Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2007 > December > 31 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USNew Year’s tradition, Nunn’s plans
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Happy New Year.
Since I’ve taken a personal interest in the well-being of most of the regulars who post here, it’s my solemn duty to advise you not to let tomorrow pass without dining on greens — turnips, collards, mustard, or even kale or spinach will do — black-eyed peas and hog jowl. Even the national supermarkets have begun stocking hog jowls, so there’s no reason for anybody in Georgia to risk entering 2008 facing the prospect of being broke, with bad luck and in poor health.
Feel free to discuss New Year’s Day traditions as you see fit but naysaying on the proper New Year’s Day meal will not be persuasive, no matter how intelligently argued. I am entirely certain that as an eight-month-old on my first New Year’s Day, my diet consisted of strained turnips, mashed black-eyes and Essence of Hog Jowl Soup. And the tradition has served me well.
I’ll warn you up-front. I cannot be responsible for anybody here who chooses to ignore this Southern tradition tomorrow, regardless of your place of birth or immigration status.
Since we’re all looking forward to 2008, I’ll draw your attention today to the lead story in the morning paper. It focuses on former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn’s effort “to push Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to spell out their plans for a government of national unity — an effort that also could lay the groundwork for an independent White House bid,” writes the AJC’s Jim Galloway.
Nunn and former U.S. Sen. David Boren of Oklahoma, another Democrat, will convene 17 political figures who regard themselves as middle-of-the-road. The group includes billionaire New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a former Republican of sorts. They’ll attempt to develop a “consensus agenda” on issues the two parties should be addressing.
Among the issues are the federal debt, national service, the U.S. in the world, and the lack of a comprehensive energy policy.
Ross Perot got us Bill Clinton. End of story for me on third-party movements. Crusading billionaires can pull in 15-20 percent of the electorate. They’re spoilers. So no thanks on Bloomberg.
It would be useful, however, if the effort can be separated from a threat to play spoiler. Nunn and others could raise issues, such as the obligation to perform national service, that have been introduced largely by those with a hidden agenda — rallying opposition to the war, for example.
The opportunity’s there to have a serious national discussion. But not if the outcome is that we get another billionaire on an ego trip running for President.
Comments
By jbmlaw
December 31, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this
Happy New Year all. I hold great respect for Sen. Nunn and Sen. Boren, but they have missed the single obvious issue that would permit “national unity” – an agreement to abolish all nonmilitary spending at the Federal level. Other than the bureaucrats who actually receive the money, and the leeches who receive whatever de minimis services are provided by the bureaucrats, nobody would miss the value brought by Federal services. By any measure it makes no sense for Californians and New Yorkers to determine how much is spent for services for Georgians, and the last time I looked those two states had 10 times the congressional votes we hold.
From a different perspective entirely, however, if Mayor Bloomberg offers his candidacy, that could make many calculations interesting. Suddenly Fred Thompson would be competitive with Hillary in New York and New Jersey, and almost anywhere that there are moderates who may have been tempted by a Hillary candidacy. I don’t see Mayor Bloomberg taking too many republican votes in the south, so his running sounds like a win-win to me.
By RealRep
December 31, 2007 9:13 AM | Link to this
Happy New Year!
A vote for Giuliani is a vote for Hillary.
Huckabee ‘08
By Glenn
December 31, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this
Best column of all your many lifetimes, Jim, including the oeuvre from your incarnation as a Texas range cookie of West African descent. And that was a very high Bar S indeed.
You are very near Nirvana, Sir.
By Redneck Convert
December 31, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
Well, I’m let down Wooten didn’t mention grits for good luck. Us Southreners like grits with everything. Turkey and grits, ham and grits, eggs and grits, chicken and grits—it don’t matter. You got to have grits or it ain’t a meal. With a big pat of butter and some redeye gravy in the middle of the pile.
Me and my buddy Jim Earl got a big laugh Saturday morning. Some Northrener come in to the Country Feedback and ordered eggs. When it come to the table he started complaining about having Cream of Wheat on his plate. He was so dumb he didn’t know about grits. Cut a good Southrener open and about ten gallons of grits will pour out.
