Sooner Be Blue

Mostly politics, a few current events, a squirt of seltzer down yer pants .. a little blog for my rambles and rants.

2007/5/31

Bush says 50 years in Iraq

@ 06:49 AM (29 months, 21 days ago)

This should come as no surprise .. somebody's got to stay and enforce our oil contracts. We'll be in Iraq only as long as it has oil Exxon can sell and Halliburton can pump. Once it has been sucked dry, it will suddenly become a moral directive for us to remove our troops.
 
From AP: May 30, WASHINGTON - President Bush envisions a long-term U.S.troop presence in Iraq similar to the one in South Korea where American forces have helped keep an uneasy peace for more than 50 years, the White House said Wednesday.
 
The comparison was offered as the Pentagon announced the completion of the troop buildup ordered by Bush in January. The last of about 21,500 combat troops to arrive were an Army brigade in Baghdad and a Marine unit heading into the Anbar province in western Iraq.[..]
 
http://tinyurl.com/yvrcrw
 
Bush can compare South Korea and Iraq all he wants -- it's apples and oranges. Iraq doesn't have a dang thing in common with South Korea. SK is almost 100% ethnically Korean. They don't fight over theological differences. And, while they have a militarized and insane neighbor to their north -- just as Iraq has a militarized and insane neighbor to their east -- SK has no history of invading that neighbor.
 
Well, it's no secret that we're building a huge US embassy in Iraq -- Bush's palace, as the locals call it. Concrete hulks of a 21-building complex are rising from Baghdad's ashes. It is projected to cost $592 million, have a yearly operating cost of $1.2 billion .. covers 104 acres and will house more than 3500 diplomatic and support staff. They'll have their own sports center, beauty parlor and swimming pool .. not to mention Starbucks and Krispy Kreme, no doubt. Each of the six residential blocks will contain more than 600 apartments. If the 16 ft. thick perimeter walls don’t keep the locals at bay, then the built-in surface-to-air missile station should.
 
If that doesn't say "We’re here to stay" I don't know what does.....
 
Bush will try to keep troops on the ground even when their presence makes his "goals" even harder to achieve -- i.e., reconciliation between Iraq’s factions. He will always find some other reason for staying, no matter how weak .. because staying is itself the objective.
 
The creation and maintenance of a long-term military presence is the only policy that makes sense of everything Bush has done so far.
 
Also -- we can't leave now because the terrorists would follow us home. All they have to do is follow the trail of downed choppers and voila! .. they'll be on Main Street USA in no time flat.
 
And another thing -- the Bushies keep telling us how all the surge troops won't even be all there in Iraq until July, so it's way too early to talk about success or failure. Now we learn that the combat troops have all arrived -- it's only May.
 
See, another lie, the Big Surge Lie -- the troops have not all arrived yet. The Truth -- they extended the tours of all the troops in Iraq. So, with no real rotation taking place, the amount of troops currently in Iraq is at an all time high. That is why the number getting killed is rising sharply. More sitting duck targets between two factions in a Civil War .. and each side itchy to kill Americans.
 

2007/5/30

Goodby Cindy, and thanks

@ 06:27 AM (29 months, 22 days ago)
 
Cindy Sheehan:
~~"I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party, I have been further trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground. Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes.
 
I have come to some heartbreaking conclusions this Memorial Day Morning. These are not spur of the moment reflections, but things I have been meditating on for about a year now. The conclusions that I have slowly and very reluctantly come to are very heartbreaking to me.
 
The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. Of course, I was slandered and libeled by the right as a "tool" of the Democratic Party. This label was to marginalize me and my message. How could a woman have an original thought, or be working outside of our "two-party" system?
 
However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong." ~~
 
She blasted the right .. they blasted her back. Then she blasted the left .. they blasted her back.
 
And now she's burnt out. Now she's giving up on the being the "public face" of the anti-war movement.
 
She fought a good fight but at the end of the day there is little to no connection between public will and government policy.
 
It is not our place to ask whether she likes her country, more or less than we do .. or to question her patriotism.
 
I feel bad that she lost her son.
 
Righties didn't agree with her protesting the war, period .. Lefties called her a media whore. I say she did whatever she could to bring attention to her cause.
 
Even that visit with Hugo Chavez .. which I thought was ill-advised. (And I was right about him .. the latest news has him refusing to renew the license of Radio Caracas Television because they have been critical of him. People took to the streets rioting about crushing free speech.)
 
