Hallelujah

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Hillary: Gay partners should get health benefits, Social Security, other fed benefits

Good for her. Reader Lyn tipped me off to Hillary's appearance today on the Tyra Banks show:

BANKS: (Reading a question ) "I am a lesbian and my partner of 20 years is sick. She can't afford her medical expenses and because we are not legally married, my policy won't cover her. How can you help us?"

HRC: I believe that if you are in a committed relationship, you ought to be able to have your benefits go to that person, or to anyone else. Suppose you are living with your brother and you want him to have your benefits. He wants you to have your benefits. Suppose you are taking care of and living with your mother. If you are in a committed relationship, no matter what that relationship is.

BANKS: Woman, woman, man, man, it doesn't matter.

HRC: That's right. I believe the benefits are yours and you ought to be able to give them and pass them on to whomever you choose. Also, as we begin to see different states making these decisions, civil unions, domestic partners and, marriage, the federal government ought to make all of the benefits through Social Security and other programs available to any legally recognized relationship and I intend to do that.

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'Preacher' Huckabee says Confederate flag opponents can shove flag pole up their ass

Does Huckabee pray to Jesus with that mouth? So much for our Christ-invoking preacher. Now he's suggesting that civil rights advocates shove flag poles up their ass. Not a very nice, or mature, thing for any adult candidate to be saying, let alone the guy who says that God wants him to be president and that he's going to amend the Constitution to bring it in line with the Bible. I don't think the Bible says anything about shoving flag poles up your ass.

Oh yeah, Huckabee's also hanging out with the same white supremacist that Trent Lott and far too many southern Republican racists hang out with.

[T]he former Arkansas governor told a Myrtle Beach crowd on January 17, referring to the Confederate flag. "If somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell them what to do with the pole. That's what we'd do."

Making coded appeals to white racism is nothing new for Huckabee. Indeed, well before he was a nationally known political star, Huckabee nurtured a relationship with America's largest white supremacist group, the Council of Conservative Citizens. The extent of Huckabee's interaction with the racist group is unclear, but this much is known: he accepted an invitation to speak at the group's annual conference in 1993 and ultimately delivered a videotaped address that was "extremely well received by the audience."

Descended from the White Citizens Councils that battled integration in the Jim Crow South, including at Arkansas' Little Rock High School, the Council (or CofCC) has been designated a "hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In its "Statement of Principles," the CofCC declares, "We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races."

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Some things never change

The year was 1919, and the Navy was investigating gay service members.

They recruited handsome young sailors to be undercover “operators” to collect evidence against men who engaged in sodomy.

The operators were told to “catch them in the act.”

That was precisely where they caught them.

The operators seduced sailors in Newport and participated in numerous sex acts with them — mostly by accepting oral sex to completion. They recorded their encounters in daily reports.

Seventeen sailors caught in the sting were arrested, held in solitary confinement on a prison ship and then court-martialed. Several went to jail.

The operators who accepted oral sex received notations in their records “in recognition of their interest and zeal” in pursuing the evidence.

I'm sure. Read More......

Edwards blasts Obama over anti-Clinton ad

Hmmm... interesting dynamic. Edwards last night blasted Obama over an ad that the pro-Obama culinary union in Nevada is running on Spanish-language radio. Edwards usually teams up with Obama against Clinton. This is an interesting switch. Here is the text of the ad, then Edwards' response:

UNITE HERE Negative Ad
(Translation from Spanish)
Hillary Clinton does not respect our people. Hillary Clinton supporters went to court to prevent working people to vote this Saturday - that is an embarrassment.
Hillary Clinton supporters want to prevent people from voting in their workplace on Saturday. This is unforgivable. Hillary Clinton is shameless. Hillary Clinton should not allow her friends to attack our people's right to vote this Saturday. This is unforgivable; there's no respect

Sen. Obama is defending our right to vote. Sen. Obama wants our votes. He respects our votes, our community, and our people.

