** Update: As of 8 pm Central, the Iowa Republican Party confirms a voting machine glitch. About 1500 ballots have to be hand-counted and, as usual, there’s no “timetable.”
** Update: 8:25 pm Central, the results are now in. Romney wins with less than 1/3 of the vote. Huckabee comes in second by nosing out Brownback and splitting the social conservative vote.
Ames, Iowa
“Change begins in Iowa and change begins today!,†exclaimed Republican presidential candidate and the winner of Saturday’s Iowa GOP Straw Poll, Mitt Romney (though we’re still awaiting the official results as there is apparently a voting machine glitch!). The only other catch is that neither Romney nor any of the other major candidates participating in today’s beauty contest could list any single substantive policy they would actually change.
Unless, that is, you count all eight participating candidates having endorsed some version or another of an even more regressive tax policy than that of George W. Bush. Maverick and semi-crank candidate Ron Paul wants a withdrawal from Iraq. But otherwise the entire pack of candidates agreed they are pro-life, anti-Roe V. Wade, pro-gun, pro-privatization of some portion or another of social security, in favor of building a wall across the Mexican border, and had nothing very different to say about Iraq than would any current sitting White House official.
Indeed, Romney, who spent some $2 million to sew up today’s poll, stood out at the most “continuist†of all the candidates. He lauded President Bush for “keeping us safe for the last six years†and celebrated the administration’s controversial interrogation methods of terror suspects. OK, l et’s give Romney credit for one fresh idea: “I want to clean up the moral pollution on TV and the Internet,†he thundered to the crowd at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames. “I want to enforce our obscenity laws… One strike and you’re ours.â€
I guess I should also include on of the change-prescriptions dished out by Ron Paul. If the government hadn’t have had the monopoly on aviation security, he asserted, 9/11 would have been averted by allowing guns on airplanes! why hadn’t we thought of that before?
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, in an interview this morning, conceded that the current political environment was “very tough†for Republicans and agreed that “the cloud of Iraq†was fogging up the election. “Hopefully General Petraeus will ride us into victory,†he said, conceding that if there’s no measurable change in the status of the war, Republican hopes are dim.
The most logical way to divvy up the Republican field that appeared in today’s poll, is light and optimistic in one bunch and dark and angry in the other. On the lighter side (you might say Bush Lite) we would count Romney, a Lauren-dressed mix of Ronald Reagan and Max Headroom; a buoyant preacher-like Mike Huckabee trying to inherit the compassionate conservative mantel; the pathetic and soon-to-be ex-candidate Tommy Thompson; the evangelical Sam Brownback; and the irrepressible “constitutionalist†Ron Paul whose sporadic whispers of common sense are often gusted away by the downdraft of black helicopters.
Xenophobe Tom Tancredo and cult militarist Duncan Hunter, meanwhile, are in stiff competition for the title of Prince of Darkness. Hunter comes off as a sort of constipated drill sergeant, claiming he will extend the current border wall from 59 miles long to nearly 900 within six months of taking the office he stands no real chance of winning. Tancredo, meanwhile, brought along his so-called “Tom’s Army Against Amnesty†and spent his time at the podium railing against illegal immigrants and warning, finally, “This is our culture!†Tancredo also chided the Bush administration for allegedly being too soft on the war in terror, denouncing what he called the “multi-cultural rules of engagement†set by the Pentagon. “In a Tancredo administration,†he exclaimed,†there will be only one rule of engagement: We win – You lose!†Wild applause.
It cost $35 a head to cast a vote, eat the “free†BBQ pulled pork offered up by the campaigns and listen to the various rock and country bands that spread across the Iowa State University campus. A lot, if not a majority of the attendees, had their tickets purchased by one or another of the campaigns. Once on site they were ferried from the parking lot and to the “voting†booths by rented golf carts.
Kudos to Mike Huckabee for being the only candidate who offered some real change, at least in the menu. The ice-cold chunks of fresh watermelon he served up was the only relief from the otherwise monotonous fare—both gastronomical and rhetorical.
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August 11th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
More good commentary on top of a string of excellent posts. Thanks for suffering, so we don’t have to.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Thanks for pointing out what a fraud Romney is … but, don’t be discouraged, Ron Paul has the way out (forward)!
August 11th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
“Hopefully General Petraeus will ride us into victory†– That’s some very weird locution/imagery. Michael Gerson he ain’t. Of course, Michael Gerson wasn’t “Michael Gerson” either, if Matt Scully is to be believed.
August 11th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Ah yes, thank God for Ron Paul. *groans*
August 11th, 2007 at 5:54 pm
“Ron Paul whose sporadic whispers of common sense are often gusted away by the downdraft of black helicopters. ”
Nice line!
