Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Giving in to doom is how authoritarians win.

Rupert, come get your orange boy, you petrified old dinosaur turd.

Let there be snark.

People are complicated. Love is not.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

If ‘weird’ was the finish line, they ran through the tape and kept running.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

The republican speaker is a slippery little devil.

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

The media handbook says “controversial” is the most negative description that can be used for a Republican.

If you thought you’d already seen people saying the stupidest things possible on the internet, prepare yourselves.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

Welcome to day five of every-bit-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-would-be.

You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2008 / Surgery Update

Surgery Update

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Turns out, it wasn’t a tumor at all. Everything is fine. Surgery took about 20 minutes. It’s funny, I have had 2 previous surgeries that involved general anesthesia. I’ve always remembered the “going to sleep” part. This time, I don’t remember a damned thing.

So, anyway, how about a bit of sanity from Hillary to celebrate?

Hillary Clinton today reiterated her vow to stay in the presidential race, but she said it would be a “terrible mistake” for her supporters to vote for John McCain over Barack Obama.

Reader Interactions

85Comments

  1. 1.

    redterror

    Good to hear both things! But I really don’t think Hillary’s sanity will last…

  2. 2.

    ThymeZone

    “Obviously, I have worked very hard to get the votes of everyone, and I have campaigned hard. I understand that we’ve got to put together a broad coalition in order to win in the fall. … I know Sen. Obama has worked hard to reach out to every community and constituency,” she said.

    Clinton said the Democrats will have a unified party once they have a nominee, but she shied away from the idea of a joint ticket, saying talks about it would be “premature.”

    She knows it’s over. And I’d be thanking her, except that she is still hanging in there trying to get a few more dollars out of the wallets of people who can’t afford it so that she can refill her already bloated bank accounts.

    And take dollars that could go to beating John McCain.

    Fuck.Her.

  4. 4.

    Dreggas

    drag0n Says:

    Ambinder thinks Edwards is in flight to put a stake in her heart at 7PM tonite.

    Well NARAL was a good start to the day. If Edwards did endorse and told his pledged delegates to vote for Obama it would be a pretty big stake.

  5. 5.

    Tim C.

    I know this is not the way a lot of people think but….

    I am in the minority that believe that Hillary strategy and tactics at this point are designed to and will have the ultimate effect of helping Obama win the Presidency.

    Item of the first: Never ascribe to malice what can be explained by ineptitude. I honestly and truly do not think Hillary was intentionally race-baiting in her comments last week. She choose her words poorly, just as she has run her campaign poorly.

    Item of the second: I agree with the notion that Obama loosing to a still running opponent is less damaging than loosing to an opponent that has dropped out. Hillary has send ‘dog-whistle’ signals for the last week that she knows it’s over. I may not care for Carville, but the man is NOT stupid. He wouldn’t be saying ‘it’s over’ unless it was okay with Hillary for him to say ‘it’s over’. Hillaryis44, Taylor Marsh, etc, are no more the Hillary campaign than Al Sharpton is the Obama campaign. They don’t count.(please note: I am not saying Al Sharpton = Taylor Marsh, I am saying an Apple is different from a Volkswagon is different from a polar bear)

    Item of the Third: Money. Hillary’s campaign is in deep financial doo-doo. She has much more fundraising potential as a candidate than as a former candidate. She needs to retire her debt.

    Item of the Fourth: People who read, much less write in the comment sections of third-tier (though really awesome :) ) blogs are not normal in any sense of the word. Us getting mad at each other is not a tempest in a tea-cup, I don’t think it even counts a random brownian-motion. Our feelings have absolutley no impact on the outside world. We don’t help our candidates by calling people names. Idiocy is a self-identifying trait. Let it be.

  6. 6.

    Mary

    Yay, Michael! So you have a clean bill of health, then? And can you tell us what the not-a-tumour was, or is it none of our business?

  7. 7.

    rob!

    i’m glad to see/hear she didn’t take the cheap “Hamas Loves Obama” shot that McCain has been pushing (in between naps and worrying about Cindy’s tax returns). she certainly could have, and judging by her previous behavior, i expected it.

    good for you, Sen. Clinton.

  8. 8.

    Dreggas

    Mary Says:

    Yay, Michael! So you have a clean bill of health, then? And can you tell us what the not-a-tumour was, or is it none of our business?

    Hope it wasn’t Lemmiwinks

    [ sorry, it’s just too funny ]

  12. 12.

    mapaghimagsik

    I am in agreement that Senator Clinton staying in did and does offer benefit to Senator Obama’s candidacy.

