Video: New Rules, July 24, 2009

Video: Setting it straight... Bernie Sanders on health care

Yesterday in 100 Seconds

Yesterday in 100 Seconds

It's Friday!, It is Friday, TGIF, there's a lot happening this morning, isn't there though?, big news, breaking news, this guy, who is it?, unprecedented post-election chaos, can we stop the chaos?, no vote rigging, definitive victory, up to the people to decide, that's what happened, Iranians should not go out in the streets, stay off the streets, stop the protests, stop them right now, or else, don't fight the power, extremist's moves, fire up another extremists move, ignore law, will be held accountable, violence, blood, rioting, President's reaction, voices heard, should be able to do that, important universal principle, he strongly supports that, don't think the U.S. has done squat, President, under fire, he didn't say, this wall is none of our business, tear down that wall, far different than the Soviet Union, far far different, speak softly, carry a big stick, Ahmadinejad, unfairly smeared, honest person, simple life, said Holocaust never happened, disagreed with, not gonna to be used as political foils, Iran v The West, not gonna do that, does not want to meddle, refused to support, these brave Iranians, strong language in support of the Iranian people, President did it on Monday and Tuesday

Yesterday in 100 Seconds

It is Tuesday, turns guns on the growing sea of protesters, Did President Obama's response go far enough?, He has to do this dance, walk this tightrope, President's tone, just right, deep concerns, very concerned, striking the perfect tone, greater openness, greater democracy, for the Iranian people to decide, Is that enough?, free and fair elections, Has he gone far enough?, Are you satisfied with what he said?, I'm really not, cause of freedom, American cannot be neutral, stand strongly, universal principle, people's voices should be heard, not suppressed, more forcefully denounce, quite forceful, violence, descent, being suppressed, Has he not done enough?, What more should he do?, given the history of U.S./Iranian relations, U.S. President meddling in Iranian elections, speak out, corrupt, flawed, sham of an election, it's not a good idea to meddle, election was a joke, fraud, shouldn't be silent, allow the Iranians to work out their situation, popular revolutions, from the people, opportunity to have an enemy, interfere, regime change, associate with President Bush, backfire, empathetic, show interest, don't interfere

Video: Iranian election aftermath, Richard Lugar and John McCain

Lugar v McCain? I pick Lugar.

He's my Senator and he's a reasonable, rational, thoughtful Republican. Lugar knows foreign policy. He's smart and wise.

The world needs a lot more Republicans of the caliber of Senator Dick Lugar (R-Indiana).

John McCain? Well. He's still a Senator you see. Nuff said.

From Think Progress:

HARRY SMITH: Beyond watching…beyond supporting the idea that these disputed votes should be recounted, is there anything the United States can do?

LUGAR: No. I think for the moment our position is to allow the Iranians to work out their situation. When popular revolutions occur, they come really from the people. They’re generated by people power within the country. For us to become heavily involved in the election at this point is to give the clergy an opportunity to have an enemy…and to use us, really, to retain their power.

Also, from Think Progress:

CARLSON: Senator, let me ask you this, because you said it’s important how we react. And to me that’s the most important part of this story today. How will the Obama administration react to this? Will they come out directly and say that this is unconscionable, that this can go on when they claim to be a democracy, or will they take an easier tact (sic) on it?

MCCAIN: Well, initial reports by, quote, administration officials, are that they say that they’re not going to change their policy of dialogue, et cetera, et cetera. I think they should be condemned, and it’s obvious that this was a rigged election and depriving the people of their democratic rights. We are for human rights all over the world.

John McCain: Water boarding is torture and a recruitment tool

Remember this one?: Probation for Ashley Todd

I do. It was one of those hyper stories during the campaign season. For more of the back story, you can click here, and/or here.

Police say 21-year-old Ashley Todd falsely claimed a Barack Obama supporter robbed and assaulted her near an automatic teller machine in October, scratching a backward "B" onto her cheek in the process.

Todd, of College Station, Texas, will enter a probation program for first-time offenders. If she completes the program without incident, her arrest record will be expunged. An Allegheny County judge on Friday also ordered her to perform 50 hours of community service. source: Examiner.com

Video: I just can't see Roberta McCain backpeddling on this statement

I can't see myself actually agreeing with John McCain's mother on very many things, but one thing I don't see her doing is apologizing to Rush Limbaugh for these statements and that is totally refreshing.

The Day in 100 Seconds

friday, banana republica, it's time to move on, put the toothpaste back in the tube, defuse the emotion, atomic boms, dresden, forward and not backward, reflection but not retribution, alarmist claims, bad information, greed, threatens the entire american economy, your ideas are not bold, scare tactics, i love and respect my daughter, future maverick in training, maybe

The Day in 100 Seconds

blown away, torture techniques, torture doesn't work, it works, fist bump, strengthen our enemies, get the bad guys, stomach for the trial, a few good men, who's accountable, who's in charge, banana republic, putin, stalin, castro, witch hunt, nightmare for america, if i told you, i'd have to kill you, show trial, abiss from which there is no return, enforce the law, next year or the year after

Torture, specifically Water Boarding: McCain v Lieberman

I keep thinking of the young American woman and journalist in Iran, recently convicted of espionage as I hear these debates about torture. I think the answer on to torture or not to torture becomes abundantly clear.

