Arkansas Blog

You can value engineer a lot of things. Art ain't one of 'em.

Jordan Park was done at at time when people knew peace and industry, personal responsiblity and humility, money talks and BS walks.

Our love and hate of government, love and hate of money, love and hate of religion, et al, has left us bereft of the fact that institutions are made for man, not man for the institutions. Which is another way of saying, how did anyone who thought saving money on sculpture was a good idea get any infuence over architecture?

We've lost all sense of perspective and judgement. It shows.

Pick a subject, any subject.

Obama, McCain, Hillary, W, beebe, huckabee, Pryor, Lincoln, I would leave Snyder out but he only has four months of sanity remaining, banking, terrorism, health care, government, politics, media (I won't call it journalism), LuCA, energy policy, american automakers, what passes for religion in America, or Iraq for that matter, anyone? A success? leadership? vision? communication?

Obama is trying to at least sound the alarm but, he can't be heard over the Bull. He has the message. Can he get it out? Do we want to hear it? Can he lead? Will anyone follow? First we have to hear it. I hope he articulates it well. He is down to a few more chances.

OK, since there was a non-snotty response from Severus this a.m. to last night's "closing" post, I'm reposting it, "from the top:"

At the risk of disease by stepping in the vile waters, I would simply ask one of you all-knowing seers for a few ACTUAL: examples of "...his [Obama's] liberal policies will make the Democrats very unpopular..." Besides the Peace Corps trumping the Pentagon LargeFANTASIES (we all KNOW how dangerous the PC is!) how about something real, that you can document back to Barack? Just askin'...can we get any broker (ethically as well as financially) than we are right now?
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Posted by: Larry | August 26, 2008 06:19 PM
There is no question that George W. Bush has seriously damaged the Republican brand. He has deserted conservative principles time after time. At the same time the blue dog Democrats have jumped in to challenge moderate/liberal Republicans.
Americans are for change, and they will get it regardless of who is elected President. I think the more the American people hear the specifics of Obama's version of change, the better John McCain will do. Just a few of Obama's positions:
1. Obama is apparently for infanticide. 3 times in the Illinois legislature, he voted to deny rights to a baby born alive in a botched abortion.
2. Obama supports a massive new tax based on the US GNP to send to a United Nations slush fund.
3. Obama supports gay marriage.
4. Obama supports the expansion of abortion rights, and he even wants American citizens to pay for them. He would also expand abortion rights through his passionate support of The Freedom of Choice Act.
5. huge new taxes on business.
6. Democrats have supported total amnesty for illegal aliens and have fought against protecting the borders. Hillary, in her speech which was approved by the Obama campaign last night, talked about the rights of all of those "invisible people" last night. Of course that was code for new rights and benefits for those who broke our laws entering our country.
7. For twenty or so years, Obama sat in the pews of a white hating church. Obama has expressed strong support for reparations to black Americans, Native Americans, and Hawaiin American. The money will be coming out of someone's pocket.
Given the house cleaning trend in the congress that will give Democrats a majority in both houses, I think the American people will be very concerned about having a very liberal Democratic President with a rubber stamp. George W. Bush did most of his worst work when he had Republican control of congress. Democrats are the same way. Clinton did some of his best work and worked towards balancing the budget only when he had a Republican controlled congress.
Posted by: Severus | August 27, 2008 09:54 AM

1. as with most hot-button (for some) issues, this allegation has a small kernel of truth, wrapped in VOLUMINOUS mis-characterizations and outright lies; the usual package from the so-called Right to Life advocates. http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-obama-abortion_webaug20,0,1260617.story

2. This is apparently a concoction of Michelle Malkin, the foaming-at-the-mouth Sean Hannity wannabe. The references I found led back to her/Washington Times - FOX before there was a Fox - 'nuff said. Here is a site who's motto is "A Christian Voice for Ending Hunger" which purports to explain the nuts & bolts of this effort, which began (with US support) in a UN 2000 Millennium Project to combat world hunger.
http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/global-poverty-act.html
Could objections be little more than the "black helicopter, one world order" set fearmongering?

3. He does NOT support gay "marriage" per se; does support civil unions, as does most of the thinking world.

4. Supports Roe v. Wade; criticized Supreme Court decision that upheld ban on partial-birth abortions. "I think that most Americans recognize that this is a profoundly difficult issue for the women and families who make these decisions. They don't make them casually. And I trust women to make these decisions, in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy, and I think that's where most Americans are."

Me too.

