A Great Burden Has Been Lifted

History has been made.

President Barack Hussein Obama

Vice President Joe Biden

And perhaps the icing on the cake.

Former President George W. Bush getting the hell out of Washington. Bye!

Oh my God...

Sweet!

Unglued

The VP debate is over. Did I come unhinged last night? You betcha.

Did I hear "Joe Sixpack" and "hockey moms" enough times to choke on my own vomit? Darn right I did.

Sarah Palin can rub me raw and chap my ass in a way no other politician has since George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. But it was this exchange in the debate which fired up my thrusters:

BIDEN: Absolutely. Do I support granting same-sex benefits? Absolutely positively. Look, in an Obama-Biden administration, there will be absolutely no distinction from a constitutional standpoint or a legal standpoint between a same-sex and a heterosexual couple.

The fact of the matter is that under the Constitution we should be granted -- same-sex couples should be able to have visitation rights in the hospitals, joint ownership of property, life insurance policies, et cetera. That's only fair.

It's what the Constitution calls for. And so we do support it. We do support making sure that committed couples in a same-sex marriage are guaranteed the same constitutional benefits as it relates to their property rights, their rights of visitation, their rights to insurance, their rights of ownership as heterosexual couples do.

IFILL: Governor, would you support expanding that beyond Alaska to the rest of the nation?

PALIN: Well, not if it goes closer and closer towards redefining the traditional definition of marriage between one man and one woman. And unfortunately that's sometimes where those steps lead.

But I also want to clarify, if there's any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know, I am tolerant and I have a very diverse family and group of friends and even within that group you would see some who may not agree with me on this issue, some very dear friends who don't agree with me on this issue.

But in that tolerance also, no one would ever propose, not in a McCain-Palin administration, to do anything to prohibit, say, visitations in a hospital or contracts being signed, negotiated between parties.

But I will tell Americans straight up that I don't support defining marriage as anything but between one man and one woman, and I think through nuances we can go round and round about what that actually means.

But I'm being as straight up with Americans as I can in my non- support for anything but a traditional definition of marriage.

IFILL: Let's try to avoid nuance, Senator. Do you support gay marriage?

BIDEN: No. Barack Obama nor I support redefining from a civil side what constitutes marriage. We do not support that. That is basically the decision to be able to be able to be left to faiths and people who practice their faiths the determination what you call it.

The bottom line though is, and I'm glad to hear the governor, I take her at her word, obviously, that she think there should be no civil rights distinction, none whatsoever, between a committed gay couple and a committed heterosexual couple. If that's the case, we really don't have a difference.

Many people have argued, and I strongly support this notion, that the government should get out of the marriage business. Provide civil unions for all and leave marriage alone. Let the churches decide if they want to perform marriage ceremonies for same sex couples or not. I have no problem at all with that notion. What bothers me is that it's never on the table in a debate. What we hear is a resounding "NO" from politicians when the issue of gay marriage is presented.

To say I'm fed up with this is obviously an understatement. I'm tired of my orientation being treated as if it is one of the top five problems facing the country. I'm tired of being kicked in the gut. I'm tired of watching Congress scramble all over themselves trying to pass a $700 billion bailout package, now laced with enough pork to feed an army, while simultaneously refusing to provide equality to LGBTQ taxpayers. And speaking of army, I'm tired of a military still embarrassed that gays and lesbians are serving in their ranks. I'm tired of politicians unwilling to take a step to rectify that problem.

And I do not want to wait 55 years to have my relationship with my partner recognized and validated. txrad is not my roommate.

Now, regarding Cynthia McKinney. It is refreshing to go to a candidate's website and see the word "equality." Do I think she has a chance in hell of being elected? Of course not. Am I really going to "throw away" my vote? I don't even know if she's on the ballot in Texas. However, this being Texas, and thanks to the electoral college, does it matter? I might as well write in the name Dennis Kucinich, although I have no idea how you write in a name on an electronic touch-screen.

