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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?”

But Chris, it’s not gossip, it’s a politico-human inerest story. 🙂

Gaffy, she does it for me too. 100% control of my pilo-nidal reflex ( ie goosebumps)
———————————–

Oct 21: flying a kite to spring a merc
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/doonesbury

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/91897

Oct 20: modern media campaign stunts: the projectile vomit
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/tony-auth

Oct 20:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/ben-sargent

Oct 20:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/tom-toles

Oct 29: residual strength of the U.S. economy
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/matt-bors

Oct 17:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/mike-luckovich

Oct 20:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/pat-oliphant

Oct 21:
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/rob-rogers

Oct 20: How The Base was won: the upside of voting Dem
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/ted-rall

Being Friday, I was looking forward to a mingle with Tingle. But it wasn’t a particularly devastating piece this week. (Far too much old fashioned reasoned analysis and not enough bright shiny snark.) 🙂
Plus I couldn’t get a decent link to it. 👿

But fear not dear ticsters. As a worthy replacement, we can Rumble with Rundle in Seattle.

Good to see the old bastard is getting back into form.
“Now what you’ve all been waiting for….”

In the Huskies basketball stadium, all regal purple banners and white-painted girders, they’re already on their feet and cheering, before the MC can finish the sentence…”would you please welcome…”

Ten thousand people steeply banked to the ceiling, students, Seattle folk, out-of-towners, some from Canada (“dude, he’s not even your President”). The kids are freshers and sophomores, girls with brown hair and baby fat, guys with college tops and peach-fuzz. The adults? Farmers, ex-hippies, old draft dodgers, dockers, timberworkers. Short hair and salt-and-pepper ponytails, grey sweats and Jimi Hendrix tie-dye.

Up in the gods, there’s half a dozen guys in t-shirts for ‘Rossi’, the challenger, standing in a wall, politely ignored. Everyone else is holding shining red signs for Senator Patty Murray, “helping people solve problems”, the room’s a spray of blood.

We’ve had two hours of the usual for a stadium appearance, one hour wait time, a nu-style gospel choir — Amazing Grace, Somebody To Lean On   — Congressman Jim Ansley, who played for the college team, “Go huskies”, huge roar, another Congressman, an old Irish dock-bar fighter, and Christine Gregoire, the state’s junior senator.

We’d started with the Pledge of Allegiance and Star-spangled banner, the type of revolutionary anthem I’d give my left hand to be able to put my right hand over my heart for. Country rock filled the gap, aural Starbucks, functional and inoffensive. The Mexican waves had a langorous air, folks throwing up one hand, without getting up or even shifting in their seat, much.

But now it’s the main event, and all reserve goes. The signs wave furiously, the diminutive Murray bounces on stage, and Obama follows her in an impossibly crisp white shirt. After a tilt to the crowd, “wassup Seattle!” and the roar back, he has to stand tilted towards Murray listening attentively as she gives the spiel. Barely able to be seen over the podium, she’s nevertheless in command.”Volunteer at the phonebank, walk the precinct….update your Facebook status page!’”

“The senator in tennis shoes” — an old community activist, she was elected to a school board and kept on going — has a fight on her hands for the first time since taking office in 1992. Though she’s regarded as a tireless worker for the state and its people, the anti-Obama, anti-Pelosi, anti-incumbent wave has hit her hard.

Rossi’s a former senator in the state assembly, and head of ways and means. Balancing the budget in 2002 gave him a reputation for bipartisanship, which he’s now running hard away from, trumpeting his low-tax, anti-abortion credentials. Patty Murray beat back all comers by ten per cent or more each previous time out. She campaigned for and got student grants, for and got big air force contracts, for and got a clean-up of Puget Sound. Through the 90s and 2000s she was seen as Washington state first and Democrat second by a lot of people who wouldn’t have much time for the likes of her otherwise.

But now she’s leading by one or two per cent. Washington state would be a disastrous loss for the Democrats, and the past week has seen Bill Clinton, Joe Biden and now Obama come through town. This last one’s the best. The atmos is near embarrassing. Kids are shouting out “I love you Barack!”

“Well, I love you too,” he tells them back, on the third go. He’s filled out a little since oh eight; there were times that year when he looked twenty-six. Now, there’s more heft, and some grey in the tight curls of his hair. Speech-wise, he’s broadened also. Either his impossibly young writing team got tougher, or others were drafted in, because this is a harder sell than any I heard last time around. He begins by rousing them up — “Everyone’s telling us, no we can’t, and you’re saying…” and the crowd roars back, “Yes we can.” That’s only to let them down:

“When I took office we were losing three hundred, five hundred thousand jobs a month. We lost eight million jobs before my economic plan even got started. I hoped that when I got to Washington we could put aside our differences work together…we’re proud to be Democrats but prouder to be Americans!”

Big roar on that, but:

“The Republicans want to pretend they had nothing to do with. The Republicans are betting on amnesia. Seattle it’s up to you to tell them you haven’t forgotten.”

After that, he’s got a shaggy dog story, a two line gag — “The Republicans drove the car into the ditch, we got it out, now they want the keys back” — which he’s turned into a five minute extravaganza… “an we’re down there, Patty Murray and I in the ditch, and Patty’s small but she’s strong, and the Republicans are up there on the road, telling us we’re getting their car out wrong…”

For this crowd, it goes over hugely, but he steps on the punch line a little, his conviction failing perhaps. Maybe he’s done this sort of thing as a community organiser, but it sounds more like an adopted Bill Clinton style, to get him out of the realm of abstraction and wonkery.

“See it’s just like in a car — you hit the ‘D’ when you want to go forward and the ‘R’ when you want to go in reverse!”

