Barack cracks open a case of whine

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE   SENATOR SWEETIE BARACK OBAMA IS WHINING TONIGHT THAT SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN PUNKED HIM, SPUTTERING THAT THEY AGREED TO ISSUE A JOINT-STATEMENT AND HE HAD NO IDEA THAT MCCAIN WAS GOING TO DROP OUT OF THE DEBATE.   IF TRUE, IT'S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD THING TO ADVERTISE THAT YOU WERE PUNKED WHILE TRYING TO CONVINCE AMERICA THAT YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO LEAD.    BUT BARACK LOVES TO PLAY THE DRAMA QUEEN AND CAN'T HELP HIMSELF FROM WHINING.   WHILE BARACK WHINES, MCCAIN GETS TO PLAY LIKE A PERSON OF ACTION.   MEANWHILE THE LATEST POLLING PUTS MCCAIN AHEAD IN MONTANA, ANOTHER STATE BARACK ONCE CLAIMED HE WOULD WIN.   FROM THE TCI WIRE:     Turning to the US presidential race.  Joshua Frank offers a must read "Oppose Barack Obama? How Dare Thee!!" (Dissident Voice) about how "progressives" continue to express dismay with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama yet still continue to vote for him.  Frank runs through Barack's record including "Obama who says he wants an end to the war but has voted for its continuation and will leave troops and private mercenaries in the country to deal with the so-called insurgents -- even threatening to shift US forces to Afghanistan and Iran, where he's promised to bully our enemies into submission."  The cave on FISA, the support for the "Patriot" Act, the pro-nuclear, it's all there leading Frank to point out, "Obama has never been a true progressive.  He's another centrist Democrat that has done his best to appease all sides of the political spectrum".  Frank examines Norman Solomon "an Obama delegate at the convention in Denver and [who] sits on the board of Progressive Democrats of America, has an agenda: to usher Barack Obama into the White House because he sees John McCain as leading our country closer to the sacrificial ledge.  'Save the Country (read Empire) Vote Democrat' has become a common refrain among a certain segment of the left, one that echoes through progressive and even radical circles every four years like clockwork.  Go ahead and acknowledge their faults, they sing from on high, just don't you dare ditch the Democrats come Election Day, for the rapture will ensue.  Like others of his stature, Solomon has in the past dished out scare tactics in an attempt to threaten progressives into voting against their own interests, an approach not too unlike the Republican's who consistently undermine the concerns and needs of their base."  Frank goes on to demolish the fear card attempted re: Supreme Court and ends with a historical reminder.   GOP presidential candidate John McCain is in the news for proposing Friday's debate be called off.  McCain explains (McCain-Palin 2008, link has text and video): "America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system. We must pass legislation to address this crisis. If we do not, credit will dry up, with devastating consequences for our economy. People will no longer be able to buy homes and their life savings will be at stake. Businesses will not have enough money to pay their employees. If we do not act, every corner of our country will be impacted. We cannot allow this to happen. Last Friday, I laid out my proposal and I have since discussed my priorities and concerns with the bill the Administration has put forward. Senator Obama has expressed his priorities and concerns. This morning, I met with a group of economic advisers to talk about the proposal on the table and the steps that we should take going forward. I have also spoken with members of Congress to hear their perspective. It has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the Administration's proposal. I do not believe that the plan on the table will pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time. Tomorrow morning, I will suspend my campaign and return to Washington after speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative. I have spoken to Senator Obama and informed him of my decision and have asked him to join me.  I am calling on the President to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself. It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem."   Ralph Nader is the independent presidential candidate and he writes of the economic meltdown in the US today:   I was up on Capitol Hill yesterday among the swarm of big bank lobbyists. And the first thing I thought of was something my dad -- Nathra Nader -- used to say: "Capitalism will always survive in the United States as long as the government is willing to use socialism to bail it out." Dad was old school. Dad emigrated to the U.S. in 1912 when he was nineteen. (Here is a picture of Dad in 1978, leading a demonstration in Winsted, Connecticut, my hometown, to protest a Congressional pay raise.) "When I sailed past the Statue of Liberty, I took it seriously," he would say. Dad ran a restaurant in downtown Winsted -- the Highland Arms. People used to say -- "At Nader's place, for a nickel you got a cup of coffee and ten minutes of conversation." Dad didn't hesitate to skewer the greed of big business. He especially opposed the drive by the chain stores to destroy family owned small businesses. Dad was a man of many sayings. "Congress is the best big business investment in the country," he would say. "It's one big leveraged sell-out." When we were young, Dad would tell us: "Don't look down on anyone and don't be in awe of anyone." Or this one: "Almost everyone will claim they love their country. If that is true, why don't they spend more time improving it?" Dad knew early on that both political parties were under the thumb of big business. (Where did you think I got it from?) Anyway, being on Capitol Hill yesterday got me to thinking about an idea that would help us push our substantive agenda onto the front burner of American politics. A few years ago, I sat down at my manual typewriter and typed in 100 or so of my Dad's most memorable sayings and proverbs. I thought you would enjoy having a copy of them. So, here's the deal. Our goal during this current fundraising drive is to hit $150,000 by the end of the month. (Thanks to your generosity, we're already at $36,000.) If you donate any amount that has the number 3 in it -- as in -- we want a 3-way race -- by midnight tonight, we'll e-mail to you a collection of my Dad's sayings and proverbs. That simple.  So, you can give $3. Or $13. Or $30. Or $33. Or $300. Anything up the to the maximum of $2,300. But it has to have at least one three in it. If it has a three in it, we'll e-mail you the 20 pages of Dad's sayings tomorrow. You can share it with your friends and family. Thank you for your ongoing support. Together, we are making a serious difference -- and keeping our sense of humor. Onward to November. Ralph Nader PS: And remember, if you donate $100 now, we'll ship to you a copy of The Ralph Nader Reader, a 441-page collection of my writings on Wall Street vs. Main Street, democracy, the corporate state, and our hyper-commercialized culture. If you donate $100 now, we will send you this diverse collection -- and I'll autograph it. (This book offer ends at 11:59 p.m. September 30, 2008.)     RECOMMENDED: "Iraq snapshot" "Other Items" "Corruption" "don't miss the new adventures of old christine tomorrow night" "New Adventures of Old Christine debuts Weds. night" "The New Adventures of Old Christine" "New Adventures of Old Christine, Clay, Ralph" "Talking post" "Christine, Nader, movies" "This one time, at debate camp . . . 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