Sen. Obama's campaign slogan is "Si Se Puede" ("Yes We Can"). Vote for a president that respects us, and that respects our right to vote. Obama for president, "Si Se Puede" ("Yes We Can").

Paid for by UNITE HERE Campaign Committee

Edwards' response and my reaction after the jump... Here is Edwards' response to the ad:

During a “Get Out the Caucus” rally in Las Vegas today, John Edwards made the following statement calling on Senator Obama to denounce the UNITE HERE radio ads.

“Just a few days ago, on a stage where all three of us were participating in the debate, there was a discussion of putting behind us and stopping the race politics that had been going on for a few days before that between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. And everyone pledged that this kind of divisive politics that divides the Democratic Party and could divide America would come to an end.

“Senator Obama made that pledge. I was sitting five feet from him when I heard him say it. And now it turns out that in the last twenty-four hours, there's a radio ad that's being run—a malicious radio ad attacking Senator Clinton. That is exactly that kind of divisive politics. It's being run right here in Las Vegas.

“I denounce it. This kind of ad, I don't care who's doing it—in this case it's Senator Obama's supporters—but this sort of thing needs to stop. And from what I've seen, Senator Obama has not said a single word about this. Nothing…when two days ago, three days ago, he sat on a stage in front of America and said this kind of politics had no place in America. That is divides America. It divides the Democratic Party. And he denounced it. Well, now it's happening…by his supporters…right here in this campaign twenty-four hours before the caucuses. And what I have to say is he should speak up. If he really means what he says—and this is not just talk—he should speak up and denounce this kind of divisive politics. It is not what the Democratic Party needs. It is not what America needs. And let me say this very clearly, vis-a-vis Senator Obama, I will not divide America. I will unite America.”

This is quite interesting. For the longest time Edwards has been teaming up with Obama, and blasting Clinton. Now he's teaming up with Clinton and blasting Obama. Even more ironic, Edwards is blasting Obama over an ad that, while nasty, is basically correct. (And for added irony, Obama demanded that Edwards take down some 3rd party ads in Iowa - Obama may now be regretting his assertion (which is, I think, correct) that candidates can influence such ads.) Clinton's surrogates have been trying to make it harder for workers of the state culinary union to vote, and per Bill Clinton's TV interview the other day, the Clinton campaign is on the side of those trying to block the union members. Again, to me what's most interesting is that Edwards is blasting Clinton. To some degree, Edwards is trying very hard to be relevant, and to pose himself as the true "adult" in the race. Whether it will work is another question.

More from the Nevada blogs. Read More......

Kucinich out in Texas

Interesting:

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Texas to print presidential primary ballots without Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich's name.

The court refused to step into a dispute between Kucinich and the Texas Democratic Party over a loyalty oath all candidates must sign to make the ballot.

Kucinich and singer-supporter Willie Nelson objected to the party oath that a presidential candidate must "fully support" the party's eventual nominee. Kucinich crossed out the oath when he filed for a spot on the primary ballot.

Yet again, I'm torn between thinking the guy is spunky and goofy. Read More......

Stock market plunges nearly 300 points after Bush speaks

Tim-ber! Has he ever *not* made a mess with his plans? The reverse Midas touch strikes again. Maybe Cheney could update us all on the economy instead of looking as though he's at a funeral in the background. Bush patsy Paulson isn't looking much better though I suspect his years at Goldman taught him enough to know how badly they ruined everything. Where's the big talk about the US economy being so "resilient" now? Wrong once again. Read More......

Two Nevada polls show Clinton leading

Okay, here's my caveat: This is the first time Nevada has had a caucus like the one the Democrats are having tomorrow. So devour these polls at your own risk.

Reuters/Zogby has Clinton leading Obama 42 - 37, with Edwards at 12.

The Las Vegas Review Journal has Clinton with a nine point lead over Obama, 41 - 32. Edwards has 14.

Caucus starts tomorrow at noon Pacific time. Read More......

Bush speaks on the economy. He's on the case, he says.