August 11th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Interestingly, none of the candidates are hawking the Bush43-Reagan brand of unabashed stupidity.
The Bubba vote really craves a guy who makes clear that he’s not any smarter than they are and dammit, anyone else who thinks they must surely look down on them.
Let’s not forget how crucial it was for W to lower expectations for his performance in debates, etc. He even managed to “win” a debate or two against Gore because–in the mediocre media’s view, at least–Gore made some funny faces that made him look too much like the know-it-all schoolteacher–and god knows we don’t want THAT in a president.
Stupidity is a key element in the GOP political formula. Besides salving Bubba’s insecurity, it creates a kind of background noise that obscures bad policy decisions, corruption and mismanagment.
Not far below the surface of the mediocre media’s assessment of Bush is the understanding that whatever you can say about him, he’s no evil genius. He’s just too dump to be up to really bad stuff.
So the underlying apology is:
He didn’t lie about WMD because he actually believed the evidence was irrefutably and, as a self-declared aliterate, we an credibly believe that he actually wasn’t aware that Blix, Ritter and so had well-developed doubts about where the weapons were there.
We could buy that Bush actually may not be gunning for a theocracy when he says creationism or ID should be taught in public schools because, well, we know he doesn’t really understand the distinctions between science and religion.
Can the GOP get along with all that plausible deniability? I say probably not.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
I second bunkerbuster’s comment about Ron Paul (no relation btw). Excellent line!
How did you like Ames? I was there in 1988 for business. The folks were nice, the trip from Des Moines to Ames was very pleasant.
August 11th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Ron Paul is well to the right of Pat Buchanan. He would have found the Nixon White House totally aborrent – in some anti-ExecutivePowersUberAlles ways for good reason, but in others, such as the environment, taxation and regulation, because Nixon was a flaming liberal compared to Paul (Ron, not Randy).
August 11th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
Reg is right about Paul. Definitely a whack.
Randy, I love Iowa. I try to come at least once each cycle,sometimes twice — since 1992. I prefer Des Moines over Ames and love griity Davenport and Dubuque. Iowa Nice is for real. even most of the apple-cheeked Republican elders are pretty sweet people.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Des Moines was nice. I’ve always thought the Des Moines Register was one of the nation’s better newspapers, but haven’t read it for a few years. Is it still good?
Ames is a college town and while some college towns (e.g. Ann Arbor and Madison) are pretty nice, Ames, was just okay. I’m with you on Davenport, which also happens to be a major jazz town and the birthplace of Bix Beiderbecke.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Ron Paul may be a whack, but he knows more about what the constitution actually says – and what the framers argued about – than Scott Ritter, who runs off at the mouth about the constitution at the same time he argues for mandatory national service (to Marc’s surprising applause). Try finding the authority for that in Article I, Section 8. Oh yeah, I forgot, the constitution ia “a living document” and means whatever the Humpty-Dumpty justices say it means.
August 11th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
Randy… Tfrue about Ames. Iowa City is better though not by much.
Im NOT a big fan of the Des Moines Register. It sure did have a good rep way back then. But nowadays I find it awful thin and light… almost no content. Maybe Im spoiled by the bloated LATimes but so it goes.
Yeah, Davenport rules. I love the whole quad cities trip and swoon over the texture of Dubuque. Last time I was in the latter was in 2000 on eve of 2000 caucuses. Colder than hell… I spent 30 minutes in my parked car talking to Paul Wellstone who was stumping for Bill Bradley. We had just come from a closed door luncheon withn union leaders. They all told Paul they didnt like Bradley and wanted HIM to run instead. They were right of course.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Romney has some appeal to the Republican faithful, but Rudi and McCain are running to the general American public, who, for very good reason, are either non-partisan or barely partisan, so the Presidential race has barely begun.
Both Hillary and Obama are of the same stripe as Rudi and McCain (i.e. they know what country they live in, understand it, and like lt.)
This is the brightest, deepest group of contenders we have had in a very long time.
Rudi or McCain, Hillary or Obama –if one party self-destructs the other will take the center. The American center is radical and weird and the soul of our democracy. Anything but John Kerry, Reporting for Duty, thank you God.
August 11th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
The American center is radical and weird and the soul of our democracy.
Yes, David Gergen’s got a feisty side. Seriously, the “Brightest” group of candidates? No wonder you simply don’t get what I tried to explain about the notion of enterpeneurship within Marx. You are on the same planet as the hack corporate mediocrity beltway crowd, the Zakerrias and teh Friedmans and the Brooks and the Joe Kleins and the post-post-ideological idiots.
