Slow your role, McAuliffe!

"I'm never underestimating another B-movie actor"

- Former DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe on Fred Thompson. McAuliffe was part of the Carter administration when Ronald Reagan, a former B actor, defeated Carter and became president.

Of course Mr. McAuliffe fails to recognize that The Hunt for Red October and In the Line of Fire are NOT B movies!

In other news, Pigs were spotted flying over Baltimore, and Hell is reportedly a chilly 28 degrees (Quote of the Day: 9/6)

"... I'm not crazy about presidential candidates announcing their candidacy on these late-night shows, Leno or Letterman. I know why they're doing it... The one thing about it that bothers me -- and I'm not rooted in fuddy-duddiness here, although it may sound like it to some of you but -- is I think the office of the presidency has a certain stature, and I don't like to see it linked or tied to pop culture. Pop culture is by definition one of the low common denominators of our society.... You know damn well that presidents don't go on The Tonight Show. So why should they as candidates? When you link the stature of that office to the pop culture, I don't think the damage is instantaneous, but it's just a slow erosion of the stature of the office. It's just my instinct here. It could be anybody. This is not directed at Fred Thompson."

- Rush Limbaugh

Wait a tick, do I agree with Rush Limbaugh?

Recap: Republican Debate

Didn't watch tonight's Republican Debate? You're not alone (I didn't either, but I did watch Leno), but don't worry SAM's here to recap what went down...and what didn't (try to guess which is which).

- Rudy did the second half dressed in drag.

- When asked about his tenuous situation with his immediate family (his 2nd wife hates him, he doesn't speak with his son, his daughter publicly supports Obama) Giuliani gave an honest answer, according to Mark McCurry of NBC, "He answered this question by discussing 1) that private is different from the public and 2) that -- like many Americans -- he isn't perfect when it comes to family. 'I am not running as the perfect candidate for president,' he said. 'I am running as a human being.'"

- McCain, desparate for attention, did the second half of the debate completely naked.

- McCain harped on a theme of fiscal responsibility. He did not take a pledge not to raise taxes, but rather railed against pork spending, deficits, and unfair earmarks. To be fair, pork spending is completely out of hand, reform is long overdue, and it's only getting worse. But come on. We're at war. People are terrified of a looming recession. Terrified of al Qaeda. Terrified of China. McCain's got to get back in this thing... is pork going to get it done???

- Out of nowhere, the Law and Order "doink doink" sound echoed through the auditorium and Fred Thompson appeared standing 10 feet tall in the middle of the other candidates. The crowd was silent, and Fred bellowed "It's feeding time" and swallowed Sam Brownback whole.

- Fred didn't show, but told Jay Leno "I am running for president," just before critiquing the debate process and reminding voters how early in the campaign it is. And he's right on both counts, incidentally.

- Giuliani gave a heads up to Democrats who hope to run against him in 2012 when he said: "It is my intention to lower taxes." Not exactly a "read my lips" moment, but it was close...

- When asked by Leno if he was for the war when it began, Thompson said he was. In his answer, Thompson sought to remind Americans that if we hadn't gone to do what we did "Saddam would be continuing his nuclear weapons program."

- Upon hearing that answer I shouted at the television "WHAT NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM?" and my head exploded

Lessons Forgotten

Recently, I read Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book about the last year of the Nixon presidency, titled "The Final Days." The book details all the legal and political maneuvering by Nixon's White House aides, while they try to contain Watergate, and convince the president to resign. This whole time, which seems to take place between June '73, to Nixon's resignation on August 9, 1974, the president is quite unhinged. He never seems capable of making complete, coherent statements, people worry about his mental stability, and, at times, his closest aides believe Nixon may commit suicide. The book is an insightful look into the machinations of a White House in free fall.

One aspect of the book is quite troubling, though. Although it's never explicit, the constant absence of decision-making by the President is wrought throughout the book. One gets the sense that the President is not focused on domestic nor international matters, and how could he? His political future, not to mention that of his office, was at stake. Still, the deliberations and executions of key decisions by unelected officials ought to be more than disconcerting, for people re-elected Nixon to make the tough choices, not be in bed all morning while his Chief of Staff, General Haig, ran the White House, and, essentially, the country.

It's interesting, the old adage: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Nine-Eleven was the beginning of a new era, far different from the Cold War. Yet, at the helm is a man whom many of us wouldn't trust with our mock mutual funds, let alone the national defense. Like Nixon, Mr. Bush has been able to put up a facade of a stalwart, straight-shooting Texan who we could feel comfortable in being led by. The escape and vacationing of Bin Laden, the countless miscalculations in Iraq, among other foreign policy initiatives that this man has put America through, has once again opened our eyes to what it means to be President.

