Our Ignorant Dolt of the Week .... President-Elect Barack Obama

Yeah, you read that right.

Fully, we didn't expect for The Big O to pop up on our IDOTW radar until after he took office, perhaps due to some gaffe, or other, in the First 100-days, or some major policy mess down the road.

And we held out over the weekend, waiting, hoping, some other twit would come along, proving themselves IDOTW-worthy.

Dick Cheney, going on his victory tour, blabbing away about torture and stomping on The Constitution like he had dipped into the Christmas punch a little to much is in a league all by itself.

And that's part of the whole, on-going Bush Legacy Project, which we anticipate tackling between now, and when The Bush Grindhouse folds its' tent next month.

No, the choice of super-evangelist Rick Warren, for the Inaugural Invocation, rings the IDOTW bell for Obama.

And, it was just two-weeks ago, Rick Warren was our IDOTW!

First-and-foremost, and going with the whole "change" thing, we thought this bright, Ivy Leaguer would have looked at this aspect of the Swearing-In Show, remembering our thing about "the separation of church and state" and announced that he was going to run another one of those "I'm From Kansas" videos, to warm up the crowd, or maybe a new one, a montage of the history of the country, building up to a cacophonous crescendo, right to the exact moment, cutting in live, of Obama and Chief Muckity-Muck Roberts hitting their marks, Obama lying his hand down on the bible, with the backdrop of red, white and blue fireworks.

But, no, we get the Saddleback carny entering, stage right ... Make that entering, stage extremely far right, continuing his hustle of the networks, that he's the Big Cheese Bible Thumper these days.

And the networks are buying it, as we've heard, more than a few times, of Warren being referred to as "America's Pastor" which, I guess, is kind of like when the Dallas Cowboys were "America's Team", expect we drop the busty, scantily-clad cheerleaders for the Purpose Driven hustler.

If the Right Wing Jesus Freaks are in the middle of some kind of Hatfield-McCoy war, on who God is whispering to, let'em fight it out, but maybe, they can do in that infamous Saddleback Cone of Silence.

With Obama giving Warren center-stage, on his own, mega-big day, that seems like a pretty big chip to be tossing into the pot.

As, with the inclusion of Warren on Jan. 20th, he's kicking the LGBT supporters away from the table.

After all, comparing homosexuality to incest and child molestation, like, that wouldn't be offensive to anyone.

Yeah, Yeah ... This is the "reaching across the aisle" thing ... "Bipartisanship" ... Of sitting down with our enemies and talking, working through to find common ground ... Blah, Blah, Blah

It's really great that our next president likes to mix it up, that he's not afraid to step in shit, and then, clean his own shoes ...

But, Rick Warren?

America's Pastor? ...

Please, Shoot Me!

Last week, on Countdown', Keith Olbermann talked with Rob Boston, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and Boston summed it up with a killer line;

Well, Warren, to me, is—he has a great P.R. machine. And he has people thinking he‘s a moderate, but he‘s really just Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt. And we don‘t need that again. You know, with the sort of passing of the guard of some of the old religious right leader, some of them have died, others of whom are sort of in semi-retirement, a lot of us are hoping for a more moderate religious voice to come to bear. And we‘re not getting that.

Jerry Falwell in a Hawaiian shirt ...

Well, whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama wears Hawaiian shirts, he's wearing The Garlic's "Ignorant Dolt of the Week" crown.

And both these guys are big-time, PR-savvy ...

Can't we see a "schedule conflict" or, some other excuse pop up, knocking Warren out-of-the box?

C'mon Guys! ... Get a glove! ... Get in the game, here!


Bonus Obama-Warren IDOTW Riffs

YouTube - Warren: The Bible says that God puts government on earth to punish evildoers

YouTube - Rick Warren Endorses Prop 8

YouTube - RIck Warren on gays, their immaturity and desire for multiple partners

Brilliant at Breakfast: Sorry, President-Elect Obama, you blew it big time with this one

Attytood: R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means, Barack

Joe Sudbay (DC): Rick Warren is a major fail and a total affront

Blue Texan: In a Surprising Development, Barney Frank Objects to Incest Accusations

Joan Walsh: Disappointed by Rick Warren

Mike Madden: How the hell did Rick Warren get inauguration tickets? Barack Obama knows liberals are upset he picked the conservative evangelical preacher to pray at the inauguration. And he doesn't care


Late Breaking

Think Progress: Warren’s church removes anti-gay statements from website

John Aravosis (DC): Rick Warren pulls anti-gay language from his Web site

TowleRoad: As Obama Bakes, Rick Warren Controversy Simmers

Pam Spaulding: Lowery, Rhue speak out on Warren debacle; Saddleback homophobe to keynote at King Memorial Service

Compared To What

Well, another day that got run off the tracks.

