pods.swedesforobama.com

- - 2006-10-16 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Clap your hands and say Yeah!

We now know how the Republicans will win on November 7th.
They're pulling out the old "hipster card"

- - 2006-10-15 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Burns Out!

"Politicians caught on Internet
candid cameras" Reuters

Want to catch a senator napping during a congressional hearing? Or letting a possible racial slur slip out at a campaign rally?

Then log on to Internet video-sharing Web sites like YouTube.com -- the latest weapon in U.S. politics where a candidate's missteps can be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

Political campaigns for the November 7 congressional elections have sent out mass e-mails with links to videos of opponents in unscripted, often embarrassing, situations.

"Mont. senator in fight of political life" Yahoo (AP)

Burns, in the fight of his political life against Democrat Jon Tester, has been citing such home-state money and projects to try to convince voters that they should re-elect him. For many people in this expansive state, it appears to be reason enough.

Yet not everyone is on board.

Time for a badass MF with a badass MF haircut to make things happen.
Tester for Senate

- - 2006-10-15 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you're working and poor
God really hates you

"Colorado Group: God, Moses Oppose State Minimum Wage Increase" ThinkProgress

This November, Coloradoans will vote on Amendment 42, a ballot initiative to raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85. If the initiative passes, the minimum wage would be “adjusted annually for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index used for Colorado.”

Stop 42, the group opposed to the initiative, is taking a “biblical” approach in their campaign against a minimum wage increase. Their new ad depicts a “Moses” character speaking to the voice of God in the Rocky Mountains. “We need divine intervention,” Moses says.
God responds: “We can’t let the people make this mistake. Go. Spread the word. Vote no on 42!”

Watch the ad

- - 2006-10-15 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An American in Paris

What!?! An American who actually knows that the French don't hate Americans.
This Huff Post sure is worth a "pod".

"A Few Things Every American Should Know About The French" Huffington Post

The one thing worse than arrogance is ignorance. The one thing worse than ignorance is vulgarity. And believe me, the French can be as arrogant and ignorant as the Americans, but they are never vulgar.

- - 2006-10-13 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

No stat if you don't bat

Our latest dynamics poll, open only to SFO Gold Premium Deluxe Members, find that 89% of FNC viewers don't know who Ann Coulter really is.

and his point is? that his viewers are stupid?

Nancy Pelosi "soccer jersey"

Team SFO says - "San Fran" is the second most beautiful city in the world.

- - 2006-10-13 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Air America Radio files chapter 11" CNN

Damn, if only they had a Rupert Murdoch to give them 500 million dollars until they got on their feet. Or even better, a Rev. Moon to supply them with billions.

- - 2006-10-13 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Grover laundered money for Jack

who ever thought Grover would do such a thing

"Nonprofits laundered cash for Abramoff: Senate panel" Reuters

Five conservative nonprofit groups laundered money and wrote opinion pieces for disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and sold their influence with U.S. government officials, according to a Senate report.

- - 2006-10-13 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Bobby"

Watch the trailer

The Cast
Harry Belafonte
Joy Bryant
Nick Cannon
Emilio Estevez
Laurence Fishburne
Brian Geraghty
Heather Graham
Anthony Hopkins
Helen Hunt
Joshua Jackson
Ashton Kutcher
Shia LaBeouf
Lindsay Lohan
William H. Macy
Svetlana Metkina
Demi Moore
Freddy Rodríguez
Martin Sheen
Christian Slater
Sharon Stone
Jacob Vargas
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Elijah Wood

- - 2006-10-12 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

John Bolton - man of peace

Clueless Swedish right-wing activist Per Ahlmark have nominated John Bolton for the Nobel Peace Prize.

"All eyes on Nobel Peace Prize possibles" BBC

A Bush administration hawk, he has been a long-time critic of the United Nations and his appointment there caused considerable controversy. The US Senate has yet to confirm him in the post.

F**king hilarious!

UPDATE: "Bankers for the poor win the peace Nobel" CNN
Maybe next John, maybe next year.

- - 2006-10-12 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here's Bernie!

