Dakota Today

**Sen. Obama visits Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore

Sen. Obama managed to slip into South Dakota between all the flights of Clinton clan.  MSNBC has a note about his visit to Mt. Rushmore at night and Denise Ross at Hoghouse Blog has some actual reporting from the Obama meeting at the Fairgrounds in Rapid City.

MSNBC on Sen. Obama at Mt. Rushmore
And, the Hog House Blog story which may have some more updates coming later, so you may want to check back again there.
 Denise Ross on Sen. Obama in Rapid City

I happened to meet an Obama worker who was pounding the neighborhood streets of Winner, SD in hopes of getting out the Obama vote next Tuesday. He was definitely happy about the results he was getting. Not a big sample of course, but perhaps the undecideds are finally making up their minds and heading in the direction of Obama for President. Of course, everything is speculation, hopes, and fears until late Tuesday night.

Below is another spirea photo.  Some yards literally have a wall of white right now.



**Stay tuned even if you never saw a spirea plant you liked and don't care if Sen. Obama has ears too big for Mt. Rushmore...Hillary on the other hand....ah forget it..but stay tuned anyway--- Doug Wiken

** What does Senator Clinton really want?

Adding in Florida and Michigan miscast votes diminishes the value of the votes of the states that followed the rules and would diminish the value of South Dakota and Montana votes on Tuesday as well. What Hillary wants is a partial disenfranchisement of all the voters who voted in sanctioned elections where candidates played by the rules.

Probably like most South Dakota Democrats, I have gotten taped calls from all kinds of party luminaries.  They are mostly kind of pathetic pleading and it is really, really hard to listen to more than the first four or five words.

Also, we have received a few pieces of printed propaganda that is tied in with TV ads.  Most of this is from the Sen. Clinton organization.  Her ads must be designed to appeal to the least thoughtful and most ignorant of actual records and issues.  The photos in her ads both on paper and TV might as well be of cute cats or cute puppies.  They have little relation to the issues headlined with them let alone with the "supporting" text.

"1.Resort trust and competent leadership" followed by "A government that lives within its means again will ensure prosperity and security for America."  Golly gee whiz.  I'd say that using "security" in this context is a bit strange, but not nearly as strange as Sen. Clinton who has run a deficit campaign and also supported the Bush War which is the primary contributor to the crappy economy and federal and state deficits.

"2. Close loopholes and end $55 Billion in giveaways to corporate special interest and instead invest in creating new jobs in every part of America."  Don't hold your breath waiting for this to happen if Sen. Clinton is actually elected.  Her contributors are coming mostly from many of the same corporate special interests she claims she will tax more and cut their free lunches.  The war she has supported very much limit what can be invested in creating new jobs even in terribly depressed areas..let alone in "every part of America".

"3 Protect and strengthen Social Security and force corporations to pay their fair share of taxes".  What does this combination mean?  Does Hillary propose that corporations pay the equivalent of social security taxes on their incomes?  Sounds like a good idea to me, but I doubt that is what she is suggesting.  Is she suggesting that all personal income be subject to social security tax instead of just that of those of us at the bottom of the income distribution?  I doubt it, but I don't really know.  How about a tax on obscene "windfall" and "golden parachute" payments to greedy executives?  Well, maybe not, because many of them have contributed to the Sen. Clinton campaign as well.

But wait, there is more on the other side of the card. 
Hillary Clinton for President
Restoring Fiscal Responsibility

America needs competent leadership in the White House again. George Bush turned federal budget surpluses into a debt of more than $9 Trillion.  Today, we borrow money from China in order to buy oil from Saudi Arabia, and the cost of everything from gas to groceries is on the rise.  As president, I will return sound fiscal management to the White House and restore our Nation's prosperity.

I hope I am not being too cynical when I say this is more than just a bit hypocritical since Sen. Clinton has supported the Bush war which combined with tax cuts on the rich has generated the nationally-debilitating $9Trillion debt.  She has been in the US Senate too.  What has she proposed and what has she supported which would have or will do anything to accomplish her laundry lists?  The "borrow money from China in order to buy oil from Saudi Arabia" phrase is cute, but the trade agreements that Sen. Clinton's prime supporter Bill Clinton pushed are also responsible for the trade imbalance with China.

And, just to make the cost of groceries and fuel worse for many on the edge of economic disaster are the bankruptcy laws which Sen. Clinton supported as a Senator from NY with all its banks and credit card systems.

And, in cyberspace, the hysterical Hillary supporters are demanding that Sen. Obama apologize for some remarks some other preacher or priest made.  These same posters are very, very obnoxious in their attacks on Obama supporters.  It seems that if they expect Obama to apologize for something a minister said, Hillary should apologize for the disgusting and scatological attacks of her supporters on Obama supporters.