5. .the claim is true IF you happen to be a small business, a senior or a family making more than $250,000 a year, or $200,000 for a single person. Otherwise, it's generally not the case.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/616/

6. This is another "third rail" item. I think most people believe the urgent need is to SECURE the borders, and virtually every politician on the national scene wants to run FAST away from this issue. CANNOT be summed up in simplistic jargon and one-liners. NEEDS to be fixed and so far neither party steps up to the plate; a "casualty" of our faulty problem solving which only acknowledges "binary" Party-paths: Dem-supported OR Repub-supported. ALL other possibilities are immediately non-starters. THIS one falls squarely on the Dumbass Voter Syndrome. There are solutions, ALL unpalatable to the political class!! Interesting different interpretations. I heard "invisible people" as being the little guy NOT represented by Washington lobbyists.illegals never entered my mind, I confess!

7. He has come out in OPPOSITION to reparations! He did this because a couple of 'nuanced" comments he made were hyped by the right as supporting reparations. I may get jumped on here, but reparations are a Red Herring - a STUPID, unworkable idea which needs to die a quick death. Look what we've done to "repair" the Native Americans who were the original victims of American Genocide. Shameful, and needs to be remembered in our revisionist history, especially for the "America right or wrong" set who passionately believe that returning prayer (theirs) to school and forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term would solve EVERYTHING - oh yeah, and continuing the assault on GLBT fellow-CITIZENS.

Finally I'll copy a tactic used by Strange, Wes and a few others by answering my own question: ".can we get any broker (ethically as well as financially) than we are right now?"

YES, simply elect John McCain - case closed!!
1) Continue the dramatically failed foreign policy of the neo-cons which gives us the resulting loss of respect/influence worldwide.
2) Continue to spend BILLION$ we don't have prosecuting un-winnable "wars" (wars need to become obsolete - THAT would be actual visionary leadership) and supporting corporate welfare for those who DEFINITELY don't need it, while simultaneously cutting revenues.
Do NOT try this at home.

1 + 2 = broker!!

.and finally, THIS:
WORKED: (mostly)

Do not feed the trolls. It's like feeding a stray dog. And I would rather feed a stray dog.
Posted by: Roger | August 26, 2008 07:18 PM

While I support Obama for President now, I voted for Hillary Clinton, and I expected our delegates to vote as they were sent there by us to vote. If pledged delegates can vote anyway they want, then why did Hillary not take the fight to the convention as Ted Kennedy did in 1980 with less votes than Hillary?

Our delegation should have represented those of us who voted. What's the point in voting if it's not going to be counted at all?

It was a mistake:

According to Rebecca Gwatney from the Arkansas delegation, the last line of the state's roll call speech was cut off by the Secretary. Instead of casting all 47 votes for Barack Obama, they only meant to cast 37, with 8 votes for Hillary Clinton. (Two of the state's 47 delegates were absent.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/27/arkansas-didnt-mean-to-go_n_121922.html

It's over! Hillary asks for a suspension of convention rules, stop the roll call and proclaim by acclimation that Barack Obama be the official candidate of the Democratic Party for President of the United States of America. It has been 2nded and approved! We all win!

Oh, it was a mistake alright. I've already gotten phone calls from some very pissed off Hillary voters.

Hillary should have been given ALL of the delegates that voters gave here up until the point she asked for Obama's nomination by acclamation. Any state that didn't want to represent their state's voters should have passed.

What a screw up.

So they were going to say that after saying this?

"As requested by Hillary Clinton, and in honor of unity, Arkansas pledges all votes for the next President of the United States, Barack Obama".

Sorry but that excuse isn't going to fly. Clearly they came up with that story after they started getting heat for their action.

After tonight, I hope we don't have to hear an Obama supporter mention the name Clinton. That will be a blessed victory. I can't believe I spent years not liking the Clintons only to find I learned to admire them very, very much thru this primary and election. They've done Arkansas and NY proud and they don't deserve to have more demanded of them. Did anyone do this kind of crap to Ted Kennedy? Oh, I forgot he was one of the good ole boys......

Surely even the most thin-skinned and whiney of the Obama people should be satisfied after tonight.

Well for months the media and the Party has been saying pledged delegates couldn't switch their votes. Today proved that to be a big fat lie. Ted Kennedy went all the way to the convention and the delegate vote having received less votes than Hillary. He did so against a sitting president, and that was ok. But for months the media and Obama's supporters pressured Hillary not to stand up for her supporters and their rights.

I hope Obama supporters actually appreciate what she gave up for party unity. She could have fought and probably could have won unlike Ted Kennedy in 1980.