As for Biden answering the gay marriage question with a "no," it was his tone as much as anything which set me off: the immediate snarl and a resolute no. He might as well have added who in their right mind would support undermining such a bedrock sacred institution as marriage?

The reality is that, despite my emotional meltdown last night, I'll most likely vote for the Obama/Biden ticket simply to send a message to the nation that not all Texans are gung-ho supporters of a Bush failure, nor are we eager for four or eight more years of the same disaster. Obama and Biden may not be able to save the nation but it's pretty darn clear they are a better choice than the McCain/Palin ticket.

However, on most of the issues, I am far more closely aligned with the McKinney/Clemente ticket. It would be nice if someday I could be as enthusiastic in voting for a pair which have a chance of winning. It is refreshing to see candidates who speak the truth and are unashamed of their beliefs and who refuse to pander to a lower common denominator, be it Joe Sixpack or soccer moms, who never have to give a second thought to their spousal hospital visitation rights or pay taxes on their partners' health insurance coverage simply because of their orientation.

Debacle Debate Night!

I think the designated cocktail this evening should be absinthe.

However, I'm lacking that stuff so it'll just be tequila and beer for me and txrad as we prepare soul food (he prepares most of it; I do the corn bread) and await the night we've all been waiting for: the one, the only, Joe Biden vs Sarah Palin, live from St. Louis.

"Sarah Wins"

Honestly, I wish I could see the face on that ignoramus. I always like to keep a running tally of what stupid people look like so I can be more aware while milling about in public.

I like that Abraham Lincoln holding the Obama sign!

Anyhoo, come on in, vent your frustrations throughout the debate, or throughout the night. I'll probably post a few konagems as the night wears on and the tequila kicks in.

Update: You both lost me on the gay marriage and gay rights issue. Fuck both of you. Right up the ass.

The Middle Names

It's Hussein/Robinette 2008.


Caption this:

Joe Biden, making a point on Meet the Press.

My preferred method is to tightly grasp the base of my generous shaft with my left hand while using my right hand to gently stroke all ten inches.

Joe Just Emailed Me

And I thought, "uh-oh, he read my blog." This is not so far fetched. Back when I was a teen I wrote a rather scathing letter to the editor about a senator in Arkansas (he was appointed, not elected, to fill out the rest of a term) and I insinuated he must have been bribed somehow for a vote he cast. I won't go into details because this was back when I was a hardcore Republican and thus, a pretty stupid 16 or 17-year-old.

Lo and behold, the phone rang on our farm one evening. My mother answered and then passed the phone to me. "It's [the senator]," she said.

My heart jumped into my throat. I don't remember most of the conversation but he was trying to figure out what the hell would put such thoughts into a teen-age head and how could I make such accusations. But I didn't let him intimidate me. And I stood my ground because at the time, I believed I was right on the issue.

I was dead wrong on that one.

That, my friends, in no way diminishes the fact that senators and representatives are facing such "bribes" on a daily basis from corporate lobbyists pushing their agendas. But I digress.

The email from Joe was simply to pass along this video, and to say "I'd like to thank you for the warm welcome I've received as the newest member of this campaign."

Obviously, he didn't read my blog.

In the name of unity (and hopefully the obliteration of the McCain/Whatever ticket), I'll pass it along.

Beam Me Up, Scotty

If anyone is wondering if there's some secret hidden meaning in last night's post or was I overindulging in spirits, the answer is yes.

Honestly, I lost about 50% of my enthusiasm for the upcoming elections in one afternoon. It's been 40 years since 2001: A Space Odyssey was released and I've been a fan of sci-fi for about that long. And I've been waiting for my country to become more like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. And I'm still waiting.

Apparently, Gene Roddenberry put the Star Trek series far into the future for a reason.

Am I elated that the country has selected a man with African roots to run for president on the Democratic ticket? Indeed I am. It's refreshing and it's a change. But my joy stops right about there.

I wasn't blown out of my chair by Obama's choice in Joe Biden as his running mate. I was simply glad it wasn't one of the other two guys. A woman would certainly have signaled that he was serious about making history and charting a different course for a nation desperately in need of one. And there are plenty of men he could have chosen which would have sent the same signal. Wesley Clark comes to mind.

