Basically, sounds to me that Clinton’s hope is that people are too racist to vote for Obama…
Pathetic.
Updates from March, 2008 Hide threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Mark Halperin Explains the Clinton Argument for Staying In
epigonic
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Bikes Rule
epigonic
Since the beginning of March, I’ve been back on my bike for my daily commute. The other day, after nearly getting taken out by a careless driver, I thought time for a blog post about biking in the city.
Plus today is the last Friday of the month, so it’s Critical Mass day here in San Francisco when bikers take to the streets, and remind folks there are other ways to get about the city than in cars.
Before I get to my biking bullet points, a quick look at my lovely ride (this one isn’t mine, just the model):
It’s a lovely Redline 925, an affordable single-speed steel-frame commuter, with a flip-flop hub if you prefer to ride fixie and quirky mustache handlebars. I’ve loved the commute on it, the simplicity of the bike and stiffness of the frame make it a blast to ride.
But riding in the city can be a drag, and here are some of the things I wanted to write down after a recent ride in to work:
1. Bikers Rule
One of the really delightful things about commuting by bike is the community of cyclists. It’s fun to chat with other bikers at the stoplights, admire their rigs and answer their questions about how I like the weird handlebars on the 925. Only occasionally do I encounter a rude cyclist on the commute (out riding with the spandex warriors on the weekend is a different story).2. Pedestrians Rule, Too
It’s nice to ride into work, and see people walking to work. Corollary to point one above: the most offensive thing a cyclist can do is put a pedestrian in danger by riding on sidewalks, or blasting through cross-walks with people in them.3. People who talk on phones and drive suck
I know there are lots of reasons people have to drive. I own a car, we drive it, I get it. But there is no excuse for driving and talking on a phone. You might as well load up on a couple of sixers and a pint of gin. I see more stupid driving by folks on their cell phones than any other type (equalled only by people texting and driving).4. Life is cheap
Riding your bike to work, you quickly learn just how cheap your life is. One odd result of insurance is that people seem to be more careless in their driving, particularly towards pedestrians and bikers. Folks don’t think (much) about what they’d owe if they hit you, because they probably won’t have to bear the cost personally. More likely, they are thinking about the cost of being late to where they’re going, or the frustration of being stuck in traffic, the pleasure of rolling through the stop sign without a complete stop, the supposed convenience of being able to talk while they drive.It’s those marginal benefits that measure the worth of your life in our world of cars and their drivers.
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zappoman
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zappoman
Duh! This is Mark Hall’s Blog. You better know who I am.
Are you following my blog now or did you see my post on twitter? What made you comment on my fitness blog after all this time?!?!
Btw… give me a call, let’s catch up!
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epigonic
@brad, nice looking bike! saw your post on Facebook — a rare login, a link to your post was at the top of my feed, and any post about bikes and fixies and single speeds is linkbait for me…
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zappoman
too funny, see, I’m so connected I don’t even know where the visitors come from. I haven’t totally gotten the Facebook thing yet, I’ve got my Sweat365 blog posting to twitter which updates my facebook. I rarely “start” in facebook.
TPMtv: Summa Bosniatica
epigonic
Excellent summary of the Clinton Bosnia heroics from TPM.
Thank god Sinbad was there to help.
Why is Hilary Acting Like Sean Hannity?
epigonic
Yesterday, in an interview with Right Wing Nutjob Richard Mellon Scaife (who bankrolled various investigations into Whitewater in the 1990s, and whom the Clintons have been courting the past 12 months), Hillary Clinton said:
"I think given all we have heard and seen, he would not have been my
pastor."
Contrast that with what Martin Marty, a distinguished scholar writes this week in the Chronicle of Higher Education about Wright (via Andrew Sullivan, who provides excellent context):
Trinity focuses on biblical teaching and preaching. It is a church
where music stuns and uplifts, a church given to hospitality and
promoting physical and spiritual healing, devoted to education, active
in Chicago life, and one that keeps the world church in mind, with a
special accent on African Christianity. The four S’s charged against
Wright — segregation, separatism, sectarianism, and superiority — don’t
stand up, as countless visitors can attest. I wish those whose vision
has been distorted by sermon clips could have experienced what we and
our white guests did when we worshiped there: feeling instantly at home.
So, we have Obama who criticizes Wright’s specific, adhorrent remarks but courageously refuses to throw him under the bus and reminds us of the broader context for those comments. ANd we now have Professor Martin Marty who makes more considered, thoughtful comments about Wright.
And we have Hilary. Talking, with Mr. Scaife and his minions, like Sean Hannity. Tells us something, doesn’t it.
