politibits: In a whirlwind of position changes and drama queen spotlight chasing, McCain rushed to the rescue and everything went 'kablooey.' All of a sudden, the congressional republicans, whose ideas from 1994 thru 2006 got us here, decided they didn't like the deal. So the Maverick flip flopped and went to Oxford to change minds.

Adult Christianity: In another Christianist email smear, a former employee of CBN and CampusCrusade for Christ, has posted an essay suggesting that God chose Sarah Palin to defeat Barack Obama.

William K. Wolfrum Chronicles: John McCain hires Palin's Kenyan pastor to "remove witchcraft from the economy."

Bread With Circus: Prior to her visit to the UN, the only foreign leader Caribou Barbie had met was former drug dealer, now Premier of the Yukon Territory, Dennis Fentie.

Corrente: The crisis explained

Vagabond Scholar: Right-Wing Cartoon Watch

ABC News:

Sen. John McCain on Friday abruptly cancelled a Monday fundraiser that had been scheduled at the home of a Texas oilman, after ABC News contacted the campaign inquiring about a verbal blunder the Texan made during an unsuccessful 1990 campaign for governor.

Clayton Williams stirred controversy during his 1990 campaign for governor of Texas with a botched attempt at humor in which he compared rape to weather. Within earshot of a reporter, Williams said: “As long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”

His Democratic opponent at the time, the late Ann Richards -- who, coincidentally, would lose the governor’s mansion to George W. Bush in 1994 -- highlighted the comments in a TV ad during that 1990 campaign. (see above)

McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers said the Monday event was being cancelled, given the offensive comments. He said he could not yet say what McCain would do with donations brought into the campaign by Williams.

"These were obviously incredibly offensive remarks that the campaign was unaware of at the time this event was scheduled," Rogers said. He added that Williams apologized for the comments back in 1990, but he said that does not excuse them.

Williams told the Midland Reporter-Telegram recently that he had already raised more than $300,000 for McCain and the fundraiser to be held at his home in Midland. Williams said that he needed to help McCain raise money to stop an Obama campaign that would enact “socialist” policies if elected to office.

Here's an idea, McCain: Why don't you RETURN the money from such a sexist, hateful and ignorant swine? Or is this a new demographic you're hoping to capture? The Back Forty:

A man who has such a disgustingly cavalier attitude towards something as horrific, violating and criminal as the rape of a woman has no place in politics, let alone polite society. This is a man who should be shunned by anyone with a conscience. That includes Senator McCain.

It’s not enough that Senator McCain cancels an event because the media got wind of it.

It’s not enough.

Senator McCain should publicly reject and denounce this man.

He should donate every single dirty dollar that this man has raised for him - all $300,000 - to an organization working to combat rape in our society - like RAINN or RVA.
And he should apologize immediately and completely to his female supporters for daring to entertain the thought of keeping company with this despicable, disgusting individual.

Matt Keating started out as a busker and in the early 90s got signed to indie label, Alias Records. His music is Americana all the way in an Elliott Smith or Jeff Buckley vein. I hope it won't take his demise for people to get turned on to his music. Check out his My Space page and tonight's song, "McHappiness" from this 1994 release Scaryarea,

Jim Himes, who is running against the very erratic Chris Shays in CT, is liveblogging on FDL right now....

The last year has been fascinating and challenging. The Bush administration and its supporters in Congress, like Chris Shays, have so wildly bungled nearly every aspect of governance that it is hard to know where to start. Our fiscal deficit has ballooned, our credibility abroad has been destroyed, our economy is hostage to foreign creditors and spiralling oil prices, our Constitution has been tossed aside like so much used Christmas wrapping, and the really critical problems facing most of America--healthcare, education, rocketing energy prices--have been ignored. Seriously . . . where to start?...read on

Remember Chris Shays and his starring role in: "Blogger Rage"

Download (3706) | Play (3802) Download (1994) | Play

Jim Himes is trying to get 500 contributors by Monday night...

Eleanor Clift via Atrios:

The setting was a leadership summit Monday in Tallahassee, where the elder Bush had come to lecture and to pay homage to Jeb, who is leaving office with a 53 percent approval rating, putting him ninth among the 50 governors in popularity. The former president was reflecting on how well Jeb handled defeat in 1994 when he lost his composure. “He didn’t whine about it,” he said, putting a handkerchief to his face in an effort to stifle his sobbing.

