Friday, February 29, 2008

Dodgers play five former Catfish vs Braves

The Braves and the Dodgers opened their spring training games against other Major League teams yesterday (the Braves beat the University of Georgia on Wednesday) with the Dodgers winning 5-4.

One thing people noticed was the way the Braves bullpen couldn't hold a 4-2 lead in the 9th.

I noticed that the Dodgers played five young players who previously played minor league ball in Columbus: Chin-Lung Hu, Xavier Paul, Andy LaRoche, Matt Kemp, and Delwyn Young.

Hu was 1-for-1 with a run scored, a walk, but was caught stealing.

Paul was 0-for-1, reaching base on a fielder's choice, but was stranded.

LaRoche was 1-1 with a walk.

Kemp was 2-for-3 with a strikeout.

Young ... who, in the 2003 season, I saw knock a good dozen branches off of a single pine tree with towering shots down the right field line ... with a walk and a strikeout, but reached base five times, being stranded each time, twice in scoring position.

All wore the Columbus Catfish uniform -- except Young, who played in Columbus when the team was the South Georgia Waves -- when the local team was a Dodgers affiliate.

I enjoyed watching each of these players play ball in Columbus over the past 5 seasons, and look forward to their days in the Majors. Or continued days in the Majors, as the of these five played Major League Games in 2007 for the Dodgers.

I can hardly wait for baseball season to begin.

No, the Catfish aren't affiliated with the Dodgers any longer. That's fine. They're a Rays affiliate. And many of the 2007 Catfish will be playing in the Majors soon.

There's some good ball players on your nearby minor league team. Do check it out.

And, if you make it to a Catfish game in 2008, maybe I'll see you there. I'll be in my usual seat behind home plate.

Five Friday February

Today is the 5th Friday in February.

That don't happen much.

In fact, this is only the second time it's happened in my lifetime.

Of course, it's because February is usually only 28 days long, and that means only 4 of any named weekday in that month.

But this is a leap year. So February gets 29 days. And this year, it's a Friday.

So, it's a Five Friday February. And it only happens once every 28 years. Last time was 1980. Time before that was 1952, before I was born. Next time, by the way, will be 2036.

Friday means the end of the work week for most people in the U.S. And I'm fortunate enough to be in that group.

So, for the 5th time this month, I'm not saying it, but I'm thinking it: Thank God it's Friday.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Natural born citizen

Now the New York Times is questioning Senator John McCain's eligibility to be President of the United States.

Yes, the same John McCain that previously ran for President in 2000. But he wasn't the GOP front-runner then.

And it was raised by the same New York Times that made unfounded allegations of an "inappropriate relationship" between the Senator and a lobbyist.

And the eligibility question despite Congress declaring in 1790 that "The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States."

In case you're not familiar, the United States Constitution sets forth the requirements for President and Vice President. And, yes, they are the same.

Article II, Section 1 says:

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States.


Okay, that should be easy. "Natural born citizen." And Congress says that includes "children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea, or outside the limits of the United States."

And that includes John Sidney McCain, III. Son of John Sidney McCain, Jr. and Roberta Wright McCain. John III was born at the Coco Solo Air Base in the Panama Canal Zone. And followed his father and grandfather's footsteps into the United States Navy.

Of course, if the New York Times can get anyone to put effort into defending silly questions about Senator McCain, they get an easier time pushing their liberal candidates and agenda.

Pathetic, isn't it.

Hussein in the membrane

News heads have been talking about Cincinnati radio host Bill Cunningham referring to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama." Most of the talk ... and writing in print and on blogs ... has focused on what Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain, III, did in response.

You see, Cunningham was warming up the crowd at a McCain campaign appearance when he called Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama" not once, not twice, but three times.

Yes, three times Willie referred to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama."

And Senator McCain has caught some flack about it.

No, not because Cunningham referred to Barack Hussein Obama as "Barack Hussein Obama," but because McCain apologized for Cunningham calling Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama" at a McCain rally.



The New York Times reported McCain distanced himself from Cunningham's comments:

"It's my understanding that before I came in here a person who was on the program before I spoke made some disparaging remarks about my two colleagues in the Senate, Senator Obama and Senator Clinton," he said. "I have repeatedly stated my respect for Senator Obama and Senator Clinton, that I will treat them with respect. I will call them 'Senator.' We will have a respectful debate, as I have said on hundreds of occasions. I regret any comments that may have been made about these two individuals who are honorable Americans."


I'm not going to pile on Senator McCain. If the Senator feels that Barack Hussein Obama should not be referred to as "Barack Hussein Obama" then people at McCain-sponsored events should not call Barack Hussein Obama by the name "Barack Hussein Obama."

I certainly understand and respect Senator McCain's wishes that Barack Hussein Obama not be called "Barack Hussein Obama," and I won't do it at any McCain campaign event.

But how do I personally feel about Barack Hussein Obama being referred to as "Barack Hussein Obama?"

I can sum it up in three words: Barack Hussein Obama.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Polls apart

There's a new poll out today that shows Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) leading everyone in the race for the White House. Not just over New York Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D-IL,AR,DC,NY). But over Republican front-runner, Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain, III.

The odd thing is, that poll seems to buck the trend of other polls.

Over at RealClearPolitics.com, it looks like polls have been trending towards Senator McCain recently. Including McCain leading in the most recent polls.

Until, all of a sudden, a New York Times poll and an AP poll show Obama with a double-digit lead.

What's up with that?

I mean, it's not like CBS or the New York Times would make up news, would they?

CBS would never, say, publish fake records of a politician's ... say, President Bush's ... military service, would they?

And the New York Times would never make up a story about an "inappropriate relationship" between a politician ... say, Senator McCain ... and a lobbyist, would they?

And the AP would never use unreliable news sources in reporting, would they?

I don't put much stock in polls. They change.

Unlike the left-wing media bias. It's been the only consistent thing in this story.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Homicide

The Wife and I have finally discovered Homicide: Life on the Street.

Yeah, I know. The show went off the air in 1999. 122 episodes. And just now, we've started watching it.

I'd seen some episodes on TNT, when they'd air Law & Order episodes that crossed over with Homicide.

But that's all I ever saw.

