SPIN ALERT

It's going to be easy to jump on the "Hillary is such a bitch!" bandwagon today as the media plays this interchange over and over.

Before you make a snap judgment, take into consideration that Hillary was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a place notorious for it's views on women and rife with sexual violence against women.

Is it any wonder Hill snapped back when a translated question, turned into what her husband, Bill, thought of the topic?

"You want me to tell you what my husband thinks?"

"My husband is not secretary of state, I am"

"If you want my opinion, I will tell you my opinion,"

"I am not going to be channeling my husband."

Taken out of context and forgetting the fact that the poor student's question was translated incorrectly, this interchange looks bad for Hillary to be sure, but it also feeds the Right's need to squash a strong Democratic woman. You know, not at all like the Congo....

edit: 4:21pm Fox News website lead

Awesomeness of 2008

During the New Year holiday it's always easy to look back on the previous 12 months and point out some of the crappy things that have occurred. Lord knows that the last eight years have been bountiful in the crap department. So this year I wanted to share a few of the great things that I think helped fill the year with positivity for us as individuals, a people, and a community. I'd love to hear some of yours!

Happy New Year!

Barack Obama

We as a nation rose to the occasion, and elected our first African American president. Although the fact that we made history with that vote is not lost on me, I'm more proud of the fact that we elected the right person. We actually weighed the possibilities and used our intellect to cast our vote. Good morning, America.

Rachel Maddow You must be living under a rock or Fox News if you haven't heard about this awesome new addition to the political news landscape. Actually, I'm sure Fox News junkies know about her too. How can you miss such a fresh, smart, poised, confident face chomping at your heels?

Pushing Daisies So we got two seasons of smart witty television out of this show. I should be happy and thankful, but I'm kind of bitter and cranky about it. I wish we as viewers could handle fast-paced, smart, multiple storylined dialogue. But, apparently if it's not dripping in obvious humor, sappy uninventive love triangles, stethoscopes and lanes of Wisteria we just can't keep up. So, Pushing Daisies is to be relegated to the back room marked cancelled. I think there is an open seat next to Arrested Development.
Duffy and Adele In a year filled with more head shakingly awful hip-hop, emo boy bands wearing girls jeans, and yes another Britney comeback (blechh) we were so fortunate that the UK shared Duffy and Adele with us! These girls made it enjoyable to listen to an entire CD and appreciate an artist who can actually sing. Duffy's breakout single "Mercy" made the rounds on the radio and could be heard as bumper music for some TV shows which helped her sell an excellent album. Adele had the great fortune to be seen by millions on Saturday Night Live the night Tina Fey and Sarah Palin did "some fancy pageant walkin' " and her sales soared. Couple those events with an appearance on Ellen and I think Duffy and Adele have reached the audiences that deserve to know them! Are you in the know?
Fallout 3

What can I say about the game that has, at current count, taken 110 hours of my life? I think one word is--AWESOME! Post-Apocalypse DC never looked so good, played so well, and engaged me to the point that I recruited my lovely to play and now we are relegated to set a timer so we each get fair, measured exposure. 42 year old body...14 year old mind
3 months of a quiet night's sleep Anyone privy to our struggles here at the house with the students living next door know how wonderful it is for me to say that save for one or two nights, we have slept through the night for an entire semester! It's just amazing what can happen when the City Code Board gets involved...

dooce Although not new to me this year, dooce.com and it's creator Heather Armstrong continue to highlight my web experience and never fail to make me chuckle. You should check her out. This, people, is blogging done the cha-chingy way!

flailing economy

I like having extra cash and less worry, but it seems like we could come out better on the other side having learned lessons in true conservatism and frugality.

Hillary Clinton "Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it, and the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time."
It was an historic campaign and those eloquent words will be what I remember about this candidate. Hillary stood on that stage and delivered the most heartfelt speech of her career with words that hit me in the heart and made me proud to be a woman and a supporter.

Tina Fey

Tina, Tina, Tina...you just creeped right into our living rooms and made yourself at home didn't you? It's because of you that I even let that ridiculous Sarah Palin grace my television set.
I have always loved Tina and her highbrow brand of humor, and after she left SNL to branch out into her awesome show "30 Rock" I felt a little better about the state of the television sitcom. Kooky governors from Alaska will come and go, but Mom Jeans will always be in style!

Defeat of Prop 8 Would it have been nice to know that California would allow gay marriage after November? Sure. Am I disappointed? Of course. But I am reminded that something of this magnitude, something that will surely get the ball rolling for the rest of the country, will be met with resistance. No matter the resistance or failure, it is still a step forward. This too WILL pass.

18 million cracks

After watching Hillary give the keynote address Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention, the word 'wow' just kept coming to mind.

Had I not watched a delayed Tivo of Hillary's speech, you would have been looking at a different face for this week's Wowee Wednesday.

I watched Hillary deliver what may have been the most important, galvinizing speech of her career all the while her heart and many viewer's hearts were breaking, including mine. The entire time she spoke with confidence, grace, eloquence and purpose. All the while nudging us like a mother bird towards our apparent candidate Barack Obama so we can fly to new heights and victory in November. I think this speech will make that even more inevitable.

After watching the speech I felt so proud that I had the opportunity to cast my vote for this strong woman and because of her, I will get to cast votes for more strong women running for president in the future.

