Archive for January 4th, 2008

04
Jan
08

With apologies to Pat Paulson

This was for real...sort of.The “news” that ABC News is not extending invitations to Duncan Hunter, Dennis Kucinich and Mike Gravel to join in their upcoming debates should come as a shock to no one.  While they all seem like honest men (a couple seem a bit touched in the head, we’ll leave it to you do figure out which couple), they don’t register at all on the political radar.  The one among them with the highest name recognition is Dennis Kucinich who is fast becoming the Pat Paulson of Democratic primaries. 

 While we’re sure none of them like the decision, they seem to understand it…somewhat.  The story doesn’t contain frantic quotes on how the people are being denied choices.  Never before have also-rans been allowed in so many debates, though never before have there been so many debates. 

An argument, and a good one, could be made that Bill Richardson has no place in this debate.  Well, he doesn’t.  But by keeping him around he will make the three remaining Democrats look like geniuses by comparison. 

04
Jan
08

Douchebag of the Year – We have a winner!

 Welcome Freepers!  While you’re here, why not check out the First Friday Podcast.  There are worse ways to spend an hour…Thank you and come again.

You are a douchebag!It’s been a long 3 weeks of voting but we finally have a winner for Douchebag of the Year!  The voting was closer for runner-up than it was for first because our douchebag was such a jackass in 2007.  First, a few words about our runners-up.

With the least amount of votes was a group of people that would have done much better were there not such stiff competition from so many this year because they helped tarnish the national pastime, not by their personal use of steriod, but by their acceptance of it by others.  That’s right, in last place was Bud Selig and Major League Baseball owners. 

Next is a man you won’t be hearing much about soon because, well, most people don’t want anything to do with him.  John Edwards did come in second last night in Iowa, but only by the narrowest of margins.  He should soon fade into obscurity where his class-warfare rhetoric belongs.  Though, with an ego the size of his, expect him to return in 4 years and run risk of becoming the William Jennings Bryan of Democratic primaries.  Until then, he will have plenty of time to do his hair.

In 8th place is the man at the forefront of the steroid controversy in baseball, the new homerun king*, Barry Bonds.  After Barley Bondshaving sworn for years that he didn’t take steroids and his single-season and career homerun records would not be tainted, it turns out he was on the juice.  Anyone who has watched Barry over the years noticed that something was off about him as he blew up like the inner-tube of a 10-speed, but he always denied it.  Now he’s facing serious federal charges and the stigma that goes along with getting caught cheating.  The real shame of it all is Barry was great baseball player and would’ve been a Hall of Famer without the juice…

What can be said about Harry Reid that hasn’t already been said about Neville Chamberlain?  Displaying the can’t-do spirit that has made France the military super-powder they are today, Reid pronounced every bit of good news from Iraq as dead as his leadership in the US Senate.  Fortunately for the country, Reid’s ability to predict the future in Iraq isn’t nearly as good as his ability to make millions off shady land deals due to his position in the Senate.  We look forward to Harry making his way higher up the list next year.

In sixth place is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  Continually voting for surrender, both in Iraq and of our hard-earned money to government, Speaker Pelosi got next to nothing she set out to accomplish done last year, and we’re a stronger nation for it.  Refusing to meet with General David Petraeus to discuss progress in Iraq was just one of her many capitulations to the extreme Left of her party, but even that wasn’t enough.  Being challenged in this coming November’s election by none other than Cindy Sheehan, things keep looking down for the Speaker.  While she’ll easily win reelection thanks to her family’s money (which comes from companies that don’t allow workers to unionize, by the way), she will also continue to fail in her drive to spread “San Francisco values” to the rest of the country.  But that won’t stop her from trying…

If you don't support peace we will kill you!Number 5 is Code Pink.  What can be said about Code Pink that hasn’t already been said about a crazy person screaming obscenities at the air at a bus stop?  Any organization that prides itself on exercising their right to free speech by attempting to deny that right to others by disrupting public events has a special place in douchebag hell waiting for them.

