Day: July 25, 2008

Mouthing Maverickosity is Losing Its Effectiveness

Trish

John McCain is trying to reclaim his inner maverick, boasting that he doesn’t give a rat’s pa-tootey what people think. He’s all about being bold, being right, being…non-poll-driven.

All week long, McCain has been pushing hard on the notion the current surge strategy in Iraq was a crucial test in judgment.

McCain says all the same stuff we’ve been tuning out for seven years and counting, and expects it to resonate anew

In 2007, McCain said, “We both knew the safe political choice was to support some sort of retreat.”

“Many observers said my approach would end my hopes of becoming President,” he said. “My choice was not smart politics. It didn’t test well in focus groups. It ignored all the polls…”

McCain says history proved him right.

“In Iraq, we are no longer on the doorstep of defeat but instead are on the road to victory,” McCain said.

Yeah, we’re pursuing the path to prevailing, not punching in the gate code to privation; we are riding the train to triumph, not ringing the doorbell to reversal. Or something like that.

The striking thing here is how much McCain mimics his model. When 10 million Americans took to the streets to protest George Bush’s planned invasion of Iraq, the president quite openly said he didn’t care what his constituents thought.

“Size of protest — it’s like deciding, well, I’m going to decide policy based upon a focus group,” Mr. Bush said in response to a reporter’s question at the White House.

And we couldn’t do that, now could we? It turned out that was precisely how the Decider did it, but it took some research to prove it.

Bush’s principal pollster, Jan van Lohuizen, and his focus-group guru, Fred Steeper, are the best-kept secrets in Washington. Both are respected but low-key, proficient but tight-lipped, and, unlike such larger-than-life Clinton pollsters as Dick Morris and Mark Penn, happy to remain anonymous. They toil in the background, poll-testing the words and phrases the president uses to sell his policies to an often-skeptical public…

McCain grows more like George Bush, the man he tries to emulate at every opportunity, who stole the 2000 election from him with a combination of superior messaging and slurs, every day. He says all the same stuff we’ve been tuning out for seven years and counting, and expects it to resonate anew. For some, it does just that. McCain seems to be betting that the easily fooled still outnumber the weary wary. After all these years of Bush, I think he’s wrong.

This Time The Nigerians Have Gone Too Far

Buck Banks

I’m used to receiving scam spam from Nigerian con men who must think I have rocks for brains. Occasionally, they’ll show some glimmer of creativity by putting a different spin on the same old scam. But this time they went too far — they tried to get me to believe that FBI Director Robert Mueller was personally handling my Nigerian case so I won’t get scammed. Really:

ROBERT MUELLER III
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) WASHINGTON D.C
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION SEEKING TO WIRETAP INTERNET

We believe this notification meets you in a very good state of mind and health. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington, D.C in conjunction with some other relevant Investigation Agencies here in the United states of America have recently been informed through our Global Intelligence Monitoring Network that you presently have a transaction going on with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as regards your over-due contract/inheritance funds which was fully endorsed in your favor accordingly.

In addition, be informed that we recently had a meeting with the Minister of Finance in Nigeria, in the person of Hon. Dr. Usman Shamsudeen, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo and Mr. John O. Aboh along with some of the top officials of the ministry regarding your case and they made us to understand that your file has been held in abase depending on when you personally come for the claim. They also made us to understand that the only problem they are facing right now is that some unscrupulous element are using this project as an avenue to scam innocent people off their hard earned money by impersonating the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

We were also informed of a lady with the name Mrs. Joan C. Bailey from OHIO who has already contacted them and also presented all the necessary documentations evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally by you prior to the release of your part payment valued at about US$8,000,000.00 (Eight Million United States Dollars), but the Central Bank office did the wise thing by insisting on hearing from you personally before they go ahead on wiring your fund to the Bank information which was forwarded to them by the above named Lady so that the main reason why they contacted us is to assist them in making the investigations.

