Why Rahm Emanuel?

Bottoms Up!

Here's something to drink to.

Richard Applebaum, a New York City lawyer is turning heads with his unique proposal to pull Americans out of the current recession.

Rather than funnel government money through major corporations and financial institutions who are responsible for leading us into the recession, Applebaum suggests debt forgiveness on all student loans for graduates who make less than $150,000 annually.

Some real bottom-to-top change.

Check out the article on the Huffington Post

Let the Celebration Continue!

This is a cool photo courtesy of Mel Marcelo, my cousin in San Diego and a very talented graphic artist. I made this into a shirt that I wore on election night.

Thanks Mel!

YES WE DID!

Bzablog Election Prediction

It's 6:27AM EST and after careful calculations I've formulated a prediction for tonight's historic election.

I predict 298 electoral votes for Obama and 240 electoral Votes for McCain

I believe Senator McCain will take all the battleground states except for Ohio which will decide the election. North Carolina will be close but I believe that it will be won by McCain.

Obama will secure Colorado and New Mexico, Pennsylvania but lose Arizona.

I hope I'm right.

A Merger of Labor and Love

Do you recognize the man giving the speech in the clip below?

Unless you've been following politics for the last decade at least a little bit, then you probably don't. But There is something mysterious about James Carville that makes watching him so captivating. This leading democratic strategist is a man who launched his career behind the scenes, out of the spotlight and in the "war room" as the '92 Clinton presidential campaign endearingly referred to their Little Rock headquarters. Together with colleagues George Stephanopoulos and Paul Begala, Carville has changed the way campaigns are run-- making a living off winning elections for the underdog.

I've always enjoyed watching the "Ragin' Cajun" contribute on news programs. I once even had the opportunity to attend a panel that he moderated in his home state of Louisiana. People from both sides of the political spectrum love Carville (his wife is a republican strategist) because he has strong opinions and is never afraid to express them. In a way he is simultaneously the anti-politician and the super-politician. He is working for the ideas he believes in and has dedicated a career to putting democrats who share his beliefs in office not just in the US but also abroad by managing foreign campaigns. Yet despite his uncanny political strategic skills and success he does not crave the political power a politician does. He is working for his beliefs without owing an interest to constituents or lobbyists and without the influence of public polls or pressure of re-election. He is immune to what Washington politicians call "Potomac Fever".

However, tonight I'm posting this video for reasons far beyond politics. In this clip we see another side of Carville -- A side of him that he never shows on CNN's Situation Room or as a guest on any news program. This clip of Carville was recorded the night before election day 16 years ago, tensions were running high and the race was neck and neck up until the last day of campaigning. It was a night, as George Stephanopoulos appropriately describes, that "[Carville] will pass from the role of a regular human being to the role of a legend..."

When I first saw this clip I saw the more human side of politics. Someone once told me that "everyone who runs for president has to be crazy." And to a certain extent I believe it. It takes extraordinary discipline, perseverance and desire to withstand the nature of a career in politics. It requires a lifetime of winning the trust of all those who surround you, repeating the same lines everyday and being constantly aware of your actions and word. Often times it requires improbable strokes of luck. But when I see this speech I'm reminded that politics is more than winning votes and wanting your candidate to win.

Long after you've chosen your candidate, done your research, donated to the campaign, registered some voters and bought a T-shirt and voted then the only thing left to give is your faith-- a sincere belief that you are no longer promoting a man, but personifying your beliefs. Regardless of your political party or preference we eventually arrive at a point when you realize the man who bears the name on the poster means less than the ideologies that his name carries. We rise above the issues that the media has force fed us with sound bytes. We forget off-shore drilling, economy, the war, democrat and republican and realize that inevitably tomorrow's decision is so much more than just a few tag lines and grandiose promises. It's a reflection of the needs of our nation and our plea to finally to reap the benefits of our labor and our love.

ONE MORE DAY! ONE MORE DAY! ONE MORE DAY!

It's People Like This...

Don't Vote!

Thanks for this video Jackson.

Why This Election Should Be A Landslide: Episode 3

Why This Election Should Be a Landslide: Episode 2

He's breaking out the big guns!

President Clinton has stated that he will join Senator Clinton and begin campaigning for Senator Obama following the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting on September 23rd and 24th.

Read More Here

Why This Election Should Be A Landslide: Episode 1

Here is some special commentary. Notice how Keith uses real quotes, real clips from the Republican National Convention (RNC). These things actually happened and he is commenting on them, explaining how and why the actions of the Republican Party and John Mcain are related to the comments he is making.

