Why I Love Bill Kristol

April 14, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
The Mask Slips
By WILLIAM KRISTOL

I haven’t read much Karl Marx since the early 1980s, when I taught political philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania. Still, it didn’t take me long this weekend to find my copy of “The Marx-Engels Reader,” edited by Robert C. Tucker — a book that was assigned in thousands of college courses in the 1970s and 80s, and that now must lie, unopened and un-remarked upon, on an awful lot of rec-room bookshelves.

My occasion for spending a little time once again with the old Communist was Barack Obama’s now-famous comment at an April 6 San Francisco fund-raiser. Obama was explaining his trouble winning over small-town, working-class voters: “It’s not surprising then that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

This sent me to Marx’s famous statement about religion in the introduction to his “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right”:

“Religious suffering is at the same time an expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the sentiment of a heartless world, and the soul of a soulless condition. It is the opium of the people.”

Or, more succinctly, and in the original German in which Marx somehow always sounds better: “Die Religion ... ist das Opium des Volkes.”

Now, this is a point of view with a long intellectual pedigree prior to Marx, and many vocal adherents continuing into the 21st century. I don’t believe the claim is true, but it’s certainly worth considering, in college classrooms and beyond.

But it’s one thing for a German thinker to assert that “religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature.” It’s another thing for an American presidential candidate to claim that we “cling to ... religion” out of economic frustration.

And it’s a particularly odd claim for Barack Obama to make. After all, in his speech at the 2004 Democratic convention, he emphasized with pride that blue-state Americans, too, “worship an awesome God.”

What’s more, he’s written eloquently in his memoir, “Dreams From My Father,” of his own religious awakening upon hearing the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s “Audacity of Hope” sermon, and of the complexity of his religious commitment. You’d think he’d do other believers the courtesy of assuming they’ve also thought about their religious beliefs.

But Obama in San Francisco does no courtesy to his fellow Americans. Look at the other claims he makes about those small-town voters.

Obama ascribes their anti-trade sentiment to economic frustration — as if there are no respectable arguments against more free-trade agreements. This is particularly cynical, since he himself has been making those arguments, exploiting and fanning this sentiment that he decries. Aren’t we then entitled to assume Obama’s opposition to Nafta and the Colombian trade pact is merely cynical pandering to frustrated Americans?

Then there’s what Obama calls “anti-immigrant sentiment.” Has Obama done anything to address it? It was John McCain, not Obama, who took political risks to try to resolve the issue of illegal immigration by putting his weight behind an attempt at immigration reform.

Furthermore, some concerns about unchecked and unmonitored illegal immigration are surely legitimate. Obama voted in 2006 (to take just one example) for the Secure Fence Act, which was intended to control the Mexican border through various means, including hundreds of miles of border fence. Was Obama then just accommodating bigotry?

As for small-town Americans’ alleged “antipathy to people who aren’t like them”: During what Obama considers the terrible Clinton-Bush years of economic frustration, by any measurement of public opinion polling or observed behavior, Americans have become far more tolerant and respectful of minorities who are not “like them.” Surely Obama knows this. Was he simply flattering his wealthy San Francisco donors by casting aspersions on the idiocy of small-town life?

That leaves us with guns. Gun ownership has been around for an awfully long time. And people may have good reasons to, and in any case have a constitutional right to, own guns — as Obama himself has been acknowledging on the campaign trail, when he presents himself as more sympathetic to gun owners than a typical Democrat.

What does this mean for Obama’s presidential prospects? He’s disdainful of small-town America — one might say, of bourgeois America. He’s usually good at disguising this. But in San Francisco the mask slipped. And it’s not so easy to get elected by a citizenry you patronize.

And what are the grounds for his supercilious disdain? If he were a war hero, if he had a career of remarkable civic achievement or public service — then he could perhaps be excused an unattractive but in a sense understandable hauteur. But what has Barack Obama accomplished that entitles him to look down on his fellow Americans?
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Hat tip to Ace of Spades, follow the link and read his commentary and the comments of his readers, I found it laugh out loud funny.

John Kerry's Anniversary

John Kerry's Anniversary
This totally rocks, so I stole it whole from Matt at Hub Politics. Everyone in Massachusetts needs to watch this video and read the information Matt has compiled.

