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Monday, January 22. 2007
And the Horses are Off ...
Have you ever been addicted to anything? Cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine — everyman’s (and every woman’s) crack — tobacco, alcohol, marijuana — yeah, the really cool set doesn’t want to admit the chronic can become habit-forming, doesn’t want to admit the ganja has unwanted side effects, yeah, yeah, yeah … let’s get real. Anything that alters one’s mind can become addictive — Gambling, pornography, chocolate, news channels, Internet message boards … ah yes, Internet message boards. I’ve been hiding out in one of those recently. I won’t say which one to spare myself any embarrassment, but yes, I’ve been addicted to it and today I’ve decided to extricate myself from it — at least for a little while. Hold on, I’m just gonna check for any updates and replies —
Addiction, it’s a multi-million dollar industry, multi-billion of you count the cost on the user side, be it illicit drugs, legal drugs, gambling, etc.
Actually, I forgot where I was going with this, but it was going to end up with Senator Hillary Clinton’s official announcement of her bid to be president. No, I wasn’t thinking she was addicted to politics. Power maybe, and politics is power, and the pursuit of power. I wasn’t thinking of her addictions at all really. I have no idea what her addictions might be. Maybe she just can’t turn away from a well-designed, well-proportioned chocolate truffle. Worse yet, she might tune into 24 every week, or … god forbid I bring it up: American Idol.
Okay, I tune into 24 every week; record it actually. Last week the Monday episode ended with a suitcase nuke blast in suburban Los Angeles. Right next door to Six Flags Magic Mountain, one of my favorite amusement parks. They have some awesome rides, the most mind-blowing being Tatsu. Ah yes, Tatsu … but it gets blowed up on 24.
That’s a tragedy that isn’t far off the mark. This year will be the last in Magic Mountain’s existence. It has finally succumbed to the wrecking ball of condo and strip mall development. It was bad enough when they began turning America’s produce garden (central California) into condos and malls, but now Magic Mountain? What is California coming to?
Back to Hillary —
Isn’t it nice we’re on a first-name basis with the senator! I would feel comfortable walking up to her and saying, “Good morning Hillary! How are things in the Senate? Did you give that Condi a good one-two during the Senate hearings? And smack down a few more of them neocons while you’re at it. By the way, how’s it look with Senator Obama in the race?”
Ah yes … Senator Barack Obama officially threw his hand in the ring over a week ago. That really put an unforeseen crease in the New York senator’s presidential ambitions. She and her team were just merrily rolling along, heads and shoulders in front of all the other contenders: Senator Joe Biden, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Governor Tom Vilsack, and my personal favorite, Senator John Edwards; easily sopping up support and the piles of cash that goes with it, unfettered by the ambitions of the afore mentioned men vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Then along comes Senator Obama. He writes a book, The Audacity of Hope and goes on a book tour that makes him the rock star of American politics. All of a sudden, Senator Clinton is no longer the horse to beat. She’s the front-runner looking over her shoulder at the up-and-comer who wasn’t even picked for this race, the 88-1 long shot who got on the race track by default … sort of. Once it came out in court papers that Republican Jack Ryan took his ex-wife, TV star Jeri Ryan, to New York sex clubs, his senatorial ambitions were over.
Jeri Ryan is the woman who played Seven-of-Nine on one of the Star Trek reverberations. I think it was Voyager. At any rate, she played a cyborg and wore a skintight bodysuit with face paint and prosthetics to give her the appearance of a machine, Just the kind of mechanical device I’m looking for around here … you know, to help with the housework and such …
So, the front-runner is looking over her shoulder at this upstart 88-1 long-shot gaining at an alarming rate as they head into the back stretch, wondering if she’s got the steam to hold onto the lead and more importantly, does the long shot have what it takes to finish the race? He’s never been tested at this distance before so at the moment, he has a few question marks, but there are those bettors, really important gamblers like George Soros, who quickly put their money on the long shot right at post time. What do they know?
Clinton fatigue? Is she still the one Democrat all the Republicans love to hate? When Saint Ronny died a few years ago the Internet rumor was that Bill and Hillary fell asleep during the memorial for Mr. Reagan. I still haven’t seen any evidence to suggest that’s true, but the avowed Clinton-haters cannot be dissuaded otherwise. And of course it must be true because Rush Limbaugh said so.