"Polls: One-man socialist show could open in Senate" CNN

Sanders remains committed to the ideals of the democratic socialists (??) of northern Europe, believing that government spending -- combined with market forces -- is the best way to achieve social justice and social equity.

- - 2006-10-12 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"We shall throw them a judge"

What!?! The Bushies are just using the evagelical churches to win elections!?!?! We're shocked!

Keith Olbermann on former White House insider on faith-based initiative David Kuo's new book.

OneGoodMove (watch)
C&L (watch/download)
Amazon

Credit to Karl Rove, at least he can be honest, behind their backs.

UPDATE: Part II C&L

- - 2006-10-11 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Just add water

"Disputed study claims 655,000 Iraqi deaths" CNN

A controversial new study contends nearly 655,000 Iraqis have died because of the war, suggesting a far higher death toll than other estimates.
The timing of the survey's release, just a few weeks before the U.S. congressional elections, led one expert to call it "politics."

"Study: 655,000 Iraqis Killed - Controversial U.S. Study's Preelection Release Called Into Question" CBS News

If only CNN and CBS would add "disputed" and "controversial" when "reporting" other talking points.
To their credit. At least they reported it.

- - 2006-10-10 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Did I sell stuff to the Axis of Evil?

Suprising it took so long for someone to post about Rumsfeld's connection to Swedish-Swiss company ABB who sold light water nuclear reactors to North Korea.

"The Forrest Gump of the Apocalypse" Wonkette (collection of Rummy businesses)

- - 2006-10-10 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We love to make fun of no-knowledge Tucker, but today we salute him.

Finally someone admitting that the GOP only cares about the Evangelicals for their votes.

Carlson on the Chris Matthews Show C&L

MATTHEWS: So this gay marriage issue and other issues related to the gay lifestyle are simply tools to get elected?

CARLSON: That's exactly right. It's pandering to the base in the most cynical way, and the base is beginning to figure it out.

- - 2006-10-10 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The GOP - we love hookers

one "Duke-stir" coming right up

"New D.C. Sex Scandal Looming?"
The Smoking Gun

...Palfrey did speculate that she may have come to the attention of federal agents because her operation had somehow intersected with a more high profile case, like that of convicted ex-congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

- - 2006-10-10 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Damn Hollywood liberals
Only caring about other liberals

Angelina Jolie is filming A Mighty Heart (produced by Brad Pitt). It's an adaptation of the book by Mariane Pearl about the 2002 murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan.

Mariane and Jolie as Mariane

What's next? A movie about Pat "Chomsky" Tillman?

- - 2006-10-09 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Blitzkrieg on Grinchitude

Stephen Colbert is taking out the Santa-haters/Lincoln-lovers in time for the War on Christmas©.

OneGoodMove (video)

- - 2006-10-09 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

USA! USA! USA!

"Sixth 2006 Nobel goes to American" CNN

American Edmund S. Phelps has won the 2006 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences on Monday for furthering the understanding of the trade-offs between inflation and its effects on unemployment.

Download the Stephen Colbert spreadsheet and keep track of how many the US wins compared to every other nation. ColbertNation

Remember when they gave the Peace Prize to the IAEA and before that Jimmy Carter and the sound was very different.

"No one cares about this stupid commie award anymore"
- Drunkie McDrunk Hitchens

- - 2006-10-08 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Allies-Smallies

"Slow pace of change in Saudi" BBC

One Filipino waiter in a coffee-shop told me that when he had worked in Riyadh, he had been arrested by the religious police for not being strict enough in shutting his shop during prayer times, or in stopping young men from entering the family section - but here in Jeddah, he said, the religious police were much less of a nuisance.

But there are actually some that wouldn't mind having a police to deal with these.... non-religious folk.

"(VA) Evangelicals Blame Foley, Not Republican Party" NY Times

“That is the problem we have in society. Nobody polices anybody. Everybody has a ‘right’ to do whatever.”

- - 2006-10-07 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

One To Watch

"The CIA's Secret War" by Arnaud Muller and Steve Baumann CBC

A great documentary about the handing over of prisoners to the CIA and the famous planes that took the prisoners to "torture-friendly" countries.

