Cory Booker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention | Campaign 2012 | C-SPAN

Cory Booker at the 2012 Democratic National Convention | Campaign 2012 | C-SPAN

“It is not about partisanship, it’s about pragmatism. It’s not about left or right but about moving America and our economy forward.”

I like that line.

Emphasis on a robust middle class? Good stuff. Free and Fair Market? Nice wording.

“Being asked to pay your fair share isn’t class warfare, it’s patriotism.”

Zing! Nice.

Prioritize investment in infastructure? My ears perk up. A shout out to small business as the engine of job growth? Talking about investing in education? Research and development? Now you’re just flirting with me DNC.

“An emboldened pathway towards the historic hope which has driven generation after generation of Americans forwards. It is our fundemental national aspiration that no matter who you are, no matter what color or creed, how you choose pray, or who you choose to love, …you should be able to retire with dignity and respect. You should be able to give your children the kind of education that allows them to dream even bigger, to go even further and accomplish more than you could ever imagine. This is our platform.”

Well done Cory. I take back some of that sniping I did about that thing earlier this year.

Claudia Kennedy at the 2012 Democratic National Convention | Campaign 2012 | C-SPAN

Claudia Kennedy at the 2012 Democratic National Convention | Campaign 2012 | C-SPAN

A woman who is retired female Lieutenant General for the U.S. Army speaking briefly about veterans issues and foreign policy…

Hmmmm. Downplays the hawk aspects, provides a less awkward shout out to ending DADT… (seriously, picture any high ranking male military type who came out in favor of ending it) Nice touch.

Not a bad video afterwards. The greenie in me loved the windfarm bit, my inner pragmatist was happy to see education get a nod and the economy bit at the end was very effective. The woman speaking in that part would make a great ad.

2012 Democratic National Convention | Page 4 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com

2012 Democratic National Convention | Page 4 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com

10pm EST – Who the hell is this guy and why is talking about… Oh, Maryland. Wait, who cares? Love the,  “Forward. Not Back.” Love it!!!
Yep, I’m a junkie at heart.

10:12pm EST – Who is this kid and where have they been hiding him and his twin brother?! He’s perfect. His grandmother stories are a perfect tone. They’re likeable, attractive and articulate? What are they feeding the young Dems in Texas? We need to convince them to share whatever it is with the rest of the country.

2012 DNC Ted Kennedy Tribute Film – YouTube

A tribute to Senator Kennedy – YouTube

I was thinking about how EMK was such a wealth of political knowledge and how there was such a concentration of power amassed in his organization and persona. I don’t even mean power as in the kind that can go to your head. He had plenty of that kind too. I mean the kind of power that translates into the ability to get things done.

I wonder how much of his wealth of knowledge, experience and political fuel was passed on to younger politicians. I hear Kennedy was quite generous with lending his resources to the efforts of other campaigns. I imagine if he had thought of it, he would have done it.

I wonder though, how much of that sort of thing is passed onto to younger Democrats? From the Peanut Gallery it seems like politics is a pretty cut throat business. Even when politicians are cooperating with each other, it is still a fairly competitive business.

I hope elder statesmen are in the habit of telling war stories to younger ones so the party doesn’t forget how they accomplished things. Politicians do love to talk about themselves…. We’re probably safe on that front actually.

Bill Clinton could lift Obama or make him look small in comparison – USATODAY.com

Bill Clinton could lift Obama or make him look small in comparison – USATODAY.com

“Bringing Clinton in is an enormous risk,” says former Republican House speaker Newt Gingrich…. “He was just a heck of a lot better president than Barack Obama. It will remind you how pathetically bad Obama has been.”

Not too often that I agree with Newt. Ouch!

OK, to be fair, BHO isn’t pathetically bad over-all. Pathetically bad is a great summation of his control of the message for the first three years of his Presidency but not 100% accurate to say about the whole of his first term. 44 definitely gets more than a passing grade in foreign policy. He’s just pathetically ineffectual on the homefront.

