Friday roundup

Bush To Russia: Stop The "Bullying And Intimidation":

"'Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century,' the president said."

Just too rich--our President lecturing other countries on "bullying foreign policy." Seriously? Does this guy even know about his own Presidency?

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As Tony notes this morning, we have another candidate for a, well, delusional candidate

"In the twenty-first century, nations don't invade other nations."

Yeah, John McCain said that. I guess our invasion of Iraq just doesn't count in his brain. Why not just come out and say, "when we do something, it is fine." Grownup Republicans? You really don't think that kind of "do as I say, not as I do" will actually be a sustainable foreign policy, do you?

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According to an analysis of campaign contributions by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination months ago, has received more than four times McCain's haul.

But I thought the military were all grateful for the Republican support and were staunchly Republican. After all, Democrats are "soft" on the military issue of your choice, and don't like people in the military. Even when the candidates are from the military.

Perhaps not. After 8 years of harming our military to the breaking point--and continuing to threaten military action in Iran, Georgia, (who want's next?), etc., perhaps those actually doing the fighting are getting sick of neo-con led foreign policy.

As it turns out, by the way, the military isn't the only shocking place where Obama gets support.

But a recent poll taken by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation reveals that Obama has more support among hunters and fishers than previous Democratic nominees Al Gore and John Kerry. A Christian research firm says that Obama enjoys more support than McCain among all Christian subgroups excepting Evangelicals. The Washington Post also polled working class whites and found that they support Obama over McCain too.

All sub groups except evangelicals. I swear. I will never figure those guys out. They supported Bush after the torture stuff came out too. What the hell?

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Speaking of Christian conservatives, as Tony also noted this morning, and of course, our lovely Anonymous commentator noted yesterday, Victoria Osteen received a unanimous verdict of not-guilty of slapping a flight attendant. Fine. But I know full well they will attribute this verdict to God's intervention, just as our commentator credited their obscene (that's right, obscene) wealth to God's desire. Their theology makes me ill. When greed is actually masked as "listening to God"--it lends itself to a Gilded Age theology, which you see front and center with the Osteens. I know this is not Christianity, but as in the grownup Republican issue, I would like to see the Christians who believe in sacrifice, sin, and even those who think that greed is not good--to stand up. And by the way, while you are up, please tell James Dobson the same thing, and remind him and Bush that torture is not a Christian act.

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Speaking of torture, one of Sully's readers just finished the Dark Side:

the second half of it more or less since 12 pm this afternoon. Last night, sitting in one of those cafes they stick on the sides of Barnes and Nobles, I almost broke down crying. Instead, I went to the poetry section and quietly read aloud a couple of Hektor's speeches in the Iliad -- something oddly reassuring about them to me.
Scattered throughout my copy of the book are prayers for forgiveness. That was all I kept thinking as I read. Normally, I'm angry about this. With this account, I only felt a deep, tremendous sadness.