I sure hope Sam Nunn or this yankee Bloomberg don’t run on a 3rd party ticket. The godly Republican canadate would be finished and so would we. All a 3rd party would do is draw away people that don’t want to vote for a librul anyway but ain’t Washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Even this Clinton woman could get elected in just about every state. I remember when this pipsqueak Perot run. He got enough votes to give the White House to Clinton.
Anyhow, a librul in the White House would put a powerful crimp on us godly conservatives. We would have a big tax increase on godly conservatives like Wooten and jbmlaw and Glenn and Sister Dusty and @@ and tftt and just about everybody that Thinks Right. They would break into my cement vault and take the cash I been salting away. We would see a abortion clinic on every corner. Prayer would stay banned in school and public meetings. Men would be lining up to marry each other. The cabinet would be packed with Those People that mean us Southreners no good. And you can say goodbye to posting the 10 commandments everywhere. We would just surrender in Iraq and the troops would be brought home hanging their heads in shame.
Anyway, I got beer to deliver for tonight. The boys will be packing in at Billy Bob’s to see the New Year in. And I reckon the cops will be out there trying to spoil our fun. That librul Mothers Against Drunk Driving has really ruint things in this country. Have a Happy New Year Everybody.
By HIDT
December 31, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Jim, I agree with you entirely. If this is truly an effort of statesman, it could be invaluable. If it’s just another political ploy in a season of them, then it’s less than worthless, it could get us Hilary.
By Dusty
December 31, 2007 9:48 AM | Link to this
Dear Jim Wooten,
Thanks for the great New Year menu. Don’t forget the “grits and gravy” which is also a soulsome beginning to get the body going. Poor ol’ Yanks just don’t know what they’ve been missing.
Getting back to politics,I always had a high opinion of Sam Nunn but now he’s gone to meddling. He dropped out of politics when he could have been a big help. Now the train “done gone” for Nunn as far as I am concerned.
I can only echo your closing line on the good of a national discussion: But not if the outcome is that we get another billionaire on an ego trip running for President. Agreed!! Let ‘em stay busy with aquariums, football teams and hot air balloons.
By Another taxpayer
December 31, 2007 10:25 AM | Link to this
Ah! This young jedi-grasshopper still has much to learn about fine (and not-so-fine) southern cuisine. Unfortunately, since having lost our plantations on one side of the family and having our loved ones that were knowledgeable of the ways of the earth marched off to Oklahoma, we have only been able to retain the knowledge over the last few generations of the greens and peas. We have forsaken the jowls in favor of the hock for the last 100 years give or take a score since they were more numerous and thus in less demand. This desecration of true southern tradition may very well explain our family’s misfortunes over the last several generations. We may well have to re-introduce the full tradition and measure its effect on our well-being.
Happy New Year, Mr. Wooten.
By getalife
December 31, 2007 10:27 AM | Link to this
Yeah, another New York mayor.
No thanks.
He should give that money to charity like Hilton.
“Isn’t it funny that these people were nowhere to be found when George W. Bush seized office under the most dubious terms in history, having been appointed by a partisan supreme court majority and losing the popular vote? If there was ever a time for a bunch of dried up, irrelevant windbags to demand a bipartisan government you’d think it would have been then, wouldn’t you? (How about after 9/11, when Republicans were running ads saying Dems were in cahoots with Saddam and bin Laden?) But it isn’t all that surprising. They always assert themselves when the Democrats become a majority; it’s their duty to save the country from the DFH’s who are far more dangerous than Dick Cheney could ever be.”
Happy New Year and elect a Dem President and more Dems in Congress to stop the gop obstruction.
By getalife
December 31, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
Elect Dems so that gay marriage can be made legal.
My boyfriend and I beg of you.
Geez.
By GWB
December 31, 2007 10:48 AM | Link to this
Cookin’ greens stinks the house up real bad, but ah guess woodenhead didn’t notice, seeing as how bad his writtin’ and the ajc have already stunk up most every thing in atlanta. Through out Atlanta, the cry has gone up to “open the sewer covers, let a litte fresher air into the city.”