UPDATE: I was curious to see what Hilary supporters thought about her comments in front of right-winger Scaife yesterday. So I had to head over to Taylor Marsh. Thought there might be some sheepishness, a grudging acknowledgment of the irony at least. Maybe even a token expression of sadness, disgust. Nope.
Obama’s Speech on Race in America
epigonic
The most brilliant speech on race in America in my lifetime, by anyone.
Watch it if you haven’t.
Hillary in the House
epigonic
Hillariously funny, if unintentionally so.
Watch and weep.
Kinda Like Nancy Reagan?
epigonic
Hillary Clinton has been trotting around the country touting her foreign policy experience these past twelve months, claiming credit for many of her husband’s signature achievements.
Fortunately, the press are finally starting to wake up and dig into this a bit.
It’s clear Clinton didn’t do anything significant or of real substance, despite her crowing.
Perhaps her strongest argument is that she shared a bed with the sitting President, and offered him advice and counsel. No doubt about that. But so did Nancy Reagan, whom many credit for pushing Ronald Reagan to take aggressive steps to negotiate an arms control agreement with the Russians.
His partnership with Mikhail Gorbachev was perhaps the most significant foreign policy success of any President in the last 30 years. And Nancy Reagan undoubtedly played a role behind the scenes as important at that played by Hillary Clinton.
But did anyone ever suggest with a straight face that that made her more qualified than others to be President?
A Question of Her Character, and Yours
epigonic
As many pundits have noted the past 2-3 days, Barack Obama is in a bind. Hillary Clinton is distracting the ref ("the press is unfair to me!") and then throwing punches below the belt when they’re not looking, or after they’ve been made too timid to respond.
And Barack Obama, having pledged to fight fairly, would look like a hypocrite if he too started throwing punches below the belt. Or biting off her ear, to torture the analogy further.
But a totally fair — and appropriate, and perhaps winning — response is to point out to the world (and to the refs) that she is throwing punches below the belt. And to ask: "What does that say about her character?"
And: "Haven’t we had enough these past eight years of politicians (Bush, Cheney, Rove, Delay) who will do anything to win, including not playing by the rules?"
It’s totally fair to ask voters to declare where they stand on this — do they really support a candidate who will do anything it takes, even if unfair or wrong, to win the election?
It’s totally fair to suggest: a vote for a boxer who hits below the belt is also a test of your character.
For even if you think Senator Clinton is marginally better prepared to be President (despite the lack of evidence to support that view), do you really want a person of her character occupying the White House?
Happily, Senator Obama seems to be doing this today.
Finally, I’d note this: if Obama played by the Clinton rules, he’d ask people this:
"I’ve proven through a lifetime and experience that I have the good character necessary to be a good President. Senator McCain has proven that he has the good character necessary to be a good President. Senator Clinton? You’ll need to be the judge of that."
Of course, Obama won’t say this. But it kind of proves the point, doesn’t it?
What Has She Done Again?
epigonic
Would love to know: what would Hillary Clinton name as her most substantive, substantial accomplishment?
Kinda Reminds Me of Bush-Gore
epigonic
Hillary Clinton’s win-at-all costs approach to the campaign has brought up emotions I last felt in November and December 2000.
Remember that time, when we witnessed the Bush campaign’s effort to win at all costs, and snatch the Presidency, by any means necessary.
That involved making sure certain votes didn’t get counted in Florida. Clinton’s parallel effort has just involved stealthily appealing ("don’t leave any fingerprints") to the baser nature of some folks (i.e., their racism) by darkening images of Obama; assaulting Obama on "Nafta-gate" when in fact it was her campaign that double-talked Nafta to the Canadians; claiming that the opposition-party nominee is better prepared to be President than your own party colleague (maybe because he and Clinton both so strongly supported our misbegotten war in Iraq), thus helping to make it more likely that person will get elected (sorry, folks, but Senator Clinton won’t be able to unring that bell).
I suspect some Hillary and her supporters expect and hope that many of us will come through for her in the Fall if she is the nominee. After all she’s done the past few weeks, she would be wise not to count on that. Her actions have reminded many of us not of Democratic greats, but other folks — like George W. or Nixon. And we just can’t support that kind of candidate, as much as we love our party.
Hey Mark,
This is Brad from http://brad.sweat365.com
You commented on my blog.
I have 2 fixies:
1) A Redline 925 – just like you! That was my first fixie. I switched out the straight handle bars that came with it for drops.
2) An 80’s time trial funny bike called a Shogun Kaze, that I fixed myself. It’s my favorite ride. Not as practical as the Redline 925… but hella fun and sexy looking.
Here’s a recent blog post on all my bikes…
http://brad.sweat365.com/2008/12/30/my-bikes-rebuilding-my-redline-925-fixie/