When the show started, back in 1993, I was in Korea. And it didn't air on AFKN.

Season two, which was only four episodes, aired in January 1994. And that's when I got back from Korea. And was looking for a place to stay, after the Ex- notified me she was about to become my Ex-.

Seasons 3 when I was in the Army and working on becoming single again.

And season 4 when I was single, trying to be a non-custodial parent.

Season 5 was airing when I left the Army and moved to the Columbus area.

And I'm not sure why I missed seasons 6 and 7, but I did.

Well, recently, the TiVo suggested up an episode of Homicide, and I Googled it, wanting to see what it was all about.

That's when I found out that the episode that TiVo had suggested was near the end of the run. And, checking the schedule, I discovered that it was starting from the beginning soon on WGN.

So, week before last, I set up TiVo to record the show, adding it to the To Do list.

And last week, we began watching it.

I like it.

A lot.

Yeah, I know. It's all old hat to you.

But we're getting to experience it for the first time.

Thank goodness for WGN. And thank goodness for TiVo.

Ready on Day One ... to do what?

USA TodayUSA Today has a front page article today entitled "Ready on Day One?"

Well, in fact, I can answer that question regarding the three candidates pictured.

We have, from left, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D-IL,AR,DC,NY), Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL), and John Sidney McCain, III (R-AZ).

Actually, Obama is to the left of Clinton, politically, but on the USA Today front page, it's in the order of the names I gave.

So, are they?

"Ready on Day One?"

Yes, they are. All of them.

Just, ready for different things.

Obama and Clinton, for instance, are ready to go after your wallet.

McCain, on the other hand, is ready to go after the enemies of freedom.

And that makes all the difference.

Dressed to kill

A bunch of folks are getting their panties in a wad over a picture being circulated that shows Senator Barack Hussein Obama (D-IL) in Somali garb.

Dressed to kill

And, Drudge reports that New York Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D-IL,AR,DC,NY) ... or actually, some of her staff ... are behind it.

Obama has denounced it. And some are calling it the last act of a desperate candidate. Well, like the guy in Blazing Saddles said, "I don't care if it's the first act of Henry V."

Why is stuff like this suddenly off-limits?

Remember this picture?

Bush in Vietnam

Yeah, it's true. A picture's worth 1000 slurs.

But it goes both ways.

Hey, Obama. Welcome to our world.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Ralph Nader, my hero

Ralph Nader announced on NBC's Meet The Press today that he's running for President.



Good for him.

And good for the country.

You see, he'll draw votes from the Democratic nominee in November. And that's good news for the GOP.

And if he helps get Senator John McCain elected, he'll have helped America greatly.

Now, when New York Senator Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton "steals" the nomination from Illinois Senator Barack Hussein Obama this summer, maybe Obama will run as an independent, or under the banner of another party (Socialist Party, anyone?).

Whatever hurts the Democratic Party in November, helps the nation for years to come.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Speechin' and talkin' and such

Seems that Microsoft is banking on computers not using keyboards anymore. According to an AP report, Bill Gates thinks that touchpads and speech will be how folks use computers:

"It's one of the big bets we're making," he said during the final stop of a farewell tour before he withdraws from the company's daily operations in July.

In five years, Microsoft expects more Internet searches to be done through speech than through typing on a keyboard, Gates told about 1,200 students and faculty members Thursday at Carnegie Mellon University.


Speech?

That don't work well.

Not for me anyway.

I got OnStar in the car. And it includes a hands free phone.

You ever try to call someone on one of those things?

I was in the car and tried to call my sister. The Mean One.

Here's how it goes.

I press the OnStar phone button.

"OnStar ready."

"Dial."

"Please say the number you wish to dial."

I give out my sister's phone number. All 10 digits.

OnStar, when it isn't sure what number I say, uses "0" (zero).

It says, "9-0-0 0-2-0 3-0-0-5. Is this correct?"

It wasn't.

"Please say the number you wish to dial."

I try again.

OnStar says, "5-0-2 0-2-0 0-9-0-9."

That's even worse.

"Please say the number you wish to dial."

Once more, I try.

And OnStar thinks I said "9-1-0 4-0-0 0-4-5-9."

Which is wrong. Almost got the area code right.

"Please say the number you wish to dial."

Again, I give it a try.

And OnStar gets it all wrong again. And again. And again.

And this goes on and on for several tries.

OnStar doesn't seem to like my South Georgia accent.

It thinks 9s are 5s. Or sometimes, it thinks they are 0s. And, every so often, a 9 is a 9. But it's a crapshoot.

Other numbers, it doesn't like the way I say them, either.

Now, I may be wrong, but I suspect that OnStar has pretty good technology. And it has trouble with the way I say some numbers.

So, how will Bill Gates' technology work?

About as well as Windows Vista, I suspect.

And Windows Vista is one of the reasons I bought a Mac.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

All the lies that fit, they print

When the New York Times report first hit the Web last night -- you know, the story about Senator John McCain and lobbyist Vicki Iseman -- I wasn't sure what to think.

My gut feeling was that the New York Times was being the New York Times. And I don't mean that in a good way.

I think the New York Times is not the credible news source many think they are. Yes, they have a long history and reputation. But they've shown themselves ... in may eyes anyway ... to be nothing more than a liberal propaganda machine, and not a bastion of journalistic integrity.

And, despite my feeling that Senator McCain isn't as conservative as I would like, I do respect him and have thrown my support behind the Senator. Not that my support means a hill of beans, but still, just so you know that I am, by default, likely to believe him over a liberal newspaper.

Now, I have never seen or heard anything that would indicate the allegations and implications in the story are true. But I have known folks that surprised me by finding out they couldn't keep their pants zipped.

Anyway, my gut told me that there was nothing to it.

And now, one of Bill Clinton's buddies says there's nothing to it.

Yeah, I know. Here I am using a buddy of Bill Clinton as a reliable source.

It's a crazy world.

Anyway, Lanny Davis, former special counsel to the 42nd President, knows a little something about the facts of the story:

What was omitted from both the Times and the Post stories was that what I wanted Sen. McCain to do, he refused to do. And he did so out of a concern of appearances of impropriety. That is a fact.


