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Contador: Lance A Great Champion But . . .

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Off Topic
Posted on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:35:13 PM EST
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. . . he's a pr*ck, says Tour de France champion Alberto Contador:

Away from the spotlight of the Tour de France and back in Spain, his home country, Alberto Contador took the chance Monday to say what he really felt about his Astana teammate Lance Armstrong. “My relationship with Lance is zero,” Contador said at a news conference, one day after winning his second Tour. “He is a great rider and has completed a great race but it is another thing on a personal level, where I have never had great admiration for him and I never will.”

Not the best translation, but more or less the gist. Here is the video.Update - Lance responds - "hey pistolero, there is no "i" in "team". what did i say in March? Lots to learn. . . . Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I'd drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn't win." Heh. Lance has lots to learn. Pi**ing contests are not going to help him. Won't help Contador either but . . .

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    • Display: Sort:
    Contador: Lance A Great Champion But . . . | 98 comments (98 topical)
    that was (5.00 / 1) (#9)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:04:35 PM EST
    positively insidious

    Wow (5.00 / 4) (#11)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:11:46 PM EST
    That's such a creative spam comment, I can't even bring myself to report it.  Maybe kdog's admonitions against dime-dropping are having an effect.

    I liked it (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:27:48 PM EST
    I'm leaving it up.

    Parent
    I have to keep telling myself (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:51:13 PM EST
    I can't give spam a 5, but that one is a classic.

    Parent
    The Face on the Barroom Floor: (none / 0) (#35)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:42:29 PM EST
    link

    Parent
    Clue me in. Does this spam hit every (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:13:03 PM EST
    reference to "Lance"?

    Parent
    Wish I'd seen it (none / 0) (#102)
    by sj on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 11:59:50 AM EST
    All kinds of admiration here.  :)

    Parent
    Did BTD say this? (5.00 / 2) (#61)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:27:32 PM EST
    Nope, it was retiring Senator George Voinovich (R-OH):

    The GOP's biggest problem? "We got too many Jim DeMints (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburns (R-Ok.). It's the southerners. They get on TV and go 'errrr, errrrr.' People hear them and say, `These people, they're southerners. The party's being taken over by southerners. What they hell they got to do with Ohio?' "
    hehehehe (5.00 / 2) (#63)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:34:30 PM EST


    Parent
    Next year's tour should be very interesting... (none / 0) (#1)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:43:29 PM EST


    Were any Astana riders (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:47:36 PM EST
    actually from Kazakhstan?  And what's with the Tour playing the Danish national anthem for Contador?  Probably Lance put them up to it.  (snk)

    Murayev (none / 0) (#5)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:53:52 PM EST
    and Popovych.

    Next year Vino comes back.

    But both Armstrong and Contador will be long gone.

    Probably also Leipheimer (with Armstrong) and Paulinho (with Contador) and others.

    Parent

    not the first time (none / 0) (#3)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:48:05 PM EST
    I have heard this about Lance.

    Did Crow do any tell all interviews? (none / 0) (#4)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 04:49:46 PM EST


    Parent
    Apparently Lance did. He is a pr*ck. (none / 0) (#20)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:23:32 PM EST


    Parent
    I suspect (none / 0) (#28)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:36:52 PM EST
    when it comes to Armstrong and Contador, we probably have a pair of the aforementioned body parts. Both great athletes that are better watched than heard.

    Parent
    Is calling a guy a pr*ck sexist? (none / 0) (#30)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:38:59 PM EST


    Parent
    calling a woman one (none / 0) (#36)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:47:11 PM EST
    might be.  or vice versa.  if you know what I mean.

    Parent
    Probably. Sorry Lance. (none / 0) (#39)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:50:17 PM EST


    Parent
    Ha! How about when BTD does it? (none / 0) (#42)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:51:39 PM EST


    Parent
    Ok a**hole (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:52:50 PM EST
    would have been the safer play.

    Parent
    heh (none / 0) (#51)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:59:51 PM EST


    Parent
    What's with Lance tweeting "pistolero." (none / 0) (#52)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:03:04 PM EST
    Thought he didn't know Spanish.

