Twenty four years ago Geraldine Ferarro was the first woman to be on a major presidential ticket. She was the Vice President on the Walter Mondale ticket that lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan. Fast forward to 2008 and Hillary Clinton is trying to become the first woman president of the United States of America and is currently embattled in a very close Democratic nomination race with Illinois Senator Barack Obama. Tonight the race goes to the Mississippi voters.

Ferarro has been attached to the Clintons since Hillary’s husband Bill’s administration appointed her to the position of ambassador to the United Nations Committee on Human Rights. She has been a strong ally of Mrs. Clinton and has served her campaign as a surrogate speaker, fund raiser, financial committee member, and even worked the phone banks. In addition to her work with the Clintons, Ferraro has worn many hats from hosting the television show “Crossfire” to being a U.S. Congresswoman, and even holding the position of senior managing director of the Global Consulting Group corporate public relations firm.

Sadly as accomplished as this woman has been and as dedicated to Hillary Clinton she has shown to be, her recent words may be the final stamp on her legacy. Like the sex scandal involved New York Governor Eliot Spitzer aka Client 9 or the “run for cover” quitting Admiral William Fallon, an entire career of public and or country service will be tarnished this week. Ferarro gave an interview to the Daily Breeze to preview her then upcoming speaking engagement at the Armstrong Theatre of the Torrance Cultural Arts Center Theatre in Torrance. In this phone interview with staff writer Jim Farber, Ferarro talked about the expected issues that challenge Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Issues like the media being soft on Barack Obama and of course gender.

“I think what America feels about a woman becoming president takes a very secondary place to Obama’s campaign - to a kind of campaign that it would be hard for anyone to run against,” she said. “For one thing, you have the press, which has been uniquely hard on her. It’s been a very sexist media. Some just don’t like her. The others have gotten caught up in the Obama campaign.”

Perhaps she should have taken pointers from the California community that regulates certain types of language rather than from gays > terrorists Sally Kern (who also fits the tarnished career description above) before she delivered her inferences that Barack Obama was having success based on the fact that he was black.

“If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position,” she continued. “And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.“

Obama finds Ferraro’s comments “absurd” and “divisive”.

This nomination process has seen record levels of media coverage and many people involved with the campaigns just running their mouths and being removed from their involvement. It is hard to decipher what is “authorized” by the candidates and what will be denied and denounced once it has been said. The final chapter of this foot-in-mouth story has likely not been written.

Additional Sources:

• http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/trailhead/
• http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080311/pl_afp/usvote

Fallon resigns as chief of U.S. forces in Middle East

Adm. William Fallon has resigned as chief of U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia after more than a year in the post, citing what he called an inaccurate perception that he is at odds with the Bush administration over Iran.

“Although I don’t believe there have ever been any differences about the objectives of our policy in the Central Command area of responsibility, the simple perception that there is makes it difficult for me to effectively serve America’s interests there,” he said.

I don’t know jack about William Fallon. But this sounds like weak tea. You’re going to quit over a misperception? You’re a damned admiral. You ought to be used to taking heat.

Look, I’m willing to be charitable here, and think that there’s something else going on between you and W.

But you can’t tell me that you’re upset because people don’t understand you. If you are, take off the uniform, put on some black clothes, paint your nails black, and go back to being a whiny goth dude.

That’s all I got on this one.

Jon Soltz thinks there’s more going on:

[Fallon] didn’t believe Iraq was making America safer, and knew that Iraq was a drain on the war in Afghanistan. He wasn’t going to put his neck out there and repeatedly shill for the administration. At the same time, like many brass, he was going to give his best shot, behind the scenes, to change the policy.

Another Bush casualty.

-MC Spanky McGee

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Woman faces fine for pink poodle

(http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15559998/detail.html#)

Let’s look at some key parts of this story.

Now, the reporter give the following subtitle:

Dog Colored To Help Raise Breast Cancer Awareness

Then there is:

The salon owner said she has used beet juice — and occasionally Kool-Aid — for four years now to “stain” her dog.

and

Officials at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley told the Daily Camera Douglas was warned several times before she was issued the ticket on March 1.

Why?

Douglas is accused of violating the city’s code that says “No person shall dye or color live fowl, rabbits, or any other animals.” It’s a code meant to keep people from dyeing rabbits and chicks at Easter.

