I made my periodic trek over to Foxnews.com to get my chuckle for the day.  I, of course like other sane individuals, don’t take one iota of what is spouted over there as anything but drivel. And today is no exception.

This time they are giving much column space to the sometimes incomprehensible, often staggeringly stupid and always a troglodyte, Rush Limbaugh.

This time he is again ranting about President Obama and how he is closely related to demons, trolls and socialists.

President Obama is pursuing a “radical” agenda that is putting the economy and national security in peril, talk show host Rush Limbaugh told “Fox News Sunday,” giving the young president failing grades across the board and standing by his sustained criticism of the administration.

Radical? Really? Here is Canada, the President’s proposals would be clearly to the right of the political spectrum. But, in the bastion of christian conservatism to the south, “radical” implies something very different.

In a wide-ranging interview, he called Obama a “child” driven by his “out-of-this-world ego.”

And he predicted that Obama, who built a broad-based majority over Republican candidate John McCain a year ago, would not win a second term.

“I’m really, really worried. We’ve never seen this kind of radical leadership at such a high level of power in the country,” Limbaugh said. “I don’t think we’re better off in any way it could be measured.”

There he goes with this radical thing again! Really, Rush-baby, you should do a bit of research to see that America is radical only in your mind! And if your country is at all “radical” as you say, it is of the conservative, theological bent! Not like we in Canada or the Swedes or some other godless socialist state, but more like Iran. Or maybe Saudi Arabia. The America of the 21st century certainly is far more similar to those latter countries than to the former.

All Mr. Obama is trying to do is fix what’s broken. For example, your economy or health care system.

But hey, Rush is paid to be an entertainer, and he’s entertaining, right? The problem with his style of entertainment is that someone might actually take the big galoot seriously!

I might criticise our own media sometimes – The National Post comes to mind.  But at least we haven’t any equivalent to the esteemed Mr. Limbaugh. Or if there is, I’m unaware of it.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

Once again, the U.S. right-wing nuts are proving themselves to being even wackier than previously thought. How far can these guys go?

Check this out – from “Newsmax“… an American pseudo-media outlet that seems to have, as its sole raison d’être, the demeaning and humiliation of the President and any policy he has ever been a part of.

I must note, however, that this article has disappeared from the site. Apparently even the fascists at Newsmax couldn’t stomach what this moron was writing.

Obama Risks a Domestic Military Intervention

By: John L. Perry

There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America’s military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the “Obama problem.” Don’t dismiss it as unrealistic.

America isn’t the Third World. If a military coup does occur here it will be civilized. That it has never happened doesn’t mean it wont. Describing what may be afoot is not to advocate it. So, view the following through military eyes:

# Officers swear to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Unlike enlisted personnel, they do not swear to “obey the orders of the president of the United States.”

# Top military officers can see the Constitution they are sworn to defend being trampled as American institutions and enterprises are nationalized.

# They can see that Americans are increasingly alarmed that this nation, under President Barack Obama, may not even be recognizable as America by the 2012 election, in which he will surely seek continuation in office.

# They can see that the economy — ravaged by deficits, taxes, unemployment, and impending inflation — is financially reliant on foreign lender governments.

# They can see this president waging undeclared war on the intelligence community, without whose rigorous and independent functions the armed services are rendered blind in an ever-more hostile world overseas and at home.

# They can see the dismantling of defenses against missiles targeted at this nation by avowed enemies, even as America’s troop strength is allowed to sag.

# They can see the horror of major warfare erupting simultaneously in two, and possibly three, far-flung theaters before America can react in time.

# They can see the nation’s safety and their own military establishments and honor placed in jeopardy as never before.

So, if you are one of those observant military professionals, what do you do?

Wait until this president bungles into losing the war in Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s arsenal of nuclear bombs falls into the hands of militant Islam?

Wait until Israel is forced to launch air strikes on Iran’s nuclear-bomb plants, and the Middle East explodes, destabilizing or subjugating the Free World?

What happens if the generals Obama sent to win the Afghan war are told by this president (who now says, “I’m not interested in victory”) that they will be denied troops they must have to win? Do they follow orders they cannot carry out, consistent with their oath of duty? Do they resign en masse?

Or do they soldier on, hoping the 2010 congressional elections will reverse the situation? Do they dare gamble the national survival on such political whims?

Anyone who imagines that those thoughts are not weighing heavily on the intellect and conscience of America’s military leadership is lost in a fool’s fog.

Will the day come when patriotic general and flag officers sit down with the president, or with those who control him, and work out the national equivalent of a “family intervention,” with some form of limited, shared responsibility?

Imagine a bloodless coup to restore and defend the Constitution through an interim administration that would do the serious business of governing and defending the nation. Skilled, military-trained, nation-builders would replace accountability-challenged, radical-left commissars. Having bonded with his twin teleprompters, the president would be detailed for ceremonial speech-making.

Military intervention is what Obama’s exponentially accelerating agenda for “fundamental change” toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America. A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama’s radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible.

Unthinkable? Then think up an alternative, non-violent solution to the Obama problem. Just don’t shrug and say, “We can always worry about that later.”

In the 2008 election, that was the wistful, self-indulgent, indifferent reliance on abnegation of personal responsibility that has sunk the nation into this morass.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

Yet another glaring example of right-wing paranoia is rearing it’s many-eyed head in the States. No death panels this time, though. Rather, President Obama is being accused by the wacko right of trying to “indoctrinate” America’s kids as part of some sort of socialist plot to take over the country. Or all of the IHOP franchises in the Greater Milwaukee area. Or something el se. I dunno. The goals ain’t clear.

This socialist speech exhorts America’s kids to engage in the following repulsive and seditious activities:

1. Study hard.
2. Don’t let failures define you.
3. Pay attention to your teachers.
4. Don’t quit on yourself.

Brrrr…. shadows of Lenin, Castro and Trudeau are looming! Of course, only loony-tunes are spouting off against the speech – like this moron from Texas, for instance.

“I don’t want our schools turned over to some socialist movement,” one father in Texas told the press, as if the elected leader of the free world were part of a secret Bolshevik cabal.

OK. Well, obviously this guy is just out of one of those places where padded rooms and happy pills are the norm, right? Shurely he doesn’t speak for the GOP? Right?

I am appalled that taxpayer dollars are being used to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology,” declared the Republican Party chairman in Florida, Jim Greer, calling Mr. Obama’s planned broadcast from a school in Virginia an attempt at “indoctrination” that made a sneaky end-run around American parents to reach their children, and thus represented an “invasive abuse of power”.

Oh.

Since when is it an issue for a person who is respected by many in his country and indeed around the globe to try to inspire young people? Would the Republicans and their minions prefer the President to tell students to do the following?:

1. Slack off.
2. Your failures are who you are.
3. Treat your teachers like crap.
4. When the going gets hard, give up.

Of course not.

But, just like the ridiculous images of “death panels” that the wacko right have been throwing around, this self-righteous indignation is designed to widen the schism in American society. That between liberals and conservative, black and white, rich and poor and urban and rural.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

In today’s G&M, Lawrence Martin is exploring a topic that is along the same lines as one that I discussed in a posting a little while ago. Ignatieff and the Grits have been presented with a perfect opportunity to latch on to an issue that can define them from the ReformCons -  the American portrayal of our health care system.

It would be a natural fit for Iggy to defend Obama’s proposed program and universal health care in general. Both men are liberal,  well-spoken members of the educated class.  One would think that Obama’s team would welcome such an ally.

As Mr. Martin says:

These are rocky times on the bilateral front. Trade volumes are declining, border fences have gone up. Financial tumult has walloped America and its paramountcy is challenged, at least to some degree, by Asia’s rise. This country can’t ride its coattails as it used to.

These are big challenges for big thinkers. We expected Mr. Ignatieff to respond by unhesitatingly seeking a close alliance with a liberal President whose popularity in Canada is enormous. Mr. Obama is a busy man but surely, given his contacts, Mr. Ignatieff could have received entry to the Oval Office by now, as opposition leaders before him have done.

It is not too late to hitch his wagon to this train; but Iggy and the Libs should not wait very long into the fall sitting.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

As much as the American political system befuddles me from time to time, I have always been an admirer of many of its fine orators. A giant among these was Edward Kennedy.

If only we in Canada could produce politicos that can use the spoken word so eloquently. At one time we had Trudeau and we had Broadbent. But who but the most partisan could honestly favourably compare the vocal skills of any of our current political leaders with theirs? And compared to the Kennedys, Ronald Reagan, Jesse Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., and, of course, Barack Obama, we Canadians can only watch and admire – but never equal.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

In yet another valiant attempt to add to its already $37 gazillion budgetary deficit, the Obama administration has decided to increase its troop strength to deal with pressures overseas.

Though it is sometimes difficult to keep track of exactly how many wars Uncle Sam has his fingers in, these new low income, inner-city and naive brave troops will be based in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now, can someone please explain to me what kind of warped logic would lead otherwise rational men and women to, during the greatest economic crisis since the 1930’s (and possibly ever) decide to add to America’s growing economic malaise by investing further in two wars that are going very, very badly.  It is akin to a household with multiple and huge credit card debt to take out another credit card, draw the max cash advance, and give the money to that lazy uncle who you know is going to head straight to the track and lose the bundle. Bad idea, right?

Here’s a thought for Obama and for Harper too. Instead of digging yourself deeper in these unwinnable wars, start planning your exit strategy. The money spent on troops can be more wisely invested at home on helping your countries get through these difficult economic times.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

OK. Right up front I will say that I am just as happy as most Canadians that there is once again a Democrat in the White House and that said Democrat goes by the moniker “Barack Obama”.  ‘Tis a great time for a President who possesses the cult of personality that will be necessary to drag America and the world through the big financial mudhole that I like to call the “Holy crap! We’re screwed!” years.

Yup. He’s bright. He’s charismatic. He’s young (as in my age!). Wow. The Yanks got it right this time.

Better than the last guy, eh?

And he is coming to Bytown as his first foreign visit as the Commander-in-Chief. He will arrive tomorrow morning, travel to the Hill in his motorcade taking an undisclosed route (likely Colonel By). Then he will meet Stevo, shake hands with Iggy and then hop back into his end-of-the-world proof limo for a trip back to the airport using yet another undisclosed route. Then back to Air Force One and home in time to tuck in the kids.

Ottawa is positively a-twitter over Mr. President’s whistle stop here. Folks are planning their days around heading to the Hill in order to maybe, just maybe, get a glance of the Chosen One. CBC Radio Ottawa is positively gushing. Birds are singing. And all are certain that the skies will clear and spring will arrive early as B.O. steps onto mayorlarry’s realm!

Even my Resident Love Goddess – normally a measured and fairly sane individual – is acting like one of those big-haired teenagers from a Loverboy video!

Amen! Hallelujah! He has come!!!!!

OK folks. Let’s all take a deep breath. This is REALLY NOT SUCH A BIG DEAL.

There, I said it. Let the flaming comments start.

But really, he is the President of a foreign country. And he is visiting our PM for a short meeting and a working lunch. No speech to Parliament. No public address. No walking through the throngs of screaming fans. Nada.

The cops are saying that the BEST anyone of the Hill tomorrow can hope for is a glimpse of the back of the guy’s head. That’s it. That’s all.

All I’m saying is that we Canucks are so desperate for dynamic and charismatic leadership – being that there exists no such beast in our current inventory of political rascals – that we grasp onto a foreign leader as a proxy. Kinda shameful, really, all of this fawning and drooling.

All that being said, I do welcome Mr. Obama to the Great White North and I hope that his leadership and his vision lives up to the advance billing.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

I thought I would scribble a quick note about the election to the south of the 49th.  I had meant to do this quite a while ago but between work demands (been travelling quite a bit – I am writing this in the business centre of the Montreal Delta) as well as things to do around the house, and being a daddy and a hubby, I just haven’t found the time.

Today stands to be one of the most important in our neighbour’s long history. The choice that Americans make today will resonate for decades to come and around the world. We in Canada cannot ignore the ground shift that is happening in the States. I believe there is a fundamental change happening in the way Americans - particularly young Americans – view their country and their leaders.

It is suddenly important and cool to participate in the electoral process.

And this is, for the most part, due to one guy – Obama.

He has inspired our neighbours at a time when they needed it it the most. Years of blundering by Bush. A deficit and debt that is staggering. A loss of respect around the world. A confused and rudderless domestic policy. All of these have been the trademarks of the past 8 years.