    Parent
    No clue. Thought he had a home in Spain. (none / 0) (#54)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:04:05 PM EST


    Parent
    Again, badda boom, badda bing (none / 0) (#99)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 01:14:44 AM EST


    Parent
    Me too, from people I trust (none / 0) (#73)
    by ruffian on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:08:47 PM EST
    from the US cycling circuit that trained with him in the early days.

    Undeniably a fantastic athlete, maybe the best ever. That's all he owes the public. I don't subscribe to the 'athletes have to be our children's life role models' theories.

    Parent

    I love Japanese (none / 0) (#10)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:10:28 PM EST
    culture.  reading about it always makes me feel more normal.  not easy.

    Nisan didn't mean to fall in love with Nemutan. Their first encounter -- at a comic-book convention that Nisan's gaming friends dragged him to in Tokyo -- was serendipitous. Nisan was wandering aimlessly around the crowded exhibition hall when he suddenly found himself staring into Nemutan's bright blue eyes. In the beginning, they were just friends. Then, when Nisan got his driver's license a few months later, he invited Nemutan for a ride around town in his beat-up Toyota.
    Nemutan doesn't really have a leg. She's a stuffed pillowcase -- a 2-D depiction of a character, Nemu, from an X-rated version of a PC video game called Da Capo, printed on synthetic fabric.

    Nisan is part of a thriving subculture of men and women in Japan who indulge in real relationships with imaginary characters.
    Thanks for sharing. Glad to hear his (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:15:11 PM EST
    girlfriend left him.

    Parent
    ya (5.00 / 2) (#15)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:18:29 PM EST
    only surprising thing about that is that he ever had one.

    Parent
    This may be the one time (none / 0) (#14)
    by Democratic Cat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:15:14 PM EST
    Lance has been more gracious about someone else than he was about them. I thought his remarks about Contador and Schleck at the end were exactly right -- they were just plain better, but he did ok for an old guy.

    They aren't teammates anymore, so it seems fine that Contador should say what he wants. But I think they'll both let their bikes do the talking next year. I'm looking forward to it.

    Reading Contador's comment again (none / 0) (#17)
    by Democratic Cat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:19:28 PM EST
    It's actually not ungracious. He says Lance is a great champion but he doesn't admire him personally. Seems pretty matter-of-fact to me; I shouldn't have said he was ungracious. He was probably asked a direct question and he answered it directly.

    Parent
    Wondering if Jeralyn or BTD could (none / 0) (#16)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:19:24 PM EST
    apply some pressure on the Obama administration to invite selected bloggers, including Talk Left, natch, to the meet up at the WH between Prof. Gates, Lt. Crowley, and the President.  Transparency and all that.

    CSPAN (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:22:14 PM EST


    Parent
    Pay Per View (5.00 / 2) (#88)
    by Inspector Gadget on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 09:25:02 PM EST
    Who wouldn't pay to see these guys raising bottles, slurring their words, and ending with a chorus of, "love ya, man".

    Parent
    Or Kumbaya, My Lord. (none / 0) (#89)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 09:27:18 PM EST


    Parent
    Ho boy, that's a failing (none / 0) (#95)
    by coigue on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 12:05:04 AM EST
    cable channel, if I ever saw one.

    Parent
    Ha! (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:25:14 PM EST
    What good is a "teachable moment," indeed, if none of us are there to learn from it?

    Parent
    Oh, I'm sure they are packaging this (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by nycstray on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:26:52 PM EST
    and we will get served up an "Obama Moment", branded and all  ;)

    Parent
    Perhaps someone will twitter. (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:27:15 PM EST


    Parent
    Not good news for Dodd, Conrad (none / 0) (#18)
    by jbindc on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:22:03 PM EST
    Link

    Despite their denials, influential Democratic Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd were told from the start they were getting VIP mortgage discounts from one of the nation's largest lenders, the official who handled their loans has told Congress in secret testimony.

    Both senators have said that at the time the mortgages were being written they didn't know they were getting unique deals from Countrywide Financial Corp., the company that went on to lose billions of dollars on home loans to credit-strapped borrowers. Dodd still maintains he got no preferential treatment.
    Not sure it's inconsistent (none / 0) (#27)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:33:14 PM EST
    if someone I'm doing business with tells me that they're giving me the "preferred customer discount" or whatever, that doesn't necessarily mean I know I'm getting a "unique deal."  The article says that other members of the VIP program also included "retired athletes, a judge, a congressional aide and a newspaper executive," so it's not as if it's some special deal they whipped up on the spot for a U.S. Senator.

