By now, we've all figured out that you guys are pissed about Sen. Barack Obama's speech in Berlin, his visit to Iraq and his media coverage. You think it's a bunch of unwarranted hype. You're free to go ahead and stew in the rancid juices of jealousy for the rest of the campaign, but know this:

It's your own damned fault.

That childish 'day counter' at GOP.com is one of the main reasons for Obama's hype. Without the goading from the GOP website and other republican megaphones of ignorance such as the sycophants at Fox News, this hype probably wouldn't exist. I say 'probably' just because I'm an open-minded lefty and I leave room for other possibilities (like Obama's brilliant campaign).

But if I were more like you, I would say something like this:

By now, you’ve heard that WAL*MART has changed their logo to Walmart*. Big deal. Where the old logo used to scream in all caps, with its central star, yellow happy face, and red and blue colors announced how much more American than everybody else the company was, the old logo uses a softer blue and yellow, as if to say, "Okay, okay, we’re going to be a store for cowardly appeasers now."

Well, this cowardly appeaser still ain’t shopping there.

Yes, we all know that Exxon skated out of their punitive damages for the Valdez spill. The $500 million punishment, once $5 billion, then $2.5 billion, is a paltry drop in the bucket compared to their annual profits, and almost nothing compared to revenues.

If Exxon's profits were a family box of frozen fish sticks (40 sticks), the plantiffs would get half of one fish stick. If those guys on Dangerous Catch had to stay out in the Alaskan waters for 6 weeks to earn Exxon's profits, they would earn enough to pay the Exxon damages in one morning.

But this decision is not about Exxon...

In this campaign season, I think often about whether I will vote for Hillary, Barack or John on Feb 5, and why. It boils down to this:

- Edwards is the one who speaks my language.

- Obama is the one who wants to bring everyone together.

- Clinton is the one who will demoralize the republican base the most.

I hate the thought that I might vote out of vengeance, but let's face it; Bush voters deserve retribution. We have had 8 straight years of sleepless nights, and now it's their turn. Isn't it?

I realize this is a terrible reason to vote for anybody. There are things about Hillary that makes her a great candidate, but I can easily pull the lever for her strictly because I want payback. It's not a good reason, but it's good enough.

More below...

The joint session on a proposed ballot initiative to ban Gay Marriage was held today.  The result: 151 against the ban, 45 in favor.  Ban goes down in flames.

Live coverage here: http://housetv.hou.state.ma.us/

I hate reality shows.  I think they are Hollywood's own device for busting unions (writers and actors, they still need camera and other techs).  Hollywood is big business, after all, and these shows require not one lick of creativity.  Game shows have filled the same role for a long time, cheap to make and broadcast between the news and prime time.  The reality shows are different, running in prime time.  They make scads of dough, and compared to a show like Seinfeld or Law & Order, are probably extremely cheap.

I think it is no coincidence that Survivor popped up during the same year when there was a threatened writer's strike.  Before that, there was only Real World (the reality in which a bunch of young, hip, photogenic, unemployed college kids are put up in a plush SoHo apartment by a cable network.  That kind of reality).

I know a lot of folks here watch reality shows.  This isn't meant to curse you out, and it isn't really politics, but hear me on this.  It is a different take on why reality shows, particularly Idol, really suck.

In the most ironic Christmas story I've ever seen, now the Christmas Fascists are going after Toys for Tots.  For those who don't know about this program, it is a charitable organization run by the US Marine Corps Reserve, that allows businesses (mostly small, independent community businesses), and non-profits to collect toys for children, which will then be distributed to underprivleged children around the country.

The Toys for Tots program has committed the grievous sin of turning down a talking Jesus doll.

According to The Wall Street Journal, The Christmas sales begin -- now, and that means so has the war.

The Anti-Christmas Shopping Brigade is already showing signs of strength, according to the report, which decries lower than expected sales for department stores in October 2006:

The world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart (WMT), led off with a dismal 0.3% increase in same-store sales at its flagship stores in October...

Dismal. I like that. And that's not all, the report spreads the glad tidings and joy around:

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume...

Recognize it?  It has something to do with tomorrow.  What if a different George W. had been around then, instead of the one we've read about?

Surely he would have made a few changes, to make sure his fellow landed, connected and powerful gentry would always be landed, connected and powerful.

