4 Comments

• 1. Nate  |  September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

  i recall ridicule for education and community organizing last night. guess the repubs are the party of ignorance and innaction….

• 2. Joe  |  September 5th, 2008 at 12:06 pm

  Matt,
  First of all, do you really want to talk about that Giulliani speech? That was awful. As for his statements on Obama’s “present” votes in the state senate, you (and apparently Rudy) really need to research.

  The “present” vote in Illinois is sometimes cast by state lawmakers with a conflict of interest who would rather not weigh in on an issue. Other times, members use the option to object to certain parts of a bill, even though they may agree with its overall purpose.

  “The ‘present’ vote is used, especially by more thoughtful legislators, not as a means of avoiding taking a position on an issue, but as a means of signaling concerns about an issue,” said state Rep. John Fritchey (D), an Obama supporter.

  The Land of Lincoln isn’t the only state where lawmakers can register their displeasure without actually voting against a bill. Colorado, Delaware, Massachusetts, Missouri and Texas also allow “present” votes or similar options in at least one chamber, according to a recent review of chamber rules by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

  In Hawaii, where Obama grew up, legislators can cast a “kanalua” (a Hawaiian word meaning “doubt”) vote during roll calls, essentially a pass. But after going through the roll call two or three times, depending on the chamber, the “kanalua” vote eventually counts as a “yes.”

  In Illinois, the “present” vote works as a vote against a measure during final action.

  State Sen. John Cullerton (D) calls the “present” vote “a no vote with an explanation.” Legally, there’s not much difference between the two votes, but practically, it can let the sponsors or other legislators know of problems with the bill that should be corrected.

  What is funny is not that Palin was a mayor of a tiny village in Alaska. It is silly that you people have blasted Obama’s state senate and U.S. senate experience as meaningless, but claim Palin’s is extensive.

• 3. PAT  |  September 6th, 2008 at 10:33 pm

  I read one of the funniest blogs I have witnessed in a long time……get ready….from a womans point of view:

  Now, please rest assured dear readers, that I do not like to make
  public scoldings aimed at esteemed leaders of the liberal-Democrat
  variety.

  No, no, no. I just hate to do it.

  But since I have been privy to Barack Obama’s communications to his
  supporters for months now, and since I am a mother in good standing, I
  feel that I must make an exception to my own rule here. It is time
  for Barack Obama to grow up and demonstrate to this Country that he is
  not missing a vital piece of male equipment — his fortitude.

  Nearly every single day, Barack Obama’s campaign issues his latest
  tattle on whoever it is that has last offended his feelings.

  And I must say, with appropriate solicitude, that it grieves me to
  witness a man who seeks to be the leader of the free world, a man who
  proclaims his fitness for the highest duty in the land, make a habit
  of whining and tattling every time he gets his wittle feelings hurt.

  One shudders to think how our IslamoFascist enemies would deal with
  such girly-boy tirades.

  Let’s not even go there.

  Let’s just let that thought rest in peace, shall we.

  Truly, it was bad enough when candidate Obama issued his string of
  complaints against the other man in this contest, John McCain. It was
  bad enough when candidate Obama whined over how the words of his
  opponent’s surrogates were breaking his fragile bones. One could
  nearly be brought to the brink of empathy for the city-boy, Barack,
  when his tormenters were men.

  But late Wednesday night, within minutes of the lovely lady, Mrs.Sarah
  Palin’s speech in Minneapolis, the tattletale struck once again. I
  could nearly hear the girly-boy tantrum all the way over here in
  Atlanta.

  I’m really having to hold back that shudder now.

  Does Barack Obama actually think that Mrs. Sarah Palin, hockey mom,
  little lady from the sticks, is too tough for him? Tougher than
  Ahmadinejad, of Iran?

  Now, this particular tattle on Sarah Palin came under the name of
  David Plouffe, Barack’s campaign manager. I would have to guess that
  the candidate decided it might be seen as rather tacky if he,
  personally, whined over the vile “attacks” made by that vicious lady
  in the skirt and heels, the one wearing the lipstick and the lovely
  gold necklace and earrings.

  So, he delegated.

  And his campaign issued what must be hailed as the most desperate,
  most childish, most pitiful tantrum so far in this contest for the
  Presidency.

  “…Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack’s experience as a community
  organizer on the South Side of Chicago…”

  Well, I never!

  “…John McCain’s attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They
  lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked you for
  being
  a part of this campaign.”

  Lovely use of Alinsky velvet-revolution tactics; include the little
  people.

  And the fallback position of tattletales throughout history, the whole
  world over:

  “It’s now clear that John McCain’s campaign has decided that desperate
  lies and personal attacks — on Barack Obama and on you — are the
  only way they can…”

  Win. Yes, dear lad, winning is the aim of every competition.

  Did your mommy fail to teach you that?

  Now, as a voter, and as a lady and a mother, I must take the matter of
  all this incessant whining, complaining and tattling to heart, and
  consider carefully what is to be done about it.

  The Country is at stake here.

  This is no time for the faint of heart to play follow-the-leader with
  a lad, who simply cannot take the heat of even a verbal-only political
  fray, much less the heat of a kitchen, where a lovely moose is
  roasting in the oven.

  So, Barack, dear, it is high time to grow up now.

  Toughen that hide a bit.

  And if you can’t withstand the torture of the words of your opponents,
  please be good enough to turn in your hockey stick.

  We have some truly strong men and women, who can make better use of it
  in the service of this great Country.

  Oh, sorry, I nearly forgot. Barack and Michelle aren’t all that proud
  of America.

  Perhaps they ought to go play in Europe and leave the rest of us to
  get down to the work that needs to be done, right here, right now.

  Yes, maybe that is a truly perfect solution. Whenever my own children
  engaged in this sort of whining and tattling, I batted not a single
  eyelash before banishing them either to their rooms or to the outdoors
  to perform some manual work. This always seemed to tame their mealy-
  mouthed little tongues.

  And if they had the temerity to return to my presence, still whining
  over their piddling problems, I would employ the best known strategy
  of mothers throughout history - good old fashioned shaming.

  With the best tough-love smirk I could muster, I would remind my
  little ones that the only place on earth they would find sympathy for
  their silly complaints would be in the dictionary.

  Worked every time. And I’m quite certain that Mrs. Sarah Palin is
  very familiar with the line, and will not hesitate to employ it, if
  necessary.

  Let’s hope the lesson is never needed. Barack Obama is running for
  President, after all, not head hall monitor.

• 4. Joe  |  September 7th, 2008 at 7:51 pm

  Pat,
  I’m sorry… if someone questions your patriotism or your previous experiences, is one to just sit back and take it? Palin’s acceptance speech was a lot of sarcasm towards Obama’s past. Should he just accept it and not make

  Maybe you are just upset that the Obama campaign has hit back at Palin?

  This doesn’t really sound like whining..

  “Both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack’s experience as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago more than two decades ago, where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed.

  “Let’s clarify something for them right now. Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.

  It sounds like trying to explain how silly the GOP is about it.

  Issues? What issues?