Buck Naked Politics

The Media & Obama: Good Intentions Paving a Rough Road

by Damozel and D. Cupples  |  We at BN-Politics have been worried about this for weeks -- a possible backlash from Hillary Clinton's supporters against pro-Obama (or anti-Hillary) media outlets and the passive-aggressive bashing of Hillary that appears to be approved by the Obama campaign.

Apparently, the backlash is already gathering hurricane force -- if a recent Pew poll is anywhere close to reflecting voters' opinions.

House Passes FISA Bill without Immunity but....

by D. Cupples  | Yesterday, the House passed a FISA bill that doesn't contain retroactive immunity for telecom companies that illegally helped the Bush Administration tap Americans' phone calls and emails.  This, even after House Republicans' requested a secret session, during which secret information that would persuade the House to pass Telecom Amnesty was supposed to be presented.  The Washington Post reports: 

Petraeus Not Satisfied with Iraqi Progress Toward Political Reconciliation

In an interview which the Washington Post suggested foreshadows the report he's going to be making next month, General Petraeus indicated that he isn't exactly satisfied with the the level of progress made by the Iraqi government toward reconciliation, though he believes they still have "the opportunity to act," as WaPo puts it, whatever that means. I assume it means he thinks they can still achieve it within a reasonable time.  He said that US forces would "fight like the dickens" to build on the gains they've made in security.  Still, the level of violence has increased:

ABC News Gets Copy of Pentagon Study; No Link Between Saddam and Al-Qaeda

Posted by Damozel | D Cupples noted yesterday the change in distribution policy; though the report was initially going to be posted at the Joint Forces Command website yesterday, those in charge decided merely to make it available to those who requested it---which ABC did---and to send it via via overnight mail to those they felt needed to see it from Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. (ABC)  Although the policy change slowed down the distribution, it was always a certainty that news agencies would request and publish it.  ABC has a link to the full report here.  Among other things, it reports:

Based on the analysis of some 600,000 official Iraqi documents seized by US forces after the invasion and thousands of hours of interrogations of former officials in Saddam's government now in US custody, the government report is the first official acknowledgment from the US military that there is no evidence Saddam had ties to al Qaeda. (ABC News)

House Holds Secret FISA session at Republicans Request

by D. Cupples  | The U.S. House agreed to hold a secret (i.e., no public and no reporters) meeting to debate FISA last night.  According to The Hill, "the last closed House session was held in 1983. Only five have been held since 1825." 

Beforehand, Majortiy Leader Steny Hoyer made this statement:

Hillary Takes the High Road

by Teh Nutroots |    Last night, at an assembly of "more than 200 black community newspapers across the country," Hillary Clinton took a step in the direction of restoring civility to this campaign. She apologized for any offense her campaign may have caused to black voters across the country (Breitbart).

Yeah, I know.  It won't cut any ice with certain of  her political opponents.  Some of them are so crazed with Hillary Derangement Syndrome that they can no longer see any act except through the filter of their Hillary-hatred.  But as a former Obama supporter from early on who got off the merry-go-round when all the Hillary-hating O-bots clambered aboard, I'm really glad she did it.

The Democratic Campaign Grows Even Uglier

Posted by Damozel | ABC reports on the sermons of Barack Obama's minister, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. As painful to me as it is to read such wholesale denunciations of my entire race (which I didn't choose), I understand the anger that drove the Reverend Wright to say these things. 

I grew up in the Jim Crow South in the pre-desegregation days.  I have seen first-hand and up close the effects of institutionalized racism.  It's why I am now a Democrat.  I believe that to be a racist is a grave offense against God, humanity, and decency.  And---yes---I believe that it is a worse offense when driven by the will to power and a belief in one's own genetic claim to power, rather than by the effects of pain and frustration over the actions of those who claim such power.   

Because I believe that racism is a grave moral and ethical offense, I also believe that to label someone 'racist' is a grave insult.  It is not a word that I ever use lightly of anyone. 

Penn Makes Silly Statement, USA Today Blog Fuels Fire with Partial Quote

by D. Cupples  | Sometimes, it would be nice if Hillary Clinton's campaign "strategist" Mark Penn would diligently engage in a moment of silence.  Make that six weeks of silence.

According to a USA Today blog, Mr. Penn said that Barack Obama "really can't win the general election."  Actually, Mr. Penn   didn't make a Kreskin-esque pronouncement, but he should have known that his statement would cause trouble.  Here's the fuller version of what he said, according to the recording that USA Today had embedded in the blog post:

Pentagon Won't Publicly Release Iraq Report, After All

by D. Cupples  |  Our nation invaded Iraq in March 2003.  Bush Administration officials gave multiple "reasons" for wanting to do so, including the claim that Iraq had ties to al Qaeda (and the 9/11 attacks).  In September 2003, President Bush -- himself -- said that there was no connection between Iraq and 9/11. ( Cox News Service and BBC)

A controversial new report further cements the notion that the Administration's pre-war claims were false.  Originally, the Pentagon  planned to release the report publicly but has changed its plans.  McClatchy reports:

Legal Abuses and FBI's Data Mining

by D. Cupples  | Last year, we learned that the FBI had made hundreds of errors (i.e., violations of laws and/or regulations) when mining for data on us Americans.  The FBI has had at least 9 months to repair its system and stop violating rules or laws.