Jabba the Commie, aka Michael Moore, comes in a strong 4th.  His movie Sicko blew the lid off, well, nothing.  The American people weren’t interested in watching Moore espouse the virtues of Cuba’s health care system over ours.  They also weren’t interested in paying $12 to see a movie that preached the joys of Socialism made by a multi-millionaire who once owned stock in both Halliburton and several drug companies.  Moore helped inspire this award 3 and half years ago (long before First Friday) when we were doing a weekly radio show for our former employer.  Back then it was Hypocrate of the Week because what employer would allow Douchebag of the Week, but in production meetings it was.  And is soon became clear that Moore was beat every week.

Hillary Rodham Clinton takes the bronze this year, a position she is used to after Iowa.  There are so many ways in which to point out HRC’s douchebaggery that to list any is to cheapen her accomplishments by not be able to list them all.  You already know her story; attempting to have it every way on issues by not saying anything, refusing to release her documents, claiming credit for anything good her husband did as President while washing her hands of anything negative, running a “positive” campaign while attacking anyone who was in her way.  Watch her flying monkeys attack Obama over the next few weeks while she attempts to “be positive.”  So much to say, so little time.

Taking the silver metal is group that, unlike our other runners-up who spread their douche-yness out throughout the year, pretty much solidified their position with move that will live in douchebag infamy.  When MoveOn.org placed their MoveOn.org - Just complete douchebagsseverely discounted for no known reason full-page ad in the New York Timescalling General David Petraeus General Betray-Us, they pretty much pissed off everyone except those who had already drank their surrender Kool-Aid.  They were forced to go dark for pretty much the rest of the year, resurfacing only to try to regain some credibility and get some good PR by giving phone cards to the USO to distribute to our troops.  It didn’t work.  They will be back next year with more of the same, and thank God for that.

The envelope, please.

The winner, by your votes, and our first Douchebag of the Year is none other than Al Gore!  Often called an Oscar winner, even though he isn’t (the subject of a documentary doesn’t win the Oscar, the producers do, which he was not), Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize for bringing peace to, er, for attempting to bring peace to, no, wait…um, for talking about peace?  Well, no.  For making a boat load of money private-jetting around the world to talk about the damage living like he does is doing to the planet.  The accomplishments of Gore this year would take too long to list and we’d be played off the stage by the orchestra if we tried, but they can be found here

Congratulations to Al Gore, and all our runners-up for great year of douchebaggery.  We expect great things from all of you in the future, we don’t want them, but we expect them.  Congratulations.  Drink up, because the Kool-Aid isn’t going to drink itself!

I'm rich, Biaatch!
04
Jan
08

Attempting to polish a turd – The Clinton spin machine on Iowa 3rd place finish

I'm holding my breath till you like me!The old say “you can’t polish a turd” has never stopped a political spinmeister from doing their job because, frankly, without trying to do just that, they wouldn’t have a job in the first place. 

Politico got their hands on the talking points memo from the Clinton campaign, which we’ve pasted below, and what leaps out at us is this line:

Hillary began her campaign in Iowa behind. Some pundits wondered whether she could compete here.

Hillary was ahead in Iowa for a long, long time.  But, much like the nation as a whole, the more time she spent there and the more people got to know her, the less they liked what she had to say.  This will continue to be a problem for her in the future…

Here is the rest of the memo (you could play a drinking game with this if you have any creativity, beer and watch a cable news show):

“We’re going to continue to make the case that, in these serious times when America faces big challenges, it will take a leader with Hillary’s strength and experience to deliver real change,” the talking points say.

The Iowa Caucus

- The race begins here in Iowa but it ends when Democrats throughout America have their say. Hillary remains more than 20 points ahead nationally, 7 points ahead in New Hampshire and ahead in Nevada, South Carolina and the large Feb. 5th states

- We’re going to continue to make the case that in these serious times when America faces big challenges, it will take a leader with Hillary’s strength and experience to deliver real change.

- Hillary has the resources to run a national campaign where she will compete across the country in the weeks ahead. This campaign was built for a marathon.

- Hillary began her campaign in Iowa behind. Some pundits wondered whether she could compete here.

- That’s why we feel good about the real progress we made here in Iowa, and the momentum we’ve seen with large crowds turning out to see Hillary across the state.

- Now the campaign goes to New Hampshire where we have a first class organization and strong support, including key endorsements from the Concord Monitor and the Keene Sentinel.




 

January 2008
M T W T F S S
« Dec   Feb »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

c

FF Fotos

P8070066 0

P8070053 0

DSC05323 0

More Photos