Nuts to you

If you stop to listen for a moment, you can just hear the delicate sighs of fainting news editors and reporters across this republic, the rattle of pearls suddenly clutched, all in response to Jesse Jackson’s insufficiently-sotto-voced remarks about Barack Obama’s blast-to-the-left then sail-to-the-right campaign.

To be upfront: Jackson didn’t say anything about Obama that I haven’t thought twice a day, every day - though not in so many words - for a while now.

Any politician who reduces the absence of many black fathers from their families to a matter of “courage” while giving short shrift to the economic and cultural issues involved in that divide is merely moralizing, blaming the victim, playing lazy and pandering politics. Jackson is pissed and disappointed and honestly so, and - crudity aside, as its mixed company and all - he has nothing for which to apologize. Sadly and predictably, the vulgar novelty of the moment will obscure all else.

While we’re making assessments, let’s give Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. - co-chair of the Obama campaign - an award for setting a land speed record for throwing his father under the bus, to employ one of the most overworked phrases of the season. I’ll allow that Jackson, Jr. may have felt that he had little choice but to push the denounce-and-reject button as quickly and forcefully as possible. Doesn’t matter. If this son can’t grasp or won’t acknowledge the heart of his father’s concern - and if Congressman Jackson’s public remarks seem more focused on the effect his father’s remarks might have on him -

He should know how hard that I’ve worked for the last year and a half as a national co-chair of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

- well…it’s a good thing he’s not my kid.

And let us not overlook Fox News demagogue Bill O’Reilly, who fits himself for a sixty-watt halo as he brays that he has not revealed the nerve-shattering extent of Jackson, Sr.’s comments:

I want to tell everybody that we held back some of this conversation, and we did that because we didn’t feel that it had any relevance to the conversation this evening. I just want to make this very clear. We’re not out to get Jesse Jackson. We’re not out to embarrass him and we’re not out to make him look bad. If we were, we would have used what we have, which is more damaging than what you heard.

But O’Reilly damned well made sure that you knew that they had more - even as he presents a 437-stroke-R2 requisition form for a medal of statesmanship. What a tin-plated hero you are, Bill.

Darcy Burner

Democratic congressional candidate and netroots hero Darcy Burner lost her Seattle-area home to a fire. She and her husband were awakened by their son’s screams as he came into their bedroom. The family escaped. Possessions all gone. The family dog was rescued by firefighters. The family cat, Charlotte, died in the fire.

From Darcy’s personal statement at her campaign site:

Particularly, I am grateful to the wonderful men and women of the Redmond and Kirkland Fire Departments, and the investigators from the King County Fire Investigation Unit. Their rapid response and incredible professionalism brought the fire under control and kept it from spreading to our neighbors’ homes. And these brave first responders even miraculously rescued my son’s puppy, who we initially thought had perished in the flames. Sadly, our cat, Charlotte, did not survive the fire.

I am also deeply grateful for the expressions of support from friends, supporters and others who have called to express their condolences and offer their generous and heartfelt assistance. I am so moved by all of the offers of a place to stay, or clothes to wear, or all of the other offers of help that have poured in throughout the day. While we are fine for now, your kind expressions of support and concern have helped to sustain me through what has been a long and difficult day.

For those who would like to do something to express their support, let me suggest making a contribution to your local humane society or animal shelter in memory of Charlotte, or to the Washington State Council of Firefighters Benevolent Fund.

Understandably, Darcy has more to think about at the moment than raising money for her political campaign. Markos is asking bloggers to donate even a little something to help out:

I know I promised a lull from the fundraising after the end of the quarter, but these are not normal circumstances. Darcy will be someone who will be there for us when she’s in Congress. Now’s our chance to be there for her during these horrible, trying times. Let’s do what we can to help her out.

If you’ve got a spare moment and a couple of bucks, please spare something for Darcy.

Running man

Bill Haas for Congress: He’s not going away until you elect him to some office or other, and he has to be an improvement over Todd Akin.

Twenty-three hundred

Flame on!*

So I was reading Kos yesterday, where the Great Orange Satan was giving it to Obama - or not giving it, as it happens - for having thrown the inarticulate but essentially correct Wes Clark under the bus. Kos said that he had been about to max out on campaign donations to Obama - twenty-three hundred dollars - but put his wallet right back in his pocket so far as Obama was concerned (that is, he figured he’d use the largesse on the Orange to Blue candidates).

Unlike a number of dissenting Kossacks, I’m down with Markos’ choice and his reasons for it. Why reward bad behavior, indeed? But that’s not what this post is about.

Rather, I’m thinking about twenty-three hundred dollars. That’s the max-out number, and some people certainly give it. I, on the other hand, certainly don’t. The very idea is laughable to me. It’s a case of giving what one can afford, of course, but…good Christ in a sidecar, that’s a lot of kitty litter.