The centre, in fact, is Daily Kos and Reg and RLC. and the Democratic party. The left are folks like me. Most candidates, arguably including Hillary and Biden, could be described on a continuum of centre/right to right to far right. Obama is mildly centre left, as are the other Dem candidates. Edwards I’d call solid centre left, Kucinich and Paul are left-liberals but by no means representative of the left wing of the spectrum.
Bill Blum’s Anti-Empire report which can be found at zmag.org or killinghope.org has some good stuff on Ron Paul’s racism
August 11th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Oy.
I meant Kucinich and Gravel. Gravel is not a leftist, but did work with Zinn, Chomsky et. al on the best publoished edition of the Pentagon Papers.
August 11th, 2007 at 11:07 pm
Regarding the relative positioning of candidates, check out
http://www.stat.columbia.edu/~cook/movabletype/archives/2007/07/pca_of_2008_pre.html
It’s a 2d map of the most discriminatory responses to an issues questionnaire. The two dimensions are not the conventional ones on the net (right/left and authoritarian/libertarian), eg
http://politicalcompass.org/analysis2
but the dimensions emerging from the differing responses to those particular questions, which tilt towards Iraq.
You can see a clear dem/rep split (horizontal) as well as what you might call an establishment/maverick split (vertical).
August 11th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Hi Jcummings,
Universal publishing is now close to free, thanks to the internet, science, technology and capitalism, so who worries about your irrational religious belief that you can dismiss discrete ideas by consigning them a place on your 18th century Left-Right spectrum hit parade?
It is always fun to watch the so-called Left implode, by watching supposed Leftists gut each over the question of who is a genuine Leftist.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:06 am
The Department of Defense has identified 3,674 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the death of the following American last week:
ARMAN, Reynold, 21, Cpl., Marines; Rochester; Second Marine Expeditionary Force.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:06 am
Mr. Cooper,
Your sunglasses may make you look cool but your words make you look cruel and ill-informed.
You say:
“semi-crank candidate Ron Paul wants a withdrawal from Iraq”
Without the adjective ‘semi-crank’ the sentence reads: “candidate Ron Paul wants a withdrawal from Iraq”. No arguing with that – nice reporting of the facts. Thank you for telling us what the candidate actually says.
But then you go and spoil it all by coloring the facts with your prejudices. ‘Semi-crank’ – Sounds cool I guess as you say it to no-one sitting beside you in that same old bar late at night sipping your fourth drink and musing on the uncoolness of everyone else.
But its not what a journalist says.
You like to throw around disparaging adjectives. I guess that feels good. I don’t know. I thought I was going to get some truth from you and your writing. Instead I got bad breath and a bilious feeling of impending tumour in my stomach.
Must be just me though.
But since we are on the word “crank”, I like definition number two. I can’t help thinking of you as I read it. Don’t know why. That’s just the way it is.
CRANK: “Informal. an ill-tempered, grouchy person.”
Maybe try writing without the sunglasses. Less cool and more truth is what the world needs now. Or are you content to be just be another brick in the wall of lies that surrounds us?
August 12th, 2007 at 6:29 am
I’m always amused at the number of pixels and amount of ink wasted on a meaningless straw poll. Oh, and Marc is indeed an ill-tempered, grouchy person… one of the reasons we love him.
Besides, this is not necessarily a “reporting” web site as much as an opinion website. Marc always gives us his, and we in turn respond. Thats one of the reasons we conservatives keep coming back.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:25 am
OK, Samuel.
And people aren’t hungry anywhere either. Its the end of history. You win.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:25 am
The internet is a socialist prodct, in that, yes, the market has pusehd it but like most tech its r and d came from government (DARPA)
August 12th, 2007 at 7:29 am
William Blum on Ron Paul: (see http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=51&ItemID=13501)
Paul recently said: “The government is too bureaucratic, it spends too much money, they waste the money.”[9]
Does the man think that corporations are not bureaucratic? Do libertarians think that any large institution is not overbearingly bureaucratic? Is it not the nature of the beast? Who amongst us has not had the frustrating experience with a corporation trying to correct an erroneous billing or trying to get a faulty product repaired or replaced? Can not a case be made that corporations spend too much (of our) money? What do libertarians think of the exceedingly obscene salaries paid to corporate executives? Or of two dozen varieties of corporate theft and corruption? Did someone mention Enron?
Ron Paul and other libertarians are against social security. Do they believe that it’s better for elderly people to live in a homeless shelter than to be dependent on government “handouts”? That’s exactly what it would come down to with many senior citizens if not for their social security. Most libertarians I’m sure are not racists, but Paul certainly sounds like one. Here are a couple of comments from his newsletter:
“Opinion polls consistently show that only about 5 percent of blacks have sensible political opinions, i.e. support the free market, individual liberty and the end of welfare and affirmative action.”
“Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the ‘criminal justice system,’ I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal.”[10]
Author Ellen Willis has written that “the fundamental fallacy of right libertarianism is that the state is the only source of coercive power.” They don’t recognize “that the corporations that control most economic resources, and therefore most people’s access to the necessities of life, have far more power than government to dictate our behavior and the day-to-day terms of our existence.”[11]
August 12th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Marc,
A pity about the Register. It once had a great editorial page as well.
An even greater pity about Paul Wellstone. Probably no greater testament to the man’s inherent goodness were the circumstances surrounding his death: flying to the funeral of a father of a friend instead of attending a rally for his reëlection.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Jcummings… Apologies for the interruption. I’m trying to follow your train of thought.
In a comment to a previous post you observed,
I like provoking liberals and even fellow socialists by talking about how I prefer corporations to small businesses. Fact is, who runs America but chamber of commerce small business assholes on a grand scale. Corporations are more vulnerable to pressure from civil society, and treat workers far better.
Here, you note,
Does the man think that corporations are not bureaucratic?
And, seem in alignment with,
They don’t recognize “that the corporations that control most economic resources, and therefore most people’s access to the necessities of life, have far more power than government to dictate our behavior and the day-to-day terms of our existence.â€[11]
How can that which is vulnerable to a civil society also be more powerful than the government in dictating the terms of our existence? I’m missing something. It could be paradoxical but true, and I’m just failing to make the leap? Obviously, you’re not obliged, but, help?
August 12th, 2007 at 10:18 am
Amazing, “Besides, this is not necessarily a “reporting†web site as much as an opinion website. Marc always gives us his, and we in turn respond. Thats one of the reasons we conservatives keep coming back.” GM Roper, this article that you state as opinion was picked up by Yahoo News, So now it’s news, not opinion.
Everyone keep thinking that you have an opinion, keep thinking you have a choice, keep thinking that what you say and what you do really has any impact on anything.
Because this great land of “sheople”, which I was a proud member of are brainwashed into believing that the news is reporting, no, they are diluting the facts, spicing up the drama and giving you their unwanted opinions.
You say Ron Paul is a Semi-Crank, really, he’s the only one who pointed out that we are borrowing $2,500,000,000.00, (by the way that’ 2 ½ billion dollars) a day from China to support our war in Iraq. No one else has mentioned it, no one else has challenged it, and no one else has called him out on it. Amazing, isn’t it. So I guess it’s a fact. But we’ll just ignore it and it’ll go away. Right?
Maybe you guys can humor me and explain to me something, educate me. The ABC Republican Debate, Mr. Paul is the only Doctor on the panel, they didn’t ask him about the health care reform, they didn’t ask him about the Tax Reform and the day before George Stephonapoulous (don’t care if I spelled it wrong) told him that he wasn’t going to win the nomination and he was willing to bet on it. But if you use some common sense and go back to that debate, you can see who ABC wants to win the nomination. I am a Certified Hypno-Therapist and you can see who their choice is. Mitt Romney, even when he’s not speaking or answering he is in the camera angle, looking perplexed and in deep thought, and he was given a time allotment, which wasn’t fair to all the other candidates.
I want Ron Paul to win, but more importantly I want an honest democratic election; debate, and election. I don’t want a candidate shoved down my throat. But I guess I’m not worried about me any longer, it’s about you, all of you.
If you vote for a Romney or Clinton or Obama, then you will get what you deserve. One thing I ask, look at their records, look at their credentials, look at what they have done, it will speak volumes of what they will do.
Anyone here know about one of Romney’s campaign advisors, he’s being charged with Fraud, 32 million dollars. Anyone see it on the news, really, it’s a mystery isn’t it? I can go on and on about the things that aren’t making sense in this country, but I’ve already said too much. Thank you for your time. God Bless.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:28 am
James D – your complaint would have merit if Marc’s article was destined for the front page of the LA Times. It’s a campaign commentary at The Nation, HuffPo and CooperDotCom. As long as David Broder and Joe Klein are free to sanctify and seperate The Serious People from the The Shrill among us, Marc should be given license to finger the “Semi-Cranks”.
August 12th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Jorge – one problem with your comment. Marc’s column appears at the Yahoo News site clearly segregated from “real news” under the category of “Opinion”. Unless you click the “Opinon” icon, no Marc. Which is, as I’ve pointed out numerous times on various issues, as it should be. (Just kidding.)
August 12th, 2007 at 10:45 am
“I am a Certified Hypno-Therapist”
If Paul suddenly pulls out from the pack and wins the White House, we’ll all know who devised his campaign strategy.