A majority of Americans voted for an end to the Iraq war. They believe, as did Cindy, that ending the Iraq war is a worthy cause. I'm sorry to see her give up the fight.
 
As we spin our wheels in the bloody sand, there have been at least 113 US military deaths in Iraq so far this month .. ten died on Memorial Day.
 

2007/5/29

Late-night jokes 5/29

@ 06:39 AM (29 months, 23 days ago)
 
"Giuliani has been paying his wife $10,000 a month to help write his speeches. That's every wife's dream, isn't it? To put words in your husband's mouth, and get paid for it." --Jay Leno
 
"In a related story, President Bush gives his wife, Laura, $5,000 a month to teach him how to pronounce some of the bigger words in his speeches." --Jay Leno
 
I'm very happy. I checked today and under the new immigration bill, we can keep Arnold as our governor" --Jay Leno
 
"Good news. ... The Democrats dug around and they found their rubber stamp. ... The new bill contains a plan to establish 18 benchmarks. ... It's sort of like punishing your child by saying, 'If you don't get your grades up, you are grounded ... unless, of course, you would like to go out. And by the way, you are grading yourself and I keep the pot in the silverware drawer" --Jon Stewart, on the Iraq war funding bill
 
"President Bush was caught driving his truck without a seatbelt on at his ranch, but that's not even the dangerous part, the dangerous part is Dick Cheney was riding shotgun." --Jay Leno
 
"Former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey's ex-wife said, when she found out her husband was gay, she went to Hillary Clinton for advice. Hillary said, 'Gay? I wish I had your problems'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has come to the United States and checked into a weight loss clinic because he's dangerously obese. ... A spokesperson for the clinic said, 'You can't blame the leader of Iraq for eating every meal like it's his last.'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"Jimmy Carter called Bush and his administration the worst in history. As you know, President Bush's approval numbers have dropped as low as 28%. That's the lowest for any president since ... Jimmy Carter. So, I guess he knows what he's talking about." --Jay Leno
 
"It's been a rough week for President Bush. He was caught driving by reporters not wearing his seatbelt. He was down on the ranch driving around without a seatbelt on. His aide said he just refuses to buckle up. Bill Clinton had the exact same problem." --Jay Leno
 
"Under this new congressional plan, illegal immigrants would be able to live in the United States if they pay a $5,000 fine. $5,000? So, that would rule out working people or parents trying to support a family. However, you would get to keep all the drug dealers." --Jay Leno
 
"Yesterday, Democrat Bill Richardson officially announced he's running for president. So, now he has officially no chance of winning." --Jay Leno
 
"Democrats announced they're going to have six debates in six different cities all around the country. The good news is that Hillary Clinton will use a different accent for each city." --Jay Leno
 
"Experts said this is going to be a very busy hurricane season. To which FEMA said, 'Not for us'" --Jay Leno
 
"According to a new study, Viagra cures jet lag. At least that's what Bill Clinton told Hillary when she found the pills in his luggage" --David Letterman
 
"Basically, some immigrants already in the country illegally will have to pay a $5,000 fine, then the head of the household will make a touch-back trip to their home country, at which point they can apply for Z visas ... or one can apply for a probationary card ... or you can get a guest-worker Y visa. ... Of course, you understand all of that because you're an illegal alien who doesn't speak English very well and lives in fear of deportation" --Jon Stewart, on the immigration reform bill
 
"Barack Obama recently spent two days campaigning in New Hampshire. Everywhere he went in New Hampshire, Obama was greeted with shouts of 'Go Barack!', 'Beat Hillary!', and 'Hey look! It's a black guy!'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is apparently dangerously obese, so he came to the United States to check into a weight-loss clinic. Talabani says he came here because America may not know how to run Iraq, but they sure as hell know how to run a fat camp." --Conan O'Brien
 
"Yesterday at his ranch in Texas, President Bush hosted the leader of NATO. There was an awkward moment when Bush said, 'Maybe some day I could visit you in Natonia.'" --Conan O'Brien
 

2007/5/28

Remembering our military men and women

@ 07:02 AM (29 months, 24 days ago)
 
While we remember and honor those who have fallen, we can't help but think of all the soldiers now condemned to policing a civil war, with no end in sight.
 
Sometimes I think all we've managed to do is to turn what would have been a fast civil war into a long slow one.
 
The war goes on and on as politicians argue about how to end it.
 
The president warns there is more danger and more death to come this summer.
 
The soldiers are exhausted from being stretched thin .. from constant redeployment .. no time to rest.

The bodies continue to fall.