Another huge roar. So why the hell didn’t they use a simple image like that in the campaign, in the ads. It’s a great non-sequitur, like the line by Tea Party women — Sharron Angle, Christine O’Donnell — to their opponents to “man up”, or, even better, “get your man-pants on”. There’s only two responses to that: either “Why don’t you grow a brain you dangerous psycho-bimbo” or pure spluttering.

Obama ramps it up by getting on to the campaign finance thing, and then onto the argument from failure: “…the Republicans say they want to do the exact same thing that already failed. Nothing is more certain than that that would fail again.”

Then getting out the volunteers: “…because of what you did last time, people don’t have to choose which medicine to buy; because of you more kids will go to college, because of you … and if as many people vote in this election as last we will win!”

By which he means of course, lose less badly than presumed, and retain both Houses. He ends with the Revolution, and its triumph through audacity: “…thirteen colonies, if they’d listened to the doubters it never would have happened, we wouldn’t be here! The slaves wouldn’t have been freed, women wouldn’t have gained equal rights.”

The cheering starts, and it ramps up, and by the time he’s urging everyone to make a hundred phone calls and walk a precinct, we can’t hear him but we know what he’s saying.

He exits, working the barrier. The crowd keeps waving a sea of placards. The deaf-sign interpreters, in the stands not on stage, lean back exhausted. The pool press descend on the crowd, notebooks in hand. More country rock, Only in America by Brooks and Dunn from 2001, enough description for you to know it, without hearing it ever, and the morning’s one concession to this exceptionalism, the crack habit of American politics.

Out in the University grounds, I look for the Dino Rossi boys, but they’ve gone. There’s the LaRouchites, with their Obamahitler posters, and their “Biden 2010 — impeach Obama” posters, but I don’t want to kill the buzz. Beside the stadium, the wheelchair-bound, the becrutched, the dog-led blind (“don’t pet me, I’m at work” the sign reads) are getting out first.

I pick a black kid. Cameron, in a wheelchair with an Obama t-shirt, being wheeled out by his mom, Robin.

“I work in telecoms, my husband in sales.”

And has anything Obama’s done made a difference?

“Oh yes, now insurers can’t exclude us for a pre-existing condition.”

I’m conscious I’m talking across the kid. I ask him “…what do you want to do when you leave school?”

“Ah, I don’t know.”

“And if you don’t mind me asking what is your condition?”

Robin prompts him, gently “tell him.”

“Muscular dystrophy.”

Second question should have been first, and the first question wouldn’t have been asked.

Should the healthcare bill be repealed, they would sell their house as Cameron’s condition worsened, and declare bankruptcy when the funds ran out.

There would be better ways to assuage this than mandating insurance, with a more perfect healthcare bill, but perhaps this comes down to the good and bad compromises thing.

For some there is no waiting.

Plus….With a sickening jolt!
Firstdog reveals the true truth about the NBN.
(Courtesy of that friend of the working man. The Australian.)
http://media.crikey.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Pizza.jpg

In further sparkling news….The Oz digital media scene gets a much needed boost with the return of New Matilda.
http://newmatilda.com/

Frank Holds Comfortable Lead
Rep. Barney Frank’s (D-MA) personal loan of $200,000 to his congressional campaign made some think he might be in trouble for re-election, but a new WPRI poll shows Frank leading challenger Sean Bielat (R) by double-digits, 49% to 37%.

Frank’s own polling reportedly shows him leading by 19 points.
http://politicalwire.com

Dems Get In Touch With Their Feminine Side.
************************************

SEATTLE — In a last-ditch effort to prevent electoral disaster, President Barack Obama and Democratic allies are vigorously wooing women voters, whose usually reliable support appears to have softened.

From blunt TV ads to friendlier backyard chats, they’re straining to persuade women that it’s the Democrats who are on their side and it’s in women’s vital interest to turn out and vote in the Nov. 2 elections that could give Republicans control of one or both houses of Congress.

In Seattle on Thursday, Obama told local women and others that “how well women do will help determine how well our families are doing as a whole.” Accompanied by women who own businesses, he spoke in a family’s backyard about the economy’s effects on women and outlined ways he said his policies have helped them.

Later, trying to rekindle the enthusiasm of his presidential race, he all but ordered thousands of cheering supporters at a packed University of Washington arena to get out and vote, even though he’s not on the ballot. Hoarsely shouting over the applause, he said, “If everybody that voted in 2008 shows up in 2010, we will win this election. We will win this election. But you’ve got to come out and vote.”

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/dems-get-in-touch-with-th_n_772193.html

Roy Sekoff: With Palin, O’Donnell Voters ‘Embracing Ignorance As A Virtue’
*******************************************************

Roy Sekoff joined MSNBC’s Ed Schultz on his show to discuss some “not ready for prime-time” candidates, including GOP Senate nominee Christine O’Donnell from Delaware. Sekoff and Schultz joked about O’Donnell’s inability to name a Democratic senator, but Sekoff stressed the more important side to the story lines playing out with tea party favorites like O’Donnell, Sharron Angle, and Joe Miller (where we get “ignorance mixed with thuggery”).

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-tv/roy-sekoff-with-palin-odo_b_772183.html

610
Paddy
More like a school of white pointers with all those good honest OO stories.
What a mob of tossers.

In the last two weeks i have been getting a flood of glossy Telstra brochures all of a sudden offering me you beaut el cheapo plans for a better internet service and better land line prices to mobiles, and mobile to mobile etc etc.
The mailouts must be costing a fortune.
Telstra is going to lose lots of customers with a level playing field, especially on their past service performances.

Absolutely amazing how they can come up with these new lower, better plans, on which they want me to take a contract for two years when the NBN is just around the corner.

