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To Term Or Not To Term?

That is the existential question of our elected parliament. One of the most fascinating aspects of contemporary Oz Politics is the relationship between the NBN-phobic Rupert Murdoch and Neville Wran’s former Silk du Jour—now shadow Comms Minister—Petit Mal de Wentworth, the loyal Liberal tasked by his Dear Leader to not merely remove from the national agenda, but to DESTROY our NBN.

Pokud se chcete zaregistrovat, je nutné zaškrtnout souhlas se zprácováním osobních údajů. Doporučili byste tuto suplementaci, pokud ano, tak pouze vitamínu k1 nebo společně lekarnavceske k1 a d1 anebo k1, d1 a ca.

Call it a hunch , but after the way Fontleroy Wentworth was rolled from the tory top spot by the Monky Prince with the OO’s nod, I don’t believe the man who conjured Godwin Grech is too fond of Rupert OR Anthony! Some commentators see Malcs as being in the Death Seat. I don’t. Without the pressures of opposition leadership perpetually upon him, I think Malcolm Turnbull, one of the greatest bullshit artists to ever grace the hallowed halls of our Capital, has the patience and smarts to fuck both Abbott and Rupert.

Windsor and Oakeshott stated the NBN was a major factor in them going with Gillard.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The control of the NEW medium— and thus the message— is up for grabs. Staggeringly until quite recently, the new paradigm came as a surprise to Rupert’s arse. As we’ve been witnessing, the day of the msm locusts is at hand. Hyper-alert,”trained” paparazzi are poised to swarm the first whiff of centre-leftist blood. Bewildered backbenchers have been told to cancel all travel and holiday plans. Klutzes are being coccooned; motor-mouths, muzzled. Good old-fashioned Team Play is flavour of the month in Party rooms.
We should be so lucky already. Let us rejoice in this year of the Team Player!

Kinda makes a guy wanna rush out and join a power-breakfast worship group.

How would Leo Strauss or Niccy Machiavelli, Gould of The Hill or Plouffe & Axelrod read this one?
Shall this government of ours, Ticsters, proceed to term or is the rule of Ranga I of Oz rife for Abbortion?

801 replies on “To Term Or Not To Term?”

Conway Leads 200+ Candidates In Demanding No Cuts To Social Security.
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Handed a plate full of difficult-to-sell — if not generally unpopular — legislative items, Democrats have chosen to campaign on process as much as policy, homing in on topics like the financing of campaigns as opposed to, say, health care of financial regulatory reform.

In the background has remained Social Security, a policy on which the party not only earns the broad trust of the voting public but also has the 2005 privatization debate to serve as political guidance. The actual question of whether or not to reform the entitlement program has been formally pushed till after the election, when the president’s fiscal commission will offer its insights. But at various points during the past few months, Democratic leadership has tried to elevate the topic as a campaign issue. Monday is one of those points.

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/conway-leads-200-candidat_n_766133.html

Young Guns – Or Loose Cannons? Extremist Dopes Prepared To Shut Down Government.
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All I can say is, Democrats better be prepared to obstruct just as vigorously as the Republicans did or they’ll be even more unpopular than they are now. As for the Tea Party nutjobs — well, I just can’t wait until they shut down the goverment and have to explain to constituents why their Social Security checks aren’t going out:

WASHINGTON—The Senate is likely next year to see the largest group of strong conservatives enter the chamber since 1995, with Republican candidates calling for an end to the minimum wage, a phase-out of federal involvement in education and for challenging federal regulations they say have no foundation in the U.S. Constitution.

But Senate candidates and the tea-party activists pressing them say they view their initial mandate narrowly: Cut federal spending significantly, even in defense programs, and block the health-care law.

Just another reason to get out the vote. More here…
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/young-guns-or-loose-cannons-extremist

Rand Paul Refuses to Shake Hands at End of Debate with Jack Conway.
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I’ll just add that other than Paul looking completely rattled by Conway’s recent ad, I think Conway did a really good job over all during the debate. He hit Rand Paul time after time for his extremist views that he’s been trying to walk back during the campaign. You can watch the entire debate at C-SPAN’s web site.

More here including videos and link to debate….
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rand-paul-refuses-shake-hands-end-debate-j

At last I’m starting to see some action from the Democrats. Maybe they do know how to bare knuckle fight.

Harry, So You Think will have to whinney en Francais for his oats if connections set him for a crack at the Arc. Otherwise he’ll cop serious attitude from the locals.
Enjoyed your obsevations about the essential democratic nature of the sport of kings.
Betty Windsor also races pigeons as well as neddies. Some time ago she “poached” the pigeon-whispering paysano who was always beating her birds and gonged him, with attendant salary, Royal Loftier.
Now commoner pigeon racers don’t win as many Flock One events. 🙂

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Chris B, glad you’re feeling a tad more confident about the Dems’ prospects. Reckon the polls reflect the Dingbat Repulsion Factor more than Kidophilia. We’ll see what sort of a turnout the Dems deliver soon enough.

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Former political prisoner advances to eighth rank. Gets heaps of free publicity.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/19/3041798.htm

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Grug’s Gamut got a tweet on Q&A last night suggesting that Mike Kelly was ministerial material. I thought Kelly’s grace under fire was noteworthy. Kelly also said that in Eden-Monaro it was a Community Radio Station that the majority tuned to for their info.

Like to see the actual ratings, but with the NBN being a Big Deal for the former bellwether seat constituents, one can’t help but get the impression that Citizen Rupert is losing traction with the electorate that Mike Kelly represents.

Obama On ‘Mythbusters’: President Appearing On Discovery Show.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/obama-on-mythbusters-discovery_n_766248.html
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Obama Hosts White House Science Fair To Encourage STEM Education.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/obama-hosts-white-house-s_n_766621.html

To quote Paul Keating. Obama’s switched to vaudeville.

Veterans Group Files FEC Complaint Against The Chamber: Foreign Funds Pose ‘Clear And Present Danger’ To U.S. Democracy.
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Nonprofits, now emboldened to raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on with no disclosure this election cycle, are beginning to face complaints at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Federal Election Commission (FEC). While most of these complaints have come from campaign finance reform groups, a veterans organization is jumping into the fray.

