Boozhy: a blog

Boozhy Headlines: Take Me Home Mountain Momma

West Virginians think that today's primary is a game-changer in this god-awfully long Democratic primary (too bad they're the only ones).  More important than the polls stating Clinton will take WV is the fact that 31% of West Virginian voters think Clinton will win in November, compared to 27% who think Obama will win.   

Whaaaa???  Listen, I'm fine with people making a statement vote.  She's out, they love her, vote to give her one last victory and bow out gracefully, yadda yadda, I get it.  But, more of the WV voters believe she'll win in November?  Umm...  Don't they get it?  She's not going to be on the BALLOT as a presidential candidate in November, let alone win.   

Boozhy Elections: Hillary Clinton Deathwatch

Slate started the Hillary campaign deathwatch last week.  The percentage in the life preserver is her likelyhood of winning the nomination.  Poor Hill, her campaign is over.

Boozhy Headlines: Divided We Fall (But Divided They Fall Too)

As a Dem, I often speak about our inability to rally the troops around Obama.  But it seems the Hillary-Obama battle is only one of the many that are currently raging.  As is typical of the Red Party, their fights are happening under the covers (ROTFL, did you GET that pun, I'm hell-arious). 

Poll Dancing reports that Bob Novak says the Huckabee wing of the Republican party — that is, the evangelicals — are not at all on board with John McCain. Meanwhile, Ron Paul’s supporters are planning an embarrassing revolt against McCain at the GOP convention. Oh, and longtime Republican Congressman Bob Barr (who you might remember for leading the Clinton impeachment charge), of Georgia, is running for president as a Libertarian.  Seems we aren't the only party of discord.

Boozhy Headlines: The Tide Turns

I was wrong.  Obama took the lead in Super Delegates (are SUPER) today.  So now Obama has won twice as many States, has a large lead in popular vote, an unsurmountable lead in pledged delegates, leads in super delegates and clearly has the imagination of the Party.  Why is Hillary still running?

Boozhy Scandals: Let He Among Us Without Sin...

I wish people would stop obsessing about Republican Congressman Vito Fossella (R-NY).  It's unfair and frankly I think it's not news.  A man's personal life is just that.  Personal.  And as the Pink Lady says, once and for all, let those among us who have never gotten shit faced in a DC-area bar, driven drunk, been arrested for it, had our mistress (not our wife with whom we have three children) bail us out of jail, and then been forced to admit that we have a 3-year-old child with said mistress, cast the first stone.  I know I will hold MY tongue.

Boozhy Headlines: Even Steven

Obama pulled even with Hillary in SuperDelegates today.  My guess is he'll surpass her tomorrow, just before the West Virginia primary.  Speaking of WV, the State is breaking huge for Hillary (will she bow out on a high note?).

Boozhy Headlines: Even Steven

Obama pulled even with Hillary in SuperDelegates today.  My guess is he'll surpass her tomorrow, just before the West Virginia primary.  Speaking of WV, the State is breaking huge for Hillary (will she bow out on a high note?).

Boozhy Headlines: What is the Cost of Federally Funded Abstinence Programs?

The cost of federally funded sexual ignorance abstinence is clearly increased teenage pregnancy.  Texas Monthly is running a great and exhaustive piece regarding the success of Federal Abstinence Sex Education courses.  According to author Katy Vine:

• TX gets more Federal Title V dollars (Abstinence-only sex education dollars) than any other State
• The Texas Education Code, requires classrooms give more attention to abstinence than any other approach
• Condom instruction is not encouraged in the Texas code and only one in four state approved high school health text books even USES the word "condom."

So, how is this working for the State?  Well it's not.  Texas Monthly goes on to state:

• Texas ranks number one in teenage births, costing taxpayers over $1 BN a year
• 24% of teenage mothers have multiple children
• Texan teenagers are having sex at a much higher rate than the national average
• And the rate of teenage births in Texas is decreasing at a much slower rate than the nation at large.

When will we understand that ignorance and misinformation in the guise of morality hurts rather than helps?

Boozhy Headlines: Oil Dollars to Produce First Zero Carbon City

With all of the emphasis the US and Europe are placing on green initiatives you would think the birth of the first zero carbon city would emerge within their borders. Not so.  The United Arab Emirates, the world's third largest oil producer, has partnered with MIT to build the first zero carbon city on the edge of the National Capitol Abu Dhabi. 

Perhaps the most interesting point is that UAE is presenting the investment in the city (aka the Masdar Initiative), as an economic play, not an environmental one. 

"This is going to create huge business and research opportunities to get beyond where we are today," says Khaled Awad, of the government-owned Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company.  "For Abu Dhabi to maintain its market share in energy, it must develop other forms of energy."

Just more evidence that the real future of the green movement lies in economics and not social responsibility. 

Boozhy Headlines: Not a Knockout, But He's Grounding and Pounding

Obama didn't deliver the knockout last night and we all know Hillary won't submit, but his big win in NC and squeaker of a loss in Indiana certainly are indicative of a seriously crippling ground and pound.  My money is that even a big win in West Virginia won't matter much now.  Look for a new wave of Super-Delegates (are super) to rally behind Obama.

Boozhy Headlines: Hillary Clinton Campaign Mass-Producing Judas-es

One of Hillary's major fundraisers or "Hillraiser" is the latest Hillary Clinton defector. 

