Completely Unnecessary

I promised to write a (brief and recent) history of political ties, but haven’t the time tonight.

Instead, lest you think my prognostications false, check out the neck decor on Obama and Biden tonight at the convention:

Biden and Obama

Also, check out Bill Clinton, who is sporting the same trademark Obama light blue - no one is stepping on the nominee’s power turf:

Bill Clinton at the Convention

I’ve never seen Bill Clinton wear a tie that color; doesn’t really look that natural, does it?

If I had to guess, I would say that Obama will probably switch back to casual, hope-y blue for the next couple of weeks, but he’ll be wearing red for the debates - and a brighter red at that.

I’m really not sure what he’ll wear tomorrow though; depends on the tone of the speech. If they think Biden was enough of an attack dog tonight, probably blue - if they need Obama to throw some punches, then red.

Don’t you wish we had more colors than red, white and blue in the US? Who could go wrong with a nice kelly green?

Tomorrow -  a deconstruction of the 2004 candidates’ wardrobe choices. We do it to the women all the time; but both Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton looked great (as did Pelosi), so let’s take potshots at the men for a change.

ps - anyone know what time Obama is speaking tomorrow (and timezone please)?

Vaguely Related

• Obama/Biden and Power Ties
• Biden to be Obama’s Vice President

Not that I spend my time obsessively watching Barack Obama, but my impression is that he tends to favor the ‘man of the people’ blue tie. The image currently running on the website, is a perfect example:

Taken from www.barackobama.com

It’s a calming tie - a tie that says, “Come hope with me, etc.’

Even during the debates, I never saw him wear the bright red tie that we usually associate with presidential power.

But now that he’s chosen a running mate, I bet we’re going to be seeing the red ‘power’ tie a lot more often. For instance, during his introduction of Biden as a running mate:

Richard Perry/The New York Times

I bet we’re going to see a much more aggressive Obama now that he has a friendly, loquacious running mate to carry the hope. Biden’s tie is the exact color worn by Obama in so many of his promotional photos.

And lest you think I’m over-analyzing the wardrobe choices - I guarantee the Obama campaign but way more thought into those ties than I put into this post. (Though, we could say that of almost anything, couldn’t we?)

Vaguely Related

• The Ties That Convene
• Biden to be Obama’s Vice President

Well, supposedly the cat’s out of the bag. Eight minutes ago, the NYT posted that Biden’s been selected to fill the other half of the Obama ticket.

If it’s true, it’s certainly not the way Obama would have liked it to get out - Friday night via ‘people told of the decision’.

I’d actually really like it if the Obama camp pulled a big ’syke!’ on the press. That seems unlikely, though, since it would incurr the wrath of the people that Obama needs to communicate with voters.

All the buildup, though, seems rather… blah. The NYT’s Adam Nagourney’s been saying all week it’s Biden. It was supposed to be announced on Saturday, and now it’s announced by Nagourney and Jeff Zelney on Friday night instead.

It’s unclear to me if I’m supposed to be thrilled by this. (Also, if Nagourney’s paper really gets that many accolades for breaking a story that they’ve pretty much had all week.)

I’m hoping for an Obama bait-and-switch. American politics is supposed to be all drama and circuses.

I demand absurd surprises. If McCain selects Alan Keyes, I’ll vote for him.

ps - They’ve got Biden saying that Obama was ‘not yet ready’ to be president. Can’t wait to see those commercials run on loop for the next couple months. (Oh yeah, I don’t have to. Yay!)

Update- Obama’s website now has the Obama/Biden ticket up. Way to steal the Democratic ticket’s thunder, liberal media.

Vaguely Related

• NYT’s Clinton Must-Read
• Life Without Hillary Clinton

Yay. Supposedly Obama’s set to name his running mate tomorrow, ending months of media speculation and prognostication. The list currently stands with Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Senator Joe Biden of Delaware in the lead.

Apparently, the current favorite is Biden, which is such a surprise to me. Though a happy surprise. I like Biden a lot, and he’s got the foreign policy chops.

The problem, however, is how much he contributes to the 50-state plan that Dean and Obama are running. Also, two senator ticket - gives McCain the advantage should he nominate a governor.

Seriously though, I can’t wait for this announcement since it will finally inject some wind into the pre-convention doldrums in which we’re currently languishing. I mean, McCain’s Cone of Silence?

