The Unflappable Barack Obama

I've more than hinted that the whiff of desperation that is curling like smoke from the Clinton camp is a stench that most of us would rather avoid, but the stank is getting worse the closer we get to the edge of the cliff to which the Democratic National Committee is leading us. As we near the decisive primaries of Ohio and Texas, Jonathan Alter has called for Hillary Clinton to step down after the most recent debate, but before the March 4th primaries. It would be a class act from a campaign that has been parading anything but class for the last few weeks, particularly the last few days, but I don't think that Hillary or Bill Clinton will let go of this dream so readily.

Hillary Clinton has tried mocking Obama, tried playing the sarcastic card to his calm demeanor, tried that annoying shrieking cackle of a laugh, tried staring him down during a debate, tried taking notes while he schools her on technique, tried looking away when he hits another homerun. She has tried just about every mood, every look, every stance, every attitude, every glare, toward this one very cool guy (Barack Obama), but he remains unflappable, undeterred, on point, cool, calm and collected. He is one cool dude - Barack Obama is not easily shaken, not easily perplexed, not easily stirred up, not easily vexed. He is one cool dude... he is calm and cool - one very cool dude, quite unflappable, not easily upset, not easily shaken, not easily stirred, not easily bothered or perturbed, or angry or crazed, or made to feel awkward or unsure of himself.

During Tuesday night's debate, he was gracious - even complimenting Hillary on her rather feeble attempt to mock Barack on the stump with her "clouds are parting and celestial beings are coming down" speech. He was in supreme control of his faculties, he gave her credit when he could. Barack even allowed Hillary to chose a word for him - "reject" over "renounce" concerning the Louis Farrakhan flap. He mastered the debate, he delivered decisive phrases and sentences without flinching. He was smooth and cool, a cool dude, a very cool dude. He is unflappable - carry on, Barack Obama, carry on!!! Carry on, Obama, carry on...

Chronicle of Higher Education article (February 27, 2008): Professor Says Obama Campaign Treated His Students 'Like Pros'; Clinton's 'Couldn't Be Bothered'

Maureen Dowd, NYTimes, February 27, 2008, Begrudging His Bedazzling

EXXON - "It's Past Time to Pay Up!"

It was a dark night (March 24, 1989) in the Gulf of Alaska when the Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled over eleven million gallons of crude oil into the pristine waters of Prince William Sound. The oil spill devastated marine life, wildlife, fish, birds and all of the people who relied on the riches of this beautiful ecosystem for their livelihood. Here we are, almost 20 years later, and Exxon (a corporation whose net profits topped 40 billion dollars in 2007) still has not yet made good on the payment of a judgment that was rendered against them over fourteen years ago by a federal court judge and jury. Why the delay? In a word, GREED.

The following account is from the Alaska Daily News (08/04/98):

Apparently, delay pays. The fishermen, Alaska Natives and others who are still waiting to be paid a $5 billion judgment [subsequently reduced by a court decision to 2.5 billion dollars] in the massive Exxon lawsuit, are earning, by court order, interest at $9.40 a second. That's $564 a minute, $33,840 an hour, $812,160 a day or $296 million a year. Many of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs have what they call the ''Exxon clock'' on their office computers. It displays what looks like an old-fashioned gas pump meter that runs nonstop showing the dollars adding up.

While those numbers are impressive, consider this: Exxon is earning $90,000 an hour, about $2 million a day or nearly $800 million a year, on the same $5 billion as long as the case drags on and the money stays in its coffers.

As it stands now, if the appeals linger a couple more years, Exxon will have earned enough in interest alone to pay the $5 billion plus the accrued interest. And the case could linger at least that much longer. When the jury verdict was returned four years ago, Exxon vowed to fight the decision all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Right now it's before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

The difference between what $5 billion earns for the plaintiffs and for the company itself is the catch.

Though the verdict was returned in the fall of 1994, the interest clock didn't start ticking for the plaintiffs until two years later when federal court Judge Russel Holland completed the task of examining post-trial motions and entered an order upholding the jury's verdict. Exxon then filed an appeal interest started accruing for the plaintiffs. And the interest accumulates at the government-set rate of 5.9 percent a year.

But until it actually has to pay the money, Exxon has been able to invest its billions in expansion and a bull market on Wall Street. Exxon is posting 14 percent to 17 percent earnings, its annual reports show.

The discrepancy has left the plaintiffs' attorneys frustrated. ''It's in their interest to screw over the fishermen,'' said Brian O'Neill, a Minneapolis attorney who represented the 30,000 fishermen, Natives, business owners and others who were awarded the judgment for damage done by the 11 million gallons of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez oil tanker in 1989.

''Every year they are able to stretch the appeal out, they make a billion dollars out of it,'' said Gerry Nolting, another Minneapolis attorney who represents the plaintiffs. ''It is unfortunate that we have a system set up that readily encourages Exxon to engage in every frivolous appeal in the world.''

Exxon didn't want to talk dollars.

''We're not going to get into a discussion of who is earning what on what,'' said company spokesman Ed Burwell. ''That is not the point.''

