©2008 Stacy Taylor | Spikeorama Web

Frankly, I’m finally getting burned out on this nominating process, so this weeks primary results from North Carolina and Indiana seem a bit anticlimactic. Actually this whole thing could have turned out to be interesting and revealing but as the attentive observer knows instead quickly descended into a chaotic melange of insignificant trivialities like Preachergate, guns, “gas tax holidays”, and lapel pins. All of course media-driven, facilitated by Clinton’s desperate grasping and Obama’s apologetic ramblings. Still hearing virtually nothing about McCain’s rapid reincarnation as Curtis LeMay, the demented Vietnam era Strangelove. Also increasingly annoying is this notion that Obama can’t get angry because he’ll turn off “working class” dems. If so, why is he the presumptive nominee? What happens if he wins the White House than shows anger? Impeachment? Uppityness with Intent? And what’s with Clintonite lapdog Paul Begala running around referring to Obama supporters as “egg heads”? Jesus. To this bunch some gal with an associates degree in sports medicine is an intellectual elitist and the guy that prepared your taxes lives in an “ivory tower”. More divide-and-conquer tactics that will end up in McCain’s playbook. Thank god the economy is going well and that little operation in Iraq has turned out so successful, otherwise we wouldn’t have time to dwell on this important stuff.

Nearly drowning out the sound of mortar shells being lobbed into the Green Zone, Hillary stumbled and slouched her way to the inevitable victory in Pennsylvania this week, saw her shadow, and promised America another 6 weeks of campaign tedium, to be interrupted only by the occasional wincing collective ”WTF?”.  Along the way, Senator Clinton lobbed a few stink bombs of her own, including a concocted hypothetical about “obliterating” Iran if 1) the Ayatollahs ever were to produce nuclear weapons, 2) ever were to develope a nuclear weapon delivery system, and 3) decided arbitrarily to launch said hypothetical nukes toward Israel. Hill delivered 3 versions of her doomsday scenario over a 4 day period, each time ratcheting up the rhetoric until she had achieved the poetry of uttering “nuclear weapons”, “Iran”, and “obliterate” in the same taut sentence. See, Senator Clinton is tough, just like a guy, in fact just like that guy McCain who’s already making rosy campaign promises of more and bigger wars forever. And we all know by now that Clinton is able to throw back a straight shot of distilled spirits in the middle of the day, shoot a doe at 50 yards, and swallow her wad of Red Man without without even flinching, all as mere idle pastimes while she’s waiting for that 3 AM phone call from Osama bin Laden.

This new act, of course, is in sharp contrast to her little emotional meltdown in New Hampshire, but more importantly is designed to be in sharper contrast to the latte’ swilling Obama and his legion of effete You Tube babies, tree hugging limousine liberals, vegan Unitarians, and pointy-headed college professors who wouldn’t even know that a doe is a female deer were it not for The Sound of Music.

And were it merely an “act”, it would be tolerable, I suppose, in this day and age of craven say-anything politics. But I fear that it’s not an act. Hillary’s chem trail of toxic rhetoric concerning the Middle East stretches back to the days immediately following 9-11. And she had that little AIPAC gremlin crawling up her butt even as she was campaigning for Senate 8 years ago, obeisance to Israel being the holy grail of New York politics. No, I think Hillary, like McCain, would loooove to kick a little A-Rab ass if one of the towel heads so much as looked cross eyed at her. If this lady ever makes it to the White House, our only hope is to get her going on those whiskey shooters early in the day, have her passed out by dinner, and let someone else take that phone call.

Jesus. cue “Dueling Banjos”: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Secrecy_and_propriety_in_Kentucky.html

It’s almost like I’m lying in wait for the latest bullshit “scandal” awaiting the Democratic candidate to follow the chimp into the offal…I mean, Oval office. After all, we’ve come off a week when the vein-popping McCain has evened the race with the dem fav Obama, owing presumably to the corroborative testimony of Betray-ous and Crock-o’-shit before Congress, to the effect that more dead guys piling up in Iraq is a) a good thing, b)an acceptable thing, or 3) and expected thing, take your choice. And since McCain is the daddy of the surge, is it any wonder that the sheeple have collectively scratched their butts, poured a Bud, and said “See? It’s working…sort of!”?