It shouldn't be about taking the advice of experienced ideologues, and going with your "gut". The analyses and synthesis of information should be part of the regimen a president uses to make decisions. This is a new era in foreign policy, but with American soldiers in foreign hostile lands, an economy slipping and China rising, should it matter why we have a dumb president.

Big Night

The Republican race takes center stage as candidates debate in Durham, NC... well, most of the candidates debate. Fred Thompson, who is scheduled to announce officially tomorrow on his website, will instead go on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. But not to worry, voters!-- Team Fred is running a TV commercial during the debate.

"On the next president's watch, our country will make decisions that will affect our lives and our families far into the future," Thompson says in the ad. "We can't allow ourselves to become a weaker, less prosperous and more divided nation."

So that takes care of that...

To be fair, though, it's not like there won't be a half-dozen other debates before the first ballots are cast.

They're baaaaack

The NY Times political blog, The Caucus, reports that the House and Senate are back in Washington and back in session today. Coming up, they'll be dealing with issues of government spending, Iraq and who had the "raddest" summer vacation (my money is on Maryland Senator Barbara McKulski). Check out the link above for a full preview.

50 to Hillary: I'm feelin' you

"I'd like to see Hillary Clinton be president. It would be nice to see a woman be the actual president and ... this is a way for us to have Bill Clinton be president again, and he did a great job during his term," that's 50 aka Ferrari F-50 giving Senator Hillary Clinton a ringing endorsement for the presidency.

Ben Smith from the Politico notes that "backpack rappers" (unsigned, mixtape artists) are reportedly pulling for Sen. Obama, while more established stars like Mr. Cent prefer Sen. Clinton-- which, Smith says, "has a certain logic to it."

For her part, Sen. Clinton says 50's always been her favorite rapper, and his romantic ode "Thug Love" always "hit close to home." While we can only speculate what the Senator meant by that comment, I think the following lyrics say it all:

Ay yo I treat you like you need to be treated like you're special
Tie your hands to the bedpost when I caress you
When I met you it was Guess and Gap
Now it's Gucci and Prada
Took you from being a nine to being a dime
You complain that we don't spend time
When I'm OT on the grind going hard for mine
Yo when shorty say she hate me
You know she mean she love me
When she play me close at the bar
That mean she want some Bubbly

Quote of the Day 9/3

"She was one of the weakest national security advisors in US history. Her inexperience and her mistakes in that job have shaped the world and colored the choices she must handle as secretary of state... The invasion of Iraq, the missed opportunity with Iran, the breach in relations with Europe, the Arab anger at a perceived bias against the Palestinians -- all of these problems were the direct result of decisions she helped make in the White House. Now, as secretary of state, she tried mightily -- and with limited success -- to unravel the Gordian knots she tied in George W. Bush's first term."

- From The Confidante, a new book by Gordon Kessler of the Washington Post, about former National Security Advisor and current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Kessler spent years researching this anticipated book, which is due out next week. Kessler regularly travels with the Secretary on trips around the world, and interviewed her and others from the Justice Department for The Confidante.

The Associated Foreign Press reports:

The foreign policy failures under Rice's watch include the Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon in mid-2006, which "may have marked an ominous turning point -- the decline of American power in the region," Kessler writes.

The author also points to North Korea's nuclear tests in October 2006, which he says the Bush administration could have avoided, and the long stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Rice has also never been personally engaged in efforts to end the humanitarian tragedy in Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur, Kessler writes.

One of her few bright spots is the US nuclear deal with India, which was negotiated soon after she took the job and still needs to be finalized.

For his book, Kessler, who often travels with Rice on her trips around the world, interviewed Rice several State Department officials, giving him new insight into negotiations between Rice and foreign leaders as as well as her private talks with Bush.

The secretary of state is very secretive about her personal life, but Kessler was able to catch a glimpse of the non-official Rice, learning about how she helped a friend in a financial pinch.

"I think I tried to be relatively balanced," Kessler told AFP. "I tried to be very clear minded."

Kessler is not yet ready to write off Rice, who plans to remain on the job until the end of the Bush presidency, as a failure.

"It is too early to make that kind of judgment," Kessler said. "At the moment though, it does not look very good."

Labor Day: U-S-A! U-S-A!

No thanks to me and my lazy friends in higher education...

The UN reports that American workers are the most productive in the world. US workers lead in productivity when it comes to the amount of wealth produced each year ($63,885) and is second in amount per hour ($35.63)-- trailing only Norway, which has a huge oil industry and insanely high prices.

Top 5 most productive workforces (per year)
1. USA
2. Ireland
3. Luxembourg
4. Belgium
5. France

Top 3 most productive wokforces (per hour)
1. Norway
2. USA
3. France
US workers put in an average of 1804 hours/ year, while French workers worked 1564 hours, and Norweigen workers 1407 hours. These rates were below Asian countries, some of which top the 2200 hour mark, but which are less productive.

So, even though I'm in school, I guess everyone should enjoy their day off, because it's well earned!