    At the same time, there’s diminishing returns, and I think the time for her to be attacking him and giving the right wing talking points is over.

    So 1) As Ahnold has said, “eeets Naht Aw Toomah!” Good for you!
    and 2) Good on her for making the statements that the whole “hamas supports Obama” thing is crap and that it would be foolish to choose McCain.

    Perhaps we’ve reached the acceptance phase?

  14. 14.

    Rick Taylor

    Congratulations, that’s good to here!

    Ambinder thinks Edwards is in flight to put a stake in her heart at 7PM tonite.

    Edwards sure can’t have been happy, being put on the spot to defend Clinton’s hard working white American voters comment. It’s been pretty clear where he stands for a while, with his continual comments that Clinton can stay in as long as she wants, so long as she doesn’t attack the likely nominee.

  15. 15.

    mapaghimagsik

    I also wanna add that I miss Hillary the wonk. It was actually a tough, tough decision during my primary.

    I think a wonkish Hillary is a good Hillary.

  16. 16.

    jake

    By the way, you might want to ask your doc what the hell he was smoking if he mis-diagnosed a cancerous or pre-cancerous tumor.

  17. 17.

    Wilfred

    Ambinder thinks Edwards is in flight to put a stake in her heart at 7PM tonite.

    Wow, way to take a position, Edwards. That’s like Argentina declaring war on Germany the week before the war ended.

  18. 18.

    Rick Taylor

    I also wanna add that I miss Hillary the wonk.

    Agreed. At least for me, she came across the strongest when she stuck to policy.

  22. 22.

    Dreggas

    Rick Taylor Says:

    I also wanna add that I miss Hillary the wonk.

    Agreed. At least for me, she came across the strongest when she stuck to policy

    I agree, even if it did put me to sleep.

  24. 24.

    Nikki

    jake,

    I don’t think Michael D. said it was cancerous or pre-cancerous.

    Michael,

    Glad it wasn’t serious. Good health to you!

    Hillary,

    Thank you.

  25. 25.

    jake

    Wow. I thought I heard shrieks of outrage.

    No one could have possibly forseen that NARAL and John Edwards would turn out to be puppy-stomping ReThuglicans. If Gore comes out for the MUP the air will be thick with skull shrapnel.

  26. 26.

    The Grand Panjandrum

    Congrats and I certainly hopes this means you got a clean bill of health!

    Hillary who? Isn’t she a Senator from back East somewhere. I guess my point is that I don’t care if she stays or goes. It is up to her to decide when the time has come. I’m in GE mode and plan to work my ass off for Obama.

  27. 27.

    Wilfred

    As much as I can’t stand Clinton, she has more balls than this blow dried twit Edwards. I hope she lets him have it with both barrels.

    Bill Richardson is a man who did the right thing and took his lumps for it. Even if Edwards’ endorsement helps Obama he’s still a prick.

  28. 28.

    Michael D.

    By the way, you might want to ask your doc what the hell he was smoking if he mis-diagnosed a cancerous or pre-cancerous tumor.

    Actually, it looked very much like a tumor. It was actually a tumor, in the strict sense of the word – an uncontrolled growth. But in the end, it was just a nuisance that could be dealt with easily.

  29. 29.

    Desmond

    Cool. It’s about time Edwards leapt off the fence. But at this point, will it really matter? Most of Edwards’ supporters are already supporting Obama. Is he a superdelegate at least?

  31. 31.

    Dreggas

    Wilfred Says:

    As much as I can’t stand Clinton, she has more balls than this blow dried twit Edwards. I hope she lets him have it with both barrels.

    Bill Richardson is a man who did the right thing and took his lumps for it. Even if Edwards’ endorsement helps Obama he’s still a prick.

    I sort of have to agree here. Edwards should have come out sooner, though now coming off of WV it is good news it would have been better had he endorsed sooner.

  32. 32.

    Mary

    Oh, thank goodness, Michael. I was self-diagnosing a Morton’s neuroma — another painful nuisance — last week, but it turned out to be some stress-related bruising that cleared up after a couple of days.

    Hopefully your nuisance will be just a memory soon.

  33. 33.

    w vincentz

    Good to find that the Edward’s endorsement is real ( I posted it on a different thread).
    Did anyone read the open letter from John Conyers to the pResident regarding Operation Bite ( pre-emptive war with Iran without congressional authorization)? It’s over at pottersville.

  34. 34.

    PeterJ

    But at this point, will it really matter? Most of Edwards’ supporters are already supporting Obama. Is he a superdelegate at least?

