Recession?

Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and NY Times columnist Peter Goodman think so.

Both think it will be global, both think it will be in full swing in 2008, and both think it will last until at least 2010.

Another example of the incompetency of George W. Bush.

Dear Mr. President

I was hoping she'd release this track as a single. Word is, she will shortly.

Enjoy a recent live version of "Dear Mr. President" by Pink.

The Weekender: Thanksgiving Edition

This week's playlist includes the brand new single from Blake Lewis; a track from Fergie that was released prior to "The Dutchess"; classic grooves from Stevie Wonder, Texas, and Federico Aubele; a schmalzy 80's hit from the one and only Donny Osmond; and some timeless tracks from Neil Diamond, James Blunt, and Van Morrison.

Click here and enjoy.

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
1973 - James Blunt
Natalia - Van Morrison
Bailamos - Fergie
Inner Smile - Texas
Dreams - Deep Dish w/ Stevie Nicks
Break Anotha - Blake Lewis
Soldier of Love - Donny Osmond
Boogie On Reggae Woman - Stevie Wonder
En el Desierto - Federico Aubele
Beautiful - Meshell Ndegeocello
Whispering Wind - Moby

The Holi-daze Begin

We're off to that lovely Republican hell hole known as Placer County (beautiful area, fascist people) for the Thanksgiving holiday.

To family, friends, and readers...enjoy your time with each other, be safe, and Happy Thanksgiving.

Around the World

A big hearty shout out to new regular readers in:

Ashdod, Israel

Melbourne, Australia

and, Chavannes, Switzerland

Thank you for taking the time to read this little ol' blog!

White House Press Secretary: I Lied For Bush

An excerpt from "What Happened," the forthcoming book by Scott McClellan, the former White House Press Secretary:

The most powerful leader in the world had called upon me to speak on his behalf and help restore credibility he lost amid the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. So I stood at the White house briefing room podium in front of the glare of the klieg lights for the better part of two weeks and publicly exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House: Karl Rove and Scooter Libby.

There was one problem. It was not true.

I had unknowingly passed along false information. And five of the highest ranking officials in the administration were involved in my doing so: Rove, Libby, the Vice-President, the President's chief of staff, and the President himself.

Why people still give these guys the benefit of the doubt is beyond me. They lost all credibility on September 12, 2001 when they asked Richard Clarke, their then terrorism chief, to connect the events of the previous day to Iraq, even though there was no connection to make.

The direct involvement of Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney in the outing of a CIA operative rises to the level impeachment. And, as far as I'm concerned, this revelation by the former White House Press Secretary is sufficient enough evidence to put impeachment on the floor of the US House of Representatives.

The members of that chamber should return to Washington DC immediately, bypass committee hearings, and vote to impeach. The Senate should return following that vote and remove both Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney from office. From there, federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald should charge both men with treason (among other things), and then the war crimes tribunal should charge both men with war crimes.

Anything less than impeachment, removal from office, and charges of treason and war crimes would be insufficient. These men have damaged the presidency, the Constitution, and the United States of America beyond recognition. We can't afford to wait the 14 months left in their term and then let them go free.

Don't think for a minute that Republicans would back away from such a confrontation if these crimes had been committed by "President Gore" or "President Kerry." Had a Democratic president done the things Bush and Cheney have done, that president would now be a former president and he or she would be sitting in a jail cell in the Hague, Netherlands.

Give me break Speaker Pelosi. Do your fucking job!

Say it with me folks:
Impeachment.
Now!

Why Obama Matters, Part 3

The final excerpt from Andrew Sullivan's superb cover story in the December edition of the Atlantic. Early in the essay, he discusses how an already deep divide in America became a hell hole under George W. Bush:

The trauma of 9/11 has tended to obscure the memory of [the 2000] election, and its nail- biting aftermath, which verged on a constitutional crisis. But its legacy is very much still with us, made far worse by President Bush’s approach to dealing with it. Despite losing the popular vote, Bush governed as if he had won Reagan’s 49 state [landslide]. Instead of cementing a coalition of the center-right, Bush and Rove set out to ensure that the new evangelical base of the Republicans would turn out more reliably in 2004. Instead of seeing the post-’60s divide as a wound to be healed, they poured acid on it.

With 9/11, Bush had a reset moment—a chance to reunite the country in a way that would marginalize the extreme haters on both sides and forge a national consensus. He chose not to do so.

Yeah...instead, he chose to side with the extreme fascists on his side of the political spectrum.

Sullivan goes on to discuss how a Clinton vs. Giuliani contest in 2008 would only intensify the bitterness of the Baby Boomer generation, as it has played out in every election from 1968 to 2004:

In normal times, such division is not fatal, and can even be healthy...[But] we are not talking about normal times. We are talking about a world in which Islamist terror, combined with increasingly available destructive technology, has already murdered thousands of Americans, and tens of thousands of Muslims, and could pose an existential danger to the West. The terrible failures of the Iraq occupation, the resurgence of al-Qaeda in Pakistan, the progress of Iran toward nuclear capability, and the collapse of America’s prestige and moral reputation, especially among those millions of Muslims too young to have known any American president but Bush, heighten the stakes dramatically.

That, in turn, leads to a key point in Sullivan's pro-Obama stance (as posted in the first excerpt on Monday):

It’s November 2008. A young Pakistani Muslim is watching television and sees that this man—Barack Hussein Obama—is the new face of America. In one simple image, America’s soft power has been ratcheted up not a notch, but a logarithm. A brown-skinned man whose father was an African, who grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii, who attended a majority-Muslim school as a boy, is now the alleged enemy. If you wanted the crudest but most effective weapon against the demonization of America that fuels Islamist ideology, Obama’s face gets close. It proves them wrong about what America is in ways no words can.

When it comes right down to it, I am still undecided in the Democratic primary. I believe Sen. Joe Biden could be the Democrats' Ronald Reagan in this election cycle and that he has the better chance at rectifying all that has gone wrong in the foreign policy realm under George W. Bush. The argument for an Obama presidency is also strong and could just as well be the perfect medicine for the United States and the globe in the post-Bush years.

I'll eventually make a decision. But the perfect team against any of the Republicans would be a Biden/Obama ticket!

Don't ya think?!

Why Obama Matters, Part 2

Excerpt #2:

The other obvious advantage that Obama has in facing the world and our enemies is his record on the Iraq War. He is the only major candidate to have clearly opposed it from the start. Whoever is in office in January 2009 will be tasked with redeploying forces in and out of Iraq, negotiating with neighboring states, engaging America’s estranged allies, tamping down regional violence. Obama’s interlocutors in Iraq and the Middle East would know that he never had suspicious motives toward Iraq, has no interest in occupying it indefinitely, and foresaw more clearly than most Americans the baleful consequences of long-term occupation.