Done and done. I think this is a good law. We don’t need blue and orange goldn retrievers to celebrate the Denver Broncos, do we? No. In other words, you can’t dye your pet for your cause; people can do still really stupid things with “good intentions.” Why couldn’t you have made a big pink ribbon for the poodle?”

Unless you are using your dog as a pawn in a carefully-planned media chess match. Is this a case of civil disobedience to get some media attention?

Douglas told 7News on Monday night that she planned on putting the attention she has received from getting the ticket to good use by raising money for breast cancer research.

MC Spanky McGee

Karl Rove was heckled at a speaking engagement in Iowa City on Sunday. He attempted to shut up the unruly crowd with this golden nugget, “You got a chance to ask your questions later and make your stupid statements, let me make mine.” Well, Rovie, before I defend you I’ve got to blast yo ass…for the record. You were part of the mastermind behind the most reviled regime in the White House since…oh, I dunno…Andrew Jackson?!?!? Your #1 aide was criminally indicted on five felony counts of perjury before W let him off the hook. You produced four election victories for W (2 as gov, 2 as pres), starting with the absolute hijacking of John McCain ’s bid for the nomination in South Carolina in 2000 (push poll question: “Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?”). This is only scratching the surface of your atrocities. People don’t like you. Liberal America does not like you. They think you and the boys have…uh….messed up. So when you go into those bastions of liberalism such as Iowa City and rake in 40 Gs on a Sunday afternoon, you’re gonna get that. In fact, you might even deserve it…or a little more.

But Rove is right about one thing…it’s time for the angry libs to back down…at least as it pertains to rude interruptions and drown-out attempts during public speaking engagements. Never mind that political support for an imperialistic foreign policy is far more egregious than a little righteous public outrage in terms of ethics…it’s much easier to say “well, those people are just angry and mean-spirited.” And they’ll be right…know why? Because they have a vote, and the war we’re fighting is to change minds (not just to be right). If you want to mock Karl Rove, make him speak to an empty banquet hall. Just don’t go. The Roves of the world are only relevant when they have a name and face to rally against, and the IC hecklers gave him that perfect enemy…once again. They love nothing more than to argue that academia embraces fascists but hates Republicans (even if the argument is inaccurate). None of this is new. Republicans have been painting Dems as the angry malcontents for years.

Rovie, I’m willing to meet you in the middle. Spanky and I have been scheming on bringing former WH Press Secretary Scott McClellan to party in IC for 2 years….that dude needs a beer! Besides, we just wanted to shoot the shit with him (”How bout that flood control, huh?”).

I’d like to extend that formal invitation to you, too, Rovie. You pick a football game…we’ll host the tailgate. We won’t let any of those liberal cooks near you…well, other than us, and we’ll rock out the I-Ceezy. Post-game we can hit up the ped-mall and I got your grilled cheese all day, bro. Oh, and please bring McClellan….PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEEEEEEEEEEASE! I know you guys might not be good ol buds anymore, but you can get along for a 24-hour party in the IC, can’t you?

Let’s bury the hatchet.

News that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has been involved in a sex scandal broke yesterday. The Emperor Club VIP prostitution ring has been busted and Spitzer was forced into a public apology. Very few details were available then. So in the mean time we took it upon ourselves here at Soupy Trumpet to photoshop images and discuss the story in different ways. From the philosophical perspective in “why do smart people do dumb things” to the primal view in “failing the sex test“, The Trumpet Crew has piled on the former Time Life Magazine Crusader of the Year as we waited for the juicy details.

CNN has found out more about “Client 9″ and the wiretaps that have tied him to a prostitute named “Kristen” on Valentine’s Day in February at the Washington Hotel (Room 871) for two and a half hours. $2,712.41 is what he was billed to pay which included travel, the fee, hotel incidentals, and her time. Spitzer ended up spending $4,300 that day as he wanted to have a credit with the hooker.

Even after pouring through the official pages at The Smoking Gun, there are still plenty of sketchy parts of this story like “Kristen” being warned that Spitzer”might ask you to do things that, like, you might not think are safe”. I cannot even imagine what that might mean. There also is no mention of how often Spitzer met with the girls of the Emperor Club VIP operation or how much he had accumulated in expenses. More will likely come out from the sting that started back in October of 2007 and since had accumulated 6,000 emails, 5,000 phone and text messages, and numerous documents like bank transfers and travel records.