The text Matt wrote to accompany the video:
Even sadder than the fact that Kerry hasn't done anything in 9 years, in his entire career in the Senate, he's been the lead sponsor of only 8 bills:
S.J.RES.158: A joint resolution designating October 22 through 28, 1989, as "World Population Awareness Week".Introduced: 6/16/1989Latest Major Action: 10/25/1990Law No: 101-465
S.J.RES.160: A joint resolution designating the week beginning October 20, 1991, as "World Population Awareness Week".Introduced: 6/13/1991Latest Major Action: 10/30/1991Law No: 102-149
S.1563: A bill to authorize appropriations to carry out the National Sea Grant College Program Act, and for other purposes.Introduced: 7/25/1991Latest Major Action: 12/04/1991Law No: 102-186
S.J.RES. 318: A joint resolution designating November 13, 1992, as "Vietnam Veterans Memorial 10th Anniversary Day".Introduced: 6/18/1992Latest Major Action: 10/24/1992Law No: 102-518
S.J.RES.337: A joint resolution designating September 18, 1992, as "National POW/MIA Recognition Day", and authorizing display of the National League of Families POW/MIA flag.Introduced: 9/15/1992Latest Major Action: 9/30/1992Law No: 102-373
S.1206: A bill to redesignate the Federal building located at 380 Trapelo Road in Waltham, Massachusetts, as the "Frederick C. Murphy Federal Center". Introduced: 7/1/1993Latest Major Action: 4/14/1994Law No: 103-234S.1636: A bill to authorize appropriations for the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and to improve the program to reduce the incidental taking of marine mammals during the course of commercial fishing operations, and for other purposes.Introduced: 11/08/1993Latest Major Action: 4/30/1994Law No: 103-238
S.791: A bill to amend the Small Business Act with respect to the women's business center program.Introduced: 4/14/1999Latest Major Action: 12/9/1999Law No: 106-165
*************************
Thanks Matt! This was just great.

Welcome Wonkette Readers!

A screen capture from Wonkette

One Step Ahead
Ten blogs whose posts on April 11 best represented the collective buzz on April 12 (ranked).
Bostonmaggie
Nuke's NEWS & VIEWS
Political Punch
Zennie's Zeitgeist
Born Again Redneck Yogi
A Blog For All
Moonbattery
Hillbilly White Trash
CALIFORNIA YANKEE
The Discerning Texan

****************
LOL, I am madly flattered!

Logan Act

Logan Act

Logan Act

For Christ's Sake, can't someone charge this jackass under the provisions of the Logan Act?

Jimmy Carter Defends Meeting With Hamas

"President Carter is a private citizen. We respect his views," Stephen Hadley, President Bush's national security adviser, said Sunday on ABC.
"The position of the government is that Hamas is a terrorist organization and we don't negotiate with terrorists. We think that's a very important principle to maintain," Hadley said. "The State Department made clear we think it's not useful for people to be running to Hamas at this point and having meetings."
Carter demurred.
"I feel quite at ease in doing this," he said. "I think there's no doubt in anyone's mind that, if Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, the Palestinians, that Hamas will have to be included in the process."

Who cares if you feel at ease? It is not your place to negotiate with terrorists.

Sure! Egg Me On!

Sherri is egging me on. Like I need it!

I am in work and aggravated.

First - I woke up upset about something I bollixed up last night.

Then there was the stupid NPR thing on the ride to Charlestown.

Next - During Father Mahoney's sermon, I nearly burst into tears. Somehow, while he was talking to the whole Church and not even looking at me.....he reached down inside me and plucked one of the few remaining heart strings. Now, I have to do something I DON'T WANT TO DO!

Fine - off to CCD. I was so aggravated I went right up to Joan and beefed. She laughed at me and sent me to my class. About 20 seconds into it, the Evers kid had me laughing. I said "You know, I came in here peeved about something.....and you're making me laugh." He said "You're welcome!" LOL Fine!

Then it was down to my parent's for tea where I recounted a little problem I had and my fabulously heartless mother said "Don't you have any good news?" LOL So I laughed and told her funny things and good things. You really can't sulk around my mother.....she won't tolerate it. Have I mentioned the blog mortifies her?