Davis says that the New York Times never contacted him, although the Washington Post did.

I repeated that fact to a Washington Post reporter several weeks ago. I never heard from The New York Times, even though, as just stated, I was on the record in 2000 with the Post. Yet neither newspaper, for whatever reason, included that fact in either story.


Davis isn't a fan of Senator McCain. He says he won't be voting for him. But he says he's not happy with the selective reporting of the paper.

The FCC investigated the matter and found no violation by Sen. McCain. That fact was also omitted from both the Times and the Post story today.


One question some folks have asked concerns the timing of the story.

Some wonder why the Times endorsed Senator McCain in the GOP primary if they thought there was anything to the story.

I'm wondering if they're running it now in case the junior Senator from New York ends up winning the Democratic nomination -- like I think she will.

I mean, think about it. If Hillary Clinton is the Democratic nominee, liberal papers and news outlets won't be able to raise questions about inappropriate relationships (even if they're lies like this story is), will they?

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Eclipse

Tonight's lunar eclipse wasn't the first one I've seen. But I'm always fascinated by eclipses.

I've seen partial lunar eclipses. I've seen total eclipses. And they're all cool.

But the coolest eclipse I ever saw was not a lunar eclipse.

It was a solar eclipse. The total eclipse of March 7, 1970.

That eclipse hit the southeastern U.S.

It hit the U.S. mainland in Florida, near Perry. It travelled in a northeast path, into Georgia, east of Valdosta, and west of Waycross, Jesup, Hinesville, and Savannah, then just west of the Carolinas coast, and out to sea after passing over Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Our house was about 3-4 miles east of the centerline of the eclipse. And we got just over three minutes of totality.

We were out in the front yard. Trees in the back yard made viewing the sun less desirable. But the front yard was wide open.

We went out, nearly to the road (the house sat ... and my parents' house still sits ... on a U.S. highway).

Around noon, if I remember correctly, the eclipse started.

A tiny bit of the sun was covered by the moon. Not noticeable at first. But, after a bit, you could tell the sun wasn't all there.

Little by little, more and more of the sun was obscured by the moon.

Hard to tell, looking at the sun. Dangerous, too.

I had one of those pinhole viewers, where you look at the sun on a piece of cardboard. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.

You hold the piece of cardboard with the pinhole in it up, a few inches from another piece of cardboard (white works best). And, you can see the image of the sun on the bottom piece.

And, no, it wasn't nearly as much fun as it sounds.

And, since it would take a while before the sun was totally blocked by the moon, we went back inside and watched TV.

News outlets had set up neat the Okefenokee Swamp, in order to get the maximum total eclipse.

So, we watched TV, showing what the sky looked like. Almost the exact same scene. They were a minute or two ahead of us in the path of totality.

We watched for a bit, grew bored, and went back outside to look at all the people who had pulled over beside the road to watch the sun disappear.

We'd look up at the sky, watching the sun continue to be chipped away. Then we'd look at the travelers who stopped to watch the event.

Then, about 20 minutes after 1:00, it happened.

You could almost hear and feel the blanket of darkness come upon us.

It sounded like ... silence.

It felt like ... an absence.

Light wasn't removed so much as darkness was applied.

The shadow of the moon come us on like a quilt being thrown over a fresh-made bed.

And the sun was gone. Replaced by a black hole in the sky.

And the total eclipse had begun.

For three minutes and five seconds, I watched an event that would likely never see again in my lifetime.

And suddenly, it was over.

As quickly as it came over us, it left us. The shadow moved on, and the sun began it's return to the sky.

But for just over three minutes, I got to experience a total eclipse of the sun.

It was awesome.

Totally.

Note to self: Don't pee on the iPod again

Ever since I bought my iPod back in August, I've been carrying it in my shirt pocket when listening to it.

I don't like doing that.

And, now I don't do it any more.

Just the other day, I finally bought a carrying case for it. It has a belt clip, and yes, I clip it on my belt. And when sitting at a desk, my iPod is on my right hip.

Think now, about the ear buds cord. You know, where it goes.

From my hip, across my lap, up the front of my shirt, across my tie, to my ears.

Every so often, though, the phone rings.

I'll reach down, lift the cover, hit pause, and answer the phone.

Sometimes, though, the call takes a while. I'll remove the ear buds and drop them into my shirt pocket.

Got the picture, right?

Okay, add this little scenario.

I finish a call, finish off my Coke, and head to the rest room.

Now, I haven't put the ear buds back into my ear.

iPod and my pantsThe cord is still hanging from the iPod on my hip, droops across my pants, and up to my shirt pocket.

Now, if the ear buds are actually in my ears, the cord droops to about the level of the bottom of my belt.

But, if the ear buds are in my pocket, the cord droops to below my fly.

Don't get ahead of me, but yeah, you do see where this is going.

When standing at the urinal, there is the risk of the cord interfering with the stream, if you understand what I'm saying.

So, if you have an iPod with a belt clip, and you stand up to pee, don't put the ear buds in your shirt pocket.

I won't. Or at least, I won't do it again.

Monday, February 18, 2008

The shadow knows

I need to go on a diet.

I mean, I know it. Anyone who looks at me knows it.

In high school, I was 6'2'' and weighed 120 lbs.

Really.

I'm no taller, but a heckuva lot heavier.

And, I know that I need to drop a few pounds.

A light came on and told me.

No, not one of those "AHA!" moments where people say "a light came on."

An actual light came on.

It happened at work.

Now, I don't normally talk about work. This blog and my job ain't got nothing to do with each other. I don't blog at work, and I don't blog about work.

But still, something happened at work.

Only, it's got nothing to do with work. Other than it happened to be the place that the light came on.

Let me explain.

We got some of those movement-activated lights. Motion detectors. You know what I'm talking about.

The idea, I suppose, is that if someone walks out of a room and leaves a light on, if no movement happens, the light will go off, even though the switch is in the "on" position.

Oh, and if a large mass moves in the room, the light will come on.

Well, there's several rooms like that at work. And, I'll walk past several of these each day.

Today, I walked past a dark room. The room was on my right. Windows were on my left. And, a shadow was cast on the wall to my right. And when I walked past that particular room, my shadow was in the room.

When I walked past it today, the light came on.