By Kubla Con
December 31, 2007 10:53 AM | Link to this
Sam Nunn’s plan is a bipartisan Xanadu that reads like a Xanadont. Add red herring to your New Year’s menu, but save room for the (jim)crow.
Happy New Year
By GWB
December 31, 2007 11:07 AM | Link to this
Don’t vote, it just encourages the politicians. Nothing good will happen until we limit congress to 1 two year term in the house, and one 3 year term in the Senate. El Presidenta should have only a single 4 year term. After that, they are out, and out for good in government. They may hold no other federal position, ever. Nor may they lobby the feds in any way shape or form. As a matter of fact, all current and former lobbiest should be rounded up and terminated, for unspecified crimes against the american people. Hmm, should we include opinion writters, like moi? naw, I’m ok. Mostly harmless, mostly.
By getalife
December 31, 2007 11:16 AM | Link to this
w has surrendered to the taliban
Geez.
By Shark Sammich
December 31, 2007 11:19 AM | Link to this
I pretty much agree with Jim about this third-party nonsense, albeit for different reasons, except to say that Clinton probably would’ve won with or without Perot’s candidacy.
(Nobody can really prove one way or another, so this is just a silly game we folks like to play.)
I don’t think Jim will agree with this comment about the Nunn/Bloomberg thing, but I’ll post it anyway because I think it’s true, and maybe it’ll give some people something to think about:
Shorter bipartisan reacharound fetish crowd: “We’re a dozen or so old, white, mostly male people who for the most part don’t hold elected office. Unless the presidential candidates do what we tell them to do, we’re going to encourage our short divorced pal from New York City to spend a billion bucks of his personal fortune to f### around with the election because that’s what the people need.”
By ThirdMan
December 31, 2007 11:20 AM | Link to this
Well, GWB, calling you harmless is like calling a bull an ox. He’s grateful for the honor, but would rather have restored to him what’s rightfully his. So you can go back to being a dickless hack, if you choose, or you can hang loose, blood, and catch us on the flip side.
By Dusty
December 31, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this
Well, it seems the fog in Atlanta has NOT lifted yet. Already, we are blindly beseiged with the peurile petit fours of the prolific PoFo. Or so it would seem.
How about a New Year’s resolution? Only ONE ID PER PERSON and no cheating and NO STEALING IDs. OK?
Now..Nunn is the one and Bloomberg wants a surge. Right? Left? I’m afraid to find out.
By Craig also
December 31, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this
Perot gave us Clinton? yeah I really hated the 90’s. Booming economy, peace, expanding civil liberties, a balanced budget, respect for the constitution, and when we lied, it was about sex.
Now we have endless war, incompetently managed, debt that will burden our children for decades, a stagnant economy, and the lies are about WMD and torture. This is much better.
By GOP bound
December 31, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this
Oh, you gave us something to think about, SharkSammich, alright: Why some nanny didn’t slap and pinch you so that you would learn how to say “gay” without making hacked and obolete homoerotic references. We get it, some of the seats in the congress are hot, oval ones. (gee, that was so clever, I can hardly stand myself anymore).
Let it go.
By Political Foreskin
December 31, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
Happy New Year, Dusty! I hope you and yours go up in the world in ‘08. (that’s right: Up Yours!)
By JK
December 31, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this
For healthy collard greens whose taste can’t be beat, skip the hog fat and use olive oil instead. (And tear out the stemmy parts when you wash ‘em.) Toss in a little minced garlic, a couple tablespoons of vinegar, and plenty of salt. Cook the ever lovin dog poo out of them, stirring often. About nine hours should do it — they get sweeter as they cook — so start early. It’s the PERFECT food!
P.S. Chop some scallions and throw them in a bowl of red wine vinegar and put em in the fridge. Spoon cold, crunchy onions over steaming hot collards & peas! No one will try to kiss you while you’re watching football! Haha! Gotta get to Publix.
By Shark Sammich
December 31, 2007 11:51 AM | Link to this
GOP bound @ 11:36, the comment I quoted had almost nothing to do with gay sex. Try to get beyond that, to the meat of the matter.
(and no, I didn’t mean anything by the use of the term “meat” either, naughty boy.)
By getalife
December 31, 2007 12:03 PM | Link to this
My goodmess, The USSR sent 300,000 troops and were defeated and now w has surrendered to the taliban.
Like the USSR , we have ran out of money due to the theft of billions in Iraq.
Geez.
By Political Foreskin
December 31, 2007 12:11 PM | Link to this
I believe you, but dont care.
And now, it’s time for “Fun With the Vent”. Yes, funwiththevent is a bi-weekly, semi-annual, quasi-ludicris, paramecium game show in which you get to laugh and I get to do these funny things with my lips and fingers.
Our first vent is, “I tried to follow two water-saving tips. I showered with my wife and put a bucket in the shower. I ended up kicking the bucket”. (Great set up! I did the same thing, sir, but I collected no water in the bucket, there was only room for my ball and chain.)
we’ll be right back
By getalife
December 31, 2007 12:21 PM | Link to this
“You know, I’ve studied history, I’ve read about America and you know something, if it weren’t for liberals, we’d be living in a dark, evil country, far worse than anything Bush could conjure up. A world where children were told to p** on the side of the road because they weren’t fit to pee in a white outhouse, where women had to get back alley abortions and where rape was a joke, unless the alleged criminal was black, whereupon he was hung from a tree and castrated.
What has conservatism given America? A stable social order? A peaceful homelife? Respect for law and order? No. Hell, no. It hasn’t given us anything we didn’t have and it wants to take away our freedoms.”
Steve Gilliard. RIP.
By Captain Freedom
December 31, 2007 12:29 PM | Link to this
THE Captain joins Mr Wooten in decrying this nonsensical appeal to unity government.
Verily, the prospect of Unity in Our Nation is impossible as long as the Islamunistofagotists are allowed to roam our streets with impunity. Until these apostates who irrationally believe Our Leader is incompetent have been converted to True Belief, We Real Americans are bound by God to persecute them without mercy. Since recent polls indicate that up to 75% of the American public hold these treasonous notions, Our Work is cut out for Us.
Bipartisanship and so-called “Unity” are nothing but diversions designed to take our Booted Foot from the neck of liberalism and allow this anti-American beast up off the mat. The Gospels are clear…now is the time to go for the kill.
To borrow from the Godly Grover Norquist — we should not rest until we drown the surrender monkey non-Americans in their bathtub. It’s the Right Thing to do.
Luckily, the Dumbocrats seem to believe that cooperation and bipartisanship is possible in this day and age. Don’t tell them that unless they grow a set of brass-plated stones and start fighting like crazed beasts against the Godly Conservative Crusade to Make All People Believe Like Us (GCCtMAPBLU), We Real Americans will continue to bend them over the bargaining table and deliver to them the proper rump rogering they so richly deserve.
THE Captain has spoken, and for the last time this year. HE bids everyone a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. Except of course for the Islamosodomitliberalevolutionists, who can all go straight to hell, or Gitmo, whichever comes first.
But fear not True Believers…THE Captain will be back for another year of Kourageous Keyboard Kommandoism in 2008.
By getalife
December 31, 2007 12:37 PM | Link to this
“In reality, the best way to end partisan gridlock is to further weaken the Republican Party, which is tying government in knots and preventing it from carrying out the will of the majority on a host of fronts.”
Simple solution to the problem in government, the gop.
By Dennis
December 31, 2007 12:56 PM | Link to this
Mr. Wooten writes, “The opportunity’s there to have a serious national discussion. But not if the outcome is that we get another billionaire on an ego trip running for President.”
As to “The opportunity’s there to have a serious national discussion”, why haven’t we already had one with the billionaires who already occupy the White House?
Regarding the second sentence in his paragraph, “[not] another billionaire on an ego trip….”
If Mr. Wooten has been backing a winner, then what would be wrong with “another billionaire”?
If George W. Bush is not a winner, then why has Mr. Wooten continued to back him?
You don’t have to be a blind conservative not to see it, just an ignorant one to deny it.
