Dear Booman,
I share your feelings. Because I was a contributor to Larry Johnson's blog and considered him and SusanHu friends as well. They were good to me also. And it was really painful to watch what became of his blog and to have to resign as a result.

I don't understand their animosity to Obama. Or why they would want to destroy the Democratic parties chances in November against McCain. It's painful and sad.

Leslie

This is it?

This is what they've got??

THIS is the big bombshell that's supposed to blow the doors off of Obama's candidacy?

You know of course that there are going to be people who will fall for it. And that of course is not the saddest part -- the saddest part is that people who are purportedly Democrats would do this in the first place.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

It must be painful; my condolences.

However, a long time back, I thought he had pertinent stuff to say from a spook's perspective. In the last few months, he reminds me of the guy who thinks he's a cop because he does unarmed security patrols of 7-11s.

Like Taylor Marsh, his cred's gone through the basement floor.

- Kev - 'Don't question authority. Assume authority.'

But they're fucking morons.  Last time I checked, Michelle Obama wasn't running for president.

~~~THIS SPACE FOR RENT~~~

but the real news is this:
like they always say....as Puerto Rico goes, so goes the nation.


The sleep of reason begets tyrants. -Goya

Booman - People are strange.  They are what they are and it has nothing to do with what you are.  Try not to take it personal.

This is the dying of the age of bullshit.

Another comment - there are many in the Democratic party (not that I would say Larry is a Democrat - this is more of a general comment) who believe that the only way to beat Republicans is to play their own game.  Fight a hard, aggressive and dirty campaign.  They are frustrated by the difficulties that the Democratic party has had in past decades in winning the Presidency, and to them Obama is just another Dukakis or Kerry because of his unwillingness to play dirty politics.

And if Obama had a different personality and were weak and uninspiring, this could be a concern.  Many of the Clinton supporters have demonized Obama to a degree that they are currently blind to the possibilities.

over at the No Sense blog:

Hearing you backing this up solidifies my belief this is a smear.

Thanks, Booman.

Scene In Philly - A Philadelphia based photoblog

Just a question, Who the hell says "Whitie" anymore?  Certainly nobody in my (Michelle's) generation.

"I have not seen it but I have heard from five separate sources who have spoken directly with people who have seen the tape."

Disgraceful, Larry.

Put up or shut up. After promising his lunatic readers a "tape" for weeks, we now learn he has no such tape.  The whole point of this exercise was to plant the Michelle/whitie" meme and let the crazy people fertilize and nourish it.

You can take the boy out of the CIA, but you can't take the CIA out of the boy.

"This election has ruined a lot of friendships."

No.

It's the behavior of people like Larry and Susan is what has ruined whatever friendships existed or whatever sense of respect one could have for them.

They chose to do these things on their own.

The behavior of Clinton and her surrogates has been beneath contempt since the beginning. I was an ardent admirer of Bill and Hillary, but these last 5 months have permanently destroyed any respect I will ever have for them.

I tried for weeks to forgive and forget the worst that came our of the Clinton campaign; to this date, Hillary has refused to distance herself from the worst of it. She should actively be denouncing these disgusting attacks, but she remains almost totally silent.

Well, I pretty much set my bridge on fire with gasoline and sticks of dynamite in February of 2006 due to my, and other's, interpretation that there was some shitty, xenophobic behavior being exhibited by one of your former front pagers.  I haven't been surprised to see it rear its ugly head again during this campaign.

Latino Político | "We are condemned to kill time, thus we die bit by bit." - Octavio Paz

They seem as deranged as the people protesting at the DNC yesterday.

Doing My Part For The Left

What does the tape actually say?  Or do we not know yet?

Only two of those things might relate to race.  Jena obviously does.

As far as New Orleans goes, let's be honest: Whether the administration's failure to react was race-related or not -- and I tend to think it was to at least a small degree -- it's very easy for me to understand why so many suspect a racial dynamic.

As far as Johnson's psychotic behavior goes, well, what can you say?

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

Larry Johnson is nothing more than someone who is still representing the corporatocracy.

The CIA's function is to protect the wealth of the very rich through its "irregular" nature as a spy organization. If that requires an assassination, that what the CIA has done. Coups, supporting the vilest regimes around the world. But the dividing line between over there and over here has long ago been crossed. Larry Johnson was given a few "anti-CIA" scraps and sent to live amongst the Left. Now he's revealed himself, supporting the candidate in the Democratic Party that best represents the interests of the corporatocracy. Racism is a tool. The bizarre uber-gender identification is a ploy. And when H. Clinton couldn't win, and when her bag of "oppo research" wasn't enough to sink Obama, it was necessary for Clinton to push her campaign past all reasonability in order to bloody Obama, just like Rush. If Johnson, or Marsh, were really good Democrats they would be pulling together behind the nominee. They aren't Democrats at all.

