Electronic Writer

This is like a movie script.

Big money pours into Wisconsin State politics, and with a majority of votes in the legislature, it rams the big money agenda through government–but, not without a fight.  The agenda is to break the backs of unions and strip the power of collective bargaining.  Wisconsinites brave sub-zero winters every year (and apparently like the challenge enough to keep living there), so they are not going without a fight.  They protest. After WEEKS of protests, the big money finally wins.

The hardy Wisconsin citizens aren’t done–they vow to recall the vulnerable Republican politicians as retribution for doing the bidding of the Koch brothers so willingly.

The Republicans put fake candidates in the primaries–and TOLD us they were putting fake candidates in the Democrat party primaries, but it didn’t work.  The Wisconsin voters stayed focused and legitimate Democrat candidates won the primaries.

Fast forward to today:  We are roughly 10 days from the actual election where it looks as if the recall might actually happen . . . and the STRANGEST thing happens.  The building of the We Are Wisconsin offices goes up in flames and is a total loss!  The plot thickens . . . .  The campaign office of the Democratic challenger, Rep. Jennifer Shilling, shares a wall with the building that burned.  Campaign workers were forced to evacuate.  The La Crosse Fire Investigators are investigating the issue.

While it may be inappropriate for me to speculate, I am a storyteller . . . and, this is a good story.  If this were that script I fantasized about at the beginning of this post, there would be a dark room.  Two men talking–dramatic lighting from the top of the.

Look, we’re not going to lose this.  Do you HEAR ME?

Yeah, I hear ya.

You do whatever it takes, and I mean WHATEVER it takes to make sure that we win.  I don’t like losing, and if we lose this election, it will reflect very badly on you–you understand?

All speculation aside, let’s help We Are Wisconsin–give money and help if you can.  (Last time I checked, I couldn’t get through to the website.)

See images of the blaze here at Blue Cheddar.

This clip was sent to me by a friend . . . and, it was so good I had to watch it twice.

This clip is CLASSIC GOP!  There is double-speak from Karl Rove, Bill “Pappa Bear” O’Reilly, and Dick Morris from the McCain Campaign.

Watch Karl Rove praise Sarah Palin for being the Mayor of the 2nd largest city in Alaska (population 9000) and then let’s go back a few weeks.  On Video footage from only ONE MONTH PRIOR, Rove belittles potential Obama VP pick, Tim Kaine for being the Mayor of Richmond, VA, Lt. Governor of Virginia, and ultimately the Governor of Virginia–and states how the Mayor of a town of +$200,000 people is CLEARLY not fit to be a heartbeat away from the President.

Pappa Bear O’Reily tells us how teen pregnancy is problem faced by many Americans, and we should not be passing judgement.  But, in a prior clip, that same benevolent and repectful pundit calls the parents of the youngest Spears “Pinheads” (even displaying their picture) because they obviously do not have any control over their children and Jamie Lynn Spears was pregnant at 16 years old.

Dick Morris‘ words may be the most blatant of the double-speak.  After abhorring the “sexism” in the media, we flash backward to December of 2007 where he says that Hillary cannot simply pack up her toys and go home when the “Big Boys” are picking on her.  “What happens with the “Big Boys” who run the Middle East, and the “Big Boys” who run Russia start picking on her.  She won’t be able to simply hide behind her apron strings.”  APRON STRINGS!?!?!?

McCain’s Senior Policy Analyst, Nancy Pfotenhaur, says roughly the same things as Morris: We are not being sensitive to Palin, and yet she was cautioned Hillary Clinton–“it would be a terrible mistake for Hillary to play this “victim card.”

Lastly, the 6-minute clip finishes with some nice words from Sarah Palin herself.  She is lecturing a female politician and saying simply this: your “whining” isn’t helping us women.  If you are complaining that you are in politics and people are not treating you fairly, DO MORE.  Work Harder.

Sounds great . . . on paper.

This is truly sad.

Yesterday, I read an article that described the violence that President Robert Mugabe used to intimidate opposition party leaders, members, and their families.  It was horrific.

The details, as clinically presented as they were, were BEYOND my worst imagination of what human beings can do to other humans.  My personal response moved immediately past rage and disgust.  I am actually shocked that people can live with themselves–that the attackers and mindless followers of Mugabe would commit such atrocities to preserve the “power” of the leader that rules them with fear, as well.

I suppose smaller versions of that happen in places that are closer than we might think.

The article in the NY Times today describes the opposition party’s leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, announcement that he was withdrawing from the election.  He had won by all accounts in the last election (including Mugabe’s), but Mugabe chose not to recognize it and his thugs set about to do their work–kill more than 86 high-level opposition party officials, main and brutally, violently beat more than 10,000 members of the opposition party, burn more than 20,000 residences and displace nearly 200,000 from their homes.