Bush in Iraq

President Bush is in Iraq on a surprise visit. In a symbolic gesture, the Commander in Chief did not go to Baghdad and confer with the government there, opting instead to visit Anbar province. Bush's team hopes that local government and leaders will emerge as the best agents of progress in the war torn country.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki was part of the delegation that met with Defense Secretary Robert Gates before the President's arrival. As the AP reports, having the Prime Minister, who is a Shiite, travel to Sunni- dominated Anbar also sends a powerful message to war critics: al- Maliki is indeed capable of reaching out to Sunnis, and uniting Iraq's religious factions.

National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley told the AP that the trip was decided on 6 weeks ago to coincide with Congress' return to Washington, and the heating up of the war debate. Hadley said there has been marked progress in Anbar, making it a good place to show the administration's strategy.

The next week is very important for the administration, and pivotal for the war effort overall. General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will testify before Congress on progress against the sectarian violence that has been steady since the US overthrew Saddam Husein in 2003. Support for troop withdrawal has gained steam over the Congressional break, especially in light of a critical GAO report leaked in the media last week that said little to no political or infrastructural headway was being made. The time for al- Maliki to broker a solution among Iraq's politicians appears to be at hand.

February's 30,000 troop surge has seen some increase in stability, but opponents argue such stability will be fleeting, so long as Iraq's political factions fail to build any kind of power-sharing consensus.

Now what are we supposed to write about???

Disgraced Republican Sen. Larry Craig is (reportedly) ready to resign... for details check here... Craig will always be remembered as the man who made the term "wide stance" comedy gold.

Top 10 Hillary Clinton Campaign Promises

Sen. Hillary Clinton was recently on David Letterman to announce her Top 10 campaign promises:

10. Bring stability and long term security to The View.

9. Each year, on my birthday, every American gets a free cupcake.

8. You will have the option of rolling dice against the IRS for double or nothing on your taxes.

7. If you're having trouble getting a flight and Air Force 1 is available, it's yours.

6. My Vice President will never shoot a guy in the face.

5. Turn Gitmo into a Dairy Queen.

4. For over a century there have been only 2 Dakotas... I plan to double that.

3. We will finally have a president who doesn't mind pulling over and asking for directions--- am I right ladies???

2. I will appoint a committee to find out what the heck is happening on Lost.

1. One more pants-suit joke and Letterman disappears.

McCain Re-launches with Impressive Video

In an effort to resuscitate a once promising campaign, Sen. John McCain's team has released this very high quality 12 minute video on johnmccain.com.

The video focuses on McCain's inspiring story as a POW in Vietnam, and the qualities and perspective he'd bring to the job of president. It begins with amazing footage of a 31 year old McCain being interviewed by his captors.

After his near miss in 2000, McCain made the strategic mistake of ditching his Straight Talk Express, maverick persona and cozying up to the party's conservative establishment. He embraced President Bush (literally) and courted the religious-right he had stood up to in his first run for the White House.

But a funny thing happened on his way to the nomination... he was never accepted by the Bush crowd, and he lost his identity as a straight shooting independent and the considerable support that came with it.

Now his campaign is struggling to continue.

However, no one can take McCain's story away from him. In Vietnam, he volunteered for dangerous missions, spent more than 5 years in a POW camp (mostly in solitary confinement), and showed undeniable character.

His campaign may not be looking too good right now, but I wouldn't count McCain completely out. Either way, with his resume, he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone.

He's (officially) In

3 months after he began "testing the waters," Fred D. Thompson is ready to announce his candidacy for President of the United States. People have been getting a little frustrated with Big Fred, who certainly took his time coming to this decision. On a morning conference call with supporters, Friends of Fred (Thompson's campaign) announced their "next steps," which includes a webcast (a la Hillary Clinton) on September 6 to formally announce.

In an unfortunate twist, this means that NBC will pull all Law & Order re-runs in which Thompson appears, which sucks because those are the best ones. NBC is forced to do so because there would be complications with laws on equal time for political candidates.

Wide Left, Wide Right (Sorry 'Canes-'Noles Fans), Wide Stance 2

Well, the interview between Senator Craig and the Arresting Officer, Investigative Sergeant Dave Karsnia (far left), is right here, brought to us by the good folks at MSNBC.com. This dialogue has just given several SNL writers the night off. Nice.

Romney's New TV Spot

Mitt Romney has a new new TV ad that's running in Iowa and New Hampshire, and I have to say I really like it.

It captures your attention and touts the candidate's strengths in a unique way. Also, it invites you to wonder what Rudy Giuliani or Fred Thompson would look like on a long run (ewwwww).

Report: Outlook Not Good

The Government Accountability Office has leaked its report on the progress in Iraq into the news media, before it's given to Congress on Tuesday. It seems to undermine next month's White House progress report, which, in all likelihood, will present a rosier picture.