Meanwhile, Osama…I mean OBAMA, apparently has stepped on his d**k again with some throwaway comment about Pennsylvania blue collars voting against their personal interest in favor of the guns & gays gruel served up heartily by the Repug christo/fascist propaganda fear machine. Perhaps he could have nuanced it a little better, but his point was clear: in times of economic crisis, regular folks turn to that whichever gives them comfort.

On cue, Hillary seized upon the moment, reminiscing about the time Daddy first showed her how to obliterate a squirrel with a 4-10 shotgun, and her abiding faith in the Almighty. Also on cue, Barack spun his apology tires trying to explain the obvious. But too little, too late. Blue Collar Reagan Democrats revolt! Can Obama connect with the working drones as they hose down their motor boats in anticipation of perch and trout season? Will Hillary pull a Kerry and contrive a photo-op with a pellet-riddled migratory bird? Will McCain’s increasingly expansive grin actually cause his face to explode? Will Obama repudiate, reject, AND denounce his latest gaff and gin up his gun/god cred by spraying  duck pins at the Allentown Park-and-Bowl with bird shot? An increasingly bored electorate awaits the answer.

Ok. A quick addendum to my post below. Here are a few more websites worth visiting for alt-takes on the news. And how could I have ommitted RollingStone when mentioning current events mags. Matt Taibbi’s pieces are worth the subscription price alone. His profane, no-bullshit P.O.V. is rivalled only by Mark Morford of www.sfgate.com

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/campaign2008

http://www.liveleak.com/

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/263.html

Also, while Marshall McLuhan (a confession: I never “got” him) was required reading in college, the book that introduced me to “new journalism” was Harlan Ellison’s obscure classic The Glass Teat (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Teat) It hit my pot-addled brain like a Hendirx guitar solo.

Also, if you have no understanding of general semantics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_semantics), stop everything and return to “GO”. It explains the language barrier between man and reality.

Also required reading in the era of televison is Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Postman), brought to you by the same guy who brought you LBJ’s infamous “daisy” campaign ad (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKs-bTL-pRg). Still can’t believe Johnson recited the line “We must all love each other or die” when the Beatles were still singing “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

It’s been suggested by contributor “johnnywalk” that I invite folks to engage in a discussion of the media and it’s failing, especially in regards to covering politics in a post 9-11 fascist world, so here goes.

But first a confession: I seldom plunge into the fetid, rancid retention pond of “mainstream media”. Virtually all the information/background I seek is from select magazines (germaine to current events, Harpers and New Yorker specifically) or the web. Can’t recall the last time I watched a network newscast, or for that matter even tippy-toed in CNN-land. Should I want to sample the stale bread offered there, I go to Crooks and Liars or Media Matters. (http://www.crooksandliars.com/, http://mediamatters.org/) I personally find Media Matters a little too fastidious for my taste, engaging in a lot of nuanced nit-picking, without ever really dropping the hammer on the lying jackals of the press. More of a curt slap across the cheek with a white glove. That said, Media Matter’s founder, David Brock, has written one on the most significant books pertinent to the media-in-the-era-of-Clinton: Blinded by the Right (http://www.democraticunderground.com/books/02/brock.html) If you’re not familar with it, Brock lays out his conversion saga of being a former journo-hitman for the Gingrich S.S. in the 90’s, and his ultimate enlightenment. Media Matters is obviously his self-imposed penance.

Also indespensible, book-wise, is Mark Crispin Miller’s Cruel and Unusual (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Crispin_Miller), a heavily annotated and referenced book about the media’s complicity during the Bush/Cheney reign of terror.

