The question is did Obama flip-flop on his position on the right to bear arms in the case of the District of Columbia law that prohibited handguns. The answer is that based on his prior statements that this was constitutional law, yes he did.
But not so fast.
"A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed." Second Amendment of the US Constitution
Try to find the bit that says individuals have the right to own guns.
Try to find the bit that says a State or municipality can't pass laws about the kinds and types of arms that an individual can bear.
Try to find the bit that says this applies to women as well as men.
Try to find the bit that says a felon can't bear arms.
Try to find the bit that says deranged lunatics can't bear arms.
Try to find the bit that elaborates individual vs States rights.
Obama's statement that the new Supreme Court ruling striking down the DC law is useful guidance is correct. The Court did its job. Trying to determine if this makes sense in an era of ubiquitous unregistered Uzis and Glocks is an altogether different problem. That is the essence of Obama's dilemma or really any thinking person with an understanding of the implications of open borders and a society with a wide chasm between haves and have nots.
Understanding constitutional law is not the problem. Understanding the role of the executive in context of the oath of office in real world events is.
Guidance is not always given and there isn't enough time to ask for it in some situations. Caveat emptor.
Some days are just more interesting than others at my job. Really... my boss is the master of schwooze. Shaquille O'Neal was here a few minutes ago to meet with us. That's my programming team standing out front. They're the best crew I've sailed with in many a moon. In case you can't tell, Shaq is on the back row with his hand on the ugly guy with the glasses and thinning hair.
The difference in this job and my last job is simply astounding.
The turtles exclaimed, "Not nice. Possums have rights too."
(a) Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likeness of the great seal of the United States, or of the seals of the President or the Vice President of the United States, or the seal of the United States Senate, or the seal of the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the United States Congress, or any facsimile thereof, in, or in connection with, any advertisement, poster, circular, book, pamphlet, or other publication, public meeting, play, motion picture, telecast, or other production, or on any building, monument, or stationery, for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States or by any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.
Michelle Obama goes on The View to be one of the girls. She praises Hillary, talks about sexism, tries to make nice. This is the political makeover a very highly paid PR firm is putting together.
I don't mind the Obama's being blatant hypocrites. I mind them doing that while their supporters are still engaged in destroying Hillary Clinton to break that 18 million voter bloc Clinton controls. The Obama's believe possibly rightly that Goebbels was right: just keep saying it until they believe it.
Meanwhile the Obama campaign moved two women wearing hijabs from behind the platform for the appearance with Al Gore. This kind of staging has occurred before and Obama apologizes afterwards, but his campaign continues the practice so it isn't something he can honestly say he isn't aware of. "All for the show, ya no", as Mick Jagger said. His supporters defend it by saying Fox would have a field day with the photos. And they are right. On the other hand, courage is doing the thing that is dangerous because it is the right thing to do.
He is the rock candidate alright. Or as Reverend Wright said, "Just a politician." Whatever. This isn't change anyone with half a brain can believe in.
Obama isn't about change or hope or us. Obama is about Obama. That's what rock stars do... or candidates for the job anyway.
I've forgotten much about the music that affected me in the early days. Going from being a kid playing folk in the churches in the 1960s to the boy playing pop in the restaurants in the 1970s to the man playing rock/blues/jazz in the 80s to originals in the 90s, and now, back to folk, one rediscovers the roots and some surprises.
1960s folk was not just protest music. Grounded in the Hootenannies of the late 50s, it was very spiritual. Gospel is as much the tap root of 1960s folk and pop ever since. We tend to forget that as we have become dance-centric. Now that I'm past the time I really need or want to play in the loud bands, I am enjoying rediscovering these roots and wondering how this will affect my songwriting. The influence has always been there with different emphasis but as my son pointed out when I was orchestrating "Fee Fi Fo Fum" for the children's play, "Dad, that's really the Mamas and the Papas soundwise" and he was right.
Come the day, I find I want these sounds back in my life. Perhaps as a fan once noted about "Sam (for Liz)", we come to an age where we need a little innocence back.