I was going to write something scathing about them but I thought better of it.

I'm sorry this election has cost you friends.

Sorry about all of it, Booman.

But like some of the others, I'm just not seeing that much of a there there. At first blush, this doesn't sound even as revelatory or damning as the Wright stuff to me (and it wasn't revelatory, but long known). I'll freely admit my relative naïveté on these kinds of things, though.

Clinton will try to pounce on it, but I don't see it shaking many superdelegates loose. If what you presented to us is the extent of it -- it seems managable, though fairly troublesome.

Of course, how the Obama campaign handles this doesn't have any bearing on your relationships with the No Quarter people, so that may be the more painful part.

Yeah, right, Michelle Obama goes around and talks about "whitie".

You'd sooner hear that from Laura Bush or Cindy McCain.

Independent Illinois Grassroots: IllinoisDemNet.com

Not believing "whitey" obviously, but I'd sure like to hear "Bush" by name in the lead-in to this snippet.

What's the Jena reference? Jena Bush?  Why would "Whitey" care about Jena Bush? Why's Michelle upset about Jena?

John McCain hates children

the Mickey Cantor video and the supposedly disrespectful comments from the video.  It ended up changed, the director put the full clip out, and was thoroughly debunked.  Daily Kos has that diary up at the top of the rec list and removed it when it was found to be altered.

So, Larry Johnson and the rest better be careful here.  If they alter or try to insinuate something SAID that was not, they can end up in court.  Faux News, too.

Long story short:

You trusted a CIA guy because you thought the whole Plame thing was wrong and he seemed to agree with you.

And I told you over and over again that there was more to it than that, that there was a left wing of the right wing and that its "CIA" used the same tools as did the right wing of the same community.

The entire Plame thing was  suspect. From BOTH sides. i knew it the moment I saw the CIA pro-Plame put-up job on Nightline, copmplete with the requisite "ex"-CIA guys and a female agent in a disguise speaking through voice alteration technology.  

How THRILLING, Paul!!! Just like in the movies!!!

Whadda load of bullshit!!!

NEVER trust a spook.

Even a so-called Democratic spook.

Now you don't trust Mr. Johnson anymore...and indeed it even appears that your feelings have been hurt (!!!)...because he supports Clinton over Obama. Is it any coincidence that the Clintons were in Plame's corner from the gitgo? Of course not. They are part of the same segment of the establishment.

It's just business, Booman.

Nuthin' personal.

Bada-bing!!!

That segment apparently thinks that Obama will either lose to McCain or at best earn a weak victory, and furthermore Obama has not yet sufficiently proved his fealty to the overlords of that group whereas Hillary Clinton most certainly has done so. Therefore they prefer Clinton.

Duh.

Business as usual.

They do not trust Obama, Booman.

That's the long and short of it.

JKF doublecrossed them, and they don't want to take any chances with someone having the same sort of broad popular appeal. That there chickens-roosting thiing kin git MESSY!!!

They make good sense, too. Obama probably will have a lot more trouble winning the general election than he has had against Clinton in the primaries, and the primaries have been nothing less than a squeaker if you tally the popular vote.

From Real Clear Politics:

 
                                     Obama-Clinton              
                 Popular Vote 48.1% - 48%                    Obama +0.1%
   Popular Vote (w/MI)     47.3 %- 48.1%                Clinton +0.8%

Squeaky squeak squeak.

Add in the general election polls and the pro-Clinton skew can be plainly seen:

General Election      McCain-Obama      McCain-Clinton

National                      Obama +0.7    Clinton +1.8
Pennsylvania              Obama +5.8    Clinton +11.7
Ohio                         Obama +1.3       Clinton +8.3
Wisconsin                 Obama +2.0       McCain +3.4
Virginia                     McCain +1.3    McCain +10.4
Florida                     McCain +8.3    Clinton +3.0
California                 Obama +12.6      Clinton +12.8

Mind you, Booman...this is from Real Clear Politics, which is the site you referenced earlier when you were trying to argue against my take on the matter.

Clinton vs. McCain  + 1.1% over Obama vs. McCain in national polls

Clinton vs. McCain  + 5.9% over Obama vs. McCain in PA.

Clinton vs. McCain  + 7% over Obama vs. McCain in OH.

Oama wins over McCain in WI, Clinton loses. Skewed 5.4%

McCain beats them both in VA. He beats Obama 9.1% less badly than he does Clinton.

In Florida, Obama loses to McCain and Clinton wins. Skew? 11.3%

Clinton vs. McCain  + .2% over Obama vs. McCain in CA. Both beat McCain handily there.

And what were the two swing states that allowed Bush to win...stolen election or not? In both 2000 + 2004?

Why Florida and Ohio, of course. Clinton has an +11.3 skew over Obama in Florida, where Obama actually loses to McCain (!!!), and a +7% skew in Ohio.

Hmmmm...

Mebbe them CIA guys ain't so dumb about some things, eh Booman?

Oh.

But I forgot.

You don't like Ms. Clnton OR the big bad CIA men.

Although of course you USED to like the CIA fella a lot when he agreed with you.

