Danny Doom’s Booze Cabinet

Interesting about Obama’s physical. Dude weighs 179 pounds! That’s pretty thin. I mean, I’m a lot shorter than him and I probably weigh within 30 or so pounds of him. Maybe a little less, I haven’t weighed myself in a long time but I’m gonna guess 145 (I’m on a Wii fitness program, but that’s another story).

And so he has 20/20 vision. It feels like no one has 20/20 vision but maybe that’s just because I’ve had glasses/contacts since the early days of yore. I wonder if Michelle does too. Those 20/20 people need to stick together and perfect our diminishing human eyesight race or we’ll all be blind in a few thousand years. Wait, am I advocating eugenics?!? Ah, we kid, we kid here at the Booze Cabinet…

Still smoking too, I see. Hmm. I really went off the rails on smoking. I was never a smoker but since I spent most of my life in bars with smoke it was no big deal to me. Until now. Since the no smoking laws I have found that smoke really bugs the shit out of me and makes me feel bad. And after experiencing a recent night of being surrounded by a gang of smokers I can’t believe that I put up with the smell on my clothes for all those years. Wow, it makes me want to puke just thinking about it.

The doctors also recommended “moderation of alcohol intake”. What does that mean? This is the best part of the story and that’s all they say about it. Is Obama a boozer? Sounds like the man is throwing them back big-time. Big-time! This is what I like to hear! Ah, I really have to work on my drinking…

We give Obama a hard time on the left for not getting everything we want, but it’s good to read this report and get some perspective:

This Democratic Congress is on a path to become one of the most productive since the Great Society 89th Congress in 1965-66, and Obama already has the most legislative success of any modern president — and that includes Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson … Most of this has been accomplished without any support from Republicans in either the House or the Senate — an especially striking fact, since many of the initiatives of the New Deal and the Great Society, including Social Security and Medicare, attracted significant backing from the minority Republicans.

So yeah, that’s not so bad. Amazing how the media controls the message. But let’s get healthcare going and DADT repealed and we’ll be getting somewhere.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I highly recommend this video as an insight to what happens when the spin is gone and lies can be challenged and answered without any shouting heads. This is how it should be. Fantastic. They should do it once a month, or once a week. This is the guy I voted for, able to speak and go back and forth and, yes, school those who are distorting his words and actions.

I just got in and happened to see the very end of something quite amazing. I don’t know what the deal is, and I will look for the whole thing to go back and see it, but President Obama was talking with the House Republicans, having an open and honest discussion. I’ve only seen Sullivan’s take:

I’ve just watched the president address the Republican retreat in Baltimore. Address is not quite the right word, because it was a genuine – and remarkable – conversation between Obama and his political opponents – transparently on CSPAN … But here’s the key thing: Obama is best at this. He is best at defusing conflict; he is superb at engaging civilly with his opponents.

Whatever it was, I thought it was…unheard of. And great. But anyway, I’ll have to see what all happened and get back to it.

UPDATE:

I just love the sound of this:

In a sometimes-barbed exchange, he said some in the audience have attended ribbon-cutting ceremonies for projects funded by the stimulus package they voted against. Obama also questioned why Republicans have overwhelmingly opposed his tax-cut policies, which he said have benefited 95 percent of American families.

“The notion that this was a radical package is just not true,” Obama said. “I am not an ideologue.”

GOP lawmakers pressed the president to pledge to support a line-item veto for spending bills and across-the-board tax cuts. Obama demurred, saying billionaires don’t need new tax cuts.

UPDATE II:

This has to be a good sign…in looking around for a story on this I couldn’t help but notice that Drudge has absolutely nothing.

UPDATE III:

Here’s a good account of it:

It was amazing television – watchable, interesting, feisty and even a little dramatic … Today, at the caucus meeting, he went right after Republicans on their turf and, in my opinion, owned them.

UPDATE IV:

Ha ha! This just gets better:

So effective was the president that Fox News cut away from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended.

One other thing, about the Supreme Court being called out by Obama in his speech the other night: some have bitched about the legitimacy and prestige of the court being harmed by the exchange, but, let’s be honest, those qualities were damaged severely in 2000 with the interference of the election process. And with right-wing hacks like Alito now on board, well, what do you expect?  Whether the ruling is good or bad or what, I like that Obama said it in front of them. Screw ‘em.