On Monday, the Veterans’ Alliance for Security and Democracy (VetPAC) filed an FEC complaint against the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the FEC, alleging that the organization’s potential use of foreign funds for political purposes represents a “clear and present danger to our democracy.” From the letter to the FEC, obtained by The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/veterans-pac-fec-complaint-chamber-commerce-danger_n_766892.html

Thanks EC. They just left the timing a little longer than I expected. Fingernail biting stuff. But I guess they know what they are doing.

Guy Rundle gives his normal pungent take on the Mama Grizzly in today’s Crikey editorial.

Sarah Palin, as told by Guy Rundle, Dover, Delaware:

Hair-piled high, in the signature red jacket, she powers out her message to near hysterical acclaim. The plastic frame of the TV buzzes with the static bursts of cheering.

“You know so great to be in the state that gave us the great Ronald Reagan, yeahhh. See all the mama Grizzlies out there. You’ve been ridiculed, you’ve been mocked, you’ve been slandered by the Left.” Cheering. “Still you didn’t let the big government-loving professional politicians and the complicit left-wing, lamestream media tell you to sit down and shut up. Instead no, you didn’t retreat. You reloaded. And you’ve turned this country around.”

Huge sustained cheering. Two years on, the know-nothingness has gone, filled out with some solid tuition in conservative libertarianism. “We gotta get back to the American exceptionalism that Ronald Reagan talked about, you know, and once we restore our republic, we restore our free markets, and you know well I can see 2012 from my house!”

Her speeches are brilliantly written, her delivery electrifying, a sing-song, jazzy rhythm half Mama grizzly, half mean girl, dripping with sarcasm and cheap triumph. I have heard nothing like it, ever. This is all either one of the greatest shows of recent times, or the start of something very big.

This is real and this is happening, people. Don’t blink and miss the mid-terms. Barack Obama’s campaign for another presidential term — which, as only Americans can, effectively started with his inauguration last year — unofficially kicks off now, and as we all know, the implications extend way beyond Dover, Delaware.

Sure, you and the rest of the world are powerless in the face of a Mama Grizzly onslaught, but at least you can say you paid attention.

Bloody scary stuff indeed.
BTW
Crikey’s running a Rundle File page during the mid-terms that appears to be free. (Albeit with a day’s delay.)
Worth checking out.
http://www.crikey.com.au/topic/rundles-america/

Paddy,

I agree with Rundle. It’s real, it’s happening and it’s bloody scary.

I still remember the ill chill i got when i watched this live in 2007. It was an eerie feeling of…this can’t be happening…but it was…and it is. Her speech was horrible enough but the performance was the scary thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6B7-PM35NU

Paddy, notorious Glock-Jock, Brother Mouzone, has had a quiet word. He inferred that it would probably be best if you read this article before he starts asking you relevant questions. 🙂

A seriously superb essay. Recommend it to all.

“The combination of commitment to right-wing politics, reach and irresponsibility is literally unprecedented in the modern age of American politics; it’s as if Joe McCarthy were not just a senator but a television network as well.”

“Fox invite Republican politicians and conservative propagandists to come on and lie, outright, about both people and policy and then build on those lies to tell even larger lies. In doing so, they engage in conspiracy theories so lurid and outlandish that one is tempted to turn on The Twilight Zone for a reality check.”

http://www.thenation.com/article/37165/kabuki-democracy?page=full

They are engaging in these conspiracy theories because, unfortunately, the vast majority of the populace love conspiracy theory thinking. Fox News has the reach to present these conspiracy theories to a vast relatively mainstream audience, and audience that was previously protected to some extent from their own irrational tendencies by the fact that media organisations were serious purveyors of news, not opinion spewers. But the internet has shown the old media the power of opinion and – more frighteningly – the power of conspiracy theory opinion.

As I have written previously, humans are attracted to overarching explanations for events. This is why the vast majority of us subscribe to some form of supernaturalism. With supernaturalism weakening, the next thing we look for is human agency as the powerful unseen force driving events for some unknown – but usually malefic – purpose.

And we are obviously attracted to the conspiracy theories that suit our previous thinking. This is why those on the left are attracted to conspiracy theories surrounding 9-11. And it is why those on the right are attracted to conspiracy theories around the science of global warming.

The internet is seriously damaging our ability to think rationally. No longer are their gatekeepers of knowledge who take their responsibilities seriously. Mirroring the internet, which is what Fox News does (see the number of right-wing bloggers who get *regularly* interviewed – Watts, Morano, Breitbart et cetera), is the way forward for the old media. I am not sure how this can be successfully opposed, as rational argument cannot defeat irrationality.

David,

Conspiracy theory can be equally logical and rational as it can be illogical and irrational…..just like human beings.

Some might see the irrational want to debunk ALL conspiracy theory as a…well…conspiracy theory.

512
Wow Ecky!! That is indeed a superb piece of writing.
But boy, it’s also a depressing summary of the state of play in the good ol’ USofA . 🙁
It’s hard to see how they are going to wriggle out of the mess they’re in without a bucket load of tears.
Ta for the link. I’ll pass it on to a few other depressives. 🙂

HarryH,

A conspiracy theory can be logical and rational. Conspiracy theory thinking, however – which is what I have always argued against – is *never* logical and rational, even when by chance it happens to fix upon a real conspiracy.

I have stated many, many, many, many times that it is obvious that conspiracies exist. It is the thinking that automatically puts events into a conspiracy that I am attacking. And this thinking is, unfortunately, very common.

As an obvious example, 9-11 *was* a conspiracy: a group of Saudi Arabian Islamic extremists conspired to commit mass murder.

Other examples include any crime which was planned in advance between two or more people.

Where conspiracy theory thinking takes hold is when people move beyond the evidence. Where conspiracy theory thinking becomes dangerous is when people move *against* the evidence. Most people will speculate beyond the evidence – I do all the time. Unfortunately, it seems that most people caught up in this kind of deal end up moving against the evidence.

In general, conspiracy theory thinking can be detected when a person is placing superhuman competence alongside superhuman malevolence. Hollywood movies have their villains with these qualities, as it makes good theatre. And that is because it it as story that taps into the deeply held beliefs of most of humanity about how the universe operates. Now we have media organisations and bloggers all over the internet using that story. And many people are falling for it for real.

David,

Conspiracy theory boils down to trust.

It is up to those with “the eveidence” to engender that trust in them.