By Camus
December 31, 2007 12:57 PM | Link to this
getalife,
Great quote pull at 12:21. I miss Gilly’s blog every day. A terrific writer with a strong and clear voice.
Happy New Year from the vast wasteland on the Northshore!
By @@
December 31, 2007 1:03 PM | Link to this
It focuses on former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn’s effort “to push Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to spell out their plans for a government of national unity
You see ^^^ that word PUSH Jim? Nobody likes being pushed. It’s how I went from Democrat to Republican. The Democratic party allowed themselves to be PUSHED too far to the left. As a result I began to vote Republican so I could PUSH back.
It sounds like you threw away your Christmas ham bone Jim. They’re great for seasoning both greens and peas.
I don’t gnaw on cheeks/jowls unless they fall under the definition of an impudent statement. Those are tasty.
Something else that’s tasty…Poor Man’s Caviar. Kinda like a Pico de Gallo with black-eyed peas. A refreshing dip for tortilla chips.
Yummy!
By jbmlaw
December 31, 2007 1:16 PM | Link to this
Dear Shark @ 11:19, I mostly agree with your core argument, re Perot and Clinton. I believe GHWB was fired for failing to keep his “no new taxes” promise, and thus believe Clinton would have won 50%+ in that 1992 election. However, I think Dole would have won in 1996 without Perot. As in 1992, all Perot vote was anti-incumbent, and the fact that Clinton, with all of the levers of power, was unable to achieve 50% then is telling.
I read Bloomberg’s role differently than Perot. In 1992, Perot, Clinton, and Bush pere all ran as conservatives. In 1996, Clinton ran as leftist, and Perot and Dole split the conservative vote. So far as I can tell, only one leftist has won 50% of the vote in a national election in the past 30 years, Al Gore in 2000. As we have most of the leftist voters corralled into a dozen ghettos around the country (NYC, Chi, LA, Phil, Det, etc) the dispersed conservative vote should normally be able to marshal a majority of the relevant electoral vote.
Dear Craig @ 11:36, I respectfully note that Clinton gave you nothing in the way of economic stability nor a balanced budget until the Republicans took charge in 1994 (notable exception – Clinton deserves credit for pushing through NAFTA, which was the primary reason the economy performed so well through the 1990s.) If you look back, the stock market in March 1995 was around the same place it was in November 1992, damaged by the silly taxes imposed by Clinton and the leftist congress. However, Clinton misspent the peace dividend, and allowed Islamists to attack the US with impunity every year during his administration – that was not a smart strategy, allowing the enemy to grow stronger; he should have made some effort to kill those who threatened US interests (although we will credit Clinton with protecting the US from the world-wide Serbian threat.)
Fortunately the democrats today are not as stupid as they were 15 years ago, and would never allow the economy to be destroyed by largest tax increase in the history of the world, currently scheduled for 2010. As to your “respect for the Constitution,” certainly the record is clear, whether we speak of sweetheart deals front-running cattle futures, or raw FBI records floating around the private quarters of the White House. Not that any Clinton aides would ever steal and destroy secret documents. Yes, I can see why you long for the Constitutional respect offered by the Clintons. Schmuck.
“Now we have endless war,” (you had that from 1993 on, but just were not smart enough to realize it), “incompetently managed,” (just as Lincoln did not discover the right general to lead sooner than 1864, GW Bush will receive full credit for the Iraq victory, just not sooner than 10 years from now), “debt that will burden our children for decades,” (you lie, you had that then), “a stagnant economy,” (another lie, it is far more vibrant today, due to tax cuts, than in November 2000), “and the lies are about WMD and torture.” (and all emanate from democrats – remember, Bill Clinton was the one who first told us Saddam had WMDs, and if you listen to leftists on “torture” they will falsely affirm that more than three people have been waterboarded, or that perhaps at least one of them was waterboarded for more than three minutes.) “This is much better.” Agreed.