I didn't enter the room. I wasn't even up against the wall.

But my shadow apparently was heavy enough to cause the light to come on.

And, yes, I know. If I'm so heavy that my shadow sets off a motion detector, it's time to call Jenny Craig.

So, I guess I'm going on a diet.

Starting tomorrow.

Or the next day.

Washington's Birthday 2008

From 2007:

Today is one of those days that really gets on my nerves.

Oh, not because it's the official celebration of George Washington's birthday. Because that's what today is.

But because of what some people call today. Some call it Presidents Day. Or Presidents' Day. Or President's Day.

But those people are dumbasses. Because it's not Presidents Day (or any variation thereof). But more about that in a minute.

First, I want to talk about George Washington and his moving birthday.

George Washington was born on February 11, 1731. No, that's not a typo. That's the date on the calendar in effect at the time.

You see, England was on the Julian Calendar at the time. And because of inaccuracies in that calendar, they were about 11 days off. Plus, New Year's Day was in March. You see, March 24, 1731 was followed by March 25, 1732. And December 31, 1732 was followed by January 1, 1732. Go figure.

So, anyway, when they got around to adopting the Gregorian Calendar in September, 1752, England ... and her colonies, including those in the Americas ... found that September 2, 1752 (Old Style) was followed by September 14, 1752 (New Style). And that New Year's Day had moved to January 1. Which meant that December 31, 1752 was followed by January 1, 1753.

For George Washington, that meant that the realignment of the calendar meant that February 11, 1731 O.S. was February 22, 1732 N.S.

And he kept that birthday for a long time. Even after he died.

Then the U.S. Government got involved.

The first thing they did was actually okay. In 1879, they made Washington's Birthday a federal holiday, to go along with New Year's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.

All the various federal holidays were celebrated on the actual day being observed. That meant on weekends sometimes, and during the middle of the week sometimes. And they said it cost extra money for a federal office to take off in the middle of the week. Plus having a Wednesday off between other weekday workdays limited families doing things.

So, in 1968, the movement to change many holidays to a nearby Monday really took off. And in 1971, Richard Nixon issued Executive Order 11582, making the third Monday in February a holiday: Washington's Birthday.

In the late 1990s, that whole Presidents Day thing really took off. Lots of wrong things happened in the late 1990s, so that shouldn't surprise anyone.

Still, today is officially Washington's Birthday, and is not and has never been President's Day. Take a look at United States Code (5 U.S.C. 6103) and check out the third holiday listed. Oh, and Snopes backs me up on this, by the way.

Anyway, lots of people and lots of places (actually, people at those places) call today "Presidents Day."

I go to the bank, and see signs about Presidents Day. I turn on the TV and see a Presidents Day commercial. I hear folks on the radio talking about Presidents Day.

They're dumbasses. But they can't help it. It's too much trouble to take the time to get things right.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

"I went to the refrigerator twice and still didn't take my shoes off"

This morning was a very difficult morning.

You know, The Wife has chickens. And goats.

This morning began early. About 3:30. When the phone rang.

You see, her sister has goats, too.

And she called The Wife, who needed to go see about her sister's goat.

About 8:00, The Wife needed to see about her own goats.

Actually, about what her goats had done to her rooster.

Actually, what the goats had done to her rooster's pen.

See, The Wife had the rooster in a pen. A raised pen. On legs.

The goats thought it would be a good idea to turn it over. With the rooster inside.

We got the pen righted.

A little bit later, The Wife got a call from someone. I think it was our niece. Daughter of her sister with goats.

Sister-in-law had gone to work or something, and I think the niece wanted some help with a goat or something.

So, The Wife went to see about all that.

A little before 10:00, while The Wife was still over at her sister's house, I went to check on the goats and rooster.

The rooster was strutting around the chicken yard, having his way with all the slut hens The Wife is raising.

And a goat ... the male goat; there are two: one male, one female ... was in the rooster's pen.

In the raised pen. The one the goats had turned over earlier.

I decided to just leave him there.

The Wife just came back from her sister's house. She saw the goat in the raised pen.

She decided to just leave him there, too.

In the process of things, she opened the refrigerator door twice. Once to see how long it took to microwave Jimmy Dean biscuits. Wasn't sure why she opened the door the other time.

As she headed to the back of the house, she stopped, got that "Oh, my Gosh!" look on her face. Sighed. Walked back into the kitchen saying, "I went to the refrigerator twice and still didn't take my shoes off."

I thought it best not to ask what that meant.

But I'm going out for supper tonight.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Racists for Obama

Some have accused Bill or Hillary Clinton of interjecting race into this year's presidential primaries.

I think that's wrong.

Oh, don't misunderstand me. I do not like Bill or Hillary Clinton. But I don't want anybody accused of something they're not guilty of.

Now, let's be clear. Racism has been brought into the campaign. But not by William Jefferson Clinton. Or by Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.

By who? Okay, by whom?

By racists who support Barack Hussein Obama.

Yep, Obama is getting support from racists.

How could I say such a thing?

Stay with me, and I'll explain.

But first, let's look at a scenario.

Say that Candidate A is a White man, running for President.

And say that Candidate B is a Black man, running for President.

Voter C is going to the polls. He's White. And he votes for Candidate A, because he likes his position on the issues more than Candidate B's.

Voter D, another White man, votes for Candidate A. Not because he likes Candidate A's position better. He votes that way because Candidate A is White.

Voter E, a Black man, votes for Candidate B, because he likes his message better than he likes Candidate A's message.

Voter F, a Black man, votes for Candidate B, because Candidate B is Black.

Who is the racist?

There are some that would say D. They'd be half right.

The correct answer is D and F.

If Voter D is a racist for voting for the White guy just because he's White, then Voter F is a racist for voting for the Black guy just because he's Black.

Now, not all Blacks are voting for Obama just because he's Black. But some are.

Just like some are voting for Clinton because she's White.

How many?

Well, it's hard to tell. Because many say they're not voting for Obama "just because he's Black" but because of the issues.

But note that many use the word "just."

"Just because he's Black."

Which means that his race is a part of it.

And who's fault is that?

Not Clinton's (either one). And not Obama's.