We were further informed that we should warn our dear citizens who must have been informed of this payment which was awarded to them from the Central Bank of Nigeria, to be very careful prior to these irregularities so that they don’t fall victims to this ugly circumstance. And should in case you are already dealing with anybody or office claiming to be from the Central Bank of Nigeria, you are further advised to STOP further contact with them in your best interest and then contact immediately the real office of the Minister of Finance and office of the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria only with the below information accordingly:
NAME: Hon. Dr. Usman Shamsudeen
EMAIL: honshamsudeenusman@minister.com
Governor’s Email: private2profsoludo@accountant.com

NOTE: In your best interest, any message that doesn’t come from any of the above email addresses should not be replied and should be disregarded accordingly for security reasons. Meanwhile, we will advise that you contact the Honorable Minister or the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria immediately with the above email addresses and request that they attend to your payment file as directed, so as to enable you receive your contract/Inheritance fund accordingly.

To this effect, you are required to reconfirm and authenticate your given particulars below for certainty and onward processing and release of your funds as we may not be held liable for any wrong payment.
YOUR FULL NAME AND ADDRESS:
YOUR PHONE AND FAX NUMBER:

All modalities have already been worked out even before you were contacted and note that we will be monitoring all your dealings with them as you proceed so you don’t have anything to worry about. All we require from you henceforth is an update so as to enable us be on track with you and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Without wasting much time, we will want you to contact them immediately with the above email addresses so as to enable them attend to your case accordingly without any further delay as time is already running out.

In case you need any more information in regard to this notification, feel free to get back to us so that we can brief you more as we are here to guide you during and after this project has been completely perfected and you have received your contract/Inheritance fund as stated.

Thank you very much for your anticipated co-operation in advance as we earnestly await your urgent response to this matter.

Best Regards,
Robert S. Mueller III
Federal Bureau of Investigation
J. Edgar Hoover Building
935 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW Washington, D.C.

Thanks, Bob!

Fiancee’s Birthday Gift to Florida Gov. Elicits Surprise

Trish

Their engagement is barely a month old, and people are already asking questions about the buddyish appearance of the so-called romance between Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R-Gay) and his fiancee, Carole Rome.

The lovebirds: “My tan’s darker than yours”

They may as well be an old married couple.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s sexy betrothed gave him a tie for his 52nd birthday Thursday.

And a beautiful one it was. Light blue and pink. Expensive looking. But a tie — for the first birthday that Crist spends with fiancée Carole Rome?

“Well, it’s a …,” started Rome, about to reveal its brand. As a former New York City socialite, she did spend some time on Madison Avenue.

“Oh, let’s just keep that to ourselves,” Crist said, rolling his eyes, as he gently caressed the tie. “I hope it’s from Dillard’s.”

Strange that the Florida governor — whose hasty engagement is rumored to be more about trying to be picked as John McCain’s running mate than true love — would toss out Dillard’s, based in Arkansas, instead of Jacksonville’s own Stein Mart. Then again, sounds like he was in a hurry to cut Rome off before she gave away TMI about her finances.

Rome ran her family’s Halloween costume importing business until a few years ago, when she relinquished control to her sister and moved to Miami. No doubt she knows her way around a tie and Charlie’s is first-rate.

But I wonder what she’ll get him for Christmas. Maybe some really nice socks?

Dobson Beats Stern into Radio Hall of Fame

Trish

Is this bad or good? James Dobson, the maniacal fundamentalist (notice how that word has “mental” in it?) preacher beat out Howard Stern for inclusion in the National Radio Hall of Fame.

Dobson’s Focus on the Family radio program is the first religious program to receive the honor, started in 1992 by the Chicago-based Museum of Broadcast Communications.

Speaking of crazy, but in a good way, alien-conspiracy-cover-up aficionado Art Bell will also be inducted. Those left out were Stern, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, and Bob Costas. Bummer. I like Bob Costas.

Dobson was chosen in the “national active” category, which required a national broadcast contribution of at least 10 years. Orson Welles, Jack Benny, Paul Harvey and Rush Limbaugh are among the past honorees.

What, no Don Imus? Maybe next year.