"We're just bleeding each other out.  Looking at it as coldly as I can, I just don't see how Senator Clinton can overcome Senator Obama with delegates and popular votes. I want this fight to be over, the quicker the better.  [This] was a very, very difficult decision for me to make. I am an old and longtime friend of Senator Clinton. And I continue to think she is a fantastic and formidable person. But I am first of all a Democrat."

Seems to me the Clinton camp is doing a much better job turning out defectors than they are victories.  Note to Hillary: when your major fundraisers argue that you are destroying the Party, you may want to listen.

Boozhy Photos: Mama Said Knock You Out

Billy and I were fascinated by the man with the boxing gloves carefully positioned in frame DIRECTLY behind Hillary during her victory speech. Boxing gloves? Really, Hillary?

My theory behind the purple man in the boxing gloves was that the Clinton campaign shoved gloves on her to keep the queen from flashing spirit fingers the entire speech.

Boozhy Headlines: Bush Doesn't Like Children or State's Rights

Bush's disregard for a State's right to govern itself does not stop at the environment.  The Government Accountability Office (GAO) rebuked the Bush administration instituting a rule to deny States the ability to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program to cover children whose families make $53,000 (for a family of 4) or less. Under the federal directive, children whose families make $20,000 or less are eligible for State funded health insurance. 

Bush instituted a "rule" that told State's they must roll back children's health coverage by August of this year or face "corrective action."  The GAO stated that the Federal government cannot create a "rule" which restricts States rights in this regard without sending to Congress for approval.  The Bush administration has stated that the GAO is wrong (quelle suprise).  We'll see how this plays out.

Boozhy Headlines: Using Science to Promote Moral Agendas

Florida, in its infinite wisdom, is attempting to f*ck this country even more.  The Florida house has passed legislature to force women who are terminating pregnancies to pay for and view an ultrasound.  The bill has received further success in that it has also received an up vote from a Florida Senate Panel.  The additional test has no medical or scientific need.  The sole purpose is to require women to see their fetus prior to terminating, in hopes that they may change their mind.  Sen. Daniel Webster admits to using science and our already overexerted medical industry to promote his moral agenda:

"Technology brings things to light. And the only arguments I heard was, they didn't want them to know. And I do. And I think a lot of people do. I think the potential mother ought to have at least a shot at seeing what her baby looks like."

Personally, I oppose abortion.  Politically, I am for a women's right to choose.  But, more importantly I am adamant that we should not use the medical industry to promote moral agendas.  Medicine has only one very clear and defined purpose; to heal.  If we are using it for any other purpose than this, it dilutes the practice and threatens it's future.

Boozhy Headlines: Sabatoging Green

We blogged last month about the EPA's refusal of a waiver allowing California to impose more stringent fuel economy and emissions standards in California and Arnold's threats to sue the Federal government.  Well, now it seems there is more to the story...

Turns out, that the White House and the EPA met on the waiver refusal prior to the EPA's rejection of California's waiver.  The weak scientific reasoning for rejecting the waiver and the reluctance of the EPA or the Bush administration to discuss the conversations they had regarding the waiver lead to a fairly obvious deduction that the rejection was based more firmly in Politics and (likely) the administrations close ties to the Oil Lobby rather than science. 

Boozhy Economy: The Recession's Silver Lining

The Wall Street Journal reports that between October 1, 2007 and March 31 of this year apprehensions of illegal immigrants is down 17%, an "indication that the economic downturn and beefed up security could be deterring unauthorized crossings."  I knew there was a silver lining to our recession! 

Boozhy Headlines: Zero's My Hero!

California sets new limits for Detroit and global automakers.  Telling the "Big Six" automakers to produce nearly 60,000 plug in hybrids (see photo) and 7,500 "pure zero-emission" or hydrogen cars by 2010-2012 or get out of Cali.   

Boozhy Headlines: Some Lessons Still Not Learned

The Clinton campaign has agreed to eliminate an emotional story of a pregnant woman denied health care from her stump speech today after claims from an Ohio Hospital that the story is fabricated.

A hospital has raised questions over the accuracy of the story, and Clinton's campaign has said although they had no reason to doubt the story, they were unable to confirm the details.

So basically, Hillary's defense is that she was told this story by someone else and she didn't bother getting around to checking out if it was true.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same excuse she used for her vote on the war in Iraq?  Guess some lessons still aren't learned.

Boozhy Headlines: Some Lessons Taught But Not Learned

After attempting to school Obama a few weeks ago regarding his advisor's meeting with Canada on the subject of NAFTA a few weeks ago, Hillary's ship is quickly taking on water with recent developments in which her top aide wasn't just winking at Colombia but trying to broker a NAFTA deal that Hillary "claims" to be against.  Is she really against it?  It may be, but it points to another failure to capably manage her campaign and hence the nation. 

Hillary is anti-NAFTA but she hires a pro-NAFTA chief strategist who brokers pro-NAFTA deals while leading her campaign, she sends her husband to South Carolina to disenfranchise the black vote overnight and she can't remember the difference between a greeting composed of flowers and children's choirs and one resulting in sniper fire.  Do we really buy her argument that she has passed the presidential threshhold?  I don't.

Boozhy Headlines: Chump Change

The latest Federal GAO report is out and is stating cost overruns on defense projects have reached an all time high.  The GAO states of 95 major defense systems analyzed, cost overruns total $295 Billion. Then again, a buck doesn't buy what it used to, as the millions of American working poor are all too familiar.