It's the fault of the racists who are including race in their decision.

I picked on Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell the other day for saying that some Whites won't vote for Obama.

But Rendell is right. Some won't.

But some Blacks will vote for Obama because he's Black.

Racism is still with us. Always has been. Probably always will be. It's something we'll all have to battle.

Racists can be White. Racists can be Black. Racists can be any color.

Racism works both ways.

And it works to tear this country apart.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Minor League Baseball interviews Jim Morrison

Don't be asking me "who's Jim Morrison?"

I'll tell you, though.

He managed the Columbus Catfish (Rays) to the South Atlantic League (Class A) championship last year.

It was his first year managing in the Tampa Bay system, and a very successful one. He did a great job. And, when they auctioned off special jerseys last year, I bought his.

I really enjoyed watching his team play ... and him manage the team.

He's been tapped to manage Vero Beach of the Florida State League (Class A-Advanced) for 2008. And I expect he'll do well there.

Anyway, Minor League Baseball has posted an interview with Jim Morrison. And I thought it was a good read. He does tell one interesting story about being kissed while batting. Really.

...there was a guy named Max Patkin, who was known as the Clown Prince of Baseball. He was a former Minor League player who had started this comedy act at Minor League parks around the country. Well, I didn't know who he was at the time, and I came up to bat one game during the middle of his act. He calls timeout, grabs me and kisses me on the cheek.


Jim, being the class act that he is, had nothing but good things to say about fans in the South Atlantic League, going so far as to praise them for their support, saying "anywhere you go ... the fans always come out."

That's quite an exaggeration, particularly for Savannah and Columbus.

The Sand Gnats don't draw well. The Catfish draw even worse.

But Jim ... who played college ball at Georgia Southern when my Big Sister was a student there, too ... had nothing but good things to say.

He's a class act. If only more in Columbus would show support for such folks.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Pennsylvania Governor: "Whites Only, No Coloreds"

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell -- a supporter of New York Senator Hillary Clinton -- said White Pennsylvanians aren't ready to vote for a Black candidate.

I'm speechless.

Okay, I'm not really speechless.

Let's say, I'm amused.

Why?

Because it shows just how much the Democrats are cracking up. And I'm tickled pink to think that the Dems will self-destruct and keep the GOP in the White House.

Anyway, here's what the AP reports (via WBOC-TV):
The governor told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that some "conservative whites" are "probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."

Rendell said that was likely a factor in his win over his black Republican challenger, ex-Pittsburgh Steelers football star Lynn Swann, in his re-election campaign. Several figures in Clinton's campaign, including her husband, have been criticized in recent weeks for raising Obama's race.
A long time ago, there were signs up at laundromats, water fountains, and such, that said "Whites Only" and "No Coloreds."

I grew up in Georgia in the 1960s. I never saw one of those signs with my own eyes.

But I've known people who would not vote for a Black candidate.

Of course, all of them always voted (and still vote) Democrat.

But there's not a lot of them around here. At least, I don't run into them much anymore.

Maybe they all moved to Pennsylvania and elected Ed Rendell.

Canto Talk

Silvio Canto, a Dallas businessman who also has an Internet radio show on http://www.blogtalkradio.com/, interviews bloggers from time to time.

Yesterday, for example, he interviewed Rick Moran (Right Wing Nut House).

Recently, he's spoken with Don Surber (interview here), Steven M. Warshawsky (American Thinker), Brendan Loy, and others.

Well, he's apparently run out of folks that know what they're talking about, because ... you guessed it ... he asked me to be a guest.

He's obviously never read this little blog.

Does the phrase "jump the shark" mean anything to you?

But, if you are interested, or just want to hear a train wreck, tune in at 1:00 PM today.

UPDATE: That was fun. For me, if for no one else. Listen, if you dare.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Count the votes

Saturday night, the Republican party in Washington state called the results of the caucus for my candidate, John McCain.

Turns out, though, that he might have jumped the gun.

Oh, Senator McCain is still leading with 26% to Governor Huckabee's 24%, with Rep. Ron Paul at 21%, with 87% of the votes counted.

If NBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, or Fox News had called it for McCain, nobody would be saying a thing.

But Washington state chairman Luke Esser called it for McCain.

If that is indeed what happened -- and reports from MSNBC, CBS, Fox News, and others say it is -- then that's wrong.

Votes should be counted. All the votes.

If McCain ends up in first place, then I'm happy because my candidate won.

If Huckabee ends up in first place, then that's just how it goes. You win some, you lose some.

Oh, I suspect that when the votes are counted, Senator McCain will still end up in first place.

But the way to make sure is to count all the votes.

Why John McCain?

This election is another important event in American history.

We're at war, both with extremists who want to destroy our way of life, and with internal foes who put their own interests above those of our nation.

John McCain is prepared to lead on both fronts.

When it comes time to react to those who attack this country from without, there's no better candidate running than John McCain to lead this nation of ours.

When it comes time to appoint judges so subordinate and Supreme Courts, there is no better candidate running than John McCain to make that choice.

There's only one choice for our great nation: Senator John McCain.

A box of Girl Scout Cookies

It's Girl Scout Cookie season.

At least, Girl Scouts are selling cookies around here.

And that's a problem.

You see, I like Girl Scout Cookies. A lot.

And so does The Wife. A lot.

And we know our weaknesses, and how to combat them.

We decided, when they started selling Girl Scout Cookies this year, that we'd buy just one box.

And, we did.

When I picked The Wife up from work one day this past week, she had a package of Girl Scout Cookies ... Lemon Chalet Cremes ... in her hand.

The person at work that she bought the cookies from had delivered them.

So, I got an odd look when, a couple of days later, when I picked her up from work, there were more cookies in the car.

Remember, we had agreed to buy a box of cookies.

Well, she had a package of cookies.

And I had eleven packages of cookies.

You see, they come twelve packages to a box.

And I can do math almost as well as I can eat Girl Scout Cookies.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Coburn vs Fox News

He's not as well known outside the conservative circles as others, but Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is certainly known by many conservatives.

Coburn endorsed Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in the GOP race, and appeared on Hannity and Colmes recently talking about it.

I noticed that while Coburn listed his reasons for supporting McCain, Fox News was showing points against McCain.

