One of the new myths being built by the Republican establishment is that Barack Obama’s followers looking at him as if he was the Messiah.  They call it Obamessiah, and Rush Limbaugh and his dittoheads have taken to repeat it like mindless parrots in a cage.  Typically, this is not only untrue – but also best describes their own tendencies over the years. After the jump ... I offer up some arguments in response.

I have long believed and written about the concept of "latency" as it relates to peoples political and personal beliefs. While I would not over simplify or overgeneralize, I do believe that often times people who are (over?) enthusiastic advocates for or against something in particular do so based on their own desires. The most common example of this is homosexuality. While I certainly believe that many people who are against gay marriage or anti-homosexual do not fall in this category, I do think that the most vocal and strident anti-homosexual folks are simply fighting off their own demons. There are acedemic studies and anecdotal evidence to back this up.

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Veepstakes 2008! It's the parlour game all political junkies are playing at this time - trying to guess who the Democratic and Republican nominees will be. For the most part, those high paid pundits on TV and radio are hedging their bet - giving only a short list - at best. Since I doubt either candidate will make their final decision for many weeks, it takes a brave person to jump ahead of the candidates and boldly predict exactly what they will do before they even know it themselves. I am that brave person.

The internet video (below) sensation of the moment is Caitlin Upton, Miss Teen South Carolina who brutally mangled an answer during her competition recently for Miss Teen USA. While her incoherent response is certainly funny to watch -  it may also may have, however accidentally, contained a gem of idea.  Read on.

Those of us in The United States usually call ourselves "American".  It’s short, simple and manages to put down everyone else who lives in North and South America. What could be better?

The only alternative I'm familiar with is the bureaucratic description of  "United States Citizen". So while our neighbors to the north and south are also known as "Canadian" "Mexican", "Brazilian" and "Peruvian" - we are left to identify ourselves by a term either to arrogant or too technical. Miss Teen South Carolina has come up with a better way.

Sometimes I feel myself evolving into Andy Rooney - a curmudgeon complaining about everything. Well, here I go again. What I want to whine about today is the policy of the New York Yankees during the National Anthem and God Bless America. I see in today’s NY Times that the Yankees now have a strict policy of fans being forbidden to move at all during the playing of these two songs.

Crossposted at MQAblog and Pinstripe Alley

The daily whine from the mainstream media is that Democrats are not doing anything since they took power. Of course, they (in a never ending attempt to appease those who accuse them of liberalism) are just parroting the right wing. Even on this site there is much impatience at the rate of change since Democrats won the House and Senate. But the recent story about the Water Reed Army Medical Center by the Washington Post and the sudden interest by the White House and Defence Department is due, in my opinion, to the fact that Democrats now control Congress. Let's give credit where it is due.

I was just watching the 60 Minutes interview of George Bush and saw the sorry proof of the chicken hawk syndrome afflicting the Republican party. CBS reporter Scott Pelley asked Bush a number of times if he has seen the Saddam Hussein hanging. Bush kept saying yeah, "parts" of it.  Finally Pelly asked what parts. Bush said the taunts but not.. he couldn't quite say it.  Pelly chimed in "Saddam going through the chute?" "Yes", admitted the man who is sending 21,500 young Americans into peril. What a piece of shit.  He can't even watch his enemy be hanged on a grainy video but he can sleep soundly after sending 3,000 American and 15,000+ Iraqi to their unnecessary deaths! [quotes approximate]

I came across this video and have it posted at my blog (MQAblog) that you may want to check out.  It is a video clip from a news show on Al Jazeera from January 2nd.  Two guest are there, in a "Crossfire" type set up, to discuss the question "Do You Support the Execution of Saddam Hussein?" As you will see, this quickly dissolves into a fierce verbal fight that reflects the deep divisions in Iraq. To me, it shows just how difficult it will be to have any peace there. If you watch the video and find it as compelling as I did please say so in the comments section so that others will be more likely to check it out.

There he goes again. The leader of the Religious Right in the United States is talking terror again and the mainstream media is portraying it as a "prediction" that America will suffer a terrorist attack in 2007. His reason? God told him so.

