Quotes of the Week

Liz Carpenter, former press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson and Hillary supporter, in the Dallas Morning News:

"Hillary has made scores of speeches supporting Mr. Obama. If she can get over her loss, so can we. Any Democrat who considers supporting John McCain must count the cost of such a vote: Four more years of Bush policies, the continuation of the war in Iraq, expanded tax cuts for the rich, no progress in health care reform, right-wing Supreme Court justices and a vice president who is profoundly unprepared to be president. Sarah Palin is against everything the women's movement stands for: She may be female in gender, but she's a good old boy at heart."

Maureen Dowd's screenplay, "The Maverick Wears Prada," in the New York Times, about the Republican wardrobe scandal. In the end, Palin goes AWOL, and McCain doesn't want to find her, saying:

"For my End of Days, I'd prefer to finish the race with Lieberman."

Arnold Garcia in the Austin American-Statesman, on Palin and McCain's claims that they are average people:

"Maybe we ought to be asking ourselves this question: Do you want the people who are only "average" running the country? Do you really want that cigarette-sucking loudmouth on the next stool running health policy? Or that "average" slug in the next cubicle running foreign policy? Don't you want people making the big decisions to be above average?"

Rachel Maddow, responding to state senator senator Kit Bond (R- Missouri) who said this at a Sarah Palin rally: "(Obama) said,...I want judges who have a heart, have an empathy for the teenage mom, the minority, the gay, the disabled.'"

"A couple things, first, a Republican complaining about mistreatment of the Constitution after these last eight years? It's kind of like Colonel Sanders arguing for chicken rights. Second, if a judge has empathy, that's not legal? And third, forgive me here but, the gay? Senator Kit Bond warning us off of compassion for the gay? You know it's not catching, right? It's not like the measles."

John McCain, coming to the realization the Joe the Plumber may have stood him up:

"Joe`s with us today.
Joe, where are you?
Where is Joe? Is Joe here with us today?
Joe, I thought you were here today.
All right. Well, you`re all Joe the plumbers, so all of you stand up and say..."

Kay Hagan (D- North Carolina) gives Elizabeth Dole (R- North Carolina) a biblical bitch slap, after Dole put out an ad that seems to suggest that Hagan said that there was no God:

"Sure, politics is a tough business, but I approved this message because my campaign is about creating jobs and fixing our economy, not bearing false witness against fellow Christians."

Michael Goldfarb, a McCain aide, failing miserably at the guilt by association game. Check out part of the transcript:

Sanchez: Now, is the -- I need to parse this out as best I can from you, Michael. The fact that John McCain's organization gave $448,000 to this group that was founded by Mr. Khalidi, is there no reason for some to be critical of as well just as some might be critical of Barack Obama for being at a meeting with some girl read a poem for example?
Goldfarb: Look. You are missing the point again, Rick. The point is that Barack Obama has a long track record of being around anti-Semitic and anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric.
Sanchez: Can you name one other person besides Khalidi who he hangs around that is anti-Semitic?
Goldfarb: Yes, he pals around with William Ayers.
Sanchez: No, no, the question I asked you is that can you name one other person who he hangs around with who is anti-Semitic? Because that is what you said.
Goldfarb: Look, we know there are people who Barack Obama has been in hot water--
Sanchez: Michael, I asked you the name one person. One.
Goldfarb: Rick --
Sanchez: You said he hangs around with people who are anti-Semitic. Okay. Khalidi and name other people that we all know about?
Goldfarb: And Rick, we both know who number two is.
Sanchez: Who? Would you tell us?
Goldfarb: No, Rick, I think we all know who we are talking about here.
Sanchez: Somebody who is anti-Semitic that he hangs around with.
Goldfarb: I think we all know who we are talking about.
Sanchez: Say it.
Goldfarb: I think we all know who we're talking about, Rick.
Sanchez: Well, you say that his policies differ from Barack Obama and many other people, and either way, we have the leave it at that.

Dear Joe the Plumber,

You have had your fifteen minutes, now please shut the hell up.

You have implied that Barack Obama is anti-American, and you are the one that started this whole socialism thing. Now, I see a picture of you in the paper this morning, standing in front of a row of U.S. flags agreeing that a vote for Obama is a vote for the death of Israel.

I was one of the people who thought that it was unfair that you were attacked because of the attention that McCain gave you during the last debate. I didn't think it was fair that your background was investigated and personal information about was published in newspapers and on the Internet.

Now the gloves are off, Joe.

You don't agree with Obama, fine. But please stop throwing out these buzzwords for hateful, ignorant people to latch on to. You sparked the "Obama is a socialist trend" and now people who have no concept of what socialism even is are practically calling for his head. This is the kind of behavior that prevailed when good old Joe McCarthy was running the show, and I thought we were past that. Apparently not.

Now you are an expert on Israel? Wow, the Republican Party must do one hell of a job of teaching foreign policy. Did you have the same teacher as Sarah Palin? Can you see Israel from Ohio?

Anyway, while I originally thought that it was a low blow to go after you, Joe, I am going to suggest that you are anti-American. Here's why:

You apparently don't pay your taxes. It is our obligation as Americans to pay taxes, why should you be any different? Furthermore, why should you be concerned about Obama's tax plans if you aren't going to pay them anyway?

You're not even real. Your real name is Samuel Wurzelbacher. You're not a licensed plumber. "Joe the Plumber" is a character that John McCain invented to win votes (kind of like Sarah Palin). You were used by the Republican Party and are now making an ass of yourself by playing along (kind of like Sarah Palin). When this election is over, you will be chewed up and spit out by the same people who made you famous (kind of like Sarah Palin).

You're bald. Maybe you're a skinhead. Are you a Nazi, Mr. Wurzlebacher? Are you secretly hoping that Obama's impending win will doom the nation of Israel? Are you anti-Semitic, Joe?

No? Well, you have to admit that these allegations of being anti-American are inflammatory and don't paint a very pretty picture of you, Joe. They are probably also false. But, for an uninformed person reading this, this might sound plausible. This is what you (and others, many others) have done to Senator Obama. By planting the seeds of fear in ignorant minds, you have helped create an unstable, distrustful environment in America. Come on, Joe, we've had enough of that. It's time to come together.

You are in the public eye now. Don't be like every other ignorant jackass that only spews talking points and knows nothing of the facts (once again, kind of like Sarah Palin). If you disagree with Obama, that's great. That's what makes America so wonderful: we can have respectful and informed disagreements without having to provoke fear or incite violence.

Sincerely,

Everyone who is tired of listening to ignorant, empty words.




***UPDATE*** Okay, I was only joking that Joe is a skinhead, but apparently I am out of touch with what people are talking about, because there is a ton of stuff out there that he is a "raging skinhead plumber." This is likely just due to his bald head, but I still stand by my intial request that he shut the hell up.