"After tonight, I hope we don't have to hear an Obama supporter mention the name Clinton. "

Ducking out of posting on these issues for the past few weeks/months, I'd say easily Clinton supporters bring up Obama's perceived arrogance/badness way more often than Obama supporters bring up the reverse. And some imagine some monolithic Obama-supporting/anti-Clinton bloc here on the AT blog, where really there's none.

"Surely even the most thin-skinned and whiney of the Obama people should be satisfied after tonight."

Hah.

But just for clarification, before I'm deemed a Clinton-hater (which I could easily brand the reverse on some here based on the manic anti-Obama comments):
-Yes, the media is anti-Clinton. Yes, they're trying to stir trouble.
-Yes, Obama supporters are happy, by and large, with how Clinton performed yesterday.

JD, for those of us who had to read your comments about Hillary for the past year, please don't insult our intelligence by claiming to have not hated on Hillary. All your hate-filled posts are available via a simple search.

Hillary Clinton made a huge sacrifice for Party unity and was criticized for months anyway. The media and others should be ashamed of their actions.

yes it will be grand when the shouting is finally over, though it would've been so much more sublime had the Clintons and their supporters, shut up, sat down, and f'd off back in February/March. then there would be no debts for them to repay, less video soundbite fodder for McCain's campaign to air, hand-wringing at the convention, etc. etc. etc. (and possibly a celebration today, on LBJ's 100th birhday of all days, of the Obama/Clinton ticket)

but no, 'twas not to be. instead of McCain's almost daily gaffes, gone almost entirely unreported for the past three months, until last week, Americans (and the world) have had to endure yet another repetition of the Clinton "saga".

and Bill hasn't even spoken yet.

dear gods, when will it ever end?

Hillary and her supporters had every right to continue all the way to the convention. We don't need a Pat Buchanan supporter (muleboy) preaching to us about party unity and giving up.

"All your hate-filled posts are available via a simple search."

Another caricature. Another exaggeration. Another day.

"I hope Obama supporters actually appreciate what she gave up for party unity. She could have fought and probably could have won unlike Ted Kennedy in 1980."

And for all your ranting about how there's no divide in the Dem party and the MSM's narrative is false, it seems you always feel the need to address those rowdy Obama supporters in the various threads--even if often there are none. Please, review the last 20 threads on this issue: how often have Obama supporters commented negatively towards Clinton vs the reverse. Make a ledger.

"She could have fought and probably could have won unlike Ted Kennedy in 1980."

Do you REALLY believe that? ...really?

But honestly, I'm done with this..... Have a great day! Lookin' forward to watching Bill's speech tonight!

Are you referring to me? I was referring to you not others. If you'd like to respond to my post then respond to me. The accusations you make do not apply to me.

The only thing I've said about some Obama supporters is that they have been unfair to Hillary. Are you going to tell me that's not true? I didnt' think so.

And yes, considering the latest polls, I think she would have had an excellent shot if everyone had let our democratic process work. Neither Obama or Hillary won enough pledged delegates to be nominated.

Instead though, everyone wanted to shut the process down and end the race months before the convention. I find it ironic that the same people that celebrated Ted Kennedy have criticized Hillary for staying in the race as long as she did.

I'd love for someone to explain to me when it became unacceptable to stay in a race till the end. Obviously it was sometime after 1980.

STOP IT! IT'S OVER! Bury the hatchet....in the ground, not in someone's head and lets elect Barack Obama. He's the only hope we have for restoring this country! We've got Bill speaking tonight and I predict he'll blow everyone away. But it's a done deal. Hillary did the right thing because she loves her Party and her country and no trick great or small was going to unseat Barack and so be it....to the victor goes the spoils.

Anything I said that was unflattering about Obama is in the past, I take it back, I'm ready to move forward. There has never been a political contest where shit wasn't slung by both sides. We have slung a lot of shit......now it's time to clean up, forget the past and sling shit at our common enemy, John McCain. Time for a group hug!

A little before 6 pm, our time tonight, everything changed. The primaries are over, the race for the nomination is over, we have a winner!

Now let's get behind the next FDR and don't think for a minute the rest of this will be easy. The truly ugly stuff is just ahead. Gird up, man up, straighten up! Let's get Barack Obama elected to the Presidency of the United States and hold our breath until January 20th, 2009. Do it Do it Do it!

eark, your anger should have quelled for the most part by Hillary's own actions this evening (she called it off for petes sakes) about two minutes before your friends made your phone ring. Any remaining beef ought to be with the AR dem party rules and should be addressed... all of those people were Clinton supporters.. but you just rant and call Obama supporters and or people who express grave misgivings with Clinton policies as haters.

Tsk tsk. turn off commercial television the talking heads are getting to both you and ci Ci big time.

Here I was, tears-in-the-eyes proud of Arkansas for making a strong statement of unity for our party and our nation. What a moment! Now I hear some people still whining about not getting their way. Get over it! Our delegates followed Hillary's lead in standing for unity. I was so proud of her when she called for O's nomination by acclamation. How many of us could have made that speech, knowing that we were watching our life dream go down the tube? I would not have been able to speak! You can call it "just politics" or putting on a show or whatever you want, but she did it, he is the nominee, and Please God! will be our next president. No how, no way, no McCain!

I've seen numerous slams on Judge David Burnett over recent days and months, yet find it odd that there has been scant coverage of the prosecutor's decision not to prosecute Jim Gunter for smacking around his sister.

By god there was a President! I don't care what you think Bill Clinton did wrong in his life.....there is Arkansas's and America's Super Star!

Think back these last 8 miserable years...haven't you missed that voice? Haven't you missed a leader that could communicate with everyone on every level? Don't you miss intelligence? Don't you miss Bill?

One hell of a speech! One hell of a man! One hell of a President! Arkansas grew that man! Arkansas gave the gift of Bill Clinton to the world! Stand up and take a bow Arkansas! Bill Clinton is our finest export! Hurray for Arkansas! Hurray for Bill Clinton! Hurray for Obama/Biden! Let's get jiggy!

Bill Clinton said "Barack Obama" 21 times during his endorsement speech. I've paid some attention to Michelle Obama for the past months. Rarely does she smiled. I've never seen her smile so much as she did tonight.
One hell of a speech! Right on DBI, with some reservations about a couple of unAmerican acts.
Clinton can frame an argument better than anyone on the world stage.

.

Ouch! Having that teacher doing the Biden nomination wasn't a good idea. Got a little silly/undignified near the end.

1) There is not hatchet to bury. I'm supporting Obama and have been since Hillary left the race.

2) I didn't call all Obama supporters haters. I said many on this board were and they have no room to lecture others (ie. JD and Eureka).

3) I'm perfectly capable of discussing more than one thing at a time. I can support Obama and still point out how poorly and unfairly Hillary was treated. Only those who are guilty should be taking offense (and look above).

4) Delegates should have voted as they were pledged to vote up until the point that Hillary asked for Obama's nomination by acclimation. Arkansas could have passed or voted as they were pledged to vote. (I'm not criticizing Obama for this or anything. It has nothing to do with Obama. It has to do with making people's votes count.)

Hopefully people will learn from this. Hopefully they will learn to not beleive the press when they try to stir up shit. Hopefully they will not criticize someone like Hillary for things they never even did. Let's learn from this.

1) There is no hatchet to bury. I'm supporting Obama and have been since Hillary left the race.

2) I didn't call all Obama supporters haters. I said many on this board were and they have no room to lecture others (ie. JD and Eureka).

3) I'm perfectly capable of discussing more than one thing at a time. I can support Obama and still point out how poorly and unfairly Hillary was treated by the media and SOME of his supporters. Only those who are guilty should be taking offense (and look above).

4) Delegates should have voted as they were pledged to vote up until the point that Hillary asked for Obama's nomination by acclimation. Arkansas could have passed or voted as they were pledged to vote. (I'm not criticizing Obama for this or anything. It has nothing to do with Obama. It has to do with making people's votes count.)

Hopefully people will learn from this. Hopefully they will learn to not beleive the press when they try to stir up shit. Hopefully they will not criticize someone like Hillary for things they never even did. Let's learn from this.

WELL SAID DBI. RE: (ONLY THIS) THAT BILL SURE KNOWS HOW TO "FRAME " A POINT. FRAME BEING THE KEY WORD HERE.
AS HE FRAMES EVERYTHING HE SAYS AND DOES, HE FOOLED YOU DBI.,. UP ON THE BOARD YOU GO. DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO BACK THE BOAT OUT OF THE GARAGE. BETTER SIGN UP FOR A REFRESHER MURTISHAW 101. YOURE SLIPPIN. BOY. YOU ACTUALLY SAY YOU BELIEVE HIM.

MISSIN THAT VOICE.. OH YEAH AND I AM SURPRISED HE HASNT JUST CUT THAT TONGUE IN HALF AS OFTEN AS HE BITES IT FOR "EFFECT" GOT YOU I SEE. THINK I'LL JUST CALL YOU TOOTSIE ROLL FROM NOW ON. LORD YOU ARE SO SIMPLE. AND THINK YOU ARE SO BRILLIANT. EVERYTHING YOU WRITE YOU FILTER THRU THAT JOHNSON. LOSES A LOT IN THE FILTERIN.