Things got jammed up on the homefront and threw everything out-of-schedule, including my writing time, especially with so much going on.

So, we'll be back tomorrow, with a few good things, including our Ignorant Dolt of the Week.

I do want to point out the major, ass-kicking move by President-Elect Obama today.

In his weekly YouTube Chat, he laid out a gigantic, public works program, New Dealesque in scope, something the NYT said would "create the largest public works construction program since the inception of the interstate highway system a half century ago as he seeks to put together a plan to resuscitate the reeling economy."

Dennis, at No More Mister Nice Blog put it this way;

Obama name-checked Eisenhower, but somewhere in the afterlife, FDR is smiling. This is a slap in the face to thirty years of Reaganites -- a rejection of the notion that all good things come from the profit motive and the private sector. And it's pitched as a response to the economic crisis, but we know some of it was on Obama's mind all along. (And this country, old and worn down in a lot of places, needs it and will benefit from it.)

Here's the speech transcript; President-elect Barack Obama lays out key parts of Economic Recovery Plan

You can watch it here; Your Weekly Address from the President-Elect: December 6, 2008

This was a "In Your Face", to the do-nothing Congress, and, in particular, to The Bush Grindhouse, as Obama, all but called them out on this.

If he were to sing it, it might be something like this

Les McCann - Compared To What




Go Get'em!

Breaking ... Obama Team Vetting Food Tasters

Sources have told The Garlic this evening, that within minutes after announcing his National Security Team, President-Elect Barack Obama's transition squad began a scheduled vetting of food tasters, that will be employed in the administration.

"This has been in the cards for quite some time," indicated the source, an Obama insider.

"Once they won the primary, and began thinking about the "Team of Rivals" thing, this was put in motion."

It is not known who these potential "Food Tasters" are, how they will work, if they will actually taste the food for the President, or merely test it.

The Obama Team has no concerns, as to the integrity of the White House Chef, or any member of the staff.

However, guidelines are continuing to be worked out.

During Cabinet meetings, in which the President will attend, Cabinet members, and any staff, will have their own, separate table of food and beverages, the President, his own, guarded by Secret Service agents.

The President will drink from a covered, travel-type mug, and any food brought into the meetings must be sealed, and have a Secret Service escort.

Other meetings (outside of the White House), and formal events, in which Cabinet members are in attendance, a similar protocol will be implemented.

Should a Cabinet member visit the President in the Oval Office, that Cabinet member may have a full search conducted, before entering, and they will be instructed to sit, at minimum, ten-feet away from any food items the President may have in his office.

Another recommendation, that our source indicates the President-Elect was balking at, is that he must wear surgical latex gloves when shaking hands with any Cabinet member.

More, as this story develops ...


Bonus Links

CNN: Obama rolls out national security team

Robert Stein: Clintons Front and Center Again

Mary Ann Akers: It Hurts To Be John Kerry Today

Katharine Q. Seelye: Live Blog: Presenting the National Security Team

Frank James: Obama rebukes Bush years with Clinton

Kevin Drum: Press Conference Follies

Top Ten Cloves: Ways To Tell Your Neighbor Is Being Vetted For An Obama Cabinet Post

News Item: Barack Obama and the Culture of Leaks

10. They asked you to TIVO the Obama's visit to the White House, and now come over every day to watch, gushing over it

9. Family is listening to audio book "Dreams of My Father", with the volume cranked all the way

8. Your weekly bridge game gets constantly interrupted by Secret Service agents, asking probing questions

7. Clinton friends and supporters have begun threatening you

6. You used to live next door to Michael Vick

5. Rahm Emanuel has already kidnapped their children, as leverage, to prevent them leaking to the media

4. Rather suddenly, family walking around, wearing Chicago Bears jerseys - And you don't live anywhere near Chicago

3. You hear banging, a commotion, and you're neighbor crying, sobbing "But I've never been a lobbyist ... I don't even know any lobbyists"

2. You've seen the book, ''Team of Rivals' on their coffee table

1. Their kids are running all over the place, swearing like Joe Scarborough

Al Giordano - "Mr. President-Elect: Judge Abner Mikva Is Right About Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State"

Well, to steal from Michael Corleone, "Just when I thought she was out... they pull her back in ..."

