The wait is finally over, we can all stop speculating on who it will be, the Obama campaign has announced its decision. No, this is not a Rick Roll, this is for real.

Crossposted on Calitics

That's right, in this reddest of red California districts, Mike Lumpkin has managed to turn this into a competitive race. Having raised over $300,000 to date, a record for any Democratic candidate in the history of this district, the retired Navy SEAL is turning this into a serious contest.

This is just insane, does McCain's campaign have an original thought in their fucking heads? First he rips off Obama massively, then his brilliant campaign staff thinks, "Hey, that Hillary slogan about being ready on day one was pretty good, let's steal that too!" I guess it's easier than actually having to come up with an original slogan of their own.

For those who don't want to actually have to visit McCain's website, here's a picture.

Since this is the direction of McCain's campaign, here's a few more previous campaign slogans he can rip off.

At least he is according to a survey done by Rock The Vote, with help from TouchTunes, a maker of jukeboxes. The survey was done through the jukeboxes, in bars all across America from April 28 through May 11. Though it is something of a bittersweet victory, since he did tie with "None of the above." Though that might say more about Hillary Clinton and John McCain, both of whom trailed behind the top two choices. Finally, the Democratic party has a candidate people want to get hammered with.

More from the survey below the fold.

I'd started this little project a little while back, wanting to learn more about the candidates for the CA-52 primary. So I sent each of the candidates 10 questions. Today it's Mike Lumpkin at bat! Since sending them, Vickie Butcher responded, which you can read here, and Jim Hester dropped out, endorsing Mike Lumpkin. Now Mike has been kind enough to answer my questions, delayed through nobody's fault, but did involve a case of Pneumonia. (Hope you're feeling better, Chris!) We've got two great candidates with Vickie and Mike. So now, join me below the fold and learn a little more about Mike! And then visit his website to learn a little more, or if you want, his ActBlue page.

I sent out a list of ten questions to the candidates in the CA-52 primary, and the first to respond is Vickie Butcher. The other two (Or one, I'm not sure Jim Hester's even still in this, my email came back as undeliverable.) Are still welcome to respond, and when they do, I'll happily post their responses as well. I'm very happy that Vickie responded so promptly, it shows a willingness to engage the netroots, and the fact that someone from her staff called me to let me know they got the email and would respond was an extra cool ego boost for me. That said, join me below the fold as we get to know Vickie Butcher.

I came across this article, and was absolutely floored, and wanted to share it. It's rare to encounter someone such as this, someone for him impossible is a challenge, who doesn't just struggle through adversity, but flat out kicks its ass. Someone who never quits, no matter how tough things get, and never feels sorry for herself. It's inspiring to find such a person, and Mary Dague is definitely such a person.

The primary for this race hasn't been held yet, but I wanted to take a look at the candidates, since they're hoping to be my representative and all. It's not that easy of a choice, as I can't say I know all that much about any of the candidates yet. There's also the factor of electability. This is a very conservative district, it went it went for Bush by about 61% in 2004, and in 2006, John Rinaldi got slaughtered by incumbent Duncan Hunter. But this year is a little different, Duncan's retiring, and it looks like his son, who shares the same name, wants to have the seat bequeathed to him. Fortunately, he'll also have a primary, so we'll see what happens with that. Regardless, an open seat is an open seat, and there are three Democratic challengers who want it. So here's a little look, and what thoughts I can offer on each of the three. Before I go into any detail, these are all accomplished individuals, as well as very different from one another. I'd be more than happy to vote for, and volunteer for, any of them.

So, things have been looking pretty ugly around here lately. Some think the site is going downhill, others just can't take all the vitriol aimed at each other. But there's another way to see all of this. Instead of looking at the ugliness of primary season as some horrible evil, we can instead view it for it is. Practice. Once the primaries are over, the hatchets will be taken out of each other's skulls, cleaned off and sharpened, for use against the real enemy, no matter which old, bigoted, scumfuck bastard it is. The daggers we've gleefully stuck into one another's abdominal aortas will be replaced by bigger, serrated, rat poison laced ones coated with bits of broken glass. The pliers and blowtorches we've held back will be taken out and readied for our Republican victim. Yes, we're all a bunch of partisans. There's nothing wrong with that, it's why we're all here. This behavior isn't new at all, it's perfectly normal among humans. Spartan children would fight each other constantly, but when it was time, they put that aside, picked up their spear and shield, and went to war.