Today, the New York Times covered a recently released report indicating that the FBI is still gathering far more private data on us Americans than the laws or the agencies'  regulations allow.  House Judiciary Committee chairman John Conyers commented:

Olbermann's Hillary Comments about Ferraro, More Campaiging for Obama

by D. Cupples  | MSNBC's Keith Olbermann did a "Special Commentary" on Hillary Clinton's Campaign.   It was hyped as the "first time" Olbermann would single out a campaign -- though, he and others at MSNBC have regularly singled out Obama and Hillary, lavishing praise (and drool) on the former and lobbing dirt at the latter.

I'd expected a double-barrel blasting of Hillary.  Instead, Olbermann focused largely on Geraldine Ferraro, who said that Barack Obama's success in the primaries hinged largely on Obama's race.  (Dumb move if she's trying to help Hillary).

Olbermann began by saying that he has not endorsed Barack Obama.  Then, he campaigned for Obama for about 9 minutes and 48 seconds.

McCain's Spiritual Adviser Advises: "Destroy Islam"

Posted by Damozel |  So.  McCain's 'spiritual guide,' the Reverend Rod Parsley , apparently wrote a book called Silent No More in which he bashed what this article calls "the usual suspects....activist judges, civil libertarians who advocate the separation of church and state, the homosexual "culture" ("homosexuals are anything but happy and carefree"), the "abortion industry," and the crass and profane entertainment industry." (Mother Jones)

He also devoted an entire chapter to Islam and the "war between Islam and Christian civilization."  He wrote:

Obama Campaign Uses Bush Tactics in Fundraising Email

by  D. Cupples |  Between 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, George Bush managed to convince at least a few million Americans that opposing Bush equaled opposing our nation.  With help from Mr. Rove and Mr. Limbaugh, Bush had many Americans getting riled up when other people criticized our president -- as though the questioners were calling their own mamas ugly.

It was a brilliant strategy, getting people emotionally invested to the point that they took personally any political opposition to a guy most of them weren't related to or even friends with. An email I just received suggests that Barack Obama's campaign staffers are using a similar tactic.  The email reads:

Florida Plans for a Mail-in Do-Over; Florida Dems in Congress Say "Uh, No" (update)

Posted by Damozel |  UPDATE.  Speaking as one of the disenfranchised, I am was extremely hopeful that Florida will would be allowed a do-over, even a mail-in one (described below). (McClatchy).  I just posted to say so---but it looks as if the proposed mail-in do-over (discussed below) ain't happening.  Via Marc Ambinder:

Moments ago, Democrats representing Florida in Congress released this joint statement, effectively putting the kibosh on a mail-in re-do primary:

Spitzer to Resign? More on His Predilection for Prostitutes & Why It's Got Him in Such Hot Water

Posted by Damozel | Apparently it's been going on for about 10 years, if you believe The New York Post.  Earlier they were saying six, but now the number's increased.  Meanwhile, one 22 year old call girl spoke up for him, saying, "Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been one of her customers two years ago when he was New York attorney general and that he was a nice guy who tipped well." (ABC News) 

Well, that's something in his favor I guess. She also said that she knew who he was because he made calls from the attorney general's office. (ABC News)  He spent upwards of $80,000 for them, apparently of his own money.  And therein lies a further problem that hadn't occurred to me.

Dueling Quotes on Foreign Policy Experience: After Some Debate, MSNBC's Tucker Carlson Says Clinton More Prepared than Obama

by D. Cupples |  You could have knocked me out with a feather.  In an interview with former State Department official James Rubin MSNBC's Tucker Carlson broke ranks with MSNBC's  pro-Obama contingent and conceded that Hillary Clinton is a good diplomat.  Carlson also said:

"Of course she's better prepared than Barack Obama.  I'm not arguing that.... The guy's been in the Senate for 20 minutes." (See video below, which includes a Saturday Night Live spoof).

I just went onto my porch and checked the sky for farm animals.  There weren't any.  Rubin also explained that Hillary Clinton, while not a major player, did help in Northern Ireland and China while she was First Lady.

Gilligan's Mary Ann Busted for Pot

CNN reports:

"Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on 'Gilligan's Island,' is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car....

"She was sentenced February 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving...."

Obama Wins Mississippi: CNN & AP (Questionably) Say Race was a Factor

by D. Cupples |  Barack Obama won the Mississippi Democratic Primary, in which about 400,000 people voted. Here are the results, according to CNN:

............. % Votes...... # Delegates

Obama.......60%..................17

Clinton.......38%..................11

CNN said that Mississippi has the highest proportion of African Americans of any state in the nation and that race was a factor in today's primary:

Clinton Smearers Played Dirty re: Muslim Comment

by D. Cupples |  Many media outlets rose to Barack Obama's defense and condemned Hillary Clinton for having allegedly implied during a 60-Minutes interview that Barack Obama might be a Muslim.   They accused her of playing dirty politics.  Until today, I hadn't seen the clip but had assumed that the accusation about Sen. Clinton's tactics was true.

Today, Media Matters' Eric Boehlert caused me embarrassment when showing evidence that Clinton's accusers were the ones playing dirty -- not Clinton.  Below is a clip of her answer to CBS's interviewer, Steve Kroft.

Cool-Headed Commander Retiring Early

by  D. Cupples |  Admiral William Fallon, the head of Centcom, has been known to disagree with people.  He reportedly called General Petraeus an "ass-kissing little chicken shit." 

Fallon also openly disagreed with the Bush Administration's gung-ho attitude toward war with Iran.  Apparently, President Bush doesn't like being disagreed with.  The New York Times reports:

"Adm. William J. Fallon, the top American commander in the Middle East whose views on Iran and other issues have seemed to put him at odds with the Bush administration, is retiring early, the Pentagon said Tuesday afternoon."