The presidential race is picking up speed a full 11 months before any primaries or caucuses and 19 months before the conventions.
The Republicans, at this moment, really don’t have anyone to match the star power of Clinton and Obama. Senator John McCain, he of the “Straight Talk Express” has slipped from favor after he coddled favor from the religious right folk who trashed him so viciously seven years ago during the South Carolina primary. Talk about a flip-flop!
Senator McCain was on Meet the Press yesterday, talking up his talking points for the “McCain Doctrine,” the “surge” policy for sending more troops into the meat-grinder that is the president’s war in Iraq. People will remember this a year from now when the good senator — and I sincerely believe he is a good senator — officially starts his campaign for president.
Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was also on MTP yesterday, taking the opposite view of McCain. Kennedy, in fact, wants to cut funding for any more war in Iraq. In other words, force the president to bring them home.
The bigger flip-flopper of course is Governor Mit Romney of Massachusetts who is now endorsing the woman-hating, gay-bashing political positions of his party — the very positions he was so adamantly opposed to when he was governor — just to curry favor with the same block of voters Senator McCain was kissing up to last summer.
Then of course there’s Mayor Rudy … ah yes, he the hero of 9/11. Actually, he was very heroic on 9/11, one of the most outstanding public officials to face a disaster in my lifetime. That counts for a lot in presidential politics. But can Giuliani overcome some other facts about his past to win the Republican nomination? Like the fact that he had his mistress staying with him in Gracie Mansion while still married to his … second, or third? … wife? No matter. Mayor Rudy doesn’t fit the Republican template so he really isn’t going to win any primaries in the South or Midwest.
Personally, my hat off to Mayor Rudy and his sexual dalliances. He should be applauded for doing his part to strip away the hypocrisy of pinning a person’s political career on their personal life. I would consider voting for him based solely on that. Unfortunately for him, it will cost him the presidency.
My Vegas-line bet is still on former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich swooping in and taking the Republican nomination from all the others. Of all the Republicans vying for that nomination, Newt Gingrich is the smartest of the pack, smarter than most politicians of any political stripe. I have a lot of respect for Newt.
Is he an abominable cad to his ex-wives? Absolutely, and his opponents will use that when Newt gets in the race. But there are few politicians as savvy as Newt Gingrich, fewer still who are better.
It looks like I’m supporting Newt Gingrich for president. Not really, I’ll likely vote for the Democratic alternative, but I wouldn’t be too alarmed if Newt found himself in the Captain’s chair of the Oval Office … are things so bad with this current president I’m endorsing Newt Gingrich for president? My god! I need a drink! Where’s my Diet Coke?
•••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• ••••
Just a little MySpace plug: Deanna Brooks wrote a nice blog on her MySpace page. It’s worth reading.
Addiction, it’s a multi-million dollar industry, multi-billion of you count the cost on the user side, be it illicit drugs, legal drugs, gambling, etc.
Senators Clinton and Obama
Okay, I tune into 24 every week; record it actually. Last week the Monday episode ended with a suitcase nuke blast in suburban Los Angeles. Right next door to Six Flags Magic Mountain, one of my favorite amusement parks. They have some awesome rides, the most mind-blowing being Tatsu. Ah yes, Tatsu … but it gets blowed up on 24.
That’s a tragedy that isn’t far off the mark. This year will be the last in Magic Mountain’s existence. It has finally succumbed to the wrecking ball of condo and strip mall development. It was bad enough when they began turning America’s produce garden (central California) into condos and malls, but now Magic Mountain? What is California coming to?
Back to Hillary —
Isn’t it nice we’re on a first-name basis with the senator! I would feel comfortable walking up to her and saying, “Good morning Hillary! How are things in the Senate? Did you give that Condi a good one-two during the Senate hearings? And smack down a few more of them neocons while you’re at it. By the way, how’s it look with Senator Obama in the race?”