I sincerely hope a lot of lnp voters get sucked in

614
LOL Sheesh Gaffy. Today I got a flyer from telscum telling me they were raising my line rental by a $1 a month…But they had a heap of 24 mth contract you beaut plans, if I was dumb enough to fall for it. 🙂
The scum sucking bastards know the writing’s on the wall and they are going to get a right, royal screwing as the NBN rolls out and they lose their monopoly. What a tragedy….NOT. 👿 😆

Ken Buck Hit Hard On Birth Control, Abortion In New DSCC Ad.
*************************************************

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is up with a new ad in Colorado, a harsh spot that goes after Republican Senate nominee Ken Buck on women’s issues.

“We’ve been using birth control for decades, but Ken Buck supported making common forms of birth control illegal,” a narrator says towards the beginning of the ad.

The commercial continues, moving on to abortion. “Ken Buck wants to make abortion illegal, even in the most dire circumstances,” the voice continues.

More here with video..
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/22/ken-buck-hit-hard-on-birt_n_772289.html

Mr Morrell said the US had a “moral responsibility” to help those named in the documents, including 300 Iraqis he said were now “especially in danger
“This was information that should have been protected better by us,” Mr Morrell said. “This is sensitive stuff that could get people killed.””.

Oh how fucken decent of you Mr Morrell, and your sacrosanct bleating hearts brigade, to be so concerned about 300 Iraqis who aided and abetted the shock and awe slaughter juggernaut that was the Bush, Cheney, Howard, Blair war machine looking for fictitious weapons of mass destruction, you did not find them, and in the process killed, injured and displaced in excess of one million Iraqis.
I also am concerned that there is a possibility that more people may be killed over this illegal war, but let us use the release of these documents, for future occasions, to prevent the cause of the problem not wait until we get to the problem.

Please don’t show any compassion for the real victims of the war that was conducted under false pretences?

The shame of it all. I say good on you Wickileaks as the release of these incriminating documents, though i won’t hold my breath waiting, should help to get the war crimes international court closer to inviting messrs Bush, Cheney, Howard and Blair to please explain.

It would be loverly to say the least if there were heaps of emails incriminating howard and his party of thugs.

If they expose the means by which these real criminals have conducted themselves in taking us to this shameful event, then it may lend to putting a rein on how bastards of this ilk will want to take us to future illegal wars.

Then the persons who make up these political parties have the gall to scream and rant and rave and denigrate those displaced human beings looking for a safer haven.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/extraordinary-moment-in-journalism-claims-wikileaks-after-dumping-400000-iraq-files/story-e6freon6-1225942574462

621
gaffhook says:
How do we get to read these released files?
Keep trying here.
http://wikileaks.org/
The site is currently undergoing intense usage. (read DDOS probably)
Either that, or it’s just the mother of a slashdotting. 🙂

Sometimes, a thoroughbred racehorse is the most beautiful creature on earth.
Coat aglow, muscles rippling and eyes flashing as it thunders across the turf.
So You Think, is one of those rare animals that can make this old cynic cry like a baby.
What a champion!!!

I wanna say a massive DITTO to Gaffy at 620.

And on a much more pleasant note, i wanna also say a massive DITTO to Paddy at 623.

I don’t think we’ve even seen the best of him yet Paddy. He is still really a baby. Doesn’t turn 4 officially until mid November. And he’s still looking around and putting his head to the side. But he is just so strong and brilliant and powerful.

He’s still got much to do….but i put him up there with The King and The Diva. He is doing things unheard of for one so young. I just hope the horse can stand up to Bart’s famed tough conditioning and we get to see him for 2 more years without him going amiss.

Nick Hall(who rode Zipping into 2nd) may be right. He just may have run into Phar Lap today.

And Black Caviar was a superb entree. I wish i was there today.

I remember when i was a young tacker and hanging off the packed grandstand when Manikato was the entree, winning the Sprint, and then The King came out and won his 3rd Plate.

Today was 2 pretty special horses too. A very tasty entree and a sumptuous main meal.

Sympatico to the max with your copacetic rave, gaffy.

Paddy sez: “Sometimes, a thoroughbred racehorse is the most beautiful creature on earth.
Coat aglow, muscles rippling and eyes flashing as it thunders across the turf.
So You Think, is one of those rare animals that can make this old cynic cry like a baby.
What a champion!!!”

From the moment he settled easily into second from the jump nothing was gonna ever come close to SYT. The jockey hand a tight rein on him about the 600, elbows parallel, when the others were being released for their run home. In a few soulful bounding strides it was put away the glasses time and soak up the history of the last two furlongs.

Yep, Harry, SYT’s got heaps more in the long-term tank. This neddy is a natural performer. Fucken loves it! He tuned into the crowd today with awareness of the accolades and heartfelt affection of the punters. He gawked at the crowd and cocked his head coming back to the enclosure after the win. Sure, it’s horse racing but some beasts transcend their equine nature and tap into sometyhing that’s beyond hype and hagiography.

Phar Lap’s a mighty big rap, H, but gee I hope you’re right.

Phar Lap’s a mighty big rap, H, but gee I hope you’re right.

Indeed Eccy.

SYT being an entire complicates things a bit. Who knows what his racing future will be.

But when you even put emotion aside and forget his aristocratic presence, and drill down into performance, SYT is doing things that haven’t been done before.

He has demolished 2 Cox Plate fields in his first 10 starts.

In 2 years time he could be up there with the very elite few in our history….or he could be having fun with many of the best fillies in the land.

Let’s hope it’s the former. He sure is a joy to watch.

Hopefully, for those who come to the Wikileaks news conference late, there’ll be a youtube of it up soon.
Amazing stuff and who should be in the audience with the microphone….but Daniel Elsberg!
This is dynamite!!!