What the ACU thinks of the candidates

I wrote earlier about what the ACLU thinks about the 4 members of Congress that are running for President.

The ACU -- that's the American Conservative Union -- rates the candidates, too.

Here's the ACU's lifetime rating for the four:

John McCain (R) 82.3
Ron Paul (R) 82.3
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D) 9.0
Barack Hussein Obama (D) 8.0

I can't find any ratings for Mike Huckabee (R) or Mike Gravel (D), the other two candidates from the major parties. If you have any data on that, let me know, citing sources. I suspect Huckabee's rating would be similar to McCain's and Gravel's similar to Obama's, if not lower.

Being a conservative, I'm naturally drawn to the more conservative candidates. But not Ron Paul. He's crazy.

Of course, I'm now on board with McCain.

What the ACLU thinks of the candidates

Here are the ACLU lifetime ratings of the major party candidates still in the race:

Barack Hussein Obama (D) 82%
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (D) 75%
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul (R) 61%
John Sidney McCain III (R) 25%

Note: I have been unable to find ACLU ratings on Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (D), who was was in the Senate from 1969-1981, and Michael Dale Huckabee (R), who served 10 years as governor of Arkansas. I would be very interested any any data (with sources) regarding their ratings. I will say that I suspect they rate Gravel very high, and Huckabee in the same range as McCain.

So, there you go.

The ACLU rates Obama, Clinton, and Paul highest of the four remaining candidates that are currently in Congress.

And McCain the lowest.

John McCain sings Streisand

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Dragging it out

Now that former Massachusetts Governor Willard Mitt Romney has withdrawn his candidacy, it pretty much looks like Arizona Senator John Sidney McCain III will be the Republican Party nominee for President.

On the Democratic side, though, Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton are battling it out.

Some say that if the Democratic race drags on, it'll weaken the party's eventual candidate.

Others say that it will strengthen the eventual nominee.

I'm banking on the former.

Heck, I'm pulling for it.

Let the Democrats drag it out. It'll cause Obama or Clinton to be weaker against the GOP nominee.

Why?

History.

I believe that we can learn from history.

Now, limiting this to elections I remember, here's why I say history shows it'll benefit the GOP for the Dems to drag it out.

First election I remember was 1964. Although I was too young to vote, I was pulling for Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater.

But, in the run-up to November, the Democrats rallied around President Lyndon Johnson. The Republicans, however, were split between Goldwater and New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller.

The knock-down-drag-out weakened the GOP, and LBJ won in a landslide.

In 1968, Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey was battling New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy, when Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles in June.

The long battle ended with Humphrey winning the nomination, but continuing to be challenged by Alabama Governor George C. Wallace, who ran as a 3rd party candidate.

Republican nominee, former Vice-President Richard M. Nixon won the GOP nomination fairly easily over Michigan Governor George W. Romney and California Governor Ronald Reagan.

And, in November, Nixon won.

In 1972, the GOP was solidly behind Nixon.

The Democrats, though, battled into the convention.

Humphrey received more votes in the primaries than any other Democrat, but South Dakota Senator George McGovern had more delegates.

And, again, a bullet impacted the party when Wallace's campaign was cut short when he was shot in Maryland in May.

The hard-fought campaign took its toll on McGovern and the Democrats, who were overwhelmed in November by Nixon and the Republicans.

1976 had former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter wrapping things up surprisingly easy.

But, on the GOP side, President Gerald R. Ford went into the convention leading in delegates, but still not enough to secure the nomination. He barely beat Reagan on the first ballot, then lost to Carter in November.

1980 saw Reagan wrap up the GOP nomination over former CIA Director George Bush in fairly short order.

The Democrats, though, battled to the convention. Massachusetts Senator (and former Oldsmobile driver) Edward M. Kennedy battled Carter all the way to the convention.

After prevailing in a nasty convention, Carter was sent packing in November as Reagan swept into the Presidency.

1984 saw Reagan wrap it up quickly as the only serious Republican candidate.

But, after the final Democratic primary of the year, former Vice-President Walter F. Mondale had a lead, but not a majority of the delegates. The battle with Colorado Senator Gary Hart took its toll.

Of course, Reagan won big in November.

1988 was again an easy primary season for the GOP. Vice President Bush wrapped it up soon after "Super Tuesday," beating Kansas Senator Bob Dole.

But, on the Democrats' side, preacher and professional trouble-maker Jesse Jackson battled Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis up to the convention.

Dukakis won, of course, but was beaten by Bush in November.

1992 had Arkansas Governor William Jefferson Clinton wrapping up the Democratic nomination in April.

Bush was challenged by former speechwriter Patrick J. Buchanan. Though Bush wrapped the nomination up fairly early, Buchanan's continued attacks weakened the President, and Clinton won in November, although without a majority of the popular vote.

1996 had Clinton renominated easily, but Dole fighting for the GOP nomination, challenged primarily by Buchanan and publisher Steve Forbes.

Clinton won in November, again without a majority of the popular vote.

2000 had Vice President Al Gore facing a challenge from former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley. Not much of a challenge, though, as Gore was nominated easily.

Texas Governor George W. Bush held off McCain, and took the GOP nomination easily.

With both parties picking nominees early on, the race in November was one of the closest in history, with Bush narrowly picking up enough electoral votes to win the Presidency.

In 2004, Bush, unlike his father, had an easy time being renominated.

On the Democratic side, Massachusetts Senator John F. Kerry faced tough challenges from North Carolina Senator John Edwards before wrapping up the nomination in mid-March.

Bush, of course, won in November.

There you have it.

In my lifetime -- at least, while I was old enough to remember -- the party who had the hardest campaign in picking a nominee was the losing party in November.

Here's hoping that holds true again this year.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Tittie-babies

tittie babyIn my lifetime, it's been mostly liberals ... and mostly Democrats ... that bellyache, moan, complain, and whine when things don't go there way.

Remember the 2000 election?

In case you forgot, the Republican candidate, George W. Bush, won the election.

Since the very first Presidential election in 1789, the person with the most electoral votes -- not popular vote -- becomes President. (Yes, I know. If no one has a majority, the House of Representatives gets to elect the President. Like what happened in 1825.)