My own opinon is that a vote for Ron Paul…that a vote for Ron Paul…a vote for Ron Paul…vote for Ron Paul…
August 12th, 2007 at 11:18 am
Hey Reg,
So what defines Ron Paul as a semi-crank…
So no other comments about anything else I wrote. just your opinion, thanks, enjoy your opinions as you see our rights taken away from us. But you have cool comments and opinions, keep up the great work.
Let the propaganda begin and let’s vote for who they talk a whole about on the news…….yeah for liberty…….
August 12th, 2007 at 11:40 am
I didn’t say Paul is a crank. I said Marc is within bounds express that opinion in “soft” election commentary. ( Although I think its evident that on most issues Paul IS a what I would certainly consider a crank.) My point was simply that, contrary to your assertion, Yahoo put up Marc’s column as “Opinion”, not “News”. Excuse me for contradicting anything that you happen to type, whether its accurate or not.
August 12th, 2007 at 11:54 am
Paul is charming affable and most certainly a crank someone who advoctaes abolition of all safety nets, who wants to abolish a progressive federal tax, who wants to repeal roe v wade and criminalize abortiom and who believes 911 could have been prevented by allowing air passengers to carry guns on board is – IHMOpinion — a crank
August 12th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Mr. Cooper,
I guess there’s no point, is there?
You state that you’re a journalist, and yes Reg, I know that this is just an opinion peace. Do journalists today check there facts or do they just assume that what they see on t.v., hear on the radio and read in the newspaper, 100% fact.
Show me where Mr. Paul said that he wants to repeal Roe v. Wade and criminalize abortion and I’ll personally apologize and state my total ignorance on your website.
Dr. Paul is about the rights of the individual, he doesn’t believe in abortion, but he believes in the separation of church and state, where our government according to the constitution has no right to decide any of our medical procedures.
And you don’t want to even question a progressive federal tax. Where is our money going to? Be a journalist and find out where? in 2000, our defense department lost 2.3 trillion dollars. I guess after 9/11, it wasn’t a priority. Let’s just pay the taxes and keep quiet and be happy that our rights are being taken away from. Don’t believe it, go to NY and try to take a picture.
And Reg, sorry if you misconstrued anything that I typed, I don’t want you to agree with me, just me mindful of our policies and who is manipulating this country.
I love this country, I was naturalized in 1972, I have served 6 years in the USAF and I would die for the beliefs of this Living, Breathing Constitution.
If I have offended anyone, I am sorry,
God Bless
August 12th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Paul has repeatedly, as an ob/gyn, spoken out against abortion.
Paul is also, as I quoted above, borderline racist.
He is a crank. That said, he’s a true-blue anti-imperialist and I’m glad these arguments are being heard.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
KOS is reporting that Romney spent upwards of five million to get 31% of the vote. He also tells us the big loser – The National Republican Senatorical Campaign Committee. They were expecting Huckabee to run for the Senate against Prior after he was knocked out early. Now, no such luck.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I don’t know what’s wrong with you guys. I always found Ames charming and ISU the quintescential midWest College Campus. Looks like the set of an old Warners film!
Also Ames was home to Henry Wallace who has been unjustly relegated to obscurity. After reading the biography – “American Dreamer” – I realized what we missed by not having him as President.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
# Marc Cooper Says:
August 12th, 2007 at 11:54 am
“Paul is charming affable and most certainly a crank someone who advoctaes abolition of all safety nets, who wants to abolish a progressive federal tax, who wants to repeal roe v wade and criminalize abortiom and who believes 911 could have been prevented by allowing air passengers to carry guns on board is – IHMOpinion — a crank”
========================
Hi Marc,
I looked at your bio and see you teach journalism. That was a shock! Any reputable journalism school would fail you as a first year student applicant.
But perhaps you did not attend a reputable journalism school. Teaching in one? Priceless!
You certainly don’t adhere to journalistic principles – this could explain your antipathy to Ron Paul. He is a man of principle. Unprincipled people hate that – makes them look real bad.
I am happy you say your opinion is humble because, alas, you have written a very humble opinion piece full of factual errors, arrogance, pride and lacking in the true humility that comes in facing and presenting the truth in unbiased fashion.
You made 3 spelling mistakes in one paragraph (Journalism school – year 1, semester 1 – or was that Elementary School – Grade 4?).
You made several grammatical errors.
You made 2 factual errors as well in the same small paragraph.
Here they are (this is what journalists do, Marc – present the facts):
* “wants to repeal roe v wade and criminalize abortiom (abortion (sic))” (FALSE STATEMENT #1)
- (REALITY) repeal – yes; criminalize – no. He wants the STATES to decide that issue – not the Federal Government.
