Women

This past week saw Laura Bush visit Liberia to congratulate President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. It also saw German Chancellor Andrea Merkel challenge the Russian government over Chechnya.

We've had women like Golda Meir in Israel, Margaret Thatcher in England, but never here in America. In fact, the most outspoken woman and most noticed is Hillary Clinton, who the rightwing radio hosts have referred to as a lesbian, among other things. Good times.

It's tough to be a strong woman in this country, with the glass ceilings and the all boys golf courses, etc. etc.

I did a search on Liberia and Bush, and a few articles came up about women in politics. One of them discussed Laura Bush running for President. LAURA BUSH! President Laura Bush! Yes, she has done such an obviously good job raising her own daughters that I think it's necessary she now run the country...She can look over our phone records, one by one, and them use the dewey decimal system to place them neatly into a file cabinet made of oak.

But seriously, it's high time a woman got into office, and I'm certainly not talking about Condi Rice. For her greatest attribute to Republican men is that she's black. They groomed this mutt from the day she decided being a Republican was beneficial to her career. I truly cannot stand her. She cannot be the one. Besides, what would it say about the red states if they voted for a black woman. It would actually tell you all you need to know about life in America.

I'll hit on this point first. I've always said that winning is the only thing that matters to Americans, especially Republicans. ESPECIALLY. They know that winning pays them more money, or at least they think that's it. They'll vote for anyone, make up any excuse, any rationale, you name it, as long as they can support their candidate. It doesn't matter who cheats, lies, steals, they'll find a way. Even if that way is saying, "Well, Clinton did it..." They ride into office claiming they'll "fix" things, but then when things go bad their standard bearer is Clinton. It's all about winning, and saying "I won." That's this country. So if a black woman were to get the vote in the south that would tell you everything you need to know.

People are completely disconnected from the candidates anyway, so while the south has been viewed as racist and chauvinistic, more so than the north, I still think they'd vote for Condi in droves. Even the ones who hate "niggers." It's all about winning, regardless of what the candidate brings to the table. Hence, why people can even discuss a Laura Bush Presidency. One must remember these people voted for George Bush because they had faith other people would guide him. This wouldn't be different. Truthfully, that faith doesn't even exist. It's just an excuse one uses when responding to the hows and whys you could vote for such an idiot. Moving on...

In Liberia Johnson-Sirleaf didn't just win an election, but she won in a place where women are brutalized, raped, and have their genitals cut off. That's fucked up. Yet she won. Not only did she win, but she defeated George Weah! George Fucking Weah!!! He's a GOD in Liberia. If Tom Bady ran as the Republican versus Hillary Clinton do you think any conservatives would even flinch? Without even knowing who he was, or where he stood, do you think they'd flinch? They supported sex offender and first class moron Arnold Schwarzenegger. All this says to me is the people of Liberia actually THINK when they cast a vote. People in America, not so sure about.

The GOD of Liberian and African soccer, the most recognizable African on the planet, loses to a woman in a Presidential election. Go figure.

In this country it's a totally different story. The country of "Freedom" and "liberty" and "equality." Riiiiiight. The more the money piles up on Wall St the further up a woman has to look to get to the top of that pile. Yeah, there's a few that slip through the cracks, and there's many more who see life as being more important on other levels so they don't try, but the ceiling exists. Don't get me wrong, I think women can make it anywhere they want to, and do, but it's a lot tougher for sure. My friend's wife has to overlook sexual induendo while bonding with the men just so she can make partner at her firm. Good times.

So we move forward, hoping to see a woman in the White House. I know women who "hate Hillary..." and they have no idea why. Often it's her ambition. Some view her as a carpetbagger, or a person so self-consumed/concerned that she'll do anything to become President. To that I say, "SO FUCKING WHAT!?!?!?" Her desire, hardwork, and ambition will lay the ground for thousands upon thousands of women. Regardless of her own intentions it's beneficial.

"But I still don't like her..."

Whatever. You're a moron.

I remember hearing the same thing about Anika Sorenstam when she played in a Men's PGA event. Men were calling up WFAN radio and complaining that she didn't earn it. Are you serious? She was given an exemption, and she didn't come in last. In fact, she beat about 10 men. Do you know what means to little girls who watched her play on television? Maybe the girl isn't going to beat all the men, but she beat SOME OF THEM! That's huge. And jackasses had the audacity to call and complain about her. Amazing. That's America. You think they'd make those same calls in Europe?