Well, look no further!  The Declaration of Independence, with signing statements from George W. Bush:

We have to stand up and defend the UC Santa Cruz protesters.  This is how:

1. Flood Malkin's (writemalkin@gmail.com) inbox with messages (NO THREATS WHATSOEVER) - show her the grace of people who truly believe in peace.

2. Include your real name and email, and phone #.  Let her publish all of it.  Let the wingnuts know that you are no coward.  They are.

3. She accepts news tips by email, if you put TIP in the subject line.  See what I'm getting at here?  Use it.

I called the offices of the two senators from MA, John Kerry and Ted Kennedy, and talked to some staffers.  The subject was the Hersh report about the administration's plans to bomb Iran.  

The conversation was short and nice enough, since we're all on the same side.  Or are we?  Both staffers used the words, "well, that's just speculation," which means they bought the Bush line.

The over-under for tonight's ballgame is speculation.  The weather for Easter Sunday is speculation.  Reporting by a prominent journalist on the beginning of WWIII is called news.

Scared yet?

The following is a rant.  A very angry one.  I have no idea what to do: fly a flag upside-down, march on DC, move to Mars, eat a bullet.  No idea.  The president and his party are determined to bomb and invade Iran, and it will break this country.  It will break this country.

The drumbeat has started for Iran.  That much is clear by now.  John Bolton is talking about mushroom clouds, Bush has said all options are on the table, and Iran seems to be willfully pushing their luck as well.

Yes, that's right.  I think Iran is showing almost the same level of belligerence that our misleaders have been.  And who can blame them?  Do we really have the resources and the will to invade them?  Can we drop bombs on their nuclear plants, many of which are located in populated areas?  Can we do much to threaten them while our troops are involved in a growing civil war right next door?

No.  We can't.  And Iran knows it.  They have higher cards in their hand.

More...

There's been a ton of handwringing over Democrats failure to support the filibuster.  I gotta say I am proud of the two senators who represent me in Mass.  I am also thankful for those who broke with their party and went against the filibuster.  Why?

Because they have proven that they are not dim-minded partyline clones.  They actually did something that we should always beg for from the people who represent us:

REPRESENTATION.

More:

We're owed. Big time.

You've heard about the unemployment rate at a sunny 5%.

You've heard about the record profitability of all the big companies that dominate our economy.

You've heard about the 4.6 million jobs added since May 2003 (never minding that this administration started in Jan 2001, and the real take is 2 million).

You've heard that the Bush administration and the GOP have created policies that will generate massive job growth.

So far, there's nothing here that any right-winger can argue with. Most of these talking points are constantly parrotted by Right-wingers.

But here's the argument, if the policies are working, and American companies are incredibly profitable, where is the massive job growth? We're still waiting for the outcome. We're owed. We are owed WAY MORE jobs than have been created in the past 5 years.

How much are we owed? Read on.

This quote comes from AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger, and I don't quite understand it.

The Labor Department reported that its closely watched Consumer Price Index was up 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending in December, the biggest jump since a similar 3.4 percent rise in 1990, another year when global oil prices were soaring because of Middle East turmoil. But outside of the volatile sectors of food and energy, core inflation posted a 2.2 percent rise for all of 2005, unchanged from the 2004 gain.

Followed immediately by:

If you watch CNBC, or read it online, you know that they pretty much parrot the GOP talking points regarding taxes, the economy, and job creation. But Jim Jubak, one of the columnists at CNBC.com, sometimes writes something that I can agree with. In this case, he writes that low dividend taxes, which have been touted to generate more investments, may actually reduce reinvestment, and reduce job growth.

WTF?! I thought tax cuts create jobs? You mean maybe they DON'T?

The entire column is here: The dark side of the dividend boom.

I break out some of the pertinent portions below.

Lately there has been some neo-con flak about the anti-war movement being not only Anti-American, but Anti-Business.  The claim is that "making America unsafe" will also hurt stock values.

That would seem to underscore the charge that this war was entered for the purpose of raising stock values in the first place.  At least for Conoco, GE and Halliburton, it has been a windfall.

Couple this with the demands of the religious right that stores issue a "Merry Christmas" greeting with every sale, and you have an obvious picture of what is going on.  The war industry is doing fine, and retail is using the power of the religious right to buffer their sales.

Let's bring it all crashing down this year.  Read on: