October 31, 2008 • 5:49 pmComments Off on Erica Jong Tells Italians Obama Loss ‘Will Spark the Second American Civil War Blood Will Run in the Streets’
Wow, are we that uncivilized to launch an all-out civil war in America if Barack Obama loses the election? According to the New York Observer, author and feminist Erica Jong expressed her concerns in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. Jong said, as excerpted from the NY Observer, her fear that Obama might lose the election has developed into an “obsession. A paralyzing terror. An anxious fever that keeps you awake at night.” She also says that her friends Jane Fonda and Naomi Wolf are extremely worried that Obama will be sabotaged by Republican dirty tricks, and that if an Obama loss indeed comes to pass, the result will be a second American Civil War.
Here’s the English translation of her more spirited quotes to the Milan-based Corriere, as selected by the NY Observer and Rocca.
“The record shows that voting machines in America are rigged.”
“My friends Ken Follett and Susan Cheever are extremely worried. Naomi Wolf calls me every day. Yesterday, Jane Fonda sent me an email to tell me that she cried all night and can’t cure her ailing back for all the stress that has reduces her to a bundle of nerves.”
“My back is also suffering from spasms, so much so that I had to see an acupuncturist and get prescriptions for Valium.”
“After having stolen the last two elections, the Republican Mafia…”
“If Obama loses it will spark the second American Civil War. Blood will run in the streets, believe me. And it’s not a coincidence that President Bush recalled soldiers from Iraq for Dick Cheney to lead against American citizens in the streets.”
“Bush has transformed America into a police state, from torture to the imprisonment of reporters, to the Patriot Act.”
She also laments that not all of America’s men of letters share her devotion to Obama.”
If this isn’t a load of sh**, the I don’t know what else is. One thing I will say, I agree that President George Walker Bush made a complete mess of things. The last thing we need is advice for Hanoi Jane. Well, Ken Follett was one of my favorite novelists, but I didn’t realize he was a flake. Oh well, on to the next novelist…..
I deliberately waited a few days before writing about the latest alleged case of police brutality in New York City. The latest twist in this sodomy assault comes as a NYPD transit cop breaks ranks to implicate his fellow officers and is offering to tell what he saw the afternoon Michael Mineo allegedly said he was sodomized on a subway platform.
According to the NY Daily News, the cop’s account of what happened “is bad” for the other three officers accused by Michael Mineo of sodomizing him with a radio antenna on a Brooklyn subway platform Oct. 15. The transit cop’s lawyer is talking with the Brooklyn district attorney’s office about his client coming forward to give his version of events.
A little background…. Three patrol cops from Brooklyn’s 71st Precinct chased Mineo after supposedly seeing him smoking a marijuana cigarette. The transit cop arrived as Mineo was arrested, sources said. Mineo, 24, was issued a summons for disorderly conduct and released.
Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes called a grand jury to investigate the incident based on Mineo’s medical records and the divergent witness accounts. Mineo was hospitalized four days after the incident, and released Tuesday after another, five-day stint in the hospital. All officers remain on full duty.
It would be sad if this is another Abner Louima-type case. It seems the New York’s Finest has been called on this type of behavior before. I will reserve judgment and wait until the facts in the case are revealed. I seem to recall Sean Hannity and others saying that Abner Louima had engaged in rough gay sex, but that was farthest from the truth and he went on to receive the largest settlement in New York City history for police brutality. Let me also remind you that the Justin Volpe, the ringleader, was imprisoned for what he did to Mr. Louima. I must applaud this transit cop for coming forward to tell his story. So many times, there seems to be a brotherhood among police that they will not squeal on each other.
The Texas A&M Young Conservatives of Texas got a little more than they bargained for yesterday. They were trying to get people’s attention, but it backfired. On Wednesday, the group, encouraged students to throw eggs at a large picture of Barack Obama during a campus demonstration.
It was part of what the group called an “anti-Obama carnival.” Conservatives said the egg toss was symbolic of Obama’s economic policies, but many in the crowd called it a personal attack. According to KBTX.com, by mid afternoon, the signs at Texas A&M were gone. The emotions were not. “You have plenty of McCain supporters out here who think this is ridiculous. Ya’ll are way out of hand,” said Farren Congress, a Blinn College freshman who caught the demonstration on her way to cast an early vote.
The conservatives’ anti-Obama carnival came with a “socialist on a stick Obama ring-toss,” and a board with the candidate’s picture on it that the group offered to let students throw eggs at called “throw away your nest egg.”