Well, I've rambled enoughe (every day). Sure, I hate Condi Rice, and there's something hypocritical about me not wanting her or Laura Bush to be President. It's mainly because the two of them would be representing the party that suppresses groups of people, like women. They'd be misrepresenting the party, and would actually set womens' rights back further by making it seem like Republicans are progressive. On the other side there's Hillary, who is being shot at from all sides, including her own party, but still making headway on her own. Sure she has the support of many Democrats, but that's only because she has been a good public servant, and represents the right womens' movement.

Hopefully America can catch up to Liberia and Germany by electing a strong woman with real credentials, who didn't have to be propped up as a...well, prop.

(not editing)

Archival Stuff

Last time Mike smiled?  


Gus, Me, Mike, Stu Ledge, Az

You Know What's Great?

I see this bin Laden article on the cover of the papers and think, "HE'S STILL ALIVE!"

Nice

Thanks to Spence for sending me this.

There's a guy who used to do a radio show before mine named Bill Maher, and he used to have the AARP on his show all the time. Bill's in his 70s, I think, and ran a show catered to seniors. I was always surprised a few of them didn't die after going from his show to mine.

Anyway, the AARP supported Bush's new Medicare plan becuause it was the "best deal" they could get, aka, the only deal. They figured they'll get a piece of the pie now and then negotiate for more down the road. That worked really well!

I went on right after Maher and slammed the AARP for doing this, and slammed any senior who could possibly buy into this bullshit.

I'm going back on the air February 12th, and will do my best to find the audio of what I said back then. I do this just to show how right I am all the time about the crap they pull.

I've been right about the tax cuts, Medicare, the War on Terror, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, you name it, I've been right. And I'm not the only one who has been right. In fact, MOST OF US HAVE BEEN RIGHT. Except those who are actually on the right. They've been wrong. But even when they're wrong they have excuses for why they are actually right.

"Medicare overhaul takes time...competition will lead to lower prices, and choice will make things better..."

"The tax cuts will fill state coffers with money...if they don't, no big deal, we want to shrink government anyway..."

"North Korea, well, we're opening a dialogue...it takes time...We want China to take the lead..."

Seriously, SERIOUSLY, what have they done right? Oh, I know, we haven't been attacked again.

To that I say, "Yeah, but we were attacked, and it happened once. On their watch."

Ohhh Sama...

Don't show your cards, guy.

The Arabic satellite channel Al Jazeera broadcast an audiotape today by Osama bin Laden, in which he said that more attacks against the United States were being prepared, while offering the possibility of a truce under unspecified conditions.

This afternoon, an official of the Central Intelligence Agency said it had authenticated the voice of the tape as that of Mr. bin Laden. It was not immediately clear when the tape was made, but it was the first tape by the leader of Al Qaeda to be released in about a year

I feel like this latest attempt by OBL is one made out of nervousness. Last week there was a report detailing the fighting between Iraqis and members of Al Qaeda. Maybe Osama realizes his squad is being looked down upon just like the Americans? Why else would this guy call for a withdrawal (aside from the fact that he's been doing so for years and years with regard to all Arab lands)?

Just seems too coincidental for one not to have anything to do with the other.

Or, maybe it's just a "One Shot Deal..."

Thanks, TSA

I guess you could blame me for what happened, but you could also blame THE TERRORISTS!

On my flight from Newark to Las Vegas Saturday afternoon, someone over at Newark LIBERTY took the liberty of going into my bag and stealing my iPod speakers and my iPod mini. Good times. Nothing like being in Vegas at the shittiest hotel on the planet with no music to listen to.

I guess when the TSA folks scanned my bag they noticed some electical components inside, which gave them the authority to look. Upon looking they must have noticed that not only was it not a bomb, but it was something that could taken home for their own enjoyment!

I guess there are ways to subsidize your minimum wage job.

If

If we really killed these people in Pakistan where is the proof?

OR, maybe in order to avoid a Pakistani uprising authorities there agreed to make some shit up.

You make the call.

This is Comedy

The lengths Republicans will goto to smear the Clintons. I mean, read this, and then tell yourself this, "Okay, so this Cisneros guy actually cheated on his taxes, and I'm supposed to care why? It's 2006! Everything changed after 9/11! I'm supposed to care about this character Cisneros in a politically motivated case, now? I mean, there are terrorists out there, and we're spending $21 Million on this case?"

In all likelihood this guy probably did something wrong. Something minor. Great. I've got the Republican Speaker of the House illegally changing voting districts, taking money from lobbyists, employing every one he knows into every lobbying firm, and ruining our system of government. BUT I'M SUPPOSED TO GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT THIS!!!???

Yeah, those are your conservatives at work for you...