On the surge in Baghdad, the GAO says that although sectarian attacks against American forces have dropped, violence against Iraqis is unchanged, and "the capabilities of Iraqi security forces have not improved."

"Overall," the report concludes, "key legislation has not been passed, violence remains high, and it is unclear whether the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion in reconstruction funds," as promised.

So, when the White House's report comes out in September, it should probably taken with a grain of salt.

For the full story check out The Washington Post.

Wide Left, Wide Right, Wide Stance

No doubt everyone has heard the story of Senator Craig's MN airport bathroom excursion. Chris Meehan has pointed out earlier in this post that this is not the first time the tri-term senator has dealt with homo-erotic situations. In fact, there seems to be a rash of conservative leaders being placed in compromising circumstances their constituents and followers would be surprised to know about.

Now, much has been said of the hypocrisy of these men who engage in lewd behavior, who all the while condemn such acts. One problem is their excuse. It's sometimes the devil and his evil ways. Lucifer made me do it. Other times, it's simply putting up a moral wall that appears impenetrable, then, thanks to some techies on the Hill, the aim chats prove the wall to be paper-thin.

In Senator Craig's case, it's simply denial. Denial that he solicited sex, but admitted to pleading guilty to - wait for it - having a wide stance. A wide stance! Then, he had to assure the world that he's not gay, nor ever has been. This preposterous incident has now led Sen. Craig to inform us of his defecation posture, and a staunch affirmation of his sexual preference, which, as we all know, usually means you're gay...not that there's anything wrong with it.

The sad part is this is probably a lame story compared to what the Conservative Coalition (of the More than Willing) has brought to the public square. State Rep. Bob Allen (FL-R) was so scared of a Black guy, that he offered him twenty dollars to perform oral sex. Now, that's fear. Ted Haggard was so screwed - pun intended - that he had to go to anti-gay camp, or something. Not long after, the man was born again - again. And has anyone seen Mark Foley?










All this is quite indicative of America's compulsion for hypocrisy, which is quite pathetic. Will Senator Craig's wife be demonized for not leaving him? Will Mrs. Vitter be excused for standing by her man, or will she be the new Hill on the Hill? When people vote for style and slogans as opposed to genuine ideas that address problems we face, we get senate debates about a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage; not an immigration deal or health care modification. But it's like what Karl Rove teaches us: It's not how you campaign or govern, it's whether you win the suckers' votes. It's the power, stupid.

Top 10 Reasons Alberto Gonzales Resigned

from last night's Letterman...

10. Felt he wasn't incompetent enough for the Bush administration

9. Secretly ordered himself to fire himself

8. Was offered the John Travolta role in the touring production of "Hairspray"

7. Trying his hand at failing miserably in the private sector

6. Didn't want to be around for transition to the Kucinich administration

5. Instead of terrorism, trying to keep Lindsay and Paris off the streets

4. Got a sweet new job at Kinko's

3. Letterman has a guy making a sand sculpture of Biff Henderson

2. Ran out of laws to circumvent

1. Why not go out on top?

America's Mayor...America's President?

Here’s an interesting article on Rudy Giuliani and his terrorism/security credentials…

Some thoughts…

In the aftermath of 9/11, Rudy Giuliani provided exactly what was needed. He remained calm and resolute, promising that the attacks would far from ruin the world’s greatest city, rather that New York City, and by extension America, would emerge stronger then ever. Rudy Giuliani became America’s Mayor.

He deserves credit for quickly recognizing the psychological component of the attacks and thus coaxing all who were listening to go on living their lives; to not give into the Al-Qaeda’s objectives. Based largely on his experiences of 9/11, Giuliani says he understands terrorism "better than anyone else running for President.” But as the article points out, “being a victim of terrorism, or the steely leader of a recovery, is not necessarily the same as understanding terrorism.”

He has been quoted on the campaign trail in reference to Islamic terrorists as saying, “They want to kill us” and “They hate you.” This is no doubt true, but it says nothing of how he would protect the country from future attacks. All it demonstrates is that now that he is running for President, Giuliani has embraced the proverbial anvil hanging over America’s head. While I recognize that a terrorism/security platform is essentially Giuliani’s only way to the White House, I find it very disingenuous to mount a campaign on a notion of fear when much of your national identity is based a refusal to give into this fear.

The problem with such a campaign, with respect to the voters, is that people end up voting not on the relative merits of candidate A versus candidate B, but instead on the fear of what might happen if they don’t vote for candidate A. It is an empty vote. We are now in the sixth year of the current war against terrorism. Shouldn't a candidate offer something as to what has worked and what hasn’t, what he or she would do differently. Obviously much of what is done is beyond the public eye and not up for discussion, but there has to be more than “they want to kill us” when, as with Rudy Giuliani, this is your defining issue.