Thursday Briefs: LaHood!
Dec 17th, 2008 | By benwyskida | Category: Politics
[caption id="attachment_3463" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Not Ray LaHood."]
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PINKO DAILY BRIEFS: One of the nastiest anatomical terms as far as the sexy-regions go has to be the word "hood," as in clitoral or foreskin. It's gross and I don't like it. That's pretty much how I'm feeling about Ray LaHood, Barack Obama's pick to run the Department of Transportation. LaHood (hrm) is a Republican with no real record to speak of on mass transit, except one good vote for Amtrak, and this was the cabinet spot I thought maybe ... maybe would go to a real progressive. I'm annoyed. Unless, of course, Ray LaHood is related to Winona LaDuke, Or Patty LaBelle. Or founded La Yogurt. Or was involved in the production of La Pequena Ingrid Betancourt. Speaking of, where IS La Pequena these days? We need a La Pequena Energy Czar Carol Browner STAT.
LaHood is the second cabinet appointee in two days whose name evokes a nasty netherpart, following yesterday's appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack has drawn the ire of the Organic Consumers Association, who are launching a petition drive to keep Vilsack out of the cabinet. Print that on a bumper sticker.
A couple other stories of note today: The protests in Greece over the death of a 15-year old boy haven't let up. Greek youth (mmm shhh) unfurled protest banners on the Acropolis yesterday. What an image. This infuriated the government because defacing the Acropolis was going to "hurt the nations image abroad," since weeks of unrest and the shooting of an innocent teenager by police was looking so good.
Also, did you see those photos of Barack Obama in college? What sort of effect did they have on you? Tell us in the comments. Also after the jump, our random nonprofit/activist video of the week.
Here goes! It's a random World Wildlife Fund video about Alaska and it's PRETTY. I found it relaxing.
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PINKO DAILY BRIEFS: One of the nastiest anatomical terms as far as the sexy-regions go has to be the word "hood," as in clitoral or foreskin. It's gross and I don't like it. That's pretty much how I'm feeling about Ray LaHood, Barack Obama's pick to run the Department of Transportation. LaHood (hrm) is a Republican with no real record to speak of on mass transit, except one good vote for Amtrak, and this was the cabinet spot I thought maybe ... maybe would go to a real progressive. I'm annoyed. Unless, of course, Ray LaHood is related to Winona LaDuke, Or Patty LaBelle. Or founded La Yogurt. Or was involved in the production of La Pequena Ingrid Betancourt. Speaking of, where IS La Pequena these days? We need a La Pequena Energy Czar Carol Browner STAT.
LaHood is the second cabinet appointee in two days whose name evokes a nasty netherpart, following yesterday's appointment of Tom Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture. Vilsack has drawn the ire of the Organic Consumers Association, who are launching a petition drive to keep Vilsack out of the cabinet. Print that on a bumper sticker.
A couple other stories of note today: The protests in Greece over the death of a 15-year old boy haven't let up. Greek youth (mmm shhh) unfurled protest banners on the Acropolis yesterday. What an image. This infuriated the government because defacing the Acropolis was going to "hurt the nations image abroad," since weeks of unrest and the shooting of an innocent teenager by police was looking so good.
Also, did you see those photos of Barack Obama in college? What sort of effect did they have on you? Tell us in the comments. Also after the jump, our random nonprofit/activist video of the week.
Here goes! It's a random World Wildlife Fund video about Alaska and it's PRETTY. I found it relaxing.
LaHood?? Do they even have buses in Peoria? Has this man ever ridden a subway? If there was one department that needed some serious TLC from a real progressive it was Transportation. This fucking sucks.
Obama’s Cabinet picks are getting me angrier every day … but check out this fascinating diary on Daily Kos about FDR’s Cabinet picks in 1933:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/12/18/101633/38/816/674466
Chill out, people. It may not be that bad … Pastor Rick Warren at Obama’s inauguration, however, pisses me off.
Maybe we weren’t listening when The One said that he would be all Americans’ President? That he would try to earn the trust of those who didn’t vote for him? Hmm… Seems to me like this should all be expected. Only surprise to me so far is that Hank Williams, Jr. isn’t playing a duet with Aretha.
By the way, LaHood is one of the most respected legislators on Capitol Hill, by both parties, as a great negotiator and problem solver. Obama needs effective people, not one-issue proponents or political zealots, to fulfill his mandate and policy vision.
I am beginning to feel like an optimistic nincompoop, my neck on the chopping block, the ax-man ready to drop, thinking all the while, “This is all part of the secret plan for things to go awesome!”
But, all the same, I guess I still hold the hope that Obama is picking people who can help shield him from criticism when he does what needs to be done, recruiting double-agents that can gain entry into the lairs of his enemies. I am extremely pragmatic myself, and I want Obama to do what he needs to do, within ethical boundaries, to keep the bottom from falling out on the planet…
So, I will try to withhold judgment. But if I withhold, and it goes wrong, MAN, am I gonna be pissed. Cause, you know, it’s gonna be hard to keep that nincompoop secret-plan idea in my head once the ax comes down and liberates it from my body.
I think this could be a good team to get things done, hopefully good things, but the Rick Warren thing is a silly bit of “I’m-your-President-too” symbolism that is just offensive to LGBT folks. Have dialogue with Warren and his ilk, please! Publicly admire him for giving away 90% of his income and for his anti-Poverty work. But inviting him to pray at the opening of Obama’s Big Day, when so many gay volunteers for the Obama campaign, who risked dog attacks and their jobs, were not even invited to the inauguration at all…that is cruel. The man compared us to pedophiles and worked to take away our right to marriage! As an advocate for children’s rights and someone who wants to get married to my partner, I can’t be too happy about this. This isn’t dialogue or meaningful engagement with religion in America. This is just an insult.
Andrew has a good point and reminds me to calm down a little — much appreciated re: LaHood. “the one” snark notwithstanding …
Is this where I’m supposed to talk about how hot Obama was in college?
Yes Mike, yes it is.
OK, the snark misfired. My point is that Obama never really promised to be a scion of liberal interests. His campaign was extremely skillful at getting people on board without making promises to them. People just kind of assumed the promise was there. Imagined it, if you will. Or let the press and his opponents imagine it for him.