More Seekers... Judith Durham is medicine to the wounds.
If you are one of the women who bought into the Obamalosi campaign, remember that the only reason he is the Democratic nominee is because the media was allowed to stomp on his competition while giving him a free ride.
If you don't get that, come Independence Day, be sure to clean house, wash dishes, iron shirts and all that. Free slaves is an oxymoron.
Father's Day is when I miss my Dad. We shared life and music. It was a grace-filled relationship. Evenings spent playing old songs, I miss that. I have my own song for Dad, but I found something special this year.
The web has delights for the finding. Judith Durham is one. Georgy Girl had me from the first note. For a long time I didn't know what became of the beautiful chestnut-haired singer so beguiling when I was a boy of twelve.
It has been a pure delight to discover she became even more brilliant and heartfelt.
A musician born is a musician forever. I love this one. She was first in a boy's heart and as she sang, "I know I'll never find another you", I knew I never would.
Then there is the issue no one talks about in any way that makes sense: the war.
I've never been to a war. I've lived in a country at war. I've lived with a family where my brothers and my father went to war. I've seen only the aftermath.
This is the issue that tears me in the middle. Obama doesn't have a solution and McCain can only tell us how terrible war is but how terrible it is to lose. Of the two, he knows the most but I don't know if he has the best solution.
And this is an issue I will puzzle over because although it seems that while we all can agree it is terrible, we can't agree on much else.
The problem of the economy as an issue is it is like sitting at a crowded table eating an expensive meal; the crowd blames the restaurant, the waiter is asking if anyone wants more, the chef wants a compliment but no one wants to pick up the check.
Obama's weakness is he projects the feminization of America and that isn't a sexist or racial issue. It is leftist and this is a right-center country except for the millenials and they aren't nearly as large a voting bloc as the baby boomers who are increasingly conservative and had enough of rock stars about the time hip-hop was born.
What is interesting is the current punditry on the veepstakes. The McCain pundits are saying he needs a VP that will brighten his image given his age. The Obama pundits are saying he mustn't pick a VP that dims his brightness.
The Obama camp is still afraid of Hillary Clinton even having taken the nomination. It doesn't matter that she is out of the race; it does matter that they keep working the message of Obama Girl that his image needs to be protected. That's a real fear and a real weakness that can be exploited: rock stars can't lose the bad boy image or they become working stiffs.
It's another day on the political blogs. Now that Clinton is out of the race, I can relax and taunt the contenders. Some such as Jake Tapper at ABC are still beating on Hillary Clinton but that may just be bad boy habits. He misses her.
The first part of the day is the expected attempts to humiliate Clinton supporters to come over to Obama. I suspect some will but I know a lot won't. It's just been too painful and insulting an exchange over the last few months. People who only know Obama from CNN's glowing adoration miss the real action which is where his supporters spent those months insulting and kicking in the teeth of the Clinton supporters. Those angry attitudes about Barack are quite real. One can only be called 'racist', 'idiot', 'fear monger', 'geezer' and so on for so long before it becomes a reason to not vote for their candidate.
jeanne sez:
I understand your feelings about Obama, but he claims to kick out the special interests and that is a start.
Think Jeanne. How many so-called reformers have told us that? Has it ever worked? All interests are 'special interests'. Satisfying them and getting elected are what politicians do. So try not to be as disappointed as you probably will be when yoou realize that as his classmate at Harvard said, "Obama is about Obama".
The campaigns will only give us a hint about his special interests. If his past performance is a clue, it will include prodigious amounts of tax dollars going to his cronies who espouse extreme ultra-left causes.
He can do little about the war until the conditions improve there. As Colin Powell said, "You break it; you own it." That's non-negotiable at this point.
The real interests are purely economic. A tsunami of debt and price hikes are coming our way and so far, nothing in his speeches suggests he has a single clue about what to do.
It comes down to what he is for, not what he is against.
ObamaKnew sez:
Hillary does not want the VP spot.
I hope you are right and that Senator Clinton returns to the Senate where she can do the most good for the causes she has fought for her whole life.