Then it's off to go to work. I stop at the supermarket to pick up something for lunch and my brother Frankie calls.
Where am I? Supermarket.
Where is he? My bedroom.
Ahhhh, yes, I asked him to come down and measure for the drywall project. LOL Fine, I'm on my way. There is lot's of sighing. I make a lot of people feel this way. But Frankie is the most comical.
Are you leaving the closet? No. Sigh
Are you covering the open rafters in the ceiling? No. Sigh
Are you getting a new door? No. Sigh
Why are all these extra kids in your house (Frank had friends sleep over)? This is normal. Sigh
Then we go to Jennifer's house for a few minutes. She has company. I walk in and put milk in her fridge. I am asked why I am putting milk in a fridge that has milk........I explain that I will be back at 2100 to watch "John Adams" and I would like real milk with my cookies and aggravation.

Then it's into work, where SB comes out and tels me the most marvelous story, and I actually manage to nitpick. I'm a jackass.

Now I am sitting here in work, off the clock, blogging and eating my much delayed lunch. The phone system isn't functioning properly and I haven't decided what to do about it yet.

I'm in a mood.

Sometimes I Wonder How I Don't Have An Aneurysm

I was driving to Mass this morning, listening to WBUR.....like most Sunday mornings. I wasn't awake enough to listen to the "1776" CDs. I have to pay close attention to those...."chandeliers", WTF? Thank God for the Armorer. Anyway, I am driving and listening to "Weekend Edition". It's news and the Puzzle Master and they have this segment called "This I Believe". Usually, I find these little essays highly enjoyable and interesting.

So this morning's "This I Believe" segment features a woman named Aileen Mory. What an asshat! She starts out with bemoaning her own shortcomings as a "citizen" (I'm with you, Aileen, you suck!). You see, Aileen doesn't believe in the war. But she really can't be bothered to do jack about it. (No problem, Aileen, we're rolling along fine without you.) So, what's her solution to her ennui? And so, in the name of shared pain, I support the reinstitution of the draft. (Come again, elohssa?) Of course, reinstitute the draft and then everyone would become involved and feel *connected*.

You can listen to her here, if you need to.

So, Aileen, let me help you with this. If you feel *disconnected* from the military how about you skip upsetting the whole applecart and just go to *connect yourself*. Go to America Supports You or Soldiers Angels or ValorIt or volunteer at a VA Hospital or for the USO. That way you can feel connected without actually *FUCKING THINGS UP ROYALLY*. You see Aileen, many smart people....serious people......people who ARE connected to the military think it's a good idea that the people in the military want to be there in the military. They don't want people who aren't dedicated to being there. I have never heard such a stupid reason for re-introducing the draft in all my life. I have heard arguements on both sides and while there are some valid arguements against an all-volunteer military......this is not one of them.

So get connected. Don't get connected. I don't give a fat rat's ass. But stop talking like an idiot.

And if my way of life is threatened by outside forces, I'll be forever grateful to that soldier guarding the wall. Unfortunately, that soldier is invisible to me. I know he's out there, but he doesn't have a face — certainly not the face of my child.

Well, assclown, they are not invisible to me! The lives of people who matter a great deal to me are at stake in this arguement and I do not appreciate idiots who want to mess with it.

Confusion surrounds Iran blast

Updates from Al Jazeera English
Confusion surrounds Iran blast

At least 11 people have been killed and almost 200 others wounded in an explosion in a mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.
Initial reports said that the blast had been caused by a "home-made" bomb, but senior regional officials said on Sunday that it may have been an accident.
Commander Ali Moayeri, Fars province police chief, said that a display of munitions could have caused Saturday's blast.
"The incident could have happened as a result of negligence. A while ago at this site there was an exhibition commemorating the [1980-1988] Iran-Iraq war," he said.
Television pictures showed shards of glass and piles of debris outside Shiraz's Mosque of the Martyrs as large crowds waited for news of relatives.
The death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of some people's injuries, officials said.