It features great footage of the general EU inquiry and the Italian investigation into the grabbing, and later returning, of Abu Omar. Did the Italian military help the CIA agents who grabbed him on the streets of Rome and was it just a coincidence that one of the people that investigated the case jumped off a bridge?
Don't worry, the documentary hasn't got a "it's a huge conspiracy"-feel to it, but there's a lot of questions asked that will probably never be answered.

Sweden have never had an official inquiry into the handing over of two prisoners to the CIA. Even though it have been acknowledged that the hand-over happened under the supervision of former Sec. of State Anna Lindh. The men were flown to Egypt were they probably got a good beating.

Favorite scene - when the EU delegation is sent out the backdoor after not being allowed to meet the US congressmen who invited them. The loud anti-Bush congressmen chickens out kinda quick.
They also had more important meetings with a Japane$e delegation.

- - 2006-10-07 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kick Ass Lib Song Of The Day

Rolling Stones "Sympathy for the Devil"

I watched with glee
While your kings and queens
Fought for ten decades
For the gods they made

- - 2006-10-07 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Brits have Tony Blair
...and you don't

"Blair promises more for troops" BBC

Addressing military personnel on the fifth anniversary of operations in the country, Tony Blair pledged "every support and every protection".
He said this included providing more armoured vehicles and more helicopters.

Damn socialist!!

- - 2006-10-06 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Osama on starboard side!!

The Daily Show: What Exactly
Is President Bush's Job?

- - 2006-10-06 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Moving forward again?

cry, cry, cry - but no pressure

"Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers" NY Times

“I’m looking at the data,” said Ron Luce, who organized the meetings and founded Teen Mania, a 20-year-old youth ministry, “and we’ve become post-Christian America, like post-Christian Europe. We’ve been working as hard as we know how to work — everyone in youth ministry is working hard — but we’re losing.”

"GOP's Hold on Evangelicals Weakening"
Washington Post

Sunde, 35, manages a coffee shop and attends a nondenominational Bible church. "You're never going to agree with one party on everything, so for me the key has always been the religion issues -- abortion, the marriage amendment" to ban same-sex unions, she said.

Abortion and same sex marriage are the religious issues!?!? Please re-check your bible and get back to us.

- - 2006-10-05 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

War on Terror ™

Russia close to start rounding up Georgians.

"Russia turns screw on Georgians" BBC

Growing tensions between the countries erupted when Georgia arrested four Russian officers it said were spying.
Moscow has cut postal and transport links between the countries. Georgia's president accused Moscow of "bullying".
Several businesses owned by Georgians in Russia have been closed down by the authorities.
Two popular casinos, two Georgian restaurants and a hotel have been raided, accused of financial irregularities.

- - 2006-10-05 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

All hail the new PM

Fredrik Reinfeldt is sworn in as the new Swedish Prime Minister

"Reinfeldt is prime minister. Almost"
The Local

"Reinfeldt wants union cooperation"
The Local

"We have a strong trade union tradition in Sweden, and we should show our appreciation for this by seeking dialogue rather than confrontation," he said. Reinfeldt adding that he had ideas for the form that this dialogue should take, details of which he would reveal after the new government takes office.
He also said that he hopes to solve the issue of Sweden's energy supply through agreement with the Social Democrats.

Working with the unions and taking the environment before the money. Not bad for a former libertarian. Guess when you see the light, you really see the light.

UPDATE: The new government have all new ministers, except one, as former PM Carl Bildt is the new Foreign Minister (Sec of State). Openly gay Andreas Carlgren is the new Minister of Environmental Issues and 10 out of 22 new ministers are women.
Gays and women, is this Sweden or what?

- - 2006-10-04 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sean Hannity is far-right
...says Bill O'Reilly

We know O'Reilly have some problems with who's far-right and who's far-left but this is to much. He sets it up and Hannity "slams" it out of the park. Sorry, we don't know much about baseball.

O'Reilly & Hannity (.mov)
the sound is kinda low

In O'Reilly's defense. He hadn't actually seen anyone compare this to Clinton.... yet.
For Hannity we suggest he plead insanity.

- - 2006-10-04 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Why we still love Tony Blair

"Blair tells Blue Peter about life in 'the Tardis'" The Daily Telegraph

Next up is a question from Rima, 14, who stumps Mr Blair with a question about who is the most important person to visit Number 10.