The soldiers say nothing and fight on.

This is what some in the 82nd Airborne Division are experiencing ...

From the NYTimes, May 27, 2007: Doubts Grow as G.I.’s in Iraq Find Allies in Enemy Ranks

BAGHDAD — Staff Sgt. David Safstrom does not regret his previous tours in Iraq, not even a difficult second stint when two comrades were killed while trying to capture insurgents.

“In Mosul, in 2003, it felt like we were making the city a better place,” he said. “There was no sectarian violence, Saddam was gone, we were tracking down the bad guys. It felt awesome.”

But now on his third deployment in Iraq, he is no longer a believer in the mission. The pivotal moment came, he says, this past February when soldiers killed a man setting a roadside bomb. When they searched the bomber’s body, they found identification showing him to be a sergeant in the Iraqi Army.

“I thought, ‘What are we doing here? Why are we still here?’ ” said Sergeant Safstrom, a member of Delta Company of the First Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. “We’re helping guys that are trying to kill us. We help them in the day. They turn around at night and try to kill us.”

His views are echoed by most of his fellow soldiers in Delta Company, renowned for its aggressiveness.

A small minority of Delta Company soldiers — the younger, more recent enlistees in particular — seem to still wholeheartedly support the war. Others are ambivalent, torn between fear of losing more friends in battle, longing for their families and a desire to complete their mission.[..]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/world/middleeast/28cnd-delta.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
 

2007/5/27

Edwards didn't say ON Memorial Day...

@ 05:27 AM (29 months, 25 days ago)

Boy, the Righties sure are twisting what Democratic Presidential hopeful John Edwards said about Memorial Day .. they say that he wants to use it to promote anti-war protests.
 
First of all, here's what he actually said.
 
FROM THE EDWARDS CAMPAIGN WEBSITE:
"As citizens, we honor and support our troops for their service and sacrifice.As Americans, we are blessed by that sacrifice and support, which keeps us safe and keeps us strong.As patriots, we call on our government to support our troops in the most important way it can - by ending this war and bringing them home.
 
This Memorial Day weekend, we will all take responsibility for the country we love and the men and women who protect it. We will volunteer, we will pray, and we will speak out. In the days leading up to Memorial Day, we will take action to support our troops, end the war, and bring them home to the heroes' welcome they deserve.
 
And on Memorial Day, we will honor and remember all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.Each of us has a responsibility to act, a duty to our troops and to each other. Support the troops. End the war."
 
The Righties twist this to mean he wants an all out free-for-all of "whining protests" ON Memorial Day. They say he called on Americans to speak out and rally against the Iraq war ON Memorial Day  ...
 
Which pisses off Veterans groups. I understand that .. I wouldn't like it either. The focus of the day should be on our veterans, those who volunteered their lives for our country. Not on the politics of war.
 
But that's not what Senator Edwards said. He has consistently stressed "the Memorial Day Weekend" -- that is Saturday and Sunday -- NOT Monday, the official observance day.
 
To protest peacefully on the days leading up to Memorial Day is neither unethical or disrespectful to veterans who have gone before, or those now serving.
 
I thank them from my heart and wish I could hug them every one.
 
Here's some nice things you can do for our military men and women....
http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html
http://www.amillionthanks.org/
http://www.yellowribbonfund.com/
http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1
http://www.anysoldier.com/
http://www.opgratitude.com/
http://www.troopcarepackage.com/
 

2007/5/26

You gotta know when to fold 'em

@ 07:17 AM (29 months, 26 days ago)
 
"Bush and his war might be terribly unpopular, but under our system, he's still holding the high cards."
 
Jonathan Alter writes a good Newsweek piece reminding Democrats that thrashing Democratic leaders for their failed tactics in fighting with Bush and the GOP about war funding is understandable .. but calling for Democrat heads to roll because they didn’t stop the war is just plain silly.
 
He points out that Democrats lack the numbers in Congress to force a change in the course of the war.
 
Yeahbut .. that doesn’t mean all those Democrats had to vote "yes" .. at the very least they should have voted against it. Period.
 
Rather than do what Dems promised us they would do if we voted for them last year -- to get our troops out of the Iraq meat grinder -- they produced an Iraq-war funding bill that contains NO time line for withdrawal.
 
They handed BushCo a PR victory .. with which to demoralize us over this long weekend of memorials to those Soldiers and Marines we Democrats are supposed to protect.
 
From Newsweek: "The Case for Gamesmanship
The Democrats' internecine squabbling over the war is a family argument about tactics, not a showdown over principle. The left should remember that.
 
May 24, 2007 - It isn't easy to make the case for capitulation and gamesmanship when human lives are at stake, but I'm going to try. That's because many Americans—especially on the left—don't understand why Democrats in Congress had no choice but to proceed the way they have this week on the war in Iraq.
 
....The first thing to understand is that Democrats may have won the midterms but they lack the votes to end the war in Iraq. Some liberals don't seem to get this elemental fact. A bill with a timetable for withdrawal was passed and sent to President Bush's desk. He vetoed it. Democrats didn't have anywhere near the votes to override the veto. Bush and his war might be terribly unpopular, but under our system, he's still holding the high cards.[..]"
 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18850040/site/newsweek/
 

2007/5/25

Bird poop as political commentary

@ 08:06 AM (29 months, 27 days ago)
 
And Big Game Dick without his shotgun ...
 
"Bird Sh*ts on Bush During Press Conference"
 
From abc.com:
"As President Bush took a question Thursday in the White House Rose Garden about scandals involving his Attorney General, he remarked, "I've got confidence in Al Gonzales doin' the job."
 
Simultaneously, a sparrow flew overhead and left a splash on the President's sleeve, which Bush tried several times to wipe off."
 
Yep, it was timed so perfectly .. just as he said, "I've got confidence in Al ..."
 
And even though Bush looked us in the eye yesterday in the Rose Garden and said, "the majority of the American people support continuing to finance this war...", a new poll reported opposition to the war was at an all time high.
 
Six in 10 Americans say we should have stayed out of Iraq. More than three in four say things are going badly there -- including nearly half who say things are going very badly .. according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.
 
http://tinyurl.com/29gl2g
 
Fox News says dang near the same thing:
 
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274112,00.html
 
And yet Congress decides to fund it. With $300 billion already down a rat hole, they give him another $120 billion in the pipeline.
 
"Only 14% of Americans 'strongly' approve of Bush."
 
Those would be the "some of the people you can fool all of the time" bunch.
 
You know, as we fund Bush's war, it's a pretty good bet that Al Qaida will end up with some of that money -- look at all the corruption and lost funds connected with the 126,000 private military contractors we have in Iraq.
 
Oh BTW, Bush now loves The Iraqi Study Group .. says they "recommended that we hold the Iraqi government to the series of benchmarks for improved security, political reconciliation and governance that the Iraqis have set for themselves. I agree, so does the Congress, and the bill reflects that recommendation."
 
We all remember his less than enthusiastic response when first presented with the bi-partisan study .. mentally he tossed it over his shoulder. See, when you believe in an interventionist god, it liberates you from tough decisions .....
 
I have little doubt that Bush wants to keep us in Iraq, one way of the other, until he is safely out of office .. it will be interesting to see the GOP try to cut him off at the pass.
 
I didn't like the "consequences of failure in Iraq" scare tactics in his speech .. telling reporters that the terrorists are a threat to their children .. dragging out that tired puppy dog theory -- "if we leave, they'll follow us home."
 
That's strange .. most of Al Qaeda is scattered around the world, not just in Iraq .. they could hit us any time they want.
 
Bush told the reporters, twice, that if we leave Iraq before "victory," Al Qaeda will come to America and kill our children. He then said that if the Iraqi government asked us to leave today, we'd leave. He repeated that answer, twice.
 
Huh? Does he even know what the word 'contradiction' means?
 
Fear mongering is all he's got left to justify the death and destruction he's responsible for. He is in so far over his head it isn't even funny.
 
No wonder a bird shat upon him.
 
I heard of a new book out .. about how a country got lied into a stupid war, it's called...
 
"It Takes a Village Idiot"
 

2007/5/24

Same crap, different faces

@ 09:15 AM (29 months, 28 days ago)

Politics can break your heart. You find a political ideology that fits you, you work to put them in office, and expect them to look out for your best interests. Before you know it, some of them turn into typical sleazy, lying politicians .. who ran on one position and then sold out once elected.
 
The integrity-impaired seem to be drawn to both political parties, thankfully .. so it must be just a human thang.
 
Not only am I disappointed that Democrats caved on Iraq withdrawal and gave Commander Guy a blank check for the war -- I have another beef about how Dems have resorted to the old standby of Pork handouts to pass a bill.
 
What happened to those promises to end the culture of corruption and give us the most ethical Congress in history? Where is fiscal responsibility? Maybe I just don't understand how things work in DC .. how cut-throat it is.
 