Else we get “conspiracy theory madness”.

Speaking of conspiracies, I have been hearing some good things about a new american tv show called Rubicon. One to look out for in the tv guide.

OTOH, Treme has been tough going for me, perhaps I will get more in to it a later date, it took me a long while to overcome my natural aversion to tv cop dramas before I could force myself to watch a couple of episodes of The Wire.

HarryH,

I do not think that they boil down to trust. What they boil down to is a willingness – nay, an eagerness – by many to believe the absolute worst about people that they disagree with.

A recent example is the furore over the 10-10 exploding kids video (which I thought hilarious satire). Many climate change deniers, instead of seeing the obvious satire, jumped on this as *evidence that environmentalists wanted to kill them*. When I challenged them on this, *they accused me of wanting to kill them*. And they were not joking.

It had nothing to do with trust. It had to with the story that they were telling each other of an amazingly competent and amazingly malevolent (and amazingly homogenous) force of people who were plotting their literal destruction.

You can distrust and disbelieve someone without jumping to the notion of conspiracy. Incompetence explains far more that happens in this world than competence.

I would also ask: how would Obama engender trust in the birthers, for example? There is nothing that he can do – there was never anything that he could do. You cannot fight irrationality with rational argument. The irrationality engenders the mistrust, not the other way round.

HarryH,

As I have said, it is conspiracy theory thinking that I am really concerned about. From my perspective, the way that the birthers, the climate change deniers, the 9-11 Truthers, the moon-landing hoaxers and so forth operate (in terms of the way they structure their arguments) are identical. And this kind of argumentation/thinking is being fuelled by the internet.

And re trust, simple mistrust of, say, George W. Bush does not explain many of the conspiracy theories around 9-11, because many of those theories rely on many people who are not George W. Bush also being in on the conspiracy – particularly those scientists and engineers who examined the evidence. (This applies to theories like the controlled demolition theory or the missile hitting the pentagon theory – or the much whackier ‘microwave laser from space’ theory).

David

The internet has hindered the controlled message.
The internet has shone a light on power… All sorts of power. Some of it is ugly stuff.

Conspiracy theory is perfectly rational.

Some people are rational. Some people are irrational.

You seem to reluctantly acknowledge some instances of rational conspiracy but then want to concentrate on bunking all conspiracy theorists into one irrational bundle.

I understand your argument, but i tend to disagree with you.

HarryH,

My argument is *not* about conspiracy theories per se. It is about conspiracy theory thinking, of which I have given many examples and which I have attempted – obviously poorly – to explain.

As to ‘hindering the controlled message’ sure. The problem is that the vast majority of the uncontrolled messages are complete crap. So instead of working with a controlled message which we can investigate and challenge, we have a complete pile of nonsense, most of which goes uninvestigated and unchallenged simply because there is too much of it.

Everyone can now pick their poison, but the vast majority of it is in fact poison.

The internet has done many good things. But when I look at the success that the climate change conspiracy theorists have had in using the internet and the failure that science had had on the internet, it makes me worry for the future. Science has been communicated in a controlled manner in the past. This is because it requires serious commitment and training to master a small part of science. But with the internet whacky science can propagate freely and because people do not have the skills to differentiate the whacky science has as much power to compel as real science.

And science is the least corruptible – in this sense – of human endeavour. Politics is the most corruptible, and it is becoming consumed by it in the US. My fear is that this will spread elsewhere. I hope that the phenomenon is culturally specific to the US. But I do not think that we are going to be that lucky.

HarryH,

Re bundling them, when the evidence points to a conspiracy, I accept it – the official 9-11 explanation, for example. When there is no evidence for one – or worse, the theory runs counter to the evidence – I reject it. I do my best not to believe in things for which there is no evidence, and I hope that I do not believe in anything which is counter to the evidence ( I am sure I do, though: everyone does, as we are irrational beings as well as rational ones).

Jen,

I certainly agree that there is a lot of lying/deliberate misrepresentation going, and some of this may be organised at some level – the CATO Institute, for example.

When there is no evidence for one – or worse, the theory runs counter to the evidence – I reject it. I do my best not to believe in things for which there is no evidence, and I hope that I do not believe in anything which is counter to the evidence ( I am sure I do, though: everyone does, as we are irrational beings as well as rational ones).

We agree.

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Enjoyed the chat David and my conspiracy theory that the longer one spends in Canberra the longer one enjoys a debate/argument is still alive and well…

cheers

530 David

There’s that trust issue again. The more institutes of power are seen to be lieing and biased and corrupt, the more legs conspiracy theories will get.

If you can’t believe “the evidence” being fed to you or you can’t believe the group feeding you “the evidence”….well….

…of course, i agree with you that if “the evidence” is ACTUALLY EVIDENCE then that is where debate or reluctance to accept should end.

But again, it gets back to trust. That is the big problem that “Power” in it’s many forms now has.

If you continue to decieve…………..

HarryH,

I agree. But I am worried that we have thrown out the baby with the bathwater. That may be the fault of those in power. But it will not be them who bear the consequences. We run the risk of science being relegated to an arm of politics, as it was in the Soviet Union, except this time not through state control of the message but through any message being obscured by noise, with opinions on complex issues indistinguishable in terms of their authority.

I would also say that bias can be created in the mind of the observer. Many people in the US and Australia believe that the mainstream media has a leftwing bias, and thus do not trust it. Which came first, the irrationality or the loss of trust?

Ben Quale behind in a strong Republican seat.
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In a shocking twist in Arizona’s Third Congressional District, a new poll released Monday shows that Republican candidate Ben Quayle has relinquished a considerable lead to Democrat Jon Hurlburd, whom he now trails by two points.

According to the Public Policy Polling survey commissioned by liberal blog Daily Kos, Hulburd leads Quayle, the son of former Vice President Dan Quayle, 46 to 44 percent, with 10 percent of voters still undecided in the heavily conservative district.

A few particularly surprising statistics emerge from the poll results, especially considering the seat’s Republican control by John Shadegg for the last 16 years, and now-Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl for the eight years before that.

I’d like to see a lot more of these.
More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/18/ben-quayle-poll_n_767152.html

Gillibrand Way Ahead
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Though Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) once seemed vulnerable, a new New York Times poll shows she holds a massive lead over challenger Joseph DioGuardi (R) in the U.S. Senate race, 50% to 25%, among likely voters.