This is less of an opinion blog and more of a conversation starter and I’m leaving much out here, on purpose, because I’m interested in your sources and alternet faves. Trashing corporate media is great sport, so have at it!

Too bad the Democrats are busy devouring their own young and missing the big picture as baseball’s Opening Day augers the start of a summer and the “silly season” that comprises most of today’s “blood sport” of national politics. How can it be both bloody and silly? Just witness that past few weeks events, starting with Preachergate, running through Bosniagate and now into WTF?gate. I’ve said enough already about Jeremiah Wright and what a ridiculous waste of time that was, consuming valuable campaign clock while the cadaverous McCain strutted through the streets of Bagdad all but declaring the end of combat (again).

It was instructive to hear  Obama  putting a fine point on his overarching socio-economic theme that it is class, not racial, desperation that’s at the heart of our discontent, but most of it was lost outside the university quad or the half-filled pews of Unitarian churches. All most will remember was some clip of some angry black preacher god damning America and saying the CIA invented HIV. Luckily for Barack, along came Hillary to the rescue with her faulty recollection of sniper bullets whizzing past her head while she and comic Sinbad cracked wise on the tarmac in Bosnia a few years back. Forget for a moment that fewer people could locate Bosnia on a map than their ass with both hands, what will be remembered is Hillary Lied (just like that stinking horndog hillbilly husband of hers)!!!!

Much can be said about the origin of the HIV virus and the U.S.’s nefarious bio-weapons program and much could be said about the concept of “peace keeping” in Eastern Europe under the bunting of the United Nations, but in a soundbite world it ain’t gonna happen. Actually it’s to Obama’s credit that the Youtube version of his thoughtful dissertation on race and class became an indie hit.

And, oh by the way, why is the only solution to Democratic fratricide Hillary dropping out of the race? Again, the key is to attack McCain here not below-the-belt shots at each other.

Of course it depends on the nature of the anti-McCain attacks. Libs pounced all over Johnny’s misstatements about Iran supporting Al Qaeda in Iraq (Shiites supporting Sunnis? Hahahahaha!!) but, again, this is an issue for the cyber-wonk cognoscenti, not the Great American Public.

And why did it take Republican Chuck Hagel to call Cheney out on his cavalier reply “So?” when asked about the gross unpopularity of the occupation of Iraq? Dems too busy playing he-said/she-said?

Today my email box and the blogosphere is filled with links to a video purporting to show Bush being booed at the Washington Nationals baseball home opener Sunday night. Forget the fact that it sounded very much to me like he was being loudly cheered (with a smattering of boos), the issue should not be AHA! The President is Unpopular! See? See? See?, it should be “why isn’t this cretin behind bars?”. Grow up, Dems.

BIG PICTURE, people!!

Brothers and Sisters.

First of all my humble appreciation to those of you trying to keep the tenor of this board above that of an elementary school playground taunt.

Now down to biz. (someone please cue up the old James Darrin classic “Goodbye Cruel World I’m off to Join the Circus”).

We have just witnessed, in just one short week, a microcosm of the Democratic Party in action. Those great avatars of “change” and “hope” have managed to plunge the discourse finally and forever into that of race and gender. No playing anymore. No hinting around. No wink wink nod nod. And, here’s the fun part: if you squint good and hard and stare right through the smoke of this recent train wreck, you can see silver haired, forked tongued John McCain striding in this direction, all flushed and grinning. And…Oh My God!!!…he’s wearing that damned flight suit!

Needless to say, I’m talking about Preacher Gate, the guilt-by-association toxic landfill that Obama now find himself in the middle of. The senator has rejected, repudiated, denounced, folded, spindled, and mutilated his preacher’s “inflammatory” utterances, and in so doing he has kept the story alive, while trying very hard to make it go away.

The only thing America, at least white America, would find more distasteful than a “national dialogue on Race” would be, let’s see, maybe a “national dialogue on HIV”? Us white folks don’t like to talk about race. Makes us feel uncomfortable. Brings out the liberal guilt…or the bigotry, depending on which side of the cultural divide you stand.

