Last Week's Music Blog

My editor at LivePDX.com has been laid off. I am not sure what the future of the site will be. They did not run my blog from last week, so I'm putting it up here.

We'll see what the future holds.

While discovering I don't need meditation to empty my mind of thought, It is a natural occurrence. So how come I feel stupid instead of enlightened?

So like, I know I had some news, but I just can't think of what it was. Or where I've been. I just deleted a sentence. It embarrassed me.

From the I've-never-heard-of-them-but-a-friend-says-they're-good department:

The Trio will be at on Thursday 10/30. According to my friend, they are, "Winners of the Manifest Award (Swedish Grammy) for Jazz Album of the Year (2007) – beating out the last release from the late, estimable Esbjörn Svensson (E.S.T) - and fresh from headlining this year’s Stockholm Jazz Festival"

I never heard of them either, but as Bill Royston told me at the news conference when he announced that the Jazz Festival would return…well I don't remember his exact words, but he said that most of the really forward-looking music is coming out of Europe. That's something to think about, especially since we don't get to hear too much of it, hardly any.

Berghe is a pianist, in case you were wondering. I'm wondering.

that unique series produced by and which has been selling out at for the past few months is moving over to the on Nov. 6. Appearing will be "Still Pending." Oh wait, that was the name of their last show. will be there.

Worth going to see.

As I wrote during the past summer in the O, "The microphone isn’t all that gets passed at the every-second-Tuesday “PasstheMic!” shows at Mississippi Pizza. Knowledge of what it takes to have a career in music is transmitted from pros to those just breaking in. That there’s a night of good music to hear is sometimes beside the point."

Not very often you get to steal from yourself. I used to be able to write before I emptied my mind of thoughts. Maybe I better go look in the recycling and see if my wife threw them out.

I would never use the phrase, "back in the day." And I might slap the next person who says to me, but back in the good old days, i.e. Before Bush, when Pepe Rafael was bursting on the scene with and he started throwing very huge and very naughty events, usually at the and mostly on Haloween.

Therefore, the 8th Annual (which is what he's calling it these days) will again be on Halloween and again at the Crystal. You can't get in without a costume, although since I'm going to dress as a washed-up hack writer, I'll have some explaining to do. Pepe is giving away 5K as part of "Portland's Biggest Costume Contest." I'm assuming it isn't for having the biggest costume, tho.

PP and the BB will play of course, also and

I miss running into Pepe. Maybe I don't get out as much. Last Saturday, at 3 a.m., I was in an all night bingo parlor in Beaverton. Just to watch, mind you. No sign of Pepe.

One of my favorite images is of shooting Pepe in 2000 before that year's ball. He was frantically searching his wardrobe for just the right gown. He found it, of course.

Looking for a parade? How about an altar building? How about both? Someday Lounge's Second Annual Day of the Dead Procession & Altar Building Party will be held on Saturday, Nov 1 from 3-6 p.m. Mixing myth, superstition and art:

We'll start with a 3pm sugar skull decorating session. We'll provide home- made sugar skulls and frosting to decorate. Participants are encouraged to bring additional decorating material.
We'll use these sugar skulls, and any other mementos brought by participants, to create community altars in the space. A true community art installation rooted in ancient cultural traditions.
As we create our altars, participants are encouraged to wear festive attire, and solicit the services of our house face painter. At 4:30, we'll meet in the North Park blocks to commence our procession through the Pearl and Oldtown. Banners waving, our party will be led by a marching band fit to rouse the dead. Then back to Someday Lounge for hot chocolate and movies.

Sounds like fun unless somebody wants me to pray to a skull made out of sugar, although consumable gods sound kindof attractive. Beats having to do all that kneeling.

Tis is Ursula from is putting together an evening of Gypsy, Balkan and jazz on Wednesday November 5 at
<3 Leg Torso,> a Balkan Gypsy band from Italy and featuring special guests from Fishtank Ensemble and Slavic Soul Party.

Crap, my mind's all cluttered again. Hope it doesn't last.

Are You Suffering from Election Insanity?

Are you finding it hard to focus? When you think about the possibility of McCain winning next week do you feel lost and bewildered at what that would mean to your life? Do you feel like your head is about to explode?