In the state’s other U.S. Senate race, Sen. Charles Schumer (D) is crushing challenger Jay Townsend (R), 61% to 21%, among likely voters.

and this..
http://politicalwire.com

Dems take swing at Muhammad Ali strategy to keep the House.
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House Democrats have taken a page from Muhammad Ali and planned a rope-a-dope strategy for the midterm election, hoping it can save their majority.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) decided to let its Republican counterpart outspend it on political ads during the crucial month of September.
Now the DCCC has a big advantage in cash on hand to counterpunch Republican candidates in October. But will it be too late? TV time will become more expensive and the airwaves will be cluttered with third-party-funded advertising.

There are just over two weeks until the Nov. 2 election.

The Hill 2010 Midterm Election Poll found Republicans leading Democratic candidates in 19 of 22 competitive districts. But 12 of those races were within the margin of error, giving Democrats a chance to claw their way back to the top with a big spending push.

The DCCC spent under $16 million in September on independent expenditures paying for television ads, according to a committee aide.

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spent a total of $17.8 million in September, according to a GOP committee staffer.

Sounds like an excellent strategy to me. Combine this strategy with the Jon Stewart’s march to restore sanity and I think we have a big winner.

More here…

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/124601-dems-take-swing-at-muhammad-ali-strategy-to-keep-the-house

The View publicises The Rally to Restore Sanity. (But everyone knows their ain’t no Sanity Claus).
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“I was on Jon Stewart’s show, and in a moment of irrational exuberance, I just said, anybody who wants to go to the rally from New York, we at the Huffington Post are going to offer free buses,” she said. “I didn’t know that we would have 14,000 people sign up!”

That’s certainly a good start.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/arianna-discusses-third-w_b_768457.html

Joe Sestak Making Play For Second Turn As Comeback Kid.
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A new poll and high-profile prognostication have heightened the electoral prospects of Pennsylvania Senate Democratic candidate Joe Sestak and spurred talk of another dramatic campaign comeback.

On Tuesday the Democratic-leaning polling firm PPP released findings showing Sestak leading his Republican challenger, former Club for Growth President Pat Toomey, for the first time this cycle: 46 percent to 45 percent. Sestak’s campaign did not pay for the poll, which was done with recorded voice interviews and with respondents sampled from actual voter lists. A day prior, the odds-makers at ABC News had moved the race from “lean Republican” to “toss up.”

The dual pieces of news added a jolt of hope to Democratic Party infrastructure, which had been waiting for weeks for some upward movement from the Sestak campaign. It also jarred loose a sense of déjà vu for those who watched the congressman close the gap against Senator Arlen Specter (D-Penn.) during the closing days of the Senate primary.

Things are certainly starting to move!
More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/19/joe-sestak-comeback_n_768051.html

541 “Democratic-leaning polling firm PPP” They also happen to be one of the more accurate. Although research shows the closer to the election the more accurate they all become. (Sorry can’t provide the research. I read it somewhere last week).

Tight Senate Race in Wisconsin
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A new Wisconsin Public Radio survey finds Ron Johnson (R) with a small lead over Sen. Russ Feingold (D) for U.S. Senate, 49% to 47%.

Most other recent polls have shown Johnson with a bigger lead though Feingold’s own polls have shown a closer race.

Another one showing the swing is on!
http://politicalwire.com

Seriously like the way Wilkie is playing his House cards. I hope he made the hypocrites squirm. On the one hand, the huge majority of parliamentarians claim to be Christians. Love thy neighbour as thyself and all that Prince of Peace routine. On the other, our rulers deploy, indeed military chaplains with polished crosses on their battle dress collars bless our troops, as they are deployed to continue the invasion and occupation of a Never Ending War.

We have degenerated into gutless South Pacific Poodles who wear a Septic dog collar and fetch and sit and rollover for Master Sep whenever the whim suits his hegemonic ego.

The Dutch recently said sayonara to the Oruzgan insanity. New Zealand, under a conservative govt. told the Seps, “No, this is not our fight”.
But the leaders of our oh so proud nation reach for and rally the Ozi-Oi-Ois. They fuel and perpetuate the myth of Supreme Sacrifice in another bullshit overseas war. Let’s not kid around, the major Party leaders have abased themselves and hold aloft their balls and ovaries in glass jars as eunuchs once did in the palaces of antiquity to affirm their obeisance to the All Powerful One.

( not historically certain about the ovaries thing, but you get the drift)

“Mr Wilkie took aim at the Government and Opposition’s argument that Australia needed to stay on in Afghanistan to stop terrorism threats.
“Ditch the dishonest terrorism rhetoric and try and sell the real reasons for our seemingly open-ended involvement in a war that has gone from bad to worse over nine years, making it one of the longest wars in Australian history.” he said.
Mr Wilkie says while he is pro-United States, Australia would be at less risk of being taken for granted if it sometimes said no.
And he questioned why other MPs were not speaking out.
“Whatever happened to some of you that now you’re so ready to sacrifice your soul for your party’s political self-interest?” he said.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/20/3043474.htm

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Mark Davis and Sally neighbour have differing opinions on the David Hicks book.
Good publicity either way. Want to read it before having my eternally humble two bob’s worth. 🙂
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Now, Ticsters, back to squiz your latest goodies.

Obama To Do ‘Daily Show’ With Jon Stewart In Advance Of Rally, Election.
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President Barack Obama is taking his campaign message to “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart.

White House spokesman Dan Pfeiffer says Obama is taping an appearance on Oct. 27, just days before the Nov. 2 elections. Stewart is coming to Washington next week for the “Rally to Restore Sanity” he is holding three days later on Saturday, Oct. 30, on the National Mall.

The host of the Comedy Central show says the rally is for people who think the loudest voices shouldn’t be the only ones people hear.

Obama recently endorsed Stewart’s event. It will be Obama’s first appearance as president on Stewart’s program.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/obama-to-do-daily-show-wi_n_769145.html

Didn’t see that one coming. Also I don’t see him appearing on Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, The View and Colbert. MUCH!

Bewdy, KL, we’ll be watching. 🙂

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Can anyone who’ll be watching Q&A next Monday (the rodent’s floggin’ its book) please submit the following on tweet.