Dear Getalife @ 12:21, I am pleased to see you condemn the democrats who alone were responsible for the Jim Crow laws and lynchings, but you err in attributing that to “small government” advocates – indeed, it was those who wish to control our lives who inflicted such affronts to decency and the rule of law. Beware of socialists; I suggest you research eugenics, see who pushed that idea – it was not conservatives. As to your 12:37, “Simple solution to the problem in government, the gop” man, that’s what I have been arguing all day, I’m glad to see that you see the light.
By Glenn
December 31, 2007 1:21 PM | Link to this
I’m down with the grits thing. Anything that’ll bring me good luck, I’m on it. Divination and superstition may be forbidden in the First Church, Bromidical of Roswell, but on New Year’s I revert to Haolie status and with my homie the Divine Mizz M I say eff ‘em if they can’t take a joke.
Even some of us surfer daddies and beach bunnies wouldn’t hear of getting through a New Year’s Day without black-eyed peas, evidently the closest thing to the field pea eaten on the Horn to bring good fortune in the new year. My fave way to enjoy them is with pork, which when combined with field peas makes a Hoppin’ John. Any kind of pork will do, but preferably ham and a little bacon come into the mix, and if you can afford it, a meaty afer-Christmas ham bone. In a pinch, poultry will pass for a Limpin’ Susan, which can be made into a kosher dish even more delectible than matzoh ball soup. Possum, squirrel and muskrat are all acceptable in a pinch (skin the possum right quick, to be sure the darn thing doesn’t up & get away). And along the 55-gallon belt stretching from the Muddy to Arizona, roadkill possum is perfectly fine, provided you save the shell and waste naught.
Then start with a couple cups of the cheapest unconverted white rice in any pot that will hold liquid over a heat source, add a shot of vinegar slurried with something sweet until you’ve got a good balance of sweet ‘n’ sour, pour in a full can of Tobasco-spiked Campbell’s Onion Soup along with the pork and peas and a chopped onion and crushed garlic clove, and to this add your favorite spices; mine include a bay leaf, three or four whole cloves, half a dozen to ten whole black peppercorns and corriander seeds, a pinch each of allspice, cayenne and garlic and onion powder. You can steep the loose ingredients with a tea infuser, or wrap them in some tied cheesecloth, a la mode le bouquet garni. Add enough water to come about a quarter inch to a half inch above the rice level, bring to a boil until the liquid drops just below the top of the rice, then reduce the heat to its lowest and simmer covered for 25 minutes. To finish, fluff with a fork and cook uncovered until remaining liquid evaporates. Shred any ham meat from bone and replace. Garnish with a green of choice, mine being sliced scallions and chopped parsley.
If you don’t start the year right after a 65-cent-per-serving feast like that, my church can’t save you.
Happy New Year, all.
[Rudy 08]
P.S. getalife’s stand-in @ 12:37: I think you mispelled Speaker Pelosi’s initials, which are NDP, not GOP.
By Jackie
December 31, 2007 1:29 PM | Link to this
It is a telling facotr when the conservatives only speak of factors elected Bill Clinton and the supposed Repub responsibility for the balanced budgets. If one were to review the voting records of the Congress during the 1992 through 2000 period, most of the Repubs voted AGAINST Clinton’s budget proposals. Only the moderate Repubs from the Northeast and some in the Midwest voted along with the Dems to implement PAYGO budgets in return for “welfare reform.” If we move forward, what will one be able to ascribe to Dubya that is positive and helpful to the citizenry of the USA?
By Profit
December 31, 2007 1:39 PM | Link to this
I’ve rolled the chicken bones for the new year, and I see mushroom clouds on the horizon, the death of the dollar, and oil thru the roof.
By Redneck Convert
December 31, 2007 2:20 PM | Link to this
Well, if people keep giving out recipes I’m going to get hungry and give up delivering beer and go home and cook up a big mess of greens and pinto beans and black eye peas and ham hocks and grits. I just about can’t take it no more.
I’m with this Captain guy. Stomp on the libruls while we got them down and maybe do a little exam on them using about 15 inches of a walking stick. No godly Republican with any respeck for hisself would want to have peace with a librul Democrat. What good does it do to vote Republican if they are going to turn around and act like they are having a love affair with a Democrat. Just keep blocking votes and telling the people the Democrats ain’t getting nothing done.