The Dems tried to attach a date for troop pullout from Iraq to the military funding bill but the idea was so unpopular they resorted to using Pork to gain votes.
 
That's using every tool in their kit, the same tools they criticized the Republicans for using. Good, old-fashioned pork. It doesn’t make much difference anymore which party is in the majority.
 
Look at what both parties are doing: The Senate’s Water Resources Development bill has 446 earmarks, the House version, 692. (An earmark is a line-item that is inserted into a bill to direct funds to a specific project or recipient without any public hearing or review).
 
We even have that ol' political horse trader, Rep. John Murtha (D. Pa.) charging across the House floor last week to confront Rep. Mike Rogers (R. Mich) because Rogers had the gall to try to strike a $23 million Murtha earmark for a drug intelligence center in Murtha’s southwestern Pennsylvania district.
 
It leaves a bad taste in my mouth .. but I like Murtha because he loudly champions the needs of our war vets. Of course, his people back home love him because he fights to bring business to his district.
 
Like I said, I love politics but I would fail as a politician.
 
The Republicans accused Murtha of violating a new ethics rule that prohibits lawmakers from swapping pork for votes. The Democrats voted to block the censure.
 
What's new?
 
Here's a link if you want to read more...
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/23/AR2007052301782_pf.html
 

 

2007/5/23

Candidates cartoon

@ 07:44 AM (29 months, 29 days ago)

Silly but funny .. raunchy too, but takes shots at both sides.

Read the rest of this entry ... (1 words left)

Late-night jokes 5/23

@ 05:13 AM (29 months, 29 days ago)
 
"The price of gas just keeps going up. Gas is so expensive that today I saw Jimmy Carter and President Bush carpooling." --Jay Leno
 
"Carter actually said George W. Bush is the worst in history. Then Bush said, 'No, that's not true.' He said he was the worst in math and English. He actually got a C-minus in history." --Jay Leno

"Ex-presidents are not supposed to insult the current president. It's one of those unwritten rules. Well now Jimmy Carter is backtracking. He's saying his comments were misinterpreted. Yeah, I'm sure the phrase 'worst in history' can be taken any number of ways." --Jay Leno

"Under President Bush, sure, we have the war in Iraq. But the young kids don't remember. Under President Carter, we had something far worse -- disco." --Jay Leno

"All the candidates have made their financial disclosures. Mitt Romney appears to be the richest Republican, worth about $250 million. To which Rudy Giuliani said, 'I would have been worth that much if I just had one wife too.'" --Jay Leno

"Senator John McCain and Texas Senator John Cornyn recently got into a heated match, yelling at each other over the details of this new immigration bill. ... Ironically, you know how it ended? A Mexican standoff." --Jay Leno

"President Bush said today we need to find a middle ground on immigration. We already have a middle ground on immigration. It's called Texas, Arizona, Southern California." --Jay Leno

"According to a new survey in Money Magazine, six percent of Americans said they would be willing to sleep with their boss if it would help their career. When he heard about it, the head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, said, 'I need names. I need phone numbers.'" --Jay Leno

"Last week, Tony Blair paid his final visit to the White House in preparation for his departure from the British stage, signaling the end of famed celebrity power couple 'Primesident Blush.' ... So, there it is. The end of an era. I'm sorry, I misspoke. A huge, seemingly endless series of errors" --Jon Stewart

"The president of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, came to America to check into a weight loss clinic 'cause he's dangerously obese. Apparently, Talabani is the only Iraqi these days worried about dying of natural causes." --Conan O'Brien

"C-SPAN is launching a new satellite radio station that will be completely dedicated to covering the 2008 presidential election. Experts say that listening to C-SPAN is the perfect solution for people who find watching C-SPAN too stimulating." --Conan O'Brien

"This week, Congress is considering issuing a no-confidence resolution concerning Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. After hearing this, President Bush said, 'You know, that's not going to help his confidence.'" --Conan O'Brien

"It looks like the Senate and the president have finally agreed on an immigration bill. ... This one looks like it could become law and, of course, nobody likes it. The conservatives say the bill gives amnesty to the illegals. The liberals say it doesn't go far enough to protect the hardworking immigrants here in America. And the L.A.P.D. doesn't know who to beat up." --Bill Maher

"The 12 million people who are here illegally are going to have to go back home to their home countries, touch base, pay a $5,000 fine and then reapply. Also, you have to prove you've never broken the law here or you can't get back in. So, Alberto Gonzales is really screwed." --Bill Maher

