(This is actually a repost from some months ago, but I put so much time into hunting down the appropriate photos, I decided to repost it; besides, I'm depressed about not being able to make it to NN this year, so I wanted to post something light to cheer myself--and perhaps others--up a bit)
Unfortunately, the diary didn’t get much notice, but I thought it was such a fun idea that I ran with it, and came up with the following. The only rule I made for myself is to take it seriously—no cartoon characters, no dead actors; all of the choices have to be current, professional film or TV actors. Feel free to toss your own ideas into the ring; I know that I’m way off on at least some of my choices, but what the hell...
On June 13, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was appointed to the Supreme Court.
On June 13, 1971, The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers.
When I plotted out the first two weeks' worth of June's diaries, I said to my wife, "Damnit! Why couldn't [these events] have happened on different days?"
Any one of these events would have invited a thorough diary examining the factors involved in the various decisions, the ramifications of those decisions and the impacts of those decisions on our society.
I hope, and trust, that those Front Pagers who remember one or more of today's honored events happening will write something about it, because the significance of each event cannot really be overstated.
And because they cannot be overemphasized, because they are such dramatic, society-changing events, there was no need for me to do my usual opening intellectual strip-tease. (Totally doing it tomorrow, though.)
6 BALLOTS LATER:
Barr wins. Ruwart concedes and claims to be among "the REAL faces of the Lib party"
CSPAN has been rocking the coverage. And kossaks have been sharing snark and glee at the prospect of some red votes turning... well whatever color Bob Barr is... [insert joke here]?
Ruwart is arguing that Barr doesn't share the party values. He voted for The Patriot Act, for example.
Others were arguing that Barr would get more support in November.
We will be talking exclusively with Becky Isais, who worked on the Mike Gravel for President campaign. Ms. Isais has previously provided LFV with email proof of her claim that she has not been paid; on this episode, we'll hear the audio proof. Was this just a misunderstanding, or was fraud involved? Listen in and decide for yourself.
I am an Obama guy myself, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate that we have two history making candidates in this race. In any other year, the choice would be clear, but what to do this time? I think this video will help answer all the questions. Or maybe it won't. I actually am just rambling here because the diary has to be at least 300 characters, even though a picture speaks at least a thousand words. I just wanted you to be able to say that you saw the video here first, so I am typing quickly to get it online, and is that enough text yet, Kos?
I know this may be a few months late, but I hope you all get the joke here.
Before the inevitable slimming down of the field of presidential candidates, I was really shocked how many of them entered in around the end of 2006/early 2007, to where Jon Stewart dubbed it "Clusterf**k to the White House". My term is basically, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Election", with a premise pretty much similar to the Stanley Kramer classic, with a huge ensemble cast!
The basic premise is that Jimmy Durante/George W. Bush, on the run, aged, and gravely injured from a car crash on the desert highway, tells the candidates about the Big W (The White House) and first one there wins!
By any measurement this Democratic Nomination race has been a neck and neck contest. Every state has seen substantial support for each candidate and despite the desire to have Hillary drop out, we continue to see that she has firm support in many states and motivated supporters uninterested in her withdrawing before June 1, maybe not until the Convention.
Given the Rovian tone of the Clinton campaign: How UnCool is that?
I thought folks might be interested in these two short videos by Mike Gravel and Donna Edwards. The videos were shot at the Take Back America conference in D.C. by my new site, On Day One. (As I've noted before, On Day One is not affiliated with any candidate or campaign. We are sponsored by the Better World Campaign, and our sole purpose is to get people talking about ideas the next president could adopt, figuratively, on day one.)
In this election cycle we are seeing the end of things and the beginning of things. As Ted Ford, an economist and a California Democrat running for office in Sacramento put it:
The phenomenon of the year is a clear old vs. new divide cleaving the electorate. The Clintons and their lies will be totally repudiated in the end, as will the Bush lies. Both groups are corrupt and finished. This year will see a shredding of old ways, a complete break from the past. Perhaps this is the true new beginning of the millennium -- same as World War I ended the 19th century in 1914. People under 35 care nothing of Bush or Clinton style politics.
Helter Skelter? Really? I guess Gravel doesn't know the song was about taking an amusement park ride while high on acid. McCartney wrote for cripes sake. It wasn't political until Charles Manson tried to make it political. And by political I mean used it was to convince a few dim-wits to kill Sharon Tate et al.
And just when I thought Hillary's late night debt hotline was going to be the most hilarious political ad on YouTube today Mike Gravel stepped up and proved, again, why he is the illest MC (not to mention running the most enviable/insane campaign since Ron Paul)
We've all been getting tired of the regular back-and-forth between Barack and Hillary. I've heard the same arguments about why one is better than the other a thousand times since the race began over a year ago.
Well, I have just the cure for the late primary season malaise that I'm sure ails you. Remember Mike Gravel? He calls himself a former senator from Alaska, but he's so far out that I'm not sure I believe him. Anyway, he's now a libertarian (although he hasn't officially dropped out of the Dems' race...I bet both candidates are calling and begging for his endorsement), and he's still running for president.