Me too.

Are you hysterically ambivalent? Do you go between watching and reading every single word spoken and written about the election, following every poll and poll of poll and poll of poll of poll...and never wanting to hear another pundit ever again, even Rachel Maddow?

Me too. Well maybe not Rachel Maddow.

Do you go from one frame of mind to another? From envisioning an America which has just elected the first African-American in its history and is in the hands of someone who knows what he's doing...with some hope for the future...to envisioning an America who has just voted out of fear and hatred and believed all of the lies...again?

Me too.

It's a good thing I live in Oregon, where an Obama victory is assured. And if the worst happens, it'll be a good place to stay.

I usually have an election-night party at my house. I may not. In 2004, everyone came over enthused. Remember the exit polls? Remember how you felt when it went the other way?

Think of that times, oh say, a hundred million this year.

Get a grip on yourself, D'Antoni.

I voted last week. In Oregon we have vote-by-mail. I won't debate the merits of that method, but when I filled out the ballot, I didn't have the feeling I thought I would have voting for Obama. I mean, I cried during his acceptance speech in Denver, didn't you?

I made a mistake while voting. My wife and I were sitting at the kitchen table filling out our ballots and I accidentally signed her ballot envelope by mistake. Even though it had her name plainly printed on it.

After absorbing the deserved abuse, I suggested we take our ballots to the election board and make sure everything was Kosher. It was. But instead of handing them to the man behind the counter like I thought I would, the African-American man behind the counter pointed to a light blue plastic box with a slot in the top.

I suddenly realized what I was going to do. I turned to my wife and asked if she wanted to put he own in. She did. It was obvious why.

My action of dropping my ballot in the box was quick but it seemed like I was moving in slow-motion and I filled up and flushed with emotion. I just got the same feeling typing this.

I felt like maybe my life had meaning after all. Maybe in some minuscule way all of the things I had done...written...put on TV...said on the radio...to try to promote love and understanding had somehow paid off.

And now I think, if McCain wins, will that all be washed away and destroy any remaining hope I had for America?

Like I said, can somebody make this election be over?

You feel that way too?

Is the McCain Campaign is Being Secretly Run by Democrats?

Seems that way.The Republicans appear to be following a script written by people who want to see them not only lose, but lose big and be humiliated and reviled at the same time.

What other explanation could there by for the sociopathic insanity of their campaign. One of these days a psychologist will write a book diagnosing the actions of John McCain, Sarah Palin, Rick Davis, Steve Schmidt and the rest of the bunch. Since psychologists don't deal with good v. evil, there will have to be a logical explanation of what seems to be pure insanity.

It can't be written off as "politics" or even "tough politics," as McCain likes to call it. It's more than that. What do you call constant lying? What name do you give to the attempt to destroy another human being's character? To paint him as a traitor? To play to hatred? Indeed, to stoke and cultivate hatred?

No, this is not to be forgiven. Barack Obama seems to be so convinced that nothing can be done without dragging the Republicans in with him and governing under an "American" umbrella, and an "Earth" umbrella. He must be much more forgiving than I am. Or perhaps he has something in store for the Republicans when he takes office. Like prosecutions of the Bush war criminals, for starters.

It appears that Americans have caught on. Only the haters are responding to McCain and Palin's lowest common denominator attacks, and those dimwits weren't going to vote for Obama anyway. Never has the word "base" been more apt. Other words for "base" are….dishonorable, ignoble, sordid, immoral, vile and corrupt.

That about sums it up, doesn't it?

Reap the whirlwind, Republicans.

Cindy McCain's Family Ties: Suds and Murder

We all know that Cindy McCain owns the beer distributorship that has made her a multi-millionaire, or rather that made her father a multi-millionaire. But do you know the sordid backstory of her father, James Hensley, and the scandals surrounding him?

Including the 1976 murder of reporter Don Bolles?

