October 15, 2008
© Kevin Renes | Dreamstime.com
The last debate.
Three weeks to go.
Got me to reminisce about my early exposure to politics.
The first presidential debate I ever watched was the first modern presidential debate: Nixon v. Kennedy, 1960.
I was a kid, growing up in a very political household. My dad had been a precinct captain, and was soon to become Democratic township committeeman of our (before he took over) rock-ribbed Republican suburb.
My mother was the brains of the outfit, who had helped my dad go door to door to elect a Democratic congressman whose name was always gold in their house, even 40 years later, Barratt O’Hara.
The first television we had was purchased not to watch Uncle Miltie and the antics of Lucy and Desi, but rather was acquired to watch the conventions of 1952.
In late 1959, my parents began an impossibly quixotic quest: from our family room they created a national campaign to nominate Chester Bowles of Connecticut for president. Where this cockamamie idea came from I have no idea to this day. A very distinguished progressive politician. Before that, a phenomenally successful advertising executive. Once and future ambassador to India and Under Secretary of State.
Way too qualified for the presidency.
Yr (justifiably) humble svt spent many a weekend that year and through mid-1960 stuffing, addressing and stamping envelopes.
It was a simpler time. Stuffing envelopes in support of a national presidential campaign by hand, indeed.
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4 Comments | 
McCain, Obama, Politics, Presidential election | Tagged: Barack Obama, Barratt O'Hara, Chester Bowles, debate, John McCain, Kennedy-Nixon debates, Politics, Presidential election | 
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Posted by mudge
October 13, 2008
Sometimes good things happen to good people.
Paul Krugman of Princeton University and the NYTimes, frequently quoted in this space, was awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics today.
This is worthy recognition to an outstanding thinker, who not only thinks the deep thoughts of his “dismal science,” but articulately delivers complex concepts with clarity.
Well done, Nobel committee, and Paul Krugman!
—————–
Last post, I spoke in glowing terms of one of my favorite progressive blogs, First Door on the Left.
Len did it again today (recognizing Paul Krugman, by the way) by posting the complete transcript of Barack Obama’s fleshed out economic rescue plan delivered in Ohio today.
A Rescue Plan for the Middle Class
I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried. But I also know this – we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because we are the United States of America. We are the country that has faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges – not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans.
We still have the most talented, most productive workers of any country on Earth. We’re still home to innovation and technology, colleges and universities that are the envy of the world. Some of the biggest ideas in history have come from our small businesses and our research facilities. It won’t be easy, but there’s no reason we can’t make this century another American century.
But it will take a new direction. It will take new leadership in Washington. It will take a real change in the policies and politics of the last eight years. And that’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.
My opponent has made his choice. Last week, Senator McCain’s campaign announced that they were going to “turn the page” on the discussion about our economy so they can spend the final weeks of this election attacking me instead. His campaign actually said, and I quote, “if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose.” Well Senator McCain may be worried about losing an election, but I’m worried about Americans who are losing their jobs, and their homes, and their life savings. They can’t afford four more years of the economic theory that says we should give more and more to millionaires and billionaires and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. We’ve seen where that’s led us and we’re not going back. It’s time to turn the page.
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1 Comment | Economic depression, Economy, McCain, Obama, Politics, Presidential election, progressive, Recession | Tagged: Barack Obama, Faux News, First Door on the Left, John McCain, middle class rescue, New York Times, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science, Paul Krugman, Princeton University, redneckette, talk radio, the only thing to fear is fear itself | Permalink
Posted by mudge
September 8, 2008
© Ian O hanlon | Dreamstime.com
As some observers have noted after the two conventions, there were lots of distractions, lots of words, but not much in the way of substance.
Especially regarding this nation’s number one concern.
Iraq, you ask?
That’s so 2007.
No, it’s the economy — rather, the very dangerous state of the economy.
Our Republican friends, plutocrats, or plutocrat wannabe’s, don’t believe we have a problem. McCain is and has always been insulated from the real world by, first, years as a Naval officer, where the pay might not be royal but subsidized expenses are low; then years as a prisoner of war, where the cost of living takes on an entirely ugly but non-financial meaning; then many more years as a Senator, married to wealth, a combination as isolated from the real world as it gets. He relies on his good buddy and close advisor on topics economic, former colleague Phil Gramm of Texas, who believes we’re all whiners.
The Democrats talked a spectacularly good ball game, but had little substantive to offer us.
Even so, based on their track record, one has to believe that the Democrats are more likely to get it than the Republicans, who have spent the last eight years aiding and abetting the liars and thieves on Wall Street and beyond.
Meanwhile, the news, and its import, is grim and becoming even more so.
The Power of De
Op-Ed Columnist | By PAUL KRUGMAN | Published: September 7, 2008
Save the home lenders, save the world? If only it were that simple.
