There was the fiery new leadership candidate many of us supported who was so different than other Democratic candidates for President. There was the Democratic candidate who mesmerized so many in the cold of January 2007 when he announced his candidacy in Springfield, Illinois. There was the candidate who told us his OPPOSITION to the Iraq invasion and occupation put him above all other candidates. There was the Democratic candidate who contrasted so dramatically with Hillary Clinton she standing for the past and business as usual the standing clearly for CHANGE and a different way forward or the Democratic Party and America. There was the Democratic candidate with the most progressive voting record of ANY U.S. Senator.

That was then. But who exactly is Barack Obama now??

THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO BE A BARN BURNER SO DON'T YOU TURN OFF CNN AND CNBC AND MSNBC BECAUSE IF YOU DO YOU'LL BE REALLY, REALLY SORRY AND YOU'LL BE THE LAST TO KNOW SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU WERE THE FIRST TO KNOW!

SERIOUSLY THIS ELECTION IS ESSENTIALLY TIED AND IF YOU TURN OFF THAT TELEVISION YOU MAY DIE OF "NOT KNOWING SOMETHING" DISEASE WHICH IS VERY PAINFUL AND TOTALLY EMBARRASSING... WORSE EVEN THAN THAT TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN YOU WENT OUT FOR GYM WITHOUT PUTTING YOUR SHORTS ON.

There are a few things I have found disconcerting in these past few days.  It kind of reminds me of November 2004 when I looked around and I could not believe the amount of support for Bush.  This time, it is closer to home and I cannot believe the support for Obama's flawed stance.

You know what gets my goat?  A big lion.  No, seriously, it is all these "grow up" diaries.  Not sure what I mean?  Read some for yourself here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.  This was just the first 30 searches.

I, like some others, are quite tired of it...  

The arrogance of John McCain when asked about how his military service prepared him for the Presidency is appalling. Not that he cares for his fellow veterans in arms, let alone the wounded warriors in Iraq, who can't even get basic pensions and care.

Who the fuck does John McCain think he is, claiming that the Presidency is somehow his divine right while his fellow veterans are bleeding and suffering? He can brag all he wants to about purpose, as he does in his latest ads, yet the McCain Doctrine is drifting along without purpose while more and more people are dying and suffering in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/...

(courtesy of CNN via Drudge)

WTF???  Haven't you Nader voters learned?  

'Cause in 2000 there was no difference between Bush and Gore, right? Just two sides of the same coin, right?

And this time around there's no difference between Obama and McCain, right?  Right?

To paraphrase Churchill:

Never in the field of American politics was so much damage done to so many by so few.

(rant continued after fold)

I have wanted to diary this for a couple days, and have just found the time.  Since I have not seen it on the site anywhere else, I thought it would be fun to share.

James Dobson and John McCain are getting backing for their anti-marriage stance from 9-11 Mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed.  From the LA Times

The California ruling did draw sharp criticism from one person: confessed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, who used his June 5 arraignment to show that news of California's same-sex marriages had reached the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

"Evil laws are not the laws of God," Mohammed told the U.S. military and civilian officials at his trial, citing "laws allowing same-sex marriages" as an example.

As I usually do in the morning, I spent a few minutes browsing news and blogs.  Not much going on in the political circle (other than FISA).  I've been following auto news recently, because my ten year old Ford has cost me over $3,000 in repairs in the last few months, and died on me again on Friday.  Last time I buy a Ford, by the way.  Naturally, this has me thinking about replacing it, since it doesn't get great mileage anyway.  This is a short roundup of a few articles, and a brief commentary on the state of the American Auto Industry.  

Sometimes, the idiocy of modern life just jumps out at you.  I mean, put aside the politics and the environmental concerns, and just look at the economics of the following.  

You know, your Uncle Dread usually reserves his ire, sarcasm, and anger for political douchebags, but today, I’m going to indulge in venting a little bit about another scourge afflicting our society. And in the process, I’m probably going to sound like an old conservative, which just pisses me off even more.

…is the title of this"blog" promoted to the front page a few days ago by the Deep Thinkers™ at RedState.com.

Now, normally I try to ignore this merry band of irrelevant political self-satisfiers with the cognitive abilities and readership the size of a family of decapitated squirrels, BUT when they choose to endorse a chin-high pile of intellectual manure… well… lets take a look:

I originally posted this response to this diary.  I've now realized I need to post this where someone else will see it.

History lends its weight upon youth like a stone.
The young do not deserve that weight nor should they be forced to bear your history.

There is more than enough weight for them to bear in the future.

Today Kos wrote a diary about how he decided not to endorse Obama to the hilt and why it doesn't matter.

He says it doesn't matter, and that others will "pick up the slack."

This would seem to undermine the whole premise of getting people involved as volunteers, organizers and contributors, and also, to vote.

I'll share the experience of why one of my friends doesn't vote, today.  I'll say exactly what he said, and show that it maps perfectly to Kos' "Why I aint contributed and it's okay" post.

1. Markos takes to the front page of his incredibly influential and widely read diary to not just publically castigate Obama, but to declare that while he has the financial liquidity some of us only dream we could contribute to the cause, he has currently chosen to withhold those funds from Obama as punishment.

2. He tells us this is no big deal, that he's sure others will pick up the slack, and end the big scheme of things, Obama will be fine without his piddling contribution.

3. He assures us that he's not asking any of us to follow suit, despite the aforementioned influence and wide readership.

and 4.........

Response to Kos and the ubiquitous "waaaaaannnhh-waaaannnhhhh, Obama is not doing what I want" attitude.

People who feel it's their duty to be the Obama police and crucify anyone who comes forth with fair criticism of our candidate.

Yeah I suppose this is a temporary GBCW diary or whatever it's called. But don't worry, I'll leave a tip jar so you can flog it as you wish, no sense in you having to go out of your way to find one and link to it. But before labeling me as a troll at least look at my (short) history here and see that I tried being a member of this community. So without further adieu, this is why I'm saying goodbye until the DNC convention in August, and yes the number 16 has something to do with it if you care to read this all the way through.

There's been a good bit of hand-wringing lately about Obama's recent moves, mainly about FISA but also about Clark's comments.

We've had the usual people swearing off Obama forever, claiming he's a traitor, "blah blah blah McCain points" crap.

But even more annoying are the people who somehow think it's necessary to chastise those disappointed in Obama's moves, lumping all those criticizing Obama into the "cut off the nose to spite the face" group.

How about you all fucking relax and realize what's going on here?

I don't care if someone posted this sentiment already...  I need to vent. I have supported Barack since I saw him tell Tim Russert in 2006 that he was considering a run and I will support him until he is standing at the capitol being sworn in as President.

But sorry Barack, you have to  be called out on this...

General Wesley Clark appeared on MSNBC's Morning Joe last week to speak the damn truth about John McCain. The damn truth. Every word he said about him is true. McCain was shot down over Vietnam. He was taken prisoner and tortured. He persevered and he survived and he deserves to be recognized for this. It's something most of us will never know or understand...

BUT!

Getting shot down alone does not qualify you to be president. I'm sorry, it doesn't. If what John McCain learned from his wartime experiences is that war is a first option always, as it appears he did, then he didn't learn a goddamn thing and my experience feeding my fucking cats did more good for my wartime judgment...