Time calls 2014 election “end of post-partisan dream”

By Dan Brooks in Politics versus Government 1 Comment
Ants

President Obama meets with members of the House of Representatives

Over at Time magazine—which may just be a website now—Michael Scherer notes how far we’ve come since 2004, when a young firebrand named Barack Obama declared that “there’s not a liberal and a conservative America; there’s a United States of America.” Props to The Cure for the link. Shortly after that speech, we re-elected George W. Bush, hated him, and gave control of Congress to the Democrats in 2006. Then we elected Obama, hated him, and gave the House to Republicans in 2010. Now we appear to be on the eve of repeating that process with the Senate.

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Nation prepares for what will hopefully be final election

By Dan Brooks in corporatocracy 2 Comments
Election Day 2012

Election Day 2012

Oh man: we’re just 36 hours away from the thrilling conclusion of the 2014 campaign season, when the voters of America will once again exercise total control over their governments. On an unrelated note, I enjoyed this article about the First Tuesday Luncheon Series, in which Republicans members of The Financial Service Committee meet “lobbyists from banks and insurance companies” for a monthly book club. One member of the committee picks the book, and everyone who shows up to discuss it donates to his campaign fund. Remember to vote tomorrow, so that the members of The Financial Services Committee do what you want. Otherwise, they’ll have to fall back on the paid lobbyists with whom they formed a book club.

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Friday links! The truth is a lion edition

By Dan Brooks in Uncategorized 4 Comments

Augustine-Quote

I defy you to find that quote anywhere in the writings of St. Augustine, machine for striking phrases though he was. Diligent internet Catholics trace its origin to Pastor Chuck Spurgeon, whose name does not look as good next to a lion and who said it a little differently:

The Word of God is like a lion. You don’t have to defend a lion. All you have to do is let the lion loose, and the lion will defend itself.

I’m glad Augustine didn’t put so many hard stops in his aperçu, and I’m glad Pastor Chuck limited his analogy to the word of god. Given the confusion over both quote and attribution, I’m declaring this one fair game for rewrites. Today is Friday, and the truth is a lion: let it out, and it will defend itself. That’s why lions rule the Earth and lying is unprofitable. Won’t you lunge toward the net with me?

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Marbut still insists opponent’s donkey looks like a horse

By Dan Brooks in Uncategorized 0 Comment
Candidate Gary Marbut (Ind–HD 94) and a gun

Candidate Gary Marbut (Ind–HD 94) and a gun

Missoula residents will recognize the name of local gun enthusiast Gary Marbut, who is running as an independent to represent HD 94 in the Montana State House. Last week, the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices rejected Marbut’s complaint that fliers produced by his opponent failed to properly indicate her party affiliation. Marbut alleged that the icon chosen by incumbent Democrat Kimberly Dudik “has short ears and a long tail” and therefore resembled a horse more than a donkey. That kind of willful misreading can hurt a candidate’s credibility, at least according to my column in this week’s Missoula Independent. Really it doesn’t matter, since Dudik is going to win this one in a walk. But you should get to know Gary Marbut, especially if you’ve acquired a taste for the peculiar flavor of Montana politics. You’ll see his name again.

 

Nut shot to propel Mike McFadden into Senate

By Dan Brooks in Campaign Advertisements 3 Comments

That’s an ad for Minnesota’s Mike McFadden: dad, coach, businessman, nut shot victim, candidate for US Senate. Before we lament the dignity of his office, let’s remember that McFadden is running against incumbent Al Franken (D–MN). Neither man is exactly James Blaine of Maine. Still, there is something weird about this campaign advertisement. Is it that Coach McFadden seems to have taught his players to lunge forward and punch him in the nuts whenever a literal interpretation of his words authorizes them to do so? Is that even his real peewee football team? Certainly, every child who plays peewee football dreams of helping his coach become a senator, but very few actually do. Is it weird for McFadden to get these kids’ hopes up by putting them in his campaign commercial? No, it’s weird that he gets punched in the nuts at the end.

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