"The liberals are saying that this guest worker program ... is really just a way to depress wages and create a permanent underclass of exploited labor. To which the president said, 'And the problem is?'" --Bill Maher

"I don't blame the president. He doesn't really understand, first of all, what amnesty means. He thinks amnesty is what happens on soap operas when people wake up and they can't remember anything." --Bill Maher

"I kid the president. What a week he had. It was a bittersweet moment. He was in the Rose Garden for the last time with his long-time lover Tony Blair. As you know, Tony Blair is stepping down as prime minister and made his final visit to the U.S. There they were in the Rose Garden defending together their decision to go to war in Iraq. Dick Cheney had to be restrained, because usually when he sees two lame ducks, you know." --Bill Maher

"The man who is described often as the architect of the Iraq war, Paul Wolfowitz, who went on to be the head of the World Bank, is finally stepping down. Leave it to the Bush people to find the one Jew who can't run a bank." --Bill Maher

"The people who were trying to get him out had to agree to say that he was not guilty of doing any wrongdoing. That was very important to Wolfowitz because he does not want anything to tarnish his reputation as the architect of the Iraq war." --Bill Maher

"Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, the Pentagon's director of operations, was chosen to oversee the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan as a war czar. Lute was chosen after being the last one in the room to yell, 'Not it!'" --Amy Poehler

"The average national price of a gallon of gas hit an all-time record high of $3.15 this week. Meaning that wherever you're going this summer, it might be cheaper to mail your car." --Amy Poehler

"A new bird called the gorgeted puffleg, which is a blue-and-green-throated hummingbird species, was discovered in a cloud forest in Columbia. Though still nothing on bin Laden" --Amy Poehler

"The Associated Press says that many of the Mexican people in Mexico are against this new immigration bill. Oh, man. Let's hope they don't boycott coming here." --Jay Leno

"They're going to have to pay a $5,000 fine. Where are these people going to get five grand? I mean, what are the chances Wal-Mart's going to give them a raise?" --Jay Leno

"It's Friday, which means Rudy Giuliani is pro-choice again. ... Actually, presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani says he believes in a woman's right to choose, and he's shown that time and time again when it comes to choosing women. He's likes to have his choice. I think this is his third one." --Jay Leno

"The head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, resigned after getting in trouble for promoting his girlfriend and then giving her a huge raise. This is a worse tragedy for the girl ... because now it means she slept with him for nothing" --Jay Leno

"Do you know the story of Shrek? Shrek is a beastly ogre ... and he marries into a family of royalty. Then, eventually, he goes on to become governor of California." --David Letterman
 

2007/5/22

Outfoxed

@ 09:49 AM (30 months, 3 hours ago)
 
Talk about detached objectivity. Here's what the Economist said about Fox News in an article about the recent Republican debate: "Meanwhile Fox News, which broadcast the debate, continued its tradition of balancing good-looking conservative pundits with liberals who look either weird or bearded."
 
http://www.economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9200887
 
Hey, Fox News had "liberals" comment on the debate? Who knew?
 
Weird or bearded? I can't stop laughing. Wonder how many liberal commentators just yelled "Hey, I am NOT ugly!" because they had been on Fox?
 
STFU Beardo .. go back to picking fleas from your moustache and leave us dashing, square-jawed men to discuss business and politics.
 
Don't tell anyone, but Shepard Smith is my guilty pleasure. I still admire the way he shouted Hannity down when Shep was sweating and suffering with the Katrina victims and Hannity was sitting in an air-conditioned studio making excuses for the gov'ment.
 
Weird or bearded huh? .. have they taken a close look at Ann Coulter lately? She's both.
 
Didn't they have the suave lovely Rush Limbaugh?
 
And I'm too nice to say anything about Charles Krauthammer .. but cartoonist Charles Addams comes to mind.
 
I know, I know .. we have the suave lovely Michael Moore, a continent unto himself. He's got bigger boobs than Ann Coulter though.
 
I can just see Fox News sitting around a table, passing around pictures. I'm sure they pick the dorkiest, freakiest, pastiest wimps they can find to represent the left wing. They want guys who look like they wear hemp T-shirts and have pot seeds in their beards .. tree hugging communal farmer types.
 
Just take a look at Hannity and Colmes as an example. The conservative Hannity, tan, square-jawed and charismatic .. looks like he could play football.
 
Then we have the liberal Colmes, looks like he lives under a rock .. and could be knocked over by a football .. and won't fight back very hard.
 