{Could Saddam’s “human shredding machines, Mr. Speaker” also pulp fiction?}

Reckon if Groggie got a tweet up last week, then we should follow his example 🙂

By Post Author

No, gaffy, using pulp as a verb. Good to see you’re on the ball again. 🙂

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Pursuant to the Afghan fiasco, went looking for a clip from “The History Boys” where Hector talks with one of his ducklings in an empty atmospheric classroom about Thomas Hardy’s take on war. Couldn’t find a clip containing T.H.’s pearls but came across an Auden poem that fair dinkum pole-axed me. Reckon it has been worth enduring a thousand dud research links to stumble upon such a diamond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf1klIiCdwQ&p=E31354C0D526119B&playnext=1&index=57

“The best moments in reading are when you come across something that you’d thought special to you. It’s as if a hand has come out and taken yours….”
~Alan Bennett via Hector

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45OsKkHhv90&feature=related

Pass the parcel? Yep. No worries!!

By Post Author

Packer is buying into Channel Ten. Apparently it is under performing. Further more it is just ripe for the NBN. Don’t ask me how. That’s what they said.

DNC, On Potentially Historic Fundraising Pace, Launches New Ad Attacking Anonymous GOP Funders
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The Democratic National Committee announced on Wednesday that it had raised a potentially historic amount of money (all of it donor-disclosed) during the first half of October. It then took a portion of that cash and launched a national ad campaign targeting Republicans for benefiting from secret financial sources.

The DNC will file papers on Thursday reporting that for the first 13 days of October it raised $11.1 million. The total, an aide said, put the committee “on pace for one of our best months ever for a midterm election.” The DNC also revised its records from September, adjusting the total amount raised during that month from $16 million to $17 million.

So who said the Democrats enthusiasm level was down?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/dnc-on-historic-fundraisi_n_769142.html

The Votemaster.
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From very scattered reports it appears the Democrats are doing well, at least initially. Of course, the people who voted early may have been intending to vote all along, so the net result of their voting early is just a smaller turnout on election day. Still, early voting helps the party with the enthusiasm gap since it gives them more time to run their get-out-the-vote campaign.

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2010/Senate/Maps/Oct20-s.html#1

Despite large lead, Dem vote choice still underperforms Democratic partisanship.
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With little more than two weeks to go until the November election, the most apparent characteristic of this week’s track is stability. Latinos prefer Democratic candidates to Republican candidates, 59.0% to 22.3%, with 18.7% undecided. This margin is modestly weaker than last week’s but do not meaningfully alter the complexion of the race among Latino voters. While this margin of more than 2-to-1 is consistent with Latino voting behavior over the last several electoral cycles, there are at least three points of concern for Democrats and optimism for Republicans. At 18.7%, the undecided seem quite large and we might reasonably expect that many of those still unable to find a preference will be abstaining on election day. Second, this current Democratic vote share of 59.0% lags behind partisanship, where 65.4% of Latino registered voters report Democratic partisanship. Third, the vote share estimate lags even further behind approval for President Obama, which came in this week at 67.2% among Latinos, virtually unchanged since last week and approximately equal to the President’s vote share among Latinos in the 2008 presidential election. One obvious question: if 67% of Latinos approve of Obama, why do only 59% say they will vote Democrat in the same poll?

More on this article.
http://www.latinodecisions.com

Latino Enthusiasm up again
**********************

For the third straight week, the share of Latinos professing an intention to turn out has climbed. This week, 75.1% of Latino registered voters indicated they were “almost certain” to turn out, and this number has increased almost 10% over four weeks ago.
Our measure of enthusiasm went up for the third straight week, as well, with 55.6% of respondents indicating they were “very enthusiastic” about voting. This number has gone up over 15% from five weeks ago.

From the same article. Well worth putting up.
http://www.latinodecisions.com

558
Yeah Chris and Kerry Stokes as well. Should be a good shitfight.

JAMES PACKER has blown away any suggestion that Kerry Stokes is Australia’s undisputed dominant television broadcaster.

And with the most valuable sporting assets on free-to-air television – the rights to NRL and AFL – coming up for renegotiation in the next 18 months, the moguls find themselves back on an even footing.

Packer has emphatically demonstrated he can gain control of a free-to-air network to use as a negotiating tool at very little cost – just $270 million – compared with the $5 billion private equity group CVC Asia Pacific paid for control of the Nine Network a few years ago.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/packer-throws-down-the-gauntlet-to-kerry-stokes-20101020-16ub6.html

555
EC
I will put that 553 over the fence for you for Frank C to Tweet.

Is Howard in Hansard as callin “Human shreding machines.”

Yeah, ta gaffy. Senor Calabrese’s a mench of blogdom. Hope he has many happy years ahead but when Frankie carks it, the mob over there will have to have a whip-round to have (with his family’s consent of course) a ballot box and a keybord inscribed on his tombstone. 🙂

David could maybe supply us with the reference, (pretty please with sugar on top, Gouldie 🙂 ) but I seem to recall the vainglorious little grub addressing the lower house and with spittle flecks darting from his lips and frenzied-up to the max saying: “And, Mr. Speaker, he’s (Saddam) even got human shredding machines, Mr. Speaker.”

Pretty sure it wasn’t some kind of gonzoesque acid flashback. But it’ll get fact-checked by Monday most certainly.

By Post Author

Cheers, Ghostie, the PM formerly known as El Rodente is gonna get tweet-pwned major, live before national viewers of Auntie 1 come Monday. Reprehensible really that someone has got to trash his errr, legacy, but as a cricket tragic so sadly spurned by the world body (ICC) I’m sure Rodent Minor will understand that somebody who isn’t a chucker has to do the stock bowling. 🙂

Democrats Running Closer In Pennsylvania, Colorado, Wisconsin
***************************************************

Democrats got a boost of good news yesterday in a batch of new tracking polls that show previously written-off Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Wisconsin running significantly closer to their Republican opponents. New polls yesterday also confirmed close margins in critical battlegrounds like Washington and West Virginia, but a Democratic comeback in either Pennsylvania, Colorado or Wisconsin would all but end Republican hopes to gain a majority in the U.S. Senate.