Otherwise she is betting her career on a campaign that has a less than even odds of winning. We really need her to stay viable. An economic tsunami is hitting our shores. The only color it favors is green and the only race it discriminates against is the one to the gas pump every Sunday night just before the prices go up.
She has already made history. If she wants to support Obama, that's her choice to make. She has an enormous amount of power right now. I'd like to see her use it to help people the way she always has. Obama's candidacy might not be the best place to leverage it in the months to come.
On the other hand, the Manly Man Contest is heating up and becoming real fun for those of us with no dog in the hunt. Obama is trying for that virile thing and so the first thing he does is push Joe Lieberman against a wall and demand his lunch money. Typical.
Now that's classic mau-mau. Push someone against a wall and demand they give you their lunch money.
Lieberman should have decked him. At some point, someone will.
So now we see that not only is Obama arrogant, he has a need to act out his aggression in public for others to approve.
This will get interesting as the heat turns up. The Republicans just got the Golden Compass to where his character flaw buttons can best be pushed. We saw flickers of it in the debates. He is a disciplined guy, but that breaks down when he thinks he has the upper hand.
That explains why McCain asked for Town Halls. McCain only needs to make him angry one time with enough surprise that Obama reacts as he did with Lieberman.
anon sez:
Lieberman is simply a mouth piece for Israel..
Which has historically been a position of some influence in American elections.
So are you pitting the Internet noveau riche against the pro-Israeli lobbies and New York wealth based on a guy who pushes old Jewish men around only when the guy has Secret Service agents to watch his back?
He's going to get creamed.
@mr coffee says Obama and McCain should
both be psychologically evaluated:
Not a bad idea. So will Dr. Phil do the evaluation? They have to get health exams. Maybe a psych eval is a reasonable request.
McCain wears his temper on the outside. That's a fighter jock. Obama wears his temper on the inside. That's a thin walled teapot waiting to blow. Experience is that if you have to deal with either of those types, the outie is a lot easier and more reliable. The innie is very unpredictable and hard to manage.
Pelosi has her work cut out for her. Obama will be a PIA to manage. She needs a waterboy and he won't be that because he is only servile until he gets the power. As we say, don't use attack dogs because they circle back to the hand that holds the leash.
That incident in the hallway with Lieberman is a loser for the ticket. Qui bono? Not the Democrats. It just made them look bad right when they were trying to keep the spin cycle pointed at Hillary to humiliate her into being more generous with her mail list. Obama needs that desperately and she doesn't have to do anything but be polite, supportive and let him self-combust.
Or his supporters will light the fire. They are his Achilles Heel.
Enuff stuff! Let's ROCK WITH THE BO THAT KNEW DIDDLEY!!!
It’s the eve of the Big Meeting in Washington of the DNC Fools Committee and from where I sit, Michigan and Florida are losing. Meanwhile, another close associate of Obama comes out of the closet as a looney spouting racist rhetoric that would make John Brown spin in his grave. The death march to the sea continues.
The DNC and the Obama supporters know what mainstream Democrats know: these ministers are Obama's friends, not Johnny-come-lately admirers seizing fifteen minutes of flame. These are the people he chooses to associate with. This is who Obama secured many thousands of dollars in Federal grants for. These ARE his people, white, black, racist, sexist or just crazy. This IS the Obama Nation.
That is why Hillary is winning the national vote. This is why he loses the general election.
The fascinating bit is the narrative arc. Nancy Pelosi sets up a candidate with money and support, pushes all the right buttons to set him against her chief rival, Hillary Clinton. With his delegate count soaring but his campaign losing in the popular vote, she steps in as the great power broker to “stop the fighting”, anointing herself as the queen while her knight errant is sent off to slay the monster but leaving her with the magic money machine and the voter list. She doesn't care that he is losing; she needs him to create the perception of herself as the real power in the party. Very slick moves by Pelosi one must admit to set her self up as the presumptive nominee for 2012 and the hegemon during his presidency.