This latter point is the most salient. The act of picking the next president will be in some ways a statement of America’s view of Iraq. Clinton is running as a centrist Democrat—voting for war, accepting the need for an occupation at least through her first term, while attempting to do triage as practically as possible. Obama is running as the clearer antiwar candidate. At the same time, Obama’s candidacy cannot fairly be cast as a McGovernite revival in tone or substance. He is not opposed to war as such. He is not opposed to the use of unilateral force...He does not oppose the idea of democratization in the Muslim world as a general principle or the concept of nation building as such. He is not an isolationist, as his support for the campaign in Afghanistan proves.

The man who opposed the war for the right reasons is for that reason the potential president with the most flexibility in dealing with it.

As I mentioned yesterday, the entire Atlantic essay is well worth the time. I'll post one more excerpt tomorrow, but don't let that stop you from reading Andrew Sullivan's masterful take on why America needs "President Obama."

To read excerpt #1, click here.

Fernando, Greg, and the Light at the End of the Tunnel

Reader e-mail:

I have been reading your blogs in their various incarnations since October of 2004, when I clicked over from your wonderfully written endorsement of John Kerry for president on DailyKos.

I am a college student in California's central valley; I'm gay, and in the closet. My social life is pretty limited as a result...but after seeing Fernando and Greg's YouTube clip on San Francisco Journal I began listening to them on-line.

To see them honored by Out Magazine as two of the most influential gay people made my heart swell. You see, for family and financial reasons I must remain in the closet until I graduate college (that will be in May of 2009). But Fernando, Greg, and their listeners keep hope alive for me. Listening to them in the morning helps keep that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel in sight. I thank them for that, and congratulate them on the Out Magazine honor.

Know hope, my friend. And keep strong.

Who Knew...

...that actor Josh Duhmal was such a freekin' hottie?!

Why Obama Matters

This Atlantic essay was posted on line about two weeks ago, and the print edition arrived in the mailbox last week. It's rather lengthy, but well worth the time. Each day this week I'll post some excerpts, but don't let that stop you from reading Andrew Sullivan's entire masterful take on why America needs "President Obama."

Excerpt #1:

Perhaps the underlying risk is best illustrated by our asking what the popular response would be to another 9/11–style attack. It is hard to imagine a reprise of the sudden unity and solidarity in the days after 9/11, or an outpouring of support from allies and neighbors. It is far easier to imagine an even more bitter fight over who was responsible (apart from the perpetrators) and a profound suspicion of a government forced to impose more restrictions on travel, communications, and civil liberties. The current president would be unable to command the trust, let alone the support, of half the country in such a time. He could even be blamed for provoking any attack that came.

...Obama’s reach outside his own ranks remains striking. Why? It’s a good question: How has a black, urban liberal gained far stronger support among Republicans than the made-over moderate Clinton or the southern charmer Edwards? Perhaps because the Republicans and independents who are open to an Obama candidacy see his primary advantage in prosecuting the war on Islamist terrorism.

...What does he offer? First and foremost: his face. Think of it as the most effective potential re-branding of the United States since Reagan. Such a re-branding is not trivial—it’s central to an effective war strategy.

...Consider this hypothetical. It’s November 2008. A young Pakistani Muslim is watching television and sees that this man—Barack Hussein Obama—is the new face of America. In one simple image, America’s soft power has been ratcheted up not a notch, but a logarithm.

Repairing the Damage

Quote of the Day:

Obama's talent for sharp analysis and his ability to effectively communicate it really do make a compelling case for him being the better-qualified candidate to rally American opinion for the much-needed repair work ahead.

-Judah over at Headline Junky, on the appeal of Sen. Obama in the presidential race.

And I have to agree...the combination of Obama's take on foreign policy and his natural ability to make the case for that policy make him a tremendously attractive candidate.

Picture of the Week

Fernando Ventura and Greg Sherrell of KNGY-FM (Energy 92.7) here in San Francisco. This photo is from OUT Magazine's annual list of the year’s most interesting, influential, and newsworthy LGBT people...a well deserved honor for the morning duo. Click on the picture to read the OUT article.

Congrats, Boys! Your audience is proud of ya!

(Big thanks to Fernando for sending me this higher res picture; and another thanks to B-man for fiddling with it in PhotoShop to make it "Blogger compatible.")

Happy Friday

I need to get into the office, so not much blogging today. But, here to get your weekend started on a happy note is the humpy, hot, sexy...Justin Timberlake...

Gavin and Al

We forgot the camera on Wednesday night and were only able to take pictures with my cell phone at the Full Circle Fund event. But, for what it's worth, here are Gavin and Al...

Not Selected

Jury selection was completed this afternoon and, I'm happy to say, I wasn't selected for the final group.

I'd like to thank the San Francisco Civil Court, the judge, and the bailiff for wasting two whole days of my time.

Shit.

Morning Levity

Jury selection continues today, and it's a rather tedious affair. Last night I attended a very nice event held by the Full Circle Fund, which featured Mayor Gavin Newsom and a keynote address by former Vice-President Al Gore. Brent's company did the audio/visual for the event and his supervisor was kind enough to snatch me a VIP ticket (thank you, Tim!). A couple of pictures tomorrow.

In the mean time, a few laughs for your Thursday...

Duty Calls

Off to jury service at the San Francisco Civil Courthouse. FEEL the excitement!

The Welcome Wagon

Big Gay Christmas

It seems the holi-daze start earlier and earlier every year, but I can't NOT post this new Christmas music video...

BearForce 1, the all male gay group out of the Netherlands, wishes you a Mary Christmas!

Vile

This new ad from the third-teir Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo is absolutely vile (and is a prime example of why the Fascist-Republicans should never ever lead America).

And you can bet yer bippy that should Giuliani be his party's nominee, you'll see ads just like this in the summer and autumn of 2008.

More on Biden

The Washington Note thinks he has the foreign policy know-how that the next president will so desperately need.

Regretting My Vote?

Should I be regretting my vote for Gavin? Stories like this make me think..."yes."

Blowout

With 100% of the ballots now counted, the final results in the San Francisco Mayoral Election are as follows:

Gavin Newsom: 73.66%
Quinton Mecke: 6.33%
Harold Hoogasian: 5.86%

With the remaining votes going to the eight other candidates. And, as referenced in the post above, this voter is wondering if he will regret his vote to re-elect the Mayor.

Dianne's Pissed

Quote of the Day:

Now that the “full weight” includes Mukasey, Feinstein also noted she’d waterboard the shit out of anyone, anytime to get to the bottom of it.

-John Cole, on a statement Sunday by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat-CA) - who was one of two key Democratic votes in favor of confirming Michael Mukasey as Attorney General - in which she promised the full weight of the Federal government into finding out what went wrong last week when a Korean freight ship ran into the Bay Bridge, spilling 58,000 gallons of oil into the San Francisco Bay.

Back on Sunday

First things first...we're heading to Sacramento for a couple of days. I'll return to the blogosphere on Sunday evening.

Secondly...no Weekender this week. I just haven't had the time to put together a playlist.

In the mean time, enjoy a couple of videos...

The first is dedicated to Brent and Gil and all of the other 'mos out there who like to think of themselves as the second coming of Carrie Bradshaw...



The second is a funk classic from 1981...