* “believes 911 could have been prevented by allowing air passengers to carry guns on board” (FALSE STATEMENT #2)
- (REALITY) – the PILOTS, not the PASSENGERS would carry guns. Ron Paul wants the AIRLINES to decide who carries guns on board their flights – once again, not a Federal issue.
=======================
Marc, Marc – cranky, cranky Marc,
Please don’t call yourself a journalist.
A ranter? Yes.
Self-righteous and opinionated? Sure!
A crank? Could be.
A journalist? No.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
“If I have offended anyone, I am sorry,”
You haven’t offended anyone. Just expect some back and forth…don’t take it personally…
August 12th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Reg says:
“If I have offended anyone, I am sorry,â€
=======
Reg,
Relax dude! The only thing that can BE offended is EGO.
If you value the truth and act based on principles (like ‘the truth is important’), you will only be offended by lies and unprincipled behaviour.
All the rest is just dust – just dust in the wind.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
I dig Iowa. My car broke down there when I was a Phishhead and I spent a few days wirh friends, going to state fairs, etc. Like Vt, it seems to have escaped a lor of the blights (corporate everything) of most of the rest of the US. Great folks, a strong Left tradition.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Is Kos a CIA agent? His admissions have raised eyebrows in some quarters.
August 12th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
What admissions?
Actually he sends out secret messages in his columns so we Kossacks caan continue what we do every night
“TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD’
Signed “The Brain”
August 12th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
I love these comments from the Paul People. With the sort of following he inspires, he really seems like the the Republican LaRouche.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Kos was excellent on MTP this morning, engaging Harold Ford. DLCer Ford was totally on the defensive.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Well…
Nothing is proven, but it would fit the broad pattern of American history for the mainstream liberal-left (Allard Lowenstein, National Students Association) to be covertly helped by the CIA.
Kos talked about – at a press conference I think – being about to join the CIA (ie passed all sorts of security checks, etc.) and has no problem with it – when he instead got involved with the Dean campaign.
I am not saying this proves anything but there are already conspiracy theories floating around, and American history is replete with CIA helping moderate Left forces in fear of social movements that go beyond that. This is precisely why they funded the Congress for Cultural Freedom, National Students Association, Enconter Magazine, Allard Lowenstein, Certain segments of the “MOBE” etc.
August 12th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I quote J Cummings
“Its the end of history”,
J Cummings is a Conspiracy theorist that believes Aliens are landing and reprogramming our psyche with their alien ways and as he says “it’s the end of history”
It’s what you wrote above, of course I spiced it up, and made you sound like a nut, so forgive me that I don’t believe your rhetoric about Dr. Paul. Put down the website, magazine article, you tube video, anything that would prove your comments, just because you say it’s true, doesn’t make it so, and if you read it in an article, where did that “journalist” get it from. Don’t believe everything you read J Cummings…
oh and another thing, I’m also against abortion also, but I also believe like Dr. Paul does that the Government doesn’t have the right to tell a woman whether she can or can’t have an abortion. The Constitution protects the rights of the individual.
Hey JN that you for the comment, I am young to this political arena, and I have never heard of LaRouche. With a quick read, LaRouche seems like a man who fought the system.
How does everybody like our system now?
Our rights are disappearing. That’s a fact.
The Imperialist…
August 12th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Only because Im delayed by a storm at the Omaha airport am I going to bother to respond the mean-spirited a juvenile rant of James D.
Thanks for pointing out my typing errors. As gradma said: no good deed goes go unpunished. I was stupid enough to take time out of my workday to respond to some of the posts and was doing so on the cramped keyboard of a Blackberry handheld. So as Steve Martin would say… excu-u-u-use me!
As to Ron Paul: Im sitting here looking at my notes and I see that at the Straw Poll, the good Dr. Paul called for repeal of the “horrific Roe v. Wade” and an end to any federal funding for abortion. A truly shameful and disgusting position for a physician. repeal of roe would effectively criminalize abortion for women who the misfortune of living in reactionary backwater states.
Paul also believes in shutting down the UN — another hare-brained idea. He also mumbled something about replacing paper currency with gold and silver. That’s after, of course, he abolished the Dept of Education.
He also said it was time to “revisit” birthright citiizenship i.e. no longer allowing children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens to claim citizenship status. That, to me sir, is patently racist, xenophobic and a basic violation of the letter and spirit of the U.S. constitution.
His position on the war is a good one — proving that even busted clocks occasionally are correct.
Please flag any grammtikal errors in this post. They will be fully ignored.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
“He also said it was time to “revisit†birthright citiizenship i.e. no longer allowing children born in the U.S. to illegal aliens to claim citizenship status. That, to me sir, is patently racist, xenophobic and a basic violation of the letter and spirit of the U.S. constitution. ”
So you’re saying that if an Illegal alien has a child in America, he should be considered an American citizen, regardless that their parents are illegal, so we should also let the parents who are here illegally become American citizens according to your logic. Hey, I got an idea, why don’t we ask all the other candidates this question and lets see if they are patently racist. I didn’t know you were an immigration lawyer as well Mr. Cooper. What has the Dept. of Education done, except argue about whether or not we should have sex education in the class room, or repeal pledge allegiance in the schools.
And he mumbled something about paper money, yep, the federal reserve is doing a great job. Look up the history of the Federal Reserve and try to do some journalistic investigating on where the gold that’s suppose to be in Fort Knox is. Congress has refused to do an inventory on the gold that’s there.
You’re just regurgitating the same crap that has been shoved down our throats. Rip up your notes that you took from another website and do some research, go ask some questions and find out the truth for yourself instead of preaching what the Main Stream Media wants you to preach.
That’s your job. Take it seriously.
You want to give your opinion, go down to the local watering hole and do it. But if you want to write about someone with integrity and who wants to return freedom and rights to the people who were promised it then you better check your facts……. then recheck them and before you print BS then make sure their right, our country depends on it.
August 12th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
So you’re saying that if an Illegal alien has a child in America, he should be considered an American citizen
It’s called the 14th Amendment.
August 12th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Marc Cooper said:
“mean-spirited a juvenile rant of James D.”
Marc, sweetheart, lighten up. Nothing to get banged around here except your ego.
You are SO good at derogatory adjectives. It is a skill that must have a rich voluminous history with you – much effort and focus on developing that skill is evident. Almost admirable.
Throwing around bad-ass descriptors pleases the crowds – you sure provide that daily entertainment value – but does nothing for the profession of journalism which you claim to be, not only a member of, but a professor of it’s principles and techniques to the young and innocent, the eager and idealistic.
How they must turn their pretty heads and big eyes toward you as you throw out those clever quips of yours sitting on your ass in front of the class of nubile anorexics and long-haired bulemics.
How the sweet things must laugh at your put-downs as you lecture them from your seat of power – that sturdy stool of authority behind your lusty loins.
I’m not going to change your ways, Mr. Cooper. Only you can do that. But you see nothing wrong with them there easy ways of yours. You see nothing wrong with what you do.
That is the pity of it all – you are one more obstacle on the road to truth. As a journalist (if only that were so) you would be a provider of that truth, not it’s smirking foe.
Alas, poor Marc, I knew him Horatio. A man of infinite jest – and nothing more.
The fault, dear Marc, is not in our stars,
But in ourselves, that we are underlings.
Peace brother.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
I was making a sarccastic reference to Fukuyama, Jorge. The End of History is a bullshit neocon concept, though that part of American intellectual life clearly went over your head.
August 12th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Jorge: I am young to this political arena, and I have never heard of LaRouche.
I’m no conspiracy theorist, but your man Lyndon is. Queen Elizabeth, Henry Kissinger, the Freemasons, the Beatles and Pablo Escobar. The forces of empiricism. Airports. Dope Inc.
Sounds like your scene.
August 13th, 2007 at 8:32 am
Sliding past the spelling mistakes is worth it for nuggets like
“run by a group of zealots who make FEMA look like FedEx”
August 13th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Cummings refers again to CIA support for left-liberal institutions like NSA. OK, but it is absurd to discuss this as a “broad pattern of American history.” At most the policy lasted 25 years after the founding of the CIA, and I am unaware of any instances of CIA financing of liberals in the past 30 years. Perhaps we will learn that the DLC was financed by the CIA. Sort of like the AFL-CIA [see the Whit Stillman movie, "Barcelona"].
As for Ron Paul, we can safely say that his support would dissipate immediately if he would express some second-thoughts about legalizing marijuana.
Ron Paul’s statements about the war in Iraq have no doubt been the most statesmanlike of any made by any candidate of either party on any subject. But that does not mean that we have to accept his views any more than we do any from the right-anarchist wing of the American political spectrum.
August 13th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
J Cumming,
I guess my dim witted comment went over your head as well, it didn’t matter what it was in reference to, it was a point about taking someone’s comment and turning it around to make it sound like they said something else. I guess you’re not as learnt as you taught you were. Read it again, it might click this time.
But I guess there’s no point to all this.
Great, I’m a conspiracy theorist, so I guess when we’re shackled together in some gulag, I can look over and tell you “I was right”, wow, won’t that be great. Keep thinking everythings hunky dory and that you can smack someone’s ideology with your overwhelming intellect
“My Scene”, that is so cute…….. I guess my time machine works after all, it’s 1964, The beatles are coming to America and Pablo Escobar has been busted for smuggling dope at an Airport.