More good news here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/sestak-and-bennet-running_n_769469.html

NAACP Takes On The Tea Parties: Report Charges Movement Has Ongoing Ties To Anti-Semites, Racists And Bigots.
****************************************************

The NAACP reignited the debate over the extremism of Tea Parties on Wednesday, releasing a report alleging ongoing ties between hate groups and the movement, which the civil rights organization criticizes for giving a platform to anti-Semites, racists and bigots.

“The result of this study contravenes many of the Tea Parties’ self-invented myths, particularly their supposedly sole concentration on budget deficits, taxes and the power of the federal government,” reads the introduction to “Tea Party Nationalism,” a joint project with the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights. “Instead, this report found Tea Party ranks to be permeated with concerns about race and national identity and other so-called social issues.”

On a call with reporters, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Jealous was quick to point out that his organization has no problem with the Tea Party movement as a whole. “We have no problem with the Tea Party existing,” he said. “We have no problem with the Tea Party expressing its views in the great debates in our great democracy. We do, however, have a problem when prominent Tea Party members who have direct ties to organizations like the Council of Conservative Citizens, are allowed to use Tea Party events to recruit people for those white supremacist groups. … And most importantly, we have a problem when the majority of the Tea Parties stand silent and doesn’t loudly condemn that sort of behavior.”

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/naacp-tea-parties-nationalism-racists-bigots_n_769443.html

Strickland Catches Kasich in Ohio.
**************************

A new CNN/Time/Opinion Research poll in Ohio finds Gov. Ted Strickland (D) has erased John Kasich’s (R) lead and is now in front by one point, 48% to 47%.

Just a month ago, Kasich held a seven point lead in a similar poll.

The trend continues…
http://politicalwire.com

Kirk Holds Small Edge in Illinois
************************

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Illinois finds Rep. Mark Kirk (R) leading Alexi Giannoulias (D) in the U.S. Senate race, 42% to 40%.

Key finding: “The competitiveness of this race is completely predicated on paltry Democratic turnout. If that proves to be the case it’s about 50-50 as to who will win on election day with perhaps a small advantage for Kirk. If Democratic turnout exceeds current expectations there’s almost no doubt Giannoulias ends up as the winner.”

http://politicalwire.com

If There Isn’t An Enthusiasm Gap, Just Make One Up.
*****************************************

Over the past few months leading into these midterms there has been nothing but a nonstop litany from the mainstream media about how unenthused Democrats are, how the Tea Party is going to take over Congress, how Democrats are going to have to live with the fact that health reform and financial regulatory reform will be repealed by the New Generation of TeaBirchers, and so on.

It requires a daily reality check on my part, because I just don’t see it. In my district, I see enthusiasm everywhere I go, as do others. President Obama is coming to USC this Friday for a GOTV rally, and they’ve already had to move the venue to USC alumni park due to overwhelming demand. (I plan to be there with my cameras, by the way). Last Sunday, 35,000 turned out for his rally in Boehner territory. The week before, 18,000 in Philadelphia. Yet, if you watched either of those two rallies on CSPAN, what you saw was a tight shot of the President’s face with no pans of the crowd whatsoever. None. Zero. Not only that, they squelched the crowd response sound, so one was left with the distinct impression that the rallies had low attendance and enthusiasm.

More here…
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/if-there-isnt-enthusiasm-gap-just-make-one

More evidence that there is NO voter enthusiasm gap. Nevada figures.
******************************************************

In raw terms, Democrats are actually leading at the moment:

Raw numbers in Clark:

Tuesday: Dems, 6,994; Rs, 5,543, rest, 2,456
Early: Dems, 28,672; Rs, 23, 580; rest, 7,084
Mail: Dems, 7,027; Rs, 5,770; rest, 1,898
Combined: Dems, 35,699, Rs, 29, 350; rest, 9,540

More here….
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/10/20/912034/-NV-Sen:-No-early-enthusiasm-gap

The Australian is waging war on NBN: Conroy
*************************************

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has ramped up his attack against The Australian newspaper, accusing it of “waging a war” against Labor and trying to destroy the National Broadband Network.

In Senate Estimates earlier this week Senator Conroy took aim at the paper, saying it no longer reported news.

On ABC TV’s Lateline program last night the Minister went further, saying the paper was creating “myths” about the NBN.

“They’ve been waging a war since just before the election was finished, creating stories that are completely untrue,” he said.

“The Australian newspaper have continued to perpetrate one of these – what is reaching urban myth levels, because of their constant repetition of it – that there’s a $6,000 cost to rewire your home to get the NBN.

“Now Mike Quigley has made it clear last night, but many times in discussions with the newspaper, that is not true.”

More here…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/21/3044107.htm

577
Chris
I thought Conroy was pretty good on Lateline last night and every time he talks about the NBN he makes Abbort, Turnball and the lieberals look very ordinary.

One can only read between the lines and i wonder if the OO and other MSM are doing the same.

I read that Conroy is subtlely telling them that he is the Minister for communications and if they do not start communicating some truth in their expose then he may alter the rules slightly for them.

Enemy Combatant,

I have not been able to find Howard using the phrase or term. There are a few places, such as Wikipedia, that make the claim that he used it. But they provide no reference. They do indicate that the date would have been 18 March 2003. Two Liberal members did use it on or around that date. But, as far as I can tell, John Howard did not.

Polls swing to Democrats. 10 points in one week.
***************************************

Sestak comeback? That’s what could be happening in Pennsylvania, as Democrats point to tightening numbers in the Senate race between the former admiral and Pat Toomey, both of whom have served the Keystone State in Congress. The latest polls have Sestak up, when just a week ago a Rasmussen survey had him trailing by ten points. Our Howard Fineman explored some of the possible reasons for the surge: the state’s deep blue voter registration edge for Dems, and the “antique yet still-potent Philadelphia machine” the party relies on to churn out votes. For his part of course, Pat Toomey hopes to capture voter discontent with the Obama administration and a little bit of Tea Party magic.

I thought that couldn’t be done?
Still 11 days to go.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/20/pennsylvania-senate-debat_n_770608.html

Chris B,

You cannot make the claim that they did in the article, as they are comparing a Rasmussen poll with a PPP poll. You need to compare the results from the same company. PPP last polled two months ago, which means that according to them the polls have moved around 10 points in two months. If other polling companies start showing similar swings (or at least movement in the Democratic direction) then that will give us better reason to believe that there has been a shift.