Almost Shakespearean. Very Grendel. At least, bad Disney.
Except it is falling apart in the third act. Why?
The scenario in the beginning was Pelosi brokering Silly Valley money and making deals with Chicago politicians to take the White House and both houses of Congress. It seemed simple. The Republican numbers were in the basement. They could run a fresh face if a weak candidate and use the dry tinder of white guilt and intimidation to fuel the fire.
So far so good, but elite liberals who use black politicians seldom associate with them in black social circles; so they know less than nothing about the culture of blacks among blacks. They don't understand the depth of anger, hostility and racist rhetoric or how much of that signal is there on the very instrument they use to fuel the money machine: the Internet.
Now it is too late to weasel out and in the mean time, the enemies of America in the Middle East are supporting Obama in public. How easy will it be to create the perception of a loose confederation of like minded left wing liberals who espouse causes that threaten Israel, the US and the European allies? Too easy. Why? Pelosi didn't understand what she was setting in motion. She is blinded by her ambition to take down Hillary Clinton. She forgets that once Hillary is out of the picture, the MSM and the hard right wing will defile Obama with the same tactics and more money. She and hers spent theirs defeating Clinton.
This begins to look like the voyage to Hell for Pelosi and her band of merry Internet Pranksters as they are sucked down into the maelstrom of anti-American sentiment and actions, a twister she fueled by heating the atmosphere with racism and sexism.
Pundits want to make this about Hillary but Pfleger made this about reparations. It's a one two punch with Wright delivering the message and Pfleger delivering the terms. Obama is simply expected to deliver.
Because of the events that have transpired, there is going to be a lot more of this between now and November. The problem with Obama's Big Speech is it is a one trick pony. His support has been clearly eroding in the popular vote since the Reverend Wright fiasco. Because his entire political career is built on association but no substantive work, all he can be judged by ARE his associations.
That will be enough to put McCain in the White House by a blow out. We had a better than even chance with Senator Clinton at the helm. Now we have less than one in three and those odds depend on the voters worrying about McCain's age. That is pretty weak. So then it becomes about the war. That is two edged. If the surge keeps working and there are draw downs between now and the election (something Bush can be sure to make happen), all they need is for Osama and his merry band to repeat a performance somewhere in Europe, something they can manage, or for the Middle East terrorists to make a campaign video endorsing Obama which they probably will do.
Nothing is certain but the odds on favorite is McCain at this point courtesy of Nancy Pelosi whose blind ambition had split the Democratic Party and ruined the one chance it had at the White House.
Past performance is a predictor of future performance, but only McCain and Clinton have a genuine legislative record. Even there, the campaign never focuses on the issues. In this election, no one owns the real issues. Everyone has a plan. In the case of the Democrats, the plans are close in nature kind and objectives. Some are not achievable because they go too far too fast or cost too much. People know this. It is part of the campaign.
So in the end it comes down to who do you trust to do their very best. Character assessment is precisely how most make that decision. Hillary is ahead in the popular vote and her lead is widening. The Democrats woke up and paid attention to Obama too late because they didn't take him seriously. Pfleger is right about that. They already know her or think they do. The $40 million character assassination done by the Republicans had a lasting effect.
Now they are wide awake and seized with a horror of what seems unavoidable. They have not only set up the weaker candidate for nomination, but one who's associates guarantee a scandal a week for years to come. So we get four years and the Republicans get another twelve and that is the BEST we can do.
It didn't have to be this way. Maybe we learned something but history indicates lessons learned are lost one generation after they are acquired.
Let's see if we can untangle the pundit spin.
1. Obama is a likable guy even if arrogant and aloof. He is an election 'horror' because his associates’ positions plus the pile on from the Middle East put Pelosi and her Pranksters on a day-glo bus to hell. They can't lead, they can’t follow, they can’t get off, they can’t stand still, they can’t slow down, they can’t take Hill, and if the thunder doesn’t get them, the lightning will (apologies to the Grateful Dead). The electorate will tire very fast and the down ticket races will reflect that. IOW, it’s woody weeding time for the DNC.
