Karl Rove’s an extremely despicable figure, but it can be helpful to follow his spin because of his strong continuing influence in Republican circles and the MSM. He’s given many an interview and written many a piece attacking Obama at this point, and similar attacks will surely continue, but I’ve been most interested to watch his efforts to protect the brand of the GOP.

Consider his 5/8/08 editorial for the Wall Street Journal, “It’s Obama, Warts and All” (via Howard Kurtz). This section was particularly interesting:
(more…)

Oh, please! Big John is as crooked as a… well… I usually say “republican” here. Like we’re supposed to believe that he doesn’t surround himself with like-minded thieves.

Oh well. If he can fool a few dim-witted moderates, then more power to him.

Analysis: Flap conflicts with McCain’s image

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain’s campaign angst over his lobbyist ties is putting the Republican in conflict with his carefully honed reformer image. It’s also giving Democratic rival Barack Obama an opening to paint him as nothing more than a Washington creature.

“The fact is, John McCain’s campaign is being run by Washington lobbyists and paid for by their money,” Obama argued Monday in Billings, Mont. - far from the Beltway. “I’m not in this race to continue the special interest-driven politics of the last eight years. I’m in this race to end it.” [...]

He’s tried to straddle two worlds, being both a four-term senator known as a fighter of special interests and a candidate whose campaign has employed people with long lobbying records. The dual role is proving problematic.

Torsten Goods
“That’s What Makes the Irish Heart Beat”

And the trend to sell roads and bridges continues.

A consortium led by Citigroup and Spain’s Abertis Infraestructuras won the bidding war to run the Pennsylvania Turnpike with a $12.8 billion offer, Gov. Edward Rendell said on Monday.

The group, which includes Australia’s Babcock & Brown, beat out a rival group that includes Goldman Sachs and Transurban Group.

The deal is the largest ever privatization of a toll road in the United States, as infrastructure investments become increasingly in vogue. Firms as varied as Morgan Stanley, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Blackstone Group have announced new infrastructure initiatives.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the deal still faces some high hurdles. The Pennsylvania legislature must still approve the sale, and lawmakers have already expressed discontent over the transaction.

Source

Damn appeasers!!!

France confirmed on Monday that it has been engaged in contacts with the leaders of Hamas, the radical Islamic group that is running Gaza, for several months to try to better understand its positions.

The Bush administration, which recently likened talks with Hamas to appeasement of the Nazis, quickly criticized the French for the contacts, calling them unhelpful. There was no immediate comment from the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, who has said that he will not talk to Hamas, which he accuses of carrying out a bloody coup in Gaza last June.

Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner emphasized that there were no negotiations with Hamas, labeled a terrorist group by the United States, Israel and the European Union.

“These are not relations, they are contacts,” Mr. Kouchner said on Europe1 radio. “We are not the only ones to have them,” he said. “We must be able to talk if we want to play a role.”

More at the NYTimes

Last time I danced on a bar was at a Pool and Spa operator’s conference in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin about 7 years ago. (hey, I get around!) I didn’t start the place on fire, but I did receive two job offers at universities, post conference, from men who were at the conference. Needless to say, I didn’t end up working at either of those universities and now sit in Miami blogging.

From the Sun Sentinel:

A woman dancing on a bar accidentally set a man on fire early Sunday after noticing her foot was in flames, Miami-Dade Fire-Rescue said.

The woman, described as in her 20s, was at Drake’s Bar in Kendall when she agreed to help out with a display involving liquor and fire, authorities said. According to Fire Rescue, she hopped on the bar, started dancing, then realized her foot was engulfed in flames.

She reacted by accidentally kicking the flaming mixture into a passer-by, Fire-Rescue said.

Paramedics arrived at the bar, 13758 SW 88th St., about 2 a.m. The man suffered burns to about 20 percent of his upper body, authorities said. Paramedics took him to Ryder Trauma Center’s burn unit. The woman was taken to a hospital.

We’ve been watching F22’s flying in and out of Homestead air base in the past weeks, and wondering what they are doing. I always wonder where the fighters are going when I watch them take off and wonder where they’ve been when they come back. It’s fascinating to me to listen to and watch them come and go.

From the BBC:

Venezuela has denounced an alleged violation of its airspace by an American military aircraft.

Defence Minister Gustavo Rangel said the jet had been tracked by country’s air defences over the Venezuelan-owned island of Orchila on Saturday.

He said the US ambassador would be summoned to provide an explanation.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a fierce critic of Washington, has in the past accused the US administration of destabilising his country.

Mr Rangel told a news conference that the US aircraft “practically flew over” Orchila and another Venezuelan island before turning back.

“We ordered the airplane to identify itself,” he added.

“We have recorded proof of the conversation between ground control in Venezuela and the aircraft pilot.”

The minister said the incident was “the latest step in a series of provocations” by the US.

Asked about the accusation, US embassy spokeswoman Robin Holzhauer told the Associated Press news agency: “We’re looking into any possible accidental incursion of Venezuelan airspace.”

From the Charleston Gazette:

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., endorsed Barack Obama for president shortly after noon today, focusing on his hope to end the Iraq War.

“As people all across this great nation know, I have been one of the most outspoken opponents of the Bush administration’s misguided war in Iraq and its saber rattling around the globe,” Byrd said.

He said he had “no intention of involving myself in the Democratic campaign for President in the midst of West Virginia’s primary election. But the stakes this November could not be higher.”

Byrd praised both Obama and Hillary Clinton, saying their “integrity, honor, love for this country and strong belief in our Constitution I deeply respect…

“Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support,” Byrd concluded.

The reporter calls CREW a left-leaning group. I call bullshit. It just so happens most of the politicians with ethics and corruption problems are Republican. They have no problem throwing Democrats under the bus if they see them being unethical or corrupt. It just pisses me off when they label people who are exposing corruption as “left leaning.” Such bullshit.

A Washington ethics watchdog group wants the House ethics committee to investigate whether Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) violated House rules by romancing his mistress on taxpayer-funded congressional delegation trips abroad.

The left-leaning Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, known as CREW, has sent an ethics complaint against Fossella to the ethics panel, officially called the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

The group called on the panel to investigate Fossella’s May 1 drunken driving charge in Alexandria, Va., as well as reports that he and his mistress, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Laura Fay, traveled together on taxpayer-funded CODELS while they were carrying on a romantic relationship. CREW noted “Fossella allegedly was the solo member of Congress who traveled to France in January 2003 in Lt. Col. Fay’s company” and cited the ethics manual, which states that a House member’s travel must not “create the appearance that the individual is using public office for private gain.”

More at the Washington Post

Nancy Pelosi is in Israel today……..

“I don’t know what is to be gained by a military strike except to strengthen the president of Iran and to send up the cost of oil, but I do think that we must not take anything off the table,” Israel Radio quoted Pelosi as saying.(emphasis mine)

Seems to me Nancy’s table is fucked up. Impeachment is off it and bombing Iran is on it.