CNN – July 15, 2008

McCain again cites current events in ‘Czechoslovakia’

For the second time in two days, John McCain has referred to current events in “Czechoslovakia” – a country that officially ceased to exist in January of 1993.

“And I regret some of the recent behavior Russia that has exhibited, and I’ll be glad to talk about that later on including reduction in oil supplies to Czechoslovakia after they agreed with us on a missile defense system, etcetera,” said the presumptive Republican nominee at a New Mexico town hall Tuesday.

More than fifteen years ago, Czechoslovakia officially split into two nations – the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

On Monday, the Arizona senator made virtually the same statement about recent Russian moves that troubled him, citing that country’s attempt to reduce “the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.”

Later that evening, McCain’s campaign sent reporters a statement on the issue, which quoted the Arizona senator calling the nation “the Czech Republic” twice.

Do you need a little Chaud-froid of Kegani crab before you go out scavenging for extra rice for your family? Perhaps a drop of Le Reve Grand Cru Brut/Le Seule Gloire Champagne to take the edge of your starvation?

Yes, today the leaders of the free – I mean, rich – world decided to suffer with the rest of humanity and feast on a mere 18 course banquet as they discussed the World’s Food Crisis.

President George W Bush said after doing lines of coke from the G8 “Fantasy” dessert

It makes me feel good, real good to, uh, be back with the poor people, like when I was locked outside the dining hall at Yale one day during a hot summers day. Man, it was so hot that day and I had forgot my key to the country club’s pool and wasn’t wearing any pants. And I was hungry. Yeah hungry. Like the poor people. Yeah. .. pass me the ketchup

OK I made the last bit up. But, seriously scoffing one’s face in the name of solving world hunger is a tad hypocritical. Ya think?

Meanwhile, The Daily News reports:

In 2005, at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, world leaders promised to increase global aid by £25billion a year by 2010 and raise aid to Africa, the world’s poorest continent, by £12.5billion. But the bloc of rich nations is only 14 per cent of the way towards hitting its target.

We can only assume the rest went to elaborate 18-course banquets?

Read the rest of the story here

First of all, I HOPE NOT

Secondly, YES!, I want someone who is better than average (I dunno, say … elite?) to be running the United States of America. Look at the guy still in charge and tell me I am wrong.

Thirdly, can we really take a campaign that has been living off the candidate’s wife’s inherited fortune seriously?

So in WTF? this week let us remind you of something that may have slipped through your news cycle. Its called a credit card bill. 3 of them actually. You know, like the ones you have to pay off every month.

How much do you hate scrambling to find the money to make those minimum payments? Well Cindy (Lets-all-pretend-I-really-bake-my-own-cookies) McCain and kids racked up almost $800,000.00 in a single month earlier this year (Yes, I put the extra zero’s there to remind you what a LARGE number that is). The breakdown went a little something like this:

• Cindy McCain Amex Bill #1 = $500,000.00
• Cindy McCain Amex Bill #2 = $250,000.00
• Child of Cindy McCain Amex = $50,000.00
• TOTAL CREDIT CARD BILL FOR THIS AVERAGE AMERICAN FAMILY = $800,000.00

Yes, this is so darn average-working-family-I-feel-your-pain kind of heartbreaking stuff that it makes me want to donate my last food rations to orphans in Darfur.

Which isn’t something the McCain’s are doing much of because they have to save their money in order to buy American stuff later:

Cindy McCain said she favors suits made by the German designer Escada, which typically retail for around $3,000-a-pop. If she becomes first lady, she told Vogue she may switch to an American designer, possibly Carolina Herrera, whose suits are comparably pricey.

(A Bag Full of Health and Politics)

In summary:

1. Cindy has a lot of money
2. John likes to get her to pay for stuff
3. The McCain’s spend obscene amounts on their credit cards
4. Yet somehow the Obama’s are the snobby, country club going, out-of-touch elitists

God help us.

Oh, and in case you missed it:

     5. Cindy just loves American designers – but only if they come to hubby’s inauguration

Happy shopping kids

jxx

PS. See Politico’s take on the hypocrisy at work for the republicans and potential political fallout: Politico.com

In a bewildering incident in Carcassonne, France today 17 people were wounded when a soldier mistakenly opened fire with live ammunition during a display at an army base. The 28-year-old sergeant fired his assault rifle into a crowd of hundreds of visitors watching a mock hostage rescue operation yesterday at the base near the south-western city of Carcassonne.

A three-year-old boy, who took bullets in the heart and in the arm, and both his parents were among the victims who were rushed to hospitals in the region, officials said.

WTF was the soldier doing pointing a gun at a crowd – live ammunition or not.

French president Nicolas Sarkozy was understanably horrified: “This cannot go without consequences,” he said, adding the “entire chain of command” would have to provide answers”

See, guns don’t kill people. Live ammunition in guns kills people.

For More Click Here

President Bush to the President of the Philippines: “I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House “

President Bush met with Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo today at the White House. Arroyo was in Washington while her country tries to recover from a typhoon that devastated coastal areas and flipped a ferry carrying over 800 passengers last week.

Before discussing aid for the Philippines, Bush couldn’t resist beginning the sober meeting with a quip about a Filipino member of his kitchen staff. Read part of the transcript from the meeting and click here to read more about one of the “Philippine-Americans” Bush is referring to. See the excerpt below:

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Oval Office. We have just had a very constructive dialogue. First, I want to tell you how proud I am to be the President of a nation that — in which there’s a lot of Philippine-Americans. They love America and they love their heritage. And I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Yes.

PRESIDENT BUSH: And the chef is a great person and a really good cook, by the way, Madam President.

PRESIDENT ARROYO: Thank you.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/24/bush-to-filipino-presiden_n_108985.html