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Liveblog: Cambridge Sgt. Crowley speaks, + VIDEO of "beer summit"

By GottaLaff

UPDATE: Video has been added, and blog title changed to reflect that.



Liveblogging:

Look forward rather than backward. ... Gates and I have different perspectives, but most must be addressed for a constructive outcome. This was done to move the whole country beyond this, use this as basis of meaningful discussions in the future...

We've planned a meeting. Prof. and I will have a phone call to lay groundwork.

Meeting at a bar for a beer would send the wrong message.

I'd like to listen to Prof. Gates' perspective... he has a willingness to listen to mine as a police officer... the difficult jobs we do every day. He was very receptive to that.

We agreed to move forward. We had two gentlemen agree to disagree on this issue. We didn't dwell on the past, concentrated on the future.

We had encountered each other on individual tours of the WH, we introduced our families, moved along as a group. It was very cordial.

It was a private, frank discussion. No specifics.

Pres. contributed in small part, but he wanted to bring us together, it's become a national issue.

Teachable moment? I've learned that media can find you no matter where you live. That's the responsibility of Prof. Gates and I in the future meeting.

The VP is a great man, nice... nice to the children as well.

I'm not really sure this is really happening. I need time to reflect in the coming weeks.

There was no tension. It was business, but we discussed as two gentlemen instead of fighting it out, very productive.

UPDATE: Chris Matthews take? "A star is born." "Is he suave or what?" And then he compared him to Susan Boyle.

"Get Him A 6-Pack of Budweiser and We'll Meet Hannity Wherever He Wants To Go"

Mystery solved, it's Budweiser.

Obama on Hannity invite: 'I'm always good for a beer'

Yeah, but with Hannity it's probably gonna be PBR.

Cindy the Beer Vendor

By GottaLaff

This is a couple of days old, but it's still hilarious. If it's a re-post, apologies:

Tonight in Colorado, Senator Lindsey Graham, a close friend of the McCains, described Cindy as "a great small businesswoman." Her "small" business -- Hensley & Co., a family-owned Anheuser-Busch distributor that is the third largest among the 800 in the country -- had revenues of nearly $200 million last year, according to Yahoo.

Lindsey the Oblivious.

Oh Cindy McCain, beauty is in the eyes of the beer-holder

By GottaLaff

While we're on the subject of Cindy McMealTicket:

A group dedicated to legalizing marijuana use is launching a new campaign Tuesday aimed at pointing to hypocrisy in a country that could have as its first lady a woman who made millions selling a substance that's killed tens of thousands of people while purveyors of a relatively harmless herb are imprisoned.

The just-launched Web site DrugDealerCindy.com points to Cindy McCain's position as chair of her father's Hensley & Co., one of the country's largest Anheuser-Busch beer distributors, and it argues that alcohol is more toxic, addictive and prone to inspire violence than marijuana. The site, launched by the group Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation, also features mock "Wanted" posters featuring a photo of McCain, wife of the Republican presidential candidate, and offering a -- wait for it-- $420 reward.

Interesting how intertwined Cindy McBeerWealth is with drugs and alcohol:

"No one seems to have a problem with the fact that a potential First Lady sells a drug that contributes to countless violence and other destructive acts," SAFER's Mason Tvert tells RAW STORY.

They're not out to get Cindy:

Tvert says the group is not targeting McCain out of malice nor for partisan reasons. The aim is simply to point out the disparity between how alcohol and marijuana use are treated as public policy issues.

"Cindy McCain sells millions of dollars worth or alcohol every year" and may go to the White House, he says. "Whereas someone who may sell hundreds of dollars worth of marijuana gets sent to prison."

SAFER is "not against alcohol," Tvert says, it would just prefer marijuana receive the same recognition under the law.

Where's the equal time rule when you need it?

The Un-Beerable Cindy McCain

By GottaLaff

Cindy McMealTicket's problems are getting close to un-beerable:

A Belgian brewery’s recent attempt to buy out iconic American firm Anheuser-Busch is putting Cindy McCain in a politically difficult position.
Mrs. McCain, the wife of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), is chairwoman of a lucrative Anheuser-Busch distributorship in Arizona and is starting to attract political pressure on the possible deal.

She tends to shrug off doing the right thing. Why should this time be any different?

Since Belgian beer company InBev made an offer of $65 per share to St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch on June 11, a number of Missouri politicians have publicly opposed the deal, expressing their wish for Anheuser-Busch to remain an “American” company. Some have referenced Mrs. McCain’s stake in the company.

I bet they have.

Mrs. McCain’s distributorship, Hensley & Company, was founded by her father, Jim Hensley, in 1955. She became chairwoman of the board of directors of the company in 2000 after her father’s death, and her role in the company is a large source of Sen. and Mrs. McCain’s personal wealth.

But as InBev’s offer becomes more politically radioactive, so too might the McCains’ stake in the deal. Sen. McCain has received $23,250 in political donations this cycle from Anheuser Busch employees, which is the most by any corporation, according to the Center for Responsive Politics’ Open Secrets website.

Oh, but who cares about them? They're just the help.

