That Sucking Sound: The Clinton Years

When one thinks of the Clinton Years, one often recalls that honorificabilitudinatibus sound of sucking, filling the dark closets of the Oval Orifice. And, of course, the devil with the blue dress.

But one also thinks of ears. Big ears. Far too big for a diatom like H. Ross. Perot. [drumroll please. cue the sucking sound.] But you know what they say: Big ears, big... well let me just explain it this way: "hross" is the Old English spelling of "horse" (at least to the extent that they had any orthography).

Perhaps it was this preternatural disproportionality that disengendered many voters to HRoss, thus allowing the greasy shoehorn of fate to repopulate the White House without a Perot to brag about his Johnson, or a Bush to brag about barb. It was Clinton's turn, Jerry Brown be damned.

But the well-endowed Hross also left a legacy involving a sucking sound...when he bespoke of the jobs being sucked out of America (USA) were NAFTA to become law of the lamb. Did I say lamb? I meant sheep.

Meanwhile, the pigs are getting fatter still, and the dogs of war are all barked out. Jeez this is starting to sound like a Pink Floyd album.

Album, you say?

The moral of the story, if there is one, might resemble this: You can lead a Hross to falter, but you can't blame it on Walter.

"But that makes no sense!", you say.

Welcome to America. And for God's sake don't boo the queen.

(This important message has been brought to you by...ADC: the American Digression Corporation, where sport trumps knowledge.)

This is not a time to replay old tapes or albums.
We need a clear break from the sickeningly nefarious 20th century.

We can start anew, and distance ourselves from all that, by supporting 21st century politicians, artists, writers, bloggers, social networking leisure-cats, and everyone named David.
Or, we can re-open old wounds.

Don't re-open old wounds.
Release the Healer Monsters.

Edwards and Obama.
Healer Monsters.

Hillary, Lieberman & Bush: Their Push for War with Iran is Tipping Point

Strange bedfellows

John Edwards said it best. He and Hillary learned entirely different lessons from the Iraq War. And now that Hillary has joined Lieberman, Bush and the PNAC neo-cons to take those first steps toward war with Iran...her departure from real Americans is complete. And Obama's failure to even vote may well serve as a tipping point for him too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-durang/beware-kyllieberman-pro_b_65797.html

FROM THE DEBATE:

RUSSERT: Senator, are you suggesting that these candidates
suspend their campaigns, go back to Washington, and for 40 consecutive
days vote on the war?

GRAVEL: If it stops the killing, my God, yes, do it.

And, Tim, you're really missing something. This is fantasy land.
We are talking about ending the war. My God, we're just starting a
war right today. There was a vote in the Senate today. Joe
Lieberman, who authored the Iraq resolution, has offered another
resolution and it is essentially a fig leaf to let George Bush go to
war with Iran.

I want to congratulate Biden for voting against it, Dodd for
voting against it.

And I am ashamed of you, Hillary, for voting for it. You're not
going to get another shot at this because what happens if this war
ensues, we invade, and they're looking for an excuse to do it. And
Obama was not even there to vote.

RUSSERT: Senator Clinton, I want to give you a chance to
respond.

(NERVOUS LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: I don't know where to start.

RUSSERT: Please take 30 seconds.

(NERVOUS LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: Yes. Let me respond.

My understanding of the Revolutionary Guard in Iran is that it is
promoting terrorism. It is manufacturing weapons that are used
against our troops in Iraq. It is certainly the main agent of support
for Hezbollah, Hamas and others.

And in what we voted for today, we will have an opportunity to
designate it as a terrorist organization which gives us the options to
be able to impose sanctions on the primary leaders to try to begin to
put some teeth into all this talk about dealing with Iran.

We wouldn't be where we are today if the Bush administration
hadn't outsourced our diplomacy with respect to Iran and ignored Iran
and called it part of the axis of evil. Now we've got to make up for
lost time and lost ground...

EDWARDS: But I want to come back to a discussion that took place a few
minutes ago to make everyone understands what Senator Gravel is
talking and Senator Clinton was talking about. Because there was a
very important vote cast in the United States Senate today. And it
was, basically, in a resolution calling the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard a terrorist organization.

I voted for this war in Iraq, and I was wrong to vote for this
war. And I accept responsibility for that. Senator Clinton also
voted for this war.

