Short and Sweet: Daily News Round Up

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008


A cyclist from the U.S. team arrives wearing a mask at Beijing ...

Gassy Breaking News: The air still sucks in Beijing.

Protesty Breaking News: Cyclists backpedal, apologize.

Dopey Breaking News: The Russians are still cheating.

Politico Breaking News: When it comes to raising money, Obama’s just like the rest.

Fiscally Sound News: McCain likes fiscal conservative superstar David Walker.

Overexposed Breaking News: People are sick and tired of hearing about youknowwho.

Iraqi Breaking News: Iraq has a surplus of reconstruction money, yet we’re still footing the bill.

Amuse Bouche: Paris Hilton’s Best Video Since That Other One

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
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“I’m, like, totally ready to lead.”

This is just one of many choice quotes from this very choice, funny, self-aware video from Miss Hilton. I won’t ruin it for you but the best part comes in about one minute in.

So, reader poll: How many people think she understands what she’s saying?

Bush Makes Sense For the First Time Ever

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008


In the run-up to the Olympics, the Washington Post runs a pretty candid interview with President Bush, who for maybe the first time ever, sounds like a reasonable human being. Though he’s attending the opening ceremonies, he’s fully aware of the issues, and explained to the reporter, “it’s really hard to tell” whether the country has made any movement on improving its ghastly human rights record. Bush says he presses the issue of religious freedom with China’s president, Hu Jintao.

“My main objective in my discussions on religious freedom is to remind
this new generation of leadership that religion is not to be feared but
to be welcomed in society…” Oh, I think he listens, absolutely. I think he’s interested. . . . He absorbs, he takes in, he listens.”

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Amuse Bouche: Belated Birthdays

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama and veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas both celebrated birthdays yesterday. We got to thinking about what sort of gifts we’d expect two trailblazers would exchange on their special days (set aside all the ethical qualms and indulge us for a second here).

In an effort to show he’s really ready to stray from the “same old politics,” Obama, 47, might bestow the hard-nosed reporter with hand-made coupons redeemable for questions at his presidential press conferences. Thomas, who has covered every administration since JFK, had to give up her front row seat when she resigned as White House corespondent for UPI in 2000 and has since reportedly gotten the shaft from President Bush and his press aides during Q-and-As.

And in return? The 88-year-old Thomas, who has covered the White House since before Obama was born, would be sure to whip up some of her signature merciless questions and give the presumptive nominee a good grilling—she’s been critical of the “free pass” she thinks Obama has gotten from many of her colleagues covering the campaign trail.

Wondering what the stars have in store for Obama and Thomas? See their horoscope (courtesy of my local newspaper) as well as how they actually celebrated their big days after the jump.

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Bayhwatch: the Obama veepstakes heats up

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

LGBT blog The Bilerico Project offers a convincing collection of circumstantial evidence that points to Indiana Sen. (and über whiteboy) Evan Bayh as the frontrunner for Obama-rama’s VP slot.  Post author Bil Browning says the announcement will come tomorrow morning.

The Washington Post’s political blog “The Fix” has some intersting arguments for and against Bayh, while maintaining that the overall list is still at least six deep.

Most intriguing in terms of arguments against is that no one really knows what exactly Bayh stands for.  He has shown some leadership on the economic threat of China, but otherwise, “is known far more for his style of politics (post-partisan centrism) than any core belief system,” according to The Fix’s Chris Cillizza.

Hmm, square-jawed, corn-fed, midwestern whiteboy without a pre-determined set of issue prejudices.  After taking heat from his core constituents on his FISA vote and his reversal on offshore drilling, ya think Obama is chomping at the bit to get someone else in the mix that he can use as his tough-stance Gumby?  The sock puppet necessary for the ventriloquist act a liberal black man must pull-off to truly appeal to Midle America?

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