    He’s not a superdelegate, but he got 19 delegates (plus 13 from Florida, and it would in reality mean that the 55 uncommited delegates in Michigan would go for Obama). Unsure about if he has control over them though, there were a lot of different rules regarding Mitt Romney’s delegates when he decided to support McCain.

  36. 36.

    jake

    Actually, it looked very much like a tumor. It was actually a tumor, in the strict sense of the word – an uncontrolled growth.

    Reason No. 1,125 doctors should stick to lay terminology when giving pts. a diagnosis. My mom nearly killed me when a doctor called with biopsy results and told her I had Herpes Zoster.

    I bet that bastard was sorry he didn’t just say Chicken Pox after she screamed down the phone.

  38. 38.

    Dreggas

    MyDD On the Edwards Endorsement:

    The bigger the loss for Obama, the bigger the endorsements. Edwards is not a super, so maybe Obama is out of supers.

  41. 41.

    Lee

    Talk Left is having conniptions over the Edwards endorsement. Haha! And they are a censorish bunch over there-

    “Congratulations on Hillary’s WV win (none / 0) (#9)
    by Joe Beese on Wed May 14, 2008 at 04:39:37 PM EST
    Now we should expect the superdelegate momentum to shift – the way McAuliffe said last night?”

    “Joe Beese (none / 0) (#20)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Wed May 14, 2008 at 04:41:42 PM EST
    you were suspended yesterday and told not to comment again until Thursday. Due to your disregard of you suspension, I am extending your suspension to Friday.

    Your comment will be deleted momentarily.”

  42. 42.

    John S.

    BWAHAHAHAHA!

    Talk Left really is a fucking riot. Clearly, this endorsement means:

    Yeah, that’s the message I’m getting: Obama is scared.

    Awesome.

  44. 44.

    PeterJ

    A Learjet? That’s elitist. He should fly coach. How else would he be able to connect with hard working white Americans?

    /SNARK

  45. 45.

    Dreggas

    But at this point, will it really matter? Most of Edwards’ supporters are already supporting Obama. Is he a superdelegate at least?

    Well it just totally ate the news cycle for one thing. It’ll be talked about without end and ends talk about WV plus it will look like Obama is picking up a champion of the working class “white man”. Clinton was also scheduled to be on several shows today talking up WV, this just killed any coverage being about her appearances.

  47. 47.

    drag0n

    WTF are they smoking at Talkleft? I am starting to think that they are only trying to keep their traffic up.

    BTD

    As much as anything, what surprises me about this is that rolling out endorsements at this late date means the race is still on.

  48. 48.

    jake

    Which will it be:

    Edwards – Misogynist elitist stealth republican

    or

    Edwards – Another effiminate out of touch girly man.

  49. 49.

    PeterJ

    The bigger the loss for Obama, the bigger the endorsements. Edwards is not a super, so maybe Obama is out of supers.

    Love some Taylor Marsh wisdom.

    He’s been adding four a day for the last 3 days. And with the news about Edwards’ endorsing, I doubt he will run out until they run out.

  50. 50.

    shera

    I don’t remember where I read this, but it’s likely that an Edwards endorsement before Pennsylvania or North Carolina might have hurt Obama because he’s actually not that popular in North Carolina (he didn’t carry it in 2004). I have no trouble believing that Obama and/or his people considered this and wanted him to wait until after North Carolina and West Virginia. They’ve been pretty astute about strategy all primary season, and this is a perfect time to do this. No doubt David Bonior’s support will help solidify organized labor behind Obama as well.

  51. 51.

    Dreggas

    A comment on the abc blog:

    He couldn’t handle being beat by a woman. Typical p e n i s response; to support the other p e n i s.

  52. 52.

    TR

    Edwards – Another effiminate out of touch girly man.

    That’s my vote. We’ll see another replay of “the boys are teaming up and picking on the poor little girl!” we got after they both criticized her in that early debate.

    The NARAL endorsement helps muffle that, though.

  53. 53.

    Dennis - SGMM

    Dreggas Says:

    A comment on the abc blog:

    He couldn’t handle being beat by a woman. Typical p e n i s response; to support the other p e n i s.

    Well Barack may have a penis but he’s still not white. So there.

  54. 54.

    PeterJ

    I don’t remember where I read this, but it’s likely that an Edwards endorsement before Pennsylvania or North Carolina might have hurt Obama because he’s actually not that popular in North Carolina (he didn’t carry it in 2004). I have no trouble believing that Obama and/or his people considered this and wanted him to wait until after North Carolina and West Virginia. They’ve been pretty astute about strategy all primary season, and this is a perfect time to do this. No doubt David Bonior’s support will help solidify organized labor behind Obama as well.

