Getting to Know Him
The original, revealing mistake, of course, was tapping Jim Johnson in first place to be the guy to vet Obama's vice presidential choices.
On one level, and at first glance, Johnson seemed to be the perfect, even unavoidable, choice. He is a fixture here; he is what passes for a Washington wise man these days. The son of a prominent Minnesota Democratic legislator, he came to Washington in the 1970, part of the "Minnesota Mafia" that surrounded Walter Mondale.
Tall and courtly, Johnson was not a lawyer, but had the bearing of one. He was famous for his starched white shirts and corporate demeanor. He ran Mondale's 1984 presidential race, a disaster that lost 49 states, yet Johnson somehow emerged with his reputation for probity and good management enhanced. He has been involved as a top inside political player in almost every Democratic general-election campaign since. He was closer to the Clintons, of course, but also had made a shrewd decision to move to Obama this time around.
Johnson has a genius for looking as bland as vanilla.
So when it came time for Obama to pick a guy to vet his veeps, Johnson was a natural, or so Obama and his top advisers, David Axelrod and Washington lawyer Greg Craig, must have thought. And who would care anyway?
Well, that was wrong on almost too many levels to count. If they had thought about it for more than a minute, they would have realized that Johnson is the very embodiment of the world they had been running against: a fabulously wealthy man who had gotten that way by manipulating the tangled strings of money and power in the capital, and whose chief calling card to many who admire him is not his mind but his access to other people's bundled cash.
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Member Comments
Posted By: HDavidson @ 06/24/2008 5:16:01 AM
Comment: "Intelliphobia" - The fear of learning FACTS about any political issue from any other source but FOX NOISE and the FOXpublicans. You can tell an "intelliphobe" by their behavior patterns: repeating lies over and over at a higher volume each time; they believe that action makes their lies true. (a technique perfected by Bush). Also refusing to use reason or logic to respond, or they will, when confronted directly, simply not respond at all.
The "intelliphobe" is a dying bread, first showing their faces in late 01 early 02, they were strong then, by the 04 election they had fallen off to about 51% of the population, they were how ever able to secure the 04 election, that alone has cost the US over 3000 more children, DEAD in Iraq, because of FEAR of Intelligence. It 06 we saw the first significant CHANGE when Democrats were given a SLIM majority in Congress. (note: this is not a veto proof majority, and prior to 06 Bush and NEVER used his veto pen, since over 100 times). The 51% has now died off to about 15% of Americans who suffer with this illness, and it is expected that between November 08 and Jan 09 they will be almost entirely extinct, with the exception of the FOX NOISE GROUP where it is believed this disease started, theirs will be a long process of "healing".
So don't worry, use this information to help them, don't judge them, as they are a dying bread and it is their fear that makes them irrational, and say things they know to NOT be true. Just try to help them and eventually TOGETHER we will have a great country again ;).
See also Joseph Goebbels - the actual inventor of this disease.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Goebbels
Posted By: HDavidson @ 06/24/2008 5:02:41 AM
Comment: Awe what a good little sheep. you hit just about every one of the Sean Hannity/FOXpublican talking points that there has been, so cudos to you.
UNFORTUNATELY, as usual you are FULL OF RACIST SH!T! Nobody cares about Rev Wright, unless you just want to again boost his numbers and make him stronger, like each time it came up in the primaries. Also Only about 13% of voters still think he's Muslim, 13% why does that sound familuar? Oh yeah that is the combined number of people from Wva And Kn who said they would not vote for him because he's BLACK, not Muslim, BLACK.
You see I have figured out the whole "Muslim" joke. I refuse to believe that 43 million people can be that STUPID, when it is clear that he is NOT and NEVER has been a Muslim. He is however BLACK and always has been (at least half). It's not ok, or socially acceptable to hate himm for being "Black" you can't just come out and call him the "N" word, not anymore. BUT, you can hate him if you "believe" he's Muslim, right now that is acceptable socailly, now only by about 28% of the population, but it's easier to claim that's why YOU hate him and get away with it then to just say..."I hate that "N" word"...and it makes you angry that you can't just come out and say it, you think it should be your right, and it is, you're just a coward, so you say "Muslim" instead of "N" word. Shame on you RACIST.
Posted By: eddiewhere @ 06/24/2008 12:01:05 AM
Comment: We need to get out of Iraq and transfer responsibility and management of that country to the IRAQ's themselves. THEY SHOULD be backed by a multinational force led by Middle Eastern countries until they are able to fight extremist on their own.
Our unilateral approach in the MIDDLE EAST has to come to an end. ECONOMICALLY, IRAQ IS KILLING the average tax payer and making a few private contractors and oil firms rich.
We need Oil. WE NEED OIL. Therefore, getting rid of the Iranian regime is at the top of our agenda.
The majority in Iran want change but not under and American led invasion. It has to be done from within. We lost the support of moderate Arabs and Muslims over the last six years. Hopefully, PRESIDENT OBAMA can empower this group and encourage them to meet with their counterparts.
Inotherwords there should be an alliance between all moderates in the Middle East, JEWS, ARABs, MUSLIMS, ect... These forces must be self motivated by a common cause, Peace. IF this group can be strengthened they themselves will defeat or at least contain the force of extremism.
WE must strengthen the forces behind peace and weaken those against peace on both sides.
THE UNITED STATES CANNOT SOLVE THE CONFLICT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WE CAN ONLY STRENGHTEN AND SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST TO SOLVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS.
IN THE SHORT RUN WE NEED MIDDLE EASTERN OIL. THIS COMPLICATES OUR ROLE OVER THERE.
WE Should have had an ENERGY SUMMIT TEN YEARS AGO. WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A TWENTY YEAR PLAN to RID OURSELVES of OIL DEPENDENCY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. TWENTY YEARS WILL GO BY LIKE NOTHING. WE HAVE TO START NOW.
THE most dangerous threats are the ones you do not see coming. LIKE CHINA, RUSSIA, EASTERN EUROPEAN organized crime. Monitoring these entities will be our great challenge.
ARE WE READY FOR CYBER WAR. I DON't THINK SO.
Hillary WHO?