In a hilarious send up of McSame’s “celebrity” ad, Paris Hilton slays McSame or in Paris’s words, the “wrinkly white-haired guy”. Not only is Paris pretty funny but she also manages to showcase her teleprompter reading skills. I’m glad to see Paris give it back to McCain ten fold because really who is he kidding trying to push a meme about celebrity politicians…*cough Reagan, Schwarzenegger cough*.

Grand Oil Party bumper sticker courtesy of MoveOn

In light of Friday’s Republican shenanigans of staying on the House floor to whine to themselves about drilling after the House was adjourned, I thought I’d throw out some facts about their call for an “Energy Plan”.

In 2001, the Cheney Energy Task Force relied for outside advice primarily on “petroleum, coal, nuclear, natural gas, electricity industry representatives and lobbyists,” as they secretly developed their energy plan, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Of the 40 Task Force meetings, the vast majority were filled with the oil and energy industry, such as executives from Exxon-Mobil, Conoco and Royal Dutch Shell.  Some of the 65 provisions of President Bush’s final energy plan benefited campaign donors who met in secret with the White House energy task force. These provisions included: opening public lands to oil and gas drilling, providing royalty relief for offshore drilling on public lands and relaxing Clean Air regulations.

In 2005, Energy Secretary Bodman said that 95% of the recommendations of the Bush-Cheney Energy policy had been implemented. Even as they take in record profits, Big Oil is set to receive $27 Billion in taxpayer subsidies from 2006-2010 including royalty relief, expensing of intangible drilling costs and accelerated amortization of geological and geophysical expenses. [Taxpayers for Common Sense, 6/23/08]

Republicans can talk a good game, but actions speak louder than words. Republicans have voted against renewable energy and conservation, responsible domestic oil production, short-term measures to bring down prices now such as releasing oil from the government’s stockpile (known as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or SPR), punishing those who are manipulating the oil market and new requirements that oil companies pay their fair share.

In reality 8 years of Bush divided by 2 oil men in the White House = $4 a gallon of gas

FREE OUR OIL

DRILL ACT

USE IT OR LOSE IT

PRICE GOUGING

RENEWABLE ENERGY

NOPEC PRICE FIXING

PUBLIC TRANSIT

ENERGY SECURITY

SPECULATION BILL

San Franciscans love gathering together in Dolores Park. Blessed with some of the City’s best weather, easy access via Muni, an ideal central location, and great natural topography, Dolores has become the center for San Francisco’s best free entertainment.

At Dolores, I’ve seen the San Francisco Orchestra, several movies, Aztec dancers, the World Cup, and stumbled upon other events like rock concerts, parades, and parties of all sorts. And with each passing season, it seems park events grow in attendance. Last week, for example, I headed out for a movie-in-the-park only to find myself sitting about 200 yards from the screen.

From my spot not far below the J-Church tracks, the audience could hardly hear a thing. Yet, almost nobody left. Why not?

My guess: people just enjoy doing things together. Despite emerging concern about the size and growing popularity, these gatherings bring out an amazing sense of community. It’s like watching TV with someone: you aren’t exactly engaged with them, but you are sharing a common experience. In the end these Dolores Park events are important to me in the way they seem to embody the spirit of progresssivism and collective interest that are key values of liberal Democrats.

We could all go to smaller gatherings, or more exclusive environs. Organizers could spend their time doing other things. The city could start charging to use the park. But no. People come together in this incredible open space, in events that reinforce the consciousness of our community and enrich the Bay Area.

We should all be thankful that city planners generations ago had the foresight to establish these open public spaces, and Dolores Park in particular. It is a truly one of San Francisco’s undercelebrated treasures.

One of the eternal mysteries of modern American politics is the societal taboo on discussion of class. Class, in the sense of the truly upper class, multi-millionaire, CFO/CEO/old money/landed gentry, vs. the wage-earning masses (like me). It’s not that I have it out for the rich. But why can’t the fact that we have obscenely rich people with inherently different economic interests than work-a-day folks (like me) ever even be mentioned on the teevee?

My guess is that many of the decision makers, (e.g., Senior VP of whatnot at News Corp, GE, or Viacom,  or high-profile politicians, pundits, and other talking heads) are either part of, or trying to claw their way into, that very upper class. And so those with their hands on the wheel do all they can to avoid confronting the vast and rapidly expanding gulf between ‘the regular folks’ and the economic elite. Because that would be class warfare. Right.

Income Gap and Marginal Tax Rate 1917-2006 at Visualizing Economics

You may recall that back in 2004, one of the Republican smears against John Kerry was that he “looked French.” Despite the fact that the charge made no fucking sense whatsoever, cable TV heads were sure to parrot the charge, and ask, in very serious tones, is the charge politically damaging? Of course the only part that mattered was planting the ‘foreigner’ seed in the stunted brains of Bush supporters.

2008 and they are hot on the trail for ways to embed the ‘foreigner’ line of attack on Obama. Of course, with his father’s Kenyan heritage and part of his youth spent in Indonesia, they have a leg up. But you can’t really put that into a commercial, can you? So instead, for today’s trick, they put the words FOREIGN OIL next to his face. Subtle, but intentional. And par for the Republican course.

Oh, and did I mention the factual basis of the charge is complete bullshit? Not that petty details like this are important to McCain.

(via Kos)

YouTube - TPMtv: Dana Milbank, We Salute You.

One funny rebuttal to the lame and pathetic ‘Obama is an elitist’ republican meme, courtesy of Jake Tapper:

Which presidential candidate hosted Saturday Night Live (hint — the musical guests were The White Stripes)?

Which one had cameos on “24” and “Wedding Crashers“?

Whose wife secretly got her pilot’s license and owns a jet?

Who is pals with Warren Beatty?

Whose daughter is friends with Heidi from MTV’s The Hills?

McCain clip from CBS Evening News