San Francisco Bay Is Devastated

The Cosco Busan, an 810-foot freight ship, crashed into a tower of the Bay Bridge's western span at about 8:30am Wednesday morning, ripping a hole in her hull and spilling 58,000 gallons of nasty, thick oil into the San Francisco Bay.

Winds and the regular tide pushed the spill into the Pacific Ocean. Beaches are closed between San Mateo County and Sonoma County. Parks around the Bay are closed. Boat traffic is limited. Birds and other sea life have perished, and those that survived are in grave danger.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said today the city will take legal action against the company or agency deemed responsible for the accident.

As far as I'm concerned, criminal charges should be brought against not only the company, but against whoever was on that bridge Wednesday morning. For most of yesterday the company insisted that only 140 gallons of oil had spilled into the Bay. How the FUCK do you get 140 out of 58,000 !?!?!!

And how the FUCK does a professional captain hit one of only two towers on that side of the bridge!?!?!! They are trying to blame the accident on the fog. Well, sorry guys. That's bullshit. Fog is an almost year-round event in the San Francisco Bay area, and ships have been able navigate through the waters and around the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges - in the fog - without such a devastating accident.

Environmentalists and oil-spill experts say the fuel that spilled from the ship is a "nasty" oil that breaks down slowly, is hard to clean up, and could affect marine life for years.

I could smell the oil driving across the bridge today. I wanted to cry but I was so angry the tears wouldn't roll. Even now I'm so livid I can't write properly.

Bottom line: Heads must roll for this. The Bay is absolutely devastated.

Doh!

The Dumb Crook of the Week Award goes to...the Dunkin' Donuts robber in Fairfield, Connecticut...He walked into the shop claiming to be armed with a gun and a bomb. He then gave the clerk a note threatening to use both, grabbed what he thought was the cash register and ran into a waiting car.

Imagine his surprise when he went to open the cash drawer only to find out...

...he stole an adding machine.

Little Miss Chloe

...with her Daddy, on a gorgeous afternoon at Fort Funston this past Sunday. This wonderful park and beach are just 10 minutes away from our place and allow off-leash dog walking. The hike down to the beach from the bluffs is absolutely amazing!

A special thank you to Chloe's other Daddy for driving us over there, and for taking this great picture!

ENDA Passes

By a vote of 235 to 184, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act yesterday - with 35 Republicans voting "yes" (a special shout out to them!). The bill would make it illegal for employers to fire someone simply for being gay or lesbian.

Rep. Tammy Baldwin (Democrat-WI) withdrew her amendment adding transgender protections to the bill, which put the measure over the top.

Yes, transgender Americans should have protections. But in situations like this baby steps are the order of the day. In due time, my friends. In due time. If the issue was forced the entire bill would have gone down to defeat, and who knows when it would have come back for another vote.

Of course, all of this is for naught. President Bush is likely to veto the bill. But a big "hooray" to the U.S. House for having the cajones to bring the bill to the floor.

Now, if they'd be brave enough to vote on that pesky impeachment thing...

Election Results

Because the voting machines in San Francisco County have not been certified by the California Secretary of State's office, the ballot counting in the mayoral race will take about a week. As of tonight, with about 40% of the ballots counted, Mayor Newsom leads with an astounding 72% of the vote.

Final results when they become available.

Impeachment Now

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Democrat-OH) has introduced articles of impeachment against Vice-President Cheney, and in an effort to force the Democrats hand a number of Republicans voted to debate the issue. But the Democratic leadership tabled the issue by sending it to committee. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated that impeachment is "off the table."

WHY!?!?

First and foremost these guys are war criminals. Additionally, by claiming they have the right to circumvent the rule of law they have taken the Executive Branch down a fascist path. And let's not forget that their incompetence make Jimmy Carter's presidency look attractive.

If EVER there were a perfect case for impeachment, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney fit the bill.

And Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues need to grow some cajones. The future of nation is at stake here. We can't afford NOT to have impeachment on the table.

For San Francisco Mayor

I had planned to post my endorsement in the San Francisco mayoral election on Sunday, but when I sat down to write it I realized I needed another day or so to weigh my options, such is my disenchantment with the contest. But, tomorrow is Election Day, I've thought some things through, and here it goes...

The Disappointment

To be sure, Mayor Gavin Newsom stepped up to the plate right out of the box in February of 2004. When he issued marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples he essentially gave George W. Bush a big ol' "fuck you." The fascist president had started a fight to add an amendment to the Constitution that would strip 10% of Americans of their right to the "equal protection" clause.

Gay couples from around the country made their way to this wonderful city to exchange vows and make lifetime commitments to their longtime partners. Yes, the California State Supreme Court nullified those marriage licenses, but I have friends who took part in those City Hall ceremonies who still have those licenses framed and hanging proudly in their homes. And they have the Mayor of San Francisco to thank for that.

But after such a promising, progressive start, Newsom fell flat on his face. The crime rate has increased significantly; the murder rate is on its way to breaking records; MUNI (the city transit system) has seen better days (and those better days weren't all that good to begin with); the housing crisis makes our heads spin, yet Mr. Newsom has allowed developers to build hugely expensive high-rises while subsidized housing disintegrates under his leadership. I'm all for economic expansion, but not at the expense of issues in need of immediate attention.

So, What To Do?

I've been on the fence all year as to who I will support. Unfortunately, rather than bring a real debate to the Mayor's doorstep, his major challengers sat out this contest. None of the eleven candidates running against Newsom tomorrow has a prayer of beating him. He'll coast to reelection easier than any candidate since Dianne Feinstein in 1983.

But should I still vote for him just because he's the certain winner? Well...it's not that black and white.

The crime rate has been my key concern in this election. However, I told myself last summer that if the Castro District got through Halloween without violence I'd be more inclined to lean in Newsom's direction. And that holiday came and went without incident. So, with a weariness I have never really felt with any other candidate in any other race, I will cast a very unenthusiastic vote for Gavin Newsom on Tuesday.

In San Francisco's 3-choice voting system, my second choice vote tomorrow will go to Quintin Mecke. He has run a very capable campaign and holds the progressive values San Francisco voters hold near and dear. Unfortunately he's not ready for the Mayor's office. Not yet, anyway. I look forward to hearing more from him and will be looking for his name on the ballot in 2011.

The Beginning of the End?

The Clinton dam is leaking...

Spineless

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Democrat-CA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (Democrat-NY) will vote to move Michael Mukasey's nomination to be Attorney General from committee to the full Senate floor, where he will more than likely receive enough moderate and conservative Democratic votes to win the job.

Feinstein is my U.S. Senator, the former mayor of this fine city of mine, and this vote truly disappoints me. I understand voting your gut and I understand that because the President is a conservative Republican we won't get a progressive Democrat as Attorney General.

But when Mukasey suggested that the President of the United States was not subject to the rule of law, his nomination should have been immediately derailed. The affirmative votes by Feinstein and Schumer go against everything American voters demanded in the last election: a return to the equal powers of government demanded in the Constitution; checks and balances; reigning in an out-of-control Executive Branch that wants no check on its power; and the imperialistic rule that comes with such spinelessness.