From: The Lonesome Trail: Cindy McCain's nontraditional campaign by Ariel Levy in the September 5, 2008 New Yorker

James--whom everyone called Jim--and his brother Eugene Hensley built their wealth on alcohol. After Jim returned from service as a bombardier in the Second World War, the brothers entered the wholesale liquor market and began operating two warehouses--United Sales Company, in Phoenix, and United Distributors, Inc., in Tucson--in partnership with Kemper Marley, Sr., a Phoenix businessman. (Police reportedly suspected Marley of having had a hand in the 1976 murder of Don Bolles, a reporter for the Arizona Republic who had written extensively about Marley's business and political machinations. Marley died in 1990.) In 1948, the Hensleys were convicted on federal conspiracy charges after filing more than twelve hundred fake invoices to cover up under-the-table sales of liquor to night clubs and bars throughout the state. Eugene was sentenced to a year in prison, Jim to six months, but, with the help of their lawyer, a former mayor of Phoenix, Jim had his sentence suspended.

Despite his criminal conviction, in 1955 Jim Hensley was granted a liquor license to start an Anheuser-Busch distributorship, which he called Hensley & Company.

But there's a lot more backstory than that. For more on the sleaze surrounding Cindy McCain's father, here's a roundup of stories from other papers compiled by Sam Smith. It includes this from the Phoenix New times on Jim Hensley's partner and the murder of reporter Don Bolles:

Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles wrote a series of stories documenting Marley's questionable performance in appointive posts he'd previously held. Bolles' stories doomed Marley's appointment, forcing him to resign soon after being named to the Racing Commission.

On June 2, 1976, Bolles was mortally wounded by a car bomb. Before lapsing into unconsciousness, Bolles uttered the words, "Adamson, Emprise, Mafia." He died 11 days later.

John Harvey Adamson confessed to luring Bolles to a Phoenix hotel parking lot and placing a bomb beneath the reporter's car. The bomb, Adamson testified, was detonated by James Robison, a Chandler plumber. Adamson testified he was hired to kill Bolles by Max Dunlap, a Phoenix contractor and close associate of Marley's. Marley had extended a $1 million loan to Dunlap, which had not been repaid. Adamson said Dunlap hired him to kill Bolles because Marley was upset over Bolles' stories.

Also read Beyond Booze: The Strange Roots of the McCain Family Fortune from July 2008 by Caitlin Ginley in Public Integrity.

Watch Crooked Senator Ted Stevens Endorse Palin

Obama's Rope-a-Dope

The Republicans have been George Foreman, hitting Obama with everything they had in their evil arsenal over the past few weeks.

Obama let them punch themselves out and then tonight he hit them with a solid right and then another and then a straight left hand.

The fight isn't over, but McCain is on the canvas.

Don't these people ever learn?

Obama is smart and tough. Very tough. McCain didn't know how tough until tonight. He might get up and throw some more punches, but they will have lost their steam...while Obama is loading up that right hand again.

Obama bomaye!

"Get on board, you don't have any other choice," happens to be the truth.

That's what one Hillary Clinton supporter said today. She's right. Any rational human who decides to vote for John McCain deserves John McCain, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Alberto Gonzalez, Condi Rice, John Ashcroft, Ronald Reagan, big oil, polluters, homophobes, wife-beaters, racists, anti-abortionists and those who have besmirched any moral authority America had left.

Is that what you want?

Really.

Did Barack Obama's campaign win because the Supreme Court decided so? Did it steal votes? Did it disenfranchise any voters? Did Obama call Clinton's character into question? Does Obama have a clear record of fighting against women's issues?

The answer is no.

He won fairly and with dignity, which is more than I can say for the sore-losers in the Clinton camp.


Clinton waged a dirty campaign, but she earned the right to have her recognition at the convention. Other than that, she lost.

L-O-S-T, lost.

If John McCain wins because of former Clinton voters' support…..

You know, I can't even imagine what's in the minds of these people. Four more years of Republican rule?

Come to your senses, people.

Gen. Clark & Joe Biden's Statements Pretty Much the Same. Why No Fuss Now?

"I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president," – Gen. Wesley Clark, June 29, 2008

"These times require more than a good soldier." – Sen. Joe Biden, August 23, 2008

There's not a whole hell of a lot of difference between these two statements. Perhaps if Gen. Clark hadn't been officially declared a pariah by the weaker, more politically-correct folks in the Obama campaign, Obama wouldn't be perceived as not hitting back at the vicious Republican attacks on his character.