By deegee
December 31, 2007 2:25 PM | Link to this
What a hideous thought. We could actually have an intelligent group of leaders discussing important issues. Who cares about the federal debt, national service, the U.S. in the world, and the lack of a comprehensive energy policy? We want to know how some rube in Iowa feels about the Schmuckabee today.
Why the cynicism over an independent candidate? Sam Nunn has spent his time away from the Senate working with nonprofit foundations to help reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. Additionally he works for independent foundations that promote good foreign relations. He sounds like an honest, worldly individual with vision and experience. No wonder the RNC don’t like him.
By jbmlaw
December 31, 2007 2:29 PM | Link to this
Dear Profit @ 1:39, I agree with your analysis. Iran will be dangerous and I fear our politicians do not have the stomach to do what needs to be done. The Fed is failing us by not forcing interest rates higher (which would also make the dollar stronger vs all commodities, not just oil.)
By jbmlaw
December 31, 2007 2:31 PM | Link to this
Dear Redneck @ 2:20, I respectfully disagree. I think we should make peace with any leftist who is willing to cut nonmilitary budgets.
By jbmlaw
December 31, 2007 2:34 PM | Link to this
Dear Deegee @ 2:25, I respectfully note that – now that Iraq has proven successful, and Russia is proving threatening – Germany and France are back on our side again. Nothing promotes good international relations better than fear of those who oppose the US. The era of “easy anti-Americanism” is over, both for Europeans and for US democrats.
By Craig also
December 31, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
Brevity, Counselor. Try it sometime.
The Clinton tax increase, yes, combined with a tight fisted Republican congress, allowed for balanced budgets, and thus, lower interest rates, and thus, economic growth.
bin Laden? Clinton tried to get him several times - and when he did he faced howls of derision from the ever ethical Tom Delay and the Republican Congress.
As to the rest of your comments - drivel, of course, generated by your leader the Godfather, and regurgitated here. You’re smarter than that.
By Political Foreskin
December 31, 2007 3:04 PM | Link to this
Jim Wooten dares to print a New Year’s Day Menu? He presumes to suggest what to eat on New Year’s Day? Well let me tell you something, Mr. Wooten: I know all about you. You couldn’t hack it as a cook. You flunked out of chef’s college cause your dog kept refusing to eat your homework. You ended up as a bagman for the grocery stores downtown. So why dont you take your pathetic southern traditional menu of inedible slop and shove it.
I SAID SHOVE IT!
By deegee
December 31, 2007 3:08 PM | Link to this
In what way has Iraq proven successful? If you were confused as to whether two soldiers are better than one then I suppose that the surge sufficiently answered that question for you. Two important points are usually left out of the discussion of the success of the surge. One being that the Sadr brigade declared a truce at the same time the surge took place. Number two, the Sunnis have banded together to drive out foreign terrorists. The US military is working with the Sunnis to help clear them out. No one really wants to think about what is next for the US military once the Sunnis are satisfied that the threat from outside has been eliminated. Then what? Now we have a fully armed Sunni defacto military that is in direct opposition to the Shia government that we installed. A government that is still unable to govern. It is unsafe for millions of Iraqi exiles to return to what is left of their homes and villages. I wouldn’t be so quick to call this mission accomplished.
I am not so sure that fear of the US is what forms alliances these days. I suspect that it has more to do with where the next barrel of oil may be coming from.
By Costanza
December 31, 2007 3:12 PM | Link to this
Its not a matter of being anti-American. Its about being anti-Bush. Most Europeans can’t stand him. 90% in France cant stand him. Same in the US, we can’t stand him. Democrats, independents, Libertarians and even some Republicans, can’t stand him.
Is Australia still on our side?
By Jim Wooten
December 31, 2007 3:28 PM | Link to this
PoFo @ 3:04. I’m taking your advice, now that my chef’s school experience is out. The collards JK prepares sounds better than those prepared with hog jowl, so I’ll prepare those tomorrow (and put the jowl in the peas.)
By Political Foreskin
December 31, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this
Happy New Year, Mr. Wooten.