I am not saying that Obama and the Democrats will have a magic pill at their disposal. The once proud country has been dragged into a deep and hollow abyss that will take some effort and pain to climb out from.

Friends and family have from time to time accused me of being anti-American.

This is not the case.

I dearly respect our southern kin and think that the American experiment has been one of the greatest achievement in the annals of human history. And I truly weep to think what Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al have done to belittle this accomplishment. True, I am a proud Canadian and share that Canadian paranoia-envy-wonder that is so typical of my fellow citizens. But I try to temper this with the recognition that Americans are a fine people with a rich heritage that deserve our respect and admiration.

So – in closing – if there are any Americans who are reading this post, please, PLEASE do the right thing today and do not make the same mistake three times in a row! Vote for a future that may reposition your country to that level that it deserves to occupy.

GOOD LUCK TO THE PLANET TODAY!

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

Sigh.

Here we go again. It looks almost certain that Stevie and his neocons are going to break the fixed date legislation that they themselves introduced only a short while ago.

Harper is claiming that Parliament has become dysfunctional and that he needs to be sure that the Government can put their agenda into place before proceeding.

I have 2 issues with this:

1. Parliament is not dysfunctional. Yes, Committee hearings have become a circus because ReformCons have been ignoring summons to appear and they have been using their handy-dandy PMO (Karl Rove-ish) contrived manual on how to make Committee meetings dysfunctional. But these are the PMO’s antics – not those of the other parties.
2. Not going to the House to test a claim of confidence but rather using the opposition leaders’ willingness to meet with his holiness is pretty damned cheeky; if not illegal. Unfortunately, the days of GG Byng are long gone and it is doubtful that our current GG will do anything but dissolve Parliament and trigger an election as the Harperites want.

So why is Mr. Harper so desperate for an election now and not willing to wait until his goivernment has been brought down legitimately on a matter of confidence?

The reasons are simple:

• Liberal candidates are winning in all four of the by-elections currently underway – the Conservatives didn’t anticipate this shift, and they cannot afford the perception that they are losing traction.
• Harper’s concern is only enhanced by the continuing Elections Canada investigation into the Conservatives alleged “in & out” scheme.
• the House of Commons continues to investigate Brian Mulroney’s dealings with KarlHeinz Schrieber.
• A late fall ot early winter election would ride on the coattails of a likely (yes, likely) Obama win to the south and this would benefits the Grits.
• The economy will continue to feel the effects of the recession in the States.
• The visions of more poor boys making the trip home from Afghanistan in caskets are not pleasant.
• The somewhat distant possibility that M. Dion will begin to appeal to Canadians.
• Conservative polling numbers remain stagnant in Ontario and Québec.

So Stevie is rolling the dice and calling Stèphane names as a prelude to one full-blown hissy fit that he’ll launch as soon as the writ is dropped. Like a bully in the schoolyard, he has beaten up all of the other kids and now is taking his marbles and going home.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario

I don’t know about you, but I think attack ads used in political campaigns are not only despicable and cater to the whims of the lowest common denominators, but totally remove any semblance of honest and constructive debate from a political battle.

The penultimate attack ad is this one – shot at the height of the Goldwater / Johnson campaign in 1964.

A little while back, the McCain camp put out this ad, implying that Obama is more celebrity than substance and that being popular in the public eye doesn’t necessarily mean that you are ready to lead the country.

Note the clip of a certain Paris Hilton? Well, Paris put together her own clip as a retort to John McCain. I must say, my opinion of Ms. Hilton has multiplied a thousandfold upon seeing this!

Of course, our own little Stevie Harper, being an admirer of all things negative, cynical and especially American, hires his own team to sic his attack ad dawgs on anything and anyone that disagrees with the Conservative dogma.

All told, these ads, while they do make for some good chuckles, deflect attention away from real policy debates. Stephen Harper wants to debate the environment? well, put something on the table to talk about it and then talk about it! Demeaning an opponent’s argument by attacking the debater is a debating no-no and such attacks are called ad hominem – meaning that the attack is against the person rather than the argument or point. This implies, of course, that the person making the counter-point has no or little basis to pull apart his adversary’s point.

Alas, the Harperites are flush with cash and we can expect more of these inane ads as we gear up for what likely will be a fall election in this country.

Trashy,
Ottawa, Ontario