'No bomb'
"Initial surveys have proved that no bomb was involved and therefore there have been other probable causes," Ebrahim Azizi, the governor of Fars province, was quoted as saying by the state-run IRNA news agency.
Earlier, the Fars news agency, citing city officials had reported that "a powerful bomb" had exploded.
Al Jazeera's Alireza Ronaghi in Tehran said that the Iranian government may be being cautious about the cause of the blast with the country just two weeks away from the second round of elections."
What we see here is that some of the officials have expressed concern about the nature of this explosion," he reported.
"We have heard the speaker of the parliament saying today that government officials and the authorities need to investigate deeply and properly what this incident was."
Jaber Baneshi, the prosecutor in Shiraz, told IRNA that "a judicial probe has been launched to determine the cause of the explosion and the possibility of sabotage".

'Package planted'
However, Mohammad Anjavinejad, the preacher who was addressing the crowd at the mosque, reportedly cast doubt on the accident theory, saying that the force of the blast and the presence of an individual who planted a package in the building suggested otherwise.
"Some parties are trying to show this was an accident to portray the city as safe. But it is their duty to implement security," he told the Alef news website.
The explosion took place at around 9pm local time (1630GMT) on Saturday during evening prayers.
State television urged people in Shiraz to donate blood for the wounded and said that all nurses in the city had been called to report for work.
Fars said the force of the blast shook houses more than one kilometre away."
There was a huge blast and the whole place lit up. Everyone started shouting and screaming and tried to help each other," Marzian Mohammadnejad, a witness, told Iran's English language Press-TV.

Bahai faith banned
Fars reported that the mosque hosted weekly speeches denouncing Wahhabism - a version of Sunni Islam - and the outlawed Bahai faith. Iran is a predominantly Shia country.
Iran had been the cradle of the Bahai faith in the middle of the 19th century. After the Islamic revolution in 1979, the faith was banned and the country's constitution does not recognise it as a religious minority.
Last year, Bahai communities abroad said some of followers of the faith were detained in Shiraz while working with poor communities there.
Shiraz is close to a number of ancient sites popular with tourists.

Iran suffered its last major bombing in February 2007 in the southeastern city of Zahedan.
Thirteen members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard died in that blast, and a Sunni group called Jundallah, or God's Brigade, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Several dead in Iran mosque blast

Masjed-e Shohada (Martyr's Mosque) was built by the local ruler Sa'd ibn Zangi, patron of the poet Saadi, at the end of the 12th century. It is one of the largest ancient mosques in Iran but sadly it has been extensively damaged by earthquakes

From Al Jazeera English
Several dead in Iran mosque blast
Eight people have been killed and 50 others wounded in an explosion in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz, a national news agency has reported.
The explosion on Saturday was caused by "a powerful bomb at Shiraz's Mosque of the Martyrs after evening prayers," a report by Fars news agency said, citing city officials.
The death toll is expected to rise due to the severity of some people's injuries, officials have said.
Mohamed Hasan al-Bahrani, Al Jazeera's Tehran bureau chief, said that available information says that a bomb detonated in the mosque after Maghreb and Isha prayers.
The explosion took place in the section where males were praying, according to reports.
Shiraz is close to a number of ancient sites popular with tourists.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
The last major bombing in Iran occurred in the south-eastern city of Zahedan in February 2007.
Thirteen members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard died in that blast, with Sunni fighters blamed for the attack.

From IRNA
Bomb blast in Shiraz wounds many
Shiraz-Bomb Blast
According to reports from Shiraz, a bomb blast at a Hosseiniyeh (a religious center) in a central Shiraz district wounded dozens of worshipers, some very critically.
Local sources say here that the explosion took part at central city of Fars Province's Seyyed ul-Shohada Hosseiniyeh.
According to IRNA reporter in Shiraz, the explosion wave was so strong that the glasses of the windows of many houses in neighboring regions of the Hosseiniyeh broke and intimidated the residents.
There are still no exact reports on the number of the wounded, or killed victims of the explosion, but the relief and fire station forces are currently present at the explosion site assisting the victims.
Some unofficial sources speak of a high number of casualties due to the blast.
IRNA would dispatch more complete reports upon receiving them.

From The Patriot Post

THE FOUNDATION
“The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men.”—Samuel Adams

My Bad Boyfriend on American Idol

He rocked! LOL Clinton and Obama were stiffs.

