The Media is Literally Laughing at Huckabee
December 31, 2007
There was a lot of talk circulating that Mike Huckabee would be dropping a hard hitting attack ad directed at Mitt Romney today in Iowa, as a last push effort before the Jan 3rd vote.
However, to the surprise of many in the press, on the way to the shoot-out; comedy ensued . Marc Cooper reports from Des Moines:
“In what is likely to be remembered as one of the more bizarre moments of this campaign season, embattled GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee renounced negative campaigning today by unveiling an attack ad to a ballroom full of reporters and dozens of TV cameras.
Standing before a banner reading Enough is Enough” and flanked by five large charts attacking the record of rival Mitt Romney, a haggard-looking Huckabee said that the fight to win Thursday’s Republican caucus had gotten out of hand” and out of control” and that he would refrain from any more negative campaigning.”
Huckabee told the assembled crowd of reporters, that he and his campaign had already finished the attack ad, sent it local TV stations, and announced the press conference to unveil it…….
Then Huckabee seemingly had an epiphany. and this morning announced:
From now we will run only ads that say why I should be president not why Mitt Romney shouldn’t't be president,” he said.
Using this as his cue, Huckabee proceeded to show the ad anyways, prompting what Cooper said was
loud gasps and laughter from the more than 150 reporters on hand.”
Marc Ambinder noted that Huckabee is presumably
hoping that gullible news executives will run the ad that Huckabee is too much of a saint for not airing for free.”
However, using the laughter as a measuring stick, that is unlikely to happen.
America? Is That You?
December 31, 2007
Today, December 31st the New York Times had– in my opinion at least– printed one of the best editorial I have read in a very long time. “Looking at America” talks about the transformation of our countries identity over the past couple of years, going from prosperous and admired, to what we have become today, seemingly unrecognizable to many both foreign and domestic.
“There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.”
The editorial then goes on to comment on the -for lack of a better term- ‘questionable’ techniques of those in the U.S. intelligence community; who were under direct orders from the White House. And the overall abuse of power George W. Bush and Dick Cheney routinely practiced, finally closing with a powerful message to Americans:
“The C.I.A. contracted out its inhumanity to nations with no respect for life or law, sending prisoners some of them innocents kidnapped on street corners and in airports to be tortured into making false confessions, or until it was clear they had nothing to say and so were let go without any apology or hope of redress. “These are not the only shocking abuses of President Bush’s two terms in office, made in the name of fighting terrorism. There is much more so much that the next president will have a full agenda simply discovering all the wrongs that have been done and then righting them.” “We can only hope that this time, unlike 2004, American voters will have the wisdom to grant the awesome powers of the presidency to someone who has the integrity, principle and decency to use them honorably. Then when we look in the mirror as a nation, we will see, once again, the reflection of the United States of America.”
Great Analysis of Republican/Democrat Double Standard
December 31, 2007
I came across this on Andrew Sullivan’s blog. Whoever wrote this managed to do a brilliant job framing the reasons why Democrats in this country are so incredibly angry right now. For to long Republican’s have been able to cite Democrats for using– as the right puts it– “fake rage” or anger in an attempt to get our points across. Well as you can see from this piece there is nothing fake about the events and circumstances that brought about our very real anger.
A reader writes:I have a hard time listening to Republicans say that the Democrats cannot transcend their anger. They use stupid catch phrases like Bush Derangement Syndrome” to discredit people (not just Democrats, according to most pundits, you too suffer from BDS, Andrew). There is a special amount of irony in the party that spent over 200 congressional hours investigating Clinton’s Christmas card list and less than 10 investigating how we got into the Iraq war accusing the opposition of being driven by blind hatred.
I now live in a country where the president and vice president have the power to detain an American citizen off of the street, send him to a secret prison, torture him, and detain him indefinitely without him ever hearing the charges against them. We have been lied into a war that was executed with criminal incompetence, our economy has been devastated because of lax oversight of banks giving out bad loans, we have lost a major city and the list goes on and on.
My anger isn’t driven by irrational hatred. In 2000, I considered myself a Republican. But now that party stands as an affront to everything that America stands for. I have every right to be angry.”
***2007-08 Detroit Red Wings***
December 31, 2007
Well this one’s a little off topic when you look at the typical content here at HyerStandard. However I figure that it’s my birthday and I should go ahead and post the video anyways. This is not just a random video either, it is of the 07-08 Detroit Red Wings, who happen to be not only my favorite franchise in all of sports, but also my religion in some sense. My mood, and overall personality, are directly related to how the Wings happen to be playing. Is that a good thing? I don’t know, probably not. Is it going to change? Not until the day I die. ENJOY!
Mike Huckabee on Meet the Press: "I would Criminalize Abortion"
December 31, 2007
(R) Mike Huckabee was a guest on today’s episode of Meet the Press and had some interesting points that he made sure to get across to host Tim Russert.
Former Arkansas Governor Huckabee said that as President he would seek to, “find some way to sanction“ doctors who took money to provide abortions to women if he succeeded in outlawing the procedure.” I don’t know that you’d put him in prison,” added Huckabee. He said that he would not support penalizing women who sought abortions even if they were outlawed” because he considers a woman who seeks an abortion to be a victim, not a criminal.”
Huckabee again manages to show his radical right wing agenda, one which the Church, not our courts dictates. I am serious when I say that Huckabee would be absolutely horrible for our country, between his radical Christan conservative mindset and understanding on foreign policy– or should I say lack of– Huckabee would manage to set us back 20 years, and that is something we desperately do not need.
