Hey you wonky beachcombers - Mike has put together an exhaustive (and awesome) site for the 2008 Presidential Debates - here: Obama vs. McCain: 2008 Presidential Debate Information.

Check it out. It’s well worth you time.

I’m hard pressed to decide if the following email I received from the McCain campaign was a typo or just seriously delusional. You tell me:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

(more…)

Attention voice over professionals, djs, and anyone else with a listening audience - when reading a website name, for the love of any godlike entity you believe in - DON’T say WWW before you list the site. You’re hurting my ears and wasting my time.

Thank you. That is all.

Attention auto-makers:

Please stop running advertisements for your President’s Day sales. The holiday is beyond rigor mortis and has moved on to putrescence.

Thank you. That is all.

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by The Gull Reef Club.

Hey beachcombers - tomorrow the President will deliver the State of the Union Address. All your favorite tv shows will be preempted - so join Mike and me, listen to the speech, and celebrate the one year anniversary of America’s Debate Radio.

We’ll be simulcasting the speech starting around 9pm eastern (or whenever the hand-shaking/cheek-kissing/applause stops). As soon as it’s over, Mike and I will go on air and take your calls. We want to hear your rants and raves and cheers and jeers of the speech. So call in!

In addition to all the radio show fun, a whole bunch of us will be in the America’s Debate Chatroom before, during, and after the President’s address. State of the Union chats are something we’ve been doing at America’s Debate for years now. The turn out is usually phenomenal and insanely fun, if not just insane.

You so don’t want to miss this. Talk to you Tuesday!

Tomorrow’s election day. If you’ve not voted absentee or done early voting yet, be sure to vote No. No on what? Incumbents. Let’s get rid of them all and start fresh.

VOTE NO IN NOVEMBER!

I tend to try and save political meanderings for America’s Debate, but I’m not quite sure where I’d fit this in.

By now, even the most hardcore of you beachcombers knows about the alleged disrupted terror plot. There’s been plenty of talking-head commentary on this so far, and I promise not to bore you with rehashing. What’s not being talked about is what is bugging me.

The deafening silence of Americans in regards to the draconian new anti-liquid airport rule is stunning. Most of us learned by first grade that every animal’s essential survival/biological needs include shelter, food, and WATER. In less than an instant, some purported bad guys are reigned in and our government denies some of us of an essential requirement for survival. Why are we ok with this? Why have so many simply rolled over and said that this bizarre new restriction is a good thing? We need liquid to survive. How can we be asked to give up our biological essentials to prevent what may ultimately be a bogeyman?

Then the conspiracy theorist in me says it’s all just a test to see how much can be taken away from a free population before they crack. Fortunately, the conspiracy theorist surfaces infrequently in these waters.

For the thousands of you wusses who are more comfortable giving up your freedom for security, could you please legislate yourself to house arrest and leave the rest of us to enjoy the wilds of liberty?

President George W. Bush welcomes nine of the top 10 American Idol finalists to the Oval Office at the White House Friday, July 28, 2006.

As the last vestiges of the Veteran’s Day parade echo down Broughton Street, I sit in the comfort of my office to reflect on a day meant for that very action.

When I was a kid, I was a textbook example of patriotism - knowing all the words to the national anthem, the pledge of allegiance, the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution. I learned of the historic battles that affected the future course of this nation and even visited a number of them under the guise of family vacations. I uttered phrases like, ‘they died so I could be free’ and ‘making the world a safer place for democracy’ and honestly believed in them.

Somewhere along the lines my patriotic spark went out. I no longer think anyone died so I could be free. Yes, soldiers have died in wars and yes, I am (mostly) free. However, since we can never know what would have happened had there been no wars, I am no longer able to make a direct correlation between a heroic soldier’s death and my freedom. I wish I could. It’s a lot easier to stick to such a bumper-sticker absolute than it is to analyze and define the subtle nuances of war and freedom. Fortunately or unfortunately (I’m not sure which) intellectual honesty will not permit to be a bumper-sticker parrot anymore.

Thus, here in the present, I am left with the distinct and sickening thought of knowing soldiers are currently dying, but not really knowing why. I will not live to see the long-term effects of our current ‘war’ (see? I can’t even bring myself to call it a war). Will this ‘war’ prove to be a direct link to my children’s or grandchildren’s freedom? Will they be able to express themselves and enjoy their sovereignty more than I do because a willing 18 year old gave up his life today to an ephemeral enemy?

Maybe I should leave the waxing poetical to the poets. Carl Sandburg, king of poetry kings, does it better than me anyway:

And They Obey

Smash down the cities.
Knock the walls to pieces.
Break the factories and cathedrals, warehouses
and homes
Into loose piles of stone and lumber and black
burnt wood:
You are the soldiers and we command you.
Build up the cities.
Set up the walls again.
Put together once more the factories and cathedrals,
warehouses and homes
Into buildings for life and labor:
You are workmen and citizens all: We
command you.

Forgive my growing cynicism, but I have this sinking feeling Bush’s long term solution to the unorganized response to the Gulf hurricane disaster will be to propose the creation of a cabinet level department for FEMA. I hope I’m wrong and I hope by putting this out there it means it won’t come true (my out-loud predictions tend to be way off). The last thing we need in this country is more top-heavy bureaucracy.