It seems like a pretty simple concept to grasp, yet so many people have trouble distinguishing good argumentation that is delivered with emotion from talking points and ideas like "Obama is a terrorist because he was born a Muslim.. blah blah blah...once a Muslim always a Muslim". These things are not one and the same. Some people even try to "argue" that "Obama doesn't love America because there's no flag on his airplane".

Something that is always important to me is understanding things in many ways, from many angles and perspectives.

I don't disagree with every Republican. Nor do I agree with every Democrat. I've said before that you can't feel strongly about something you don't know much about. When it comes to politics people tend to forget this and pretend that a handful of issues completely define a political party. The truth is that In fact, the two-party system naturally tends to cater to those with centrist preferences. Many Americans are torn between the social polices of one party and the economic policies of the other. Simply put, things are never black and white (no pun intended).


Enjoy this clip and the posts that will follow. I can only hope to provide information so that you too can more confidently support the candidate who will best serve you.... and for all but 2% of America I'll give you a hint as to who that will be... his name rhymes with "Yo Mama".

My Current TV Debut! (where's my 30 seconds of applause?)

I haven't really watched TV in nearly two years. With the internet and DVR I've lost the urge for good ol' channel surfing. Of course, I tune in for sports events (e.g. Superbowl, Olympics, US Open, college football) or special programming like the State of the Union Address and the season finale of Entourage.

However this past summer I was introduced to Current TV. My brothers were huge fans and when I was home for the summer I got hooked. They don't have commercials, a majority of the programming is created independently by users and broadcasted via the website Current.com. What I like best is the catchy electronic beats they play in the segues. In all seriousness, the channel is a gem because it is far removed from its large cable television competitors. Its not CNN or CNBC and sure as hell isn't Fox.

Current TV thrives on viewer feedback and in return have engineered a unique product. What you watch is what you create, what you think, and what you (primarily young adults) have asked to see. Think of it as the youth of the world's answer to tainted mainstream media torrent. If you can remember what watching MTV used to feel like before TRL, then you'll be pleasantly surprised when you tune in.

Sign up. Comment. Contribute.


And watch this clip of Current News featuring my commentary! Woo Hoo! BYRONTOSAURUS!

Wow

The ugly reality of today's politics is that most people who try to justify their support for the Republican presidential candidate do so by putting down the opponents rather than supporting their own. Republicans at the National Convention chanted "Zero! Zero! Zero!" referring to Senator Obama's "executive" experience. Their are a dozen things one could say to criticize this year's Republican Presidential Nominees but that wasn't the focus in Denver last week. No one in the fully packed stadium even thought of Mcain in the moments before Senator Obama spoke. They didn't need to. In my eyes the show that the Republican party put on earlier this week was beyond aggravating, but disheartening. Sarah Pailin's speech was the ugliest thing I've ever seen muttered from an ex-beauty queen's mouth. She showed me a candidate full of hate, with an outlook on politics that is frankly dangerous for the future of America; the type of politics that brews hate, strikes fear and will continue to let our country down.

While republicans chant "Zero!" they overlook the blunder of the first executive decision made by their "Maverick". If Mcain's strength and leadership allowed for a woman like Sarah Palin to enter the national spotlight then what else can we expect from him if he is elected president?


More to come on the bizarre argument for Mcain's "Economic Policy"...

Hands-Free Cell Phone Law = Think-Free Legislation

I wasn't surprised when I heard LA had adopted a new law prohibiting talking on cell phones while driving without a Bluetooth or hands-free device. It seems to make perfect sense. You can steer better and react quicker with two hands better than with one. This law has been in effect for some time in NYC, but I never gave it a second thought before it actually affected me here in LA where driving is a necessity.

Now that the law applies to my everyday life, I realize how much of a joke it is. I don't feel any safer knowing that people are talking on hands-free devices. The only real difference in my driving experience is that the police have one more reason to pull me over.

Everytime I have to ignore a call while I'm on the road I wonder... Are there statistics that prove driving with a Bluetooth or earpiece is safer than driving with a phone to your ear? If so, then how was that data collected? I've never heard of an insurance company asking whether or not you were on a cell phone at the time of a car accident. Maybe the State funded the research. If so, I wonder how much that cost. Could they have spent that money on financing projects that the public actually benefits from, rather than to justify giving Californians one more reason to be afraid.

What is the difference between driving with a cell phone in your hand and driving with soda in your hand? A sandwich? Lipstick?

