Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
the status page says you do



GI quotes on GGG is an entire genre for me, and has been for awhile. Think - you and variations on "Taxwonk is fat." I'm running out though, and may need to switch to ?, something.

I suggest either Dobie Gillis or Three's Company.

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
(a) True. He is also the hammer, and a tough, nasty SOB.

(b) When all is said and done -- Cheney was strong on the foreign policy piece. He said all of the things Bush should have said but didn't, and they had a week to pick the best lines and themes. I'd give him the edge on that first half of the debate.

Edwards showed strong (and, I think better than Cheney) on the domestic policy questions. I'd give him the edge for the second half of the debate. Both were strong in their closing statements --very different topics and themes. Good thing for the Dems that the next debate is on domestic policy issues -- can't count on Bush fucking up so badly again.

I found it interesting how Cheney essentially declined to defend the Adminstration's policy on the gay marriage amendment after his initial two minutes response to the first question. When given his 90 second chance to respond to Edwards' statement, Cheney thanked Edwards for his kind words about Cheney's family -- and that was all.

S_A_M

I pretty much agree with this analysis and it looked as if it was basically even. Edwards was more likeable and Cheney showed the gravitas, blah, blah, blah. Both stayed on and hammered the messages, as expected.

One thing did bother me though, especially when Edwards, a lawyer, who should know better, twice made the comment about "never in the 200 some odd years of this country has a state ever been required to recognize a marriage in another state. WTF??? Hasn't he ever heard of full faith and credit? Damn.

I watched the coverage on CSPAN, and I found the comments by the callers afterwards somewhat interesting. They had three lines: Cheney, Edwards and Undecided. Of course, a lot of callers phoned in with an axe to grind, but three stood out.

First, there was some wag who called in and said, "now we've have seen the man behind the curtain." That pretty much sums up Cheney's performance to me.

But also, two callers (Cheney supporters) called in outraged that Edwards made the comments he did about Cheney's gay daughter. Did I miss something that was outrageous about this, or were these people just hearing what they wanted to hear. I thought Edwards comments were very sensitive and humanizing to Cheney, which really, he sorely needs.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
I suggest either Dobie Gillis or Three's Company.

Top Cat had some interesting characters. Some of em would make good avatars.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
the status page says you do

If I did, don't you think I would have nailed you on this Gilligan's Island crap before?

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
GI quotes on GGG is an entire genre for me, and has been for awhile. Think - you and variations on "Taxwonk is fat." I'm running out though, and may need to switch to ?, something.

In order to keep the improvement, whatever you choose, make sure you're directly quoting other people's work without adding anything.

TM

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by spookyfish
But also, two callers (Cheney supporters) called in outraged that Edwards made the comments he did about Cheney's gay daughter.

Did one of them say, "I love my dead gay son!"

TM

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
He's passing by him.

I've walked by a lot of people I've never met.

eta: yes, there's also a still shot out there of them sitting together. Again, how many dinners have you been to where you didn't know the suit next to you?

There's also a picture of them together at Elizabeth Dole's swearing-in. And Tim Russert and Chris Matthews apparently say they appeared on their respective shows at the same time.

You'd think Cheney would check his facts before smearing someone on national television, but no.

And it gets even better. Here's the wind-up to Cheney's attack:

• "Now, in my capacity as vice president, I am the president of Senate, the presiding officer. I'm up in the Senate most Tuesdays when they're in session."

Someone tracked down the list of the presiding officers for every Tuesday session of the Senate for the last four years. Cheney was the Acting President exactly twice: November 12, 2002, and January 7, 2003.

That's not "most Tuesdays," but it is more than the WMD found in Iraq. Cheney was pretty certain about that, too.

[spookyfish]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Did one of them say, "I love my dead gay son!"

TM

Well done. Great movie.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I believe that this is why Bush is going to give a "major" speech on Wednesday. Opposite the Yankees/Twins second meeting. Thankfully, the Astros will have already played, so I can give my full and proper attention.

Certainly, the speech was billed as "major", but Bush managed to say almost nothing new.

White House officials had billed the address as "significant," "important," and even "major," but Bush's remarks lacked any fresh policy initiatives despite a wealth of newly sharpened barbs against his Democratic challenger.


But the political usefulness was clear: Bush hoped to build on Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites)'s solid debate performance on Tuesday against Democrat John Edwards (news - web sites) and try to recapture momentum in the neck-and-neck race.

C'mon, Mr. President. For an "important," "significant," or even "major" speech, I'd expect at least an announcement of a big unfunded mandate or two. Or another planet that we'll travel to in 30 years.

[Replaced_Texan]

The 4th Circuit just rejected Rush Limbaugh's claim that his privacy rights were violated with regard to his medical records. The decision can be found here. A cynic would argue that HIPAA's privacy standards are merely an administrative nightmare for health care providers and plans without actually affording patients any real privacy rights.

Limbaugh says he's gonna appeal. I wonder if he's going to use those pinko commies over at the Georgetown Privacy Project.

[SlaveNoMore]

Tyrone Slothrop
And Tim Russert and Chris Matthews apparently say they appeared on their respective shows at the same time.

Um, Ty, most people that appear on those pundit shows aren't even in the same city, let alone the same studio.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
You'd think Cheney would check his facts before smearing someone on national television, but no.

Irony abounds.

[SlaveNoMore]

Gattigap
Certainly, the speech was billed as "major", but Bush managed to say almost nothing new.

C'mon, Mr. President. For an "important," "significant," or even "major" speech, I'd expect at least an announcement of a big unfunded mandate or two. Or another planet that we'll travel to in 30 years.

BTW, if the WH issues a statment announcing a "significant speech", why do the writers at AFP feel the need to change the wording and refer to it as a "major speech"? Does the word "significant" have too many letters?

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by bilmore
Irony abounds.

A old man turned ninety-eight. He won the lottery and died the next day.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter
He won the lottery and died the next day.

A clear analogy to Kerry post-primary?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Um, Ty, most people that appear on those pundit shows aren't even in the same city, let alone the same studio.

• NBC's "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert has confirmed one previous public meeting.
  
  Russert said Wednesday on "Today" that on April 8, 2001, Cheney and Edwards shook hands when they met off-camera during a taping of "Meet the Press."

link

Nice try, though.

Edwards' wife pointed out to Cheney on the stage after the debate that he and Edwards had met when Dole was sworn in. "Cheney replied, 'Oh, yeah.'"