First time i have seen him race on tv today.
He certainly is the goods.
Is he carrying a bag of feathers in the MC?

629
Gaffy says

Is he carrying a bag of feathers in the MC?

I think, if he starts, he has 56kgs Gaffy.
Shocking has 58 Kgs

Phil just gave the MSM one huge smackdown.
He should be wary of becoming the next Dr Kelly. 🙁

Ta for the link Paddy. Listening from when Elsberg was handed the mike.

How far will this cut through?

Very intresting stuff.

It is great to watch a real press conference with real questions from the journos. Very revealing. Good Glom Paddy.

633
Indeed Gaffy. It makes our own dear press corp look as lame as they really are. Wankers! 🙁

630
Paddy

I think, if he starts, he has 56kgs Gaffy.

When i had my last bet that would have been about 8st 11lb i think!!!!

Geez Paddy it will be a fucken big race if they all get a start.
They will have to start getting them in to the enclosure tomorrow. :mrgreen:

For Treme and all of N.O. LA, some musical magic from la crème de la creme

“Proceeds from this recording will help revaitalise Fats Domino’s Lower 9th Ward neighbourhood and benefit the programs of the Tipitina’s Foundation which is restoring Louisiana’s unique musical culture.”

Fair dinkum, Ticsters, do yer hearing a favour and let your ear drums resonate a mo with the 2 links below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GhKn64aiR0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKeGdTr2IcE

—————–

Now for the Assange presser with Danny Elsberg. What a veracious truthfest are these wiki-leaks are shaping to be. And the timing….just before the Midies and during our Afghan parliamentary blood obeisance.

“just before the Midies”

A vote puller extraordinaire.

It was the Bush that done it.

Chris will be lovin it.

Glad you dug the track, gaffy. The double CD is a family fave when cruisin’ the country roads and byways in Le Requin Blanche. 🙂

Chris, you’ve certainly deserve the right of first refusal on a thread of your making on the Midies. Are you up for it? If so, please post it in the “Editorial Comments”, upper right of hp, say “Oi”, and I’ll dress it up 🙂 as best I can and post it till our International Cat of Mystery pads her nifty finishing touches.

Oh-oh. These Macquarie St. keyboard capers just won’t quit.

Barry O’Farrell has let his “fat fingers” do the walking for him and “accidentally” saved an “unsavoury” image ( two “twinks” pashing off ) into his favourites column.

But hey! This sort of thing could happen to anybody, right?

Mr O’Farrell said he inadvertently saved in his ”favourites” a link titled ”watch two boys break the record for longest kiss”.
The user, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also posted a picture of a youth with his shirt off titled ”an early teen boy completely and utterly adorable. That body is excellent.”

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/fat-fingers-have-put-barry-over-a-barrel-20101023-16ykn.html

HOLY CILICE, BATMAN, OPUS DEI ARE SURE GONNA HAVE A MONSTER HAIRSHIRT PARTY WITH THIS ONE!

For a while now, Baz has been trying to diminish their medieval, rod-walloping influence on NSW Liberal politics.
From a State ALP perspective, here’s a free kick Keneally never thought she was going to get, I’ll bet. The spiritual fascists at Opus Dei will almost certainly try to roll Bazza The Clumsy over Barry’s Hensonesque sensitivities.

Sez Mike Carlton from a few months ago:

“At last, a policy from Barry O’Farrell! Nothing to set the world aflame, mind you, not a clarion call to the ballot box, but in the policy-free zone that is the state opposition, any sign of creeping movement – even backwards – is a rare and wonderful thing.
For the record, the Opposition Leader has come out firmly against ethics classes in state schools.
”I don’t favour ethics classes being an alternative to special religious education classes,” he told the ABC’s Stateline program last week. ”I think that we have an act, we have a system where special religious education classes have been part of the system … since it started.”

True enough, but hardly a convincing argument. The system also started with quill pens and ink wells but most schools have managed to advance to the computer age without society crashing in ruins around our ears.
O’Farrell is not a religious hardliner. You can only assume that, for whatever reason, he has buckled to the Opus Dei god-botherers of the Liberal Party’s lunar right wing led by the upper house MP David Clarke.

When they are not ripping the party apart in preselection warfare – as they are doing in the Baulkham Hills electorate at the moment – Clarke and his acolytes rage against evil like modern Savonarolas.
They are especially obsessed with homosexuality and any hint of gay law reform, and a woman’s right to choose abortion, but name any rational step forward – the Kings Cross injecting room, for example – and they’ll be furiously agin it. They are the new Puritans who, to quote the American writer H.L. Mencken, live with ”the haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy”.
The reactionary force they will exert on a Coalition government, when it arrives next year, will be crude and malign. O’Farrell has yet to show he can stand up to them.

For the moment, we must beat this campaign by the churches against the ethics classes. They have every right to spout whatever sectarian mumbo jumbo they like to those who consent to receive it. They have no right to dictate the content of ethics teaching, or whether we have it at all.”

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/godbothers-go-to-war-with-ofarrell-caught-in-the-middle-20100917-15g4f.html

Obama Blasts Republican Economic Policies: GOP ‘Snake Oil’ Could Jeopardize Economy.
****************************************************

With the midterm elections just 10 days away, President Barack Obama is blasting Republicans’ economic policies at rallies in support of Democratic candidates and over the airwaves.

“This is a choice between the policies that got us into this mess and the policies that are going to lead us out of this mess,” Obama told a crowd of about 37,000 on Friday at a rally in Los Angeles for California Sen. Barbara Boxer. “They are clinging to the same worn-out, tired, snake-oil ideas that they were peddling before.”

