modern hero, Paul Weyrich, in 1980. What they are doing is not new. The fierceness and ugliness with which they are doing it is. Divide, disenfranchise and denigrate. Make sure that stupid people are listening to you and that you are fueling the fire of their fears.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Crazy Is On The Bus, part 1
Nov 8th, 2010
by F. Grey Parker
Please check out other stories here at The Hand.
They are on their way. The new Republican congressional members, with all their naiveté and delusions of a "mandate," are about to arrive and they are bringing the crazy. Indeed, crazy is on the bus and The Crazy Bus is barreling down on Washington D.C.
I don't remember another election where so many new representatives were expected to fix government by opposing the concept that we need government. Perhaps I just don't get some form of folksy wisdom. But they really seem sure of themselves, don't they?
The big message of The Tea party, we are told, is to reduce spending and the deficit while lowering taxes. These are such obviously opposing goals given the realities of our economy that we are going to need some specifics fairly soon. How are they going to pull this off?
The highest profile newcomer backed by the Tea Party, Rand Paul (R-KY), appeared today on ABC's This Week. When pressed on this, he seemed supremely confident of not much in particular.
"Give me one specific cut, Senator-elect," This Week anchor Christiane Amanpour asked Paul in an exclusive interview Sunday morning.
"All across the board," Paul said.
"But you just can't keep saying all across the board," Amanpour pressed.
"No, I can."
Okay then. The thing is, Senator-elect Paul may be one of the sanest and most grounded of the bunch. The really jaw-droppingly lunatic newcomers are mostly going to the House of Representatives.
Meet Allen West of Boca Raton, Florida. Viewed widely overseas and by many here at home as a war criminal, Mr. West rode the Tea Party "tidal wave" to victory.
You may recall, he was also the candidate who said he has a higher security clearance than The Commander in Chief. In the words of VoteVets, "He's a verified torturer, war criminal and liar."
Would this have been remotely acceptable only a few years ago? Why has it become acceptable now? I think, perhaps, there may be those in the Tea Party who not only admire a lack of knowledge, but also mistake a certain kind of lawlessness for American Exceptionalism. Which is a polite way of saying they are dangerous brutes.
The coming months are going to very strange indeed...
by F. Grey Parker
Please check out other stories here at The Hand.
I don't remember another election where so many new representatives were expected to fix government by opposing the concept that we need government. Perhaps I just don't get some form of folksy wisdom. But they really seem sure of themselves, don't they?
The big message of The Tea party, we are told, is to reduce spending and the deficit while lowering taxes. These are such obviously opposing goals given the realities of our economy that we are going to need some specifics fairly soon. How are they going to pull this off?
The highest profile newcomer backed by the Tea Party, Rand Paul (R-KY), appeared today on ABC's This Week. When pressed on this, he seemed supremely confident of not much in particular.
"Give me one specific cut, Senator-elect," This Week anchor Christiane Amanpour asked Paul in an exclusive interview Sunday morning.
"All across the board," Paul said.
"But you just can't keep saying all across the board," Amanpour pressed.
"No, I can."
Okay then. The thing is, Senator-elect Paul may be one of the sanest and most grounded of the bunch. The really jaw-droppingly lunatic newcomers are mostly going to the House of Representatives.
 |
| Copyright FOX 2010 |
You may recall, he was also the candidate who said he has a higher security clearance than The Commander in Chief. In the words of VoteVets, "He's a verified torturer, war criminal and liar."
Would this have been remotely acceptable only a few years ago? Why has it become acceptable now? I think, perhaps, there may be those in the Tea Party who not only admire a lack of knowledge, but also mistake a certain kind of lawlessness for American Exceptionalism. Which is a polite way of saying they are dangerous brutes.
The coming months are going to very strange indeed...
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