We learned a very different lesson from that. I have
no intention of giving George Bush the authority to take the first
step on a road to war with Iran.

And I think that vote today, which Senator Biden and Senator Dodd
voted against, and they were correct to vote against it, is a clear
indication of the approach that all of us would take with the
situation in Iran because what I learned in my vote on Iraq was you
cannot give this president the authority and you can't even give him
the first step in that authority because he cannot be trusted. And
that resolution that was voted on today was a very clear indication...

Democratic Response to the one-trick-pony president by John Edwards

Mister Bush once again proved that there is no evolution, or, if there is, he is not privy to it, by, once again, uttering that most stupid of non-words, "nucular". these people just will not learn, and the sad thing is that their cheerleaders don't even care.

Anyway, he yabbed his typical puppetry tonight about Iraq. Bla bla bla. Hand the problem over to the Democrats (eight years to freaking late!) and let them fix it. Heck, we're stupid!

Anyway, John Edwards responded...

The Man from Hemp

HEMP, NC

Bill Clinton was known as The Man from Hope, as that was where he grew up...in Hope, Arkansas. John Edwards is The Man from Hemp...and no, I don't mean marijuana. I mean Hemp...a small town in North Carolina whose current name happens to be Robbins.

Hemp was not the first name of Robbins though. The town of Robbins began in 1795 when Alexander Kennedy, a revolutionary war soldier (who happens to be my 5th great-grandfather, and the son of John Kennedy, the immigrant), settled in the area and established what would become the largest gun factory in the South. The promise of jobs drew others to the area, which became known as Mechanics Hill. In 1838, the gun factory closed and the townspeople cleared the land for agricultural purposes. It was during this time that gold was discovered in the area, and the town experienced a minor gold rush.

FUR ELISE

"At the turn of the twentieth century, the Durham-Charlotte railroad came through, and a depot was built in the town. In 1900, the town registered its name as Elise, in honor of the daughter of the president of the railroad. The railroad brought many more jobs and people to the town. In 1904, Elise Academy, now Elise Middle School, was established to educate the children of Elise. It was at this time that the townspeople applied for an official U.S. post office; they were notified that there was already a town in North Carolina with the name Elise. The post office assigned the town the name of Hemp, and after much argument among the townspeople, the new name was begrudgingly adopted in 1915. However, many people continued to refer to the town as Elise for years to come. In 1935, Hemp was incorporated as a town."
http://www.hsl.unc.edu/phpapers/robbins00/RCommDescr.htm

"During the 1920's, the town experienced industrial growth. Hemp was supplied with power in 1923, and the following year, Moore Mills Textile plant, the first textile mill, was established. The mill was purchased by Karl Robbins in 1930 and renamed the Robbins Silk Mill. The textile industry continued to play a significant role in the town until 1990. "

I believe it is this mill that John Edwards' father worked in.

ECONOMY: Kennedys, Guns & Gold

"The economy of Robbins has been marked by periods of growth and decline. In 1795, the Kennedy family opened the largest gun factory in the south in an effort to supply revolutionary war soldiers with rifles. The Kennedy gun factory created 75-100 jobs for the area; the factory continued to grow through the early 1800s, employing 150 people at its peak (Changing the Name of Hemp, 1943). When the gun factory closed in 1838 the land was cleared for agriculture. It was at this time that gold was discovered (City Government of Robbins, n.d.). Mining kept the town alive through the transitions in major industries. The gold mines are now being utilized to mine for talc."

My family still has ties and land in Moore County, where not only one may find Robbins, Elise, Hemp and Mechanics Hill (which are the same place), but one may drive to the southern end of the county and play fine golf at Pinehurst. It is a testament to the American Spirit that a small-town boy can, through hard and good work, rise to become the de facto leader of the world. I, for one, think the world would be well served.

AFL-CIO Debate, Chicago, Aug.7, 2007

Here is the entire debate from last night, which was shown to MSNBC customers. The first clip shows Carolina's own, Senator Edwards, as he arrives at the debate.

Senator Edwards connecting with seniors of Iowa

From The Des Moines Register

The Web 2.008 Campaign

By Edward Cone

Web video and social networks are two of the hottest technologies for Campaign '08. Video is ready for prime time, social networking is a relative unknown...