While those who still have control of their mental facilities will dismiss this as the ramblings of a delusional man, many on the other side of the aisle will actually take his words quite seriously. So seriously, I think that Mr. Robertson is not just giving us a warning – he is also encouraging his most rabid followers to launch such an attack in the coming year

I'm surprised at the lack of outrage here about the Sandy Berger story.  There has been one good diary, which tended to downplay the incident.  I take the opposite approach.  I condemn what he did strongly. I think you should too

I know that the Rush Limbaugh/Michael J. Fox story is not new, but this audio is.  Last Friday, on her weekly "political round table", mild mannered NPR talk show host Diane Rehm really tore into Rush Limbaugh about his Michael J. Fox criticism.  I had to capture the audio to listen again and share with others. (Audio here )

(UPDATE: Lynne K was kind enough to type and post a transcript)

I came across this AOL on line poll which poses the question (with results so far):

How much do you hold the Clinton White House responsible for failing to prevent 9/11?

A lot 51%

Very little or not at all 34%

Somewhat 15%

Total Votes: 78,015

You gotta know the right wingers are organizing for this one. Why not make your opinions heard!

(JUMP WITH ME)

UPDATE: Ned Lamont did a fantastic job this morning on the National call-in program "Washington Journal". See the link below to view the replay on line. It will also undoubtably be replayed on one or more of the CSPAN networks during the day.

Way to go Ned!

I found this story very interesting. It reports that a majority of Israelis want Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign because of the poor way the war against Hezbollah was planned and run. In short, many feel the war was a misadventure from the start and needlessly cost the lives of Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians in Lebanon.

In fact, most think the war made matters worse for Israel, the Middle East and the world. In addition to the loss of life, Israel took a huge blow to their reputation and normally friendly countries now look at them with distrust and disrespect.

It will take decades or even generations for the damage to be undone. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it? Yep, I could be talking about George W. Bush and how his disaster in Iraq has so gravely hurt the United States.

But here's the difference - the people of Israel actually want to hold their leaders responsible for the mess they've caused!

More below and (with audio) at MQAblog

As most Americans celebrate our Independence day, I see it as more of a sad occasion than a celebration. This July 4th, I will be remembering what America once was, but will probably never be again.

The USA has become a nation run by people who are proudly destroying the Constitution and American principles while they simultaneously applaud people who accuse critics of "treason".  Just listen to talk radio or even CSPAN and you will hear "conservatives" repeat political spin as fact and condone the removal of the very liberties our Founding Fathers fought for. I know, I know, "9-11 changed everything".  Yes it did.  It provided an opening for politicians who had always wanted to operate secretly, attack a free press and smear political opponents and the people who follow them.  

Face it, the United States is no more.

Here's another example of just how deep and widespread President Bush's unpopularity is.  This time from the world of viral video.  Here is a video creation in which President Bush "performs" the U2 classic Sunday Bloody Sunday It is an eerie and poignant commentary on the Iraq War.

It seems that sharp critiques, hardly imaginable before Fahrenheit 911, now permeate every corner of the media world - outside the mainstream that is. So this video will be added to the growing library of Resistance to the horrible actions of George Bush and the elected officials who enable him.  

Motivivated by Daily Kos I started my own blog 20 months ago. Happy anniversary to me. Like most people here I had my hopes rise prior to the election and my dreams crushed ever since. As a moderate person by nature, I have been repulsed by the right wing. Their extremism, disguised as the mainstream, has conned good people and severly damaged our once great nation. So it is very suprising to me that I have found myself agreeing very occassionally with Washington Republicans on some of the hot button issues of the day. Issues they would have just as soon ignored, but when forced to take a position ended up with quite a resonable response. Don't get me wrong - I could never support the GOP. Their history is shameful and I could never associate myself with them. I am a life long Democrat and expect to stay that way. I have outlined these issues in a special 20th (month) aniversary edition of my blog. ( http://www.MQAblog.com ) A summary of said beliefs are also ready for you to read below the fold

First of all I want to commend the President for acknowledging he has made mistakes. Sure, it was a predetermined response given many years too late. But at least he said it.

Unfortunately, though, I still don't think he really gets it. In many of his answers, Bush still showed a failure to grasp the significance of his words as President of the United States.  His comment about Abu Ghraib is a case in point.  

And, you know, I think the biggest mistake that's happened so far, at least from our country's involvement in Iraq, is Abu Ghraib. We've been paying for that for a long period of time.