That last quote is from a speech by Kennedy - 9/6/60 in Seattle, WA -

http://www.jfklink.com/speeches/jfk/sept60/jfk060960_seattle02.html

From Joan Walsh's crap fest:

I think the current crop of Democratic contenders might be the best of my lifetime.

Define "best," please, because the more I hear, the more I want to just sink my head in my hands and moan. Are you really this idealistic? Or are you doing the same thing the Republicans have done, which is just to circle the wagons in search of victory in lieu of actually advancing principles.

I would love it if Gore ran only if he was willing to bite the hand that fed him in 2000 - both Republican, Democrat, and Fourth Estate. The Democratic machine and its stalwart, if completely wrong and incompetent, advisors, were entirely wrong on everything having to do with that campaign. Gore was shafted worse than any candidate since Truman by the press ("Dewey Beats Truman"), and if he can work up any righteous anger about that, I'll be heartened. Otherwise, it's just shifting deck chairs on the Atlantic until a viable third party candidate comes along.

From James Levy:

Americans hate Democratic weakness much more than they have ever hated Democratic policies.

hear fucking hear.

I am not a registered anything. Left leaning independent? I have no idea. But the Democrats have a lot to answer for a la "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing".

Kicked puppy needs to get its ass up and bite back.

One of the aspects of this syndrome that doesn't often get mentioned is just how cynical the assumption is that the Democrats would be wanting to investigate, or question Rove because of "...small bore politics."

What kind of utter crap is that? Just because the only motivations you can see are the tiny power monger imprints of your craven ego, you asshole, don't dismiss the fact that it is one of the solemn duties of the legislative branch of government to provide information to the body politic; that in order to do so, it would have to investigate.

And, as was touted so smugly in the crass dismissals of the uproars over the abuses of the executive investigative powers (wiretaps, NSLs, etc.) - if you got nothing to hide, whatchya worried about?

C'mon over for a little sit down, Karl. We just want to talk.

Today the big threats to people’s future prospects come from complex, decentralized phenomena: Islamic extremism, failed states, global competition, global warming, nuclear proliferation, a skills-based economy, economic and social segmentation.

Is he seriously making the suggestion that people have not previously faced challenges as a result of "...Islamic [or other fundamentalist religioius] extremism, failed states, [international] competition, ... a skills-based economy, [or] economic and social segmentation..."?

This argument was published in the New York Times? Are we sure this isn't the Onion?

I think we may have reached a satire proof plateau.

As David Byrne said, "Well ... how did I get here? This is not my beautiful house! This is not my beautiful wife!"

I mean, Jeebus, don't the Salon editors know that P!nk can kick Avril's ass?

I shudder to think of what an interview with myself at 22 would sound like. It certainly wouldn't have been a relatively well-adjusted, likeable rant about the need for balance in one's life as a young multi-millionaire.

I agree that the material is a puff piece. WHAT FUCKING INTERVIEW WITH A MUSICIAN NOT NAMED BOB DYLAN OR FELA IS NOT A GOD DAMN PUFF PIECE? Perhaps current members of Modest Mouse and former members of either Uncle Tupelo, the Clash, or Danzig should be be the only musicians ever interviewed, and then only if they can keep the topics serious, topical, and hard-hitting - like Fox News, or Glenn Greenwald.

By the way, a simple Google search for "22 year old" turned up this gem:

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/openletters/2022yoself.html

So let me get this straight:

A member of a band named for the cute little furry creatures in the kids movie "Gremlins" calls Keith Richards an "...average blues guitar peddlar..." and "...talentless..."

I have no idea whether Keith is an "..unlikeable London pirate-like arsehole..."

I would further suggest that even if he is a "...publicity hungry horrible prick..." that there are people around working that particular side of the moveable feast on a far "...higher order..." than him. Idiots from "influential post-rock bands" (according to Wikipedia) who overstate their reaction to comments of questionable (ok, downright horrible) taste (heh, heh) from rock legends in order to say something that will get them quoted, for example.

But, speaking as a musician with some humility, Keith Richards absolutely kicks some mother-fucking ass as a guitarist and songwriter. He is far from average, and seems to have some genuine sense of history about him, as evidenced by his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction speech of Johnnie Johnson.

So STFU, Barry Burns.

PS - what the fuck is "post-rock' anyways? anyone?

"Sorry, my bad.

I was entirely wrong, misleading, and slavishly devoted to maintaining my connections to the current power elite. But now that public opinion seems to have dictated that I need to actually report the truth, I will pretend that that is what I was doing all along."

/I'll take things Fred Hiatt will never say for $1000, Alex.