Though one of my students did say yesterday that she thought Clinton got more favorable coverage simply because she was a woman and different from the other candidates. So then the entire class took a trip to a online gallery of unflattering Clinton photos, and were treated to a diatribe about the choices the media made in selecting pictures of candidate Clinton. And the pictures they’ve selected since.

Bring on the veeps - I’m sick of picking the candidates to pieces. The more obscure the better; let’s really get to know these (most likely) guys.

Vaguely Related

• Serenity November
• NYT’s Clinton Must-Read

I was reading this article on TPM Election Central today, and, gosh, if the older gentleman with bills didn’t look familiar!

Well, there’s a reason - he’s the same bill-checking older gentleman that was concerned about the economy at three am! Here’s him blue-hued by the Clinton staff to indicate ‘nighttime’:

How many thousands of hours of stock footage do you think there is available to both these campaigns?

So, it is just laziness or do you think the McCain campaign is trying to bring up memories of the Clinton campaign? Perhaps a subtle way of reminiding those anti-Obama Clintonites of their vows?

Yeah, or just laziness.

Vaguely Related

• Serenity November
• Obama to Name VP

See, here’s what I like about Australia.

Despite the fact that the Labor and Liberal parties usually sit on opposite sides of the fence, both know that it’s time for abortion actually become legal in Victoria.

Abortion procedures have been de facto legal for years - your doctor is likely to accept any reason for a procedure - but having an actual law that guarantees the right of Victorian women is an important step.

No woman should have to justify her decisions to a doctor, the State or anyone.

That’s what’s missing from the that cavalcade of legislation that is currently making it more and more difficult for American women to exercise their right to medical procedures deemed legal by their government.

It’s comforting to see both Premier John Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu behind this legislation. It demonstrates the depth of support behind Victorian women and the confidence in their ability to make rational choices.

More importantly, it exemplifies the ability of Victorian officials to get behind commonsense legislation, despite partisan politics.

This legislation has been brewing for years, and full support behind those who will vote for it next week.

Link:
New Law to Give Abortion Right [The Age]

Vaguely Related

• Bush Admin Memo: Birth Control Equals Abortion
• Quentin Bryce: Gender-Tagging the New Governor-General

John Edwards slept with that lady after all. Whatever, as far as I’m concerned, but it’ll probably end his career. His whole rep is based on being a man of the people, a guy who tells it like it is.

And he actively lied about the affair when asked earlier this year.

So that’s not going to go well. Plus, everyone loves Elizabeth Edwards and she has cancer and… yeah, just not good for him.

To his credit he did release this statement after his interview with Bob Woodward:

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic.

Ouch.

What I love about this story, however, is the lack of quotes for the story the NYT wanted to write:

The revelations brought swift reaction from those who know Mr. Edwards.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the Edwards family today and that’s all I’ve got to say,” Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton said during an event for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in Nevada today.

Hell yeah, Hillz!

Wait, what?

Clinton’s ’swift reaction’ was more or less ‘no comment’. Zing!

Elizabeth Edwards asked the media to lay off:

“The toll on our family of news helicopters over our house and reporters in our driveway is yet unknown,” she wrote. “I ask that the public, who expressed concern about the harm John’s conduct has done to us, think also about the real harm that the present voyeurism does and give me and my family the privacy we need at this time.”

Man, Elizabeth Edwards is going to be wildly popular - I’m sure she’s thrilled.

Seriously though, everyone hated Clinton. And then her philandering husband cheated on her, and everyone was all, ‘Awwww, Hil!’. Imagine the outpouring of goodwill to a woman everyone loves during her golden boy husband’s fall from grace.

Anyway, hopefully someone gives the NYT a juicer comment than Clinton. Hate to waste a good turn of phrase like, ‘brought swift reaction’. Good luck, guys.

Edwards Admits to Extramarital Affair [NYT Caucus Blog]

Vaguely Related

• General Election Update: Casting Sleazy McCain Aspersions
• 365 and Counting…

Not much of it on this blog these days. My sincerest apologies to both of you.

I mean, sure, I can get excited about things like Ted Stevens indictment, but the general election is missing a certain je ne sais quoi.

This is coupled with high levels of unforeseen busyness and my crazy upstairs neighbors. There have been more coffees, but less blogging. (There’s also the fact that I don’t have anything I’m desperately trying to avoid, like my work.)

Seriously, my upstairs neighbors have reached a fever pitch in their nocturnal stomping/shifting of furniture. Last night’s activity included five hours (from 11:30p til at least 4:30a) of door slamming, running, the dropping of numerous items. Shocking, last night was missing the ritual 1:45a leaving-the-faucet-running-for-five-minutes!

It’s like the two minute hate, but longer, and I do the hating.

Anyway, I’m going to try to step up the blogging again. I miss it and I feel like it makes me pay more attention to the world. I’ve got some women’s issues, but they’re on my laptop and I can’t find them, because of the tired.

Also, I missed the finale of Farmer Wants a Wife, about which I’m totally gutted. How will I ever know who ‘larrikin’/jerkface farmer James chose? How will I know how many times he was referred to as ‘larrakin’ farmer James?

Fun Times: Gawker’s video rundowns about TV journalism are some of the best things I’ve seen in my life:
The Dangers of Being a Television News Reporter
Best of TV Lip Slips
Top Ten Angry On-Camera Meltdowns

Also Gawker-related: I really enjoyed this video of average guys attempting Olympic sports.

Maybe I’ve just been spending all my online time watching videos.

Vaguely Related

• Obama Reponds to Clinton Vice-Presidental Chatter
• McCain-Clinton Ad Redux

Wow. I did not see that coming.

An internal report at the Justice Dept. concluded that aids to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales violated federal law by using partisan criteria in the hiring of non-partisan positions.

Gonzales, of course, said he knew nothing about the conduct of his subordinates. Then again, he didn’t ever manage to remember anything about anything, despite frequent trips to the Hill for questioning.

Taking the brunt of the blame is Monica Goodling, one of Gonzales’ top aides. She denied people jobs for a host of reasons: having Democrat wives; rumors of possible lesbianism, Internet searches returning the words “abortion,” “homosexual,” “guns,” or “Florida re-count”.

Goodling last made news testifying in May 2007 on the firing of US Attorneys. She was granted immunity in that investigation in return for her testimony before the Judiciary Committee, but it appears she may be charged in this case. Today’s DOJ report cited her (and others’) activity as patently illegal. The man who would have to prosecute her, however, is Attorney General Michael Mukasey, also a Bush appointee.

Perhaps to encourage Mukasey, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers is considering perjury charges against Gonzales, Goodling and Kyle Sampson, Gonzales’ former chief of staff who fell on his sword for his boss during the US Attorney scandal.

Reflecting on this absurd level of corruption, I think it’s a good time to remember that there are less than 100 days til the election. Are you registered?

Vaguely Related

• Pat Fitzgerald - Undistinguished
• Stroger, the County Tax and the Fine

These stories are a couple of days old at this point, but I couldn’t stop gritting my teeth long enough to post about them.

Cook County Democrats - led by their torpid President Todd Stroger - struck down a bill to repeal the 1% tax that gives Chicago the highest sales tax in the US.

All the Republicans voted to repeal the tax, joined by - we can all do this together right? - Chicago Democrats Forrest Claypool and Mike Quigley.

Stroger and co. accused Tony Peracia (R), who proposed the repeal and was Stroger’s 2006 opponent, of political machinations to help his campaign for State’s Attorney in November.

And Stroger knows corruption when he sees it! His 2006 campaign just got fined $27,000 for incomplete and missing reports on contributions of more than $500.

But there are likely to be more fines since they didn’t follow the rules in other ways, as well. Here’s a quote that makes me laugh:

Stroger spokesman Eugene Mullins also said he was working to better reflect that a $441,000 certificate of deposit obtained by the 8th Ward Democratic Organization fund, of which Mullins is treasurer, was used as collateral for a $500,000 loan that Stroger’s campaign received shortly before the 2006 election.

One commenter on one of the stories noted that a $27,000 one-time tax would probably be requested some time soon. I say, one time! Better make it permanent. I mean, the 8th Ward only has so much money…

As much as I loathe and disagree with nearly every decision President Bush has made, at least his Administration went in with a plan. All Stroger plans to do is absorb taxpayers money and hand out jobs to cronies. Give me grand (horrible) plans any day over sponge-like, fatuous greed.

Links:
Cook County Board rejects sales tax increase repeal [Chicago Tribune]
Cook County does it again [Chicago Tribune]
Todd Stroger campaign hit with nearly $27,000 state fine [Chicago Tribune]

Vaguely Related

• The Stroger is Dead; Long Live the Stroger
• Stroger at the City Club of Chicago