The simple fact remains that the plain and honest statement by Gen. Clark is right on the money.

McCain was a failure at Annapolis and a failure as a pilot. Yeah, we're sorry he got locked up for five years, but how many innocent people have we locked up in jails all over America? And how many more have we put through the same kinds of torture McCain suffered? In Guantanamo and our franchise dungeons all over the world?

Let's not forget, McCain's voting record on torture. He was against it when he was being tortured, and for it when it was politically advantageous.

It's time to stop kissing McCain's red white and blue butt on the subject of serving in the military, especially since he has supported Bush in denying our current military the equipment it needed to fight and protect itself, and in the shameful manner in which it has treated the troops when they came home, dead and alive.

So, stop saying how much you respect his service. Tell the truth. Call him on his pandering on his Vietnam experience. Dig up some other ex-POW's who will call him on using his experiences for current political gain.

And anyway, his five years in a POW camp over thirty years ago apparently has nothing to do with the situation into which the Bush administration has put us. Wait, maybe it has everything to do with it…and getting rid of the last of the pro-Vietnam War leaders is a good thing.

Our military is not to be worshiped. It is to be used as a last resort, and to present a strong face to those who would attack us. Period. They do the job they applied for, just like everybody else. Cops and firemen are no less heroes. Garbage collectors and those who deliver the mail, also.

General Clark? There are many of us who applauded your statement. I'm sorry you won't be at the convention. It's a big mistake on the part of the Democratic Party (no strangers to big mistakes).

Tom does a talk show live Thursdays at 5:30pm ET with fellow Huffingtonposter Art Levine. Listen here.

There's Something About Televangelists

I am reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins on the folly of religion.

Then I ran across this which proves it.

Russia: Foreign Policy Issue #1---Or SHOULD Be

On June 16, 2001, with Vladimir Putin at his side, George Bush said of the Russian President, "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. "

That part of the story we know.

The part we don't know for fact, but can make an educated guess about is what Putin thought when looked Bush in the eye. Given Putin's actions since then it was probably, "Jesus, this guy is a fucking idiot. I can put anything over on this fool."

And so he did.

U.S. relations, or lack of them, with Russia should be a hot campaign issue. I mean, is there another country in the world with a giant nuclear arsenal who has invaded a sovereign country in order to control the flow of oil? Well, besides us.

Yes, Obama made a typically nuanced statement when Russia invaded Georgia, but it didn't say a whole hell of a lot. And it certainly didn't assuage my concerns. Of course, it was vastly superior to McCain's war-mongering on behalf of his client.

Is this the first time in American history that one of an American Presidential candidate's chief advisors was in the employ of a foreign government. Is there any doubt that McCain's statements on the Russian invasion are a direct result of Randy Scheunneman's lobbying contract with Georgia? I have no doubts at all.

Clearly, McCain never met a war he didn't like, except one where he's getting shot at.

Still, when Russia goes running around invading other countries, especially ones which use to belong to it, (Georgia = Sudatenland) and threatening others nearby (Poland), I expect Obama to tell us what he's going to do. If he's going to be running the show come January 20, I'd like to know his plans for Russia.

This should be the major foreign policy question of this campaign. A few religious nuts in the mountains of Pakistan don't even come close.

Tom D'Antoni and fellow Huffingtonposter Art Levine do a talk show on Blogtalkradio live on Thursdays at 5:30pm ET. All shows are archived. Listen here.

KMHD show with Guest Art Levine 8-16-08 10pm PT

Countdown ---Too Much McCain Bashing, Not Enough Obama Reporting

We know what Fox News' function is in the universe…the Republican Party line.

We know that CNN is still hopelessly stuck in the Crossfire concept of two opposing points of view, given equal weight even if one of them held that the world is governed by dancing cantaloupes wearing fake monkey heads and lime green leisure suits…and the other held that they didn't exist. Plus, except for Cafferty, it is the residence of boring pundits and conventional "wisdom."

That leaves us with MSNBC which is an uneven collection of solid reporters, airhead anchors, scenery-chewers and the stars of the channel Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow.