Of course, the real issue here is the paper thin support many reluctant “independents” were showing for Obama. I’m convinced many of them tried very hard to pretend he wasn’t really a black guy, sort of like Bill Cosby or Ed Bradley. They will be reminded during the general election campaign if Obama makes it that far. Forget Bill Cosby. He’ll be H. Rap Brown when the Swift Boaters get a hold of him.

Hmmmm. A hundred more years of War in the Middle East. Torture. Corporate Greed. Big Oil. Big Pharm. McCain….I suppose I could adjust.

Forgive me if you’ve heard this before, but this is a written version of the one hour rant I delivered during Tuesday’s radio broadcast. It was prompted by the obligatory series of emails I recieved concerning the Eliot Spitzer scandal, specifically what a trivial distraction it all was.

The premeditated targeting of a powerful Democratic on the ascent is by it’s very nature not a distraction. It goes to the root of the corruption that is rampant in modern politics. First of all, Spitzer presented himself as a goody-two-shoes, the gold standard for all that is right and just and true. “Mr. Clean”. So when the high minded crusader, who as New York Attorney General once busted with great self-satisfaction a high-priced  call girl ring, is brought down in a sex-for-hire scandal ($6000 per hour???!! Talk about inflation!!), it’s a story not a distraction.

Furthermore, it appears that Spitzer was singled out by the feds. The original story that broke in the New York Times was that Spitzer was accidentally snared by wiretaps that were targeting the call girl operation. The next day, ABC quoted law enforcement sources as saying that it was unusual bank transactions that put the spotlight on the Governor, essentially that they thought he was on the take and was trying to move money around to various off-shore accounts. My take is that the Feds recieved a tip about client #9 and were ready to pounce. Heard much about clients 1 through 8? Didn’t think so.

The so-called Gonzo-gate of a few years back that exposed the politicalization of the Bush Justice Department, specifically the removal of various of Federal Attorneys for their alleged even-handedness, should have blown the lid off the vicious lynch mob mentality of the Chimp In Chief and his cronies, but instead Attorney General Alberto Gonzales reluctantly fell on his sword (or was pushed) and the much vaunted investigation has gone nowhere since. Since the rhinestone cowboy stole his way into the White House, the so-called Public Integrity unit of the Federal Justice Department has investigated nearly 6 Democrats for every one Republican. Think that’s a coincidence?

As far as the Spitzer affair being a distraction for the great teeming masses out there who have now taken their collective eyes off the big picture, specifically the Occupation of Iraq and the impending doomsday scenario with Iran (see “Cent Com Commander William “Fox” Iran-invasion-not-on-my-watch” Fallon’s forced retirement), those yokels took their eyes off those balls a long time ago. The hordes of everyday Americans demanding Justice and Peace are so distracted already by on-line poker tournaments, American Idol, and the fate of Roger Clemens, they’re not even aware of Eliot Spitzer, much less Bush’s murderous foreign policy. I saw recently that 80% of American adults did not so much as read a book in the last calander year.

The Great Distraction Myth is a cop-out, a convenient excuse for why Americans don’t give a shit about big issues. And corruption works both sides of the political aisle. But there is hope on the horizon. With our $12,000 tax rebate checks in the mail, we can all (at least us guys) get distracted Spitzer-style, if only for two hours.

Some of the comments posted to my latest entry here highlight the problem facing this country, namely blind partisanship married to false hopes that anyone with a (D) following their name will lead this country from the gaping jaws of national disaster. “Know your brand!”? Ridiculous. This isn’t Levi versus Wrangler or Ford versus Chevy. “Cry in your beer.”? Forgive me for expressing an opinion that strays beyond the little white picket fence surrounding the Thomas Kincaid Democratic cottage on the green. A candidate is to be judged on their potential value to the United States, its citizens, and the constitution, not to his or her fealty to a party orthodoxy. And if they can’t be held accountable before they assume the highest office in the land, what can we expect once they occupy that office?