Anyway, Al Gore and his supporters couldn't stand that they didn't get their way. And they bitched, moaned, and complained until ... heck, they're still bitching, moaning, and complaining.

But that's how many liberals are. Oh, not all. Some are fine people that have honest disagreements. But those are rare. Most are whining little tittie-babies.

However, this year, I've seen a situation that's unusual.

Conservatives ... and I am a conservative ... aren't getting their way in the primaries.

Arizona Senator John McCain isn't really a conservative. He's supported some conservative causes. And he's supported our President, even when President Bush's popularity has fallen. He's supported the troops throughout, despite predictions that it would doom his career.

No, McCain isn't a true conservative. And it looks like he might just be the Republican nominee.

Former governors Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, are more conservative, with Romney being the more conservative of the two. But neither has much of a chance to be the presidential nominee.

Of course, there's Ron Paul who's just plain nuts, as are most of his supporters. I try to ignore him, because he's worthy of being ignored.

Anyhow, McCain will likely be the nominee.

And many conservatives are getting their panties in a wad about it.

I'm not. I'm hanging loose. So to speak.

I'm not in favor of John McCain, but he's a darn sight better than whatever the Democrats will put up against him in November.

So, I'll have no problem voting for him. I mean, consider the alternatives.

Some conservatives are all whining about McCain. Some say they'll vote for the Democrat. Other's say they'll just sit home and not vote.

Neither is a very mature response to not getting one's way.

But it sure fits what a whiny tittie-baby would do.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

If football games were like the primary system...

Way back, a long time ago, pro football games used to be played on Sunday afternoons. And that was about it.

Before Monday Night Football.

Before Saturday football.

Before Sunday night football.

Before cable.

Before expansion.

The NFL and the AFL had merged. Three NFL teams (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cleveland) joined the 10 AFL teams to form the AFC. And the remaining NFL teams made up the NFC.

Sunday, at 1:00, there'd be a football game starting on one channel. Then, at 4:00, there'd be a game on the other network.

Except when the area team played a road game in Baltimore. They kicked off at 2:00 for some reason.

Anyway, the 1:00 game was real, genuine, hard-nosed football, and always ended in time for the 4:00 game to start.

Okay, not always. There was the "Heidi Bowl" game. But that was a 4:00 game. It ran long, and was cut off so that NBC could show Heidi ... and football fans would miss two Oakland touchdowns that turned the game around.

That was a big deal, because the network wasn't prepared for it.

Games never went long. Three hours was plenty long enough.

Today, though, pro football games take too long. Waaaaayyyy too long.

But, watching this political primary season, I think have discovered the solution.

Play pro football games like they are the primaries.

After the coin flip and kickoff, if a team makes two first downs, declare them the front-runner. Have members of the defense -- say, some 2nd or 3rd stringers -- leave the sidelines and head to the locker room.

Midway through the first quarter, check the scoreboard. Whoever has the lead, declare them the inevitable winner, and urge the team that's behind to pack it in. And some of the players do.

After every first down, punt, score, or turnover, the announcers call on players who are behind, or who aren't leading in rushing, passing, receiving, tackles, or some other such statistic, to pack it in.

And some of the players do.

Then, after the big half-time show, when one team is leading -- even with half a game of football left to play -- the announcers tell the players on the team that's behind to call it quits.

And sometimes, they do.

Yeah, if football games were done like the political primaries, it could really change things.

We wouldn't have to worry about football games dragging on and on. They'd be over at half-time.

Just think about it.

Kickoff at 1:00. Then, barely 2:30 and we can turn the channel and watch Star Trek, Whacked Out Sports, or a Law & Order rerun.

You know. The same ole same ole.

I'll buy that for a dollar!

Went shopping at Dollar Tree the other day.

If you're not familiar with Dollar Tree, it's a store where everything's a dollar. They're headquartered in Virginia, although their first store opened in Georgia.

Anyway, lot of cheap stuff ... and I don't just mean in price. Lots of stuff about like what you might expect for a dollar.

Still, you can find some good deals on some stuff.

So, we'll look for a deal there.

And, the other day, we were there.

Now, hold that thought.

Let's move over to, say, Winn Dixie, K-Mart, or some other store. When you go in, you pick up a sale flyer. At least, I do. To see what's on sale, you understand.

Okay, back to Dollar Tree.

We were there the other day, and there, inside the door, were posted some flyers.

Think about that.

Stuff that's normally a dollar, was on sale for ... a dollar.

Yes, just look at the flyer. Everything listed is a dollar. Items that normally are ... a dollar.

Yeah, I pondered that one for a minute, too.

I'm not sure what I think about it.

I think it might just be best if I don't think about it. After all, I'm not sure they thought about it, either.

Voting early

Voted this morning.

And, like I said I would do, I voted in the Democratic primary. For Barack Hussein Obama.

The reason, of course, was to vote for the worst of the Democrats. And, yes, I think he's worse than Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton. Not much worse, but worse in one critical way. Talked about that earlier, too.

The idea in voting for the worst of the Democrats was to give whoever wins the Republican nomination an easier target.

Anyway, stood in line, waiting for the polls to open. Not a big line. I live in a small precinct.

But, when they opened the polls and I showed my ID and signed the Democrat paper, I noticed that, for the line I was in anyway, that more were voting on the Republican ballot than on the Democratic ballot. Over twice as many.

Now, I'm not sure that trend would hold throughout the day.

But, first thing in the morning, when most folks got to get to work, the early birds at the voting precinct were voting overwhelmingly on a Republican ballot.

That means one of two things.

Either others did what I was doing and trying to screw up the opposition -- and I don't think that's what was happening.

Or, the folks that actually get up early and work for a living are Republicans.

I expect more Democrats to have shown up later in the day. After all the folks that have jobs are at their jobs, and the Democratic demographic has free run of the streets.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Why I'm voting for Barack Obama

I was supporting Fred Thompson in the race for President.

But Fred dropped out. And we're left with four on the GOP side: John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul.

We can strike my voting for Ron Paul because ... well ... he's an idiot. As are many of his supporters. Not all, but the lion's share. Them folks is nuts.

So, that leaves McCain, Romney, and Huckabee.