My question(s) to the readership: Have you ever given that much to a campaign? Would you consider it?

*The Photoshopped (maybe??) image of Markos has nothing to do with my post, except clever DKossian Lava20 posted it in the thread there, and I just had to have it.

Also tired of Ralph Nader

Shakesville: Ralph Nader: Shut. The. Fuck. Up. Your days of actual usefulness passed with the Corvair.

Bad optics?

A new article, this one in the NY Times, about the Obama campaign’s arm-length approach to Muslims. You have to wonder how many more of these have to appear before the candidate decides he has a problem.

As Senator Barack Obama courted voters in Iowa last December, Representative Keith Ellison, the country’s first Muslim congressman, stepped forward eagerly to help.

Mr. Ellison believed that Mr. Obama’s message of unity resonated deeply with American Muslims. He volunteered to speak on Mr. Obama’s behalf at a mosque in Cedar Rapids, one of the nation’s oldest Muslim enclaves. But before the rally could take place, aides to Mr. Obama asked Mr. Ellison to cancel the trip because it might stir controversy. Another aide appeared at Mr. Ellison’s Washington office to explain.

“I will never forget the quote,” Mr. Ellison said, leaning forward in his chair as he recalled the aide’s words. “He said, ‘We have a very tightly wrapped message.’ ”

No room in that wrapping for any optics involving Obama and Muslims (even the Congressional kind!), though Obama aides are quick to point out supportive statements on Islam (American-style), a radio ad for the Democratic candidate who became the second Muslim in Congress, and “a brief, private meeting” with the leader of a Dearborn, MI mosque. Reaching out to Muslims is fine for the campaign as long as there aren’t too many cameras nearby, apparently. In this light, last week’s insulting treatment of two Muslim women at a Detroit rally looks like policy rather than a thoughtless aberration by volunteers.

Obama ‘08 seems to feel that a perceived snubbing of the Muslim electorate is an acceptable price for avoiding reinforcement of the stubborn and erroneous “Obama is a Muslim” meme. It’s a political calculus that’s essentially driven by fear and caters to slurs hurled by opponents - unworthy behavior in a candidacy touting inclusiveness, and a bad optic in itself.

Stupid campaign tricks

Note to the Obama campaign: When your volunteers seat people as though they’re taking cues from Dunkin’ fucking Donuts, you deserve all the criticism you get.

As part of your image-tightening efforts, let’s see smarter volunteers, please - and while your at it, a more substantial apology to the two Muslim women in Detroit.

Nothing wrong with Rumsfeld’s memory, at least

The Hill: I guess calling Rumsfeld “one of the worst secretaries of defense in history” didn’t earn McCain Rumsfeld’s support. Go figure!

Ron Paul moves on

Ron, we hardly knew ye. Libertarian-ish GOP Representative Ron Paul wrapped his quixotic presidential campaign in bubble wrap yesterday, officially suspending the effort “for legal reasons” likely having to do with paying staff, creditors, and the like. Paul should have no problem doing that, though, as his campaign raked in $35 million - a tremendous online haul - through the end of April. Ben Pershing at the WaPo says Paul still has close to $5 million on hand.

Paul is moving from seeking an office to launching a people-powered movement through such patriotically-themed activities as a “Revolution March” and a “Campaign for Liberty.” Apparently, the revolution will be blogged.

Does the on-life-support status of the campaign mean that Paul intends to crash the gates of the Republican convention? Seems unlikely, as he is planning an alternative convention in the same city, Minneapolis, as the GOP gathering. He’s looking for 11,000 people to fill the hall. It will be interesting to see if fervor for Paul-the-man will translate into a broader political effort.

Meanwhile, the new reality show in the minds of party leaders is Win Ron Paul’s Money! Pershing speculates that the Republican Party hopes it’s possible to get their hands on some of Paul’s largesse - donations for GOP candidates in tough contests - and suggests that the party scale down its expectations:

Nothing in Paul’s history suggests that he will start simply doling out cash to whichever Republicans happen to need it most. More likely he will pick and choose his spots, looking for ideological bedfellows. His fellow House GOPers might want to try to stay on his good side, lest they end up on the wrong end of the revolution in their next primary campaigns.

Look for a new Republican commandment as the convention approaches: Speak no ill of Ron Paul. This should give his supporters a bit of swagger, considering how some of them were allegedly treated by certain state GOP organizations.

Fox’s slurs against Obama

Gawker takes a page out of the Media Matters playbook and compiles a handy list of sleazy offensive slurs against Barack and/or Michelle Obama uttered on Fox News. Complete with half-hearted apologies, for the completists among you. You’d probably forgotten the whole madrassa thing by now (so six months ago!), as Fox moves so quickly from one insult to the next. Keep in mind that this is only June, so there will be plenty more acts of journalistic degradation where those came from. Collect ‘em all!

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