And in Washington, the tens of thousands of Hillary supporters apparently did not show up to bang on the windows of Democratic meeting rooms.  Apparently this was not quite as well organized as the Republican window banging in the Florida Gore vs Bush recount.

You can get the other side of the story at Hillary Clinton South Dakota Site


**Stay tuned because you know most of this primary crap will be over with next Tuesday--- Doug Wiken

**"Waterfall" of white spirea blossoms in Winner, SD Part 1

We must have had the right temperatures and rainfall, etc this year in Winner, SD ..at least for spirea bushes.  The blossoms in some yards look like a "waterfall" of white.  I may have some more photos of these hedges that are spectacular in their own  way.  But for now, one photo of a bout 6 wide bush and another of a closeup of the flowers at our own back door.


Click on the image for a larger view.  Below is a closeup of the blossoms.


Click on image for a larger view.  These are along the handicapped-accessible ramp near our doorway.

Hope you enjoy a photo or two now and then.  This kind is rather transient, but pretty while
they are here.

**Stay tuned..especially if you don't have anything better to do.--- Doug Wiken

**Hillary Supporters ready to replicate the Florida "voter riot"

It appears that Sen. Clinton's supporters are planning to stage a "voting" riot much like the Republicans did around the Florida recount when the US Supreme Court decided they liked Bush better than Gore. I guess if a fraudulent voter uprising in Florida could be used to justify a Supreme Court decision, the same type of humbug "riot" can be used in Washington, DC and might be expected by Sen. Clinton's supporters (and probably hyped by Rush Limpdick)  to be justification for taking Sen. Clinton's lost cause to the Democratic Convention in Denver.  The Republican operatives from DC who staged the Florida voter outrage might not be fooled by the Sen. Clinton  humbug  protest.

 Is there a patron saint for lost causes?

 **Stay tuned for something which might be more serious...depending on my mood later of course-- Doug Wiken

** When your shingles aren't on the roof..call MD ASAP

A relative and a neighbor have both been diagnosed with shingles infections in the last week or two.
In the United State, there are apparently about 500,000 people infected with shingles every year.  Getting treatment as soon as possible is important if you wish to reduce chances of long-term problems.

So, you might want to look at some of the links below or do a google search for "shingles treatment".

Valtrex Site on Shingles
WebMD on Shingles
Mayo Clinic on Shingle Infections
E Medicine Health onShingles, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
Medical Clinic of Wisconsin on Shingles
I have Shingles dot Com ..Questions and Answers

Well, that is probably more than you ever wanted to know about shingles infections, but it might be worth knowing about just in case you get infected in the future. Important to get anti-virals as soon as possible. Apparently there are also vaccinations for shingles now available. I did not search for info on that today. Might be something for a later post. Good Luck and Good Health and may your only shingles be on your roof.

 **Stay tuned for a rant on an unnecessary swimming pool building plan and photos of the Spirea "water falls" of color--- Doug Wiken

** It is 3AM

It is 3AM.

What?
 They bombed Manhattan?
Why?
They heard you say "obliterate them".
Well, I am just so very sorry they failed to understand what I meant and then took such foolish action based on their mistake.  I do hope they will apologize to the relatives of the dead in Manhattan for their error.

 -----------------------------------------------------------------

It is 3AM. You wake up. Do you care who is in the White House?

** Stay tuned even if only in nursery rhymes does "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me actually apply--- Doug Wiken

** Some chickens crossing the road humor..it's a joke, son

Apologies to Foghorn Leghorn, but this was a little bit of humor that got interjected into the discussion of Sen. Clinton's recent foot in mouth disqualifier. I have no idea who wrote it to begin with. It was quoted without any attribution included.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a CHANGE! The chicken wanted CHANGE!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure -- right from Day One! -- that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.......

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

          PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

** Well, at least it wasn't another post about another post here--- Doug Wiken

** Itty bitty gas guzzlers

The title "itty-bitty gas guzzlers is a bit misleading, but is how I feel right now anyway.  Most of the time, I drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse with a 1.8 L engine and a 5-speed manual transmission.  It gets pretty good gas mileage, and has a relatively small gasoline tank.  Despite this, I put a nickel less than $50.00 of gasoline in it this evening.  As usual I bitched at the counter.  The gal behind the counter said, "Well, at least it didn't cost $50 to fill a lawnmower."  Apparently somebody had put $20 of gas in a lawnmower today.  That'll teach 'em to fertilize.