2. He hasn't earned this nomination. Pelosi's Amazing Money Machine bought his delegates and his ability to outspend 4 to 1. Nothing in his legislative achievement says he can govern effectively when it comes to world policy. Then there are those pictures of Hillary Clinton in the green zone with John McCain among thousands of others showing she goes where the crosses grow and comes back with the facts. Say what you will about Bosnia, she was there.
What I am saying is 'THIS' first lady is far more qualified, and THIS Senator is the strongest candidate. That the Pelosi cabal in the DNC chose to use all their resources to destroy her says clearly we need to push them out of power. They fear her more than they want Obama.
The Democratic nomination process is straight out of MAD Magazine. Even Alfred E. should worry.
As the nominating process comes to a close, the press piles on and the pundits gleefully recite their litany of putrid prose for the profanity that has become the Democratic National Committee, I am reminded of an old folk song from my youth that exactly describes my celebration of the well-deserved futilities to come.
The voting results tonight are astounding. After all the press told the voters Barack is the presumptive nominee, he gets mauled. We see continued erosion of Barack's core and accelerating loss of the working class precisely when by the game rules he is the front runner.
Delegates are the game. The people pick the President.
Who rules?
Barack Obama is winning the nomination and losing the election.
Many thanks to the Obama supporters who sent me those *informative* and *morale boosting* emails last weekend. It was a beautiful weekend in Alabama with the honeysuckles blooming. The rodeo was fantastic and the smell of fear from Chicago was overwhelming. God bless you. You do make me feel better about living here.
Obama telling everyone not to talk trash about his wife is admirable and probably prudent. He could have mentioned it when his wife told the supporters that if Clinton can't handle her house, how can she handle the country?
Well, what goes around comes around, Bo. You know that. It was time to suckle some honey up your way. I'm married. I get that. :-)
But despite the press, the delegate math and the out-of-towners bussed into Oregon to make that crowd, some trends are not going the way of the Democratic Party these days.
The revealing trend is the Democratic Party is splitting in a way it hasn't before. Yes, Clinton and Obama have created an unusual interest in the election, the process and the parties. Party bosses say this makes the process healthier and that might be so, but it may not be working as they think.
Many who have for years supported their party of choice like it was a weekend sports contest or because their family supported the party or it once had a candidate they supported have done so sleep walking. Now they are awake. Now they are looking.
Now many don't like what they see. The same people who are resisting one candidate or another are also resisting their party leadership for reasons they feel justify that resistance.
Some party leaders are losing more than they know. Pelosi, Dean etc., have sided with the same candidate that Hamas is siding with. That may not work out very well for them.
You can get 75,000 people in one place in Oregon by lighting a joint on the same day the wind is blowing. "Too Much, The Magic Bus!" So Obama flipped a Byrd. He should have gotten David Crosby. That at least would be entertaining.
1. Obama's State count doesn't reflect the electoral count. He is losing to Clinton and would lose to McCain when you examine the electoral math.
2. Hillary Clinton is ahead in the popular vote. That lead will get bigger tomorrow.
3. Obama's core constituency has been weakening since Ohio and the rate of erosion increased since West Virginia. The defection of the Reagan Democrats and a not inconsiderable number of women voters weakens him further.
4. Obama is picking up delegates with promises of cash and positions. No one who commits has to vote the same way twice except the popular vote. The delegates know that on a second vote at the convention, they are free to vote anyway they like. That means they can take money and play again. Alice Palmer will enjoy this wherever she is.
5. Obama continues to show weak character and bad judgment in the press. Michelle is fair game while she campaigns for him. Obama supporters told Chelsea to toughen up. I suggest you forward that to BO. A man making hollow threats is not about to bargain credibly with Hamas.
It gets better on CNN. John King admits and the Democratic insiders admit that Hillary is stronger in the electoral math. She will win. Obama? They aren't sure. He has to turn an eroding constituency around but the constituency he needs appears growing only angrier at the Democratic Party and Barack Obama.