But although many of us rely on Countdown for our only national television leftie news, it is devolving into a McCain bash-fest rather than the only place on cable where we might find out what Obama is doing and saying. Yesterday Obama did not appear at all! It was all McCain bashing. The closest they came was a quote from an Obama surrogate put up on the screen as text, read by Olbermann.

When Obama was in Germany, Countdown focused not on what he had to say, but on what McCain was doing. There was much more of McCain in the supermarket than a thoughtful presentation of Obama's day in Germany. The Brian Williams grab at the end was a great touch, but that was not generated by Countdown This is a pattern. Yes, there is an obligation to point out McCain's daily errors and horrors, but where else is anyone going to find out what Obama is saying?

The networks are in the same Crossfire mode as CNN, they promote controversy rather than dealing in fact-finding, truth-finding journalism. With studies finding that there is more negative coverage of Obama than positive, Countdown's daily beatdown of McCain and Fox/O'Reilly is missing the point.

Congressional Interest in Bugliosi's Book on Prosecuting Bush for Murder

Two interesting items came out of my Blogtalkradio interview with prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi last week on his book The Prosecution of George W. Bush For Murder.

First, he had to end the interview because he was being called by "a very conservative member of Congress" who had opposed the Iraq War. Bugliosi would not name him but claimed that the member of Congress had heard the audio book version and that the book "had convinced him that Bush misled Congress." The former prosecutor said the member of Congress said he had bought more copies and passed them on to friends. Bugliosi also said that the member of Congress told him that he wanted to "pursue this matter and find out the truth after the election."
Listen to what Bugliosi said in the interview:

Listen to what Bugliosi said:


Who could it be? Was it Rep. Walter B. Jones, Jr (R-NC)? He invented "Freedom Fries" when France refused to support the U.S. going to war in Iraq, and then reversed his position on the war later on. Any speculation is just that, but suppose it was Mitch McConnell? John Boehner? Probably not, but I suppose we'll find out eventually.
Second, I asked Bugliosi who was worse George Bush or Charles Manson, who Bugliosi prosecuted and convicted. He said, "It's a different type of criminality," and then explained.

Listen:


Who do you think is worse?

also appears on huffingtonpost.com

Bush is Oil Companies' Scott McClellan

Why is it we should listen to anything GW Bush says on the subject of oil? In addition, why does he think we still haven't figured out that he is, was and always will be a shill for oil companies.

Everything out of his mouth concerning oil drilling, oil prices, oil anything should be treated as what it is, a message from the oil companies.

We figured out that his war was for the control of oil. Not for drilling more but for drilling less. Just as they haven't produced more domestic oil and gasoline, once they've officially gotten their mitts on Iraq's oil, they'll leave it in the ground. The less they produce, the more it costs. Simple plan.
The simpletons who believe that Bush is on any side of the issue other than the oil companies'? They're the ones who believe that Obama is a Muslim.

At least the Dems in Congress are on the right side of this one. Harry Reid said today, "We want oil and gas companies to drill on the leases they’ve been given,” according to The Hill. He could have added, "How about a few more refineries?"

What's pathetic is the tone Bush evoked in today's statement. Someone told him that the Presidency is a bully pulpit. He just remembers the "bully" part. His desperation is a dangerous thing. His lies mount even as they become more transparent.

He's Scott McClellan for the oil companies. And a bad one.

Obama: Change Comes Harder Than We Thought

When Obama said he wanted to bridge the divide between blue and red, some of us may have thought that he would be reaching out with his left-leaning hand to the middle and middle-right and pulling them closer to the left.

He never said that.

Perhaps we thought that we would emerge from such a bridging with all of our hopes and issues intact.

I don't believe Obama ever thought that.

Turns out it hurts to walk half way across that bridge. It hurts both sides. That this is the legacy of Republican politics is beside the point. Change means change for us, too. What is now being called the "Netroots," which yesterday was called the "Liberal Blogosphere," is all upset about some of Obama's policies. It has always been upset over his health-care plan, and even though there are many plusses in the FISA bill, and a giant loophole which allows an Obama Justice Department to investigate and prosecute the Telcoms, the blogs are screaming bloody murder over Obama's support for it.