    Another point I find interesting is that Dodd's spokesman "repeated Dodd's statements from last February that an independent report showed the terms received by the senator and his wife were widely available at the time."  That, to me, is a pretty important issue, because I'm curious to know if the discount was something that was commercially reasonable.

    In other words, it doesn't trouble me to hear that a Senator bought a car and didn't pay sticker price, because a lot of people don't have to pay sticker price.  But if you told me that they actually got the car for 50% off, I'd feel differently.

    Parent

    Which means we need to know more (none / 0) (#29)
    by jbindc on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:38:37 PM EST
    A retired athlete is heading the banking committee which was (and is) overseeing this mess.

    "Caeser's wife must be above reporach."

    Parent

    Rather (none / 0) (#32)
    by jbindc on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:39:15 PM EST
    A retired athlete is NOT overseeing the Banking Committee..

    Sorry- trying to get out of work and get to a happy hour!

    Parent

    Better for Countrywide if it weren't special (none / 0) (#33)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:39:25 PM EST
    They could tell their future customers "you're getting the Senator's special discount!"

    Parent
    Homegrown terrorists? (none / 0) (#21)
    by jbindc on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:24:58 PM EST
    Link

    Seven North Carolina men have been charged with plotting to wage "violent jihad" by "murdering, kidnapping or maiming persons" overseas. According to a federal indictment unsealed today, the alleged ringleader, Daniel Patrick Boyd, and six co-defendants were accused of conspiring to provide financial and material assistance to terrorists abroad. The indictment does not allege the men planned to attack targets within the U.S.

    According to a federal indictment unsealed today, the alleged ringleader, Daniel Patrick Boyd, and six co-defendants were accused of conspiring to provide financial and material assistance to terrorists abroad. The indictment does not allege the men planned to attack targets within the U.S.

    Boyd had traveled extensively in Pakistan and Afghanistan between 1989 and 1992, where he received military training in terrorist training camps, according to the indictment.

    Prosecutors say over the last three years, Boyd and his co-defendants raised funds and weapons to assist terror efforts and recruited homegrown extremists to travel abroad to wage jihad. Two of Boyd's sons, Dylan and Zakariya, were charged with taking part in the alleged conspiracy.



    I'm just saying (none / 0) (#26)
    by Johnny 99 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:32:01 PM EST
    Didn't Contador attack Lance on a day when he wasn't supposed to?  Didn't Contandor also attack and leave his teammate Kloden behind as well?  And best I can tell from watching, didn't Lance do everything he was supposed to do as a teammate on the climbs?  Any chance it's the other guy who is the pr*ick?

    No (none / 0) (#31)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:39:00 PM EST
    He didn't. Next question.

    Parent
    Lance did not much of anything (none / 0) (#34)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:40:13 PM EST
    except cause turmoil on Contador's team.

    He blew it up basically.

    But that is all to the good. we all will have fun watching the Tour next year.

    Parent

    Only one (none / 0) (#37)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:48:38 PM EST
    wears the yellow jersey. The sour grapes came from someone that wasn't.

    I'm sure Lance would have preferred Contador not go all out and and instead pull Lance along with him. Contador rode to win by not slowing for weaker riders on the climbs. Hold that against him if you'd like.

    Parent

    I'm not seeing sour grapes (none / 0) (#53)
    by Democratic Cat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:03:42 PM EST
    (But I like Lance, despite his pr*ckishness.)

    Contador did ride away one day, leaving Kloden -- and Lance too, but leaving Kloden was the problem.  He didn't have to do it; it wasn't tactically the right thing to do for the team, but he did it. So, Kloden's chance at the podium was blown.  Given how well Andy Schleck rode, Kloden probably wasn't getting on the podium anyway. But Contador didn't know that when he rode away and he took Schleck with him

    If Lance was the stronger rider, he would have defeated Contador on the road and the team would have ridden for him. Lance was kind of a carpetbagger, I admit it; but he said to Contador, prove you're the leader, and AC did it. And, if you noticed, Lance rode ahead of AC most of the tour and certainly did so after AC showed him on the road that AC was the better cyclist. AC rode in Lance's slipstream -- which is exactly what the leader should do.

