Comments on: CNN Spotlights PWC, sans Corey Stewart

By: Moon-howler

Moon-howler — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:40:27 +0000

I would have never released al-Megrahi. It wasn’t our shot to call though. The Brits were flummoxed. However, if he were here he would have fried. maybe we just shouldn’t trust a country that doesn’t have a death penalty.

By: Wolverine

Wolverine — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:07:42 +0000

And just in case anyone is wondering why Wolverine is more than a bit interested in the al-Megrahi release, let me say only this. There was a fellow who came to me to say goodbye when he was about to leave on a business trip. The last thing I said to him was: “Be safe.” The next time he personally crossed my path was at his memorial service. He was just trying to get home in time to spend the holidays with his family. I think the least I should expect is that the Obama administration, the Brits, the Scots, and BP will be straight with me here —- and with others who can never forget that day over a place called Lockerbie.

By: Wolverine

Wolverine — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:55:40 +0000

My, my, absent yourself for a few days from this blog and what do you find? I had no idea that, on a blog where one sees a common usage of such terms as “Kookinelli” and “Captain Soundbyte”, I would be taken to task for daring to question the honesty and integrity of the Obama administration on a particular issue and deigning to use a common colloquialism to do so. That must have been a powerful statement to be viewed as an attempt to kick another blogger in the groin, even though the statement did not address that blogger or make even the slightest allusion to him. I had not realized that this administration, unlike all others, is sacrosanct. And this from a blogger who once made the following public statement about the same administration over the military commission issue: “Hopefully at some point they will grow a pair…” Talk about groins!

Tell you what. We can make a deal here. I’ll drop future direct references to the administration being “bitten in the ass” if the other blogger will put an end to his frequent use of the term “teabagger” and stop referring to an entire group of his fellow Americans as liars. To quote a certain someone: “There comes a time when you don’t take it anymore.” I subscribe to that sentiment as well.

By: Morris Davis

Morris Davis — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 20:29:40 +0000

Rez — I believe the big contributors try to back the horse they think is likely to win in order to buy influence with whoever is in power, but they tend to hedge their bets and back both sides just in case of an upset. I’ll give you one example involving the National Association of Realtors (not picking on them, I just found their data first when I did a quick search). They’re usually good for about $4M per election cycle. In 1996 when the Republicans took control of Congress the NAR gave 66% of their money to Republicans. In 2008 when Democrats took the White House and both houses of Congress the NAR gave 58% of their money to Democrats. It’s not a matter of conscience, it’s a matter of making sure you’re close to the goose that lays the golden eggs no matter whether the goose is liberal or conservative.

By: Rez

Rez — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:17:04 +0000

I always see campaign finance as a chicken and egg issue.

Do people (including special interests) contribute to campaigns that they believe will put someone in that thinks like they do or do politicians change their voting to fit who gave what (bought)?

I like to think that people contribute to campaigns that think they way they do — but I am never sure. But I guess it depends on whether you agree with the campaigner or not as to how one feels?

Simply put, my choice votes conscience, yours was bought.

By: Rez

Rez — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:07:58 +0000

I figured you did, Wolfie. I thought I could help with the clarification to forestall other comments.

By: Morris Davis

Morris Davis — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:48:24 +0000

Meg Whitman (who in the past usually didn’t bother to vote but now wants to be governor of California) spent $81M to win the Republican primary in June, an average of $55 for every vote she received. Michael Bloomberg spent $100M on his last election for a 3rd term as mayor of NYC, which worked out to be $180 for every vote he got. Average people don’t stand a chance in our current government scheme. Government is no longer of, by, and for the people, it’s all about the elite and their interests. It’s not that candidates earn votes, they buy them. Spend enough money and innundate the airways and you can manipulate voters to act against their own interests.

By: Moon-howler

Moon-howler — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:22:40 +0000

So Rick, what do you do, just not vote? So then you get the same end result other than your right to chose has been removed.

In a perfect world, your plan sounds good. However, we don’t live in a perfect world.

By: Rick Bentley

Rick Bentley — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:28:10 +0000

We get to that point by people becoming smart enough not to vote for abject clowns. To stop voting for lesser of two evils and to start witholding their votes until a candidate earns it.

By: Moon-howler

Moon-howler — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:26:23 +0000

How do you get to that point, Rick, when it takes so much money to get elected? In 1990, in a hotly contested delegates race, the candidate who lost had to spend 90k. That was outrageous back then. What does a delegates race cost now?

I just don’t allow myself to get that angry over it. Just is. Our elected officials will never vote to make themselves less subject to other people’s money. I don’t plan on getting an ulcer over it.