That election turned out to be pivotal because it disrupted the plan Papa Bush had for his sons, which may be why he was crying, and why the country cries with him. The family’s grand design had the No. 2 son, Jeb, by far the brighter and more responsible, ascend to the presidency while George, the partying frat-boy type, settled for second best in Texas.

Continue reading »

Bush 41 shed some tears for his son Jeb.

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

Former President George H.W. Bush broke down in tears as he cited his son, Gov. Jeb Bush, as an example of leadership.Bush was addressing lawmakers, his son's top administrators, and state workers gathered in the House chamber Monday for the last of the governor's leadership forums.

He said he was proud of how his son handled losing the 1994 governor's race to popular incumbent Democrat Lawton Chiles and vaguely referred to dirty tricks in the campaign....read on

(h/t Scarce for the video)

I worked on statewide races in Kentucky in 2002 and 2003. So I know the politics reasonably well.

Republican Anne Northup in KY-03, has always found a way to win by pretending she is more moderate than she is and using pork to buy off certain African-American elites in the church community. She now trails her Democrat challenger by 50% to 48% with 81% of the vote counted.

In KY-02, where coincidentally we lost our first of many seats in 1994 in a special election, we should not be in the game. But we are up 2% right now! If we win these two races, which could be called 2nd and 3rd tier pickup opportunities, respectively, get ready for a huge night.

One more thing. Congressman Ted Strickland has already won his race for the governorship of Ohio, ending 16 years of Republican control of the Ohio statehouse. He is a star in an important state. Look for him to make VP short-list conversation in the coming months.

NYTimes (reg. req.):

On an overcast Friday morning last month, White House aides ushered an influential group of conservative radio hosts into the Oval Office for a private audience with the president.

For an hour and a half, Mr. Bush discussed his case for the war in Iraq, his immigration proposals and even the personality of his Scottish terrier Barney, who scratched on the door during the session until the president relented and let him into the office, according to several hosts who attended.

The meeting, which was not announced on the president's public schedule, was part of an intensive Republican Party campaign to reclaim and re-energize a crucial army of supporters that is not as likely to walk in lockstep with the White House as it has in the past.

Conservative radio hosts are breaking with the Republican leadership in ways not seen in at least a decade, and certainly not since Rush Limbaugh's forceful advocacy of the party in 1994 spawned a new generation of stars[..]. Read on...

Josh Marshall

The Bush-Cheney policy on North Korea was always what Fareed Zakaria once aptly called "a policy of cheap rhetoric and cheap shots." It failed. And after it failed President Bush couldn't come to grips with that failure and change course...read on

The Nitpicker:

The US Government has announced that it will release $95m to North Korea as part of an agreement to replace the Stalinist country's own nuclear programme, which the US suspected was being misused.
Under the 1994 Agreed Framework an international consortium is building two proliferation-proof nuclear reactors and providing fuel oil for North Korea while the reactors are being built.

In releasing the funding, President George W Bush waived the Framework's requirement that North Korea allow inspectors to ensure it has not hidden away any weapons-grade plutonium from the original reactors.

President Bush argued that the decision was "vital to the national security interests of the United States".

And he did that roughly three months after saying they were part of the "Axis."

JC, in his usual fashion says, "Don't despair over North Korea's nuclear test. It's part of Our Leader's plan to build a case for bombing Iran. Why would Our Leader bomb Iran to punish North Korea? For the same reason he attacked Iraq to punish Al Qaeda. It's what emperors do."

94'

DavidNYC on Daily Kos posted this diary about the GOP blocking attorney John Tait.

Jeralyn found the article for us on Lexis: Lewiston Morning Tribune (Idaho) December 14, 1994

President Clinton's nomination of Lewiston attorney John R. Tait for federal judge is dead because of the Republican takeover of Congress, outgoing Idaho Congressman Larry LaRocco announced Tuesday. Two weeks ago, LaRocco urged Clinton to resubmit the nomination of his former campaign treasurer to the U.S. Senate next year, contending Tait would be confirmed under a full and fair confirmation process.

''I've talked to the White House counsel and it is clear that the president will not move ahead with a number of qualified judicial nominations, including John's, because of opposition in the Senate,'' the only Democrat in Idaho's congressional delegation said in a prepared statement. ''I'm saddened for John, a fine person and an excellent attorney, who along with his family has waited patiently nearly two years to serve his state.'' ...read on