By Heywood Jablome
December 31, 2007 3:58 PM | Link to this
After a full year of piling one howlingly stupid terd upon another, jbm caps the year with the stupidest, most detached from reality statement posted on this forum in 2007 by anyone not named Dusty:
“Other than the bureaucrats who actually receive the money, and the leeches who receive whatever de minimis services are provided by the bureaucrats, nobody would miss the value brought by Federal services.”
Jumping Jesus on a trampoline, man, do you ever put any thought into your puerile Libertarian nonsense? Are you inhaling solvents when you post? What could possibly explain such blinkered ignorance of the real world?
Congratulations, you have secured the F,uc,ktard Post of the Year trophy. Bravo, numbnuts.
What a tool. Yo, jbm…
— Heywood Jablome
By Political Foreskin
December 31, 2007 4:07 PM | Link to this
A great movie to rent tonite if you’re staying in to get drunk instead of driving around and getting a dui is “Heartbreak Kid” with Ben Stiller.
Fun stuff. Sustained laughs. It’s the feel your wife up movie of the year.
Happy New Year all!
By Glenn
December 31, 2007 5:03 PM | Link to this
Screw the advice culinary; I’ll take PoFo’s instead, thank you.
In spite of which, however, does anyone have a good recipe for mustard greens?
Jackie, your q. re W. Do you mean what’s W good for going forward, or do you mean what’s his legacy? If I try to answer your question, would you answer it also?
CORRECTION: Last note on Hoppin’ John erroneously referred to possum; (1) substitute one medium Armadillo, (2) add other things, (3) save the shell. Those three simple instructions not only make for great Hoppin’ John, but also constitute the long-sought, elusive recipe for authentic Texas chili. This blogger regrets any confusion his earlier post may have caused. Feliz Ano Nuevo!
By Evelyn Baker
December 31, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
This is the end of my first full year with the Wooten gang. I started blogging in the summer of 06, and everyone was so nice to me, why, they even pointed out times when I mispelled something and then good naturedly called me a liberal skank, that was a funny time. And then it was even funnier when the I suggested that most conservative comments were refried Rush-balls and then milk came out of my nose when I laughed so hard at all the hatespeak and death threats from the more intelligible replies.
I quickly became the guiding tone on the blog, like I did over at Luckovich, I am the original internet scoundrel, the one who has truly influenced most of the many trolls out there. I can totally manipulate nearly everyone by making them think they’re players. I’m so clever, that, even now, I dont even have to blog anything, and most trolls think I’m namejacking or flaming or ridiculing them or attacking them when it’s not me at all, but copycat trolls who keep the conservatives here so off-balance that they cant stay on-message. (what a bunch of dopes, eh?) That’s why I never use the same ID for more than a few posts. You can tell it’s me, but you’re not so sure that you dont fall over yourself trying to figure out who’s who. That’s why I always win. Thank you, BTW, to whoever the troves of trolls are out there doing that. You’re real good bloggers. Here’s a cookie.
But mostly It’s the influence I wield with my pen. I give freely to keep people reading. There are many professional artists who visit Wooten to get inspired with my material. I love that. I never thought my world could be like this. One person can make a difference but only if he doesn’t sell out. Hacking sucks creativity dry. Everytime.
SO, I look forward to ‘08. We’ll get a woman prez. We’ll get a majority in both houses. People really do understand what high crimes and misdemeanors have been perpetrated against our constitution, our national decency, and our honored institutions. (and our women)
and I think it’s a damn shame that Barbara Bush didn’t raise W to be a nicer girl.
By Glenn
December 31, 2007 5:16 PM | Link to this
Yes, well, I’m sure you’ll get what you wish for: a New full Year of cheap kicks.
By @@
December 31, 2007 6:00 PM | Link to this
This is sad. Truly it is:
I never thought my world could be like this.
Them that can’t blog all day every day.
But ‘ya know what? No way would I stand between you and your destiny.
Toot Toot!
Happy New Year to Jim and all.
By Captain Freedom
January 1, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this
THE Captain told you He would be back.
First in warblogging. Last for peace. And always first in the hearts of His countrymen.