Oh my god, he did it! Barack defeated the idiots, the racists, the conservatives. He did it, he fucking did it! Colorado is a blue state, the United States has a new President-elect and a Democratic Senate majority.

Now hey, I was 24 when Clinton was elected, ending twelve years of Republican rule. I heard similar rhetoric then, and similar projections of new beginnings, and I got semi-caught up in it. Does anyone remember the health care promises made back then? Thought so. No, I’m still a hard line cynic, and Obama’s still a politician. But I am of course going to look to the future with a lot more hope than I have had following the last two Presidential elections.

One thing that has really hit me hard is all the attention being paid to the race issue, particularly now that the election is over. Honestly, for me it was never about a black man getting elected, it was about a non-gargoyle getting elected. It is truly amazing to me that this is so amazing, but yeah, I guess is is an incredible feat that a black man has just been elected President of the United States. And that is sad, on so many levels, and at the same time it’s truly amazing.

Bush can slink off into obscurity (and I hope he rots in hell for all of eternity), and we can now look forward to the challenges ahead and watching Mr. Obama continue to rise to the occasion. I wish him the best, and I have never felt such pride in our nation’s choice for this august office.

I voted this morning, on my way to work. Paper ballot, hope it gets counted. Got the butterflies going, but I’m pretty hopeful—more hopeful than in ‘04—that we will right the ship this time around. Can’t wait to see if Colorado goes blue here!

I know I haven’t had much to say on the election this year. Maybe because I said so much about it in 2004. Luckily my friend sent me this video today, which has spurred me to at least share it with you all. See you on Tuesday.

Webster’s defines a patriot as “one who loves his or her country and supports its authority and interests”. But with a country this divided, the term almost has no validity anymore. I mean, our country’s “authority and interests” are presently defined by the Bush administration. Therefore, our country’s so-called authority is bogus, stolen, abused, misused and illegally expanded. Our interests? Hegemony and Looking Out for Number One. Sure as hell, I don’t support those. Am I not a patriot?

The first patriots were revolutionaries. Maybe it’s time to restore the original definition.

My preferred candidates are already out of the race or are still languishing under the boot of Big Media so no one even knows who they are (Dodd’s out? Dodd who?). I find myself wanting to comment on the race, and then again I like my blood pressure where it’s at currently. So I simply offer the lyrics of this song, written by Ian MacKaye, as we march on toward November hoping for the best and expecting the worst.

“Everybody Knows”
The Evens

You arrive with empty duffel bags, hungry eyed
You looked around taking measurements to move inside
The capital it is your proving ground, your centering
You and yours can keep your scores, but Washington is our city

Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar

Too much technique with no texture below
You fabricated your way in here and everybody knows

Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar
Everybody knows you are a liar

Too many distractions just obscure what should be shown
Stop with the abracadabra ‘cause everybody knows

You return via machinery and public lies
You broke to break, you’re breaking everything, it’s no surprise
The capital it is your playground now, your center ring
You and yours can keep your scores, Washington is our city

You and yours and all your wars have run your last campaign
You’re fired from a job you never should have had
That hideous strength absolutely sinks
You better watch your back

Let the door hit you on the ass

Much as I’m enjoying watching Alberto Gonzales go down in flames, the rabid scenes in the Senate last week were quite tiresome. Seriously; Nancy Pelosi with foam dribbling from her jowls is incredibly unappetizing. All these donation-collecting suit monkeys crawling around Washington are the same: they only show some stones once it becomes clear that the only idiot in town bigger than Gonzales is Bush. I’m sick of hearing them all talk, from both sides of the aisle. And I have a proposal to fix this:

If I can find a quote from a mob movie that fits the situation, the quote shall serve as hearing, trial, verdict, end of story. No op-ed pieces, no press conferences, and for damn sure, no Hillary. And so, here we go:

In the matter of All Concerned and Even Remotely Intelligent Citizens of the United States of America versus Soon-to-be-former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, I, mob movie buff Rob Guglielmetti, refer this entire dealio to a single quotation from the film “Casino”. I will make the opening statements, in the form of a scene synopsis, and then hand it over to Robert DiNiro, playing the role of Casino Manager Sam “Ace” Rothstein, who shall preside over this case.