I don't like that he supported it either. I'd like to see the CEO's in the same Federal Prison with many of the Bush administration.

I'd like to see Obama elected President first.

One of Obama's strengths is that he allows us to write our own beliefs on to his bandwagon. It's one of the things that make him such an attractive candidate. Blacks write their history on him, whites understand that he was raised by white folks. And on and on.

It's hard to compromise when you've spent your whole life being uncompromising, but what's the alternative? John McCain? Moving to a self-sustaining farm?

this also appears on huffingtonpost.com

Talon News Endorses George Pappoon, Really

That Jeff "James Guckert" Gannon, former paid shill purportedly representing "Talon News" at Presidential press conferences is still passing himself off as a journalist is funny enough. That he denies he had anything to do with a male escort service, the same male escort service that had a nude picture of him advertising his service(s) is a good Republican joke. They're awful good (or awful bad) at trying to convince you that your eyes are telling you something that just isn't true…like that naked picture of big Jeff is what? a doll?

What's funny is that Talon News has just endorsed George Pappoon for President.

Yes, the same George Pappoon that the Firesign Theatre has run for President for decades. Remember his slogan? "He's Not Insane."

There are lots of other very funny stories on here. Intentionally funny, not like Fox.

Could it be that someone else has gotten ahold of that domain? Maybe someone connected with Firesign Theatre?

A recent item read:

June 16, 2008
PALOOKAVILLE: Surrealist Presidential candidate George Papoon agreed to debate his opponents in a series of "Town Hall" meetings. Papoon had never agreed to debate anyone before, or had much use for any kind of personal interaction that didn't involve pet grooming, so his agreement marks an historic change in campaign strategy.
Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain agreed to the meetings with Papoon, so the effect on the horserace will be negligible. "Really, I'm all about the horserace, and grooming the horse after the race," said Papoon, relapsing into an unusual degree of consistency. "That," continued Papoon, "and Paraguay."

Don't miss "D'Antoni & Levine" (two Huffington contributors) live Thursdays at www.blogtalkradio.com/tomandart

Clinton as V.P. Grrrrrrrrrr....Well OK.

I think we're feeling a huge amount of residual fear and loathing of the Republican hate and slime machine; and a similar size helping of non-confidence in how Democrats have responded to it in the past. Both feelings are totally justified.

Will America vote for an African-American? Better to ask if they'll vote for someone with brains.

First of all, there is at least 20% of the population of the U.S. who hate Black folks, always have, always will. Ingrained bigotry is a part of human nature that will always survive. Face it. There's nothing we can do about it. Write them off. They were going to vote Republican, anyway. Republicans have portrayed themselves as the party of hatred and bigotry. Let them have it their way.

The ray of hope is that, except for those 20% (who believe that Obama is a Muslim, and all the other Rovian lies), none of the Republican slime has stuck to Obama.

Will America vote for an African-American with a woman as his running mate? If that woman is Sen. Clinton? As much as it pains me to say so, Obama would do well to swallow the bitter pill and take her on as running mate. And send Bill to be ambassador to anywhere.

It's a good thing that "white working class men" weren't watching the proceedings on TV Saturday when the Florida and Michigan votes were settled. Trust me on this, and men you back me up. There is a gut reaction in men, not based on logic, but solely on emotion, to women like the ones who wouldn't shut up, and kept screaming. Any man who has ever had an acrimonious break-up with a woman knows it and felt it as they watched. I know I did.

The male brain goes, "Will you please just shut the fuck up and leave me alone! Go away. I can't stand this shit anymore. No, really! You're driving me out of my mind. Do whatever you want, just shut up and leave me alone!" But they don't. And you feel like you want to run and never stop running just to get away from it.

This male reaction takes place no matter who is to blame, or if both are to blame. Maybe it's a female weapon. Did they talk about that in "Sex and the City?' It just IS. This isn't sexism. This is based on experience. If there are men out there who haven't experienced it, God love ya.

That is part of Obama's Hillary problem, if he offers her the V.P. slot. I never understood why the right wing hated her so much. I have a better idea now. She has waged a dirty campaign, not based on issues but on character destruction. I'd rather see Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebalius as his running mate, but I understand that sixteen million people voted for Clinton. I just don't know why.