The Savannah Morning News offers an explanation for the psuedo-invasion yesterday:

600 Marines, sailors land in Savannah to train

You’re right, that gray helicopter you just saw land in Daffin Park wasn’t with the Army.

In fact, it was a CH-53E Super Stallion, used to move heavy equipment and supplies for the U.S. Marine Corps.
[snip]

The idea is to deploy forces in an unfamiliar location, and have them react to a combat scenario that will evolve over the next several days.

(Captain) Dent said Savannah was chosen for two reasons: The community is patriotic and receptive to a military presence, and there is already a military infrastructure in place. (Savannah Morning News, Registration Required)

They were landing those things in Daffin Park??!? The same Daffin Park that is home to historic Grayson Stadium and sits along the famous palm-lined Victory Drive? Captain Dent clearly acknowledges there is military infrastructure in place here - so go there. Why was Hunter Army Airfield all of the sudden not sufficient?

Further curiosity - is the military now gauging the patriotic levels of various cities? How did Savannah receive such an honor? I guess the old girl just can’t say no to a strong military. We fluttered our eyelids and flashed a bit of ankle at Sherman and fanned ourselves in Forsyth Park at the G8. C’mon fellows, just land your birds near those century old trees. Those folks in the mansions across the street won’t mind, they’re patriotic.

Final curiosity - why does the phrase ‘receptive to a military presence’ sound so sexually charged?

God bless the USA.

Today from the BBC:

The Bush administration is abandoning the phrase “war on terror” to better express the fight against al-Qaeda and other groups as an ideological struggle as much as a military mission.
[ snip]
In recent days, senior administration figures have been speaking publicly of “a global struggle against the enemies of freedom”, and of the need to use all “tools of statecraft” to defeat them.

Tools of statecraft?!? What the hell does that mean?

This just in….White House calls for new policy of porcine lip decoration application exercises. Please adjust your vocabulary accordingly.

At the risk of ending up an ass for complaining about this, I am compelled to account for my annoyance at the military choppers that having been buzzing Savannah since this afternoon. We have a number of military facilities around here so I don’t know if I am to pin the blame on the Army, Airforce, Marines or Coast Guard. At one point, I thought one of them was about to land on Broughton Street it came so close. Here is it going on 11pm and they are still out there. My house, like thousands of others in Savannah, is old and on brick stilts. I am not interested in having this old place shaken so much. So time to put the big machines away folks and get to bed. You’ve been at it all day.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, (more…)

At last night’s chat, after Bush pulled the 9/11 card, I joked that I was going to begin a ‘have we forgotten 9/11?’ count. The phrase has become haute couture in certain Beltway and Beltway-wannabe circles, and trend-followers make for such fun targets.

Upon first tuning into the radio this morning, WBMQ’s Ben Bennett is spouting off about the ‘cockroaches’ (fundamentalist Muslims, I assume) and beseeches us listeners, ‘Have we forgotten 9/11?’ This was a sign for me from the cosmic comics to actually begin my count.

So here we are beachcombers - one. One of what will likely be many, many references to ‘forgetting 9/11’. If you have The Gull Reef Club on RSS, it may get crowded in my folder.

Shame on you Representative Barrow for voting in favor of the flag burning amendment.

Let’s recite together shall we?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

What part of Congress shall make no law do you not freaking get here, Mr. Barrow?

You and your fellow representatives are merely wasting our time when you could have been doing something constructive like shaking babies and kissing old hands. The prevailing case law, Texas v. Johnson, has already held that flag burning is protected speech. If this passes the Senate, it WILL go to the Supreme Court and it WILL be struck down. All of which could have been prevented by not voting to infringe upon the rights of Americans in the first place. The Constitution and its amendments are to define the limits of federal authority, not to enact criminal code. It’s apparent to me that it’s been quite a long time since you’ve read that document, serves as better toilet paper does it?

I doubt I will bother contacting Chambliss or Isaakson over this. They are such well-known GOP lapdogs my complaints will be ignored.

Personally, I have never burned a flag, and until now, have never been tempted to. Anyone got a match?

Here are some highlights from yesterday’s House of Representatives One Minute Speeches:

I think we oughta get mo in-fo.
Ted Poe (R-TX) on ‘possible’ abuse allegations at Guantanamo. You may have to read it out loud in a Texas twang to fully appreciate it.

It’s not Pol Pot at Gitmo, it’s pot roast!
-Tom Rice (R-GA). I love this one. Who knew our reps were comedians, too?

Senator Mel Martinez of Florida is on C-Span’s Washington Journal this morning talking about a variety of issues. He was posed a question about the pending energy policy and stated, “[Our energy policy] will create more competition in the energy markets, it will create more mergers and acquisitions…” ¿Que? Which is Senator? More competition or more mergers? Seems contradictory by its very nature. Quite the polished politician that Senator Martinez. If he goes to shake your hand, keep your other one on your wallet.

I recently found and participated in an MIT Weblog Survey. The questions don’t get too personal so go help them out. I want to see these results.