At a rally in Las Vegas, Obama told supporters of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid: “They’re banking on the fact that you might forget who got us in this mess in the first place.”

Republicans are expected to pick up a large number of House and Senate seats in the midterm elections, but a new poll finds that Obama’s efforts may be succeeding in firing up the Democratic base. The president’s approval ratings have jumped substantially, according to the latest Newsweek poll, a sign that Democrats are closing the “enthusiasm gap” as the election nears.

Early voting has also shown surprising turnout for Democrats.

Yes!

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/23/obama-gop-snake-oil-economy_n_772814.html

Poll Shows Surge in Democratic Enthusiasm
**********************************

Contrary to nearly every other recent poll, a new Newsweek survey shows Democrats leading Republicans in the generic congressional ballot, 48% to 42%, among registered voters. Among those who have already voted, Democrats lead by 10 points, 52% to 42%.

The poll also shows President Obama’s approval ratings have jumped substantially to 54%, while the portion of respondents who disapprove of the president dropped to 40%.

Said pollster Larry Hugick: “The idea that the Democrats are just going to sit this one out doesn’t seem very likely. While there’s no question that Republicans are going to pick up seats, the question is how many.”

http://politicalwire.com

Dems Holding Their Own In Early Voting Numbers.
****************************************

As the Washington Post reports, the Democratic political consulting firm the Atlas Project says that Dem turnout right now is better than it was in the early voting for the last midterm election, the Democratic wave year of 2006. “In many states, it even appears that the electorate so far is a little more Democratic than in 2006, although it is still early in the early voting process,” reported the firm. “Further, in some states like Georgia, Florida, Michigan and North Carolina, African Americans in particular seem to be making up a greater proportion of early voters at this point than in 2006.”

Very, very promising.

More good stuff here…
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/the-early-vote.php?ref=fpa

A great ad from Jack Conway Kentucky.
*******************************

With the hours ticking down until voters in Kentucky choose their next U.S. Senator, Democratic nominee Jack Conway is hitting Republican Rand Paul over economic plans Conway’s campaign says “would crush Kentucky families.”

The ad is a dramatic shift in message from Conway’s high-profile spot targeting Paul’s years as an undergraduate at Baylor University. That ad has made “Aqua Buddha” one of the most memorable phrases of 2010 (just behind “Demonsheep” and “I’m not a witch,” perhaps) and led to widespread and bipartisan criticism of Conway’s campaign.

More and video
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/10/conway-attacks-paul-on-economics-in-new-ad-video.php?ref=fpb

646
Chris
I was just commenting on how the Wikileaks being dropped just before the midies can be beneficial to Obi.

He just has to say look what a mess the Bush mob has got us in to with all these truths coming out now about the Iraq war.

Bush did it.

Ooops! That Republican ‘stop the vote’ effort for Latinos in Nevada is backfiring badly.
********************************************************

Those ads by a right-wing front group called “Latinos for Reform” — urging Latinos no to vote for Democrats in the coming election because they haven’t delivered on comprehensive immigration reform — may not be turning out to be such a hot idea:

But the fever-pitch backlash to this advertisement suggests the message could bring about just the opposite effect, by energizing a Hispanic voting bloc that may have been lethargic with a new and compelling reason to get out and vote — by and large, for Democrats.

From the 2004 to 2008 elections, Hispanics grew in force from 8 percent of the electorate to 12 to 15 percent, depending on the exit poll — roughly equal to President Barack Obama’s margin of victory. Obama carried 76 percent of the Nevada Hispanic vote in 2008.

Electorate growth rates among Hispanics have slowed since. But what hasn’t is their overwhelming enthusiasm for Democrats.

“Hispanics are much more likely to view congressional Democrats favorably than other groups,” said John Tuman, chairman of UNLV’s political science department who also teaches in the Latin American studies department. According to a recent study by UNLV and the Brookings Mountain West think tank, “it’s only among Hispanics in any Mountain West state that you see Democrats having an overall net favorability ranking,” Tuman said.

Yeah, campaigns that smack of overt minority voter-suppression efforts — particularly since the self-serving hypocrisy of these ads (“Punish Democrats because they haven’t been effective in overcoming our longstanding efforts to kill immigration reform”) is so transparent — tend not to go over so well with minority voters.

The Republicans are so dumb. They think everyone else is as dumb as they are.
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/ooops-republican-stop-vote-effort-la

That old Yankee Doodle philosophy may have had some merit.

“save all yore Confederate money as the Souths gonna rise again”

WASHINGTON — Texas Republican congressional candidate Stephen Broden stunned his party Thursday, saying he would not rule out violent overthrow of the government if elections did not produce a change in leadership.

In a rambling exchange during a TV interview, Broden, a South Dallas pastor, said a violent uprising “is not the first option,” but it is “on the table.” That drew a quick denunciation from the head of the Dallas County GOP, who called the remarks “inappropriate.”

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/22/102475/gop-congressional-candidate-says.html#ixzz13FBBd3wk

Tony Abbort and his flakes are not quite in the big league yet.
They are only at the stage of having hissy fits about the loss of the election.
They need to follow the neocon Goppers more closely if they are ever going to take office.

[WASHINGTON — Texas Republican congressional candidate Stephen Broden stunned his party Thursday, saying he would not rule out violent overthrow of the government if elections did not produce a change in leadership.

In a rambling exchange during a TV interview, Broden, a South Dallas pastor, said a violent uprising “is not the first option,” but it is “on the table.” That drew a quick denunciation from the head of the Dallas County GOP, who called the remarks “inappropriate.”]