Fox always has been very good at this clever form of subtle marketing .. it's a pretty smart way to get around charges of bias. They're giving both sides a chance to speak, but use subliminal messages to color their views. Read about it in that book by Vance Packard, "Hidden Persuaders."
 
Also, this is perfect Karl Rovian style tactics .. a technique that is brilliantly described by Ray Bradbury in "Fahrenheit 451" .. in fact, the Hannity and Colmes show is almost directly ripped out of that scene in the book.
 
This is what happens when rich biased sleazy people run the media.
 
You know, speaking of looks .. where are the good-looking Republicans? McCain has that weird chipmunk thing going on with his cheeks.
 
Guilianni looks oily, and more so when his white shin shows above his sock in interviews .. I just hate that. Hated it when Bill Clinton did it on Fox News.
 
Romney has that perfectly coiffed, glassy-eyed Stepford Wives look. The rest of them are indistinct. Mitch McConnell looks more like a type-cast conservative .. over-weight with a baby-fat heavy face and a frozen zombie-smile.
 
The only one of them with a lick of sense is Rep. Ron Paul, and the Economist said he doesn't stand a chance.
 

2007/5/21

Ciao, sleazy little Fredo!

@ 09:27 AM (30 months, 1 day ago)

The recent revelation that Bush used an illegal wiretap system brings back many conversations I use to have with my Rightie friend .. back when it was first in the news. I swear, Bush could shoot puppies on the White House lawn and my friend would find a way to defend him. He argued with me that Bush was not doing anything illegal .. and found Rightie sites and articles wot said the liberal media was lying.
 
I am trying hard not to grin too widely .. but I just love it when I'm right!
 
"The dramatic testimony of a former deputy attorney general prompts more questions than it answers."
 
From the Houston Chronicle: "....Lawmakers and citizens deserve a much more complete explanation for the conduct of Gonzales and Card in 2004, and why the Justice Department and FBI leadership decided the surveillance program was operating illegally. House and Senate Judiciary Committee chairmen have sent Gonzales letters requesting that he explain his previous testimony in light of the Comey statements and provide additional information on the surveillance program.
 
Up to now the attorney general has issued a stream of contradictory statements and failed to inform Congress and the public why U.S. attorneys were marked for dismissal. As former administration officials such as Comey reveal more damaging details concerning the handling of domestic surveillance and the firing of prosecutors, Gonzales' feigned or willful ignorance is no longer tolerable or tenable."
 
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/4818109.html
 
Whatever else comes out of the testimony of former Deputy Comey, we do know that for a period of time Bush's wiretapping was considered illegal by his own Attorney General and Deputy AG.
 
Why were Andy Card and Gonzales butting into the hospital room of AG Ashcroft? They already knew that Ashcroft and Comey would not sign to re-approve the President’s program of spying without warrants/court orders.
 
And during that time, since Bush just wiretapped without so much as word to FISA or his GOP controlled congress -- it really makes you wonder just who the Bushies were wiretapping. Some of them were probably people and/or corporations whom FISA or the GOP would think not legal to wiretap.
 
And what exactly is Alberto Gonzales hiding FOR the Bushies? .. they surely keep him around because anyone taking over the AG job MUST first have congressional approval and Bush doesn't want any NEW non-partisan AG to know what he's been wiretapping.
 
I'll bet the Bushies have been doing some wild things with his wiretapping program .. and Gonzales knows where the bones are buried.
 
When the Democrats find out, and they will, the deeper they dig, my prediction is -- we'll discover that the bugging was going on even before 9/11, that a lot of it had nothing to do with the war or spies, that a lot of it was poking into personal lives. All the better to smear you my dear, etc.
 
Also, they'll find that they tapped just as many Republicans as Democrats.
 
We're talking ruthless PNAC guys here .. they want to rule the world. Read about it here:
 
http://www.themodernreligion.com/terror/thirty-year-itch.html
 
Anyway, we might soon have some answers, because Alberto Gonzales might not end the week as he begins it--as US Attorney General. A no-confidence vote set for this week may push him out the door.
 
Maybe this coming Friday? Next? The WH always releases bad news on Fridays. That way they get less news play.
 
 

2007/5/20

The midnight ride of Deputy Comey

@ 07:43 AM (30 months, 2 days ago)

Wow, I never thought I'd miss ol' John Ashcroft .. the Attorney General who used $8,000 of our money to cover the bare breasts of lady statues in the Justice Dept. hallways .. even the beautiful art-deco "Spirit of Justice" statue .. or Minnie Lou as she's affectionately called by DC insiders. She has presided over many a news conference since 1936.
 