MORE

The Edwardian Age: John Edwards TV

Start it up, and one video will flow into the next. You can put down your mouse, relax, and enjoy...

John Edwards - HAIR

The 2nd most popular video on YouTube...



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Green-Collar Jobs: John Edwards on Creating the New Economy

MoveOn members overwhelmingly selected John Edwards as candidate with the best plan to deal with the climate crisis.






"Over 100,000 people attended 1300 parties across the country to listen to the Democratic candidates answer questions on how to deal with the climate crisis. John won in a landslide with over 33% of the vote, the next closest candidate receiving only 15%."

ReadOn

"Achieving Energy Independence & Stopping Global Warming Through A New Energy Economy"

INCLUDING!!!!

Open the Electricity Grids to Distributed and Renewable Generation: Traditionally, electricity has been produced at large, central power plants and transmitted through miles of power lines. Distributed generation of electricity promises reliable, clean, cost-effective production that is less vulnerable to natural disasters and attacks. Farms, factories, schools, and communities ought to be able to establish their own power sources and compete with traditional plants to sell wholesale capacity, as New England has pioneered. [DOE, 2000; New England ISO, 2006]

Expand Smart Meters and Smart Grids to Use Energy More Wisely: By simultaneously displaying energy use and price, smart meters encourage consumers to use less energy and to use energy when it can be generated less expensively. Utilities can also use information technology to monitor electricity demand, allowing them to plan their production more efficiently. [Nemtzow, 2007; Regulatory Assistance Project, 2006]

Reduce the U.S. Government's Energy Use by 20 Percent and Make the White House Carbon Neutral. The U.S. government is the nation's single largest energy consumer, with a $15 billion energy bill in 2005. However, its investments in energy efficiency have been cut in half since 2001. Edwards will overhaul federal buildings and vehicles to emphasize efficiency, reducing the
use of energy by 20 percent, and expand the government's use of renewable sources. After taking energy efficiency steps at the White House, he will purchase carbon offsets to make it carbon-neutral. [DOE, 2006; Alliance to Save
Energy, 2007]

Create GreenCorps: Idealistic young Americans can help fight climate change by conducting volunteer energy audits, weatherizing homes, installing home solar panels, and training neighborhood groups to do the same. Edwards will create a GreenCorps within AmeriCorps to create opportunities for
them to serve.

Scooter Freed! Cheney to Serve Sentence Instead!

Our trustworthy president, the Reverend Mister Bush, glazed with his usual ability to make the wrong decision, decided to spend the last nickle of political capital on a free ride for the grown-up called Scooter -- a man, I might add, whose judgement is so flawed that he thought it perfectly reasonable to subordinate himself to Dick Cheney.

Should Javier have pardoned Jean Valjean? Mais bien sur! But Libby is no Valjean, although Bush may well be Javier, had he only an addiction to the law, cool hair and a voice to die for. Well, maybe he does have a voice to die for. Many are doing it, and he is still talking. Well, I think you call it talk. I call it the new dictation.

THE NEW DICTATION

The new dictators receive their dictation not from God, but from the top of the money pyramid, whose eye seduces with promise of riches and continued existence, and whose dictation can be worn on the back, beneath your suit. (Reference Bush's debates for pictures of said devices.)

What folks are saying:

"Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world." - former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C.

"Accountability has been in short supply in the Bush administration, and this commutation fits that pattern." - Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-VT

"The president said he would hold accountable anyone involved in the Valerie Plame leak case. By his action today, the president shows his word is not to be believed." - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

"It is time for the American people to be heard - I call for all Americans to flood the White House with phone calls tomorrow expressing their outrage over this blatant disregard for the rule of law." - Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

Our trustworthy president, the Reverend Mister Bush, glazed with his usual ability to make the wrong decision, decided to spend the last nickle of political capital on a pardon for the grown-up called Scooter -- a man, I might add, whose judgement is so flawed that he thought it perfectly reasonable to subordinate himself to Dick Cheney. - anonyMoses, D-NC

John Edwards on dealing with terrorism

Oprah, "The Secret" and the Charlotte connection

DO YOU KNOW THE SECRET?