"I suppose the best known would be Nelson Mandela and Bill Clinton," he replies, before remembering that the current US president is pretty important too.

"George Bush is obviously er …," he stutters before asking an aide: "Has George Bush actually been here, yeah, no he's been here, yeah … and then you get other people that come in from time to time."

- - 2006-10-04 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The (D-FL) is for Desperate

Bill O'Reilly tries a bit harder than his colleagues to connect Foley to Clinton.

- - 2006-10-03 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cracked presents: "Rep. Mark Foley's Perverted IMs: A Dramatic Reenactment"

Ivisible Engine has an even better one

- - 2006-10-03 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

War Against Culture™

"Museum Field Trip Deemed Too Revealing" NY Times

But Ms. McGee, 51, a popular art teacher with 28 years in the classroom, is out of a job after leading her fifth-grade classes last April through the Dallas Museum of Art. One of her students saw nude art in the museum, and after the child’s parent complained, the teacher was suspended.

In other War Against Culture™ news...

"Mark Foley and Bill O'Reilly: Culture Warriors" SJIHBO

O'Reilly goes easy on Foley, the spin didn't stop there. Hmmm wonder why?

- - 2006-10-03 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wanda Sykes and Tweety on Jay Leno
OneGoodMove

"We all knew this, pretty much, from watching the behavior of the President"
- Tweety on WMD and Iraq.

Really!?!? Then why the f**k are you still keeping up the act?

To bad you gotta go on the Tonight Show to talk openly about Woodward's book.

- - 2006-10-02 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Once upon a time you dressed so fine - you threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?

you do realize that one of the most powerful
men in the world have a comb over

"Rumsfeld says he won't resign"
Yahoo News (AP)

- - 2006-10-02 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What do Swedes think part II
More Swedes Speculate translations, the old speculations are here.

When will Rumsfeld be fired?
1. Never. He's in politics 4 life - 39%
2. Fire Rumsfeld? - 26%
3. Within a year - 17%
4. Just before Novembers election - 13%
5. Just before Bush leaves office - 4%

When will the US leave Iraq?
1. Just like Bush said, not while he's Prez - 37%
2. Within five years. Who cares about what the public "allows" - 20%
3. Within a year. The public won't allow longer - 18%
4. Never - 16%
5. In December. After a huge Republican loss - 4%

Will the Republicans lose the congress?
Yes - 82%
No - 17%

BONUS: How will Osama's life end?
1. We'll never know - 39%
2. Heart attack in Jakarta strip club 28%
3. Killed by US Special Forces, the movie rights already sold - 12%
4. In a cave when the dialysis machine brakes down - 11%
5. In a cave in Pakistan after a missile hit - 5%
6. Electrocuted while making video - 1%
(only 1%!!!)

- - 2006-10-01 2 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chirac is still a conservative,
but not president for much longer

Ségolène Royal - leader of the lefties in
France and 53 years old.... 53 years old!?!?!

"Can 'Madonna of the polls' become Mme Présidente?" The Independent

To a standing ovation and chants of "Ségolène Présidente", Mme Royal, 53, told an excited audience in Vitrolles, near Marseilles, that she was ready to "assume, on behalf of France, this mission of conquest and all the trials which it will bring."

Well if she's a leftie and French, doesn't that mean that she, and her family, are soft "surrender monkees"?
Not so much...

"Rainbow Warrior returns to haunt French candidate Royal" The Independent

The fact that Lieutenant Gérard Royal, of the French intelligence service, was part of the large team of French agents which attacked the ship has been public knowledge for 11 years. Another member of the Royal family, his and Ségolène's brother, Antoine, has now alleged that Gérard actually planted the bomb which damaged the ship and killed a Greenpeace photographer in Auckland harbour in July 1985.

What says "tough cowboy" more than blowing up Greenpeace ships? Well, besides invading small harmless middle-eastern countries.

- - 2006-10-01 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kick Ass Lib Song Of The Day (x2)

John Lennon "Imagine"
(.mp3, acoustic version)

John Lennon "Instant Karma"
Is Yoko's mic even on?