One would believe that since these are college students, they would be a little more mature. It is okay to disagree with Obama’s policies and his positions, but how is egging his picture a plausible statement? Not even my seven year old son would resort to such a level of immaturity.
Texas A&M University issued an official statement about the demonstration: “A university campus is a marketplace of ideas. While we found today’s activity offensive and not representative of Texas A&M’s core values, we certainly respect the free speech of students on our campus. We are of the opinion that there are more appropriate and constructive ways to engage in a dialogue in advance of the upcoming elections.” Of course, in an act of ridiculous defiance, the Young Conservatives say they’ll bring the carnival and egg toss back this Friday, but will have Obama’s economic policies as the target, and not just his picture.
If this isn’t a slap in the face from another Secretary of State, then I don’t know what else is. Lawrence Eagleburger, former Secretary of State and one of John McCain’s most senior advisers offered a bleak and frank assessment that Sarah Palin is incapable of handling the presidency, should such an outcome arise, if McCain wins the election.
You see, the irony here is that McCain trumpets Eagleburger’s endorsement. He said that Palin is not only unprepared to take over the job on a moment’s notice but, even after some time in office, would only amount to an “adequate” commander in chief.
“And I devoutly hope that [she] would never be tested,” he added for good measure — referring both to Palin’s policy dexterity and the idea of McCain not making it through his time in office. Damn!
This slap in the face came during an interview on National Public Radio that was, ironically, billed as “making the case” for a McCain presidency. Asked by the host whether Palin could step in during a time of crisis, Eagleburger reverted to sarcasm before leveling the harsh blow.
“It is a very good question,” he said, pausing a few seconds, then adding with a chuckle: “I’m being facetious here. Look, of course not.”
Eagleburger explained: “I don’t think at the moment she is prepared to take over the reigns of the presidency. I can name for you any number of other vice presidents who were not particularly up to it either. So the question, I think, is can she learn and would she be tough enough under the circumstances if she were asked to become president, heaven forbid that that ever takes place?
“Give her some time in the office and I think the answer would be, she will be [pause] adequate. I can’t say that she would be a genius in the job. But I think she would be enough to get us through a four year… well I hope not… get us through whatever period of time was necessary. And I devoutly hope that it would never be tested.”
According to the Huffington Post, the indictment of Palin was all the more biting because both she and McCain have held Eagleburger up repeatedly during the past several weeks as evidence that the Republican ticket has firm standing and support within foreign policy circles. So, Gen. Colin Powell was absolutely right in his comments about Palin. To be honest, I have always found John McCain to be one of the Republicans that I could tolerate and I would have even given him a chance, but when he opened his mouth, I realized he had no clue on what ails the economy and how to fix it. What solidified my decision not to vote for him was his choice of a running mate. Sarah Palin, for lack of a better word, is a idiot, who can’t even get the duties of a vice president right. John McCain literally ridiculed Gen. Powell for his scathing comments about Sarah Palin and now Eagleburger shares Powell’s sentiments. Well, who is the idiot now?
After going around saying that Barack Obama was a socialist and hammering him for the “lipstick on a pig” comment, John McCain has undermined his campaign by saying Obama isn’t really a Socialist and he wasn’t calling Sarah Palin a pig.
Here is the transcript from his appearance on the Larry King Show last night:
KING: You don’t believe Barack Obama is a socialist, do you?
MCCAIN: No. But, I do believe — I do believe that he’s been in the far left of American politics. He has stated time after time that he believes in “spreading the wealth around.” He’s talked about courts that would redistribute the wealth.
He has a record of voting against tax cuts and for tax increases. And I don’t think there’s any doubt that he would increase spending and he would, sooner or later, we would be increasing taxes. There is no doubt in my mind that that’s what his record — 94 times he voted to cut taxes — against tax cuts and for tax increases. He voted for — and that’s what matters. Not rhetoric. To raise taxes on individuals making $42,000 a year.
KING: Concerning spreading the wealth, isn’t the graduated income tax spreading the wealth? If you and I paid more so that Jimmy can get some for him, or pay for a welfare recipient, that’s spreading the wealth.
MCCAIN: Well, that’s spreading the wealth in the respect that we do have a graduated income tax. That’s a far cry from taking from one group of Americans and giving to another. I mean, that’s dramatically different.
Sen. Obama clearly has talked about for years, redistributive policies. And that’s not the way we create wealth in America. That’s not the way we grow our economy. That’s not the way we create jobs.