Bush just announced his plans to rescue the economy in a statement covered live on CNN. He wants a "growth package." Less than a month ago, in the December 29, 2007 radio address, Bush was singing the praises of the ecomony he's foisted upon us.

You have to wonder just how bad the Bush people think the economy is if they're willing to compromise on the centerpiece of Bush's presidency: The 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

This is how the Washington Post described it:

Republican leaders, meanwhile, indicated that they could go along with a stimulus plan that does not include a permanent extension of Bush's first-term tax cuts, which are to expire in 2011.

"They've drawn a line in the sand on the Bush tax-cut extension, so we've seen a shift," said Rep. Eric Cantor (Va.), the Republicans' chief deputy whip. "There's been a realization that we need to get something done, and the expectations are not that high that we will get that done."

Bush never compromises. But, now, he's going to compromise on his tax cuts. In his remarks, Bush did say the tax cuts need to become permanent -- but apparently he's not going to hold up the stimulus package over them.

That says a lot about the state of our economy. Read More......

Taking a look at the Bill Clinton factor in the campaign

Given the personality involved, it's probably not a big surprise that Bill Clinton has become a dominant figure in the 2008 election. His wife, after all, is a candidate. But some of Clinton's actions have begged the question whether he's helping or hurting. Today, both the New York Times ("Stumping and Simmering") and the Washington Post ("Shadowed by Past Battles") have articles examining the Bill factor.

The guy certainly commands attention. He gets an enormous amount of press. He creates an excitement. But, today's articles take a look at some of Bill's recent series of angry outbursts. The most recent was over the caucuses in Nevada. It's posted below.

There's never a dull moment when Bill Clinton is involved. The punditry is working over time to figure out how Bill affects Hillary. Overall, I think it has to help. They make a fierce double team -- and he never misses a chance to fight back. You have to wonder if some of the negativity comes from a punditry that never really liked Bill Clinton anyway.

What do you think? Is Bill an asset or a liability to Hillary's campaign?

Excerpts from the articles after the break.

The Times keeps the focus on the famous -- or infamous -- Clinton temper:

Mr. Clinton’s temper has been an issue for him as long as he has been in public life. But it has played an unusual role during the current campaign, his face turning red in public nearly every week, often making headlines as he defends his wife and injects himself, whether or not intentionally, into her race in sometimes distracting ways.

Some Clinton advisers say the campaign is trying to rein him in somewhat, so that his outbursts become less of a factor to reporters, but his flashes of anger only seem to be growing. Last week, for instance, a clearly agitated Mr. Clinton told Dartmouth students that it was a “fairy tale” for Mr. Obama to contend that he had been consistently against the war in Iraq. And in December he said that voters supporting Mr. Obama were willing to “roll the dice” on the presidency.

“The bottom line is, his outbursts don’t help the campaign,” said James A. Thurber of American University, an analyst of the presidency and Congress. “They become an issue, and it can grow into a real problem. I think the campaign is worried about him right now.”

But some advisers say a former president at times prone to outrage can draw attention to issues as no one else can. They say Mr. Clinton’s “roll the dice” comment, made on the PBS television program “Charlie Rose,” helped focus public and media attention on Mr. Obama’s scarce experience relative to Mrs. Clinton’s, a factor that her campaign saw as contributing to her victory in the New Hampshire primary.

The Washington Post looks back ten years to analyze the Bill Clinton of today:

Few know more about the harsh scrutiny of Washington than Bill Clinton. He spent much of his presidency fending off investigations by special prosecutors, congressional committees and news organizations. His marital indiscretions were excavated by tabloids and depositions. And then, on Jan. 21, 1998, came news that Starr was investigating whether he obstructed justice to cover up an affair with Lewinsky, a former White House intern.

The next 13 months were absorbed by the battle to save his presidency as Clinton tried to mislead and maneuver his way out of trouble and House Republicans impeached him on a party-line vote. Clinton won acquittal in the Senate, but a federal judge later found him in contempt of court for not telling the truth under oath. He eventually admitted giving false testimony about his relationship with Lewinsky, surrendered his law license and paid about $1 million in fines and settlement costs.