The just-announced federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant mortgage lenders, was certainly the right thing to do — and it was done fairly well, too. The plan will sustain institutions that play a crucial role in the economy, while holding down taxpayer costs by more or less cleaning out the stockholders.
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2 Comments | Economic depression, Economy, McCain, Obama, Politics, Presidential election, Recession | Tagged: Barack Obama, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Great Depression, John McCain, Paul Krugman, Recession, Sarah Palin | Permalink
Posted by mudge
August 14, 2008
© Catia Amadio | Dreamstime.com
MUDGE’s Musings
In case current events in the nation of Georgia haven’t made the fact crystal clear, yr (justifiably) humble svt is unhappy to inform you that the U.S. military hasn’t exactly covered itself in glory over the past nearly 20 years since the end of the Cold War.
And the diplomatic corps has similarly shown itself to be overstressed and undermanned.
Nicholas Kristof made the point this past weekend: the U.S. has more musicians in its military bands than it has diplomats!
And what Kristof’s story omits, due to rapidly breaking events, is the failure of both U.S. diplomacy and U.S. military strength during the Russian invasion of Georgia this past week.
Military strength? Well, we can’t simultaneously put sufficient boots on the ground to meet our objectives in Iraq and Afghanistan, much less come to the aid of a strategically critical ally, Georgia.
Diplomacy? A strong diplomatic corps might have foreseen (yes, hindsight is always 20:20) that Georgia was simultaneously taking U.S. and NATO support as more than words, while underestimating Vladimir Putin’s urge for regained empire, and warned Mikheil Saakashvili away from his adventuristic invasion of South Ossettia.
Or a diplomatic arm with some heft might have been able to forestall, or at least mitigate, Russia’s response. Putin may now be emboldened to exercise his brand of “diplomacy” over other, West-leaning, former states of the old Soviet empire, and the U.S. will be hard pressed to protect them, diplomatically or militarily, if it even figures out that this would be a useful strategy.
But George III is a happy warrior, as befits a civilian who took giant steps to avoid substantive military service, and diplomacy apparently doesn’t mean much to him, or it appears, to Congress.
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1 Comment | Afghanistan, Geopolitics, Iraq occupation, McCain, Obama, Politics, Presidential election, War | Tagged: Barack Obama, Bush, China, diplomacy, diplomatic corps, Foreign Service, George III, Georgia, John McCain, military strength, Nicholas Kristof, Saakashvili, South Ossettia, Vladimir Putin | Permalink
Posted by mudge
July 21, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Frank Rich of the NYTimes eviscerated John McCain over both his supposed area of expertise, military affairs, as well as Sen. McCain’s admitted area of weakness, matters economic. It wasn’t pretty.
It’s the Economic Stupidity, Stupid
Op-Ed Columnist | By FRANK RICH | Published: July 20, 2008
THE best thing to happen to John McCain was for the three network anchors to leave him in the dust this week while they chase Barack Obama on his global Lollapalooza tour. Were voters forced to actually focus on Mr. McCain’s response to our spiraling economic crisis at home, the prospect of his ascension to the Oval Office could set off a panic that would make the IndyMac Bank bust in Pasadena look as merry as the Rose Bowl.
“In a time of war,” Mr. McCain said last week, “the commander in chief doesn’t get a learning curve.” Fair enough, but he imparted this wisdom in a speech that was almost a year behind Mr. Obama in recognizing Afghanistan as the central front in the war against Al Qaeda. Given that it took the deadliest Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul since 9/11 to get Mr. McCain’s attention, you have to wonder if even General Custer’s learning curve was faster than his.
Mr. McCain still doesn’t understand that we can’t send troops to Afghanistan unless they’re shifted from Iraq. But simple math, to put it charitably, has never been his forte. When it comes to the central front of American anxiety — the economy — his learning curve has flat-lined.
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3 Comments | Afghanistan, Economy, Iraq occupation, McCain, Politics, Presidential election, Recession, War | Tagged: Afghanistan, Carly Fiorino, Economy, Frank Rich, Iraq, John McCain, Michael Bloomberg, Phil Gramm, Recession, vice president | Permalink
Posted by mudge
July 17, 2008
MUDGE’S Musings
It’s baaaaaack! Mid-summer lethargy. Another in a string of Midwestern 90/90 days.
So begging your indulgence yet again, we bring back another gem from the dim, cool and crisp past, last October.
Blast from the Past!
A post we really, really loved to write, and read, and re-read…
From last fall, and always in season, originally posted October 8, 2007, and originally titled “mm164: A Nation of Christians is Not a Christian Nation,”
MUDGE’S Musings
The creation of the United States of America was the result of two parallel streams: the twin manifest desires for freedom of economic opportunity and freedom of religion.
The Bush theocracy would like us to forget the latter. So thanks are due to Jon Meacham in today’s NYTimes, for a useful reminder.
