The (Almost) Daily Comments and Musings from Dave

As predicted by George Will, Mickey Kaus and others, the Democrats, er, the L.A. Times unleased the last-minute hit piece today. I've read it and it's sloppy journalism, full of undocumented allegations. Arnold issued a generalized apology, which may or may not end the matter. Then, the story has to compete with "LeakGate" and the stuff swirling around Rush Limbaugh, so the Arnold story may be on page 23 as early as tomorrow. I have a hard time figuring out the throught processes involved with trying to make a connection between something from a long time ago, and present-day effectiveness or abilities. Let's hope people will see this stuff for what it is and if anything, make for even more pro-recall votes!

Outdoing Governor Gray Davis and the strange case of the Koo Koo Roo Chicken, we now present the artistic side of the Lt. Governor's sibling! You will have to scroll down slighly on the page to read the article.

OK, everyone else has offered their opinions, so here's my dos centavos:

---Peter Camejo is a Marxist, pure and simple.
---Cruz was 'way too condescending.
---McClintock would make a great Director of Finance or a U.S. Senator, but not Governor.
---Arianna is doing research for her next book, not running a campaign.
---Arnold was composed and didn't commit any gaffs.

I had nothing to get out of this since I voted absentee two weeks ago. And, nothing I saw last night would have made me want to get that ballot back for a re-do. I do find it interesting this morning most everyone is talking about the Arnold and Arianna Show, and not things of substance said by one of the others.

Governor Gray Davis and the strange case of the Koo Koo Roo Chicken!!

Update: And even more from California: Babs says she is bored of hearing her songs. Earth to Babs: I got bored listening to your rants, let alone your songs, a l-o-n-g, l-o-n-g time ago.

The recall election resumes as of early this morning, the Ninth Circuit Court over-ruling their own three judges. Finally, someone acts on California Constitutional Law!! Prediction: the Supreme Court won't touch this with a ten foot pole.

Meanwhile over the the Sacramento Bee, some mixed messages starting to emerge---someone didn't have their talking points placed in front of them. See Kaus for the best summary to date.

As some of you may already be aware, the blogger for the Sacramento Bee, Daniel Weintraub (link opposite) now has a minder. All of his comments now have to be run through an "editor" before they can be posted. And, the reason this was done, was he managed to offend a special interest group who specializes in racial identity politics. Said group protested to the Bee and the Bee caved. So much for freedom of expression. I seriously wonder if the Bee would have reacted in the same way had he offended some conservative or right-wing group? Nah, the Bee is a left-wing rag, anyway.

The Blogosphere is full of rage this morning (check some of my links, especially Fresh Potatoes and Prestopundit). I've sent a protest to the Bee, as no doubt have many others. Let's see how this plays out in the next few days.

UPDATE: Until the BEE further clarifies the situation, or other information turns up on some of the other Blogs, I've moved Mr. Weintraub's blog to a CLEARED BY SACBEE CENSORS section.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has just put the recall election on hold. Three judges triumph over California Constitutional law.

The crux of the ACLU argument is people are too stupid to punch a hole in a piece of paper! Since I have already voted absentee, that means effectively as of right now, I am disenfranchised. Outrageous! Watch for the firestorm from all sides over the next day or so.

Leni Riefenstahl passed away yesterday at age 101. I regard her as one of the most important women of the 20th Century. Do yourself a favor, ignore the clap-trap about her emiting from the Media, and go pick up her autobiography or one of the most recent books, Leni Riefenstahl: Five Lives and figure out the truth for yourself. Then, get a video of one of her films and enjoy.

I've been looking around for another source of information regarding what is truly going on in Iraq these days, not the continual doom and gloom stuff you get from the alphabet networks. I've been following this website for a few days now, and there is most certainly another point of view being presented. It's interesting the point of view here is that of the Iraq people!

Yeah, I watched it, but I think I wasted my time. There were a few zingers, but it was mostly boring chit-chat. Cruz is becoming pretty good at not answering questions, and the Moderator got on him about it (a little). Miz Huffington is entertaining but not serious. McClintock came off for what he is, a professional politician and a policy wonk.

Meanwhile, Arnold gets an egg thrown on his jacket, and guess what runs on the evening news: yep, the egg. I must have seen the tape 6 times on the several different broadcasts. The debate was reported after the fact.

WINNER: Arnold, by staying away from the stupid "debate" and appearing in public. The egg was just an added bonus.

UPDATE: John F Kerry is a grade-A PHONY! Why didn't he offer to pay for her lunch? Or give her a coupon good for one Philly Cheesesteak?! Or maybe a nice bottle of wine to commerate the visit??

Yesterday, John F Kerry announced his run for the presidency. He looked old and tired, and the speech was lackluster. Moreover, he gave it in front of a decommissioned aircraft carrier. Seemingly lost on him and his followers was the irony of a ship dead in the water and not going anywhere. Something like his campaign?

I find Kerry to be phony and plastic. He's yet another finger-in-the-wind politician, willing to change direction at the slightest change in polling. Actually, if you want to see the real John F Kerry, who by the way served in Vietnam, you have only to look at the Philly Cheesesteak incident. THAT says it all.

As for Howard Dean, I predict he will implode, and on national television. He's arrogant and does not tolerate contradiction from anyone. Sooner or later there will be a question from a reporter that just doesn't sit well, and he'll blow up. Then will come the questions about his responding to pressue, and that may be the end of him. All of the "front runner" stuff is just ginning-up by the Media, he might have the kook vote, but not much more.

I do find it amusing the California Recall has sucked all light and sound from all of these clowns. One of them makes a speech and the reaction is "who cares?" People want to know about Arnold, not Kerry or Dean. Whoever coined the term "nine dwarfs" was right on target.

UPDATE: From the ultra-left Village Voice, here is an interesting article concerning the California recall. The article makes the very important point this election is visceral in nature. I've maintained all along nobody, but nobody cares anything about budget numbers, position papers, "proper" responses to reporter's questions, the question of "experience," anything. People absolutely loathe Gray Davis. I find it interesting a writer from New York City's Village Voice can figure this out, but not the California media.

Well, we need a bit of a break from the Recall. How about this: remember all of the people who died after crossing the Clintons in some way or another? Well, here's the up-to-the-minute LIST!

48 people and counting. Who'da thunk? My 'fave is the one who was decapitated and the death ruled as being from "natural causes."

By now, you've heard or read about MEChA and the refusal of Cruz B. to disavow it. The MEChA web sites are mainly college campus-based and many are rather mild and/or bland reading.

If you want to cut to the quick and get to the heart of the matter, go directly to Atzlan itself, and forget the college stuff. Some of what you will see comes awfully close to anti-Semitism in my book, but you make up your own mind.

UPDATE: Scroll down the left-hand side of the Aztlan home page to see the image of the flag of Israel with a swastika superimposed. I'd say that's anti-Semitic. If I were a public official, I'm not too sure I'd want to associate with such a group. Where's Big Media on this story? Oh, I forgot, they are off doing the puff pieces on MEChA---the harmless college fuzz-ball group.

Well, I guess this was predictible: the Democrats are now complaining about the Taco Bell "election," which is actually a very clever advertising campaign for their stores and products. It's "unfair," and they seen some kind of convoluted conspiracy afoot because Arnold owns some stock in in one of their suppliers. See the whole stupid story here.

Earth to California Democrats: lighten up. Taco Bell does NOT control the election outcome. This is a fun promotion, it isn't the real thing. Or, have you lost all sense of reality? Talk about unhinged..............

In case you missed it, the Taco Bell voting booth is located here.