From the general polling across the nation, there has been no shift. Sure, the Democrats may pick up seats that people were not expecting them to. But so may the Republicans. The overall picture has not changed: the Democrats are going to lose the House but hold on to the Senate.

David, merci beaucoup. My imagination seems to have transposed the “human shredding machine” reference to a rat-squealing speech to the Lower House, but the the Seppophilic little warmonger definitely used the phrase.
The Flying Teapot be praised! One’s institutionalisation in a padded sleeper cell will have to wait. 🙂

Just got a call from Min who is taking her turn doing the fortnightly supermarket trawl for the few items that we still have to purchase from them. She asked if I’d like a hardcover of the Hicks book for 22 smackeroonies.

“Was the pope a Nazi?”, sez I.

“Yes darling, but he’s now running a pedophile protection racket”, sez she.

Soulbuddy 🙂

——————————-
Gaffy, also thought Conroy performed reasonably well under Tenor Tony’s inquisition, although Stephen did repeat himself when he got onto his set-piece-speak. His eye gestures were quite entertaining but he sure had that cat-with-the-canary-in-its-gob-smile when signing off.

Btw, Compardres, the 7:30 rpt. mob chopped Aaron Sorkin mid-sentence to go to a break of their interminably boring commercials. Really gave me the tom tits cos Aaron is one hell of an interesting guy. Jesus H. Christ, he was 28 years old when he began on West Wing. Anyway was really enjoying his story about how his writer mates supported him getting over his cocaine addiction before the amateurish ABC chopped him to go to commercials.

Our Man in Can-braaah sez: “The overall picture has not changed: the Democrats are going to lose the House but hold on to the Senate.”

Oui, mon ami. As Poirot would say, “please to be advised zat you are on zee money, Monsieur.”
Really dug the last episode where the femme fatale wormed her way under his skin. And the gracious manner in which she conceded when it was “dog’s balls on a canary” that the game was up.
Drilling down beneath the hagiography of Empire Lost perhaps “”Poirot” is saying:
“Sure, we English murdered our peers, but those of us who were well-bred were frightfully civilised about it.”

—————–

Falling, out of love: an alternative take

http://www.smh.com.au/world/skydiving-lovetriangle-woman-guilty-over-parachute-sabotage-20101021-16uiw.html

EC
Casper has a link to his speech with it in at 568.

The reference tyo it is about half way down page 3.

Two other LNP are recorded in hansard raving about it as well.

There was a third hansard reference but i could not open it.

I haven’t been too focussed on Obi’s demise ( to be honest i find it too depressing), but I also wonder whether the best thing that could happen is that the Repugs slam home in the mid-terms, giving Americans 2 years to recognise thier foolishness in even considering Teabaggers as a legitimate alternative government…
or is that too optimistic?

Bewdy, gaffy. Now to sprinkle the rodent back with some of his own poison.
————-

The spooksters from ASIO are still banging on about the threat of:

HOME-GROWN TERRORISM

Gee willikers, here’s Spookmeistre One justifying the massive increase in funding that has surged their way since Howard’s day. Major Party bipartinship on this issue remains. If we don’t love our freedom we’re so totally with the terrorists, see. Question the ott approch and you might as well just be a terrorist.

“In a rare public speech, ASIO director-general David Irvine said the terrorism threat is real and it is directed at Australian interests and people.

“ASIO and its partners at this very time are investigating hundreds of counter-terrorism matters,” he said.”

Check out this “HOME-GROWN TERRORISM” bullshit that has also been used to justify even greater scrutiny of decent citizens in places like Singapore as well as here in Oz. Former ASIO chief spook, Paul O’Sullivan, dealt the same “HOME-GROWN TERRORISM” tosh at his sparse public utterances after Howard elevated him to become antipodean “M”.

“Professor Clive Williams, from the Centre for Policing Intelligence and Counter-terrorism at Macquarie University, says .

“The concern really is more HOME-GROWN PEOPLE going overseas, getting some training, coming back and doing something; I think that’s the major concern.

(“home-grown people”, that’s us folks, we’re our own worst enemy and need to be closely surveilled at all times so that our freedom can be adequately protected)

“Professor Williams says cooperation between government agencies is important, but community support is just as crucial as strong intelligence networks to stop the threat of HOME-GROWN TERRORISM.”

Fair fucken dinkum, Prof. Williams is a dead-set genius. Doesn’t he realise the more that HOME-GROWN PEOPLE (that’s us folks) are treated as suspected terrorists the more likely we will be to “cooperate” fully with authorities who suspect them?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/21/3044614.htm

————————

Yeah it’s depressing orright, Jen. Been also thinking along your lines that a mid-term drubbing might spark Obi and the Demsters to do more to deliver on a few more of the 2008 promises. But, now I’m not sure.
With the torrent of emotionally charged bile that is spewed daily from the MSM, it’s a tall ask to expect systematically dumbed-down Americans to engage their rational side before voting two years hence. Only a relatively small number of people watch Colbert, Stewart, Maddow, Maher, Goodman etc. Sad but true.

Here in Oz, the latest polls are 50/50. Piece of piss for Murdoch’s myrmidons to turn the tory’s way amidst the media noise and hate-filled sloganeering of a full on campaign. Let’s hope that Australian bus drivers are particularly attentive with respect of wayward politician pedestrians over the current term. 🙂

“The Myrmidons of Greek myth were known for their loyalty to their leaders, so that in pre-industrial Europe the word “myrmidon” carried many of the same connotations that “robot” does today. Myrmidon later came to mean “hired ruffian” (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) or “a loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity – unquestioning followers.” (Dictionary.com).” wiki.

—————-
The sooner Australia relieves the mother country of its Sopwith Camels, the more solid our national security will become. Clarke and Dawe did the business again tonight.
These blokes could take the biscuit out of a cookie jar :mrgreen:

587
Sadly Jen, I’d have to agree with you. The amazing ability of the vast, under-educated bulk of our US cousins, to vote against their own best interests is deeply depressing. 🙁

Meanwhile….The dog has his own take on whistle blowers. 🙂
http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/PRNightmare.jpg

Plus a bit of fun here.