Take a good look around my friends. By the time this administration leaves office, you will no longer recognize America.

Police State In Pakistan

Things just got very scary in Pakistan:

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan on Saturday, suspending the constitution, replacing the chief justice of the Supreme Court before a crucial ruling on his future as president, and cutting communications in the capital. Paramilitary troops and police swarmed the capital.

With the next U.S. presidential election only one year and four days away, George and Dick better not be getting any ideas. YaKnowWhatImSayin?

Lingerie, Rope, & Stethoscopes

Oh MY!

Another conservative Republican "goes down!"

The Weekender

Click here to enjoy.

This week's playlist:

This Is Not America - Pat Metheny / David Bowie
Dear Mr. President - Pink, featuring the Indigo Girls
Waiting On the World to Change - John Mayer
Deacon Blues - Steely Dan
Southern Cross - Crosby, Stills, & Nash
Dark Road - Annie Lennox
Back Home - Eric Clapton
Ain't Even Done With the Night - John Mellencamp
Standing Right Next to Me - Karla Bonoff
Lido Shuffle - Boz Scaggs
Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney

Barack's Bill Moment

Remember when Bill Clinton wowed the crowd in June, 1992 by appearing on the Aresnio Hall Show and rockin' out with his saxophone? It was considered a key moment in his winning campaign.

But the wife? Well...ummm...something tells me you won't see HILLARY Clinton doing this anytime soon...

"John Edwards for President"

No, not an endorsement. I'll let my friend Larry explain. His email from earlier today:

Umm...I didn't realize you disliked Edwards THAT much. Not even considering him a candidate on your blog.

I don't dislike Edwards and of course he's a candidate (but he's still not my preferred candidate). It seems there was an "operator error" of some sort when I added the "08 Candidates" blogroll to your right. I really did have him listed there. There was obviously some sort of copy and paste mishap.

It's fixed and the "John Edwards for President" link is now listed.

Thanks, Mr. L!

Ghost Town

The effort to keep the Castro closed for Halloween this year worked in spades...



For reference, here is a picture of last year's party...



Nine people were shot at last year's party, and a few stabbed a couple of years before that. As a result the City of San Francisco decided to cancel this years shin-dig. A huge P.R. push emphasized the fact that the Castro District's annual Halloween party was cancelled this year and urged outsiders to stay home. Some (myself included) were skeptical as to whether it would work.

Thankfully, it did.

"Nameless, Unreasoning, Unjustified Terror"

Halloween may be over, but the scary season really begins today.

Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves, because it's time for...

[Swoooosh!] TV's November sweeps! [Gong!]

Killer smoke detectors, killer food allergies, and killer child seats!

Child pornographers lurking in your bushes, food filled with rat shit, and toys dipped in Chinese lead!

UFO sightings, Brittney & Lindsay, and lesbian nuns who were molested by their mothers!

My friends...we'll get this crap for a month.

Iraq who? Iran what? Turkey huh?

President Bat Shit, Vice-President Vader, Hillary Nixon?

Don't worry about all that. That stuff doesn't bring in ratings! Mmm k?

Happy Halloween...

From that little devil, Chloe...

...and her daddies, Brent & Wayne.

Photos (and special effects) by Chloe's Daddy!

Biden, Part 2

The Giuliani moment from last night's debate...



And a great independently produced montage of Biden photos and speech excerpts...

Far & Away...Biden

Democratic presidential debate summary: Senator Hillary Clinton was far and away the nights loser. While she came across as competent, she had a certain sour bitchiness that came out when she answered questions. Not exactly the way to win over those Americans who - fairly or not - already have a negative view of her.

Her answer to the question of drivers licenses for illegal immigrants in New York State was the ultimate waffle. The play-by-play from Kevin Drum:

Hillary gave a rambling response explaining what Spitzer was trying to do but without really taking a position. Dodd disagreed with the Spitzer plan ("I think it's troublesome") and Hillary then stepped in to muddy the waters some more: "I did not say that it should be done," she said, "but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it." ...and then by Russert pressing her to give a firm answer ("Do you support his plan?"). Hillary hedged, and never really answered.

...[Sen.] Edwards said, "Unless I missed something, Senator Clinton said two different things in the course of about two minutes just a few minutes ago." And [Sen.] Obama uttered a devastating phrase for anyone who remembers the 2004 campaign: he said he couldn't tell if she is "for it or against it."

Ouch!

For the most part though, Sen. Obama was listless and pathetic. With all of the pre-debate chit chat on the blogosphere yesterday about how Obama would call Sen. Clinton out on her fence-straddling strategy, the fact that he didn't left me feeling a bit let down. The first primaries are two months away. The Senator from Illinois needs to show some cajones. And quick.

Edwards was more aggressive than I've seen him in a while, but I still can't shake the perception that he would become another Carter in the White House, unable to cope with global crises and handing the presidency to the Republicans for a generation. (And, for the record, I started to feel that way about Obama last night, too.)

The winner of the night was Sen. Joe Biden. Despite being relegated to the second tier by the debate moderators, Biden has consistently shown throughout this campaign that he is the most qualified person on the Democratic side to be president. He is essentially the only grown-up on the stage, offering intelligent responses on the most important issues of this election, while the kids fight and whine amongst themselves.

His comments on how the globe became a bit destabilized when the Senate voted to call Iran's military a terrorist organization, as well as his thoughts on how Pakistan could become a huge mess if we're not careful, were prime examples of elder-statesmanship.

And then later, he said this about one of the Republican candidates:

Rudy Giuliani is probably the most underqualified person since George Bush to run for president. He can only say 3 things in a sentence: a noun, a verb, and "9/11." This man is truly not qualified to be president.

He shoots, he scores!

Yeah...once again Sen. Biden has become alot more attractive to me and as of this moment is sitting at the top of my list for the primary election.

(Photo: MSNBC)

5.6

Brent felt it before I did. "Is that an earthquake?" he asked. And right then the building started to shake a bit. I grabbed the dog and headed to the closest doorway; Brent ran over to our bookshelf and held on to his antique stained-glass window.

The few quakes we've felt since moving up here have been real brief, but this one seemed to linger...a long, low rumble.

Update: It was a 5.6 quake centered near San Jose, about 45 minutes south of San Francisco.

Update 2: The San Francisco Chronicle reports that, at 5.6 on the Richter scale, this is the strongest quake in the Bay area since the infamous trembler of 1989.

Head Over Heels

Velma from "Scooby Doo" and Natalie & Blair from "The Facts of Life?"

WRONG!

They're the Go Go's! (Or as they called themselves on Saturday night, the "Go Blows .")

To protect the innocent, I won't divulge names. But their initials are Mark, Don, and Bill.

Little Miss Chloe

One day a couple of weeks back, while Brent was in Las Vegas for work, Chloe didn't come when I called her for dinner. When I went looking for her I found her here, sitting in the bedroom window, looking out onto the street waiting for her other Daddy to come home (he wouldn't be home for three more days). She knows his truck. And she hates it when he travels.

