PostBadge tag to show // FeedBurner FeedFlare. // ------------------------- // FeedBurner account and feed required. // Sign up at http://feedburner.com //================================================ class module_feedflare { function init(){ global $gregarious; $gregarious->add_settings ( array ( 'feedburner_url' => '' ) ); $gregarious->add_page ( 'FeedFlare', 'modules/feed-flare/icn_Flare.png', 'page_feedflare();', 'feedFlare' ); } function postbadge_tags(){ return array ( array ( 'tag' => '%FLARE%', 'replacewith' => 'feed_flare("",false)' ), ); } function update_info(){ return 100; } } //------------------------------------------ // TEMPlATE TAGS //------------------------------------------ function feed_flare($settings = '', $echo = true){ global $wp_query; $post = $wp_query->post; $sets = array('postID' => $post->ID, 'before' => '', 'after' => 'Gregarious FeedFlare', 'force' => 0 ); grab_sets($settings, $sets); if ( !$sets['force'] && hideOnID($sets['postID']) ){ return ''; } if( !$path = _get_feedburner_url() ) return ''; if( substr( $path, -1 ) == '/' ){ $path = substr( $path, 0, strlen( $path ) -1 ); } $path = str_replace ( 'feedburner.com/', 'feedburner.com/~s/', $path ); $path .= '?i='.get_permalink($sets['postID']); $result = $sets['before'] . "" . $sets['after']; if($echo) echo $result; else return $result; } function _get_feedburner_url(){ $feedurl = greg_get_option( 'feedburner_url' ); if ( $feedurl ){ return attribute_escape($feedurl); } else { $feedburner_settings = get_option('feedburner_settings'); if( is_array($feedburner_settings) && ($feedurl = $feedburner_settings['feedburner_url']) ) { return attribute_escape($feedurl); } else { return false; } } } //------------------------------------------ // OPTIONS PAGE //------------------------------------------ function page_feedflare(){ $feedurl = _get_feedburner_url(); ?> Tag Archive for ‘Election 2008’ at spencerb.net

Tag Archive for 'Election 2008'

Bill Ayers in the NY Times

Published on December 10, 2008 in Politics. 1 Comment

I want to quote a few things out of this editorial and see if they make sense to you. I don’t think the Ayers advertising was particularly effective during the campaign. This editorial is Ayers’ response to accusations made against him.

I never killed or injured anyone. I did join the civil rights movement in the mid-1960s, and later resisted the draft and was arrested in nonviolent demonstrations. I became a full-time antiwar organizer for Students for a Democratic Society. In 1970, I co-founded the Weather Underground, an organization that was created after an accidental explosion that claimed the lives of three of our comrades in Greenwich Village. The Weather Underground went on to take responsibility for placing several small bombs in empty offices — the ones at the Pentagon and the United States Capitol were the most notorious — as an illegal and unpopular war consumed the nation.

The Weather Underground crossed lines of legality, of propriety and perhaps even of common sense.

Sorry, but in my book planting several bombs in the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon doesn’t just “cross the liens of legality”, it is illegal, dangerous, and near treasonous. Let’s look at a dictionary definition of terrorism:

the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, esp. for political purposes.

What did Ayers and his group do?

Our effectiveness can be — and still is being — debated. We did carry out symbolic acts of extreme vandalism directed at monuments to war and racism, and the attacks on property, never on people, were meant to respect human life and convey outrage and determination to end the Vietnam war.

Use of violence -check
Meant to coerce -check
Political purposes -check

Sounds like terrorism to me. What’s the point of an editorial with his side of the story if he’s not going to be honest and admit things like they are. The language he uses isn’t apologetic and I hope our future president does not associate with him at all in the future.

Will Obama’s Administration Deliver on its Promise of Change?

Published on December 5, 2008 in Politics. 0 Comments

This is a tough question that a lot of people are asking themselves in light of the recent Obama appointments. How can a leader who campaigned on a message of change deliver his promises if he is appointing Washington ‘insiders’ from the Clinton era and his primary opponents? A lot of people would say he can’t. To take one extreme example, Defense Secretary Gates will stay on to administer the war in Iraq. In my opinion, this is a good decision, but it does not bring to mind images of the immediate withdrawal from Iraq that Obama campaigned on. Furthermore, the Clintons will be back in the White House (as Cabinet officials and spouse) and so will some of former-President Bill Clinton’s administration. Again, this does not sound like a radical departure from the past.

Frankly, to me this was all fine and dandy. It is good to see that the President-elect is not being extreme in his choices, especially in foreign policy.

The Financial Times (FT) had a very interesting editorial today that argued against concerns about Obama’s team. I find this article to be both convincing and likely. The article puts the concerns this way:

Familiar faces, Washington observers yawn, promise familiar policies.