What A Rough Night!

Jen's line of the night.......explaining to Bill why I can't back up properly out of Ed's driveway. "Cut her some slack, she's left handed! Why that's practically autistic!"

Gee, thanks........this is what I get from driving the drunk bus?

Hey Southie, who you taking in the Notre Dame vs. BC NCAA hockey matchup Saturday?

Frankie asked me to drive Bill home. No problem, I love Bill, he is one of my extras. Maybe ten minutes after Frank leaves, he calls to "check" on Bill. Hi! How about a little trust? I never lost you or your brother. Geez.

Marine who lost leg returns to combat in Iraq

Marine who lost leg returns to combat in Iraq
Sniper’s bullet destroyed gunnery sergeant’s knee, but not his will to serve
By Mike Celizic
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 8:59 a.m. ET, Thurs., April. 10, 2008
If you’ve ever wondered what the Marines have in mind when they advertise for “a few good men,” look no further than Gunnery Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson.
Two years ago, he lost a leg to a sniper’s bullet in Iraq. Today, he’s back in the combat zone — by his own choice.
If you notice an unusual spring in his step as he goes about his duties at Camp Fallujah in Iraq, mark it down to the wonders of the modern technology that went into the carbon-fiber prosthetic leg Gibson wears. He may have surrendered a leg in serving his country, but he’s far from handicapped.
“As soon as a person says disabled, and they think they're disabled, they might as well keep their butt in a chair and not do anything the rest of their life,” the 37-year-old career Marine said in a story reported for TODAY by NBC News correspondent Ned Colt in Iraq.
As he goes about his duties for the 1st Marine Expeditionary force as a weapons coordinator in operations command, Gibson is an inspiration to his fellow soldiers and even to the commander in chief.
"When Americans like Spanky Gibson serve on our side, the enemy in Iraq doesn't got a chance,” President Bush said in a recent appearance in the Pentagon to mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
In May 2006, Gibson was on foot patrol in Ramadi in Iraq when a sniper’s bullet tore through his left knee. “Basically, the bullet disintegrated my kneecap, completely,” he said.
Being a Marine, his first instinct wasn’t to call for help but to try to get back up and return to the fight. That was impossible with the damage his knee had sustained. Besides the damage to the bone and connective tissue, the bullet that hit him also severed a major nerve and his femoral artery.
In the hospital, doctors tried to save his leg, but Gibson knew it wasn’t going to heal.
“Every day I’d beg the surgeons — I'd beg ’em, ‘Just cut it off, close me up. Get me out of here,’ ” he said, actually laughing at the memory.
Within two months of being wounded, Gibson, who makes his home in Pryor, Okla., with his wife and young daughter, was back at work at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
As he learned to navigate on his new leg, he dove back into sports, relearning how to ski and run.
Encouraged by his progress, he started training for triathlons and last year completed the “Escape from Alcatraz” race, which included a swim from the legendary prison island in San Francisco Bay to the mainland.
Marine Gen. James Mathis was at the swim and while congratulating Gibson for his achievement, asked him if there was anything he could do for the 19-year Marine veteran. Just one thing, said Gibson — get him back to Iraq.
Just two other soldiers have returned to Iraq after amputations, and navigating bureaucratic hurdles wasn’t easy, but with friends like Mathis on his side, Gibson got his wish in February, deploying to his backline job in Fallujah just 21 months after he was wounded.
To Gibson, there wasn’t any question about going back. “It's my life,” he said. “It's what I love. For me at least, being a Marine means being prepared to go into conflict.”
On the base, he’s an inspiration to other Marines, who see what he’s done and find it easier to shoulder their own loads.
“You may be down sometimes, but you look at him and say, ‘This is what it's all about,’ ” said Master Sgt. Solomon Reed. “It's inspirational to the Marines."
Gibson sees it as just doing his job. He’s seen progress in Iraq in the past two years and compares where that country is to where the United States was when it set out on the road to independence.
“This is where we were 232 years ago as a new nation,” he once said. “Now they're starting a new nation, and that's one of my big reasons for coming back here.”
******
I love this story! Plus, his nickname is Spanky! LOL That's one of my Frankie's nicknames - Spanky-Frankie!
GySgt. Spanky Gibson - You Rock!

