Too Progressive

Not like it’s a big surprise or anything.  David Donnelly, Director of Campaign Money Watch does make an excellent point, though:

According to the group’s analysis, 124 fundraisers have raised money for both Bush and McCain. These former Pioneers and Rangers have raised a minimum of $25.95 million for McCain’s presidential campaign, the analysis found.

“Senator McCain has been working hard to distance himself from an unpopular president, but he is relying on the same network of big money donors and fundraisers in his run for the White House,” said David Donnelly, Director of Campaign Money Watch. “Given that McCain and Bush have both pulled water from the same well, it’s hard to see how he would pursue policies other than those that have handsomely rewarded Bush’s donors over the past eight years.”

Potential Republican VP Eric Cantor continues his assault on all things that make sense by once again calling for offshore drilling.

“If we in America demonstrate that we are serious about unleashing our energy resources, we will send a significant signal to the global markets that the supply issue will be addressed . . . ,” Cantor said during a news conference at a local gas station.

Cantor said more drilling in the United States will send a signal to the global markets that the U.S. is not so dependent on foreign sources of oil.

Cantor stood in front of the Village Exxon station at Three Chopt and Patterson Avenues to make his plea. He was joined by two other Republican officials, Del. William R. Janis of Henrico County and Henrico Sheriff Mike Wade, and by John Cox, who owns an Ashland trucking company.

Cantor went on to declare that drilling should be party of an energy “plan”that also includes, what else, “clean coal.”  Haha.

So not only is he using oxymoron’s like “clean coal” but he’s also advocating that we pursue an energy “plan” that pretty much everyone agrees won’t have any affect on gas prices what so ever.

Mr. Cantor, how about we invest more resources into real alternative forms of clean energy rather than some fictional BS?

All I have to say to John McCain and the Republican party is please make this happen so I can watch Obama and the DNC have a field day as they easily roll over the McCain/Cantor ticket on November 4.  Like McCain, Cantor has been in virtual lock-step with George Bush and also likes to tout his pretend foreign policy experience as if he’s actually ever done anything useful while serving in Washington.  Not only that, but Cantor is also a known bff of the Cheney family and he even operates his own PAC, creatively (and hilariously) named “ERIC” or “Every Republican Is Crucial.”  Seriously.

Read more after the jump including details on just who is behind the push to get Cantor on the ticket (HINT: K STREET)!!

Check this out via USA Today:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain had income of $405,409 in 2007 and $358,414 in 2006, his campaign just announced — figures that do not reflect the wealth of his wife, Cindy, but rather focus on his earnings as a U.S. senator, author, Social Security recipient and U.S. Navy veteran who receives a pension.

Wait, what!? By no means has McCain broken the law here, but considering the fact that he is making over $400,000 a year, is married to a multi-millionaire (not to mention a thief and pill popper) and is also a Republican who advocated for private savings accounts as a means of shoring up the looming Social Security shortfall, doesn’t this make him just a bit of a HYPOCRIT!?

Oh this is rich. In a speech earlier today outlining his foreign policy positions John “INSANE” McCain is calling for a new “League of Democracies” to advance so called “western values” (bigotry, hatred, 100 to 10,000 years of glorious war in Iraq, etc. etc.) and also said he wants to explore a new free-trade agreement with the EU.

“We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact — a League of Democracies — that can harness the vast influence of the more than 100 democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests,” McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, told the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

IS JOSEPH LIEBERMAN ON McCAIN’S LIST OF POTENTIAL VP CANDIDATES!?!?!?

Okay, so maybe that’s a bit of a rhetorical question, but according to an article in today’s Washington Times, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain is going on a trip! England, France, Iraq, Jordan and Israel are all on the list of countries McCain will visit on the six day trip next week along with Independent Republican Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Oh, and guess who’s footing the bill (that is, if you haven’t already figured it out by now). Find out after the jump! And no, it’s not Senator McCain’s campaign.

That is the real question! I have been thinking the same thing ever since Eliot Spitzer admitted to being involved in a prostitution ring and Republicans subsequently began calling for him to resign immediately.

[Earlier: Eliot Spitzer set to resign]

Republicans are so pathetic.  Especially Representative Steve King (R-IA) who actually took to the airwaves in his state today and said that Barack Obama’s middle name “Hussein” should be a campaign issue.

“I don’t want to disparage anyone because of their, their race, their ethnicity, their name - whatever their religion their father, father might have been,” King said just before doing just that.

“And I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the, the radical Islamists, the, the al-Qaida, and the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on September 11.”

“It does matter, his middle name does matter. It matters because they read a meaning into that in the rest of the world, it has a special meaning to them. They will be dancing in the streets because of his middle name. They will be dancing in the streets because of who his father was and because of his posture that says: Pull out of the Middle East and pull out of this conflict.