A quick reaction to some of the speech’s highlights, for me:

At the beginning of the last decade, America had a budget surplus of over $200 billion. By the time I took office, we had a one year deficit of over $1 trillion and projected deficits of $8 trillion over the next decade. Most of this was the result of not paying for two wars, two tax cuts, and an expensive prescription drug program. On top of that, the effects of the recession put a $3 trillion hole in our budget. That was before I walked in the door.

Way to lay it out there. Sad that people need to be reminded; even sadder that they won’t listen.

To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve some problems, not run for the hills.

Um, yeah. That can’t be said enough, loudly enough, again and again. Grow a pair.

I know that there are those who disagree with the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change…

Nice. A jab to the lower right abdomen.

Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people.

A little more force would be useful here. It must be done!

We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August.

Not soon enough!

This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.

Just make it happen, this is silly.

The more that TV pundits reduce serious debates into silly arguments, and big issues into sound bites, our citizens turn away.

Yeah, they turn to FOX. The number one cable channel! Ah, depressing… Anyway, we just have to ignore the nuts and get the dummies to do something for once. Let’s get it done!

It’s already halftime and the Pats are getting pummeled but here they are, today’s matchups in all their glory!

Interesting. They forgot to finish the sentence:

Fifty percent approve of how Obama has handled his job as president, the second lowest total since Gallup started polling. Obama beats only Ronald Reagan, who started 1982 with a 49 percent approval rating.

That should read:

Fifty percent approve of how Obama has handled his job as president, the second lowest total since Gallup started polling. Obama beats only Ronald Reagan, who started 1982 with a 49 percent approval rating, so you can see how meaningless this really is.

The article goes on to mention that Bush I had an 80% approval, second highest ever. One term later, he didn’t have any approval rating. The highest, of course, goes to G.W. Bush, who had a 9/11-powered 84% approval rating after his first year. And we all know how well that turned out. If only the left blindly approved of Obama the way the right did Bush…who knows how high of an approval this utterly meaningless poll would have for him?

Here’s the thing: I’m just not that convinced that any kind of major offensive against a terrorist network or a nation that “harbors terrorists” is going to prevent 19 guys, or 1 guy, from hijacking a plane, or setting off a suicide bomb on a train, or, pick your favorite option. I just don’t believe that anything we’ve done in Afghanistan or (especially) Iraq has resulted in the increased safety of the United States. There’s no way to prove this one way or the other, but I think luck and planning have more to do with our quiet 8 years or so since 9/11.

There will not be a moment or a signal that this war is won in Afghanistan. Exiting in 2011…will it be any different than exiting now? I guess I just don’t believe it. The only difference will be the death toll, on all sides. I hope I’m wrong. But I am not for this war, even less so than when we originally began it.

UPDATE:

Lest I forget: There have been threats or plans that were disrupted over the years, and these were all thwarted because of law enforcement activities–look here at Fox News’ own list of foiled terror plots. Here’s another right wing site, The Heritage Foundation, with a similar list. It evens says there that “the best means to prevent terrorist attacks is effective intelligence collection, information sharing, and coordinated, determined counterterrorism opera­tions that can stop attacks before they are mounted.”

What any of this has to do with 30,ooo more military men and women going to Afghanistan, I don’t know. The letters FBI will come up again and again when you learn about the thwarted attacks. See also, “police department.”

I swear, I think we bomb the shit out of other countries just to make a certain segment of America feel good about themselves. Small penis complex or something…

My poor lonely blog–ahem, excuse me–Booze Cabinet! My poor lonely Booze Cabinet. Sitting here patiently waiting for something new while I go off and live my life. Eating turkey and drinking Guinness and such. Ah, the pleasures of life. The holidays are here and so suddenly there’s more and more activities like family stuff and then there’s always band stuff and then of course baby stuff, but then it’s always been like that I guess. So whatever, I’m just having a relaxing Monday night watching football and tap tap tapping away at the computer at various things–

Okay, now it’s Tuesday morning. See, this is how it happens. Distractions, stuff, and the next thing you know I haven’t finished my thoughts. Here’s a quick stab at it, I’m trying to understand a couple of things: one, it appears that the two people who crashed the White House party are a Big Deal. Is this for real? Who cares? These people are like Jon and Kate–I don’t know who they are and yet I keep hearing about them. Make it stop.