Obama, McClurkin, and the Gays

So this McClurkin guy went there! He used the Obama campaign event in South Carolina to spew his anti-gay venom. The Advocate confronts the Senator about it:

Advocate: I know you’re in a difficult position here trying to balance these two constituencies -- but by keeping McClurkin on the tour, didn't you essentially choose your Christian constituency over your gay constituency?

Obama: No, I profoundly disagree with that. This is not a situation where I have backed off my positions one iota. You’re talking to somebody who talked about gay Americans in his convention speech in 2004, who talked about them in his announcement speech for the president of the United States, who talks about gay Americans almost constantly in his stump speeches. If there’s somebody out there who’s been more consistent in including LGBT Americans in his or her vision of what America should be, then I would be interested in knowing who that person is.

One of the things that always comes up in presidential campaigns is, if you’ve got multiple supporters all over the place, should the candidate then be held responsible for the every single view of every one of his supporters? And obviously that’s not possible. And if I start playing that game, then it will be very difficult for me to do what I think I can do best, which is bring the country together.

As an American voter who has criticized President Bush for not including members of the opposition party in his wartime government - and for not even listening to the viewpoints of those who disagree with him - it would be hypocritical of me to withdraw a possible vote for Sen. Obama over this McClurkin appearance. Does what the gospel singer said make my skin crawl? Yes. Do I think his viewpoints promote hatred? Of course I do. But in his interview with the Advocate , Obama makes a point. Playing the game the extreme left wants him to play would prevent him from uniting a country that hasn't been this divided since the Civil War.

To be sure, McClurkin should have never been asked to perform. But once he was, Obama and his campaign handled it as best they could.

I'm not happy. But, for me, this wasn't the deal breaker it could have been.

"Des Que J'te Vois"

Fabulous new single from French artist Vanessa Paradis, off her latest album entitled "Divinidylle."

"No" on Mukasey

He refuses to say whether waterboarding is torture, and he believes the president can ignore the laws of the land. After almost seven years in which Mr. Bush and his minions have shredded the Constitution, we need some levity at the Justice Department. And while the President is entitled to his nominee, it is the job of the opposition party to keep a nominee for Attorney General who believes the president has the right to break the law from being confirmed.

This nomination should die in committee and shouldn't see the light of day on the Senate floor.

Monday Morning Levity

Monday's suck, so let's start the week off with some gut-busting laughs. Enjoy Anjelah Johnson's classic stand-up routine on her recent visit to a nail salon...

"Full Circle" by Michael Thomas Ford

Following three excellent books of essays ("Alec Baldwin Doesn't Love Me," "That's Mr. Faggot To You," "It's Not Mean If It's True") and two rather enjoyable summer fluff novels ("Last Summer," "Looking For It"), I picked up Michael Thomas Ford's "Full Circle" with much anticipation.

Released in the summer of 2006 (and the paperback version in August of this year), Ford seems to have hit his creative stride with this wonderful tale of friendship, love, and family.

"Full Circle" chronicles five decades in the lives of Ned Brummel and Jack Grace. Next door neighbors, born a day apart, the boys are lifelong friends/brothers/lovers/companions. Inseparable from birth, the boys become the best of friends in 1950s Philadelphia, having joint birthday parties, joining the boy scouts, star gazing, double dating. Their bond is immensely strong and, as they enter their teenage years, the two fall in love.

From there Ford weaves a well crafted story that takes the boys through college, lost love, separation, Vietnam, the heady days of San Francisco in the 1970s, and the resulting AIDS crisis of the 1980s. He skillfully weaves his characters through 50 years of American life and strife, presenting that world from a uniquely gay perspective, detailing all the confusion, denial, anger and - finally - acceptance of a world where gay people fought most of those 50 years just to fit in, and how they came to rely on each other to form bonds that stretch well beyond biological families.

"Full Circle" is the perfect novel for a crisp fall or winter weekend. Grab some wine, curl up in a comfy chair, and enjoy this wonderful piece of literary wonder.

Perilla

While in New York last month, I surprised Brent with dinner at Perilla, the new restaurant from the winner of the first season of "Top Chef," Harold Dietrele. And what an experience! The food at Perilla is absolutely heavenly.

I started with the crispy berkshire porkbelly. Served with pea tendrills, it was the perfect way to start the evening's meal. Brent had the beef carpaccio, served on a bed of arugula. To die for!

For dinner we both had the grilled angus strip steak. Yeah, yeah...I know. But when the server described it to me, I just had to have my own! Prepared to perfection, it was probably the best steak I've had in a couple of years. I didn't want the meal to end. (Next time though, I'm definitely having the duck.)

The restaurant staff was wonderful. Cheerful and obviously smitten with their jobs, they live to serve and Mr. Dietrele should consider himself lucky to have such a top-notch staff.

The ambiance? Aiming for the younger demographic, Dietrele has good old-fashioned rock and roll playing at a low volume throughout the restaurant, giving the place a laid back feel without losing the high end Greenwich Village restaurant atmosphere. The decor is slightly above average; it doesn't pop out when you walk in, but it's not bad either.

And finally, the wine list. Three words: ex-cel-lent! Dietrele and his staff have outdone themselves. The list is extensive and perfect for pairing with many menu items.

The next time you're in New York, block an evening dinner into your schedule at Perilla. Located in Greenwich Village at 9 Jones Street (between West 4th and Bleecker Streets), call (212) 929-6868 for reservations.

The Republican Circus

Quote of the Day:

It was absolutely a bad decision. I regret it happened. Certainly … I should have stopped it...we’re working very hard to establish credibility and integrity, and I would hope this does not undermine it.

-John “Pat” Philbin, FEMA’s director of external affairs, apologizing for yet another department fiasco in which his department held a fake news conference during the LA and San Diego brush fires.

FEMA employees posed as reporters while real reporters listened on a telephone conference line and were barred from asking questions.

As usual, doing a "heck of a job."

Delayed Justice in Georgia

Genarlow Wilson, who received a ten-year prison sentence for having consensual sex with a teenager when he himself was a teenager (he was 17 and she was 15), was released from prison yesterday following a Georgia court's ruling that the sentence was “grossly disproportionate” to the crime, which the justices said “did not rise to the level of culpability of adults who prey on children.”

The Weekender

This week's playlist begins with a megamix of four tracks from Kylie Minogue's forthcoming album "X." Also included are classic tracks from Pete Heller, La Flavour, and Federico Aubele.

Enjoy the music by clicking here.

The Playlist:

Kylie X MegaMix - Kylie Minogue
Big Love - Pete Heller
Sweeter Love - Blue Six
Never the Same - Supreme Beings of Leisure
Star Fire - The Sylvers
Native New Yorker - Odyssey
Mandolay - La Flavour
All Night Long - Mary Jane Girls
Postales - Federico Aubele
Gentle Rain - Astrud Gilberto

The Melting Earth, Part 2

Time-lapse photography from NASA showing what happened in the Arctic between May and September...of this year!



Say it with me: AL. GORE. FOR. PRESIDENT.