But now you don't.

These numbers don't agree with your pre-conclusions either.

So you won't like them much, either. Or their messenger.

Hmmmmmm...you know what you are going to like even less, Booman?

President John McCain.

Me too, of course.

I got yer big boohoohoohoohoo right here, Booman.

If this nightmare happens, it will be you and the rest of the kneejerk left who are responsible.

Joe Bageant's "soft, moody, self-absorbed American lefties. "

You think with your hearts and wonder why hardasses like the Republicans consistently kick your asses.

And now you appear to have done it again.

Dream on.

I fear that the Fitzmas to end ALL Fitzmasses is headed this way as we speak.

Congrats.

Sorry your feeling have been hurt.

Boo hoo hoo hoo fucking hoo!!! Why...I'm going to stop SPEAKING to that nasty man!!!

Get real.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

I hope the new tape is better than the doctored tape being distributed on the internet in which her "really proud" comment lost its "really." The awkward superlative construction of her comment garnered plenty of attention already, but it had the unfortunate problem being quite understandable to anyone with a grade school level understanding of English grammar.

That small obstacle was overcome with some sloppy tape editing, which still allows one to hear the beginning and end of the word 'really.' There have been previous attempts by Patrick Buchanan and Tucker Carlson to verbally edit Michelle's comment by deliberately omitting the "really" modifier to "proud" so the strategy is hardly new.

"..the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. .. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked.." - Goering

Booman,

On what basis do you believe this to be the transcript -- misheard or otherwise -- of the alleged tape?

Well, BooMan, Larry's site used to be one of my favourites, even though I used to get quite annoyed at times with the "American first" point of view (and did not hesitate to say so), and it was there that I got introduced to yours. I came to consider Susan a friend, and had some private communication with Larry that was positive, though we never spoke on a personal level. I watched with huge disappointment as the site deteriorated from one that offered unique and valuable information and points of view to a virtually bottomless pit of hysterical anti-Obama fantasy and Hillary hagiography. I feel as if I have seen Larry and Susan lose their minds. So, like you, I have rarely looked at the site for some time because it is simply to painful, disappointing, and quite frankly the content is beyond boring. I guess the madness of the season overtook both of them, and I have lost a lot of my respect for them.

And I am NOT, repeat NOT an Obama supporter (nor am I a supporter of Hillary - I do not see sufficient difference between them in the areas that are important to me that I can differentiate between the two). Not that I am such a big deal in the blogosphere, although I have managed to achieve some small-time respect (and also to be reviled by some) on issues involving Iraq, Palestine/Israel and the Middle East and Muslim world in general,  but though I have not lost my affection for Susan, I do not want to be associated with No Quarter anymore (where I post under a different name than here, by the way).

.

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

.
Pastor Pfleger's apology ...

Barack Obama: Putting faith out front

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

This site and DailyKos have been anti-Clinton sites for many months. But when one little blog doesn't like Obama, it's a crime. If you guys don't thicken up your skins, McCain will win in a walk.

And that will be a real crime.

Steve at No More Mister Nice Blog reminds us of who No Quarter has hopped into bed with:  the odious Roger Stone (somebody over there is pushing Stone's legitimacy by pointing out that he trained at the feet-things of Lee Atwater).  Steve also points out that they apparently aren't remembering the wonderful acronym of Stone's anti-Clinton 527.

self-righteousness if you did not have the Vanity Fair hit piece relying on Monica Lewinsky's intuition about Bill Clinton's affair with Walter Mondale's daughter (yes, you read that right) on the front page.  BooMan, stay above it or wallow, but don't wag you finger at others from the slime.

Follow the money. It leads to the truth.

Booman,

I understand mourning the loss of friends, but perhaps it's because I am quite familiar with the self-centered nature of humanity that I am not surprised that "good guys" go off on "tangents" and do something crazy from my perspective. There are no "good guys", there are simply people who look after their own interests, however they define their interests. Many of the people who we call friends are our friends because our interests generally align, but in too many instances we develop deep friendships with people whose true interests only seem to align, when upon closer inspection our interests have entirely different bases, and those differences certainly will be exposed when they are put under pressure.

For example, I support civil unions, but I'm willing to bet that virtually nobody who posts here regularly would make my argument for civil unions. If you only considered my support for civil unions instead of the basis for that support then you might be taken aback when some other issue arose and you found me on the other side of the argument.