There has also been no official update on the status of Spitzer’s job which clearly has to be in jeopardy. All of his friends are shocked by this and some politicians have called for his resignation “to allow the people of New York to pursue honest leadership”.

We will keep you updated as the story unfolds. We may also update the Emperor Club photoshop above if we missed anybody or more public figures emerge in this international case.

I, MC Spanky McGee, don’t have time to convince you that all my views are correct. But let’s get dirty with some “Since the beginning of time”-type questions.

MSNBC (who’s booting Tucker Carlson) asks:Why do smart people do dumb things?

“We’re all human,” said Leon Hoffman, a psychoanalyst in New York. “These urges are so, so common. Whether it’s a prostitute or a mistress that one chooses, that’s another question.”

And yet, Hoffman said, there may be something about the aura of power surrounding a prominent politician that makes him feel potentially immune from consequences.

Political analyst Steven Cohen was wary of trying to draw any conclusions about the corrupting influence of power.

“The problem is we don’t know when this behavior started for this person,” said Cohen, a professor of public administration at Columbia University. “Politicians are like the rest of us. The fact that they’re flawed and do stupid things shouldn’t surprise us.”

Held to a higher standard?
The real question, Cohen said, is whether Spitzer should be held to a different ethical standard. And his answer is yes.

Ok, let’s talk about this ethics stuff.

I’ll bypass the question of whether hard determinism implies that ethical standards are rendered invalidated, and move on to discuss one of the double-standards we have for public celebrities.

We love to build certain people up, to give them power, to give them the fame and fortune, but we get tack on the requirement of the “higher ethical standard.” However, we set the bar high, and we get super-excited when those celebrities fail, and we praise our own moral rectitude at the same time. “Oh, my goodness, I wouldn’t have done that if I were Guvna…” Never mind that so many of us would fail these same circumstances. He might be a hypocrite, but wouldn’t so many of us be??? Make sure to imagine yourself in the same intoxicating power-position, surrounded by such temptations…

Now, I’m not saying that some of the Ol’ Soupy Trumpet crew is innocent–after all, we are clowning Eliot Spitzer. But I am capable of knowing what a douchebag I can be. I’m not going to tell you that I could best Spitzer. Who knows? I couldn’t even rise to his heights in the beginning. I’ll clown Spitzer at the same time I clown myself.

The point is not to prop up Spitzer. It’s to drag the rest of us self-righteous types down. (Ted Haggard, anyone? Anyone?)

-MC Spanky McGee

P.S. Eliot: do you want to save your ass? Pull a Swaggart. Get sweaty, teary, and REBORN. That’s not the path to salvation with Baby Jesus. But it might still work as American Salvation.

It’s plainly evident that a person can no longer do the work of a politician unless he or she has the right kind of private sex with the right kind of person.

Proper sex is a rigorous test here in the U.S. Yep, you can tell bald-faced lies that drag a nation into a needless war that kills thousands of soldiers and kills hundreds of thousands of civilians. You can torture and you can spy and you can hang out with all kinds of corrupt assholes. If you do these things, a minor-distribution newspaper might raise a question or two several years down the road. No biggie.

But God help a politician who has an orgasm in private with a person to whom the citizens of New York haven’t given their stamp of approval.

Elliot Spitzer had sex, in private, with a woman who wasn’t his wife? “Gad, how could he possibly be qualified to be governor?” chant all of the holy and moral politicians on the sidelines. Those protesting “holy” politicians are the ones who feign lots of anger in public while, in the privacy of their homes they lap up the salacious accounts of Elliot’s young and beautiful consensual sex partner; they virtually lick the words off their newspapers as part of the process of working up more faux rage for tomorrow’s press conference. They practice their horrified expressions in their mirrors, so that they can make it clear to the People how awful it is for two adults to have consensual sex where money is exchanged instead of a diamond ring.

Let’s write it into the federal and state constitutions that the People need to be well-informed about the sex practices of all politicians and that these politicians should only engage in “proper” sex. If not, we’ll destroy their careers so that some morally superior political hack, the kind that practices only missionary-position-half-dressed-in-the-dark-with-his-spouse sex, can take over and enact the superior kind of government policy that is only understood by those who politicians who practice “proper sex.” Continue Reading »