If Democrats Were Smart

And shit didn't stink, they would hold off on offering new rules restricting certain lobbying practices.

Don't change the subject, and don't allow Republicans to do it either. Stay on message.

Tell the press: "Listen, the rules need to be changed, especially in light of what's happening with Jack Abramoff, and certain Republicans. But we don't want to rush rules through Congress. After 9/11 we rushed the Patriot Act through and now there's a lot of complaining going on. President Bush rushed through his Medicare bill, and now seniors aren't even covered. We don't want to keep making the same mistakes over and over by rushing bills through the Congress because it's politically expedient for some people. Lets wait to see what happens first. We don't even know if anyone is guilty, so lets have this play out, look at what needs to be fixed, and then fix it. If Republicans have proposals to fix all these problems so quickly that means they must have known about the problems before hand. Or, they're just rushing rules to coverup what's going on. Either way, we don't want a bad bill in Congress."

STAY ON MESSAGE!!!!!

The Ledger

I agree with this editorial about Judge Alito, on some level, but I more agree with the professors at the law school Alito taught at.

My issue with him is his willingness to lie, distort, or pretend to not know about his own past, or his unwillingness to answer questions. He's depriving Americans the right of knowing who he is.

Either way he's going to be confirmed, but Americans need to realize just what they're doing when they vote for President. If Alito was upfront and honest about his past Americans would hear clips of a man to the right of the political mainstream, and this would bother many of them. Maybe then during an election they'd start to understand the ramifications of electing a right-wing idiot.

Instead, Alito, a man about to be confirmed to sit in a chair representing the highest standards in the world, distorts, disguises, or lies just to get there.

Class act.

It's amazing to me how many of these people can't remember their own past, or are so easily tricked. The LEADERS OF AMERICA ARE FOILS!

Judge Alito after touting his affiliation with a conservative group in order to gain favor with the Reagan Administration no longer remembers!

Congressman Bob Ney of Ohio claims he was tricked by lobbyist Jack Abramoff! Others were tricked as well.

The "Smartest Guys in the Room" over at Enron were also tricked by lower level employees.

No one knows anything, and everyone was tricked. These are the people running the country.

The real trick is what they're doing to all of us: playing dumb because they know Americans are dumber.

Deportes

Just some thoughts on sports from the past weekend, and going forward.

First off, that call in the Pittsburgh/Indy game was ridiculous.

Okay, so the ref on the field overturned the call and gave the ball back to Indianapolis, that I get. But doesn't someone in the replay actually tell the ref the call the should be overturned? I mean, is not the ref just relaying the message of those in the replay booth? Everyone in the world, including the Colts fans I was standing next to in Vegas, saw Polamalu pick off the ball.

It really makes you scratch your head. I don't believe the NFL tries to cheat, but I mean, what else could be the answer? The ref didn't even know what the call was. He just puts some words together like, "After the player caught the ball, he then fumbled the ball after catching the ball which was fumbled prior to being hit by his knee the ball came loose then was recovered by the player who fumbled prior to recovering the ball which, as mentioned earlier, was thrown to the player...First town, Indianapolis!"

Here's the BIGGEST problem with Instant Replay: SLOW MOTION. Nothing exists in slow motion. The same way that Tom Brady "tucked" the ball is the same way Polamalu didn't have "control."

When you watch a play in slow motion it changes everything. First off, these players are such better athletes than the rest of us that you can't compare what they do to what we'd do. What I mean by this is when a player catches a ball, and then switches it to his other arm while getting hit it may seem like the ball is still moving in his arms, if you watch in slow motion. To some fat ass sitting in a booth it may seem like he doesn't have full control. But these guys are superior athletes!

I've watched Mike Williams, Randy Moss, Tory Holt, and countless others catch the ball with one hand, and then secure it. I've watched players grab it with one and then switch it to the other. They have FULL CONTROL of the ball, yet it's still moving. But it's only moving because they are choosing to move it from one part of their bodies to another. Slow motion deceives us into thinking the player "never had control." It's total bullshit, and often ruins a great play.

Same goes for Brady's tuck. In slow motion it seemed like he stopped the ball for a second, and had it "tucked away," when in reality he never stopped moving, nor did he ever tuck it. When something changes direction in slow motion there's a period on the tape when it seems like there's an actual stoppage in the players motion. There's not.

The NFL needs players to review these calls, to stop watching it in slow motion, or to make the slow motion a bit faster in order to understand what is happening in REAL TIME.

