Disqus - Latest Comments for moondancer

Re: Vail Business Leaders, Politicians Fear Epic Problems from ‘Epic Pass’

moondancer — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:36:54 -0000

Keith Gargus I worked construction years ago in Vail. It was clear that the builders/hotel staff were considered riff-raff even back then. Day trippers were undeard of.
Vail is a sterile pretend village that markets to GOP types from the flatlands of mid-America.

If this new ticket changes that, then it is a step in the right direction.

Re: Democrats Hunker Down for Long Haul

moondancer — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:59:40 -0000

I think you underestimate the money situation. The between the lines message has to be bad for HRC. Either she has a poor money base, or the spigot is turned off because the "money" is nervous.The good news for her, the strategy of lowering the bar(which her campaign has been very good at) for Feb and saving cash for the must win March primaries might work well. Or it might be a repeat of Rudy and the Fla strategy.
The other important point. So far there is little issue of unity for the emerging candidate. But if the winner comes out of a brokered convention, the odds are the dems will be fatally wounded. They have to find a way to avoid that or certainly lose the election.

Re: Clinton Devised Both Pro-war and Anti-war Candidacy

moondancer — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:16:58 -0000

She is so afraid of the GOP noise machine that she has repeatedly voted against her principles. That is unacceptable. Yes politics is tough. But somewhere in the course of time you have to take a stand. She doesn't. With an electorate begging for sweeping change, careful parsing, misdirection, and not so subtle hypocrisy tells me shes not the one.

Re: Cuban-Americans Ready For Change?

moondancer — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 07:51:23 -0000

the Cubano allegiance to the GOP might be the greatest case of alignment against self-interest. Good luck dems.

Re: Steroid Hearing an Awkward Affair

moondancer — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:35:54 -0000

Stupid waste of time for congress. Stupid position for pro sports. Make second offense a career death penalty, and watch the problem go away.

Re: Good Timing

moondancer — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:41:40 -0000

Polls were pre Potomac beatdown. I think her ship has sailed, but we'll know shortly.
The post-mortem of her campaign will be fascinating. I think its was lost before it started. Her triangulation by voting for Iraq, and making nice with Murdoch, mega-corps etc.. left her ill placed for a party wanting sweeping change not muddling villagers.

Re: ‘Bipartisan’ Think Tank Attacks Democrats

moondancer — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:09:57 -0000

So much for the idea of bi-partisanship as understood by the GOP. That is "vote with us or die". Not something to which even bush dogs will subscribe. They really are relentless, aren't they?

Re: What’s Another War in Iraq?

moondancer — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:20:44 -0000

An adjunct and equally big story is the RNCs new spin on Iraq. Evidently they have decided to resell the war as a win. They wouldn't define win to save their mothers life but it's the new sliced bread. Coinciding with McCain they are ramping up the rhetoric. I dont know if its desperation or they think this is viable, but Iraq is worse now than ever. Sects are entrenched, Kurdistan is being polite, but considers itself independent. Bush is on very thin ice with Turkey. If war breaks out between Kurdistan and Turkey it will be the nail in the coffin of the pretend government.
It seems the deal is a variation of the Reagan bargain back in 79. Pay everybody off to keep quiet until after Jan. Then its someone else's problem.

Re: McCain Foreign Policy: Bush Doctrine Plus

moondancer — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:05:39 -0000

Good piece Spencer. Fascinating the contrast between your analysis and Bobo's. He thinks McCains foreign policy speech is the most important words spoken by a candidate this cycle. Guess he's angling for press secretary.
I don't even consider the Maliki government a puppet. It's too weak to be called that. It is an excuse for bush imperial policy. That government is incapable of the most fundamental exercise. Maliki may be the only Iraqi that wants the US to stay. McCains had luck with the hard line on Iraq so far. I think it will bite him on the butt. He has nothing else to run on though. As the surge collapses and civil war resumes, the echo of "fifty? why not a hundred years..." will give him the beating he deserves.

Re: Ensuring Permanence

moondancer — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:55:13 -0000

The bush attempt to sneak in an infinite defense accord is laughable. First the government of Iraq doesn't look like it will last very long. It would seem reasonable to call Iraq a failed state. Second the new president will feel no obligation to honor any accord on the books through subterfuge by the criminals of bushco without appropriate congressional approval. I think the only Iraqis that want the US military to stay is Maliki and his party. He views us as his militia.

