POLITICS: This is why she must be stopped

The Clinton campaign yesterday acknowledged that they will be going after Barack Obama's pledged delegates leading up to the National Democratic Convention.  That's pledged delegates my friends.  The ones that are pledged to vote for Obama on the basis of popular vote.

 

In other words, the Clinton campaign is stating that they do not care what the voters want, they want to win regardless of what the voters say.  This is another example of the Clinton campaign's win-at-all-costs methodology.  They are willing to do anything to win this nomination:  Lie, cheat, steal, destroy the Democratic Party, subvert the popular vote...

 

Aren't these the sorts of things Democrats decried the Bush Administration for?

 

The only conclusion any rational person can draw from this is that Clinton would bring 4 or 8 more years of the sort of lies and failed policies propagated by the first Clinton administration and continued by the Bush administration.

 

Is that what you want?

 

So to voters in today's Hawaii and Wisconsin Primaries, as well as those in Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and everywhere else.  Take a look at what's going on here.  Hilary Clinton is willing to do anything and everything under the sun to gain power.  What is to stop her from committing the same sorts of abuses of power once she holds the presidency?  The potential risks for each and every one of us are huge.

Politics: Democratic Party Primaries

Harold Ickes, a top advisor to the Clinton campaign stated today that Hilary Clinton would win the nomination based on votes from Superdelegates, and that the number of state primaries won by Barack Obama would be irrelevant to their decision. I tend to think that some of this is grandstanding on the part of Team Clinton, but there is a part of me that tends to think they believe this.

If this is the case, it essentially means that HRC believes that she should be the nominee regardless of what the voters want. The pure amount of gall that this position requires is frightening, particularly from a part that claimed aggrieved status over voting issues and disenfranchisement after the 2000 presidential election (hanging chads, anyone?)

I don't think anyone who has read this blog regularly is unaware of my admiration and support for Barack Obama, and so you may choose to see this as a biased opinion, but the willingness of Team Clinton to change the rules of the game to suit her goal of ultimate power is, to me, an indication that she should absolutely be prevented from ascending to the presidency at all costs. The aforementioned Harold Ickes was part of the DNC who supported the sanctioning of delegates from Florida and Michigan in response to those two state legislatures moving up their primary dates.

This was not a response to changes in the date mind you. The DNC knew that both states were considering moving up their primary dates into the time frames generally held by Iowa and New Hampshire, and passed a resolution telling both states that if they did move up their primaries to before February 5th then they would be stripped of their delegates for the Democratic National Convention. The legislatures in both states moved the dates ahead in spite of this warning. Team Clinton is now arguing that the DNC is disenfranchising voters, when it is the voters elected representatives who in fact took the steps to disenfranchise them.

Clinton, Obama, Edwards et. al all signed a pledge to not campaign in Florida and Michigan, with full understanding that the primaries basically counted for nothing. But now that Hillary is behind she is fighting for those uncontested delegates. Anything that is to her advantage, anything for power.

And now Team Clinton wants the Superdelegates to subvert the will of the people of the Democratic Party and nominate her even though more states and more voters have said loudly and clearly they prefer Barack Obama to be their nominee. Is this the sort of grace and sense of fairplay that we want in our president? I think not.

Team Clinton even had an MSNBC staffer suspended, and MSNBC kow-towing to the campaign because he had the audacity to state that the Clintons were pimping Chelsea out. He in fact was asking a question of a guest, and said something to the effect of "aren't they pimping her out in some weird way?". The Clintons claimed aggrieved status (they're good at that), and threw a big old hissy-cow (thank you Steven Brust). Now a good reporter is suspended indefinitely for asking a valid question.

Team Clinton has had Chelsea personally imploring super-delegates. She even went out to dinner with some 21-year old superdelegate in the past couple of weeks. Their daughter, who was previously only involved in the campaign as a silent presence, is now working behind the scenes to cajole superdelegates into voting for her mom? Likely promising favors from her mom's campaign in the process. This means that the Clintons are using their daughters charm and youth and persuasiveness to gain favor.

Sounds like pimping out to me.

REVIEW: Laura Joy - Six Flights

Laura Joy – Six Flights
2008 Laura Joy

It is not often that I come across a CD like this one. Six Flights is the harbinger of what should be a long and lauded career. Laura Joy weaves magic with her guitar strings and her voice. Six Flights sees Laura Joy raise her game, displaying a voice and songwriting acumen that calls to mind the likes of Ani DiFranco and Joni Mitchell. Laura Joy displays a maturity in her songwriting that many artists achieve after 10 or 15 years of recording. Keep in mind that this is Ms. Joy’s 2nd album, and you’ll have an idea of what might be to come.

In theory it should be easier to tell you which songs here I enjoyed less than the others, except that I can’t find one. “Six Flights” and “Plan” are near masterpieces, and “Courting Disaster” will leave you trying to figure out which of your past relationships she somehow knew about. “Ride Home”, similarly, will touch upon your memories. This is the secret of Laura Joy’s success: She has an ability to tell stories in her songs that are clearly about her own life, but they could be about a time or event in your own life as well. This is a skill that most songwriters strive for all their lives, but for Laura Joy it appears to be a natural gift.