You have to take a deeper look at the people that you call your friends, not for the purpose of passing judgment on them, but for the purpose of truly knowing them and understanding what they truly believe. When you truly know them then you won't be surprised by what they do - you'll actually be able to anticipate their actions and act accordingly.

I do feel sorry for your loss - you have my condolences.

The Underground Railroad

My brother has been all over this for some time.  Sometime last week, he received an ALL-CAPS FREAKOUT from Larry calling him a moron.

Somehow, I don't think it's Ray that's the moron.

John Mccain Called his wife WHAT??

Boo,

When you respect someone you always give them the benefit of the doubt.

Now neither are deserving of that respect or trust.

They wouldn't listen to people who tried to tell them that their strategy was harmful and what they were spreading was nonsense so just move on.

So there should be something like a video going up, right?

Hmmmm....

NONSENSE!! He knew and he knows. And the gig will be up when the Michelle tape hits the airwaves. One source described how this tape was acquired. Let's just say that one of the republican candidates who is no longer in the race, but had a dandy oppo research capability, uncovered this gem. If Republican poohbahs have their way the tape will remain on ice until October. But when it comes out, Barack will be permanently branded with the Nation of Islam. That's not a winning platform in November. And Barack's bundlers understand this threat. I also have learned some major financial backers are asking the Barack team about the tape and are being stonewalled. It is a wild card in the political campaign that has not yet played out.

Scene In Philly - A Philadelphia based photoblog

I don't care what GOOD Larry Johnson was up to in the past, he has completely lost his moral compass and now lives in the gutter.  He has become nothing more than a gutter troll.

If anything, this campaign has shown who is made of real moral fibre and has real integrity and who doesn't.

Hillary's bid for the nomination has become a pathetic display of decadence in the making.

Thank God she is loosing, because she is creating too many loons in the process.  This is a true leader?  Someone who inspires this kind of behaviour?  

Thank God the true leader, who inspires all that is good about this nation is winning!  There is hope after all.

acting like there is 1 tape and it's been secreted away. This isn't a movie. If there was a damning tape it'd have been found by multiple oppo researchers and Clinton would have used it visa Drudge in a last ditch effort to save her dead campaign.

I don't care how much "good" Larry Johnson did in the past!  That will never excuse what he has done!  He has scoured the depths of immorality to get what he wants and so has his High Priestess.

These people have betrayed themselves for who they really are.  Bottom feeders.

They tried to sully the reputation of a good and honest man and in the process they have lost their own forever!

So what's the deal?  Does Shithead have a tape or not?

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

A lot of friendships have been damaged beyond repair this primary season, both online and IRL.

There are lots of bloggers I will never take seriously again as well.

John McCain hates Social Security.

One of Michele's college roommates described her as lady like and well mannered ,even as a freshman .  

So with that as a foundation , we are suppose to entertain the notion of foul language from her after years of additional maturity and having been part of the  most language conscious profession on earth ?

Sounds to me , like the person who thought that up the tape notion ,is in way to deep on looping Flava Flav reruns .

Fullerg

Whitey?
Why'd he?

Kind of reminds me of that scene in Annie Hall, where Woody Allen gets a bit obsessional about whether the guy they were just playing tennis with was an antisemite.

"Did you hear what that guy we were playing against said to me?"
"No, what?"
"I asked him if he ate yet and he said: `No. Jew? Did Jew eat? Jew?' How could he say that?"

Woody Allen's Jewish. What's Larry's excuse?

Does anyone have a youtube of Whitey on the Moon to contribute to No Quarter?

They say the best way to learn something is to teach it. No allowance is made for the damage done to students.

I emailed Larry once yesterday, asking him why he's perpetuating this lie, and trying to usurp the will of the voters from his party.

He has now emailed me three times, each time giving me a stern "warning" about going to my local law enforcement agency with my email, and saying that my email was "threatening". Although, I couldn't imagine why anyone would actually threaten an ex-CIA officer.

This guy has gone off his rocker, and to think that I would threaten him, from my personal email address with my name, phone number and address in my sig file, is so ridiculous it makes me laugh.

This guy is a total nutcase!

Fuck Whitey. He sucks. I'm White. I know Whitey sucks.

When Whitey gets up and goes to work as 'The Man' - he only gets worse.

Whitey sucks because he is a powerful coward, jealously gaurding his ill-gained diabetes-encrusted hoard from everyone he's F'd with in the past. Whitey bowls for Columbine, Whitey keeps the prisons full of young black men for the Prison-Induatrial complex to pay 47 cents a day. Whitey promises peace and delivers eternal war. Whitey demands your taxes and pays them to his friends. Whitey makes it hard for you to vote.

Down with WHITEY!!!!

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..