Impeachment Now

Quote of the Week :

[Bush is] an inexperienced president with a fundamentalist psyche and a paranoid and power-hungry vice-president who decided to embrace "the dark side" almost as soon as the second tower fell, and who is still trying to avenge Nixon. Until they are both gone from office, we are in grave danger...And since they have utter contempt for the role of the Congress in declaring war, we and the world are helpless to stop them. Every day we get through with them in power, I say a silent prayer of thanks that the worst hasn't happened. Yet.

-Andrew Sullivan's excellent post from yesterday, entitled "Imaginationland."

Sullivan backed Mr. Bush in 2000 and the decision to go to Iraq in 2003. But within a year of that invasion Sullivan had lost confidence in the President, and now he sees just how scary this administration really is.

It's a bit little way too late, but as someone who warned against Bush's election in 2000 precisely because of his inexperience and fundamentalist slant (a very dangerous combination), it's nice to hear one his initial backers describe George W. Bush for what he really is.

Imperialistic, dangerous, and

The. Worst. President. Ever.

The Obama Compromise

After talking with Joe Solmonese, the head of the Human Rights Campaign (who have already endorsed Hillary Clinton, by the way), Sen. Barack Obama has asked openly gay Reverend Andy Sidden, a United Church of Christ pastor in Columbia, SC, to appear at the same event as anti-gay gospel singer Donnie McClurkin.

For me, that's the end of this rather dumb political episode. But a quick memo to the junior Senator from Illinois: This is presidential politics dude. Learn how to play the game! Thinking on it, I believe your campaign should never have asked McClurkin to appear. A debate? Sure. A townhall meeting to discuss gay issues and homophobia? You bet. But not a campaign appearance.

Update: It seems Andy Towle still has his panties in a bunch:

So, I guess the question is, does adding a voice of tolerance negate the hater on the other end of the scale, which is what Obama's intention seems to be with this move? If a candidate's tour included Fred Phelps but he or she decided to suddenly "balance it out" at the last minute by adding Judy Shepard, what kind of message does that send?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but McClurkin hasn't picketed the funerals of gay Americans, nor has he picketed the funerals of Iraq War casualties under the guise of America's moral decline. Fred Phelps is bat-shit looney and not even the christian right take him seriously. Obviously, McClurkin needs a swift kick in the ass - and a lot of what he has said is indefensible - but he's not Phelps.

The Melting Earth

News item:

Greenland's ice sheet and other Arctic areas could cause sea levels to rise enough to flood low-lying cities, such as Shanghai, China, and New York City, displacing millions of people in the process.

Say it with me: Al Gore for President!

Rudy!

Quote of the Day:

I took a city that was full of pornography and licked it.

-Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani, on how he cleaned up Times Square, to the New York Daily News.

"Ex Gay": SoCal Is Burning Because of the Gays

Quote of the Day:

And then the wildfires of Southern California engulfed the land like a raging judgment against the radicalized anti-christian California rebels. How low will we go? Why won't they listen? Why won't they stop their madness?

...in the last days, the nations will rebel against God until He can't take it anymore. Was it all worth it? Were the few years of sexual immorality worth the eternal destruction and earthly chaos it brought? How low will we go?

-"Ex-Gay" James Hartline, spewing his heavenly analysis on the Southern California wildfires.

Well !

It seems someone needs a good slap in the face with rather large penis, doesn't it?

New Music

Kylie Minogue:

You can download a free five minute megamix featuring four tracks from Kylie Minogue's upcoming album here.

Kylie is back and ready to return to the top 10!


The Spice Girls:

And the new Spice Girls single has been leaked. It's rather average, but you can take a listen to it via YouTube (as long as it lasts, that is) here:

Another Picture From the Sky

(Photo: US Air Quality Blog, via DailyKos and NASA Gallery)

The Orange Sky

This picture was taken Tuesday, 23 October, at 4pm Pacific time, from Beverly Hills. Photo courtesy of Steph and Alek.

But don't mistake it for one of Southern California's spectacular sunsets. The sky is orange as a result of the massive fires burning between Santa Clarita and San Diego. Eleven fires have ruined 1,000 structures, destroyed 350,000 acres, and caused the evacuation a million people from two major metropolitan areas. A firefighter conceded, "We can't stop it." And with none of the fires more than 30% contained, the entire SoCal region is absolutely devastated.

Deal Breaker?

As most of you have probably already heard, Sen. Barack Obama (Democrat-IL) has asked gospel singer Donnie McClurkin, who has offended gay rights groups by promoting the view that homosexuality is a choice and that gays can be "cured," to sing at a campaign stop in South Carolina.

John Aravosis over at AmericaBlog is livid.

Earl Hutchinson of the Huffington Report thinks Obama should rescind the invitation.

What do I think? It's a HUGE misstep by a candidate fighting to catch up to Sen. Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. That is already a tall order and this definitely won't help.

Yes, this move has certainly dropped Obama a few pegs on my list. Whether or not he moves back into my good graces will depend largely on how he handles this. Unlike most of the blogosphere, I don't fault him for asking the guy to perform. After all, Obama's campaign is all about healing divisions, and that can only be done by reaching out to those he disagrees with.

But I'll be keeping my eye on the actual South Carolina event. If McClurkin uses his time on the stage to advance his anti-gay agenda, and if Obama doesn't school him for it, then we have a problem. In the mean time, everyone should take a deep breath.

54 Weeks Out

The latest polling from Rasmussen, 54 weeks before Election Day:

Hillary Clinton 48%
Rudy Giuliani 41%
That's similar to the final tally for her husband's 1996 win against Bob Dole.

Hillary Clinton 52%
Fred Thompson 37%
That makes Reagan's 1980 rout of Jimmy Carter look like a squeaker!

Hillary Clinton 47%
Mitt Romney 41%
I'm surprised this one is as close as it is.

Hillary Clinton 44%
John McCain 43%
No surprise here, but if McCain is the GOP nominee then I have a hunch Clinton would open up a pretty comfortable lead. He is, after all, Bush's waterboy.

And, just for kicks....

Hillary Clinton 48%
Ron Paul 38%

At the state-by-state level, Clinton leads all three major Republican candidates by double-digit margins in Arkansas (her former home state), and by smaller margins in Virginia and Florida. She leads two of the three in Tennessee (Fred Thompson being from Tennessee, he leads all the Democrats there).

All in all, these numbers look pretty good for a candidate that many see as "polarizing."

California Electoral Vote Measure Revived

Veteran GOP consultants David Gilliard and Ed Rollins have teamed up to revive the recently deflated 2008 ballot measure that would change the way California allocates its presidential votes in the Electoral College. Their hope is to have the initiative on the ballot by June and, if passed, to take effect in November's presidential election.

After declaring themselves out of money and short on petition signatures, the movement declared itself dead, at least as far as next years elections are concerned. But the entry of Gilliard and Rollins has apparently revived things.

Gilliard and Rollins are huge players in the Republican Party and could raise the necessary money to get this thing on the ballot. The Democratic Party better be ready to go to war over this and not pussy-foot around like they did in Florida in 2000.