Enough of that, you get the point. Below, enjoy some random musical distractions. Because without music, life's just not as good.

So, after laughing it up with the rest of the assholes over someone calling Hillary Clinton a bitch, and being called on it by Rick Sanchez, McCain has decided to use this as a fundraising tool. Below, you'll find the email the McCain campaign sent to me, and it's a doozy.

The 2007 Weblog Awards have arrived, and this year, it seems the shrillosphere is determined to sweep it. From Malkin, LGF, DUmmie FUnnies to RedState, they've got themselves a concerted campaign to finally outdo the netroots. Well, since they don't get as much traffic, can't raise as much money for candidates, can't write anything any sane person would consider quality, or say anything that doesn't make them look like foaming at the mouth assholes, I suppose winning an online poll is important to them.

(Above links are to the respective categories they're trying to win, not to their creepy sites.)

I have an account over at RedState, and they'd emailed me wanting me to be on their Action Alert list. Well, low and behold, today they've sent one out, for the SCHIP vote. They want several members of congress contacted, presumably to persuade them to vote to deny children healthcare. I thought it would be fun to share this with everyone here. Maybe we can counter their efforts, maybe that's just wishful thinking. Either way, we can't win if we don't fight.

In a surprising press conference, mayor Jerry Sanders changed his stance on the issue. He also signed a city council resolution, which supports a legal battle to overturn the ban on same sex marriage in California. It adds San Diego to the growing list of California cities wanting marriage equality. One of the reasons for it, his own daughter.

Update: Watch the video of this moving press conference here.

Tonight I thought it would be fun to not do something political. Or at least not directly. So I thought I'd offer up some good music for all of you. Some of it most will recognize, other stuff not so much, either way, hope you enjoy it. If not, well, can't please everyone.

For a very long time, I have been a registered Libertarian. From the time I first registered to vote in 1992, all the way up until today, I was a Libertarian, not a "small L" libertarian, a registered, card carrying Libertarian. For much of that time I had no regrets about it. Not until Bush came along that is. Finally having that small government philosophy put into action, and seeing the results of it, shook me out of my stupor. Watching the free market provide us such wonderful things as the California energy crisis, and later, Blackwater USA, among many other examples, showed me the error of my ways. But why did it take so long for me to change registration? Because I'm a lazy bastard, that's why. What finally got me off my ass was a letter from the Libertarian Party, written by Bob Barr, a former Republican Congressman. Below the fold, I'll share the parts that pushed me to leave the party I've been a member of for 15 years.

In a recent article on Third Way's site (Yes, that Third Way, but bare with me!) it is revealed that Colonel H.R. McMaster, the officer best known for his successes in Tal Afar, and regardes as one of the military's foremost experts on counterinsurgency, has been passed over for promotion for a second time. When an officer's going from Colonel to Brigadier General, there's a lot of politics involved, and has at least as much as what the civillian leadership thinks about you as your superiors do. This isn't some half-assed officer who avoids taking risks, and he's certainly no idiot, his career is nothing less than stellar. Yet, for some reason, the Bush administration has decided that he's not fit to be a General. Well, he's certainly no Brownie or Fredo, and doesn't have a long record of failing upwards, so perhaps Bush is simply uncomfortable with someone like him.

This is just so sad, so shocking. I just don't know where to begin. Recently, while perusing Freerepublic, reading what they were saying about Bill O'Reilly's jihad against DailyKos, I came across some very disturbing stuff. I'm sure you'll be absolutely shocked that people on Free Republic have been advocating violence against their fellow Americans. No way could that patriotic, law abiding bunch ever advocate violence! But I'm here to tell you that sadly, yes, yes they have. Join me below the fold to see just what's being said in what I thought was a bastion of virtue.

So, A. Whitney Brown has raised a bit of a stink over his diary. The crybabies at LGF have gotten themselves worked up into quite the jingoistic hissy fit over it. I'm sure they'll try to make an even bigger deal over it than they did that stupid "KILLITARY" diary that was posted a few days ago. But the losers at that site aren't the subject of this diary, not directly at least. No, the subject is the use of the term "Support the troops." Both sides do it, and both sides are wrong when they do it. If you're not family, or close friends with someone in the military, it's not possible for you to support the troops. You're simply not in a position to actually do anything for them. I know it feels good to say it, but it doesn't mean a damn thing.