    Cycling is both an individual and a team sport. Neither Lance nor Contador could win a Tour without a da** good team behind them. It's just a fact.

    Parent

    Contador says (none / 0) (#62)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:33:01 PM EST
    he consulted Kloden and there is a ypou tube of in fact Contador doing that but clearly it failed thuis it was m mistake in hte sense that it hurt Klodi.

    In the larger sense, Contador put time into Wiggins, who is a great time trialist so actually you can argue it made sense for the team whose MAIN goal is always the yellow jersey.

    Parent

    I had not heard that (none / 0) (#75)
    by Democratic Cat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:13:44 PM EST
    but it seems quite possible.

    I also credit Contador for, several times on Mont Ventoux (sp?) pulling Armstrong along. I think they both did their parts and acted as part of a team more than not. Contador is clearly better this year, and I can't wait to see what Schleck does in the future.

    Parent

    Meh (none / 0) (#77)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:20:57 PM EST
    They were at each other's throats and divided the team utterly.

    To he honest, I do not blame Armstrong. I blame Bruyneel.

    Parent

    Huh? (none / 0) (#38)
    by Johnny 99 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:49:00 PM EST
    It was Armstrong's team before that.  At least it was with the same coach.  And what did he blow up?  Astana was banned last year.  This year, they won the overall team title, got 3 in the 10 Ten (would have been 4 if Levi didn't get hurt) and Contador won.  What specifically did Lance do wrong?

    Astana? (none / 0) (#40)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:50:59 PM EST
    Armstrong never was on Astana till this year.

    Contador has won the last 4 GTs he has been in.

    Parent

    3 with Astana (none / 0) (#46)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:54:31 PM EST
    This very team my friend.

    That is the team Armstrong blew up.

    Parent

    So... (none / 0) (#55)
    by Johnny 99 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:08:24 PM EST
    ...none of those riders were with Lance 4 years ago?  It was just the same coach?  The teams change names so often I can't follow it.  Then Lance would have started his own team next year if he rode with Astana or not.  And I'd assume plenty of Astana riders would want to go with him no matter what since he can bring in sponsorships, attention and revenue that no one else can.  I'm still at a loss as to what he's done worthy getting name-calling thrown his way.

    (And we can start listing his accomplishments in and out of the sport.  They're pretty impressive.)  Seems like a lot of cheap shots to me.

    Parent

    He has a very bad reputation (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by Democratic Cat on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:14:54 PM EST
    as a jerk. But fact of the matter is that few people can attain that kind of success and be nice, easy-going people. It's his pr*ckishness that gets him on his bike every day with a goal to be the very best.

    So, finding out that a world champion is kind of a jerk seems about as surprising (and disappointing) as finding out that the Pope is Catholic.

    Parent

    "of" (none / 0) (#56)
    by Johnny 99 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:09:24 PM EST
    missed an "of" in there.  Looks like you can't go back and edit.

    Parent
    Hey, even I know the answer. He (none / 0) (#44)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:52:59 PM EST
    knew ahead of time what the pelaton was going to do and somehow that aced Hincaipe out of the yellow jersey.  

    Parent
    Great, but.. (none / 0) (#45)
    by Johnny 99 on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:54:19 PM EST
    Great, but what did Lance do that was so wrong that we should assume he's a pr*ck?  He raced and did well.  What's the problem?

    So if you click on: [Reply to This] (5.00 / 2) (#50)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:58:57 PM EST
    under a person's comment and then write your comment, your comment is connected to that person's comment, so the person who wrote the comment knows you're commenting back to him/her...

    Parent
    Very puzzling comment. (5.00 / 1) (#72)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:05:54 PM EST


    Parent
    It was a suggestion to Johny 99. (5.00 / 1) (#96)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 12:07:40 AM EST
    If you'll notice, before my suggestion, his responses were not connected to the comments he was replying to.

    For example: the very comment my comment was in response to.

    And, lo and behold, after my suggestion, clarity!