On Thursday, Oprah Winfrey's TV show was covering a phenomenon called "The Secret", which is fast taking over the world, and will soon be taking over Mars and Venus, radiating out. The book "The Secret" has recently been made into a DVD hosted by the reverend Dr. Michael Beckwith, who, in his day job runs the Agape community in California with his wife, Ricki Byers Beckwith of Charlotte.

The philosophy behind "The Secret" has been touched upon by others throughout the millennia, and has recently found its way into the works of Robert Fritz (a pioneer in the study of creativity and vision) and Peter Senge of "The Fifth Discipline" and "Metanoia" fame. I've had the good fortune of studying with both, and look forward to meeting Michael and Ricki, with whom I already feel a spiritual kinship.

One reason I am going to vote for John Edwards is that I can see that he too is keen on the power of creativity and vision, and is also willing to use these faculties in the service of humanity. By contrast, Dubya was only "clever" at helping himself...at the expense of humanity. We need a BIG change.

Mr. anonyMoses H. Wondrous exchanges baraka with John Edwards

John Edwards at MySpace


Dave, Jude and John

Dave and John admire Jude's scarf.

Prelude to a Blogger President: Edwards & the Democratic Future

The Future is your Friend...



Read more about John Edwards at these fine resorts in the blogosphere:
Iddybud Journal
Benny's World
Random Thoughts from Reno
The Real Paul Jones
skippy the bush kangaroo
Blue Girl, Red State
Bark Bark Woof Woof
Edwards 08
Billy the Blogging Poet
The Nation blog
Exile on Jones Street



(Thanks to Bora at Science & Politics for these, and the other great work he is doing, and Jude for her continuing to dazzle us with her astute observations.)

It's Official! John Edwards is in the Race!

"He is one we've been waiting for."



The Real Deal


Odd that on a day when we remember President Ford who is now dead, we say hello to a gentleman not unlike Gerald Ford in his demeanor and athleticism. So maybe it's not so odd. Maybe John Edwards will, like Ford before him, serve to heal the nation of harshness and corruption, and set an example of how like Atticus Finch is the true character of Americans.

We've got to change the face of America. John Edwards is a good start.

Reopen the World that The Bush hath clamped shut with his Americo-
and Texocentric policies and other intellectual poverties.

Welcome to the Neo-Edwardian Age.

Gore-Edwards-Obama : The future is your friend

Converge South, Greensboro once again make blogging history

No Place for Wompsters


Hoffman as Scoble

wompster - noun Someone who thumps or pounds something, usually a bible or other sacred text.


The great and good blogger, Robert Scoble, his lovely wife, Maryam, and the remarkable Elizabeth Edwards, helped to make this year's Converge South a memorable and historic success. Legends of the blogosphere converged on A & T University in Greensboro, North Carolina on a cool and beautiful October day to establish, reestablish and celebrate the fellowship which seems endemic to the blogging family. Just like in the first of North Carolina's blogger conference, Ed Cone, David Hoggard, Sue Polinsky, Billy the Blogging Poet, Jay Ovittore, Patrick Eakes, Citizen Will R, and yet other archons of the blogosphere whose mere countenences rend ringent the slackjawed lookers-on who may only p-p-pray for such station in this amazing life we call anonyMoses, but participate in as if it were anything but, sadly. And let it be said that we at anonyMoses are sad and disappointed that we didn't get to meet Mister Scoble, but enjoyed the darshan, and his (and his wife's) most pleasant personalities, notwithstanding. I'm sure we'd be great friends, and probably are.

Great to see Bora has showed up from Chapel Hill. Fec Stench was also there, and in top form. Hell, every was excellent. Must have been magic. Other legendary attendees include Lex Alexander , Jude Nagurney Camwell, Sandy Carmany, Zack Exley, Ben Hwang, Matt Gross, Stewart Pittman, Robert Reddick, Roch Smith Jr., Pam Spaulding, Mark Tosczak, David Wharton, BlueNC and others I will surely add as my mind returns.

Here’s Daniel Conover’s Xark notes and Anton Zuiker’s notes.

EEBuzz - from Benny's World


THE LEGEND OF THE PIEDMONT BLOGGERS
as told to Anonymoses Hyperlincoln III
[from NC's first Bloggercon]




Iddybud, Anonymoses and Senator Edwards in Concord on Friday 13.