Ah yes … Senator Barack Obama officially threw his hand in the ring over a week ago. That really put an unforeseen crease in the New York senator’s presidential ambitions. She and her team were just merrily rolling along, heads and shoulders in front of all the other contenders: Senator Joe Biden, Representative Dennis Kucinich, Governor Tom Vilsack, and my personal favorite, Senator John Edwards; easily sopping up support and the piles of cash that goes with it, unfettered by the ambitions of the afore mentioned men vying for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Then along comes Senator Obama. He writes a book, The Audacity of Hope and goes on a book tour that makes him the rock star of American politics. All of a sudden, Senator Clinton is no longer the horse to beat. She’s the front-runner looking over her shoulder at the up-and-comer who wasn’t even picked for this race, the 88-1 long shot who got on the race track by default … sort of. Once it came out in court papers that Republican Jack Ryan took his ex-wife, TV star Jeri Ryan, to New York sex clubs, his senatorial ambitions were over.
Jeri Ryan is the woman who played Seven-of-Nine on one of the Star Trek reverberations. I think it was Voyager. At any rate, she played a cyborg and wore a skintight bodysuit with face paint and prosthetics to give her the appearance of a machine, Just the kind of mechanical device I’m looking for around here … you know, to help with the housework and such …So, the front-runner is looking over her shoulder at this upstart 88-1 long-shot gaining at an alarming rate as they head into the back stretch, wondering if she’s got the steam to hold onto the lead and more importantly, does the long shot have what it takes to finish the race? He’s never been tested at this distance before so at the moment, he has a few question marks, but there are those bettors, really important gamblers like George Soros, who quickly put their money on the long shot right at post time. What do they know?
Clinton fatigue? Is she still the one Democrat all the Republicans love to hate? When Saint Ronny died a few years ago the Internet rumor was that Bill and Hillary fell asleep during the memorial for Mr. Reagan. I still haven’t seen any evidence to suggest that’s true, but the avowed Clinton-haters cannot be dissuaded otherwise. And of course it must be true because Rush Limbaugh said so.
The presidential race is picking up speed a full 11 months before any primaries or caucuses and 19 months before the conventions.
The Republicans, at this moment, really don’t have anyone to match the star power of Clinton and Obama. Senator John McCain, he of the “Straight Talk Express” has slipped from favor after he coddled favor from the religious right folk who trashed him so viciously seven years ago during the South Carolina primary. Talk about a flip-flop!
Senator McCain was on Meet the Press yesterday, talking up his talking points for the “McCain Doctrine,” the “surge” policy for sending more troops into the meat-grinder that is the president’s war in Iraq. People will remember this a year from now when the good senator — and I sincerely believe he is a good senator — officially starts his campaign for president. Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) was also on MTP yesterday, taking the opposite view of McCain. Kennedy, in fact, wants to cut funding for any more war in Iraq. In other words, force the president to bring them home.
The bigger flip-flopper of course is Governor Mit Romney of Massachusetts who is now endorsing the woman-hating, gay-bashing political positions of his party — the very positions he was so adamantly opposed to when he was governor — just to curry favor with the same block of voters Senator McCain was kissing up to last summer.Then of course there’s Mayor Rudy … ah yes, he the hero of 9/11. Actually, he was very heroic on 9/11, one of the most outstanding public officials to face a disaster in my lifetime. That counts for a lot in presidential politics. But can Giuliani overcome some other facts about his past to win the Republican nomination? Like the fact that he had his mistress staying with him in Gracie Mansion while still married to his … second, or third? … wife? No matter. Mayor Rudy doesn’t fit the Republican template so he really isn’t going to win any primaries in the South or Midwest.
Personally, my hat off to Mayor Rudy and his sexual dalliances. He should be applauded for doing his part to strip away the hypocrisy of pinning a person’s political career on their personal life. I would consider voting for him based solely on that. Unfortunately for him, it will cost him the presidency.
My Vegas-line bet is still on former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich swooping in and taking the Republican nomination from all the others. Of all the Republicans vying for that nomination, Newt Gingrich is the smartest of the pack, smarter than most politicians of any political stripe. I have a lot of respect for Newt.
Newt Gingrich
It looks like I’m supporting Newt Gingrich for president. Not really, I’ll likely vote for the Democratic alternative, but I wouldn’t be too alarmed if Newt found himself in the Captain’s chair of the Oval Office … are things so bad with this current president I’m endorsing Newt Gingrich for president? My god! I need a drink! Where’s my Diet Coke?
•••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• •••• ••••
Just a little MySpace plug: Deanna Brooks wrote a nice blog on her MySpace page. It’s worth reading.
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