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/22/102475/gop-congressional-candidate-says.html#ixzz13FBBd3wk

From Peter Fitz’s smh column today:

“Muttiah Muralitharan is still not a fan of John Howard: “What I really didn’t like was the comments Howard made. That was why I didn’t come on the next tour here. From someone in his position, that was worse than anything the crowd said.”

From previous thread-head:
“Enter stage Right: Mad Mark, El (Murali’s a chucker!) Rodentino and Bobby Santamaria’s Ghost.”

Glad that at least one sports writer remembers the shit dished out by the vainglorious little grub!

Just did a withering show (my humility injection wore off early) this time on Community Radio trashing El Rodente’s legacy. It was most therapeutic. Afterwards called into to my fave local bookshop ( Homerically dubbed embiggen books) to glom an autographed copy of proprietor, Warren Bonett’s, new tome, The Australian Book of Atheism which Warren edited and collated. We got to yarning and had a good exchange on the Midies. He believes The Kid is making a reasonable fist of the Presidency and Warren thinks the electorate got and get what they deserve. Had to get back home and he was busy, but I’ll toss in my two bob’s worth about the Sep MSM, particularly The Dirty Delaware’s Fox boosting the nutjob Tea Baggers, next time we pow-wow.

Warren has already sold out of the David Hick’s story and apart from having no one ask about it, will not be stocking, Political Viagra: Lararus Cracks Three Fats.

Anyway, the Oz Book of Atheism looks a corker, 33 essays in all by an eclectic mob of Oz authors under seven categories: Overview, Personal, Education, Social and Cultural, Politics, Philosophy, Religion and the Brain. Contributors include Max Wallace, Robyn Williams, Hon. Lee Rhiannon, Dr. Philip Nitschke and many more in this diverse appraisal of the topic.
Says Warren in the Intro, “the expression of critical thought towards ideas is the only protection society has against tyranny…..and in producing better ideas.”

Go Warren! Hope it becomes a best seller.
Anyone interested: http://www.scribepublications.com.au

Well Ecky, over the last couple of years, you’ve come out with some glorious lines. But

Political Viagra: Lararus Cracks Three Fats.

has to be the all time, keyboard destroying, ROTFLMAO best of them!
Quite made my Sunday. :mrgreen: Ta!!

Support For Veterans Shows Sharp Partisan Divide.
****************************************

According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America Action Fund, Republicans in Congress have dramatically failed to support our troops after they come home. IAVA’s 2010 Veteran Report Card, based on the key veterans’ legislation that came to a vote during the 111th Congress, exposed a sharp partisan divide on the level of support for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, as MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow tabulated yesterday. Of the 94 elected officials that earned an A or A+ rating from IAVA, 91 were Democrats. Of the 154 officials who received a D or F, 142 were Republicans:

Rachel Maddow hits the nail on the head once again.
http://thinkprogress.org/2010/10/22/vets-divide/

FaaaaaaaaaarrrkkkKKKK!

I wanna fridge magnet with the Pointer Hotline phone number. And I want it NOW! Anything, anything at all to help reassure my family that no sea-stone is being left unturned in our government’s efforts to save us from this rogue Marine Terrorist—— who has jumped the good name of his ancestors and stomped that legacy to the depths of the Marianas Trench.
Of course it’s normal to feel very afraid! Especially when a “home-grown” Great White “lurks” in waters that its forebears have patrolled for millions of years.

Beachgoers are being warned of a monster shark lurking in waters off Stradbroke Island in southeast Queensland.
A shark hook off Stradbroke Island’s Main Beach has triggered the fears after routine equipment checks found it had been bent with such force that it was almost straight.
This means at least one five metres-long white pointer is lurking off the coast of Stradbroke Island,’’ Minister Mulherin said.”

Yeah, right.

Petrified locals claim to have seen “Jawsie” propel himself at speed from the water and roll like an Orca along the sand before snatching hapless sunbathers with enough momentum to propel predator and victim back into the blood-stained surf.
Hundreds and thousands of good, honest, law-abiding Queenslanders have vowed to abstain from all forms of angling and sea-side recreational activities until Jawsie is flake.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/swimmers-warned-of-monster-shark-20101024-16z0o.html

Something about the these yarns specifly realeased to put the frighteners about that vibrates my bullshit detectors. Nota bene, there have been NO sightings, just the mysterious hook. Cynicism can be a terrible thing, Ticsters, simultaneously faith AND hope-sapping in extremis, but I’d dearly like to get the odds about an offical Fed. Govt. announcement before or on Cup Day that we will be forking out barrels more of good taxpayer fat to vouchsafe us all from “home-grown terrorists” who locomote bipedally.

Initial Caution:

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/sealpic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/03/08-week/&usg=__kkt2mkfhlaeaZS458aTu0LrZ1y8=&h=463&w=532&sz=132&hl=en&start=72&zoom=1&tbnid=VxBnoC9Iqn20hM:&tbnh=159&tbnw=205&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwhite%2Bpointer%2Bjumps%2Bwith%2Bseal%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D839%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C2265&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=148&vpy=366&dur=5632&hovh=209&hovw=241&tx=81&ty=141&ei=g-rDTLvgIIa0vwOx7MCoCA&oei=ZurDTLO-KcipcYyEqdgL&esq=4&page=4&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:10,s:72&biw=1276&bih=839

Hello Breakfast:

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/07/31/alg_shark.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2010/07/31/2010-07-31_great_whites_make_great_start_to_discoverys_shark_week_on_ultimate_air_jaws.html&usg=__JWgg4FIEscIrJAjaHWP7kS5EjHs=&h=314&w=485&sz=52&hl=en&start=111&zoom=1&tbnid=Vk5VH7TIABi2gM:&tbnh=162&tbnw=233&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshark%2Btakes%2Bseal%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D839%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C3778&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=733&vpy=484&dur=9687&hovh=181&hovw=279&tx=158&ty=84&ei=5vTDTM-qHI2kuAOQxP25CA&oei=RfTDTP7BOY6dccex_NcL&esq=6&page=6&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:18,s:111&biw=1276&bih=839