…You know, domestic policy, where it is up close and personal for millions of voters?

Reading on…

“Clinton has seen his popularity rise along with his wife’s, who polls at 66% as secretary of State and has not ruled out another presidential campaign in 2016.”

Huh, is that right. Well, that’s a little bit of a switch on Hill’s position there. Hmmmmm.

Reading on….

“An uplifting, unifying message from Bill Clinton could be very helpful to Barack Obama at this point in time, because the country is cynical and disgusted and kind of tired,” says Thea Lee, deputy chief of staff at the AFL-CIO. “A large part of what they’re looking for is just the warmth of his personality and his charisma and his positive energy.”

Yep, and (underscored by who the quote is from) the working class loves and trusts WJC. If  42 can help win over white middle class men BHO could be on to something. Proud of  44 from not biting the hand that feeds in this go ’round. It’s not a jobs plan 3 years ago but it is a small but promising signal of a shift in the way his organization is going about things.

I agree with the article that Clinton is perfect person to talk about the economy and Obama’s plan to fix it. BHO sure as hell can’t sell it to save his life. The Big Dog is insanely intelligent and well versed in the myriad of details. He doesn’t let it stop him from absolutely excelling at clearly laying out his ideas in a very engaging manner. He even, somehow under the weight of all of that intellect, manages to avoid sounding like he is talking down to people. (Ahem.)

WJC is also well versed in the fine art of politics. I don’t think the campaign should worry about him sabotaging BHO. He’s too good at it and loves this country and the people who elected him too much to do anything to sabotage 44’s chances. In fact, Clinton is probably one of the few people alive who are capable of walking the fine line between inspiring and overshadowing. If they are looking for recent evidence of sniping at BHO, and all they come up with is a politician saying that a resume composed of corporate and executive experience doesn’t disqualify someone from running for President, I think they are safe.

Bill’s such a great orator. Looking forward to it!

World Hijab Day: Muslims debate where the headscarf belongs – CSMonitor.com

World Hijab Day: Muslims debate where the headscarf belongs – CSMonitor.com

2 things.

One, she is referred to as a newsreader instead of a journalist.
hah! at least they are honest.

Two, secure? Well maybe if there was no morality police, women were accepted as equals under the law and rape was prosecuted instead of openly tolerated they would feel even more secure than they feel when they know at least they can not be called names for going without the veil.

La. officials close 12 miles of coastline after Isaac washes up tar balls, oil from BP spill hotspot | NOLA.com

La. officials close 12 miles of coastline after Isaac washes up tar balls, oil from BP spill hotspot | NOLA.com

“known carcinogens that can also disrupt endocrine systems in both humans and wildlife”

Dear President Obama,

Remember the oil spill you ignored for a month?
Remember that time you took a corporation’s word for it that there was no environmental disaster?
Remember the time your administration proclaimed the BP oil spill was all cleaned up and there was no danger to humans or wildlife?

Yeah, me too. It has a lot to do with why I revile your lame ass so much.

Signed,
Practical Ocean Lover

Obama, on eve of convention, tours storm-hit Louisiana | Reuters

Obama, on eve of convention, tours storm-hit Louisiana | Reuters

He’d fucking better.

And he’d fucking better keep his word too.

The region got fucked up the ass by GW and then BHO totally failed them (and is still failing them) on the oil spill.

Least he can fucking do seems like get his fucking Ivy League ass down to the Big Easy and talk to a few people.

Charges of politics surround visits to hurricane damage – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs

Charges of politics surround visits to hurricane damage – CNN Political Ticker – CNN.com Blogs

“If Paul Ryan and his fellow House Republicans had succeeded in blocking disaster relief last fall, there would have been no aid for the victims of Isaac today. And Paul Ryan’s budget would gut disaster funding, making it much harder to get aid to our fellow Americans in their time of need.” – Harry Reid