Don’t forget Monsanto, ufo’s, davinci code, 911 and of course the infamous Kennedy assassination, let’s lump it all together.
Now without further adieu, the mother ship beckons and we can not assimilate your planet because you’re to damn smart for us.
Sorry about the sarcasm but, no I’m not sorry, was just asking questions, and wondering why? Why no one has still got any concrete proof, and sent it, Why, because as you said J cummings, It’s bullshit (hey, taking your words and making it mean what I want them to mean, wow, this is great, sorry had to explain it to you)
but it was good thing, for instance, thank you Randy Paul, I will look up the 14th Amendment, and Thank you to JN, I did not know about Lyndon LaRouche,
August 14th, 2007 at 4:17 am
Petty, I know, but a “mantel” goes around a fireplace; a “mantle” goes around one’s shoulders.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:34 am
The CIA still collaborates with AFL CIO in Venezuela and elsewhere, funds fake left groups that have fronts at variosu world social forums, etc. They give grants to academics here in Canada (I know a few who have turned them down.) Everything to whqat I say is known.
And this Jorge really needs lithium. He makes K Nardy seem rational. I’m a published writer and PhD candidate. My comments clearly go over your head, and that makes you uncomfortable. The fact that you are so unaware of American political culture that you don’t know who either Fukuyama or Lyndon Larouch are, let alone the 14th amendment, shows a lot.
Ron Paul, as people say, is right about the war, and thats about it.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:37 am
To think, I think eerythign is hunky dory is ludicrous, as anyone who comments here can tell you.
August 14th, 2007 at 8:39 am
LaRouche is certifiable, by the way…..and a criminal who has done time for fraud.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
The CIA still collaborates. Period, the end. Has anyone here seen the document released accidently under the FOIA from assistant cia director back in 1994 where he stated that they can spin, distort or kill any news story that they want. And only when they get caught do they just blow it off. Our MSM is a joke. The propaganda that we are bomarded with on a daily basis is staggering. And the only thing that Ron Paul is right about is the war, so you think the IRS is great, ever wonder where our money is going to? We spend a trillion dollars a year on foreign relations, we lend billions to other countries, and when I say we, I mean “we”, our money, our tax money. Do you know how much the IRS collects on our taxes every year, close to a trillion dollars, know where it goes, the deficit…….. amazing, how do we get a deficit……. from over spending. Think about everything we get taxed on, here let me help you out, phone tax, cable tax, state tax, gas tax, liquor tax, cigarette tax……… just a few, but on a monthly basis, we are an overtaxed society. Maybe Ron Paul isn’t perfect, but what is the alternative. Someone who has been constant throughout his political career, or someone who flip flops and has an agenda. I have more respect for Ron Paul and the way he’s lived his life then Hillary, Guilianni, Romney or Obama.
Look up if the Defense Department ever got back to Congress about where the missing 2.3 trillion dollars went in 2000, oh that’s right they don’t have to report any longer because of 9/11……. but let’s pay more taxes now so we can fix the bridges.
You say LaRouche is Certifiable and has done time for fraud, well, I’m not going to defend him, have you ever heard of Wilhelm Reich, he was a crazed and dangerous individual, so much so that the FDA burned his books, right. so we should consider him a crazed revolutionist. Before I believe the snippets in some newspaper or see something on t.v. I’m going to go check it out and see both sides. The jury is still out, just because you told me so, doesn’t make it so, and if more people took the time, we wouldn’t be where we are.
Wow, you’re a published writer, wow, me too. what a coincidence.
PHD, though you have me beat, but I’m betting I’m a better speller. Sorry was in the military and raising a family, but in that time I’m close to a bachelor’s degree. Sorry, it’s not American Politics, it’s more electronics, aerodynamics and big words you can’t spell. You think a piece of paper qualifies you or anyone to feel superior, wow, the self esteem must really be on a decline.
You know the difference between you and I. I will look up what I do not know, I will research it and find out for myself.
Wow Fukuyama, just a little reading, but from what I read, sounds like a big blow hard who likes to use big words so most people who don’t have above a 9th grade reading comprehension can understand. and if he’s a friend of scooter libby, kind of says it all, and he’s connected to this administration, wow, someone I should go out and buy his books.
Want to see something really cute, go to google video and type in ‘outfoxed’, this is the kind of documentary you won’t see on t.v. here in USA.
You’re right about one thing, first thing on my agenda is the Constitution and the Amendments, there are a lot of things I don’t know, and again I am learning something and humble enough to admit it and to do something about it.
God Bless
September 5th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
marijuana withdrawal…
…