"Hands-Free" is not the solution to bad or dangerous drivers. If it were the solution then why isn't it illegal for me to sip on an iced tea while driving? People have been driving with one hand on the wheel for decades! When did driving with one hand become dangerous?

Often times in traffic (coincidentally when many people are on the phone) I drive with one hand on the wheel while I rest my head on the other hand. That isn't illegal. If I really wanted I could talk to the person in the back seat holding an imaginary telephone to my ear. (You know the one... the pinky and the thumb?) I don't think that would make me any more of a threat to the drivers around me.

The danger in driving while talking on a cell phone is that your talking on the phone. Your focus is not on the road. It's the lack of attention to the road and its surroundings that makes talking on the cell phone dangerous. Your attention is divided regardless of whether you have a phone to your ear or a blinking earpiece attached to it. So the real question is, if they really want to make our roads safer why haven't they banned talking on cell phones altogether? Do you think cell phone companies had to do with that decision? I can only wonder.

Oh and how convenient it is for us that we have to pay $50 for a Bluetooth headset if we want to talk on the phone while driving. How convenient it is that the law requires us to purchase an electronic device in order to continue doing something as simple as answering your phone. How convenient it is that the media counted down the days until the law was in effect, reminding us to race to our nearest electronics store to BUY! BUY! BUY! our life-saving, hands-free devices.

I personally haven't bought into that hype. I'll hold off on the Trekkie hardware as long as I can. In the meantime I'll have to do what any good, law-abiding citizen should do and stick to safe alternative modes of communication while I'm behind the wheel - texting.  

Rule #10

In regards to conversations about politics, one thing should be understood: You can't have a strong opinion about something you don't know much about. Respect others' opinion no matter how radical or irrational they may be. That being said, if by chance you have the misfortune of coming across someone who supports and endorses causes and/or representatives that through policy and practice have diametrically opposed that person's own interest (whether they be economic or social), this means that you have entered what some call the "No-Spin Zone". If you do not act quickly you will be held intellectually captive and as a side-effect be spellbound by manipulative righty heresy. Hastily find a polite way out of that conversation. Under no circumstances, no matter how tempting, should you attempt to apply common sense, truth, logic to dismantle your captors arguments or opinions (they are immune to facts and modern science).

A Heroic Beat

Here is an instrumental to Nas' Hero. Very catchy. I love this beat. For some strange reason whenever I hear this beat I think of Senator Obama...???....Yea.

If you like this beat as much as I do then you should definitely check out the whole song on YouTube.

Super!

I hope you'll forgive the incredibly dull title. That's not to say that any of my other titles are any more clever ( see previous post). But I simply have so much to talk about that I might blow your mind with everything that has been going on.

I'll start with Sunday. The performance of the New York Giants was simply inspiring. I imagine every sports analyst/columnist in the country lost a little sleep on Sunday night thinking of what they would say after they had just been proven wrong. I have always been a fan of the underdog. Maybe its because I've been the underdog a few times, or maybe its my competitive side that wanted to see the Patriots lose for once more than anything else. When it comes down to it I have nothing but respect for the Giants who despite the critics and analyst, played football with a sense of urgency and desire that is rarely seen in professional sports these days. The Giants win on Sunday showed the world that sometimes statistics and predictions should be taken for exactly what they are.. statistics and predictions. Which is exactly what we saw two days later, on Super Tuesday

I spent my evening at a campaign headquarters tonight (The one not in Chicago) and waited as results came in. The atmosphere was something familiar I just couldn't put my finger on it. The distinct feeling that I've been to a similar event lingered as I watched the media, supporters, donors, elected officials make their rounds in the packed ballroom. I thought back and as the chants and cheers grew louder it hit me. I realized where I had seen this before...

At my high school the most anticipated day of the year wasn't homecoming, not spring break, not even prom. In South Pasadena there is an age old tradition that dates back to the pre war era.The day of the first home football game is Color Day. The students come dressed in completely orange and black costumes. They plan ahead for months even years thinking of costumes. On a side note, in many ways the group of people you dressed up with and the quality of your costumes seemed to be some sort of symbol of social status, which in retrospect makes me cringe but that's another story. The main event of the day is held in the gymnasium where the bleachers are sectioned off by graduating year and a series of competitions take place center stage that pit all the grades against each other.

In many ways the campaign celebration tonight was a lot like Color Day. The deafening roar of the crowd and the clever chants that make your throat feel soar and your ears ring were all a familiar feeling, the energy level and the overall positive atmosphere were all so familiar. Except there were more drunk people there tonight. Overall it was a memorable night and I'm glad I had the opportunity to go. Plus, Bill was there.