"Why Aren't You In New York?"

So yesterday, as you know if you are following our continuing saga, I didn't go to New York because Uncle J is not properly invested in providing me with entertainment. Ok, I didn't go because it was cancelled.

Anyway, I immediately emailed Jen with that info. No reply.

Later, around 1700 I send a text "Plans tonight?" No reply.

At 2000 she sends me a text "Leaving work." I send "Movies?" She answers "Yes"

We meet, we were crazy early, I get a blow-by-blow of her stunning day at work and CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Her promotion. We watch the movie. "Vantage Point" (which I loved!).

We were leaving and heading to our respectives cars.

Jen turns to me..........."Why aren't you in New York?"

LOL!

Something That Still Steams Me

It's been 32 years since this pic was snapped on Boston's City Hall Plaza. Adam over at Universal Hub just dredged it all up again. Geez, thanks buddy!

As I said over at Adam's place: "A picture might be worth a thousand words, but what does it help if they are the wrong words? The pic is sensational, but it wasn't photojournalism. You really don't get the true story. It shocks, it does not inform. Being from Charlestown, I always knew the villians here were liberal politicians moving about poor whites and poor blacks, like pawns in a game. Especially Ted Kennedy who thought he could ride his brothers' names past any criticism. This pic isn't photojournalism. It is misleading. It's sensational, it does not inform."
Judge for yourself At first glance, what most people see is a young white man preparing to impale a black man with a US flag, while another white man holds the black man in place.

Shocking? Of course. True? Not hardly.

First and foremost, the kid holding the flag, is an asshat. However, witnesses observed him to be swinging the flag back and forth in front of him in an arc. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong to do that with anything, much less an American flag. However, he is not preparing to spear Mr. Landsmark.

Also, the man behind Mr. Landsmark was Jimmy Kelly from South Boston. He is not holding Mr. Landsmark, he is pulling him from harm's way. Kelly later went on to become a Boston City Councilor and served the people of his district, South Boston with everything in him.

One of Adam's commenters added a link to an article in US News & World Reports. So you know this is the real gouge and not just a Townie girl white-washing history.

Why is this being brought up again now? Well it seems that someone has written a book about the pic. A whole book? Well, whatever, you know I have to read it, it's about Boston and I am a Bostonian.

I Like This Guy!

Ron Winter prints his take on yesterday's scandalous interrogation of General Petraeus and Amb. Crocker by leftist Senators. It is much more cohesive than anything I could have written.

Levin Again Displays Ignorance of Military Issues; Cross Examines Petraeus Like Criminal Defendant; Dems Use Troops As Pawns

It's a good read. I love the part where he fisks the Dem charge about Iraqi troops deserting in Basra.

Rockefeller Attacks My Bad Boyfriend!!!!