Instead, Obama went the conservative route by selecting a politician with solid foreign policy experience and thereby admitting it's a issue where he lacks experience. We now have a well-rounded ticket which hopefully will put a serious dent in the steam of John McCain's campaign.

But I am not excited about it. And unfortunately, there are plenty of progressives and feminists out there who are downright pissed off. And I can't really blame them. I think if I were 30 instead of 48 I'd be livid over this selection.

Personally, I don't think foreign policy is where we need the bulk of our focus right now, and my foreign policy advice to the next administration would be quite simple:

Stop meddling so much in the affairs of others, be cordial, fair and diplomatic, and don't do stupid shit. There, now that we've got foreign policy covered, let's address some of the issues here at home.

From Talk Left, here's just one of the things about Joe Biden which sickens me to my core.

As the author of two major federal crime laws that extend the availability of the death penalty to sixty additional crimes, I support capital punishment as a crime-fighting technique. But we must implement the death penalty in a way that is consistent with our values as Americans.

If we have any values as Americans, and I'm seriously having my doubts, the death penalty is not a value. And the last thing we need is another president or VP with beliefs rooted in the 1950s.

And capital punishment as a "crime-fighting technique?" Please. What an asshat view. Putting someone to death 20 years after a heinous crime is not fighting crime in any fucking way whatsofuckingever. What the death penalty does accomplish is keeping us in the same league as Iran and China and eons away from advanced nations which have abandoned it long ago. Putting more cops on the street in crime-riddled neighborhoods would be a crime-fighting technique.... assuming they are looking for real crimes being committed and not dope smokers.

Biden voted for the fence.

Well, that fence was -- the reason I voted for the fence was that was the only alternative that was there. And I voted for the fence related to drugs. A fence will stop 20 kilos of cocaine coming through that fence. It will not stop someone climbing over it or around it. And so -- but this bill has a much more reasonable provision in it. It has much -- a shorter fence. It does have the Border Patrol requirements. And it is designed not just to deal with illegals, it's designed with a serious drug trafficking problem we have."

Big money and party favors.

Over his long career in politics, Biden's biggest financial supporter has been the giant credit card company MBNA, which was also one of George W. Bush's biggest donors in 2000 and 2004. His son, Hunter Biden, was hired as a management trainee at MBNA straight out of law school, and was quickly promoted to executive vice president. The younger Biden has since left MBNA to establish his own lawyer-and-lobbying firm, but still receives a $100,000 per year consulting fee from the bank, which has since been swallowed by Bank of America. In 2006, Hunter Biden was appointed by President Bush to a five-year term on the Amtrak Reform Board.

And we know Biden loves to ride Amtrak to DC. Lots of people are praising that and calling Biden "one of us."

So what? The fact that he might be an "ordinary guy" who is comfortable sitting down in a bar in Iowa counts for shit. I'm wanting to elect strong progressive leadership, not a drinking buddy. Besides, that's the same crap they said about Bush.

What I want is a frank discussion about the financial mess we're in right now. I want some honesty. And a little integrity would be nice.

Biden has cast some great votes in the senate. And he's made some huge blunders. In the end, it will be far better than Dick Cheney. But we could have done better. And I'm not excited.

If, after a four-year term, these two will move us back to the center, I'll consider it a grand accomplishment given the fact that on a scale of 1 to 10, with one being ultra-liberal and 10 being ultra-conservative, the center sits at about 7 right now.

This is all assuming the Obama/Biden team is victorious in November. It is a do-or-die election for the US.

Or as Frank Rich said in his piece titled Last Call for Change in today's New York Times:

R.I.P., “Change We Can Believe In.” The fierce urgency of the 21st century demands Change Before It’s Too Late.

At least Biden would just be the VP. And he does wear the obligatory lapel pin.

That's gotta be worth a few hundred thousand votes in Appalachia right there.