The other part is what does he do about her Iraq vote?

As the campaign begins, I'm trying to hold to my original belief, that the Democrats could run a dirty catbox and win this year. Running a man with the intelligence and compassion of Obama almost seems like too much to ask for.

this also appears on huffingtonpost.com

Editing Error in my Dick Weissman Story

There is an editing error in the Dick Weissman story of mine in the Oregonian today. For reasons of space the editor changed my copy so that it read "The Journeymen are best known for "San Francisco (Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair).

Of course, they never did that song. Scott McKenzie, who was a member of the Journeymen with Dick from 1961-64, did that song alone years later.

Grrr.

Clinton Campaign Reduced to Sketch Comedy

The Clinton campaign has turned out to be as idiotically funny as the current TV spots DirecTV has been running. In the spots, "Cable Company" execs are sitting around the table and the CEO says, "People DirecTV has way more HD channels than we do. What can we possibly say to keep them happy?"

"Allow me to answer that," John Michael Higgins, the star of these spots says, standing up. "We make our channels louder. They're getting, 'Hello, this is the nightly news.' We give them, 'HELLO, THIS IS THE NIGHTLY NEWS!!!!!!'"

He picks up a graph and says, "Our sales are going to go up 800%...800%!" And then flipping it away he says, "This chart is broken."

In another spot, the CEO says, "DirecTV is doing very well with customer satisfaction. What do we do?" Higgins says, "I learned this when I was in business school…when I read about business school…in a book. We can't improve the service but we can improve the price, we can make it higher."

Another guy says, "You know, that's not a bad idea."
Still another guy says, "We can get people with disposable incomes to dispose of it to us."
"…and they don't watch TV."
"…they're workaholics. They wouldn't know HDTV if it sat in their laps and called them mama."

That's how I imagine the conversations must have been for the past six weeks when Hillary Clinton and her brain trust have met to discuss strategy.

To be specific:

"People seem to be hungry for change, what can we do?" Sen Clinton asked.
"Let's make sure we're the candidate who represents the status-quo in Washington!" replied Mark Penn.
"Yeah, yeah," Harold Ickes said, "experience says it all. People who want change will love that!"

"Obama is offering hope, what do we say?" asked Clinton.
"We say we're against hope!" said Penn. "Let's dash the hopes and dreams of a generation of young people who adore Obama and replace it with a shrill appeal to the worst in human nature!"

"Some people are writing that this is a turning point in the racial life of America, one in which the accumulated assimilation of black folks into the mainstream of American life is second-nature to everyone under the age of 40," Hillary said. "How can we make that work for us?"
"We can't," said Bill Clinton, "Let's belittle Obama's accomplishment, tell the public that Americans won't vote for a Black man for President and say that White folks are on our side."

Sidney Blumenthal piped up, "I've been doing a good job sending out these emails about how Obama is a Muslim but how can we maximize that?"

"Oh, I know," said Hillary brightly, "when Sixty Minutes asks me about it, I'll make sure I leave doubts in the minds of the viewers that he just might be a Muslim after all!"
"And that's why we love you, Hil," said Blumenthal, licking the bottoms of her shoes.

And then picking up a chart at a meeting last week, Howard Wolfson said, turning it one way and then another, "I can't make this chart work. No matter which way I turn it, we lose…pledged delegates, super delegates, popular vote, number of states won…what do we say?"

Hillary threw a glass of expensive wine at him and said, "We say we're winning. Look, the best way to make sure I'm elected President of the United States is to change the perception Democrats have of the Clinton family and get America to hate us!"

Mission Accomplished, Mr. President and Madame Senator.

Don't miss "D'Antoni and Levine," the new talk show with me and Huffington Post contributor Art Levine live every Thursday at 2:30 PT (5:30 ET) at BlogTalkRadio.
This week Art follows up his series on potential fraud in the upcoming election. The recent US Supreme Court decision to allow Indiana to ask for specific kinds of ID's is beginning to cause other states to think they can block voting rights, looking at Missouri, and other states,and other schemes already on the books to rob Americans of right to vote.
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