Apologize all you want, asshat! I don't accept.
West Virginia Senator Apologizes for Comments on McCain
By KATE PHILLIPS
Senator John D. Rockefeller IV personally apologized to Senator John McCain of Arizona on Tuesday after remarking in an interview that Mr. McCain’s years as a Navy fighter pilot would not have given him an understanding of everyday issues faced by Americans.
In an interview in his home state, West Virginia, on Monday, Mr. Rockefeller, a Democrat, told The Charleston Gazette that Mr. McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, could not relate to the everyday concerns of people on issues like health care.
According to the article, Mr. Rockefeller said: “McCain was a fighter pilot, who dropped laser-guided missiles from 35,000 feet. He was long gone when they hit. What happened when they get to the ground? He doesn’t know. You have to care about the lives of people. McCain never gets into those issues.”
On Tuesday, the McCain campaign demanded an apology, not just from Senator Rockefeller, but also from Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, because he has received the West Virginian’s endorsement.
“I have deep respect for John McCain’s honorable and noble service to our country,” Mr. Rockefeller said in a statement. “I made an inaccurate and wrong analogy and I have extended my sincere apology to him. While we differ a great deal on policy issues, I profoundly respect and appreciate his dedication to our country, and I regret my very poor choice of words.”
Later in the day, Mr. Rockefeller’s office issued an updated statement, saying Mr. McCain had graciously accepted the apology and the two had sat together privately during a vote in the Senate in the afternoon.
The Obama campaign also issued a statement: “Senator Obama has a deep respect for Senator McCain’s service to this country and he does not agree with what Senator Rockefeller said.”
In the Gazette article, Mr. Rockefeller explained his decision to endorse Mr. Obama, praising his communication skills while taking swipes at previous nominees.
In the past, Mr. Rockefeller said, the Democratic Party “nominated people like Al Gore and John Kerry who knew all the answers to everything and who could not relate to regular people. That is the main reason a lot of people voted for Bush. People said, ‘I could have a beer with this guy.’ ”
“Obama is simply unflappable. He takes questions carefully and makes you a believer,” he said, adding that his whole family is united behind Mr. Obama, unlike any candidate before.
According to a partial transcript of the interview provided by Mr. Rockefeller’s office, Mr. Rockefeller was asked about reports of Mr. McCain’s temper.
Mr. Rockefeller said they had been on the Commerce Committee together for 16 years. “He does have a temper,” he said. “Out on the trail, everything’s sort of been monotone.”
“I don’t think that will survive the general election,” he added.
********
Could this guy be any stupider?
Nice apology! Somehow he manages to take a swipe at the rest of us. "...nominated people like Al Gore and John Kerry who knew all the answers to everything and who could not relate to regular people. That is the main reason a lot of people voted for Bush. People said, ‘I could have a beer with this guy.’ ”
So Rockefeller thinks Bush supporters were just too stupid to vote for the better candidates? Typical limousine liberal. "Oh lovey! Those commoners are ruining everything!"
And of course this is supposed to be an apology, but he has to take another shot at McCain and talk about his temper.
Also, never mind the fact that he is unfairly attacking McCain's integrity......he doesn't even know what he is talking about - there were no laser guided missiles when John McCain was flying in Vietnam and no A-4 ever bombed from more than 14,000 and most much lower. Perhaps it's too much to ask an ignorant Democrat who never served in the military.

I don't believe everyone needs to serve in the military, but if you didn't, you should think twice before you talk smack.

Have I Ever Told You......

....that I suck at the 50/50 questions? They trip me up everytime. The closest the Vets for Freedom National Heroes Tour was coming to Boston was New York. But they were also going to be in DC. DC was going to be bigger, but that's twice as far. So, I think and think,....

I settle on New York. There's no event per se, but I am told that there will be "a booze up after the TV shows and hoopla." No problem! I'm in.

Then this morning Uncle J catches me just before I head off to Yank-mee territory.

Should have picked DC. ConcreteBob went and froze his ass off (southerners have thin blood) and he sent me a link for some great coverage at This Ain't Hell.

Jimbo, I have two books that need to be autographed.

Sgt. Adam Kennedy - One Year Later

I hope time has helped the Kennedy family somewhat with their loss. That is not to say that they should get over it. I would never for a moment imagine they could. I simply hope that time has helped them in some way. That they can focus on the happier memories.

Sgt. Kennedy is a true American hero and he is missed. I say this never having met him myself. However, he was held in high esteem by someone I love and respect.

The images of his family saying goodbye were haunting. I put this in another post, but it applies here as well.

"I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln

PO2 Michael A. Monsoor MOH Ceremony

1500 EST - I am watching the Monsoor MOH ceremony right now. I will post video as soon as I have it later this evening.

It's live on the Pentagon Channel right now.
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OK, now it's 1700 and if you go to the Pentagon Channel, you can choose the video of the MOH Ceremony. For some reason I can't embed it. Blogger is frustrating me.

Chuck at America's North Shore Journal has a very in depth write up of today's ceremony and PO2 Monsoor here.

Fair winds and a following sea, Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor.

Tracking Rabbits

The NYPD, The FBI, and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and each of them has to catch it.
The CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not exist.
The FBI goes in. After two weeks with no leads, they burn the forest, killing everything in it - including the rabbit - and they make no apologies. The rabbit had it coming.
The NYPD goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly beaten bear. The bear is yelling: "Okay! Okay! I'm a rabbit! I'm a rabbit!"