Then there was the offsides call where a Colts player jumped across the line of scrimmage, but the refs made no call, since no one could tell if a Pittsburgh player drew the players off. Well, if no one knew then NO ONE DID! Another horrible call.

As for my picks this weekend, I was 3-1. Picked the Broncos, Panthers, and Seahawks to win. Being in Vegas, I advised my colleague to do the same, but he teased the Colts, which was his downfall.

Advice, never tease a game when you know it's a guarantee. Tease the other games you're not sure about and bet your locks to win. That's my take. Then again, I don't bet, so it's probably easier to sit here and comment...which I have no problem doing.

Finally, Ultimate Fighting, I should be betting the house on these fights. But, I don't own a house so it's tough to do.

Being that I get to spend so much time with these guys the day before and day of the fights I'm usually so locked in as to who will win. I probably get about 75%+ correct. Had I bet this weekend the number would have been 6/8, but strangely enough one of those losses was half of the two I thought were locks. Nevertheless, it'd be easy money, but I just can't bring myself to do it. Something disingenuous about wishing a guy luck after having bet against him since I'd know I want his face to get stomped out.

I'd watch a great UFC event over any sport except the World Cup and NCAA Tournament.

Curbing Their Enthusiasm

This is going to be so much fun:

Republican leaders proposed broad new restrictions yesterday on the lobbying of Congress, including a ban on privately funded travel for members, tight curbs on meals and other gifts from lobbyists, and an end to access to the House and Senate floors and congressional gyms for former lawmakers who register as lobbyists.

Soon to follow are restrictions on: disenfranchising voters, using phone banks to smear candidates, lying to take the nation to war, and of course, impeaching presidents, which they've already put into effect.

She's Trying to be Racist?

Dennis Hastert wonders:

Sen. Hillary Clinton drew criticism Tuesday for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech in which she told a mostly black audience at a Harlem church that Republican leaders have run the House "like a plantation" and the Bush administration will go down as "one of the worst" in U.S. history.

Responding to the speech, House Speaker Dennis Hastert called her remarks "a little bit over the top."

"I've never run a plantation before. I'm not even sure of what kind of association she's trying to make," said the speaker, a Republican from Illinois. "If she's trying to be racist, I think that's unfortunate, but I'm not going to comment any further on that."

It's weird Speaker Hastert would have to wonder if she's being racist. He hears "plantation" but then is confused by the fact it probably isn't.

See, when he sits around with friends, hitting the cigars, and talks about the plantation it usually is racist, so one can see where he gets confused.

Racist to me is the spending bill for education, which starts in the House, which is led by Mr. Hastert.

Racist to me is the fact that unemployment goes down, but for blacks it goes up.

Racist to me is Tom Delay and Barbara Bush thinking the people in Nawlins got a good deal out of this hurricane.

Racist is to me is Hastert's state of Illinois going out and getting Alan Keyes to run against Barak Obama solely because he's black. Consider that Keyes attacked Hillary Clinton, of Illinois, as being a carpetbagger for running in New York state.

Well That Took Long

NYTIMES:

The Supreme Court upheld Oregon's assisted-suicide law today, declaring that the Bush administration had exceeded its authority in trying to undo the statute by punishing doctors who help people end their lives.

In a 6-to-3 decision, which would apply to other states if their people chose to follow Oregon's lead, the court held that former Attorney General John Ashcroft went well beyond his authority and expertise when he ruled in 2001 that doctors would lose their federal prescription privileges if they prescribed lethal doses of medications for patients...

Justice Antonin Scalia, in a sharp dissent, asserted that the attorney general did indeed have the authority to issue his 2001 ruling, regardless of the majority's reading of events. "If the term 'legitimate medical purpose' has any meaning, it surely excludes the prescription of drugs to produce death," Justice Scalia wrote.

Justice Scalia, citing papers filed on behalf of the federal government, wrote that "virtually every medical authority from Hippocrates to the current American Medical Association confirms that assisting suicide has seldom or never been viewed as a form of 'prevention, cure, or alleviation of disease.' " The entire legitimacy of physician-assisted suicide "ultimately rests, not on 'science' or 'medicine,' but on a naked value judgment," he wrote.

Also dissenting were Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Clarence Thomas. Chief Justice Roberts, whose conservative judicial philosophy was widely discussed during his confirmation hearings last year, had indicated skepticism about the arguments advanced by the State of Oregon when the case was argued in October.

And soon to be joining, Mr. Alito...

Sorry

Once again, I've been away in Vegas. I'm sure most of you were off this weekend regardless, but again, sorry about the lack of posts.

Things are going to take off real soon on another level here at the old BeLOW Me.