Meanwhile the delegate count is slipping away from Clinton as if the Dems have signed a mutual electoral suicide pact.
And McCain? Enjoying it. As he should. "Imagine the excitement of leaving the convention and still not knowing who the nominee is?"
However this nomination fight goes, the Democratic Party needs to throw Pelosi and Dean to the wolves. The party claims to be uniting but it isn't going to happen this time. Overmanaging and blind ambition have cost us the one election we could not lose.
Suckle up to honey, Sweetie. The drums are beating and the natives are restless.
It seems the women are waking up to the power of the media, big money and men in this campaign. They also realize that Hillary Clinton has been screwed over by all three. The creeping realization of Nancy Pelosi's role in this is also dawning as they see articles like this from Atlantic Monthly.
Here are some exchanges from an ABC blog.
To John Cowan: as I said, too disorganized for their own good. Otherwise, you would be right.
I support the HC supporters who realize that sexism not racism was the real issue here. I am thrilled that the women have *finally* decided to fight for Hillary. Great.
But do understand that this has NEVER been about Obama vs Clinton. Obama did not have the organization or clout to create the "Amazing Money Machine" as Atlantic Monthly calls it. That was done by Nancy Pelosi using her contacts in Silly Valley. This race is about her blind ambition to be the first female president and not to become Hillary Clinton's water boy.
So step back and consider this: you've been hustled by one of your own and you didn't notice because the sexism and racism issues blind you to the reality of one woman working hard to derail another. Until you get that and manage it, you're majority status is useless.
From IndigoGrrl comes:
I agree with you that Pelosi has had her hands in this... but do not discount the part of Dean, Kennedy & Daschle in this charade!
Yes, IndigoGrrl, but before you walk into the sexist trap all fired up, go cold and go slow. Read the Atlantic Monthly article and understand the power behind the throne here. It was Pelosi that built the money machine. Everyone else is a front dummy. Men just aren't usually that smart.
Otherwise, this revolt is coming too little and too late and won't mean a thing to this election or Hillary Clinton.
Remember, they want you to fire up and act like 'teed off girls'. The anger you feel is real, but if it becomes Lysistrata 2008, defectors will disable you before you can do anything useful.
Remember: Go slow. Go cold.
Then the paid Obama male blogger chimes in:
the sexist argument hurts women...
if this was a sexist situation then why was hillary the presumptive nominee in October with what 53 to Obama's 20 in the consistent polls...
there would have had to be a massive sexist movement in the 3 months.
calling her loss on sexism...hurts every woman who faces real sexism.
dl
and the fast riposte
Wrong dl. Sexism is the oldest of the isms. It's been in play as long as there have been sexes, for any practical measure, forever. It just turns ugly sometimes.
But if you missed the MSNBC comments, the "w**re, c**t, b**ch, kitchen, laundry, kewpie doll, let's gang up on her" affairs, you are a real latecomer to this process and I know that isn't true, so you are hoodwinking.
My quandary is why it took other women so long to notice and get angry about it. The finest woman candidate of a generation got belitted and stomped without much reaction because everyone was so caught up in the fear of being called 'racist'. The women let The View shut them up when they should have been declaring Lysistrata 2008.
But it is Pelosi who did the damage to them. That may take some time to be clearly understood.
The problem of letting an ism take hold is it blinds us to the other isms.
indigoGrrl sez:
I've bookmarked your blog -- good stuff...others here should do the same.
@indigoGrrl:
Thanks. Good idea because the ABC moderators will delete these messages almost as fast as we post them. That at least tells us where that network stands with regards to women's rights although Desperate Housewives should have been a ringing bell.
Don't give up. Go Slow. Go Cold.
HRC: 16,691,639 BHO: 16,648,060
Hillary has the popular vote. The DNC with able maneuvering by Nancy Pelosi and the MSM takes the victory away. The Republicans win in the General Election because of defections from the Democrats angered over a corrupt process and rampant sexism.
Lysistrata 2008. Make them eat their campaign signs.
It should be an entertaining summer. Go get 'em ladies!
