Rex Kickass

See Congress is passing things. They just don't get past that next step.

Correct. But only the non-candidate Al Gore. Because, as a non-candidate, he's relatively candid about his opinions. And I think he'd make a good president. If he started to run, I'd probably want someone else who isn't running.

I think she'd be an adequate President. I'm just sick of merely adequate people. The best person that could win, isn't running IMO.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 11:29 AM) Excellent. First poll numbers are showing a Hillary bump, post-debate. But there's definitely new life and momentum from the opposition.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 11:53 AM) Because the Syrians could have shot down our plane, recovered the bomb, and then we could proclaim without lying that Syria has nuclear weapons and must be stopped. Do I need green? Sadly, no. If we can try to kill Castro with an exploding cigar, this doesn't sound implausible either.

I'm guessing though that where they protested was a legal distance away. Being that it was across the street and not directly in the cemetery or on its grounds. The WBC made comments about the deceased on their website that were grossly offensive and that was part of the suit.

QUOTE(BigSqwert @ Nov 2, 2007 -> 08:41 AM) I watched most of the debate and think she only had 1 bad moment. I'm not a huge fan of hers but she came off as very confident and had pretty good responses most of the night. I become more impressed with Dodd the more I hear him. She didn't give a straight answer all night, and Edwards and Obama would immediately jump on it. At one point she contradicted her own stance on the illegal immigrants getting driver's license thing. She looked bad, distant and aloof.... and gave the field the opening they were waiting for.

From what I understand, the WBC made disparaging comments about this family's deceased which could be deemed as both harrassment and slander/libel on their website. Protesting a funeral from a spot on public property is IMO a completely reprehensible, but legitimate, exercise of free speech and assembly. This lawsuit is pure BS.

Given how bad Hillary's debate performance was this week, a lot of things in this race changed.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 31, 2007 -> 01:15 PM) I think you are right about Richardson being in play right now for VP. He's at that 7 to 10% support level in IA and NH, which is exactly enough to make trouble, but also a really nice boost for any of the big 3. And I think Richardson has to know that he would need to finish top 2 in IA and NH to have a chance, which seems like an extreme longshot at this point. I mean, I hope he does it, but I don't see it. So, being the calculating guy he is, he's gotta be thinking VP. Thing is, he really would be an ideal VP candidate for Obama. He's really a statesman, with serious foreign policy experience, as well as executive experience, which Obama doesn't have. He's an experienced, calculated guy, as opposed to Obama's youth and vigor. He has energy policy experience. And again, that 5 to 10% following would sure be nice. But I am 90% sure that Clinton already made arrangements for a VP long ago, in Evan Bayh. Edwards, I am not sure what his thinking might be on a VP candidate. If two days before Richardson doesn't have the ground game he needs, that's when he plays kingmaker. Being in third place in Iowa and treading the 10% watermark is not a bad place to be two months before this caucus. A lot of things can come into play for him between now and then.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Nov 1, 2007 -> 04:03 PM) I had posted earlier how people on both sides were disguising donation above the limit by having their children donate to a campaign. The example in the story was of one family where a 2 yr old had donated the maximum to Obama, and the mom was quoted as admitting that she did this to get around the limits. This happens with almost every candidate out there.

It does cost the state Democratic party 20,000 in South Carolina to put someone's name on the ballot. As funny as the Colbert for President thing is, the party did the right thing here. He should just get his name on for the general as an Independent.

Here's a link to a blogger/journalist who got waterboarded for Current TV. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kaj-larson/a...hy_b_70651.html

I'm just a bit confused. I thought the housing meltdown had a bit to do with the fact that the housing craze made everything pretty overpriced in general and put a lot of people in a much more financially strapped position than they could afford to be in. As those people started to default on their houses, the mortgage market imploded which basically created a shortage of liquidity in the market? This doesn't seem to be an altogether bad thing - because the liquidity that was there caused big financial institutions to overstretch on housing, yes? So, although a drop in the Fed interest rate helps keeping the housing market from cooling too quickly, is it really doing the right thing in an economy headed for recession? Lower interest rates equals a weaker dollar. This would help our exporting, however with our manufacturing base shriveled, is that really a huge gain for us anymore? On the other hand, it helps boost energy costs, specifically the price of oil. This fuels inflation in food and energy - which seems to be the big problem for the most of us who don't have a ton of cash to throw around on 3.00+ a gallon gas and 4.00+ a gallon milk. So while prices for essentials for Americans increase, savings rates get further depressed because traditional means of savings are getting more and more pointless. Wouldn't this dampen the already weak American will for saving further? I just don't see how rate reductions at this point would be a good thing for the average American.

My friend said that it was surprisingly weak. He lives in San Jose and was building a bookshelf at the time. He said the shelf didn't even topple over, just wobbled a bit.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 31, 2007 -> 09:49 AM) So, as far as you know, who has good ground games in Iowa? Edwards has the backing of most of the state chapters of SEIU. Although the national chapter did not specifically endorse a candidate, the Iowa SEIU did endorse Edwards and other state chapters that also endorsed Edwards are allowed to send boots on the ground for him in Iowa. Edwards has the possibility of a massive ground game, thanks to his work getting labor to back him. Obama is known for his union organizing grassroots tactics, and might have a very good ground game in Iowa. Richardson has the money to spend on a good ground game there as well, I don't know enough about his organization to say if he could make a surprise happen. The Ames straw poll makes me think Huckabee has a good shot at first or second in Iowa for the GOP and will be the not so surprising January surprise.

Nope, I was mistaken about what the McCain bill includes.

Because of the method of their caucus. It's not a traditional voting system. It is all about organization on the ground there and getting people to as many house parties as possible. Remember four years ago at this time, Kerry was dead in the water - and nobody was paying any attention to him nationally until the caucus day, when the media realized - oh s***, Kerry and Edwards have a good ground game and might actually win this thing.

I believe there was that McCain torture bill that went through Congress at the end of 2005, early 2006. It was attached to a Defense Appropriations bill, so I believe it ended up passing. The other reason there is precedent? In 1947, we held a war crimes trial of a Japanese soldier who waterboarded an American. That soldier was sentenced to 15 years hard labor. In 1968, the Pentagon investigated allegations of the same waterboarding methods being used in Vietnam.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 30, 2007 -> 02:15 PM) What gave you the impression he was advocating it? Quite the opposite, what he has said seems to me to say he probably would be against it, but can't say for sure in such a non-contextual reference. OK, a law was recently passed that declared waterboarding, specifically, as out of bounds and illegal. Why isn't the Attorney General saying its beyond what passes for legal?

Iowa polls are pretty worthless IMO.

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Oct 30, 2007 -> 01:15 PM) What gave you the impression he was advocating it? Quite the opposite, what he has said seems to me to say he probably would be against it, but can't say for sure in such a non-contextual reference. I don't think there is a context where simulating death via drowning in interrogation is ever acceptable or legal or not torture.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Oct 29, 2007 -> 08:18 PM) The firefighters union is supporting a Dem over Giuliani? shocking It shouldn't be shocking at all. Ask a city firefighter how they were treated by the Mayor's office before 9/11 and after 9/11... and you'll hear a very different story than what Rudy wants to believe.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Oct 29, 2007 -> 08:46 PM) He talks about how he's really out for the working class and against corporate greed , but was bribed by hedge funds (by far one of his largest donors) and always returns the favor with his voting records. Thats fine if he is for hedge funds and stuff, but spare us the "I'm really out for the little guy" bs. Also his record on the Iraq war is legendary in it's contradiction. He' a total bulls***ter basically. Oh, I also just saw him on Meet the Press, and he really sucked. So thats probably the main reason I put him in that group Chris Dodd is also the only elected official running for President whose putting his money where his mouth is right now.

For as long as I've been around it, the issue never hit home until this past summer, when a very close friend tested positive. It boggles the mind how this disease still spreads when 90% of the spread can be controlled and eliminated by a variety of smart, safer decisions to be made.