Showing posts with label presidential visits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label presidential visits. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Barack Obama in New Albany Wednesday.



From the Obama campaign:

Join Barack Obama at a Town Hall in New Albany on Wednesday, April 23rd.

TOWN HALL WITH BARACK OBAMA


Indiana University Southeast Activities Building
4201 Grant Line Rd.
New Albany, IN 47150

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Doors Open: 10:45 a.m.
Program begins: 12:45 p.m.


The event is free and open to the public. However, seating is limited and tickets are required. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP using the form here to receive a free e-ticket via email.

For security reasons, do not bring bags and limit personal items. No signs or banners are permitted.

Tickets for this event can also be picked up beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22 at:

Clark County Location
530 E. Court Ave
Jeffersonville, IN 47130

Obama for America Floyd County Office

203 E. Main St
New Albany, IN 47150

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Hillary Clinton and the mystery cutlet.

It’s ironic that during the past week …

(a) I was supposed to be writing the next installment about my visit to Sarajevo in 1987, but didn’t have time.

(b) Hillary Clinton spoke about her dangerous visit to nearby Tuzla in 1996, but lied … er, I mean, “misspoke.”

(c) Sen. Clinton then came to New Albany and entertained her fans at the South Side Inn, but revealed nothing new.

(d) I contemplated protesting her visit to New Albany by holding a sign reading “No blood for kale,” but changed my mind.

Speaking personally, I’m an Obama man, though not for reason of sexism. As suggested by one of the bar patrons Saturday evening, I’m actually a virulent ageist, rejecting the older presidential candidates in favor of the one younger (46) than I am (47.

This means that Roger’s ageist trifecta is now complete: My doctor, my lawyer and my chosen candidate for the Oval Office are all younger than me, and all I can add is a heartfelt “Hallelujah.”

While readers can consult the mainstream local media for coverage of Sen. Clinton’s starchy South Side soiree, I’d like to pass along the single funniest thing I heard about yesterday’s epic clash between Clintonian liberalism and good ol’ country cooking. It comes from my friend Todd Antz, owner of Keg Liquors in Clarksville, which has the best selection of bottled craft beers in the area.

With regard to Mrs. Clinton’s stated preference for the delights of Southern cuisine, Todd wrote:

Do you really think she feels at home at the Southside Inn? Maybe she'll stop by the Keg for a six pack of Schlitz and a bag of pork rinds for the drive to the airport?

Bill would ... but that's a whole other story.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

One Southern Indiana: Much to answer for, and most (perhaps all) of it at taxpayer expense.

At NAC on Tuesday: Photos: No torture for a downtown bridge.

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Readers know where to go for coverage of yesterday’s visit by George W. Bush to New Albany, so those in need of the recap, consult the usual Courier and Tribune sources.

Meanwhile, the presidential visit was a surreal exercise in boarded tight window art at taxpayer expense, a massive logistics boondoggle at taxpayer expense, a transparent campaign rally for Mike Sodrel at taxpayer expense, a celebration of petro-imperialism overseas at taxpayer expense, and worst of all, a striking example of One Southern Indiana’s fawning and obsequious approval of outrages ranging from Constitutional erosion to institutionalized torture … and, yes, also at taxpayer expense.

With all these examples of tax revenue gone horribly awry, you’d have thought that the slumlord lobby would have been out in full force to protest. How incredibly strange that they weren’t.

How do you account for that? Truly, irony must be dead hereabouts.

Here are two of yesterday’s comments, lifted here to the marquee.

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Mr. G wrote:

Add the link to Bob Hill's column in (Tuesday’s) Courier-Journal. It pretty accurately represents all the questions attendees were asking about this "event".

(Here is Hill's column)

Where is ISI's head in conceiving of this as useful or representative of our region's aspirations or needs?

It's entertaining to look at the enlarged photo of the Secret Service guys and imagine some captions: "Where will he have us going next?" "Is this what we have to do to find a 'friendly' audience?" "Small enough town equals dignitaries willing to appear enthusiastic." "Do these people know he's just vetoed spending for human services, education and job retraining?"

None of, not one, of the SS agents looks like he's having a good time and it's not because they think a sniper is going to jump up on the roof of The Fair Store building.

Also puzzling was ISI's press release claiming sponsors for today's visit was ISI, the chamber of commerce and local economic development groups--as if they were separate entities and not those who merged to create ISI.

Who's drunk the Kool Aid and who’s zooming who?

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NAC’s Bluegill agreed:

Exactly, mr g.

I'm very sorry I couldn't make it today. Thank you for your sign, Roger.

Hopefully, Develop New Albany, who recently signed on as a 1SI member, and Mayor-elect England, who mentioned them repeatedly while campaigning, will have the wherewithal to speak out against such an egregious abuse of development dollars and the public trust.

The entire event amounted to nothing but partisan politics on behalf of a man and his minions who've consistently implemented policies of and advocated for (usually in that order since they had to be caught first) Constitutional destruction and the torture, maiming, and killing of hundreds of thousands.

1SI should be ashamed. It will be interesting to see what the heavy hitters on their board have to say about today's embarrassment.

1SI Chair Kerry Stemler even announced "They love you" from the stage during the introduction.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Photos: No torture for a downtown bridge.









Spitballs at Shrub: See you downtown today.

According to the Louisville Peace Action Community (LPAC), there'll be a formal protest today as President George W. Bush speaks about the economy at the Grand, circa 1:15 p.m.

"Join the protest against Bush, 12:15 - 2:00 p.m. on the north side of Market St., as close to the Grand as possible."

Speaking of the economy, it currently costs a buck forty five to buy a Euro. There's a waiting list to buy stainless steel kegs and hops (for use in beer) -- if you can get 'em at all. Has it occurred to you that with ten minutes worth of expenditure in Iraq, we could revitalize the whole of downtown New Albany?

Do you think this has occurred to the sycophants at 1SI? As Bluegill presciently noted a couple days ago, "Maybe we could open a high tech torture center to kick off the new industrial park and promote the bridges project."

Dave Clancy's former digs at the late, lamented Bistro New Albany have been transformed into Secret Service Central for Dubya's latest propagandistic incursion, and although Mike Sodrel is beaming, the reality of black clad snipers occupying space near to where I once dined on marvelous beef and satisfying progressive pints is damned near sickening.

I feel violated -- much like the Constitution during Bush's disastrous tenure in office.

Protesting? See you down there, and remember: Connor's Place for post-protest ales.

See: Not big enough, Mr. Dalby: If only it were Bono, and not merely a spectacularly failed president.