Hillary Clinton's campaign has managed to avoid much discussion of these episodes over the past year, and her Democratic rivals have brought them up only obliquely, saying, as Obama has, that they do not want to return to the political battles of the 1990s. Advisers to the senator from New York are acutely aware of Monday's anniversary, coming at the height of the primary season, and hope it will pass with little notice. Some of them cringed last week when her husband recalled the scandal-ridden times at the same event where he made his "fairy tale" comment.

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Tom DeLay: McCain's nomination will destroy the GOP

Exposing more rifts in the Republican Party, disgraced former Majority Leader Tom DeLay clearly can't stand John McCain. I actually don't think hate would be too strong a word here either:

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) lambasted Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) Thursday for “betraying” the conservative movement.

During a private luncheon with Republican chiefs of staff on Capitol Hill, DeLay — who has criticized McCain for years — stepped up his attacks in the wake of the senator’s reemergence as a top presidential contender. DeLay said McCain has no principles and indicated he would not endorse the senator if he won the GOP primary.

“If McCain gets the nomination, I don’t know what I’ll do,” DeLay said at the Capitol Hill Club, according to a source in the room. “I might have to sit this one out.”

He added that a McCain triumph for the GOP nomination would destroy the Republican Party.

On one level, this certainly makes the McCain nomination more appealing. And, it's actually comical to hear Tom DeLay say someone else has no principles. Read More......

GE Money loses 650,000 credit card records

That's OK though because Congress doesn't give a damn anyway. Heaven forbid accountability ever means being accountable. Until there are consequences for being so casual with personal data, this is never going to change. Losing over 200 million records in the US still doesn't register as an important issue, amazingly enough. Read More......

Friday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

Big political weekend coming up. Democrats in Nevada. Repubs in South Carolina.

And today we learn how Bush is going to save the tanking economy. That would be the economy that's been tanking for awhile now that Bush kept saying was strong.

Lots going on. Have at it. Read More......

US home building crashes to 27 year low

The GOP economic record lowers the post yet again. It's not even possible to keep up with the stunning number of record lows they have hit with the US economy. How could they ruin such a previously great economy, so quickly? We used to be a country that welcomed competition, but that all changed with the GOP who thought it made more sense to eliminate anything resembling competition. Now everyone in the US and the world will pay the price for there absolute incompetence.

“I think this housing downturn will be unprecedented in terms of its breadth across the country and in its severity,” Zandi said. “I don’t think we have seen anything like this, certainly since the Great Depression, and back then housing was much less of a factor in terms of the overall economy because fewer people owned their own homes.”

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Panic selling of UK property fund triggers shut down

From the penthouse to the outhouse. So much for the previously high flying $4 billion property fund. The real estate crash continues to takes its toll.

Scottish Equitable said yesterday that 129,000 small investors in its £2bn property fund will not be able to access their money for up to a year, although payments relating to regular income already being paid, retirements and death claims will not be affected.

It said the fund, invested in London office blocks and shopping centres across Britain, no longer had sufficient cash reserves to meet demands from investors wanting to withdraw their money. Its "buffer fund" was down to 1% of its total assets, instead of the usual 10-15%.

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Merrill Lynch posts $10 billion loss - O'Neal must be laughing

Another hideous failure for an overpaid CEO. O'Neil walked away with $161 million and Merrill Lynch announces a Q4 loss of $10 billion and $14.6 billion in write downs. Yes, the CEO bonus was all tied to those massively inflated numbers which are all being thrown into the rubbish bin. It's time to drag the executive pay committee people into Congress and let them explain to America how the system works. They have the advantage of hiding in the background, never having to explain themselves to anyone.

There is a fundamental problem with the system and sugar coating it is not going to help. We used to be a country that promoted everyone having a fair chance to get ahead but we've become a greedy country that only promotes the select few. Our forefathers who came to America to escape similar systems in the old world wouldn't recognize the place. Read More......