More of the occasion from Carolina Girl over at OneAmerican Blog.

Clinton Global Initiative: Iddybud Chosen to Report on World Elite

Small Group of Excellent Bloggers Attend Future-Creating Event

"The best way to predict the future is the create it."


First Lady Laura Bush and former President Bill Clinton

Jude Camwell, the blogger known as "Iddybud" was among a mere handful of bloggers, including Barbara O'Brien (Mahablog) and Peter Daou of Salon.com's Daou Report, chosen to attend and report on the Clinton Global Initiative in Manhattan this week. The 3-day event has gathered a collection of leaders and thinkers most rare in human history. Along with many world kings and queens are such business and government leaders as First Lady Laura Bush, President Pervez Musharraf, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Hamid Karzai, King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, Elie Wiesel, Ted Turner, Warren Buffett, Bill and Melinda Gates, Rupert Murdoch, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, The Right Honorable Gordon Brown, Al Gore, former presidents Jimmy Carter and (of course) Bill Clinton (with Hillary also playing an important role), President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres, The Honorable Dr. Javier Solana, Gerry Adams, Dr. Madeleine K. Albright, Wesley Clark, Thomas L. Friedman, David Freeman, Vartan Gregorian, Robert Edward Rubin, Jeffrey Sachs, media giants such as Tom Brokaw, Diane Sawyer, Judy Woodruff, Fareed Zakaria, George Stephanopoulos, Laura Rozen and Katie Couric, and many more. Kudos to Jude and fellow bloggers, as well as the Initiative which Jude says is a most positive ray of hope in an otherwise dark future.

McCain & Lieberman to launch "Arrogant Has-Been Party"

David Brooks dying to jump from sinking GOP ship
David Brooks: 'McCain-Lieberman Party' still emerging

According to New York Times columnist David Brooks, the
"three major parties in America" are "the Democratic Party, the Republican Party
and the McCain-Lieberman Party," and "all were on display Tuesday night."
"The Democratic Party was represented by its rising force -- Ned Lamont on a
victory platform with the net roots exulting before him and Al Sharpton smiling
just behind," Brooks opines in Thursday's edition of The Times. "The Republican
Party was represented by its collapsing old guard -- scandal-tainted Tom DeLay
trying to get his name removed from the November ballot."
"And the McCain-Lieberman Party was represented by Joe
Lieberman himself, giving a concession speech that explained why polarized
primary voters shouldn't be allowed to define the choices in American politics,"
Brooks continues.

If this is all the imagination Mr. Brooks can muster, I'm sorry but no thanks. Moderate Republicans need to realize that the immoderate Republicans are corrupt, jaded, mediocre, hateful, incompetent, bloodthirsty, Mammoniacal, greedy, self-righteous, ego-centric, micranimous, war-profiteering, war-mongering, murderous, liars and thieves. And many of them can't wait for WWIII. I guess they hate children as well.
Moderate Republicans need to sit on their hands this election, and help restore some goodness and principle to the system. Don't let your party be taken over by evil fools like Hagee and Limbaugh, who are paid royally to lie lie lie...and stir up hatred. Moderate Republicans are better than that. Time to prove it before it, and you, are too late.

David Brooks, whom I like and respect, is also better than a watered down middling faux center party. Lieberman is a Rightwing ideologue who loves money way too much. Come on David. Face it. The Democrats are better people. Instead of licking the boot of some worshipped superior in hopes for more and more dollars, Democrats look out for those less fortunate, and can easily tell the bribesmiths to go shove it. In other words Democrats are more like Jesus, Gandhi, Abraham, Martin and John... while the Immoderate Republicans are only like Abramoff, Hagee and Rush.

Democrats are the stewards of the earth, like Gore. And stewards of the poor, like Edwards.
Princes of Peace, not Presidents of War.

Lieberman once said: "If you want to live like a Republican, you need to vote like a Democrat."
I take it he wants to live like a Republican. I guess he is impressed by the corrupt, jaded, mediocre, bloodthirsty, Mammoniacal, greedy, selfish, ego-centric, micranimous, war-profiteering, war-mongering liars and thieves.

Who knows. Maybe he was talking about moderate Republicans, but there is a reek of obsolescence among this diminishing sect.