The Democrats are calling for a perjury investigation claiming that Alberto Gonzales was telling “half truths” at best in his testimony to Congress. The Bush administration still backs Gonzales and as Tony Snow says the Democrats have been, “throwing mud up against the wall and hoping it sticks.” Tony Snow in a White House Press Briefing explained this whole “pathetic” thing last week.
Here is part of Tony Snows White House Press Briefing July 25, 07;
It is Mike Gravel’s turn on YouTube’s You Choose 08 Spotlight. Instead of asking you to give him questions, he is going to answer questions from the YouTube debate. He really needs to get a better sound man though, because the seat farting is almost as loud as his voice. He has already posted some of the video responses on his YouTube site. He is offering a link to see more of him, and he wants to make more artistic videos like Rock, and Fire. I can’t wait.
Alan Cosgrove
Here is Mike Gravel on YouTube’s Spotlight;
John Edwards just released a video of him talking about how “they” want to shut him up. He doesn’t explain who “they” are, but he plans on beating them and keep talking. He does say that “they” make over a $100 million a year, and compares them to the swift boaters. According to Edwards, “You know, I’m out there speaking up for universal healthcare, ending this war in Iraq, speaking up for the poor. They want to shut me up. That’s what this is about. Let’s distract from people who don’t have health care coverage. Let’s distract from people who can’t feed their children…. Let’s talk about this silly frivolous nothing stuff so that America won’t pay attention.” I am sure the silly frivolous stuff is the $400 haircuts, and the fact he lives in a big mansion. It is true that “they” didn’t have near as much to say about Mitt Romney’s huge make up costs. I wonder if he ever thought that “they” might be some of his own Democratic rivals, and not the evil conservative media. Who ever it is Edwards plans on fighting them. Edwards said, “If we don’t stand up to these people, if we don’t fight em, if we don’t beat them, they’re going to continue to control this country. They’re going to control the media. They’re going to control what’s being said.” That’s just funny. The right wingers claim the left wingers control the media, while the left wingers claim the right wingers control the media. And now with bloggers it is all out of control! I am just wondering how he plans on beating them. Is Edwards advocating some sort of censorship?
Alan Cosgrove
Here is the video of Edwards talking about those who attack him;
Formal invitations for the Republican CNN YouTube debate went out last week, and it looks like we will have a couple of no shows. Giulinani is stating he is having scheduling problems, and can’t make it to Florida on September 17 for the YouTube debates. According to a Giuliani spokesman, “We have serious scheduling issues. That’s prime fund-raising time.” So it is more important to talk to a small group of rich contributors than it is to talk to the rest of us at the debate. The presidential candidates must release updated fundraising and spending reports for the third quarter in early October, which is just two weeks after the debate. You would think if Giuliani had a good performance at the debate he could raise even more funds. Mitt Romney is also not to hot on the idea of a YouTube debate. Romney said, “I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman.” Actually the question was asked by a real person, and the snowman was just a prop used to get attention. Florida is playing a bigger role in the next election, and Republicans were all excited about it as the location for this innovative debate style, but now the front runners are putting a damper on their excitement. I think they are just afraid of your questions.
Alan Cosgrove
Just one more week left in July’s voting on Presidential Idol, and Ron Paul maintains his big lead. The top three are Ron Paul, Chuck Hagel, and Mike Huckabee. Candidates needing some help are Fred Thompson, Newt Gingrich, John McCain, Bill Richardson, and Mitt Romney. Most of the Democrats are stuck in the middle right now. One of these candidates will get voted off at the end of the month. Don’t let it be your favorite candidate. Vote Here. Last month Rudy Giuliani was voted off. By September 2008 we will be down to two candidates, and November 2008 we will pick the first Presidential Idol from those two. Help us find the next Presidential Idol. It’s free and might be fun.
Alan Cosgrove
On Tuesday Barack Obama was invited to speak at the Time Warner’s Conversations on the Circle in New York City. This is a semi- regular event with a crowd that is usually sympathetic to the speakers. Among the guests at the event were Jon Bon Jovi, Harry Belafonte, Joy Behar, Roger Waters, Darrell Hammond, Carmela Soprano, Mario Cuomo, Barbara Walters, and other celebs. There were about 250 guests total with Time Warner’s Dick Parsons in charge of it all. The whole affair was “off the record,” so there are no remarks available. Later Jon Bon Jovi told a reporter that Al Gore was still his man, but he liked hearing what Obama had to say.
Alan Cosgrove
Rudy Giuliani was talking about his position on abortion and what “strict constructionists” means. “What ‘strict constructionist’ means is that a judge will interpret the Constitution in accordance with what someone else meant when they wrote those words and not try to legislate,” Giuliani said. “If you are not a strict constructionist, I believe you imperil the American democracy because you take the role of a legislator.” Giuliani has repeatedly said he would try to appoint judges like Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, President Bush’s appointees. That should be reason enough there not to vote for him. Reporters asked him how he could appoint such judges and still believe in the reproductive rights of women. If we get any more judges like Roberts and Alito then Roe v Wade will get overturned. Giuliani wouldn’t directly address that question, and instead said strict constructionist, “goes way beyond any one issue. It goes beyond abortion, it goes beyond gun rights, it goes beyond free speech.” Uh, Rudy you can’t have it both ways. Either you are for abortion rights, or you are for packing the court to get rid of abortion rights. It is clear he can’t give us a good answer on this one. If he can’t tell us the truth now, what do you think he will do when he becomes President? I think candidates like Giuliani imperil the American democracy, not judges.
Alan Cosgrove
On Chris Dodd’s blog he has what he calls the Talk Clock. It measures how much time each candidate, and the moderator were given to speak in last nights YouTube CNN Democratic debate. According to the Talk Clock, Barack Obama got the most time with over 15 minutes. The least amount of time was given to Mike Gravel who only got 4 minutes. Anderson Cooper got more time than 6 of the candidates. There are other sites that are continuing the question process going from last nights debate. At Community Counts they still have the questions, and some othe questions that didn’t make it. Some of the candidates have visited and answered the questions for us, and you can vote on the questions you want answered. The number one question right now deals with impeachment. They didn’t ask that one last night, even though it is the most popular question on our minds right now. We could still ask the Republicans, if the gatekeepers let us. John Edwards and Chris Dodd answered it. Go to Community Counts and vote for your favorite question.
Alan Cosgrove
Here is the number one question on Community Counts by lonelygirll15;
The documentary ‘No End In Sight’ which chronicles the first year in Baghdad opens in theaters this Friday. The director is Charles Ferguson a former senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a political-science professor at MIT. This isn’t anything like Michael Moore’s partisan bullshit. Ferguson used over 200 hours of footage and interviews almost 70 people involved in the first year of operations. He points out the series of mistakes through the interviews that led us into the chaos we now face in Iraq. Decisions like allowing the looting, and disbanding the Iraqi military and firing everyone in the Iraqi government associated with the Baath political party. “Those decisions were made by a small group of people in a short period of time without consulting anyone else,” Ferguson says. “How can those people impose that kind of decision on an entire nation, with no other controls on them?” All these problems we now face in Iraq were spelled out by the U.S. State Department, in a set of documents called “The Future of Iraq Project,” as well as in military plans drawn up during the Clinton administration. “Those all said roughly the same thing – and they all were ignored,” Ferguson says. “I’m not sure I have a good explanation for why. It must have to do with the personalities and individual psychology of the people responsible for the war. I don’t think cold-blooded self-interest can explain the way the occupation has been conducted. It’s a mystery.” The documentary was the winner of the special jury prize in the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and opens in select theaters 7/27. To see more about the documertary click here. This is a must see movie for everyone in Congress, and all those that vote.
Alan Cosgrove
Here is the trailer for the documentary;
New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who rarely even watches T.V., now has one of the largest plasmas available in his famous “bullpen” at City Hall. Panasonic just donated a $70,000 103 inch plasma to the Mayor’s office to be part of his office renovations. His office just went through a $627,000 two week makeover. Bloomberg is also in the news because of a recent poll in Florida. Florida will be the first mega-state to hold a presidential primary on January 29th. Current polls show Rudy Giuliani and Hillary Clinton in a dead tie. When you ad Bloomberg into the equation he gets about 9%, and takes more votes from Giuliani than Clinton. Just like in 2000 when Ralph Nader acted as the spoiler for the Democrats, we might have a Bloomberg spoiler for the Republicans in 2008. But it is still early and Nader might still jump in and really screw up these polls.
Alan Cosgrove