Equivocally "Changing" the Game

Unless you've been in a coma for the last year or have been watching too much Survivor Man on your DVR than you've heard about the heated battle for the White House unfolding in recent months.

As we all know often times in elections (especially modern presidential elections) , rhetoric is the weapon of choice for candidates blazing the campaign trail. While logic and reason can change the voters' mind, rhetoric and emotion can change their hearts. This is not to say that anything is wrong with the use rhetoric and as history has shown, the best leaders have mastered its art. However, what a candidate gains in eloquence by the use of rhetoric is lost in ambiguity. This, I believe, is where the true danger in the power of rhetoric in politics lies. With so many clashing opinions on subjects across the board it is hard for one to keep track of each candidates unique definitions or terminology. For example in the 2004 elections words like "patriotic", "support for troops" and "national security" meant completely different things to John Kerry and George W. Bush.

In 2008, already in the primaries we've seen a similar effect take place. Specifically with the word "change", a bizarre shift in meaning has taken place between different candidates. It is a word that is being heard in every speech and on seen on every poster. Barack Obama introduced the idea of "Change We Can Believe In" to symbolizes a vision of "new politics" characterized by bipartisan politics and broader coalitions. Then just before the Iowa Caucuses Sen. Hillary Clinton positioned herself as a candidate for "change". The Clinton campaign however, uses the phrase "Ready for Change" to illustrate a need for change in status quo (i.e. the current administration). She also uses it to mean that she is ready to make changes on the first day and to promise immediate results or changes when she takes office.

After the success of Obama's campaign for "change" in the Iowa Caucus several other candidates have adopted the idea of "change" (e.g. Romney, Huckabee, Edwards). Romney's says "We all want change... not necessarily in the White House, but inWashington". While it might not be perfectly clear what Mitt Romney meant by that, what is important to note here is that we see multiple meanings in the word "change". Each candidate has shaped its meaning in order to fit their campaign.


When the exit polls showed that voters were responding to Obama's message of "change" all the other candidates wanted to cash in on the momentum and somehow incorporate "change" into their own message. Now all we hear about is change.

With all the talking heads and pundits in the media paired with the vague rhetorical messages of candidates deciding on a candidate can be a puzzle. Today's elections are no longer about who is right, but who can seem right. That is precisely why we rely on the rhetoric. In the end we're all playing the same game-the candidates, both parties, the voters- everyone. We can only hope that in 2008 people will vote on the side of the real underdog this year... truth.

WJC Keeps It Real

Last Sunday, former president Bill Clinton blasted the Fox News Network, Chris Wallace and the whole delusional righty population out of the proverbial pond after Wallace questioned Clinton's actions to prevent terrorism while he was in office. Clinton saw right through Wallace's agenda to subtlely imply that his actions to prevent 9/11 were not enough and to more importantly divert attention from the presiding administration.

WALLACE: … but the question is, why didn’t you do more, connect the dots and put them [al Queda] out of business?

CLINTON: OK, let’s talk about it. Now, I will answer all those things on the merits, but first I want to talk about the context in which this arises.

I’m being asked this on the Fox network. ABC just had a right-wing conservative run in their little Pathway to 9/11, falsely claiming it was based on the 9/11 Commission report, with three things asserted against me directly contradicted by the 9/11 Commission report.

Clinton goes on to methodically dismantle Chris Wallace on his own show, citing the book of former Reagan, H.W Bush, Clinton and W. Bush counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke. It turns out that Bush had 9 months (3 times longer than Clinton had) to prevent Bin Laden on 9/11. According to Clarke, Clinton came the closest to killing Bin Laden, however CIA and FBI officialls denied the requests for basing rights that bordered Afghanistan.

All these details and facts can be viewed on the complete interview and a complete transcript available on thinkprogress.org.

It's about time someone said something about the disgrace to journalism and media that Fox News Network stands for today. We've waited too long and have allowed programs like Wallace's to propogandize and misinform too many. The existence of Fox News is in part, responsible for the many who have allowed this country to spiral down in the path that it has in recent years. It is no suprise that they so often quickly resort to name calling and edit transcripts from interviews (see O'Rielly and Gen. Clarke interview) to cover up their erroneous information. Any noble and truly "fair and balanced" news source would admit and apologize for their mistakes, but because they have proven they cannot, they will forever be, at least in this author's eyes, a sad joke. An assembly of so-called journalist, blinded by lies and prisoners of ignorance. Zealots, with naivety and logic that parallels that of 16th century European Monarchs.