Re: Sadr Fighting Marks Surge Limits

moondancer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:18:59 -0000

With goalposts of victory moving at the speed of light, who knows what constitutes success now. But by the original definition the escalation was a total failure. As will the next lame idea, and the next...;
Sy Hersh was spot on when he said the best thing we can do is get out- today. The second best is to get out tomorrow.

Re: Mapping the Course

moondancer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:17:22 -0000

Kind of generous to McCain giving him NJ. I doubt that could happen. Like all the pundits talked about Giulianis strength there...Too blue, even for a fake moderate like the geezer.
Also kind of generous even talking of HRC's prospects.

Re: A Bitter Race Ahead?

moondancer — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:58:28 -0000

I live in one of those Pa towns. Nobody but Clinton staffers are making anything of this. As far as November, If this is the best the GOP can do, Obama in a landslide.
The media by trying to inflate this story are the elitists. The essence of his statement is true, nothing was said to be derogatory. Next crisis please.

Re: Petraeus’ Ascension

moondancer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:50:13 -0000

His ascension will be short lived. Assuming a democratic president, he will be allowed to retire very quickly. He is not popular with the brass, and showing up your superiors, kissing ass to a criminal president will end your options moments after he is gone. A year at most.

Re: Why Is Doan Out?

moondancer — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:24:49 -0000

"That Doan managed to stay in office..."

It just shows how much bush appreciated lickspittle incompetents. In my mind she gives fredo a run as the poster child of the bush nightmare. The slip by Goodling that she took an oath to bush when we all know it was the constitution tells all for these criminals.

Re: What’s Wrong With Perseverance?

moondancer — Thu, 01 May 2008 08:36:23 -0000

I'll concede that Hillary can emerge the nominee. She can continue her assault on Obama, playing to the racist vote(that will turn sexist in the fall) and hardball 70% of the remaining SDs to go her way. She'll be standing on the ashes of what once was the Democratic Party. If someone can explain to me how the fact that she has picked up only a handful of SDs since the race actually started isn't a rejection of her as a candidate? It is clear the party wants no part of the Clinton entity. They were narcissistic poor party leaders in the nineties. She is not wanted, her dog-whistle racist politics are abhorrent. And we haven't even got into the Limbaugh democrats propping up one of the worst campaign machines in modern history.

Re: Unending Campaign Trail

moondancer — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:07:51 -0000

Funny. She's beginning to make the squirrel fryer look dignified.

Re: Ayn Rand 101

moondancer — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:38:23 -0000

I'm not sure whats worse, having to read Rand drivel or listen to cultist republicans prattle about her. Thanks Bruce, I enjoyed your satire and enjoyed the Randians discomfit. Not surprising most found this unamusing, it requires a sense of humor.

Re: Bear Stearns Too Big to Fail?

moondancer — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:11:52 -0000

Evidently they(Stearns) are indeed symptomatic. By correct accounting standards all the major banks are insolvent. Bankrupt to you and me. Even as they were being wheeled to the morgue they managed to pass around the remaining cash as bonuses. An extension of the bushco policy of reverse Robin Hood to coin a phrase. Stearns was one of the worse. I knew a lot of traders at Bear Stearns. The place had the feel and energy of a gambling parlor.
Personally I think Jimmy Cayne(I know him) and his ilk need to be stripped of a large portion of their wealth. It is looted money, allowed by obscene deregulation by the idiot that pretends to govern.

Re: Clinton Exits, But Her Time Begins

moondancer — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:50:00 -0000

I'll buy the women block, its size undetermined. But the working class whites not so much. I worked for months canvassing in a rust belt state. At best those people are very soft on their attachment to Clinton.
Personally until I see otherwise I will assume her "power bloc" to be a smallish angry retro-feminist group thats been enlarged by media hyperbole. I do not want to diminish her accomplishments, but if feminist issues were important to her, they weren't articulated in her communication. With the exception of some posts on her web site, there was nothing in her stump speeches.
And as to becoming a master of the senate? Seniority might be handy, a lot of it.

Re: McCain Calls Arizona a Swing State

moondancer — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:20:45 -0000

As a former Tucsonan, I would be pleased if the vastly overrated McCain got his butt handed to him. I always thought him a hypocrite and would be in despair if he wormed his way into the White House.