And when small business people see that half of their income, half of the income of small businesses is going to be taxed by Sen, Obama, then they’re very upset with it.
KING: He says, it’s only the personal income tax. If you run a store, if you make $250,000 or more, as a personal income, not a business income, that’s where he’s (INAUDIBLE).
MCCAIN: And that’s where his folks just reduced it to $200,000. And then Sen. Biden yesterday said $150,000. And the fact is that if Joe the Plumber is able to buy the business that he works in, the guy that he buys it from is going to see an increase in capital gains taxes. They’re going to see an increase in payroll taxes. They’re going to see — if he reaches a certain level, an increase in his income taxes. And that’s what got people concerned. That’s what’s got Joe the Plumber upset. He wants to redistribute the money.
KING: Doesn’t taxes pay for services?
MCCAIN: Taxes pay for services.
KING: (INAUDIBLE) taxes.
MCCAIN: But, do we want — taxes pay to keep our government secure. To help those who can’t help themselves. And other functions of government, which, by the way, expanded by some 40 percent in the last eight years and gave us a $10 trillion debt
KING: Under Bush.
MCCAIN: And to the last two years, under Democrat majorities in the House and Senate.
But, that’s the job of government. But it is not the job of government that I believe in, that would take a group of Americans who have some money and say, we’re taking your money, and we’re giving it to others. This 95 percent tax cut he’s talking about for 95 percent of Americans — 40 percent of Americans pay no income tax. So he is just going to give them some money. Where is he going to get it? He is increasing taxes for other groups of Americans. That’s his plan.
KING: What are you going to do?
MCCAIN: I’m going to keep taxes low. I’m going to …
I came across a very interesting commentary in the Financial Times newspaper. It seems that Matt Drudge has lost his edge. Everything negative that he has reported about Barack Obama has literally backfired. Doesn’t this remind you of the “Teflon President” Ronald Reagan? Well, the article states that it was a shocker in the tradition of Mr Drudge’s scare stories and hyped-up trivia about Democratic candidates in US presidential campaigns, to go with past items about John Edwards’ $400 haircut and John Kerry’s windsurfing. This time, however, it was not merely tendentious but false. I actually wrote about Matt Drudge featuring a picture of Barack Obama kissing a white woman in Ohio. It seems that Drudge was trying to start a fire, where there was none. Barack Obama’s mother is white. Since when kissing a white woman became a big deal. Was he trying to remind us of Jim Crow? That was a cheap shot.
Drudge has spent the past month blatantly cherry-picking poll results that favor John McCain, to the loud derision of Obama-supporting blogs, of which Black Political Thought is one. He deliberately shows poll results for one group of voters and not the others. Drudge has cried wolf so often in recent weeks and it is a real shame.
Well Exxon Mobil Corp. has set a quarterly profit record for a U.S. company, surging past analyst estimates. The company said its third-quarter net profit was $14.83 billion, or $2.86 per share, up from $9.41 billion, or $1.70, a year earlier. That profit included $1.45 billion in special items.Exxon’s prior record was $11.68 billion in the second quarter of 2008.
The company said its revenue totaled $137.7 billion in the third quarter. According to CNN Money, Exxon’s earnings were buoyed by oil prices, which reached record highs in the quarter before declining. Oil prices were trading at $140.97 a barrel at the beginning of the third quarter, and had fallen to $100.64 at the end. Compare that to 2007, when prices traded at $71.09 a barrel at the beginning of the third quarter, and rose to $81.66 by the end.
So, why does Exxon Mobil need tax credits from the government? Isn’t this the argument that Barack Obama has been making? So, while the economy is in the tank, Exxon managed to make history once more. Ain’t America great?
Barack Obama made the case in his prime time debut. I think he sold a lot of American voters on his “promise of change.” He spoke from an Oval Office-style set, which will irk some people, and narrated real Americans’ stories of tough times for which he promised fresh hope and answers. “In six days, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo,” Obama told a live rally from Florida at the ad’s conclusion. “In six days, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.”
It was a strategically brilliant move on Obama’s part. From its opening image of a rippling field of golden grain to shots of small-town USA, Obama’s epic echoed the style pioneered by Ronald Reagan‘s famous feel-good “It’s Morning in America” ads from his 1984 re-election campaign. The underlying message: An Obama Democratic presidency could restore American confidence and prosperity at a time of uncertainty on many fronts, just as the Republican Reagan did a generation ago.
Barack Obama reminded us of his own humble beginnings and the struggles he faced growing up. He talked about the struggles of families from across the land–real life issues confronting the average American.The ad also painted a stark picture of a nation’s troubles: a couple struggling with medical bills, the worker in fear of a plant closure, the mom working two jobs.
The campaign bought ad time on NBC, CBS and Fox, spending about $1 million per network, as well as time on MSNBC, BET, Spanish-language Univision and TV One, a cable network geared toward African-American viewers.McCain took his shots before the ad aired, saying Obama paid for the stylish production with “broken promises.”Talk about a “grumpy old man.” If he’s so confident, why did his campaign start Robocalls in Arizona? Barack Obama made his case and staked his claim to a piece of American history. Funny that McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds could infer that Barack Obama is buying the election. Wasn’t President Bush handed the election by the Supreme Court? How fair was that to the millions of voters across the United States? Look at the outcome of Bush’s term in office?
Here’s a blast from the past coming around Halloween. Grace Jones, Jamaican-born disco diva, said she was sorry Hillary Clinton had failed to make the cut in the US election and that she “can’t stand” folksy vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin. She told the German magazine TV Spielfilm that Palin stood for the backward vision of America laden with government restrictions of sexuality and social behavior. Ouch, but does it matter, coming from Grace Jones?
“I would have loved it if Hillary Clinton had pulled it off,” Jones said, in an interview published in German marking the release of her new album.”I can’t stand Sarah Palin. I bet a woman like that has no sense of humor.”
The androgynous Jones, who conquered dancefloors and runways from New York to Paris in the 1980s, said she believed in her own form of sexual liberation. Really Grace?
According to Spielfilm, she said she had fallen afoul of feminists for stunts such as “appearing naked in a cage” but insisted she had the right to determine what was artistic or simply exploitative.”I believe a woman can present herself as a sex object if she has fun doing it,” she said.
Jones attributed her own dominant image to the influence of her grandfather, who served in World War I. “He was strict, even frightening,” she said. “Sometimes I think I am possessed by him.” Yeah, I am sure her Dad isn’t proud of the way she turned out. After all, he’s a preacher.
As crazy as Grace Jones’ is, I agree with her, Sarah Palin stands for a backward version of America, but not for the same reasons. Sarah Palin is not a uniter, she is a divider. Look at the comments made by many Republican heavyweights. Anyway we have five more days to go before the election and I hope Barack Obama prevails.
Here is one person Jamaica isn’t too happy to claim. Grace Jones literally scared me as a kid.I remember her in that Eddie Murphy movie in which she played Strange. The woman is weird. Yoohoo, Grace, I hear Jamaica calling you again! Oops, you can’t go back, can you? Remember that little incident in the Air Jamaica First Class lounge?
According to Tampa Bay online, in these tight times, people may be clipping coupons and cutting back on extras, but some local gun shops are seeing an increase in weapons purchases.
The article states that there are two main reasons for the uptick, gun shop owners say: the bad economy and concerns about a Democratic sweep on Election Day.”If they’re going to change the rules or laws on how you can obtain a weapon, if certain people get into office, I want to protect myself and buy now,” one person interviewed by the paper said.
As excerpted from the article, A-1 Pawn and Gun Shop in Tampa reports sales are up 30 percent in the past month. 49th Street Gun and Pawn in St. Petersburg reports an increase in sales of up to 25 percent. Wain Roberts gun shop in Pinellas Park has sold out of popular handguns several times this month.
Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure store owner Doug Jackson says gun sales at the Pinellas Park shop are up at least 10 percent in the past month. Jackson says some customers perceive Democrats as being less gun ownership friendly. He says any time there’s a strong Democratic candidate for president, the store sees an increase in sales.
Okay, so what are people saying? You can’t trust a black man in the White House, or is this purely out of fear because of the tough economic times we are living in?
Wow, are we that uncivilized to launch an all-out civil war in America if Barack Obama loses the election? According to the New York Observer, author and feminist Erica Jong expressed her concerns in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera. Jong said, as excerpted from the NY Observer, her fear that Obama might lose the election has developed into an “obsession. A paralyzing terror. An anxious fever that keeps you awake at night.” She also says that her friends Jane Fonda and Naomi Wolf are extremely worried that Obama will be sabotaged by Republican dirty tricks, and that if an Obama loss indeed comes to pass, the result will be a second American Civil War.
Black Political Thought 