:20 - Water boarding is torture, and we should stick to the Geneva Conventions says McCain.

3:26 - Water boarding is definitely torture, but in certain circumstances we should use it says Lieberman.

Op Ed: Don't Mess With Obama

More Multi-Tasking

One thing to the exclusion of all others? Lurching from one thing to another. McCain needs to go work in a soup kitchen for a day, or two or three. Maybe spend a day unloading trucks in Elkhart with Feed the Children.

Obama talks about Lincoln doing more than one thing with the Civil War going on, and FDR doing more than one thing with The Great Depression and then World War II. And those Presidents did it without a blackberry, e-mail, or twittering.

My last question is which American people is McCain talking to? He must know a different American people than the ones I know, and the ones who are reflected in recent polling.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The GOP Strategy

Talk smack, and repeat it over and over and over and over and over and over again.

No ideas. No solutions.

We will likely be hearing from the party of 'Borrow and Blow Economics' the phrase 'tax and spend Liberals' over and over again.

They really like that one.

Now this is coming from the party whose talking heads have been chastising President Obama for announcing a reversal of embryonic stem cell research policy, labeling it a 'distraction' from the important challenges we face in solving problems with the economy.

It looks as though they are planning a continual state of distraction as a strategy to win back seats in the 2010 election cycle.

From Greg Sargent at The Plum Line:

McHenry’s description is buried in this new article from National Journal (sub. only):

“We will lose on legislation. But we will win the message war every day, and every week, until November 2010,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., an outspoken conservative who has participated on the GOP message teams. “Our goal is to bring down approval numbers for [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi and for House Democrats. That will take repetition. This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

McHenry’s spokesperson, Brock McCleary, tells me his boss is standing by the quote.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

SNL Sketch: The 'Rock' Obama

Good stuff! Me like!

A Kramer Gets It Right

I almost turned off the television after the Geithner sketch, but my companion, who to his great credit and generosity, often suffers through each Saturday night as SNL hits and misses.

We grew up during the early days of SNL and are always waiting for those fantastically funny sketches.

Kramer hits the mark in his analysis of the show and what we were thinking in my living room last night.

I was hoping for one of the cast members to emerge as Rush Limbaugh. I guess they must be either A) Afraid or B) Afraid to have to apologize to Limbaugh after a sketch where they caricature him, and point out his ludicropocrisy.

The 'Rock Obama' sketch was simply outstanding!

Earmarks? The work of Satan?

John McCain doesn't have to request earmarks for Arizona. They come through his fellow Republican Senator from Arizona, John Kyl. He can vote for them there and still be the mavericky anti-earmark guy.

Time spent attacking President Obama on earmarks would be better spent attacking those in your own party who are earmark happy Senator McCain. Oh yeah, you already have. Keep trying.

This is the same Senator who had 'The Bridge to Nowhere' Governor who wanted the earmark before she was against it (based upon political expediency) on his ticket while running for President of the United States.

Give me a break.

John McCain responds to President Obama's speech on CBS

McCain said of President Obama's speech

...effective and balanced.... expression of hope and confidence... delivery and theme of the speech was excellent..

I didn't get what he was saying about the stimulus that technically it did not have earmarks, but it actually did.

McCain did good balancing the snark in his responses to Katie Couric's questions against the 79% percent CBS snap poll approval rating in favor of President Obama that was taken immediately after the speech.

I never expected the interview to be 'snark free'. That would just be wrong.

It's official. He twitters. Senator McCain is 'technically hip'. I think Couric probably meant to say 'technologically hip'. I just pulled an 'Olbermann' with that observation.

John McCain and President Obama talk helicopters and procurement

President Obama responded to John McCain's concerns regarding procurement in general and the purchase of new Presidential helicopters that was initiated by the previous administration, as follows (my own transcription):

This is gonna be one of our highest priorities, and by the way I've already talked to Gates about a thorough review of the helicopter situation. The helicopter I have now seems perfectly adequate to me. Of course I've never had a helicopter before you know [laughter]... maybe I've been deprived and I didn't know it.

[But seriously folks...]

But I think it is an example of the procurement process gone amok and we're gonna have to fix it and my hope is that you, Senator Levin others can really gonna take some leadership on this... and one of the promising things is I think that Secretary Gates shares our concern and he recognizes that simply adding more and more does not necessarily mean better and better, or safer and more secure.

Those two things are not, or they not always move on parallel tracks and we've got to think that through.