Taking out the Garbage

TRCB is meant to give context to news and know what you're talking about on the carpet. Today Hillary Clinton showed why people don't like or trust them. After months of stalling, the Clinton campaign released their tax returns, but not the donor list of the Clinton Library.

Why is this an example? Because they employed a strategy they created called Taking out the Garbage - dump your unpleasant news late on a Friday to let the 2 1/2 days of the weekend deflate the story. And, by putting it out on a busy news day, like the anniversary of MLKs assassination, provides even less time to dissect publicly.

So if there is an issue by Monday, Sen Clinton can say, I addressed that already, though it was on a weekend and the general public wasn't paying attention.

Forget disenfranchisement by playing hard and fast with the campaign rules in Michigan and Florida. This kind of behavior makes hardcore political junkies like me feel like there is no hope for trusting my leaders.

Worth another look today (TRCB re-run)

Like anybody
I would like to live a long life
Longevity has its place
But I'm not concerned about that now
I just want to do God's will
And he has allowed me to go up to the mountian
And I've looked over
And I've seen the promise land
I may not get there with you
But I want you to know tonight
That we as a people
Will get to the promise land
So I'm happy tonight, I'm not worried about anything
I'm not fearing any man
Mine eyes have seen the glory of
the coming of the Lord.

Rev Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr would be struck down by an assassins bullet the next day.

81%

From today's NY Times:

81% in Poll Say Nation Is on the Wrong Track

Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s, according to the latest poll. In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said they believed “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2002.

...Seventy-eight percent of respondents said the country was worse off than five years ago; just 4 percent said it was better off.

...The dissatisfaction is especially striking because public opinion usually hits its low point only in the months and years after an economic downturn, not at the beginning of one. Today, however, Americans report being deeply worried about the country even though many say their own personal finances are still in fairly good shape.

I think this clips represents the US today, with Tom Hanks as everyman (of course) and Dan Hedaya as the Republican Party, trying to have it both ways and exert power, when he is truly powerless.

I think his "I know he can get the job, but can he do the job" is the tell. Thats the lasting hallmark of the Bush WH. They trick, lie, obfuscate, twist and manipulate to get the job, but prove time and again they just cant do the job. No leadership. No interest in anything but their personal political gain. Used war as an attempt to create a permanent majority by appealing the absolute worst in Americans. As if that strategy hadnt already hot bottom in the elections themselves.



Its obscure, but one of my very favorite films.

Been away

Well, more like got busy working and felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things to be annoyed with, versus things to get excited by. Thought Moby's new CD would help. Not so much. Election coverage is doing more harm than good. New study on high school graduations is mind-bogglingly depressing.

Reading Christopher Rice's new book. Maybe that will make me more chatty this week.