———————————-oOo——————————-

Thanks, paddy, true mirth from one’s peers is a nod most appreciated. 🙂

By Post Author

658
ROTFL I hereby dub you…..Ecky Attenborough. :mrgreen:
Now if we could just arrange for Monday’s qanda to be filmed at Stradbroke Island………
….and for the rodent to be wearing a seal skin coat……. 👿 😆

The Newsweek poll is interesting, but it is not new – their last poll, 30 September, showed the Democrats five points up with registered voters; their new poll shows the Democrats three points up with likely voters. And their poll from a while back was also an outlier from all other polling companies, favouring the Democrats. They might have it right: if they have a better weighting system than Gallup and Rasmussen and the rest, then they will do better. But I would not get too excited by this poll, as it is not telling us anything new.

Chris B,

There do appear to be a few good polls for Democrats – California, for instance, where it looks like Boxer will win comfortably after some closer polls. But the overall picture does not appear to have changed – indeed, while the Senate might look a little better (maybe the Democrats will have 53 or 54 instead of 51 or 52) the picture in the House looks worse, with 50+ seats looking takeable for the GOP.

A nice bake to start the week.

Robert Fisk: The shaming of America

As usual, the Arabs knew. They knew all about the mass torture, the promiscuous shooting of civilians, the outrageous use of air power against family homes, the vicious American and British mercenaries, the cemeteries of the innocent dead. All of Iraq knew. Because they were the victims.

Only we could pretend we did not know. Only we in the West could counter every claim, every allegation against the Americans or British with some worthy general – the ghastly US military spokesman Mark Kimmitt and the awful chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Peter Pace, come to mind – to ring-fence us with lies. Find a man who’d been tortured and you’d be told it was terrorist propaganda; discover a house full of children killed by an American air strike and that, too, would be terrorist propaganda, or “collateral damage”, or a simple phrase: “We have nothing on that.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-shaming-of-america-2115111.html

It’s good to see the Greens still chipping away at the edifice. Wilkie is also doing a good job as an independent.

HusseinStWorm at 668,

I hope that it is a little bit better than that in the Senate for the Democrats. Regarding ties, usually the majority of them would go to the party that the trend is heading for, so that looks about right: the GP will get a total somewhere north of 220, which represents a gain of 40+.

Not brilliant.

NEWSWEEK Poll: Obama Approval Rating Jumps, Democrats Close ‘Enthusiasm Gap’
****************************************************

As the president’s numbers climb sharply, results suggest that Democrats may be succeeding in firing up their base.
Despite doom-saying about Democrats’ chances in the midterms, the latest NEWSWEEK Poll (full results) shows that they remain in a close race with Republicans 12 days before Election Day, while the president’s approval ratings have climbed sharply. The poll finds that 48 percent of registered voters would be more likely to vote for Democrats, compared with 42 percent who lean Republican (those numbers are similar to those in the last NEWSWEEK Poll, which found Democrats favored 48 percent to 43 percent). President Obama’s approval ratings have jumped substantially, crossing the magic halfway threshold to 54 percent, up from 48 percent in late September, while the portion of respondents who disapprove of the president dropped to 40 percent, the lowest disapproval rating in a NEWSWEEK Poll since February 2010. However, his approval rating, which is notably higher than many recent polls of the president’s popularity, may be evidence of a closing “enthusiasm gap” more than a sea change in voter attitudes, and may not substantially affect Democrats’ fortunes come Election Day. In 1994, NEWSWEEK Polls showed a similar steep climb in President Clinton’s approval between late September and late October, but Democrats still suffered a rout in the midterms.

More of this GREAT NEWS here…
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/10/22/poll-obama-approval-jumps-dems-more-fired-up.html

Colorado Race Gets Closer, Improving Dems’ Odds In Senate.
*************************************************

Democrats have reasons to be cautiously optimistic about keeping control of the U.S. Senate, especially given a new poll showing a dead heat in Colorado between Democratic Senator Michael Bennet and his Republican challenger Ken Buck. But the party is not out of the woods yet. Republican candidates hold razor-thin margins, as of this hour, in four key toss-up battlegrounds and could still bring the division of the Senate to a 50-50 tie if they sweep all four.

Let’s begin with the latest polls in the key battleground states:

More here…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/25/closer-race-in-colorado-i_n_773284.html

One week to go in the polls. The Premiership week. Finishing up with the Jon Stewart Rally to Restore Sanity.

G’day asanque and Hussey, lerve your leftist bents! Very sustaining, comrades!

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/good_head_20101025/

Delaware Dinosaur……and friend:
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/91995

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/92034

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/92031

A new thread will be woven and released “While waiting for Jon Stewart, The Melbourne Cup, or the mid-terms. Whatever comes first. “

If anyone wants to head it (wherefore art thou, KL?) please give me a “ Fin-Laura” ovverwise, Uncle Ecky will spring anothery from Writer’s Block at Gitmo.

Btw, surprise, surprise, Rat-Fucker John dodged Hicks’ question: “Do you believe I was treated humanely at Camp X-Ray?

What really gave me the shits was Rat-Fucker’s patronising; “what a wonderful country we live in that such a question can be put on national TV” or wtte to begin his weasel-worded reply to Hicks. Where was the little schmuck when Hicks was caged sans habeas corpus and regularly tortured as one of The Imbecile’s “worst of the worst” before GetUp! got on the grub’s case in 2007 and Bennelong John, from fear of electoral slaughter, called in a “favour” from his “good friend, President Bush” ?