    I gave a tip to a noobie, he accepted it in the good graces it was intended.

    A beautiful thing.

    Buona notte.

    Parent

    that (none / 0) (#48)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:57:07 PM EST
    he is a pr!ck

    Parent
    sorry (none / 0) (#49)
    by Capt Howdy on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:57:53 PM EST
    I couldnt resist.  never met the man.  but thats what I heard.

    Parent
    Same song, umpty-ump verse. Selig (none / 0) (#47)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 05:56:10 PM EST
    will again consider whether Pete Rose should be reinstated by MLB and thus become eligible to be voted into Baseball HOF by the Veterans' Committee:

    link

    But here's what I missed:  Hank Aaron, besides talking about asterisks next to names of the Mark McGuire, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds et al., sd. he thinks Rose should be in the hall.

    If it's ever found (none / 0) (#80)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:41:16 PM EST
    that Pete bet on himself to get three hits in games during his career, should he have an asterisk next to his name in the Hall for indulging in PEG's (performance enhancing gambling)?

    Parent
    Excellent question. It is rather startling (none / 0) (#81)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:45:57 PM EST
    ho see his name in the Hall at the top of the list of players with the most hits.  He is soooo far ahead of anyone else.  Maybe he will get in after he dies.

    Parent
    Stealing an oft used line (none / 0) (#84)
    by CoralGables on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 08:08:35 PM EST
    Speaking for me only...

    I have no problems at all with Pete in the Hall. He earned the credentials long before his managerial days.

    Although I made a visit to Cooperstown about 20 years ago, seeing some of the ceremony yesterday has made me yearn for a return trip.

    Parent

    I will probably go when Trevor Hoffman is (none / 0) (#86)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 08:34:33 PM EST
    inducted.  Hoping his co-inductees aren't, say, Cal Ripken.  Very crowded when Tony Gwynn was inducted due to Oriole's fans. Yesterday looked quite pleasantly sparce.

    Parent
    Regarding the leaked Baucus healthcare plan (none / 0) (#57)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:10:18 PM EST
    The key now is obviously the House, and thereafter the conference report. The Senate is posed to pass a $h*t bill.

    How about fleshing out that comment. (5.00 / 3) (#60)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:24:03 PM EST
    Make it a teaching moment.

    Parent
    Two points (none / 0) (#64)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:36:28 PM EST
    1. It's important that the Senate pass something in order to go to conference.

    2. It's very important that whatever the House passes have the essential elements of a good bill (public option).

    Once the Senate passes one version, it will be very difficult for legislators to turn around and vote against the conference report. Surveys have shown the public option to be popular, so at the end of the day it can probably pass.

    Parent
    Surveys have shown (none / 0) (#70)
    by dk on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:04:02 PM EST
    that 72% of Americans want a public option that will cover everyone, but that doesn't happen under any of the versions currently being discussed.

    Parent
    So therefore what, they would be (none / 0) (#76)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:17:23 PM EST
    less likely to support the weaker versions? That doesn't follow.

    Parent
    Well, first of all, it could mean that. (none / 0) (#78)
    by dk on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:31:22 PM EST
    I mean, just because some are willing to accept a bad bill just because the words "public" and "option" keep swirling about, even though the CBO has shown that a maximum of about 10 million people would be expected to be a part of it (not enough to have any impact on costs) by 2019, doesn't mean that most of that 72% would.

    But more than that, I think it shows that the Obama administration and the Democratic leadership in Congress don't really care what the public think on this issue.  Their willingness to go against the will of 72% of the American public on the question of a public option that would be avaialble to everyone is a indicator that public support is not something that is factoring into their decision making.  If you notice, it is Big Insurance and Big Pharma that are stumping most heavily for a quick reconciliation and passage of a bill at this point.

    Parent

    I think it's pretty straightforward (none / 0) (#79)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:38:46 PM EST
    They have to balance the desires of their supporters and the public against the unfortunate political reality of Congress. You've got to start somewhere.

    Parent
    A bad bill (none / 0) (#90)
    by dk on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 09:38:46 PM EST
    In defiance of the will of the people that props up a system that doesn't work, unfortunately, is not "somewhere."

