Oil Crisis Across the World

The Independent writes about the oil crisis around the world and how different regions are dealing with it. I guess the silver lining is that we are all forced to come up with alternative ways to meet our energy needs. We can no longer ignore climate change and burn up oil like it was free...

See the article below. T

Crisis

Gas Thieves

The United States is starting to resemble the Soviet Union: people are stealing gas from parked cars! Thieves are puncturing gas tanks with a drill and letting the gas drip into a bucket!

I remember back in the 80's that travelers were warned when going to visit the Soviet Union by car that their wind shield wipers might be stolen off the car if it was left parked on the street.

Great need creates great opportunity.

Gas thieves

Gore Vidal

There was a fantastic interview of Gore Vidal on Democracy Now! last week. He is wise and uncompromising. It is painful to hear his assessment of the United States today. But he makes a lot of sense. Find the interview in the link below.
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Interview

Obamicans Pile on Clinton

Froma Harrop writes about Obama supporters' behavior toward Clinton supporters - it is not a winning strategy. In recent years Americans have become increasingly bad at winning; they have to insult their opponent like some kind of a professional wrestler to make themselves look better. Such lack of respect and short-sightedness has led to increasing ugliness and distrust in politics.

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Obamicans Pile on Clinton at Own Peril

Many in the Obama camp, having outfoxed the apparently not-so-formidable Clinton machine, can't seem to get the hang of winning gracefully. They feel a need to drive a stake in Hillary Clinton's reputation, then dance. If they were smart, they'd heap praise on Clinton and let her finish out the race, however she chooses to do so.

That's sage advice, even though offered by Republican mastermind-turned-pundit Karl Rove. Treat Clinton shabbily, he says, and many of her supporters "will remember it by November."

Nonetheless, Obamacans are throwing victory parties over the impending defeat of a fellow Democrat who has thus far pulled in over 47 percent of their party's primary and caucus participants. Some take a more direct approach. In anticipation of the West Virginia primary, college students for Obama were hurling insults at farmers and truck drivers holding signs for Clinton.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, unable to contain himself, administered one last kick to Clinton's dignity by opining that the New York senator lacks the "real leadership" needed for the job of vice president. He said that Obama should pick someone who is "in tune with his appeal for the nobler aspirations of the American people."

So much for the nobility of aspirations held by his own state's Democratic primary voters, who preferred Clinton over Obama by 15 percentage points. Next door in Rhode Island, Rep. Patrick Kennedy dittoes Dad as an unwavering super-delegate for Obama — this despite Clinton's 18-point win in that state's primary. It's as if the voters are invisible.

Disrespecting the nearly 17 million who have supported Clinton is politically unwise, but turning them into "the enemy" is insane. Last week's enemy was working-class white people. The Democrats can win without a majority of white voters — as Obama strategists undiplomatically note — but they can't win without a strong showing among them.

So Obama partisans do not help their cause by willfully misrepresenting Clinton's reference to "hard-working Americans, white Americans" as racist rather than as a poorly worded observation made in a state of utter exhaustion.

The fervor of their outrage suggests that some regard the mere consideration of white people, particularly white men, as a demographic needing a special message is an act of bigotry. (That's as opposed to a thousand other racial and socio-economic groups that politicos routinely slice and dice.)

We now hear pained remarks from the Obama camp that many white men won't vote for any black. Oh really? No one was complaining during the early races in Iowa, Maryland, Virginia and Wisconsin, when most of the white male participants backed Obama. That was before the Rev. Jeremiah Wright ugliness became public.

Weirdly, Obamacan triumphalism seems to be merging with the festivities on the Republican side. You can understand why the right would welcome what it prays is "the end of the Clinton era." Bill Clinton presided over the longest peacetime expansion since World War II. His budget surpluses put his so-called conservative predecessors and successor to shame. Wouldn't a vow to build on the Clinton legacy, rather than dismantle it, be a better tack for the Obama campaign?

By the way, Clinton's continued sparring with Obama does not hurt the Illinois senator's chances in November. It only crowds out Republican efforts along that line. Believe me, you'd rather have the Clinton version.

Obama can't beat John McCain without large chunks of Clinton's core constituency: women, Hispanics and the white working class. Dumping on their candidate is one step removed from dumping on them — and some of the Obama people don't even bother with that step. Rove must be enjoying the show.

To find out more about Froma Harrop, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL CO.

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

The Best of George W

It's really amazing how George W. continues to say the most ridiculous, out-of-touch things! Below is a sampling of a recent interview of Mr. president.
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President Bush said Tuesday he was disappointed in "flawed intelligence" before the Iraq war and was concerned that if a Democrat wins the presidency in November and withdrew troops prematurely it could "eventually lead to another attack on the United States."

In an interview with the political newspaper Politico and Yahoo News, Bush also said he gave up golf in 2003 out of respect for U.S. soldiers killed in the war, which has now lasted more than five years.

"I didn't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

Full interview here.

It's About the White House

I expected Hillary to do better in Indiana. Now there is not much left to do. Yes, I do feel bitter about how the race turned out - not because of Obama or Hillary, but because of how it was framed in the media since last winter. It took its toll. But it would be difficult to continue now with very little chance to gain any more ground. I will continue to support Hillary, but I will begin shifting focus on November. I am afraid of how Obama will do in the general election. Is this country ready? - Obviously it was not ready for a woman leader...

(Still hoping for Al Gore to participate...)
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NYT

Hyvaa vappua!

Happy May Day!