Feet Fail Me Now

While still babying my sore, twice broken toe and lamenting that I can't wear my fabulous silver peep-toe pumps, this article gives my little comfort.

Christian Louboutin would have a fit. Of course, he doesn't wear his own shoes. At least not in public.

"Can a mule whistle?"

Political hypocrisy was not invented by Hillary Clinton, nor Bill, nor certainly Ed Rendell but ,boy, they do it well.

Louis Farrakhan must be denounced AND rejected. By Obama, of course.

My Head Hurts

From USA Today:

Checking Clinton's claim to be ahead: "More people have voted for Hillary than any other candidate," says the headline at The Fact Hub website run by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign. That's not true, says Sen. Barack Obama's Know the Facts webpage.
As the Associated Press writes, the truth "depends on how the votes are counted. And even using Clinton's method, she may not stay ahead for long."

Real Clear Politics has a chart that helps make sense of the competing claims. It shows:
• Clinton's claim to be ahead works if the vote totals from Michigan (where Obama was not on the ballot) and Florida (where none of the Democrats campaigned) are included. The results of both states' primaries are not counted by the Democratic National Committee because the votes in those states were held earlier than party rules allowed.

• Clinton's claim to be ahead also relies in part on not counting votes from the caucuses held in Iowa, Nevada, Washington and Maine. Obama won all those but Nevada. The rationale for not counting those caucuses: They weren't "one man, one vote" contests with traditionally reported vote counts.
• Without the votes from Florida and Michigan in the totals, Obama leads by 500,353 votes. Add the four caucus states to the totals and his advantage grows to an estimated 610,575.
• The math begins to work in Clinton's favor as Florida and Michigan get included. An equation that includes the caucus states and Florida (because Obama at least was on the ballot there), shrinks Obama's lead to 315,803 votes.
• When Michigan (where Obama was not on the ballot) is put into the mix as well, Clinton moves ahead by 12,506 votes.
• The combination that the Clinton campaign likes best takes the popular vote from all the states except Iowa, Maine, Nevada and Washington, adds in the votes from Florida and Michigan, and puts her ahead by 122,728 votes.
• Any way you look at it, neither candidate has a large lead in terms of percentage of votes cast.

By the measure that works most in his favor, Obama is ahead by 2.1%. By the measure that works most in her favor, Clinton is ahead by 0.4%.

I'll buy the caucuses aren't the same a primary contest. And I don't even mind her making her case in every way. But, you can't tell me that she honestly thinks it's ok to count votes in a state where Obama was not even on the ballot. By that argument, she has more popular votes than I do.

Here We Go!

With Franco and the Bus and that awful towel, how can he lose PA?

Reader's Comments

RE: my post on Vladimir Putin's clever denial of his affair:

"I'd rather he fooled around with 20-something Olympic stars than the rest of his compatriots (and not only them). BTW, no translation would do justice to his ugly semi-criminal argot of late. I've never heard American politicians of any stripes talk that way, only late night profane comedians maybe... Imagine American president talking about the leaders of some militant separatist movement (say, Black Panthers) - we'll be "popping them in their outhouses" (that's what Putin said about Chechen separatists a couple of years ago)." Posted by anonymous.

I should have been more clear. I abhor the way in which Putin has subverted the democratic process in Russia. I have no sympathy for the tactics of the Chechen rebels (kidnapping has become their stock in trade) but Putin's brutality there is being used as cover for his suppression of the media, civil society and his political opponents.

I too looked into his eyes and got a sense of the vampire he is.

That said, he can turn a phrase. Sorry if my comment came across as too snarky.

Thank you for your faithful readership. To express your thoughts on this blog, please send your comments to opinions@keepyourfleariddenopinionstoyourself.com

None of Your Damn Business in Russian

Vladimir Putin denying rumors that he has split up with his wife and is going to marry a 20-something member of the Russian parliament:

"I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives."

Bill Clinton couldn't have said it better himself.

Full Count?

Women and teenage baseball players lie about their age?
I'm not the only one?

Super Delegates: we all we got

Here come the Super Delegates. They all that matters -- note to PA voters. Email your SD's early n often.

According to this PBS list, 320 SD's are uncommitted. Clinton has 212, Obama 184, Edwards 14 and Kucinich 1 -- SD's didn't get the memo I guess.

Of the Uncommitments, CA has 34; TX 17; MA, MD and OH have 15; TN 12; NY 11; OR , WA and CO 10; the rest are in single digits. For the record, DC has 7.

Why are these assholes uncommitted?

Quote of the Day

The past and the present wilt--I have fill'd them, emptied them
And proceed to fill my next fold of the future.

Walt Whitman

Kiss Your Mother With That Mouth?

You can't print asshole in a magazine, but you can say douche-bag?

What would George Carlin say?

And I Guess that Was Your Co-Worker in the Wood Chipper?

Next time I complain about a bad day at work:

Thursday, April 10, 2008

A city worker died after falling into a wood chipper while trimming trees in Inglewood, Calif., MyFOXLA.com reported.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident as an industrial accident, the station reported.

They are looking for people who may have seen the accident.

The victim was not identified, the station reported.

Bill on Bosnia

Please, stop digging!

Great Name for a Band

Freak Kingdom

Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas: "There was only one road back to L.A. - U.S. Interstate 15. Just a flat-out high speed burn through Baker and Barstow and Berdoo. Then onto the Hollywood Freeway, and straight on into frantic oblivion. Safety. Obscurity. Just another freak, in the freak kingdom."

OR maybe, Just Another Freak is the better name.

Standing on the Gone Side of Leaving?

Steve Stark in Politico makes a compelling argument for why Hillary should stay in the race AND for why so many are pushing her to get out.

Some of Stark's examples though stayed in to make a point. What is her point?

I have been one to suggest, sometimes strongly that she get out to save the party. My biggest fear is that we tear ourselves apart before November. Moreover, I have made my preference known and admit to a certain amount of Clinton fatigue.

I will not cop to the pushing her out becuase she's a woman line though. She's a Clinton. She's also a tough political fighter and won't be pushed out the door til she's ready to leave. And good for her.

Now That's What You Call Music??

Mariah Carey surpasses Elvis in No. 1s
AP
LOS ANGELES - With her 18th chart-topper "Touch My Body," Mariah Carey has passed Elvis Presley for the most No. 1 singles on the Billboard singles chart, and is now second only to the Beatles. But while the diva was in full celebration mode after learning of her latest milestone, she was also quick to put her accomplishment in perspective.

And you wonder why I listen to no music produced after 1990, except alt-country and U2? Yes, she has a great voice. Just wish she'd learn to sing.

We're Just Voting In It

"Every time the punditocracy says otherwise, she happens to win," says [a] campaign aide, declining to comment on the record. "Hillary believes, and so do I, that she'll be president this year. It may be an alternative universe, but it's the one they [the Clintons] live in."

Newsweek, discussing the possibility of her dropping out of the presidential race and challenging for Governor of New York.

Quote of the Day

"The most horrible weapon in any arsenal is the madness of men."
Richard Cohen, Washington Post