    Parent
    It all depends on where you draw the line (none / 0) (#91)
    by andgarden on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 09:47:29 PM EST


    Parent
    True. I was just (none / 0) (#101)
    by dk on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 08:53:30 AM EST
    pointing out that 72% of Americans want the line at a government option for everyone.

    Parent
    11 dimensional chess (none / 0) (#85)
    by ruffian on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 08:34:23 PM EST
    I'm hoping the WH leaked the Baucus bill details as a trial balloon to gauge/provoke the public response. Time to make some phone calls and letters, etc.

    Parent
    To clarify, calls and letters (none / 0) (#87)
    by ruffian on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 08:40:19 PM EST
    against the Baucus bill.  I can't understand what they supposedly spent all this time hashing out. It is almost exactly what Conrad floated 6 months ago.

    Obama and the Dems need to be reminded they are in the majority, and can do what the majority of Americans want.  Baucus and Conrad and Snowe together represent what, 2-3 million people? Why are they in charge of this policy?

    Parent

    Would it be sexist to call a woman the C word? (none / 0) (#65)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:44:54 PM EST


    i'd say so (5.00 / 2) (#68)
    by Dadler on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:58:06 PM EST
    calling a woman a c*nt implies much worse than pr*ck.  prick is lighthearted almost, whereas c*nt, in our society, comes with real venom and hatred.  truth is, the slurs related to women are all much worse socially than those related to men.  whether p*ssy, c*nt, whore, even b*tch, etc., they all come with more venom and demeaning preception than, say, pr*ck, d*ck, bastard, or even c*cksucker (since that's a gay  slur, and thus closer to the female ones in origin and demeaning intent).  

    Parent
    strange (none / 0) (#93)
    by coigue on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 12:01:46 AM EST
    cause if you get nastier than pr*ck, you get "c*ck", but that would not be much of an insult.

    Parent
    Or how about saying a woman has (none / 0) (#71)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:04:20 PM EST
    excesss Cojones and should spare some for her opponent?

    Parent
    excess gonads (none / 0) (#94)
    by coigue on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 12:02:24 AM EST
    is more gender neutral.

    Parent
    Was Baseball HOF induction ceremony (none / 0) (#66)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:47:07 PM EST
    Sunday Sen. Bunning's swan song?

    Could the Padres possibly be behind 4 to zip in the bottom of the 2nd?

    Sen. Bunning (none / 0) (#67)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 06:57:50 PM EST
    A horrible Senator, but a great Tiger.  Sad that he had to alienate all of Michigan with his position on the auto bailout!

    Parent
    Why did the GOP hierarchy deny him (none / 0) (#69)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:00:54 PM EST
    funds for re-election campaign?

    Parent
    Very simple (none / 0) (#74)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:12:55 PM EST
    because he is a weak candidate who would very likely lose, even with the benefits of incumbency!  The Republicans have a much better chance of defending the seat with a different candidate.

    The man is one step away from wandering the halls of Congress in his pajamas.

    Parent

    A blogger. (5.00 / 4) (#82)
    by oculus on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:46:46 PM EST


    Parent
    Now that was low! (none / 0) (#83)
    by Steve M on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 07:57:54 PM EST


    Parent
    So low I laughed out loud! (5.00 / 1) (#98)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 01:10:41 AM EST


    Parent
    Oh, I forgot to say that (none / 0) (#103)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 07:16:42 PM EST
    bit of humor was definitely below the belt ;-)

    Parent
    Remembering him (none / 0) (#92)
    by coigue on Mon Jul 27, 2009 at 11:58:57 PM EST
    pal-ing around with Bush...

    Lance Armstrong (none / 0) (#97)
    by TheRealFrank on Tue Jul 28, 2009 at 01:03:26 AM EST
    He's not a bad guy. I've seen him in action since he became a pro in '92, and have seen many interviews with him. He seems witty, intelligent and engaging.

    However, he's also a very driven person (even more so after he came back from his battle with cancer). He knows what he wants, and will drop everything else to get where he wants to go. That kind of character trait can make someone hard to get along with.

    I wish he'd run as a Dem in Texas. He'd be a fierce candidate.

    Contador: Lance A Great Champion But . . . | 98 comments (98 topical)