John Daum, a Los Angeles attorney who represents Exxon in the case, said the point is the oil company doesn't control the timing of the appeal, the court does.

''We think the basic verdict is unjust, and we don't think we have to pay it,'' he said. ''We have a due process right to get the court of appeals to correct the errors of the jury and the trial court.''

The good news for the plaintiffs who are still alive is that Samuel Alito has recused himself, as he holds Exxon stock, so a split (4 - 4) decision upholds the judgment. But for too many of the Native fishermen and other Alaskan residents this money will come too late. Over 6000 of the original plaintiffs have died waiting for compensation from a corporation that made over 40 billion dollars last year. Shame on Exxon/Mobile and all those who support this greedy oil market (including the president, vice-president and all the other officials who are complicit in this highly polluting industry that does not apparently have a conscience at all, let alone any sense of responsibility for the horrible devastation that their company has visited on the Alaskan coastline.) The case will be heard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday, February 27, 2008.

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council

Legacy of the Exxon Valdez oil spill (Alaska Daily News)

The Encyclopedia of Earth - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

Emmylou Harris Sings "Pancho and Lefty"

Livin on the road my friend, is gonna keep you free and clean
Now you wear your skin like iron
Your breath as hard as kerosene
You weren't your momma's only boy, but her favorite one it seems
She began to cry when you said goodbye
And sank into your dreams

Pancho was a bandit boy, his horse was fast as polished steel
He wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel
Pancho met his match you know on the deserts down in Mexico
Nobody heard his dyin words, ah but that's the way it goes

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him slip away, out of kindness I suppose

Lefty he can't sing the blues all night long like he used to
The dust that Pancho bit down south ended up in Lefty's mouth
The day they laid poor Pancho low, Lefty split for Ohio
Where he got the bread to go, there ain't nobody knows

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him slip away out of kindness I suppose

The boys tell how old Pancho fell, and Lefty's livin in cheap hotels
The desert's quiet, Cleveland's cold
And so the story ends we're told
Pancho needs your prayers it's true, but save a few for Lefty too
He only did what he had to do, and now he's growing old

All the Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

A few gray Federales say, they could've had him any day
They only let him go so long, out of kindness I suppose

Written by Townes Van Zandt (1972)

Some Random Sunday Morning Thoughts...

"There is something so human about struggling to hold on..."
Jessica Lange, CBS Sunday Morning, February 24, 2008

From Kelvin Sampson losing his job as Head Coach of the Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team, to the Michelle Obama non-story, to John "Methuselah" McCain's very real problem with ethics and lobbyists (whether they be blond and female is beside the point), throughout this muddled news cycle I have been fighting the big scary monster known as major depression. I think I turned a corner on Friday evening as I talked to a friend who lives in California and mentioned that I was thinking about heading to Columbus, Ohio to work on Obama's campaign and to see Stephanie Miller who will be appearing on Saturday evening at a the Makoy Center in Hilliard, Ohio. She encouraged me to go ahead and make the plans, and as I had some frequent flyer miles that I had to use or lose, I booked a flight from Tulsa, OK to Columbus, OH. I fly out Saturday morning and back the next day - I don't have any idea how useful I may or may not be to the Obama campaign in one afternoon, but I will be there, showing my support, making phone calls, and cheering on Momma - who is unabashedly for Obama (AKA Stephanie Miller, for those of you who are new to this blog).

Just the day before yesterday, I would have characterized this trip as something I wanted to do before I die, something that would have been a real possibility just a few days ago, but I have climbed out of that deep, dark hole and even though there isn't much sunlight outside here in Tulsa this weekend, there is a fresh light inside me. I will go on, I will not give in to the bleak feeling of despair that overtakes me from time to time. I got through this difficult time with the generous help of a fantastic counselor at TU and the equally excellent help of a young psychiatrist at OU/Tulsa. I owe them many, many thanks and if it isn't too grandiose to say, I owe them my life, and it was their caring concern over the last three weeks that got me through this rough time. It was not just professional help that got me through the last few weeks, it was also the help and concern of a few good friends, including my on-air and online friends (namely the crew of the Stephanie Miller Show and the amazing group at FourFreedomsBlog), and the thoughtful listening and advice from a few wonderful co-workers.

I will certainly be blogging about the trip on this site, and I'll keep you posted on how it all shakes out - thanks for hanging in there with me. Sometimes I feel like I am living my life online, and I wonder about the wisdom of putting so much of my self out there for all to see, but it's something I've been doing for over a year now, and I guess I feel like in some way it keeps me honest. It certainly makes me reflect on my own thoughts and opinions and invites others to share their thoughts and comments with me, and I truly appreciate the dialog. So please keep on visiting this site, and please let me know your thoughts on what you read here. Good, bad or indifferent - I'll take it all in and respond in kind. And I promise you I will always be an open, honest voice of a middle-age single progressive/liberal woman from Tulsa, OK, and I won't pull any punches - hope you don't either.

Frank Rich's column, The Audacity of Hopelessness (NYTimes, February 24, 2008)

and in the spirt of fairness, balance and just plain humor, I also give you -

SNL: Bitch is the New Black! Go Hillary! (Tina Fey on Hillary for President)