It's the Hillary Clinton Show (co-starring husband, ex-Prez, Bill) again, as we are now in about Day Six of Hillary-as-Secretary-of-State, Def Con 5-mode.

If this is abstruse, or perplexing, and you find yourself shaking your head, saying "WTF", just fire up that TIVO in your mind, go back a few months, and cue up the Hillary Clinton Show when it was Hillary-as-Vice-President, Def Con 5-mode.

Ahhh, but there are voices cutting through the din.

There were two people that had the presidential election nailed to the wall.

One, was Nate Silver, over on FiveThirtyEight.com.

The other was Al Giordano, over on The Field.

Nearly a year before the election, Giordano laid it all out, the Obama ground troops and field game, the wave the was building (and, obviously ignored or underestimated by the Clintonistas, and later, the Dead Campaign Express).

Today, Giordano offers another flare up, hoping to get the attention of President-Elect Barack Obama;

Mr. President-Elect: Judge Abner Mikva Is Right About Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State

Here's a few snips, but go read the post, it's a good one.

Like so many of those here, below, at the grassroots base that refuse to believe the noise machine that seeks to demoralize us and make a lie of your own statement, if - and we say "if" because we have never believed the noise machine's spin, and that is why you are president-elect today - but if you are at all persuaded by the pressures upon you turn your foreign policy over to a media freak show, we invoke the immortal words of Oliver Cromwell to the Church of Scotland in 1650 when it sought alliance with the Crown: "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken."

Few are the voices - like the brave and wise Abner Mikva - with the wisdom and courage to stand up to the sycophants being rolled at present by the Mighty Wurlitzer!

And this;

There are better uses and positions for someone of the undeniable talent of Senator Clinton in your cabinet, or even on the Supreme Court, but the discretion and diplomacy required of the next Secretary of State to undo the grave messes already created cannot, should not, must not be placed in the hands of someone who - even if it is through little or no fault of her own - is a magnet for the kind of media circus that the mere suggestion of her appointment has drawn already.

Do not wake up on January 21 - or soon after - with the words of the great Abner Mikva ringing in your ears, lamenting that you did not heed them when you could:

"It's more than a legal problem - there are ethical problems and appearance problems."

Put me in the camp that believes it will be disastrous to have Hillary running the State Department (Geez, just look at the way she ran her campaign, Amtrak doesn't have train wrecks as bad as that).

The Hillarylanders have already warmed up their throats, to start singing Hillary as TMFOITW, accompanied by the Grand Central Station Locker Creatures ("Hillary is back! The keeper of the light! All hail Hillary! All hail Hillary! Oh Hillary can you see by the dawn's early light...").

And, let's not forgot a most keen observation from James Wolcott, back in the primaries;

For them, Hillary’s time had come, she had paid her dues, she had been thoroughly vetted, she had survived hairdos that would have sunk lesser mortals, and she didn’t let a little thing like being loathed by nearly half of the country bum her out and clog her transmission. Not since Nixon had there been such a show of grinding perseverance in the teeth of adversity, and Nixon in a pantsuit was never going to be an easy sell contrasted with the powerful embroidery of Obama’s eloquence—his very emergence on the political scene seemed like a feat of levitation. Hillary’s candidacy promised to make things better; Obama’s to make us better: outward improvement versus inward transformation. With Hillary, you would earn your merit badges; with Obama, your wings. Hillary’s candidacy was warmed-over meat loaf—comfort food for those too old or fearful to Dream.

Yes We Can, President-Elect Obama, we can do better for Secretary of State.

Give us the "Change we can believe in".

Choose someone else!

(And, pray, this comes true, if need-be)

Go read Al Giordano's Mr. President-Elect: Judge Abner Mikva Is Right About Sen. Clinton as Secretary of State


Bonus Hillary Riffs

Top Ten Cloves: Things About Hillary Clinton Becoming Secretary of State

Made It Ma, Top of the Campaign! ...

Al Giordano Handing Out Campaign Sheepskins ... To Hillary Supporters

Hillary's New Campaign Slogan: Keep Hopelessness Alive! ... The Results - The Garlic's Weekly Poll

Ari Berman: Hillary Inc.