By JON MEACHAM
JOHN McCAIN was not on the campus of Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University last year for very long — the senator, who once referred to Mr. Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance,” was there to receive an honorary degree — but he seems to have picked up some theology along with his academic hood. In an interview with Beliefnet.com last weekend, Mr. McCain repeated what is an article of faith among many American evangelicals: “the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.”
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1 Comment | Education, History, McCain, Politics, Religion | Tagged: "creation science", Christian nation, Education, evolution, First Amendment, France, George Washington, Iran, Jerry Falwell, John McCain, Pat Robertson, Religion, religious liberty, Scripture, theocracy, U.S. Constitution | Permalink
Posted by mudge
July 8, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
We’ve spent the past month or so watching the candidates come off their primary paces, attempting to rejigger their respective approaches to the general election, and taking some hits for the resulting adjustments.
The mishandled wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have been top of mind for many voters since the pointless charade of “Mission Accomplished!”
Paul Krugman reminds us, however, of another paramount issue in this election, the economy, and what its dire condition means to John McCain.
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3 Comments | Economy, McCain, Politics, Presidential election, Recession | Tagged: Bush, Economy, John McCain, Paul Krugman, Recession | Permalink
Posted by mudge
May 22, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Most everybody slightly to the left of Attila the Hun knows that there’s much amiss about the United States.
Seldom has yr (justifiably) humble svt encountered as bracing an analysis of why the U.S. has become the global basket case it is, as in Arianna Huffington’s book excerpt published in AlterNet.org today.
How did we get to this benighted valley? How did mainstream Republicans and Democrats of all stripes let it happen? We dropped the ball. Left a vacuum. And, of course, the fools rushed in.
Right Is Wrong — How the Lunatic Fringe Hijacked America
The GOP is now a dark, putrefied party of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh and Coulter. And we’re all the worse because of it.
The following is an excerpt from Arianna Huffington’s new book, Right Is Wrong.
The Radical Takeover
The most sweeping takeover of the new millennium didn’t take place among the telecoms or the big oil companies, or in Silicon Valley. It took place in Washington, but we can see and hear and feel its effects nationwide on our televisions, radios, and computer screens. And America is much the worse because of it. I’m talking about the takeover of the Republican Party by its own lunatic fringe, and the Right’s hijacking of America.
Ronald Reagan’s GOP has been replaced by the dark, moldering, putrefied party of Bush, Cheney, Rove, Limbaugh, and Coulter. Morning in America has given way to Midnight in America.
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1 Comment | History, Politics, Presidential election, Sociology | Tagged: Arianna Huffington, conservatives, Democrats, GOP, John McCain, Republicans, Right is Wrong | Permalink
Posted by mudge
May 14, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Faithful reader (if s/he indeed is faithful) is probably disgusted with this nanocorner of the ‘Sphere© lately, as we’ve been rehashing good old stuff rather than creating good new stuff here.
As I reflect on my lethargic approach to blogging this past week, my analysis finds that it’s partly due to the demands of the bill paying occupation, and partly my failure to extricate from the zillions of new pages popping up every day in said ‘Sphere a nugget of insight upon which to build.
Didn’t really want to write about the Democrats’ Clinton/Obama soap opera. Although, I commend to your attention Eric Zorn of yr (justifiably) humble svt‘s hometown Chicago Tribune on why Sen. Clinton is the wrong running mate for Obama.
So that left me with — what? Reruns, and this during sweeps month, too! 
Tonight though, finally, revelation. Christopher Dickey of Newsweek makes a thought connection regarding the cesspool that is our Iraq adventure that makes such great sense that one is tempted to slap oneself, saying “it’s so obvious — why didn’t I think of that?”
I didn’t. Dickey did. Read and learn.
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1 Comment | "War on Terrorism", Geopolitics, History, Iraq occupation, Military affairs, Politics, Presidential election, War | Tagged: Barack Obama, Christopher Dickey, Eric Zorn, Hillary Clinton, Iran, Iraq, John McCain, Lebanon, militias, Newsweek, religious sectionalism, Ronald Reagan, Rwanda, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe | Permalink
Posted by mudge
April 24, 2008
MUDGE’s Musings
Stop me if you’ve heard this one.
A funny thing happened on the way to Barack Obama’s coronation as the Democratic presidential candidate.
That’s if you consider Hillary Clinton funny.
She just keeps winning large elections in important states, the latest, Pennsylvania, the other day. It’s Hillaryus, to borrow an oft-coined a phrase.
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Leave a Comment » | History, Obama, Politics, Presidential election | Tagged: Barack Obama, Democratics, Denver convention, Federalists, First Gentleman, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Pennsylvania primary, Republicans, superdelegates, Whigs | Permalink
Posted by mudge
Left-handed Complement 