The scene in question is the one where Don Ward—a real dope who was handed a job as slots manager because he had friends in town—was on-duty while three four-reel slot machines paid off huge jackpots in a matter of minutes. Mr. Rothstein is understandably pissed, feeling this had to be the result of a scam, a scam that Don Ward simply had to be in on. The People argue that this scam mirrors the firings that Mr. Gonzales is having such a hard time recalling precisely what he’s been told to say about the matter. Ace wishes to fire poor, dumb Slots Manager, and Don, understandably, resists, claiming ignorance. But all he can come up with in his defense is a simple “This is not how you treat people”. And with that introduction, I turn this matter over to Sam Rothstein. Ace?

Listen, if you didn’t know…, you’re too fuckin’ dumb to keep this job. If you did know, that means you were in on it. Either way, you’re out. Get out!

I believe this matter is adjourned. Al, pack up your shit and get the hell out of town.

Well, shit. This is even better. God damn, when it’s presented like this you just want to cry.

Hey Bush supporters: read this please, and then look in the mirror and ask yourself what in the fuck you are thinking. If some passage from the bible is your first thought, I’m guessing you’re just as confused as our leader is. And shame on you, you stupid idiot.

If there’s a Bush supporter out there who can name one useful thing he’s done, foreign or domestic—one positive effect he’s had, or is ever likely to have, or that will not backfire on us with the impact of an Israeli air strike—I long to hear it. Because it is starkly clear that history will judge this ill-bred, malignant narcissist to be not just the worst American president, but a force for evil in the world unseen since the glory days of fascism and Communism. And judge those who voted for him to be entirely responsible for the worldwide calamity known as George W. Bush.

Fuckin’ a. I’m goin’ fishin’.

Well said; I wish more people read this site. Please read this:

A great article on the disgusting hypocrisy of this piece of shit that this idiotic nation RE-elected to play president of the US, and the sad, sad mindless “faith” of the idiotic masses that form this asshole’s voter power base.

Whoa, I’ve never seen Molly Ivins so pissed off before! Read her latest op-ed piece about the so-called lobby reform bill, and then start yelling at your congresscritters…

I’m sorry these creeps in Congress have so little sense of what they’re supposed to be about that they think it’s fine to sneer at ethics. But they work for us. It’s our job to keep them under control until we can replace them. Time to get up off our butts and take some responsibility here. Let them hear from you.
—Molly Ivins

Go get ‘em, Molly!

According to my friend Paul in this post, he was obligated to post an anti-war song on his blog, and having read that I’m obligated to do the same. So:

Let Them Eat War
by: Bad Religion

There’s a prophet on a mountain and he’s making up dinner
With long division and riding crop
Anybody can feel like a winner
When it’s served up piping hot

But the people aren’t looking for a handout
They’re America’s working corps
Can this be what they voted for?

Let them eat war
Let them eat war
That’s how to ration the poor
Let them eat war
Let them eat war

There’s an urgent need to feed
Declining pride

From the force to the union shops
The war economy is making new jobs
But the people who benefit most
Are breaking bread with their benevolent hosts

You never stole from the rich to give to the poor
All he ever gave to them was a war
And a foreign enemy to deplore

Let them eat war
Let them eat war
That’s how to ration the poor
Let them eat war
Let them eat war

There’s an urgent need to feed
Declining pride

We’ve got to kill ‘em and eat em’
Before they reach for their checks
Squeeze some blue collars
make them bleed from their necks
Seize a few dollars from the people who sweat
Cause it’s freedom or death and they won’t question it
At a job site the boss is god like
Conditioned workhorses park at a stoplight
Seasoned vets with their feet in nets
A stone’s throw away from a rock fight
But not tonight, feed ‘em death

Here comes another ration (feed them death)
Cause they’re the finest in the nation (feed them death)
But there’s nothing left to feed them
When it’s freedom or it’s death

Let them eat war
Let them eat war
That’s how to ration the poor
Let them eat war
Let them eat war

There’s an urgent need to feed