    Endorsements haven’t swayed voters that much this primary, but I have to agree with a poster over at TalkLeft (if the post is still there, since it was positive towards Obama…) this news will kill Clinton’s win in West Virginia.

    Anything negative from when he loses in Kentucky will be outbalanced by Oregon.

  55. 55.

    El Doh

    I do enjoy the irony coming from some of the more ardent Hillary supporters that runs something like: “Sexist pigs, picking on a girl!”

  56. 56.

    Paul Weimer

    Shorter Talkleft:

    This is great news for Sen. Clinton because it shows how desperate Sen Obama is to counteract his defeat in West Virginia and his weakness amongst working-class White Americans.

    And this either tarnishes Edwards, or its sleazy on his part, or its opportunistic, or he really doesn’t care about Health care.

    And its awful that these party leaders are stomping on Sen. Clinton like this!

  58. 58.

    El Doh

    Endorsements haven’t swayed voters that much this primary, but I have to agree with a poster over at TalkLeft (if the post is still there, since it was positive towards Obama…) this news will kill Clinton’s win in West Virginia.

    Endorsements that matter are the ones that come with a patronage machine. Mayors in particular — Villaraigosa’s did a lot for Clinton in CA, for example.

    Feet on the ground, and all that.

  59. 59.

    Dreggas

    Well John can now enjoy being lumped in with the likes of:

    Bill Richardson, Chris Dodd, Keith Olbermann, Jim Hightower, A long list of other senators and House Members as well as NARAL, SEIU and other organizations who officially hate America and want democrats to lose in November and were never progressive or really friends to the Democratic Party.

  60. 60.

    PeterJ

    Endorsements that matter are the ones that come with a patronage machine. Mayors in particular—Villaraigosa’s did a lot for Clinton in CA, for example.

    Feet on the ground, and all that.

    True.

  61. 61.

    Notorious P.A.T.

    Glad to hear it, Michael.

    Ambinder thinks Edwards is in flight to put a stake in her heart at 7PM tonite.

    %@$&#*^!@! I thought about going to that rally but my laziness prevailed. Now I’m going to miss history in the making.

  62. 62.

    Ted

    Here’s a good one:

    What can he possibly say (5.00 / 10) (#11)
    by Foxx on Wed May 14, 2008 at 04:39:54 PM EST

    Obama is indefensible. I am sick.
    Why, why? Clinton is the one who would get done the things Edwards supposedly believes in.

    Is this really all about woman hating? I do not understand it. Have they all been bought? It looks like it.

    Hilarious.

  64. 64.

    ThymeZone

    I would guesstimate that a lot of that crazy you guys are quoting is actually spoof.

    And that would be quite wonderful. As they say, when you can’t tell the spoofs from the crazy ….

    We win.

  66. 66.

    Dreggas

    “I think it is tremendously disrespectful to Sen. Clinton – who held up the nomination of a FDA commissioner in order to force approval of Plan B and who spoke so eloquently during the Supreme Court nomination about the importance of protecting Roe vs. Wade – to not give her the courtesy to finish the final three weeks of the primary process. It certainly must be disconcerting for elected leaders who stand up for reproductive rights and expect the choice community will stand with them.”

    – Emily’s List on NARAL endorsement

  67. 67.

    Bob In Pacifica

    Glad to hear things are okay, Michael. I’ve had one surgery where I went under and it was the creepiest experience in my life, coming out of it. It seemed like it took forever to regain the use of my body, lying there, and I really had to take a piss. Did not like it at all.

  68. 68.

    Ted

    Another good one:

    My sense is that party insiders are truly panicking because Obama will always hold the small pledged delegate lead, but has been unable to pull away from Hillary in any other convincing way. Now they’re ramming this nomination down the party’s throat in an effort to have immediate closure and to try to silence Senator Clinton. Again, I say this is further wedging the party apart and is cementing ill will. With even NARAL stepping into the primary season, I’m feeling like one thrown-under-the-bus Democrat. It’s a travesty that we’ve reduced a truly historic race to a virtual gang rape.

    Whoooee!

  69. 69.

    El Doh

    My sense is that party insiders are truly panicking because Obama will always hold the small pledged delegate lead, but has been unable to pull away from Hillary in any other convincing way

    “Hillary only loses to Obama by a small margin, so she should be the nominee!”

    I’m completely at a loss as to a response to “virtual gang rape”.

  70. 70.