Are you kidding me?  Really?  You want to make some one’s name a campaign issue?  Never mind health care, education, the economy or any of that “boring” stuff, let’s make his name the key issue of the campaign!!  This truly paints a perfect picture of where Republicans stand on issues that people really care about.

Who has the more inane quote?  First up Dave Albo explains why the General Assembly will likely repeal the abusive-driving fees:

“We lost the PR battle,” said Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), a main supporter of the fees. “You can’t fight the Internet.”

And Tom Davis is, well, Tom Davis is just creepy:

“Punishing individual corporate executives with public floggings like this may be a politically satisfying ritual — like an island tribe sacrificing a virgin to a grumbling volcano,” Mr. Davis said.

[h/t RK, NLS and Wonkette]

Looks like it’s gonna be down to John McCain, Ron Paul and Huckles after tomorrow, assuming neither of the latter drop out too.

One of my friends here in DC just received a phone call from a friend in Iowa who has been working for the Romney campaign and she is “upset” and said she will hear tomorrow if (but really more like when) she’ll be getting laid off.” Also, our favorite Mormon who will never be President Mitt Romney has scheduled meetings for the entirety of the day tomorrow….

…if John McCain is the Republican nominee.

We keep hearing the media and even the McCain campaign rail on and on about how John McCain is the only Republican who can beat a Democrat in November. However, I don’t know how that’s feasible given how Republicans have totally slimed John McCain over the past few years. Last night on Hannity & Colmes Ann Coulter even said she would campaign for, and vote for Hillary if McCain wins the Republican nomination!

Former Republican Congressman Mark D. Siljander of Michigan has been indicted for his involvement in a terrorist fundraising ring which raised money for Al-Qaeda.

Developing…

UPDATE: Via CNN/AP:

A former congressman and delegate to the United Nations was indicted Wednesday as part of a terrorist fundraising ring that allegedly sent more than $130,000 to an al Qaeda and Taliban supporter who has threatened U.S. and international troops in Afghanistan.

The former Republican congressman from Michigan, Mark Deli Siljander, was charged with money laundering, conspiracy and obstructing justice for allegedly lying about lobbying senators on behalf of an Islamic charity that authorities said was secretly sending funds to terrorists.

A 42-count indictment, unsealed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, accuses the Islamic American Relief Agency of paying Siljander $50,000 for the lobbying — money that turned out to be stolen from the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Siljander, who served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, was appointed by President Reagan to serve as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations for one year in 1987.

Also, let’s not forget that this isn’t the first time Republicans have been linked to terrorist in the past year.

Mike Huckabee has scored his second major endorsement this week! After losing 563 pounds, and being endorsed by Tom Delay, Chuck Norris, and now “wrestler” Rick Flair, will anyone be able to stop Mike Huckabee?

Now, Huckabee is getting ready to rumble: wrestler Ric Flair, a.k.a. The Nature Boy, is supporting the former Arkansas governor in his bid for the White House.

CNN has learned the WWE wrestler is on board with Huckabee, and will co-host a campaign tailgate with the candidate at the South Carolina vs. Clemson football game on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, South Carolina. More details are forthcoming.

EARLIER: Mike Huckabee picks up another uber important endorsement
UPDATE: DeLay gives Huckabee the kiss of death

First, Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee received an endorsement from Tom Delay (Fraud - TX), and now he’s picked up another endorsement he should be so proud of:

Being endorsed by Tom Delay and Chuck Norris? Wow, we may as well cancel the elections now, this guy’s definitely got it in the bag!!

Senator Larry “Bathroom stall” Craig (R-ID) seems to have missed the connection with one possible suitor in the DC Union Station bathroom!

Sen. Larry Craig - missed connection - m4m
——————————————————————————–
Reply to: [redacted]
Date: 2007-08-29, 2:16PM EDT

Hey, Larry, we exchanged glances in the men’s bathroom in Union Station last year. Initially, I thought I was imagining that you were cruising me, but after recent “revelations” in the news of your bathroom cruising prowess, I *knew* it was you!

Too bad I didn’t understand what you were doing when I was taking a crap in a bathroom stall while you nervously were pacing outside my stall door and periodically peeking inside.

I should’ve known you were cruising me when you then sat in the stall next to mine and kept moving your foot into my stall and tapping it. I just figured you were trying to squeeze a big poop out and were having trouble with it and you were squirming about ha ha.

And then when you reached under our stall divider and flailed your hand about a few times, I figured you were just having a momentary epileptic seizure.

I’m sorry I was so dense and unaware of the ways and signals of bathroom cruising. If I had realized you were cruising me, we could’ve had some HOT sex. You could’ve spanked me while you told me that I was a “naughty, naughty bad boy” (just like you said Bill Clinton was in 1999 on “Meet the Press”).