Second, tonight is the big Obama Afghanistan speech. I am not pleased with what I hear–30,000 more troops. There is no way to “win” this war, if you can even call it that. It is just an ongoing “thing.” How will it be determined that it is time to leave? Perhaps Obama will tell us. But I do not like the sounds of it. I think now would have been the perfect time to get out, in this first year of his presidency, but apparently he wants to do it up.

I read this last night, it is one way to look at the first year of Obama: Brilliant! The article actually makes some good points, I recommend it for those who may be down on him right now. Look, I’m patient, and unlike the media and all the crazies, I don’t expect this all to be wrapped up and done in the first year, all of the shit left behind. And it has not even been a year. I like the calmness of Obama and I am certainly glad he is in there. But I fear that this Afghanistan gig is going to eat up four years like a monster.

I’m not a regular watcher of MSNBC, or any other news network, but apparently it is the “liberal” channel to Fox’s right-wingin’ garbage. I don’t necessarily believe that since they have a Morning Joe guy who was a former Republican politician (never seen it) and Chris Matthews is not what I would call a partisan left-wing guy, from what I’ve seen. There’s Olbermann, who is definitely a partisan guy, and I enjoy his take-downs of Rush and Hannity and O’Reilly when I see them. And then there’s Rachel Maddow, who is what I would consider probably the fairest of them all, even while maintaining a progressive approach. I suppose that’s why she has been showing up on “Meet the Press” of late.

But whatever. I find it weird that people are loyal to a network, like they seem to be with Fox. I don’t have much interest in watching, or listening to, constant reaffirmations of what I believe. I call that “insecurity.”

But it’s nice to know that MSNBC is not simply cheering on Obama now that he is president. Imagine the credibility of the “tea-baggers” if they had not suddenly developed a sense of fiscal responsibility only after Bush had left office. They might actually have some. Imagine if the right (Fox) had done some criticizing of Bush while he spent all the money on stupid wars instead of waiting until Obama was elected. Well, it didn’t happen.

“I don’t think our audience is looking for unequivocal ‘rah-rah,’ ” said Ms. Maddow, who calls herself a liberal but not a Democrat.

That’s what I call myself as well. I have yet to see a reason for loyalty to the Democratic Party, especially with the way they have let their collective balls go up into their scrotums this year. Not to mention the Blue Dogs, and Lieberman, oh, don’t get me started. Anyway, cheers to that “liberal network” for doing what they can to keep Obama honest.

“Republicans cheered when America failed to land the Olympics and now they are criticizing the President of the United States for receiving the Nobel Peace prize – an award he did not seek but that is nonetheless an honor in which every American can take great pride – unless of course you are the Republican Party. The 2009 version of the Republican Party has no boundaries, has no shame and has proved that they will put politics above patriotism at every turn. It’s no wonder only 20 percent of Americans admit to being Republicans anymore – it’s an embarrassing label to claim.”

- DNC Official

Can’t add much to that. Except that, aren’t we giving the 20%’ers too much air time? I guess I am too.

UPDATE:

I don’t think Americans fully absorbed the depths to which this country’s reputation had sunk under the Cheney era. That’s understandable. And so they also haven’t fully absorbed the turn-around in the world’s view of America that Obama and the American people have accomplished. Of course, this has yet to bear real fruit. But you can begin to see how it could; and I hope more see both the peaceful intentions and the steely resolve of this man to persevere.

This president has done a huge amount to bring race relations in this country to a different place, which is why the far right has become so vicious in attacking him and lying about him. They know he threatens their politics of division and rule. He has also directly addressed the Muslim world, telling some hard truths, and played a small role in evoking a similar movement of hope and change in Iran, and finally told the Israelis to stop cutting their nose off to spite their face.

I see this prize as an endorsement of his extraordinary reorientation of world politics, and as an encouragement to see it through. In the midst of our domestic battles, and their ill-temper (from which I have not been immune lately), this is an attempt to tell us: look up for a moment, see how far we’ve come in pivoting away from global conflict, and give this man a break for his efforts and the massive burden he now bears.

- Andrew Sullivan

UPDATE II:

Just in case anyone thinks the DNC is protesting too much (Glenn Greenwald), the same way the other side did for years, this should clarify:

LIMBAUGH: I think that everybody is laughing. Our president is a worldwide joke. Folks, do you realize something has happened here that we all agree with the Taliban and Iran about and that is he doesn’t deserve the award. Now that’s hilarious, that I’m on the same side of something with the Taliban, and that we all are on the same side as the Taliban.

Rush Limbaugh, voice of the Republican Party.