The Republicans see the early polling and know they are likely to lose the White House next year so, as they always do to retain what little power they have, they fuck around and bend laws to benefit their hold on that power.

It reeks of desperation and is about as unpatriotic as you can get.

Running Against Elizabeth

Meet Jim Neal, a Democrat in North Carolina running for his party's nomination for the United States Senate seat currently held by Republican Botox queen Elizabeth Dole. Why am I highlighting Neal? Because during a recent on-line chat with the liberal political blog BlueNC, Neal was asked if he was gay.

His answer?

"I am indeed."

Neal is 51 and a native of North Carolina. He has worked in the information technology field, including a stint as CEO of RXMarketplace.com. In 2000, he founded The Agema Group, a financial advisory firm based in Chapel Hill. He is unmarried with two sons (one lives with him at home and one works in New York City). And he seems to be running a pretty straight forward campaign.

Wish him luck.

He is, after all, running in North Carolina - home of Jesse Helms.

Dick Wad of the Month

Glenn Beck:

I think there is a handful of people who hate America. Unfortunately for them, a lot of them are losing their homes in a forest fire today.

CNN's resident asshole made the comment as forest fires destroyed hundreds of square miles between Santa Barbara and San Diego in Southern California, leaving one person dead, four firefighters wounded, and forcing 250,000 people from their homes.

I remember a time when such a comment would get a TV personality fired.

Will CNN can the son-of-a-bitch?

I doubt it.

SoCal Wildfires

These two satellite shots of the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara areas were taken three hours apart and show how quickly the Santa Ana winds can turn a containable wildfire into a raging inferno.

I lived in Santa Barbara for six years (Brent for 13), but I never saw anything like this. It's frightening and my thoughts are with those in SoCal.

The Gay Wizard

"Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling:

I always thought of Dumbledore as gay...Dumbledore fell in love with Grindelwald...

...In fact, recently I was in a script read-through for the sixth film, and they had Dumbledore saying a line to Harry early in the script saying, 'I knew a girl once, whose hair...' I had to write a little note in the margin and slide it along to the scriptwriter, "Dumbledore's gay!"

Obama's New Ad

Shades of Kennedy and Reagan...

The Cost of the War

A big thanks to Scott for forwarding me this link. The cost of the war in Iraq, by the micro-second...it's about $10,000 every 5 seconds!!!

The continual cost counter has been added to this blog, it's on the right below the blog roll. You'll be amazed at how fast it's adding up!

The Nike Women's Marathon

Congrats to Greg the Gay Sportscaster of KNGY-FM - and to everyone who participated - in the Nike Women's Marathon on Sunday. Here are his roommate and his morning show intern greeting Greg at the finish line...

The Weekender

Click here to listen.

This week's playlist...

Love Is Just a Game (Live) - The Magic Numbers
Love Is Thicker Than Water - Andy Gibb
Walk On - U2
Just Friends - Amy Winehouse
Praise You - Fatboy Slim
Mona - Federico Aubele
Simply Beautiful - Queen Latifah
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Eyes - Rogue Wave
Teardrop - Jose Gonzalez
This Is Goodbye - Mark Knopfler / Emmylou Harris
Breathe Me - Sia

Five Questions

...for the Republican presidential candidates, from John Cole:

1. Would you have sex with a man to stop a terrorist attack?

2. If you had a time machine, would you travel back in time and abort Bin Laden?

3. Would you torture and kill Jesus to ensure mankind’s salvation? And how does that work?

4. If lowering taxes results in increased revenues then would lowering taxes to zero result in infinite revenues?

5. (For Rudy Giuliani specifically): How many alimony checks does the sanctity of marriage cost?

Heh heh!

SCHIP

DemFromCT over at Daily Kos has an excellent post-SCHIP rundown. Click here to read it. Bottom line: The American people, by an overwhelming 81% to 15% margin, want this program in place. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will reintroduce the bill later, and believes she can pick up the 13 votes she needs to override another presidential veto (the Senate already has those numbers).

And it's that Bush veto that puzzles me. By rejecting the bill, Little Boy George proves once again that he hates Americas children. In addition to sending them to Iraq to die on the wings of lie, saddling them with a national debt so enormous that - in order to pay it off - taxes will have to be raised so high that their standard of living in 20 years will be much lower than that of their parents, and presiding over an education program that will leave them in the dust behind India and China, the President now leaves them without any sort of health care program.

Every industrialized nation in the world takes care of their children. But not the United States. Not under this president.

Say it with me: The. Worst. President. Ever.

Little Miss Chloe

Introducing herself to a new toy. (Sorry about the video quality, but I captured the moment with my cell phone.)

Everybody Just Calm Down

Everyone has their panties in a bunch over two things this week...

1. Mutts and Moms isn't budging with Ellen DeGeneres' request to have a dog she adopted - and then couldn't keep because of issues with her cats - returned to the family to which she wound up giving the dog.

2. San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer is under fire from Catholic leaders because two Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence received communion from him on October 7 at the Holy Redeemer Church in the city's Castro District. (For those of you not in-the-know, the Sisters mix street theater, drag-queen fabulousness, and community fundraising for charity. The San Francisco chapter has raised more than $1 million for such groups as the Breast Cancer Network, and numerous AIDS organizations. And that just scratches the surface of the good deeds.)

Ok, first...Mutts and Moms ought to change their name to Dogs and Bitches. There is no reason what-so-ever why they can't return that dog to the family. DeGeneres is a complete animal lover and she wouldn't have handed the dog over to them if she thought the dog was in any sort of danger. The only people getting hurt here are the kids from which the dog was taken. And as "moms," that should take precedent over the adoption agency's idiotic and antiquated post-adoption rules.

As for the Sisters...yeah, they're outrageous and they may be "blasphemous" in the eyes of some who have rather large sticks up their asses, but their hearts are as big as gold and everything they do (EVERYTHING) - and all the money they raise (ALL OF IT) - is for charity. Isn't that what christianity is all about?

As Dolly Parton once said, "Get off the cross, somebody needs the wood!"

Levity

A couple of random items to help keep your day on an even keel:

Barack Cheney?

Bill Burton, Sen. Barack Obama's spokesperson, on news that Obama is a cousin from eight generations back to Vice-President Cheney: "Every family has a black sheep."

Stars of Yester-year Go Geriatric!

Today's birthdays...Pam Dawber (of "Mork & Mindy" fame), 56; Jean-Claude Van Damme, 47 (and doesn't look a day over 57!), and finally, Chuck Berry is 162 today.

Samantha Power & Mark Penn

It's the full hour-long episode, but yesterday's Charlie Rose show is rich with Obama vs. Clinton conversation.

On the Obama side, Samantha Power - one of his many talented foreign policy advisers - presents a passionate analysis of why a "President Obama" would be the best medicine for American foreign policy in the post-Bush years.

Then Clinton's chief strategist, Mark Penn, shows up for the second part of the show and, rather than discuss the most important issue of the coming election, starts talking about...polls!

Charlie Rose laughs at Penn...literally. It's a classic hour of political conversation, and could very well lead many to second guess their support of Sen. Clinton.