Top Ten Cloves: Things About The Meeting Today, Between President Elect Obama and John McCain

News Item: McCain: I'll "Obviously" Help Obama With His Administration

10. Surprise for Obama - McCain delivered cookies, baked by Cindy - from her own family recipe!

9. McCain's office sent out Press Release, that the Senator was "suspending" his schedule for the day, to meet with Obama

8. Rules for the meeting? ... McCain limited to only three "My Friends" during conversation

7. McCain conveyed that The Wasilla Whiz Kid was sending Obama some "Good Luck" winks

6. Obama pressed McCain, hard, for how much he'd let the old Dead Campaign Express bus go for ...

5. What's the real scoop? ... McCain whined for over 2-hours, about those 10 Town Hall Meetings, still pressing the issue

4. McCain badgered Obama over a Cabinet post, White House job, anything, for Joe The Plumber

3. Obama said he almost didn't recognize McCain, not having Joe Lieberman with him, to stand off his shoulder

2. Instead of greeting each other with handshake, it was the "terrorist fist jab"

1. McCain admitted he is relieved that he didn't win, and could stay "Divorced from day-to-day challenges people have"


Bonus Obama Riffs

SNL - We Had To Endure Hillary, But Then Came The Obama Files

You Say Lapel Pins ... I Say Lunatics...

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Obama Campaign Can Re-Introduce Michelle Obama

Breaking! Obama VP Call Delayed - Piece of Paper With Name Lost

The "B" List

Top Ten Cloves: Possible Surprising Things Barack Obama Will Do With His Paid Infomercial This Evening

This One's For Sarah ...

Sorry Garlic Fans, that this is a late post today - and my only for the day.

As has happened in the past, jammed up on the homefront, and the dial is bouncing between "very tired" and "exhausted".

It's been a rough past few days ... A comedy of errors on Wednesday, attempting to get a blood sample taken from my soon-to-be-96-year-old Aunt, getting it in time for our regular check-up visit today (She's A-Okay! ... Passed with flying colors, gained a little weight, all is well; I did, though, discuss with the doc the uptick in her dementia and now I am armed with some meds that can tamp down and mellow her out, when-and-if, she gets too agitated, as has happened a few times).

So, that left me out of the loop for most of the day today.

I did feel the ground moving, and the cable television heads all-a-flutter, due to Obama, and HIS FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE AS PRESIDENT-ELECT!

I suspect, we'll be hearing a lot more "Firsts" leading up to January 20th.

And I did catch some of the on-going, landfill-sized dirt bombs the Dead Campaign Express is been attempting to bury Mommy Moose with ...

Interesting, after being spat upon by the Flying Monkeys, for daring to point out The Wasilla Whiz Kid and a doorknob are about par on the smarts, now, the people that picked her (McKKKain, going to the gates of the Arctic Circle), coached her, defended her, exploited her, clothed her, are the ones opening up the Alaskan-sized closet.

Didn't know Africa was a continent, thinking it was a country, heh?

Oh My!

Well, this one is for you, Sarah ..

It's an old classic and we apologize for not being able to find a video or audio file of the killer Tshala Muana rendition of it.

Grand Kalle & L'African Jazz - Afrika mokili mombimba




P.S.

Sarah, "Africa Mokili Mombimba" means "Africa Everywhere"

Stay Tuned ...Hope to back on-track tomorrow.

We'll have our Ignorant Dolt of the Week for you (and this weeks' winner, actually, has been an Ignorant Dolt for a number of decades now)

Oh, Happy Day!

YES WE CAN!!!

President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama!



At the precise hour of 11:-00 EST, the networks, after biting on their lips for about the past 2-hours, called it.

Pretty fucking incredible!

NBC: OBAMA ELECTED 44TH PRESIDENT; Illinois senator to become first African-American executive in U.S. history

Barack Obama, a 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois, shattered more than 200 years of history Tuesday night by winning election as the first African-American president in the history of the United States, according to projections by NBC News.

Obama reached the 270 electoral votes he needed for election at 11 p.m. ET, when NBC News projected that he would win California, Washington and Oregon. The Associated Press reported shortly after 11 p.m. that Obama’s opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, had called Obama to offer his congratulations.

I'll save the satire and snark for tomorrow, and the days ahead.

Tonight is a night to savor, to reflect, and to celebrate the incredible accomplishment of Barack Obama, Team Obama, and every single citizen who voted for the change and new direction this country desperately needs.

So, shout it out loud ...

Oh, Happy Day!

Edwin Hawkins - Oh happy day