UPDATE III:

Glenn Greenwald makes a pretty good case against this in a post today. I certainly agree that using the whole “patriotism” thing against Republicans the way they did against opponents of W. is not the way to go. But I still have a problem with the way every single thing is cheered or booed based on the man and not the principle. Plenty of folks here in Chicago did not want the Olympics, and that’s fine, I wasn’t so sure I did either. But to be happy–overjoyed–that Chicago did not get it simply because Obama lobbied for it is so petty and immature. And it ignores the many behind-the-scenes people who worked for years to have Chicago even be considered and in the running.

Ultimately though, Greenwald is right. Democrats shouldn’t be using the same tactics that were so abhorred when Bush was president. And I shouldn’t be agreeing with them.

Nine months in and the extremists’ reaction to Obama is as if he has enacted all of his agenda and changed the course of American history. Now, that’s kind of what we elected him for, but I certainly didn’t expect it all to happen in less than a year. And for sure, it is taking some time. You can feel the impatience on the left.

But does he deserve all of this right-wing nuttery so early on? Of course not. He hasn’t earned it. He may, and if he does I’d say that the liberals and progressives will be happy. But he’s never going to make the kooks happy. I mean, imagine if Bush had even pretended to listen to all of us who protested against the war in Iraq. Imagine that all of those good points that were being made before the war were taken into consideration. But they weren’t, we all know that.

We were ignored, quite proudly, by the patriots in charge and their media brethren. It’s still a little hard to believe that such an atmosphere existed, but you know it did, even past the 2004 election. And now, proven right by the stupidity and incompetence of the war, we are rewarded with…more right-wing wackiness.

A reader at Andrew Sullivan makes a salient point regarding earnings and time served:

The heaviest hitters in the Republican party, and in the conservative media have loudly and proudly called for Obama’s failure. Liberals who even softly criticized Bush were roundly shamed and called terrorist-loving-America-haters. George W. Bush, despite the controversial beginning of his presidency, was given the chance – - no, in fact, after 9/11, he was given all the unopposed freedom in the world to succeed or fail based upon his own decisions and his own performance. Bush EARNED his hatred.

Obama has not had that luxury.

It’s that “liberal media” once again controlling and defining the conversation, pandering to the 20%’ers. This is what happens when we treat politics like a reality television show.

“In Obama’s America, the white kids now get beat up with the black kids cheering, ‘Yay, right on, right on, right on, right on.”

- Rush Limbaugh

The right, in its radio and tv shows, has carefully planted the seed of post-racial irony, branding any critics of Obama immune to charges of racism. Of course all critics of Obama aren’t racist, that’s silly. But this was a meme set forward even before he was elected, that anyone who disagrees with Obama will be called a racist by his supporters. So what to do? There are some racist people who say racist things, as Limbaugh did. See what happens when you elect a black man? White kids are now getting beat up, in Obama’s America, as opposed to before! What do you think he’s saying?

But yes, this is race-baiting at the highest professional level–he’s good at it–and responding to it is to give Limbaugh exactly what he wants: the chance to say “see, they’re calling me a racist, just because I criticized Obama!” Logic won’t work with these people; it is, in fact, the enemy. We can point to signs and words and actions of the Obama opponents and easily see racism, but how to combat it? I have no idea. But for what it’s worth, I agree with what Jimmy Carter had to say, even if the White House doesn’t (or can’t admit it):

“I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he’s African-American.”

- Former President Jimmy Carter

Not all, but yes, a large portion. The birth certificate nuts, the Muslim association nuts, the desire to keep Obama away from your children at school…the blatant lack of respect during the speech last week, some of the things written on signs at the protests…yeah, there’s some racism there. It seems kind of obvious. But there I go, pointing it out. So I must be a racist too, yep. Against stupid white people.

As Bill Maher said, please Mr. Obama, “stand up for the 70 percent of Americans who aren’t crazy.” I still think it’s 20% crazy, but I’m an optimist. But yes, please. It has been less than a year since Obama was elected, quite convincingly. All of those people didn’t vote for him to do nothing.

Change. Hope. And all of that stuff. Time to ignore the nuts and do it.

One more thing from Sullivan as I catch up on all the madness:

Congrats to the tea-partiers for the impressive crowds in DC today. One wonders where these people were when Bush was massively increasing debt, spending like LBJ, detaining citizens without charges and torturing them, and nation-building in Iraq and Afghanistan?

- Andrew Sullivan