Which to vote for?

Quite honestly, it really doesn't matter. I'm not a huge fan of any of them. One's about as good as the other, in my book.

On the Democratic side, though, there is a difference.

You got Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, an unqualified liberal.

And you got Barack Hussein Obama, an unqualified liberal.

Of these two, which is the worst?

Obama.

Oh, I despise Hillary Clinton. Ain't got no use for the woman. But she'd actually be a better president than Obama. The one area where they really differ is Iraq.

I believe Obama means it when he says he'd pull troops out.

I don't believe Clinton means it.

I think she'll say whatever it takes to get the nomination, then afterwards, say what it takes to get elected. Then, if for no other reason than she's not a dummy -- evil isn't dumb, after all -- she'll continue the mission. She won't pull the troops out until the job's done.

And that's why I'm voting for Obama.

The state here has an open primary. You don't have to be a member of a party to vote in that party's primary. You can vote in the Democratic or the Republican primary, either one. But not both, of course.

I'm not a registered Republican. And a darn sure ain't no registered Democrat.

I'm a registered voter with no party affiliation.

And I'm a conservative.

And say what you will, McCain, Huckabee, or Romney -- any of them -- will be a darn sight better than anything the Democrats are running.

Yes, despite what some Republicans or conservatives are saying, there is a difference between the three Republicans and the Democrats. (Yes, I'm omitting Ron Paul. Because he's nuts.)

I don't think Obama stands a snowball's chance in Hell of winning the presidency.

Not because he's Black. Sure, there are some that would not vote for him because he's Black. But there's also some that would vote for him just because he's black.

But his race won't get him elected ... or keep him from getting elected.

What will happen is that, should he be the nominee of the Democratic party, most Americans ... those with some sense, anyway ... will realize that he's ... well ... just not qualified.

He's a liberal's wet dream.

And a conservative's, too. Because his nomination guarantees a Republican win in November.

So, for that reason alone, I plan to vote for Obama in today's primary.

Update: Another view.

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Imperfect

In the early days of the Super Bowl, I pulled for the American Football League teams.

I wasn't a big fan of the old guard, the establishment, the NFL.

I liked AFL play.

And, when the leagues merged, I pulled for the AFC teams.

Didn't matter that the Falcons were NFL and NFC.

I liked the upstart AFL. And the AFC.

So, since the Falcons were in the NFL/NFC, I pulled for another team. An AFL team.

The Miami Dolphins.

Running mates

telephone
ring ring

Caller ID
ring ring

Basil
Hello?

Mike Huckabee
Hi, this is Mike Huckabee ...

Basil
Uh...

Mike Huckabee
... calling to ask for your vote in Tuesday's election for President here in Alabama.

Basil
Well, you know I was supporting Fred Thompson and ...

Mike Huckabee
This election isn't about me, it's about we.

Basil
Why are you calling me from Las Vegas?

Mike Huckabee
The future of the conservative movement and the direction that our nation takes depends on the choice that you make.

Basil
And I chose Fred ...

Mike Huckabee
And when it comes to authenticity, conviction, and proven leadership on the fundamental issues that we conservatives care so deeply about, the choice is clear.

Basil
Yeah, Fred Thompson, but he dropped ...

Mike Huckabee
I strongly support a federal life amendment and as Governor passesd a marriage amendment to our state's constitution.

Basil
But conservatives don't monkey around with the Constitution ...

Mike Huckabee
I cut taxes 94 times and balanced the budget every year I was Governor for 10½ years.

Basil
Uh...

Mike Huckabee
We produced record job growth.

Basil
But I got a job ...

Mike Huckabee
And as President, I'll provide the leadership to pass federal marriage and life amendments and fight for the values of Alabama people.

Basil
You know I'm from Georgia, right?

Mike Huckabee
On Day One, I'll never sacrifice our principles for anybody's politics. Not now and not ever.

Basil
Okay, let me ask you...

Mike Huckabee
This is Mike Huckabee and I'll appreciate your vote.

Basil
Yeah, I know who you are, I just want to...

Mike Huckabee
Paid for by the Huckabee for President Campaign.
click

The Wife
Who was that?

Basil
It was Mike Huckabee.

The Wife
What did he want?

Basil
He's running for President.

The Wife
I thought you were voting for Fred Thompson.

Basil
Well, I was. But he dropped out.

The Wife
So, what did Mike Huckabee want?

Basil
He wants me to vote for him.

The Wife
Yeah, you Baptists stick together, don't you?

Basil
I didn't vote for Bill Clinton. Or Al Gore. So there.

The Wife
So why'd he call...

telephone
ring ring

Caller ID
ring ring

Basil
Hello?

John McCain
Hi, this is Senator John McCain.

Basil
Uh, hello.

John McCain
And I'm calling today to personally ask for your vote and make a pledge to you.

Basil
Well, I was supporting Fred Thompson before...

John McCain
As your President, I promise to lead our nation and our party as a Ronald Reagan conservative.

Basil
Uh, ...

John McCain
I'll lower your taxes, veto wasteful government spending, and make sure our party returns to the smaller government principles on which it began.

Basil
Huckabee's a preacher and you get religion?

John McCain
I'll secure our border first before pursuing any other immigration reform.

Basil
Can I just get you to secure my phone line instead?

John McCain
I'll appoint conservative judges like Justices Alito and Roberts.

Basil
You didn't answer about...

John McCain
I will protect the sanctity of life and have a 24-year record to prove it.

Basil
Are you even listening to me?

John McCain
This is my commitment to you.

Basil
Uh...

John McCain
Consider our greatest challenge as a nation is to defeat a relentless enemy: radical Islamic extremists.

The Wife
Who is it?

John McCain
My life experience has prepared me better than any other candidate to defeat this enemy.

Basil
It's John McCain...

John McCain
We and and will win this war.

Basil
I think it's John McCain.

John McCain
Again, this is John McCain.

announcer
Paid for by John McCain 2008.

Basil
Hey, put Senator McCain back on the phone. I had a question for him. Hello? Hello?

The Wife
What did he want?

Basil
He just wanted to talk.

The Wife
About what?

Basil
It doesn't matter. I'm just waiting for a Republican who will listen.