Oh, of course we couldn’t possibly have brought Hicks home because there were no laws to charge him in Australia. So naturally a proud Australian PM was content to outsource our Justice system to Seppo City Central and the money-sucking, narcissistic control-freaks that run that declining empire.

And Tony Jones didn’t have to grovel. An apology would have done just fine to maintain dignity all ‘round.
Congats to the Dreads for having the courage to “make the statement”.

{Fingerprinting at schools heavy-handed: parents
By Cassie White
Updated 3 hours 31 minutes ago

The scanners will replace the traditional roll call system for some year 11 students. (Reuters: Tobias Schwarz, file photo)
A New South Wales school has moved to reassure parents that new student fingerprint scanners cannot be hacked into and no personal information will be stored in the system.
Gosford’s Henry Kendall High School is introducing a biometric system which assigns each student a number by creating a unique code based on three points on their finger.}

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/10/26/3048694.htm

Nothing to worry about here, folks. If we can’t trust our government to do the right thing, then who can we trust? If the Principal says it can’t be hacked or put to nefarious use then everything must be OK. Don’t need to be a woman with a dragon tattoo to figure that one! Beats me how some parents can be so disrespectful towards authority figures.

Governments could do themselves a favour and save a lot of due process if they just bar-coded the foreheads of all neonates. Afterall, their job is to protect us, right?

Or better still………

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tldm.org/news4/MarkOfTheBeast10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tldm.org/news4/markofthebeast.htm&usg=__RiUfXsuaXuLk-Sxv-gyy4YZhtBw=&h=204&w=181&sz=7&hl=en&start=174&zoom=1&tbnid=rgu7Ocxj4RE5QM:&tbnh=149&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbaby%2Bforehead%2Bbarcode%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1276%26bih%3D839%26gbv%3D2%26tbs%3Disch:10%2C4874&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1073&vpy=324&dur=3541&hovh=163&hovw=144&tx=112&ty=114&ei=DInGTMarJcLCcabRnYcC&oei=34jGTI3lJMuqcZeh8dQN&esq=8&page=8&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:174&biw=1276&bih=839

684

I suppose though he has got a tough assignment;
Trying to make out he is destroying it when he doesn’t want to, when the only thing he wants to destroy is Abbort.
How to do it, and not get it from someone who has got it and can’t get rid of it.

The Votemaster.
************

Gallup released a poll showing the Republicans ahead among likely voters 9% to 14%. These two polls are hard to reconcile. At least one of them is clearly wrong, presumably due to poor methodology or a bad demographic model. Prof. Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science, has examined the crosstabs on recent Gallup polls and found some very implausible data there, such as Republicans leading Democrats among minority groups. He concludes that Gallup’s demographic model may be off.

Another pollster called into doubt. We will know for sure Wednesday our time.
http://electoral-vote.com

Is it just me , or are we all suffering from Political Fatigue?
Even the shoe -thrower couldn’t get near his target…
(should have spoken to the Pakistan cricket team to see what they could do for a fee.)

Anyway – personally I am bored to sobs with politics – and I am a freakin’ candidate at the Vic State election!
Ho-bloody-Hum

There are serious issues facing us all, but they reduced to
the Irrigators versus the Greenies 🙄 ,
or the Teabaggers versus Obama (like there should even be a Competition FFS 😡 )
I am trying to feel engaged , but I am concerned that if I / We can’t , then who does?
And perhaps this is the fertile ground for the Neo-cons/ Extremists to start to get traction because they invoke Passion, which is so much more interesting than Malaise.

Time to Maintain the Rage… Except that I am going to bed.

paddy –
I think Mr Onthemoon is mocking we Greens!
We are not to be mocked as we are all very serious and worthy and would never have a young upstart who should wear longer skirts try and unseat a very earnest and well -groomed elder of the noble party.
We are far too busy saving the planet.
and throwing shoes.

695
Jen! Now lListen here you shoe chucking bastards! How dare you not tell the media about THE CHALLENGE!
Hell, I only read about it by reading some communist blogger who hates the mainstream media and doesn’t know his place. :mrgreen:
http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/10/on-qt-speculation-gravitas-and-honest.html

Plus, in further worrying news. Guy Rundle had this to say about that other beloved Sarah. The divine Miss P. today.
A snippet from Orlando Florida.

Everyone here in the bullpen had paid twenty bucks to get in. Those sitting in a roped-off area to one side had shelled out a coupla hundred. Somewhere at the front, there were a dozen or so people who’d paid nine hundred and fifty dollars, for the privilege of a photo with the woman herself afterwards. They waved balloons and flags and ate ice-cream. They looked like they were having a pretty good time. The band wound up Old Time Rock n Roll with a flourish…….
Palin’s appearance here was capping off the penultimate week of the campaign, and she had nothing further scheduled. Despite all the hoopla, to use one of her favourite words, her appearances have to be carefully managed to give the impression that she’s a national phenomenon, when she’s not. Obama can fill stadiums. Palin can’t even fill a ballroom at this vast conference centre in the heart of Florida’s Disney country……more.

Full article here. (reg rec)
http://tinyurl.com/2d7x2tg

No doubt about the Goppers. Sure know how to attract voters with their new style of stumps stomps. (video)

Prior to the debate between Conway and Paul, several Rand Paul supporters pulled a woman with a Moveon sign to the ground then one stomped on her head. Paul has NOT called for their arrest. Police have not made arrests. Right wing commenters are suggesting that it was an act, or that, because she wore a wig, she might have been a threat, and the assaults were justified.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/You-Tube-Rand-Paul-Thugs-by-you-tube-101026-610.html

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