At a rally today, with only 5 days remaining until the vote, Tsvangirai decided that the price was too high.  He was unwilling to ask the party’s supporters to go to the polls on Friday “when that vote will cost them their lives.” (NY Times)

My ruminations turn to our own country.  For two elections in a row, there have been dubious results.  One was descided by the judicial branch, and the second was decided by a few Americans who were already loyal to the winner under a shroud of secrecy and armed guards.

Prior to the 2004 election, our own FBI went to the homes of dissenters to “question” Americans from demonstrating at the Republican National Convention (NY Times Article, CommonDreams.org Article, ACLU Article).  Although some of those FBI agents articulated that the request for them to do so was unconstitutional, but they did so anyways.

How much further is the political landscape in Zimbabwe from the political landscape from the United States  today?

I am truly glad that there are still some freedoms here, and that those enforcing it are thinking (and love our country).  If you love your freedom, in November of 2008, please VOTE.

• NY Times Article: Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Pulls Out of Runoff
• NY Times Article: Assassins in Zimbabwe Aim at the Grass Roots (WARNING: This is a clinically presented, but extremely GRAPHIC article.  The details are horrific.)

John McCain Capaign: Riding the Fox News Fear and Lies Wave in just the beginning of the campaign.

It has not even been a week since I noticed the Pay-per-click Advertisements of John McCain on the Internet, and somehow, the pool of John McCain Campaign advertisements has been filled with racism and lies. In the advertisement, you see the leader of Iran facing Barack Obama. Below it, it says, “Is it OK to Unconditionally Meet with Anti-American Foreign Leaders?” It then displays a simple Yes/No below it, and Paid for by John McCain 2008 at the bottom.

This is a clear example of how the John McCain Campaign is pandering fear and spreading lies in the same fashion as the Fox News Network–using the rumor that Barack Obama is connected to the Muslim world.

To visually tie Senator Obama with the leader of Iran is disingenuous, and smells of Karl Rove and some of the techniques that he has used to win elections in the past. Visually, their faces are the same size and their skin colors are more similar than different.

The question is also garbage–with the text containing words that would return on a search for the words, “Barack Obama anti-american.” Wait! Did we touch on another lie about Barack Obama? We DID! Inconceivable!

Pandering fear and lies is a terrible way to run for president.  Here is a 3-step process for running for President of the United States:

1. Fire Karl Rove (or stop listening to him), and fight a good fight. How about some debates? What about knocking on doors? All of those values that you talked about in the 2000 primaries are rapidly diminishing because you have taken to pandering fear to the American public, spreading lies in order to win.
2. Look at your policies. Does your own platform actually represent your values? Your Republican constituents have elected you because of your policies. How about listening to them? How about representing their interests–rather than the companies with the cash.
3. You have lost your “maverick” status because you no longer say or do what you believe to be true. You have become a mouthpiece to the private corporations–and, followed suit with your predecessor.

Big Oil Fuels John McCain is the title of an interesting video produced by TheRealMcCain.com. It describes McCain’s connection to oil lobbyists, and describes his financial connection to Big Oil.

So, I was scrolling down Electronic Writer, and what to my wonderous eyes did appear? A full motion banner advertisement for John McCain, and I thought, “Oh what a year!”

That’s right, John McCain is running advertisements on this very blog. It certainly has created a great opportunity for me to expound a bit on the man, and ask a few questions.

Let me begin–I don’t know if he will make a good President, or not. Personally, I like his “maverick” style, or just the fact that everyone thinks he is of the rebellious type.

I certainly respect him for his service to our country, and REALLY respect him for his time as a POW.

There is this certain moment at the 2004 Republican National Convention where he awkwardly hugs George Bush. The hatred for Bush (nearly his arch-enemy for the games and political fraud from the 2000 election) is pretty evident. And, yet, George is giggling away like he is collecting on some bet while John McCain is hugging the man. I would have LOVED to be the fly on the wall when whomever (probably Karl Rove) gave McCain his lecture telling him that if he EVER wanted a shot at the Presidency, he would have to swallow his pride and hug George Bush on-stage and on television . . . . I lost a little respect for the guy there.

His policies COULD appeal to me. He is a pretty liberal conservative (or moderate):

• Here is a SLATE.com article from 2002 saying that McCain should run as a Democrat:
  http://www.slate.com/id/2064727/
• Another 2002 article in the Washington Monthly:
  http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.green.htm
• A January 2008 blog post from Political Friends on the same subject:
  http://politicalfriends.blogspot.com/2008/01/john-mccain-democrat.html
• And, an Op-ed piece in the Sacramento Bee on the same subject:
  http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/646189.html
• Tom Delay HATES the guy (this is really a bonus for me). In fact, Delay says that John McCain has hurt the Republican Party more than any other politician.
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bf7e7R3gSos

There is, however, a glaring problem. John McCain supports the war. Actually, he supports 100 years of war!