This afternoon as I watched her release her delegates, move to stop the roll call and declare Barack Obama as our nominee I couldn't help fight a lump in my throat. Again, I was so proud.

It has been such a pleasure to watch this woman make history over and over again in the last year.

Thanks, Hillary.

“If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there's shouting after you, keep going. Don't ever stop. Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.” --Hillary Clinton on Harriet Tubman

Remarkable

I watched with sadness, and hope today as Hillary Clinton suspended her campaign to be the first female president.

I was so proud to hear her speak of the strides that have been made in the last year as she and Barack Obama sometimes slugged it out to the finish line. She has made me proud to be a supporter, a Democrat, and most of all to be a woman. As she said in her speech today,

"You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable."

Well said.

I'm also proud to say that I am one of nearly 18 million little cracks made in the glass ceiling of politics.

If you missed this historic speech today, you can catch it in it's entirety here.

I think we can all agree that this has been a grueling primary season. These candidates have proved themselves in so many ways and their resilience and stamina is incredible and, I think, unheard of. My heart is, and has been with Hillary, but it is now time to focus on Barack as an incredible leader that will take the helm in January. I am excited to finally have a candidate to focus on for the general election. I'm also excited that we have such a strong candidate in Barack Obama.

You remember the hoopla raised a few weeks ago regarding Hillary Clinton crying on the campaign trail? Of course. Who could forget the stink that raised.
Well, I heard an interesting take on that moment of human emotion Hillary shared. The media made such a big deal about it, and she was scrutinized from both ends for being either a weak female or a manipulative politician, take your pick. Here's the question that escaped us all:

Why aren't all the candidates crying about the state of our country? Aren't we in such a political, economic, and spiritual mess that all candidates should be moved to tears by motivation to clean up Bush's debacle? Hmmm.

Last night watching the election results roll in, I found it interesting that MSNBC tripped over itself repeatedly to make sure you, the viewer, understood that Hillary's win in Florida didn't mean anything. Nothing. Zero. Hollow.
I honestly don't know how much less of a fanfare they could have made it. Even as and, after she addressed supporters, a standard on election nights, Matthews and Olbermann kept taking shots.
I am perfectly aware that we currently will have no delegates to seat, but what was the harm in thanking us? She did not campaign here, just like the other Dem candidates, but she did stop by last night to say thanks after a resounding victory votewise. I mean, we, the individual voter do count don't we?
I know I probably have a small chip on my shoulder regarding this issue right now, but it seems no matter what she does it is WRONG. I mean really, when was the last time you heard a positive story come out about her from any news channel. It's just getting old and predictable.

Anyone else find it interesting and hypocritical that the lead story on the network news Monday night was the fact that the perceived Ice Princess, Hillary Clinton, appeared to show some emotion while addressing supporters at a coffee shop stop in New Hampshire?

my thoughts:

• the media has been drooling for this moment. It's a win-win for them in the form of a two pathed storyline. #1 "The Robot Cries" or #2 "An Emotional Wreck" What freedom of choice!!!


• really, Hillary was screwed either way on this lapse of emotionlessness (word?)


• did any of us hear a peep about the fact that Mitt Romney cried THREE times in front of supporters including on "Meet the Press" in the last couple of months? Hmmmm...?


• do you think the emotion Hillary shared set her up for this moment?


• We will never be able to elect the first female president, whether it's Hillary or not, as long as we continue to choose the side of cattiness, hypocrisy, and insecurity. Women could very well be the group that puts Hill in the White House, but we could also be the group that eats it's own. Case in point: Maureen Dowd

Discuss.

just for a good chuckle

Watch the right-winger news, or surf around and just take note of how scared the Republicans are of Hillary. chuckle.

edit: I suppose I should explain why I felt the need to post this observation.
I had the distinct pleasure of some light political jousting with one of our right-winger patients today. As per our office policy, I did not bring up politics, or even dangle a political carrot, but Hillary came up nonetheless. Apparently, to this woman, if you are a liberal female then you automatically are a Hillary supporter and thereby open for attack. whatever.
As she strolled by my desk, taunting me, she said with smirky giggle, "I guess I won't even tell you my views on why America isn't ready for a woman president." Now folks, that is like telling a kid not to touch presents under the tree, however, I told her she was probably right.
I think I had reached my stupid-right-winger-talking-point-regurgitation quota for the day. All I said was "Boy, you guys are scared of her!" followed by my own smirky giggle.

In the meantime, the world creeps by us. We didn't notice though. Our noses were too high in the air.

Well, I've done it...it's official...I have contributed to my first campaign for this presidential election. And the winner is...Hillary.

OK---I'm contributing at this point to try to win a contest on her campaign site...so sue me...I love Bill Clinton! Plus it would be just another reason to be in New York!

I honestly still don't know who I am getting behind. It seems to change everyday. Who are you leaning towards?

So which sounds better Barack/Hillary '08 or Hillary/Barack '08?

Obama/Clinton, Clinton/Obama...I can't decide. Take a look at the video announcements for each and maybe it will help.

Hillary for President '08

Barack for President '08

It's just hard to figure out for me. Do I get behind the woman or another man? Do I support who I think will have a better chance/easier road to nomination or the one I feel naturally compelled naturally to support for old time's sake? One thing I do know for sure is that no matter who gets the nomination, a ticket with both names would be great no matter what order!

Let the Games Begin!

Are you ready?