“Six Flights” is a desert island disc. This is the sort of CD you can’t afford not to own. Don’t be surprised if ten or fifteen years from now, rather than hearing people describe who Laura Joy sounds like, you instead hear new artists being said to sound like Laura Joy.

Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about Laura Joy at www.myspace.com/LauraJoymusic or www.laurajoymusic.com. You can purchase Six Flights at www.cdbaby.com/laurajoy2. And don’t forget to check out her self-titled debut at www.cdbaby.com/laurajoy.

REVIEW: Jamesking - Jamesking

Jamesking – Jamesking
2007 Self-released

Hailing from Toronto, Jamesking brings the sort of fresh perspective on R&B that the genre has quite frankly been waiting for. Harking back to a time when popular R&B/Funk was a means of musical expression and not just a formula, Jamesking creates intricate, smooth, hip and relevant music. Songwriter/guitarist Duff Demirovic has crafted a unique sound, aided by first class musicians Ran Caspi, Ilian Iliev and David Yoon. Add to all of this the heavenly vocals of Gyles and you have an explosive mix that will keep your feet tapping throughout.

Jamesking is a debut recording that would make its makers immensely rich and famous in a perfect world. “Reminisce” itself is a single that could easily be a gold record with the right push from a record label. Jamesking is just the right mix of old school R&B/funk with a modern pop twist to be something new, similar to the niche discovered/created by Gym Class Heroes. Musically this is much more complex than a lot of what you will hear on top-40 radio, a credit to Mr. Demirovic’s songwriting talents (check out “Melody Wasted”, a particular gem). Don’t waste time, get to know Jamesking. If nothing else, you’ll begin a long association with one of the most talented and innovative R&B acts out there. If things work out well, you can say “I knew them when…”.

Rating: Buy it Now!

You can learn more about Jamesking at www.myspace.com/jameskingcrew.

REVIEW: Retail - Retail

Retail – Retail
2007, Self-released

Retail is the brainchild of Gilbert Kaneda, Actor, Model and Singer-Songwriter. Retail channels the spirit of Jim Morrison on his debut CD, with bits of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen thrown in. Retail is a very low-tech recording featuring just keyboard and Mr. Kaneda’s voice. The intimate effect is very powerful and works well with the material presented here.

You really will walk away from this recording feeling like you listened to long lost outtakes from a Jim Morrison solo album, the similarities are that tangible. Gilbert Kaneda is very much his own songwriter however. This recording definitely falls into the category of “not for everyone”. The songs themselves don’t waste a lot of time on advanced musical structure, but are very much vocal driven and generally short (less than 3 minutes). All in all an interesting study of what may be to come from Mr. Kaneda.

Check out Retail. Even if you don’t quite connect with this recording, it could be the beginning of a long and rewarding musical relationship with Gilbert Kaneda.

Rating: Buy it Eventually!

You can learn more about Retail at www.cafepress.com/r3tail, www.myspace.com/r3tail, or www.myspace.com/retail. The CD is available for purchase through cafepress.com.

REVIEW: Esthema - Apart From The Rest

Esthema – Apart From The Rest
2007 Esthema

Esthema is a World Fusion ensemble based in Boston, MA that deserves your attention. Drawing on musical styles from Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and combining them with Prog and Jazz themes is worth a listen, even if simply in respect for the sheer audacity this takes. Esthema has the goods to match its audacity with talent, reminding us all that it's only bragging if you can't back it up.

Apart From The Rest is ultimately listenable and memorable, taking your mood from Eastern European Café to Saudi Bazaar and back again. You'll tap your feet and find yourself dancing in your seat even if you're not the sort to do so. "Erimos" is a true gem here, slowing down the thought process but branching out to places you couldn't imagine a little instrumental EP going to. "Finding My Way" sounds like it should have been the soundtrack to My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and you'll find the melody winding its way through your noggin long after the CD has stopped playing.

This reviewer is not generally a huge fan of instrumental records, as it is easy for instrumentalists to become self-derivative within the space of an album, but Esthema has made a truly moving and magical musical experience. They are definitely worth your time.

Rating: Buy It Now!
You can learn more about Esthema at www.esthema.com or www.myspace.com/esthemamusic .

REVIEW: Lana Lane - Red Planet Boulevard

Lana Lane – Red Planet Boulevard
2008 ProgRock Records

Lana Lane has been doing this a long time. The Queen of Symphonic Rock, as some fans call her brings a Nancy Wilson attitude to heavy guitar-oriented rock. Red Planet Boulevard is very successful in playing off her strong smooth rock vocals against rocking soundscapes. The album begins with "Into the Fire", an apt opening gambit that sets the tone for one wild ride. There is no weak material here, but the flow does lag occasionally on some of the slower songs ("Jessica", "No Tears Left"). These aren't bad songs; they just seem a little out of place here among the heavier rock fare. Save The World, Angels and Magicians and Capture the Sun are personal favorites.

This is a good opportunity to reacquaint yourself with Lana Lane, or to find out what she's all about if you are new to her muse. Jump in, the water's warm.

Rating: Buy It Eventually.

You can learn more about Lana Lane at www.lanalane.com or www.myspace.com/eriknorlanderandlanalane .