U.S. Military Deaths Hit 3,900 in Iraq
December 30, 2007
As of Saturday, Dec. 29, 2007, at least 3,901 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians. At least 3,175 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.
Its a shame that our bravest have had to sacrifice so much, many times giving the ultimate sacrifice, for a conflict which should have never been. Meanwhile we have Osama Bin Laden–the man who attacked, and murdered thousands of innocent Americans– running around, growing stronger, and releasing new messages.
Sometimes you wish it was all just a bad dream, but then you quickly realize it’s not and have to ask yourself; how did we get here?
Ron Paul Tells it How it is: Rips Fox News & Their "Conservatism"
December 30, 2007
Ron Paul was rightfully angered when he learned that for no specific reason Fox News had decided to exclude Paul from an upcoming forum of Republican candidates that is set to air on January 6th, 2008. During a conversation with the Boston Globe Ron Paul made it clear how he felt regarding Fox’s– seemingly unfair– decision:
Ron Paul said the decision to exclude him from a debate on Fox News Sunday the weekend before the New Hampshire Primary is proof that the network is scared” of him.
They are scared of me and don’t want my message to get out, but it will,” Paul said in an interview at a diner here. They are propagandists for this war and I challenge them on the notion that they are conservative.”
Granted, Ron Paul has a handful of shortcomings, but when you think about it, every politician in recent history has imperfections, many worse then Paul’s. Setting that aside you have to admit-whether you like him or not- that he speaks the truth, the kind of truth that so many other poiticians are scared to come out and say. I mean he called Fox out for what they are, plain and simple. This is just one of the qualities Ron Paul holds, one which politicians on both sides of the aisle should really try to emulate.
Bin Laden Releases New Statement
December 29, 2007
In a new Internet audio tape Bin Laden warns Iraq’s Sunni Arabs against joining tribal councils who are helping with the fight against Al-Qaida in Iraq.
“The most evil of the traitors are those who trade away their religion for the sake of their mortal life,” bin Laden said in the tape.
Bin Laden said U.S. and Iraqi officials are seeking to set up a “national unity government” joining the country’s Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.
“Our duty is to foil these dangerous schemes, which try to prevent the establishment of an Islamic state in Iraq, which would be a wall of resistance against American schemes to divide Iraq,”
he said.
Interesting timing for a statement to be released, with all that is going on in Pakistan and the charges being made that Al-Qaida was behind the recent assassination one has to wonder if Bin Laden is trying to shift the focus elsewhere.
Bill Kristol’s Feelings on His New Employer
December 29, 2007
As most of you probably all ready know the NY Times, in an effort to stir ‘controversy’ within it’s publication’s pages went out and hired conservative mouthpiece Bill Kristol. This news came as a shock to many especially because Kristol has had choice words regarding the NY Times in the past.
Here are some of Kristol’s greatest hits- regarding his new employer the New York Times:
I think it is an open question whether the Times itself should be prosecuted for this totally gratuitous revealing of an ongoing secret classified program that is part of the war on terror.” [Fox News, 7/2/06]It’s no accident that The New York Times has to have a special reporter assigned to the conservative beat. They cover it sort of like a foreign country, to explain to the editors and the readers of The New York Times what’s going on in that strange world of conservative America, which is two-fifths of the country.” [Fox News, 5/30/04]
These next experts are from a article Kristol wrote for the Weekly Standard in 2003:
“Still, the simple truth is that a great democracy like ours deserves a first-rate newspaper of record. And the New York Times isn’t it.“
“Fundamental regime change at the New York Times is not in the cards. Inspections and sanctions won’t work. Even the French can’t help. The Times is irredeemable. The question is whether a new newspaper of record will replace it.”
I think this paints an accurate description of the kind of rhetoric filled babble Bill Kristol provides. But I don’t know, the people over at the NY Times are a hell of a lot smarter then me so you gotta figure they realize something that I don’t.
Chris Dodd Gets Nasty: Attacks Clinton and Obama
December 29, 2007
(D-Conn.) Chris Dodd is known as a like able and friendly character in many political circles, but when he attacks, he holds nothing back. At a rally Friday afternoon Dodd unleashed a barrage of attacks aimed at both Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama. These attacks were direct and blunt;
It isn’t enough just to be sitting on the sidelines and watching your husband necessarily deal with problems over the years.”
Now I am sure Dodd realizes that he holds only a 1% margin in Iowa but do you think for a second this was enough to stop him:
Laura Bush is a wonderful person, a delightful first lady, but I don’t think anyone would assume necessarily she is ready to be president of the United States,”But the idea that, for the last 10 or 15 years, because you’ve been next to events as they’ve unfolded somehow qualifies you to do this job is an exaggeration. That’s not experience. That’s witnessing experience. There’s a distinction.”
Dodd then shifted focus to Barack Obama:
Barack Obama, I mean, how I mean, talking about the future and giving soaring speeches is very good, and it’s a good experience,” Dodd said. But I don’t think it’s as deep as what people are looking for in a Democratic candidate that can win the election and bring our country together.”
Dodd who has 27 years experience as a member of the United States Senate probably won’t win in Iowa, or even finish in the top four. Its unfortunate to because I think if he ever had a chance to really get his message out people would really like the guy. But I could be wrong- I often am- Dodd just might be bitter about being left in the dust.