These concerns aren’t just coming from the right-wing trying to nay-say Obama, but from his supporters as well. The articles response:

Seen in this light, Mr Obama’s choice of foreign policy heavyweights is significant for its ambition rather than its caution. If he really does want to recast America’s relationship with the world, surrounding himself with seasoned players will make the task easier rather than harder. Why would a president who wanted to change things put the task in the hands of inexperienced acolytes?

This makes perfect sense, if you want to institute change, you do not do it by appoint political lightweights. You need people who can throw their weight around and know the system.

In one final point, the FT piece says this:

In Truman’s adage, the buck stops with the president.

I found this even more interesting, relative to a post I wrote a while back about taking responsibility. I think Bush has done a decent job of doing that, unlike any of the presidential candidates during the campaign. I hope things change once Obama takes office.

Election Map

Published on November 5, 2008 in Politics. 2 Comments

Minnesota Senate Seat

Published on November 5, 2008 in Minnesota and Politics. 1 Comment

Al Franken and Norm Coleman’s race is extremely tight.

Check it out here. Updates as we hear ‘em.

Congratulations President-Elect Obama

Published on November 5, 2008 in Blog and Politics. 0 Comments

Well, I’ve been blogging about the potential results for a long time. Now the official results are in.

Congratulations and please don’t govern as liberally as I expect you to.

Early Results

Published on November 4, 2008 in Politics. 0 Comments

Well, it looks like the early results are showing a strong lead for Obama.

I’m tired as hell and going to bed early. Yes, I’m lame. Yes, I have a midterm tomorrow. This election just didn’t turn out to be that contentious.

Last Minute Thoughts

Published on November 4, 2008 in Politics. 1 Comment

Throughout the day, I want to post a few things that have been bouncing around in my mind about the election. I feel like this is the last day I can really be critical of one candidate in support of the other because after today, there will be a president-elect.

First, I’ve been thinking about Powell endorsing Obama. If the Secretary of State who oversaw the beginnings of Iraq and Afghanistan and worked for George W. Bush endorsed McCain, all we would here about is “Bush III”.

Second, I have a distinct feeling that we may be entering an experimental era of American politics. I want to develop a longer post on the subject, but don’t have the time right now. I think Obama’s candidacy shows this and if he wins, confirms this idea. I think people want to try new things even with an inexperienced candidate. A world where rhetoric an ideas are enough. It could extend into foreign and domestic policy as we experiment with new programs. Furthermore, it seems the ideal will be valued above the practical. Anyway, we’ll see what happens.

Happy Election Day!

Published on November 4, 2008 in Politics. 4 Comments

This election is about choices. No election I have ever been a part of has provided such a clear contrast between candidates. In so many ways, we are choosing the future direction of the nation. My vote has already been submitted,along with millions of others. Today, everyone else gets the opportunity to make their choice.

I hope the outcome aligns itself with the vote that I made, but if it doesn’t I’m trusting my fellow citizens to have made the right choice.

Blogging Hiatus/Trip to Iowa

Published on November 3, 2008 in Life, Mock Trial, Northwestern and Politics. 0 Comments

Alright, some of you pay have noticed the conspicuous lack of posing! I apologize!

I was in Iowa all weekend competing in a Mock Trial tournament at Cornell College. Yes, it sounds lame going to Iowa, but in the mock trial world, Iowa is pretty important (for whatever that’s worth). To cut a long story short, my team won the tournament (congrats everyone!). We’re 6-0 going into the final round and split ballots in the last, losing one by a single point.

It was a lot of fun, but the weekend went by too fast. In other news, I have an international finance midterm on Wednesday that I’m a little worried about.

Also, Election tomorrow!!!

Blame The Party, Not The Campaign

Published on October 31, 2008 in Politics. 0 Comments

The truth is that there was little Mr McCain, or his campaign, could do with a party falling apart at the seams. When Mr McCain announced his second run for the presidency on April 25 2007 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Republican brand was already tarnished, perhaps beyond repair. At that time, a poll for Democracy Corps, a non-profit polling organisation I co-founded, found that his party was viewed more negatively than positively by far, with 47 per cent of likely voters giving it poor marks and just 34 per cent viewing it positively. At that point 66 per cent of likely voters thought the country was on the wrong track. Of course, it only got worse as the campaign and George W. Bush’s horrendous presidency trudged on. Our latest poll finds that 79 per cent say the country is headed in the wrong direction.

FT.com / Home UK / UK – Blame the party, not the campaign.

A great piece in the Financial Times by James Carville chronicling the atmosphere that McCain faced in this election as a Republican.  Makes you wonder what the future holds for Republicans if things this November don’t go as planned.

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