SIDEBAR –> On January 24, 1999, during the Clinton impeachment, Senator Craig told Tim Russert on Meet the Press: “The American people already know that Bill Clinton is a bad boy, a naughty boy. I’m going to speak out for the citizens of my state, who in the majority think that Bill Clinton is probably even a nasty, bad, naughty boy.”

But since we had a missed connection, I guess I can only leave such thoughts as fantasy, only to hopefully be realized as reality someday

[Craigslist — Sen. Larry Craig - missed connection - m4m]

I also think, after watching this video, that this man is definitely a child molester:

So this story about a couple in West Virginia being arrested for wearing anti-Bush T-shirts at a political rally where President Bush gave a speech is pretty funny in and of itself. The fact that they then sued the federal government, and eventually settled for $80,000 is kinda funny too.

No surprise though that the media has failed to report on the real story here, which is that the federal government took $80,000 from U.S. taxpayers to protect George Bush from having to face any kind of dissent, even when it was something as simple as a fucking T-shirt.

It also won’t surprise anyone to find out that the Bush administration is adamantly denying any “wrong doing.” But of course! Because I’d just hand out $80,000 too, especially if I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and especially when it wasn’t my own fucking money I was giving away.

“This settlement is a real victory not only for our clients but for the First Amendment,” said Andrew Schneider, executive director of the ACLU of West Virginia. “As a result of the Ranks’ courageous stand, public officials will think twice before they eject peaceful protesters from public events for exercising their right to dissent.”

White House spokesman Blair Jones said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing.

“The parties understand that this settlement is a compromise of disputed claims to avoid the expenses and risks of litigation and is not an admission of fault, liability, or wrongful conduct,” Jones said.

Ha ha, they even sent out a manual stating that George Bush isn’t allowed to face dissent, ever! It even comes complete with an action plan to deal with the “terrorists” who dare oppose the grand dragon supreme ruler!

The ACLU said in a statement that a presidential advance manual makes it clear that the government tries to exclude dissenters from the president’s appearances. “As a last resort,” the manual says, “security should remove the demonstrators from the event.”

Bush and his self-loathing minions are so scared of facing reality that they’re even willing to call on local athletic teams, college/young Republican organizations, and even fraternities/sororities to beat down anyone who opposes!

The first step to keeping demonstrators out of events, the manual tells the president’s event staff, is to encourage the Secret Service to “ask the local police department to designate a protest area…preferably not in view of the event site or the motorcade route.”

Inside the event space, the manual advises, White House advance personnel should preposition “rally squads” that can swarm any protesters at the event and “use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform.” The rally squads can be formed using “college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/sororities,” the manual notes.

All over a fucking T-shirt.

[cross posted at Daily Kos, and Raising Kaine]

Mitt Romney, who is too popular to participate in the debates, is the only hold out at this point. From the Washington Post:

This just in: The Republican CNN/YouTube debate, in limbo for the past few weeks, is on again.

But Mitt Romney, who won Saturday’s Iowa straw poll and has criticized the debate format, has yet to commit to the Nov. 28 event.

Romney, the lone GOP holdout, has posted more videos on his YouTube channel (283 as of Sunday afternoon) than any other presidential candidate, Republican or Democrat. But he has resisted the debate, in which videotaped questions are submitted through YouTube. In an interview with Manchester Union Leader, Romney said, “I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.”

Tommy Thompson drops out of the 2008 presidential race after finishing sixth out of eleven in an Iowa straw poll.

“I have no regrets about running,” he said in a statement released Sunday evening by his campaign.

“I felt my record as Governor of Wisconsin and Secretary of Health and Human Services gave me the experience I needed to serve as president, but I respect the decision of the voters. I am leaving the campaign trail today, but I will not leave the challenges of improving health care and welfare in America.”

I have very much enjoyed my years in public service and I am comforted by the fact that I think I made a difference for people during that time,” Thompson said in the campaign announcement. “I hope to continue working to serve others over the next few years.”

The U.S. Senate passed the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007,” by a vote of 83-14 today. The bill is a key ethics reform measure which now goes to George Bush for approval. No surprise though that all 14 “no votes” came from Republicans!!!! Who were they? Bennett (R-UT), Burr (R-NC), Coburn (R-OK), Cochran (R-MS), Cornyn (R-TX), Craig (R-ID), Crapo (R-ID), DeMint (R-SC), Ensign (R-NV), Graham (R-SC), Inhofe (R-OK), Kyl (R-AZ), Lott (R-MS), and McCain (R-AZ).

So Presidential hopeful John McCain doesn’t think Congress is in desperate need of ethics reform? Interesting. Let’s review the key provisions of the measure via Politico: