James's Blog

James Commented on Remember LBJ, Mr. President: Go For It All The First Year by M.J. Rosenberg

2008-11-05T15:40:04Z

For sure, there is waiting a heavy load of work for Obama, more than a year's worth. LBJ's example is valid. One thing that has changed since 1965, or perhaps evolved, is the inclination of the Senate Republicans to filibuster, or threaten to filibuster (which is just as effective as the real thing, or more so) anything they don't like, and the inclination of the Democratic leadership of the Senate to let them get away with it without a real fight, not to mention without some all-nighters. This is going to have to change if Obama is going to successfully address a long agenda of urgent things to do. I suggest that he and Biden together are going to have to invest some personal time with the Dems in the Senate and lead them into a new approach to running the world's greatest deliberative body.

James Commented on Not Bloody Likely!]]> by David Moore

2008-11-03T20:07:56Z

Back in 1992, very late in the campaign that George H.W. Bush lost to Bill Clinton, some Texas politician, a female Democrat - who was it? - quipped approximately as follows: "He's finished. Someone stick a fork in him." Goes for McCain too. Palin, however, may not be finished.

James Commented on Palin On Democrats: "Do They Think The Terrorists ... Are The Good Guys?" by Greg Sargent

2008-11-03T19:55:30Z

I have to agree with Slaney Black. Polk had a lot more going on between his temples than Palin does. He was a lawyer, to start with, not a hockey mom. Quite an interesting historical figure, and as always in history, judgments about him should be made in the historical context of that day. There is a school of thought that Polk was one of the most successful American presidents, in that he accomplished in office just what he set out to accomplish, and that was a lot.

Although it's pleasant to suppose that Palin will disappear into obscurity and legal problems, there's also the possibility that she will make a hard grab for power in the (rump of) the Republican Party, pushing McCain aside. She has a history in Alaska of doing things like that successfully. She's power-hungry and ambitious, and narcissistic - she may not go away. All the more trouble for the Republicans.

James Commented on New McCain Robo-Slime Suggests Electing Obama Will Push Us Into "Depression" by Greg Sargent

2008-11-03T18:41:58Z

Indeed, play-acting is all they have left at this point. McCain seems to be acting the role of Herbert Hoover, when the topic is economics. Other times, an old-fashioned southern racist. Palin seems to be play-acting as Joe McCarthy. I'll be really glad when this campaign is over. The question on my mind is what will happen to the Republican party post-election - will the moderates leave it? Surely the McCain/Palin behavior is unattractive to any educated Republican of moderate instincts. In New York, by the way, the Democratic party is positioned to capture the State Senate for the first time in seventy years, to be fairly exact. A big deal here.

James Commented on The Anatomy of a Smear]]> by Zachary Roth

2008-11-01T17:03:33Z

If - that's a big if - the alleged facts are correct, then it's not really a smear, merely a dirty attack involving a candidate's relative and an illegal leak of information out of the government for political purposes - not acceptable conduct! This sort of attack is an adverse reflection on the Republicans and not on Obama, who has nothing to do with the situation. And the topic of immigration, legal and not legal, has hardly been an issue in this campaign - no one seems to care this year. The election is not going to be influenced by this nonsense.

James Commented on New Dole Attack Ad: Hagan Went To A Party Hosted By Atheists! by Eric Kleefeld

2008-10-31T21:14:14Z

Could Libby Dole really be dumber and more clueless than her husband Bob? Remember him? What a pair. When she was working at the Red Cross and he in the Senate, they saw each other by appointment only. Well, soon they will have more time together. They deserve each other!