    Dreggas

    Ted Says:

    Another good one:

    My sense is that party insiders are truly panicking because Obama will always hold the small pledged delegate lead, but has been unable to pull away from Hillary in any other convincing way. Now they’re ramming this nomination down the party’s throat in an effort to have immediate closure and to try to silence Senator Clinton. Again, I say this is further wedging the party apart and is cementing ill will. With even NARAL stepping into the primary season, I’m feeling like one thrown-under-the-bus Democrat. It’s a travesty that we’ve reduced a truly historic race to a virtual gang rape.

    Whoooee!

    Wow, sounds like the NY Chapter of NOW

  71. 71.

    John Cole

    My sense is that party insiders are truly panicking because Obama will always hold the small pledged delegate lead, but has been unable to pull away from Hillary in any other convincing way.

    Pledged delegate lead- check.
    States won- check.
    Super-delegate lead- check.
    Popular vote lead – check.
    Number of donors- check.
    Money raised- check.

    What the fuck else do they want to measure? Penis length?

  72. 72.

    Dreggas

    John Cole Says:

    My sense is that party insiders are truly panicking because Obama will always hold the small pledged delegate lead, but has been unable to pull away from Hillary in any other convincing way.

    Pledged delegate lead- check.
    States won- check.
    Super-delegate lead- check.
    Popular vote lead – check.
    Number of donors- check.
    Money raised- check.

    What the fuck else do they want to measure? Penis length?

    You forgot, there’s a clinton in this race…

  73. 73.

    JL

    Michael, Glad about the good news. John, your comment was excellent. Pat Buchanen is now on MSNBC touting the importance of Kentucky. LOL..

  75. 75.

    Ted

    Pledged delegate lead- check.
    States won- check.
    Super-delegate lead- check.
    Popular vote lead – check.
    Number of donors- check.
    Money raised- check.

    Remember John, they don’t agree that he’s winning the popular vote up to this point.

  77. 77.

    Rick Taylor

    As much as anything, what surprises me about this is that rolling out endorsements at this late date means the race is still on.

    This is beginning to remind me of Iraq, where whenever the death toll goes up it’s a sign the enemy is desperate and we have them on the run.

  79. 79.

    Conservatively Liberal

    I am glad to hear that everything was as expected! Nothing worse than going in for one problem and finding it is worse or finding something different. Great news!

    I have had numerous operations, and I don’t get along with anesthesia very well. One time I came to sitting on the floor of the post-op area with a can of Sprite. The post-op people were surprised when I asked them how I got there. They told me that I was talking to them and seemed lucid, and that I asked for something to drink. Then I sat down on the floor and started drinking the soda. On the way home, my ride had to stop so I could open the door and barf out a crapload of anesthesia, soda and bile.

    I never went back to that hospital.

    One time, as I was being put under the anesthesiologist told me to count backwards from 100. All I could remember was I got to 97 and that was it. After the operation, the doc told me that I pulled an excellent joke on the OR personnel and they fell for it.

    It seems that I stopped counting and told them that there was a fly in the OR. They asked ‘Where?’, and I pointed up at the ceiling. They all looked up, and my arm dropped like a log as I went under. They were in a panic for a few until they realized that the pattern on the ceiling could look like flies to a drugged out patient.

    He thought it was funny as hell, as did I. But I don’t remember a thing about it…lol

  80. 80.

    carsick

    Glad to hear it wasn’t a big deal.
    I went into the neurologist on Tuesday thinking he was going to take a sample of something in my spine. Dodged a bullet. He says it’s a pea in my spinal column and wants to wait 6 to 8 months to see how fast it’s growing.
    Now I know why Mama told me to eat slowly. Turns out, Peas can get displaced!

  81. 81.

    jake

    He couldn’t handle being beat by a woman. Typical p e n i s response; to support the other p e n i s.

    Forming a throbbing Arc de Triomphe.

  82. 82.

    Zuzu's Petals

    Michael –

    No idea there was anything worrying you. So glad all turned out well. You’ll need your strength for this marathon !

  83. 83.

    KRK

    Good news, Michael. Glad to hear it.

    carsick, I hope your news is just as good when the time comes. — And chew more carefully in the future.

  84. 84.

    bernarda

    A bit of insanity from Barack reported by yahoo news.

    “Senator Barack Obama’s campaign is steering the candidate’s wealthy supporters away from independent Democratic groups, calling into question what had been expected to be the groups’ central role in this year’s Democratic offensive against Senator John McCain.”

    The great new guy “democrat” Obama wants to take control. Why am I not surprised?

  85. 85.

    wobbly

    She’s only been saying this, like, forever and a goddamn day.
    Hardworking white post-menopausal females will respond in droves, I promise you/

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