The potential Anheuser-Busch deal is not the first time McCain has found himself criticized for supporting foreign business interests over domestic interests. McCain intervened in 2004 against Boeing’s contract for refueling tankers with the Air Force, citing what he called a “rip-off.” McCain’s actions resulted in a joint bid between Northrop Grumman and European-owned Airbus prevailing in the contract, and subsequently attracted criticism from Democrats.

Missouri is a battleground state that has gone Republican the past two presidential elections. George W. Bush won Missouri by 3.3 percentage points in 2000. The president bested Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) in Missouri, 53-46, in 2004. However, Democrats have captured a Senate seat since then, and face a competitive gubernatorial campaign this fall, pitting Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon against Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.). Hulshof did not comment for this article.

This isn't the first time I've posted about Cindy McMealTicket's beer problems. Maybe she should consider giving up alcohol altogether.

Never mind.

Change you can drink to: John Sidney and Cindy Lou Hensley McCain's beer problem

By GottaLaff

Cindy Lou Hensley McMealticket, it seems you're not helping Husband Sidney's cause. But, judging from your past escapades, it's clear that you never have. Aw, who cares, as long as the big bucks are rolling in, right?

Hensley & Co., one of the nation's major beer wholesalers, has brought the family of Cindy McCain wealth, prestige and influence in Phoenix, but it could also create conflicts for her husband, Sen. John McCain, if he is elected president in November.

Hensley, founded by Cindy McCain's late father, holds federal and state licenses to distribute beer and lobbies regulatory agencies on alcohol issues that involve public health and safety. The company has opposed such groups as Mothers Against Drunk Driving in fighting proposed federal rules requiring alcohol content information on every package of beer, wine and liquor.

Its executives, including John McCain's son Andrew, have written at least 10 letters in recent years to the Treasury Department, have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to a beer industry political action committee, and hold a seat on the board of the politically powerful National Beer Wholesalers Assn.

Good p.r., Cindy Lou. It's always a plus to face off with the mothers of children killed by beer-drinkers. Speaking of children and beer, how's your son?

[...]Andrew McCain is chief financial officer at Hensley and owns 6.8% of the stock, according to Arizona records. [...]

Hensley has run afoul of health advocacy groups that have tried to rein in appeals to young drinkers.

What a good boy! Mom and Dad must be proud. In fact, the whole family is one big bag of Special Interests R Us:

The involvement of McCain's family in federal regulatory issues could create a conflict of interest for a future McCain administration, according to advocacy groups and political analysts. McCain has recused himself for many years on alcohol issues in the Senate. As president, however, McCain would face far more difficulty distancing himself from an issue with such broad scope.

But that won't stop Cindy Lou Hensley McCorporate. Why should she give up all that foamy Big Beer Biz fun just because of some silly little First Lady conflict? This is now, and, gosh darn it my friends, Cindy Lou's not one to look toward the future. That would indicate, gulp! change! Hmmm, change you can drink to! The beer you deserve?

If her husband is elected president and she retains her role at Hensley, she will set a precedent for outside corporate activity by a first lady.

The McCain campaign issued a statement Friday about the issue, saying that "any decisions going forward will be made when John McCain wins the election and takes office, and not before." Hensley executives declined to comment.

I'm astounded that McWealthyWife hasn't already addressed the issue!

Political analysts said they were astounded that the presumptive Republican nominee had not already addressed the issue.

Like I said. What, he thinks he can run a beer company out of the White House?

"You can't run a beer company out of the White House," said Samuel L. Popkin, a political science professor at UC San Diego. "You can't run any company from the White House. McCain is leaving a live hand grenade on the table, a major embarrassment."

Stop repeating everything I say! Anyway, I've covered moments of his humiliation previously...like embarrassment ever stopped J Sid before. Psh! As if! But wait! What will the abstinence-only set say?

Indeed, apart from its potential to create a conflict of interest, the mere ownership of the beer distributor could turn off some social conservatives and those who object to alcohol use. [...] For some, abstinence -- and a disdain for the industry -- is religion-based.

That's Trouble. With a capital T, that rhymes with B, and that stands for BEER! Bruce Lee Livingston, executive director of the Marin Institute, a nonprofit alcohol industry watchdog group in San Rafael:

"The big question is how much access the beer industry is going to have to the White House. You would expect the president and first lady to be concerned about alcohol abuse and alcoholism. The first lady and the president need to have a bright line between the White House and the alcohol industry."

Not if the McBeer family can help it. Here's an idea: Start looking out for the American People... with a capital P which rhymes with V, and that stands for Votes.

It's Noon Somewhere

Beer Waste Donated To Democratic Convention

By Paddy


But, but, what about the beer?

DENVER -- Some corporations donate dollars and others donate services. But Molson Coors is donating fuel made mostly out of beer waste to the Democratic National Convention.

The Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee said Wednesday that Molson Coors will donate all the ethanol-gasoline fuel blend for the convention's fleet of flex-fuel vehicles.

(snip)

The ethanol is made from beer lost during packaging or rejected on a quality basis at the company's brewery in Golden. The Denver company began converting it to ethanol in 1996 and today produces about 3 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Molson Coors, one of the world's largest brewers, also will provide beer for some events during the convention.

Thank g-d.