Re: A Personal Primary

moondancer — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:34:04 -0000

She ran too long. It demeaned Obama and galvanized her core supporters. While her concession speech was OK, she needs to immediately communicate a strong disapproval of factions moving to McCain because of imagined slights by Obama. I also think she needs to rebuke both McCain and Lieberman for using her name in an attempt to poach pissed off followers.
Fortunately I think Obama will win, but Clinton is telling me she wants a seat on the bench with Lieberman.

Re: The Perfect Ticket

moondancer — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:40:25 -0000

See, I heard he was going to change DoD back to the Department of War and appoint himself secretary and leave the presidency vacant as the ultimate Libertarian statement. But you may have better sources than I do.

Re: Clinton Donors Press for Veep Slot

moondancer — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:52:34 -0000

So what percentage of the Clintonista is behind this? After the faction that is supporting McCain in a lemming like rush to political self destruction, and the faction that intends to destroy Obama at the convention how many can be left to force Clinton on the hated Obama? Really.

If Obama loses, It will be entertaining to watch Clinton try to put the pieces back together in a party that will largely blame her for the defeat.

Oh and cornforth, given the choice between a resume of three years of excellence and twenty plus of mediocrity and corruption I choose the excellence.

Re: Clinton Donors Press for Veep Slot

moondancer — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:53:08 -0000

Re: Drudge: NY Times Rejected McCain Op/Ed

moondancer — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:09:20 -0000

This "op-ed" which was a vicious smear of Obama, was never meant to get published. It will spread virally throughout the wingnuttery which is what McCain's writers wanted. It will have much more impact and be more useful than a full page ad in the Sunday Times.

There are few votes for Krusty at the NYT but lots of wary voters to bring into the fold throughout the right wing.

Re: Is Jindal Too Conservative for McCain?

moondancer — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:02:01 -0000

Being a creationist exorcist might be too big a pill for the national scene. As is the wont of pols, he'll take a few years and refine his image. Then take a run at moving the US back to the dark ages.

Re: Maverick McCain Turns Mean

moondancer — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:11:43 -0000

I personally believe that McCains ability to stay relatively close to Obama this cycle is based on people remembering the quick, sharp McCain of 1999. As voters tune in and see what the decade has done to the maverick, that is turn him in to a disengaged angry codger, his polls will crater ala the China Syndrome.

Re: Judicial Partisanship Awards

moondancer — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:08:58 -0000

While I am sure there is substance in you post, I can't concentrate on it as I seethe at your call for turning a cheek to the criminal and in my mind treasonous behavior of the Bush regime. To do nothing is to put your imprimatur on their misdeeds.

Re: Are Contractors Above the Law?

moondancer — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 08:37:00 -0000

Monster15
Then why are there no military investigations to the numerous capital crimes committed by contractors? Seems the State Dept is making half-hearted swipes at a few, FBI for the outrage by Blackwater, but I no JAG or courts martial. They are not under military code, not policed by the military either. I think the large amount of gang rapes and kidnappings ARE because it is well known they are outside the law in Iraq.
If they would publicize how cost ineffective these GOP militias really are, they would fire all of them and put the system back within the military.

Re: Fans Realize Obama Is Not Divine

moondancer — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:57:04 -0000

Thanks Bruce. Seems some are missing the point. To them I suggest leaving the island enmasse and swimming for the promised land. It's just over the horizon. You can make it, I know you can.

I met somebody who saw him walk on water once. And he cured my hiccups just by looking at me through those awesome sunglasses. He is the one. Marix IV "the Obamaing"

Re: Candidates Maneuver for Edge in Debates

moondancer — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:20:06 -0000

I give McCain a tip of the hat for trying to build what the kids today call "street cred". "Turning out" Cindy at a biker rally not only builds "cred", it has caused me to fog my tri-focals. Along the same line his giving speeches in "tongues" while making it hard to know what the hell he's talking about, does wonders with the charismatic voters. I going to align myself with those rascally pundits and ignore Obama totally, and endorse that impish little septuagenarian.

Re: Threat of Law: Strategy of 2008?

moondancer — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 05:57:18 -0000

On a local level, some volunteer lawyers have been giving the GOP machine fits for their ingrained highly dubious/illegal fund raising methods. There have been a large volume of refunds, and investigations initiated.