Take a look...

Hillary Inevitable?

Not so, says Barack Obama. On last night's Jay Leno show he said:

Hillary is not the first politician in Washington to declare 'mission accomplished' a little too soon.

He shoots, he scores!

It ain't over yet, my friends.

And when asked by Leno about Lynne Cheney's allegations that her recent family research show Obama and her husband, Vice-President Dick Cheney, are eighth cousins:

I don't want to be invited to the family hunting party.

Rotten George

Bushism of the Day:

What I'm tellin' ya is there's a lotta dialogue goin' on and that's positive...and (we) will continue to dialoguing with the Turks.

-Little Georgie Bush, answering a question about Turkey's threat to attack northern Iraq, during this morning's press conference in which the President practically held his breath and pounded his fists on the floor at questions asked by NBC's David Gregory and ABC's Martha Radditz.

Doh!

Meridith!

If Not Al, Who?

From this past Sunday...Thomas Friedman's column in the New York Times. I urge you to take the time to give it a full read. He sums it all up very nicely:

Seeing Al Gore so deservedly share the Nobel Peace Prize, it is impossible not to note the contrast in his leadership and that of George W. Bush.

Mr. Gore and Mr. Bush each faced a crucible moment. For Mr. Gore, it was winning the popular vote and having the election taken away from him by a Republican-dominated Supreme Court. For Mr. Bush, it was the shocking terrorist attack on 9/11.

Mr. Gore lost the presidency, but in the dignity and grace with which he gave up his legal fight, he united America. Then, faced with what to do with the rest of his life, he took up a personal crusade to combat climate change, even though the odds were stacked against him, his soapbox was small, his audiences were measured in hundreds, and his critics were legion. Nevertheless, Mr. Gore stuck with it and over time has played a central role in building a global consensus for action on this issue.

“No matter what happens, sooner or later character in leadership is revealed,” said David Rothkopf, author of the upcoming “Superclass: The Global Power Elite and the World They Are Making.” “Gore lost the election and had to figure out what to do with the rest of his life. He took the initiative to get the country and the world to focus on a common threat — climate change. Bush won the election and for the first year really didn’t know what to do with it. When, on 9/11, we and the world were suddenly faced with a common threat — terrorism and Al Qaeda — the whole world was ready to line up behind him, but time and again he just divided us at home and abroad.”

Indeed, Mr. Bush, rather than taking all that unity and using it to rebuild America for the 21st century, took all that unity and used it to push the narrow agenda of his “base.” He used all that unity to take a far-right agenda on taxes and social issues that was going nowhere on 9/10 and drive it into a 9/12 world.

Never has so much national unity — which could have been used to develop a real energy policy, reverse our coming Social Security deficit, assemble a lasting coalition to deal with Afghanistan and Iraq, maybe even get a national health care program — been used to build so little. That is what historians will note most about Mr. Bush’s tenure — the sheer wasted opportunity of it all.

Yes, Iraq was always going to be hugely difficult, but the potential payoff of erecting a decent, democratizing government in the heart of the Arab world was also enormous. Yet Mr. Bush, in his signature issue, never mobilized the country, never punished incompetence, never made the bad guys “fight all of us,” as Bill Maher put it, by at least pushing through a real energy policy to reduce the resources of the very people we were fighting. He thought he could change the world with 50.1 percent of the country, and he couldn’t.

“Gore, even without the presidency, used all the modern tools of communication, the Internet, video and globalization to reach out and galvanize a global movement,” Mr. Rothkopf said. “Bush took the greatest platform in the world and dug himself a policy grave.”

Now Mr. Bush is a spent force and Mr. Gore is, apparently, not running. So we still need a president who can unify the country around meaningful action on energy and climate. Most of the Democratic candidates mouth the right words, but I don’t sense much real passion. Most of the Republican candidates seem to be brain-dead on the energy/climate challenge. And it is amazing to me how flat-out wrong some conservatives, like Rush Limbaugh, can be on this issue.

They can’t see what is staring us in the face — that in pushing American companies to become greener, we are pushing them to become more productive, more innovative, more efficient and more competitive.

You can’t make a product greener without making it smarter and more in demand — whether it is a refrigerator or a microchip. Just ask G.E. or Wal-Mart or Sun Microsystems. You can’t make an army greener without making it more secure. Just ask the U.S. Army officers who are desperate for distributed solar power, so they won’t have to depend on diesel fuel to power their bases in Iraq — fuel that has to be trucked all across that country, only to get blown up by insurgents. In pushing our companies to go green we are spurring them to take the lead in the next great global industry — clean power.

In sum, Al Gore has been justly honored for highlighting — like no one else — the climate challenge. But we still need a vision, a strategy, an army and a commander in the White House who can inspire young and old — not only to meet that challenge but to see in it the opportunity to make America a better, stronger and more productive nation. This is our crucible moment.

Vision? Strategy? An inspiring commander-in-chief?

It's unfortunately obvious that Al Gore will not run this time around. But, President Friedman has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Tom?

Randy-Jay Adolphos Jones

Dumb Crook of the Month Award: Goes to Randy-Jay Adolphos Jones of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, who snatched the purse of a 29-year-old Philadelphia woman. When the cell phone inside the purse rang, Jones answered it. It was the woman calling her own cell number and making arrangements to retrieve her phone.

Jones said he'd return it so long as the woman paid him $20.00

She agreed.

And brought the police.

Pink Elephant Alert

From the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Donald Fleischman, the chairman of the Republican Party in Brown County, Wisconsin, faces criminal charges for allegedly fondling a 16-year-old Ethan House runaway and providing the boy with beer and marijuana late last year.

Mutts and Moms Adoption Agency: Cowards

From Andy Towle:

An emotional Ellen DeGeneres broke down on her show today, pleading with a dog rescue agency to return an adopted dog she had given to her hairdresser and two girls because it didn't get along with the cats at the DeGeneres-De Rossi household. Here is Ellen's tearful hello to her audience.

The AP reports: "The talk show hostess and her partner Portia de Rossi adopted Iggy, a Brussels Griffon mix, on Sept. 20. But when things didn't work out, DeGeneres gave the dog to her hairdresser. In doing so, DeGeneres violated an agreement with the Mutts and Moms agency by not informing them of the handoff. When the agency called DeGeneres to ask about Iggy, she said she found another home for the dog. The agency sent a representative to the hairdresser's home Sunday and took the dog away. DeGeneres went public with the doggy ordeal Monday while taping an episode of her show to air Tuesday. She admitted she didn't read all the paperwork involving the adoption."

Perhaps Mutts and Moms, a volunteer nonprofit organization in Pasadena, should add "militant" to their organization's name.

Amen to that.

I emailed Mutts and Moms to join the thousands who have already tried to persuade them to return the puppy but found their email address removed from their website. But a simple check of Google's "cache" option brought me the address.

UPDATE: They've disabled their enitre website. Cowards.

Add your two cents:

Email address: pawboutique@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.muttsandmoms.org/
Phone: 626-394-0946

And for those who missed it, here is Ellen's heart-felt plea: