I'd Say She's Done A Lot

I love my friends.  Some of my friends are acutely conservative, which only goes to show that I'm an equal-opportunity kinda guy, able to tolerate large quantities of baloney in the service of polite social discourse.

So four of us are standing around at someone's graduation party last Saturday night.  It was near midnight, and beer had been involved.  Somehow, the topic of Hillary Clinton came up. (I swear it wasn't me.)

The lovely Mrs. Gammons said something positive about Mrs. Clinton as a Presidential candidate.  The one R in our small circle of the moment, a guy I genuinely like, who has a multitude of redeeming qualities, but whom I sometimes refer to as "Little Rush", responded predictably -- with volume and anger.  (You learn that early from conservative squawk radio and TV -- when in doubt, get loud and shout 'em down.)  

"Hillary Clinton?" roared Little Rush.  "You wouldn't be stupid enough to vote for her, would you?  What has Hillary Clinton ever done?"  He also made some derogatory statement about her ankles, of all things.  Ankles?

It was late, I was dead-tired and in no mood to engage.  We split for home.

But now I'd like to reply.  Little Rush, your clear implication was that Hillary Clinton was somehow lacking in Presidential qualifications, that she has done nothing.

Hillary Clinton is a graduate of Wellesley College (and its only student commencement speaker) and the Yale Law School.  She was a partner in a law firm, the First Lady of Arkansas, the First Lady of the United States, a U.S. Senator, a Democratic Presidential primary candidate, and the U.S. Secretary of State.

That's a fairly hefty resume, Sport.  If that's unqualified, if that's doing "nothing," then I'm the friggin' Queen of England!  And who, from your undisclosed location under the Fox Dome, do you offer as a better, more qualified, done-something candidate?

Rand Paul?  Chris Christie?  Marco Rubio?  Paul Ryan?  Ted Cruz?  Mitt Romney (again)?  Scott Walker?  Rick Perry?  Mike Huckabee?  Bobby Jindal?  Icky Ricky Santorum?  Jeb (Another) Bush?

Te-hee!  In the timeless words of John McEnroe, you cannot be serious!!  LOL!      

Troops Back In Iraq? I Hope It's The Mayflower Brigade

Jesus Pete, we're sending troops back into Iraq!!  OK, not that many -- 275 or so, some as "advisors", some as embassy security.  But still, what's the point?

It's crystal-clear that George W. Bush's daddy-issues led to a long-term illegitimate war and an ill-advised exercise in nation-building.  President Obama did his best to clean up the other guy's mess, abided by the other guy's agreement, and got the hell out in 2011.  Good!

But now suddenly the ancient religious hostilities have flared up again and everyone in Iraq has gone crazier than shit-house rats.  I'm sorry for their troubles and all their violence against each other, but it's time for these people to stew in their own juice.  It's not our problem anymore.  (It never was to begin with.)

So here's hoping those troops redeployed to Iraq show up with Mayflower vans.  Let's pack up the embassy, wish everyone good luck, and go home for good.

Lies And Made-Up B.S. = Free Speech?

That's what a couple of arch-conservative organizations claim.  They say an Ohio election law banning false statements during campaigns is unconstitutional, and they'll test that theory with U.S. District Court Judge Tim Black.  The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to let the lawsuit proceed.

Back in 2010, a right-tard group put up a billboard accusing U.S. Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Cincinnati) of "supporting taxpayer-funded abortions" by virtue of his vote for Obamacare. Say what?  Driehaus complained to the Ohio Elections Commission, which agreed the statement was bogus and the billboard violated Ohio law.

But now the lawyer currently bringing suit says he wants "to have this law invalidated so we can speak in the way the First Amendment intended."

Most reasonable people believe the First Amendment is wonderful but does indeed intend some limits to so-called free speech.  Slander, libel, yelling "fire" when there is none, etc.  Today's hard-core righties want no limits:  "It's my right to lie, cheat, and make shit up to further my own interests."  I hope they lose their case.

You see the same attitude everyday on social media.  Someone "likes" or "shares" some hateful nonsense from, say, Ted Nugent or some other nitwit.  If you dare to post a reply that calls bullshit on the stupidity, you're instantly condemned as un-American, someone who doesn't "believe in" free speech.    

Horse-puckey!!

Is it any wonder I'm so leery of starting a neighborhood Facebook page?

This Week In Voter Suppression

(I stole the title from Melissa Harris Perry, but it was stolen with the utmost respect.  So please don't sue me, MHP.  And my topic is actually from last week, not this week.)

Here in Ohio, Republicans tried to justify their cut-backs in early voting opportunities by touting the supposed importance of "uniformity".  Could have achieved uniformity with expanded early voting hours, but no, they insisted on protecting us from non-existent fraud by slashing hours, not adding them.  Among the casualties were the three days just before Election Day.

Except the R's preserved those three voting days for military personnel, while eliminating them for everyone else.  That Saturday-Sunday-Monday was very popular with lots of in-person voters, especially black churches with their "souls to the polls" efforts.  Not to get stereotypical, but that demographic tends to vote Democratic.  And military tends to vote Republican.  What a coincidence.

U.S. District Court Judge Peter Economus said it was more than just a coincidence and issued a permanent court order restoring the three day early voting period.  Atta boy, Judge!

The GOP can't even cheat properly.

John McCain Stays True To Form

"Grrrrrr!"

Sen. John McCain says we "won" in Iraq.  He blames the current Sunni vs. Shiite sectarian battle in Iraq on . . . wait for it . . . President Obama.  He says Obama's troop withdrawal jeopardized our "victory".  McCain says we should have left a "residual" American military presence in Iraq, like we still have in Germany, Japan and South Korea.  He wants to fire all of Obama's military advisers and restore order in Iraq with renewed military action -- The Surge, Part II.

What exactly did we win in Iraq?  When did we win it?  Remind me again why we ever went there in the first place.

The rift between Sunni Muslims and Shiite Muslims is thousands of years old, and transcends modern notions of nations, borders and governments.  You think some Muslims hate Christians and Jews?  Just wait 'til they get hatin' on other Muslims!

Comparing Iraq with Germany, Japan and South Korea is ridiculous.  Those are grown-up countries -- stable, developed, secular democracies.  They are our natural allies.  By contrast, much of the Middle East is still tribal, and obsessed with religious fanaticism and jealousy.  (Religion is just so helpful, isn't it?)

Poor John.  He's consistently ignorant of history and convinced that military force solves all problems.  McCain's lingering bitterness over the Viet Nam experience (both his and ours) is so obvious.  His hunger for just one more decisive American military victory -- just like his grand-daddy had -- has animated his entire political career and clouded his vision.

I'm so glad we didn't elect John McCain to be President in 2008.  Not only would he have made Sarah Palin our Vice President, he'd have started World War III.

Not sure which would have been worse.

Portman's Email Request; Our Reply

Yesterday, out of the blue, the lovely Mrs. Gammons received this email from our Republican Senator, Rob Portman.  Our reply follows below.
_____________________________________________________

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Condemn President Obama’s illegal prisoner release
From: Rob Portman <robportman@robportman.com>
To: bankergirl_43235@.com
CC: 

Friend,

President Obama broke two separate federal laws when he released five high-level Taliban operatives from Guantanamo Bay without notifying Congress. Earlier this week, I introduced a resolution in the United States Senate condemning the illegal transfer and putting Congress on the record to hold the Obama Administration accountable.

Thousands of Americans from across the country have joined the cause, urging Congress to pass my resolution in the Senate. Add your name to the effort by becoming a Citizen Co-Sponsor of my resolution today.

Together, we can stand up to this abuse of executive power and help make Washington understand that nobody is above the law.

All best,

Rob Portman
www.robportman.com

________________________________________________________

June 12, 2014

Senator Rob Portman
Washington, D.C.

Senator Portman:

Thanks for sending the above email to my wife, Kathy, urging her to "condemn President Obama's illegal prisoner release

You may not know that you and Kathy were once K-thru-4th grade classmates at Kilgour Elementary in Mount Lookout, Ohio.  You clearly don't know that you sent your email to a houseful of registered Democrats.  (Doesn't say much for whoever is managing your database.)

Those Kilgour days were long ago.  Kathy, like most of your classmates, enjoys a typical middle-class, working-parent existence.  You've led a life of upper-class privilege at the Golden Lamb and the country clubs of Terrace Park and Hyde Park.  Nothing necessarily wrong with that, but different paths teach different lessons.

We've learned long ago that you and your party do not have our best interests at heart.  We've learned that you're just a craven opportunist -- ready to support gay rights only after your son comes out; ready to pose as a hard-ass only after Eric Cantor gets Tea-Bagged in a primary.

We support the prisoner exchange.  We brought our man home.  Would you really have wanted another outcome?  Time was of the essence and President Obama made an executive decision.  We believe it was the right one.  We support our President.  Your call to "condemn" him is highly offensive -- a very poor word choice, Senator.

By the way, if we're counting laws supposedly "broken", it's hard to top your former boss George W. Bush.  He lied to America and he lied to the United Nations in order to prosecute an illegitimate war in Iraq -- tens of thousands dead, torture, war crimes, warrantless wiretapping, illegal firing of U.S. Attorneys, and on and on.  Pretty impressive.  According to the Boston Globe, during his tenure, George W. broke at least 750 laws.

Where was your "condemnation" then?  Why did you not stand up to that "abuse of executive power"?  

In closing, Senator Rob, we'd like to say:

1.  The photo of those bearded bad guys was really scary.  If they wore bandanas, they could be the cast of Duck Dynasty.
2.  "Common sense" is two words, not one.

We will certainly not be co-sponsoring your silly resolution.


All Best,


Robert G. Jacobsen (aka Buster Gammons)


Kathleen McTigue Jacobsen (aka The Lovely Mrs. Gammons)


John G. Jacobsen (aka Buster Junior)

The Problem Is Stupid People

(From "Kentucky Death Match" by Mark Binelli, in the 5/22/14 issue of Rolling Stone.)
______________________________________________________________

The popularity of Kentucky's Democratic Governor Steve Beshear has soared with the success of Kynect, the state-run healthcare exchange established under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare.  One of 12 Kentuckians has enrolled, which Beshear attributes to an aggressive outreach program and a no-frills, easy-to-navigate website.

"We knew that our audience was not going to be the highest-educated.  So we made the website pretty simple and direct," said Beshear.

And yet a majority of Kentucky voters also tell pollsters they oppose Obamacare.  Gov. Beshear tells a story of a guy who "listened intently" to a pitch from a government rep about Kynect at the state fair -- after which the constituent raved, "Man, this is great!  This is so much better than Obamacare!"