One of my previous posts here has generated some comment in the SD BlogLand. The post is on running reasonably fuel efficient "junkers" instead of buying a new Prius or similar car.  I don't usually get traffic from SD Politics Blog which is almost always on the dreadful darkside of politics, but anyway, here is a link to their take on the issue.
NWLINK to SD Politics on Fuel efficiency, etc

And, to balance out the political perspective a bit, Cory H. at Madville Blog linked to that post and that generated a few interesting comments.
NWLINK to Madville Times on Gas and Jalopies

Cory Heidelberger made a most interesting point in a comment on his own post when he wrote that I had missed the obvious best option;ie, "Buying a used Prius". Anyway, that is probably enough of the circuitous web links to my own posts. I sure don't want to generate any comments in the vein of "Oh, what a tangled web we weave."

***Stay tuned for a post on something besides another post here--- Doug Wiken

**Until the last super delegate has sung

I hope Hillary and Obama stay in until the last primary vote is counted and the last super delegate has sung. Right now however, Hillary may be wondering herself why she stayed in until the South Dakota primary.  And we should also be glad as well, because she has sucked the oxygen right out of her own campaign and indicated also why she should not be President of the United States.

And, by her special assassination logic, John Edwards and all the rest of them should have stayed in the race...just in case.  Hillary claiming that there are a lot of calls to keep South Dakotans from voting is just plain crap.  She knows better, and it is no justification for her assassination comments.

Keith Olbermann is also not impressed with Clinton's latest foot in the mouth too far.
Keith Olbermann on "invoking a nightmare

Some of Sen. Clinton's supporters are suggesting she is just too tired and this should be excused.  Of course the same people a few weeks or two ago were calling Sen. Obama a wimp because he was tired or ill. They have also failed to see there is fundamentally no difference between voting for Sen. Clinton because she is a woman and voting for Sen. Obama because he is a Black or in turning those around and voting against Hillary because she is female or against Obama because he is Black.  There are better reasons for choosing or rejecting either of them.

As I have previously indicated, I supported John Edwards and have been watching the primary mostly undecided about Sen. Obama or Sen. Clinton as the candidate choice.  But, I have steadily become less impressed with Hillary and more impressed with Obama.  Obama and his organization have demonstrated management skills that exceed the much vaunted Clinton team.    The Hillary campaign debt is enough reason to suggest that her administration might not be what is needed to undue the Bush damage to the US economy and federal and state deficits.

South Dakota is still in the race.  I think Sen. Obama already owes South Dakota a huge debt of gratitude and if we can settle the issue in the next few days and get America back on the right track without John McAncient running the railroad on the route begun by the corrupt and incompetent Bush Administration, he and all of America will be indebted to the "small" state of South Dakota..

**Stay tuned--- Hillary has another foot to go--- Doug Wiken

**CounterPunch on the Clinton machine attacks on Sen. Obama

Below is part of a comment at Counterpunch.  The full comment makes some interesting points.  Worth reading all of it if you are still a  supporter of Sen. Clinton.


Hillary Clinton famously found her voice in New Hampshire, but it took the senator until West Virginia to relocate her inner child. Yes, she's once again embraced the Goldwater Girl of her youth.

....

The Clinton camp has become so entrenched in their racial rhetoric that I've begun to wonder if they begin their morning strategy sessions with a screening of the Rodney King beating tape as a motivational tool.

For the dull-witted, Clinton's surrogates are sent out spell it out in capital letters. Obama used cocaine (Bob Johnson). Obama's middle name is "Hussein" (Bob Kerrey). Obama is a master of "shuck and jive" (Andrew Cuomo). Obama is another Jesse Jackson (Bill Clinton). Obama's story is a fairy tale (ditto). And, most recently, Geraldine Ferraro told the Los Angeles Times that Obama is a "sexist" (most black men are, right?) and she won't vote for him if he is the nominee.

To sum up: Obama is a drug abuser, a huckster, a secret Muslim, a con artist and a misogynist. And that's without dragging Jeremiah Wright into the scenario.

Numerically, Obama sewed up the nomination back in March. Since then the Clinton campaign has been running largely on the fumes of her own ego, at a cost of a million dollars a day. How then can she justify persisting, especially with a campiagn freighted with such malignant themes?

Her campaign now resembles a political neutron bomb that wipes out all living contenders and leaves only the super-structure of her own aspiration standing. Apparently, the idea is to crush the interloper Obama, either in Denver, through some deus ex machina of spineless super-delegates stampeding her way, or to have McCain do her work for her so that she can challenge the septuagenarian in 2012. If so, her motto will be the familiar taunt of the schoolhouse tattletale: "I told you so."

If Obama survives the primaries and falls to McCain in November, Hillary will attempt to remake the Democratic Party in her own image. It will replay of the origin of the conservative DLC, designed by her husband and Lieberman to keep the party from falling into the hands of Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition. This time the C will stand for Clinton.

--Jeffery St. Clair

<http://www.counterpunch.org/stclair05212008.html

**Stay tuned for the fallout on the Sen. Clinton statement on the Robert Kennedy assassination and has typepad ever screwed up their WYSIWYG posting window --- Doug Wiken