Out of jail and into print – Black on a Murdoch who save for Ronald Reagan turned on every politician he ever supported in every country where he has operated

http://politicalowl.blogspot.com/2010/10/out-of-jail-and-into-print-black-on.html?spref=tw

Rachel Maddow at her brilliant best. Video.
************************************

Rachel Maddow hits another one out of the ballpark with her reporting on the GOP’s resurrection of the Southern Strategy for the mid-term 2010 elections. What’s astounding, as she notes, is that they’re not paying a price for it from the media. Time will tell shortly if they pay one with the electorate. I’m not sure if they’re capable of enough caging operations to make up for the amount of bigotry and race-baiting we’ve seen from Republicans this year. Maybe they’re just counting on Diebold to make up for it instead.

http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-gop-southern-strategy-resurr

Chris, that’s a very effective ad to run in Gropinator’s Kah-lee-for-nee-ah. Now if only Jerry can get Linda Ronstadt to do a nifty ten second telly jingle he’s be a shoo in fer sure.

We love you Jerry,

Oh yes we do

You are the only one

Who’ll come through

Oh yes Jer-er-y it’s true

Oh, Jer-er-y, we love you!

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2010/03/30/Linda_RONSTADT.jpeg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2010/09/bill_clinton_jerry_brown.php&h=326&w=400&sz=55&tbnid=4zttuBt7koYGfM:&tbnh=101&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Djerry%2Bbrown%2Blinda%2Bronstadt&zoom=1&q=jerry+brown+linda+ronstadt&hl=en&usg=__mT8fY0wDN9qjd4u54B8wnds0jTg=&sa=X&ei=lx_ATPfyMcWPcYfXzZEM&ved=0CDAQ9QEwBg

You can not buy my love with money

Cos I never was that kind

Silver threads and golden needles

Can not mend this heart of mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BifFedbcHzE&feature=related

“Political activism

Major criticism and praise involving Ronstadt’s politics arose during a July 17, 2004 performance at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas. Toward the end of her performance, as she had done across the country, Ronstadt spoke to the audience, praising Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore’s documentary film about the Iraq War, and dedicated the song “Desperado” to Moore.[35] Accounts say the crowd’s initial reaction was mixed, with “half the crowd heartily applauding her praise for Moore, (and) the other half booing”.[35] Following the concert, news accounts reported that Ronstadt was “evicted” from the hotel premises.[36] Ronstadt’s comments, as well as the reactions of some audience members and the hotel, became a topic of discussion nationwide……

Beginning in the mid-1970s, Linda Ronstadt’s private life was given major publicity. It was fueled by a relationship with then-Governor of California Jerry Brown, a Democratic presidential candidate. They shared a Newsweek magazine cover in April 1979.[155] They also made the cover of US magazine. Ronstadt and Brown took a trip to Africa which became fodder for the international press, and they made the cover of People magazine. In the mid-1980s.” wiki

Linda with Ann Savoy…..altogether now…. AAAHHHHHHhhhhhh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzdR8j2_JX8

By Post Author

Like this character reference from Black, paddy.

“Save for Ronald Reagan, he (The Dirty Delaware) turned on every politician he ever supported in every country where he has operated; he discarded every loyal lieutenant, two wives and countless friendly acquaintances, as if he were changing his socks.”

And Moondoggy cracked me up over the 7 y. o. who had to change schools after dobbing in the tuck-shop lady for watering down the tom sauce ….to the principal. :senorgreen:

By Post Author

Lots and lots of good news for the Democrats. Continuing the trend.
***************************************************

Election Day is already over for more than 3 million Americans, and a surprising number of them are Democrats.

Republicans clearly are gaining ground in turning out early voters compared with their showing two years ago, but figures from the first batch of states that offer clues about 2010 early voting patterns still give Democrats an edge in a number of states and big counties.

“If people thought the Democrats were just going to roll over and play dead in this election, that’s not what we’re seeing,” said Michael McDonald, a George Mason University professor who tracks early voting nationally. “They’ve got to be feeling a little bit better with the numbers that they’re seeing.”

While it’s impossible to tell for whom people are voting, so far more Democrats than Republicans are casting ballots in Iowa, Maryland, North Carolina, Louisiana and Nevada’s heavily Democratic Clark County, which supplied two-thirds of the state’s voters in 2008.

Republicans are flexing their organizational muscles and leading the pace in Florida, even though Democrats have the edge in registered voters there, and in Colorado. The parties are running about even in Maine. Ohio’s early voting trends reflect the state’s swing-voting status: Democrats are ahead in the party stronghold of Cuyahoga County around Cleveland, while Republicans lead in GOP territory of Hamilton County, which is home to Cincinnati. Ballots are virtually even in Franklin County, which anchors fickle central Ohio.

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/early-voting-election-day_n_771047.html

The Rally to Restore Sanity (Its NOT political) 😆
****************************************************

Jon Stewart To Larry King: ‘You’re The Last Guy Out Of A Burning Building’ (VIDEO)
Jon Stewart was on “Larry King Live” Wednesday to discuss his upcoming “Rally To Restore Sanity.” Before he talked about the rally, though, he had some choice words for Larry King about his decision to step down from his show at the end of the year.

“Can I tell you something?” he said. “You made the right choice. You are leaving this place. You know what you are? You’re the last guy out of a burning building, my friend.”

King chuckled before saying, “Jon! Stop!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, am I — are we on CNN right now?” Stewart joked. “I thought this was, like, the pre-show banter.”

“No, no, you’re on,” King said.

“Oh, OK. Listen, you’re really leaving this place with a great infrastructure,” Stewart continued sarcastically.

WATCH:
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The discussion then turned to the rally. Stewart said the rally would not be political “in any way, shape or form,” but would rather be a “visceral expression of…a people fed up with the reflection that they are shown of themselves as a divided people.” Nor, he said, would it be an anti-Glenn Beck rally. (The Huffington Post is sponsoring buses for attendees from New York to Washington for the October 30 event.)

King asked Stewart about the NPR memo forbidding employees from attending his rally.

“To fight back, I have prohibited my employees from describing events in esoteric terms,” Stewart joked.

King also announced that, like Oprah Winfrey, he would be supporting the rally — by donating one Port-o-Potty to the event.

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/jon-stewart-larry-king-cnn_n_771399.html

The Votemaster. Senate Dem 50 Repug 49 tie 1
House Dem 205 Reupug 207 Ties 23

Their is a time lag in the polls. Still 12 days to go and the big finish with the rally to restore sanity. Looking MUCH better for the Democrats.

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