Ashcroft explained that he was tired of having his picture taken with half-clad ladies .. so he had them draped with blue fabric .. so no more giant naked aluminum breast looming over his shoulder and sailing into the annals of history with him.
 
Anyway, I miss him, compared to the AG we have today. Ashcroft was quirky but harmless.
 
Ashcroft's former deputy, James Comey told a tale to Congress this past week that sounds like something from that scene in "The Godfather" when Don Corleone is left alone and vulnerable in his hospital bed, and Michael rushes to save him.
 
And, now I learn that not everyone in the White House drank Bush Koolaid. Ashcroft had refused to sign off on a reauthorization of Bush's warrantless domestic electronic surveillance program until changes were made. Seems it was .. well, illegal.
 
Ashcroft has emergency surgery the night before the authorization was to expire. Gonzales and Card go hustlin' up to the hospital .. maybe hoping to find Ashcroft medicated enough to sign off on this eavesdropping plan. That Comey and others at the Justice Department had already called legally indefensible.
 
Some people think Gonzales and Card were trying to monkey around with the date on the paper .. pre-date it maybe ...
 
Janet Ashcroft is a hero, she alerted Comey that Card and Gonzales were on their way to the hospital .. she had told them over the phone to leave John alone, but they ignored her. When Comey appeared she was standing by her husband's bed. Ashcroft was in pain and on meds.
 
The man was in intensive care.
 
The Righties are poo-pooing his pain, Tony Snow said it was only his gall bladder. Anyone who has gone through gallstone pancreatitis knows how painful it can be.
 
Comey said he raced up stairs instead of taking the elevator .. and told FBI Director Robert Mueller to tell his agents guarding Ashcroft not to let Card and Gonzales evict Comey from the room.
 
Evict the acting Attorney General from the room! What does that tell you about the climate in this White House? That people have to go to extremes to protect themselves. Boy, at the tattle-tale books waiting to be written...
 
"Ashcroft "lifted his head off the pillow and in very strong terms expressed his view of the matter [that Comey was right], and as he laid back down, he said, 'But that doesn't matter, because I'm not the Attorney General. There is the Attorney General.' And he pointed to me."
 
Gonzales and Card "did not acknowledge me," Comey testified. "They turned and walked from the room."
 
"A few minutes after the bedside confrontation, Card called the hospital. He "demanded that I come to the White House immediately," Comey testified. "I responded that, after the conduct I had just witnessed, I would not meet with him without a witness present."
 
Comey described the visit as "an effort to take advantage of a very sick man."
 
What's up with that! A wild tale indeed .. but Comey was under oath. And with the others in the room--Janet, FBI, guards-- it would seem easy enough to confirm Mr. Comey's recall of events.
 
There are also phone records and hospital visitation records that can be subpoenaed. And legally too, wink, wink.
 
What we're now learning is that there was dang near an Insurrection in the Justice Department  .. Comey and other high-ranking officials threatened to resign if the White House continued the surveillance program as it was written then.
 
The program was reauthorized without the Justice Department's approval the very next day .. Comey said he drafted a resignation letter.
 
Comey testified that he was waiting to resign until Ashcroft was well enough to resign with him. It's just too bad Ashcroft kept his mouth shut after he left office.
 
Though, Bush and Cheney did agree to the changes in the program eventually.
 
Anyway .. here's a link if you want to read about it:
 
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070519-111835-2713r.htm
 
And a video portion of Comey's testimony:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmm1W-H8L-4
 

2007/5/19

Late-night jokes 5/19

@ 07:07 AM (30 months, 3 days ago)
 
"The head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, resigned after getting in trouble. He promoted his girlfriend and gave her a job at the Bank. That's big news. A Republican forced out over a sex scandal involving ... a woman?!" --Jay Leno
 
"John McCain said that he is willing to be the last man standing in support of the war. I think he already is." --Jay Leno
 
"A nature watchdog group says we have five years to fix global warming or face catastrophic consequences ... like the possibility of another Al Gore movie." --Jay Leno
 
"The White House and key members from both houses of Congress have come to an agreement on an immigration bill. Now people from Mexico can finally come to this country and no longer go through all that red tape." --Jay Leno
 
"Here's news from Washington, DC: We now have a new war czar. Yes, he was appointed by President Bush, so what could go wrong?" --David Letterman
 
"At the White House, President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair held their last joint press conference. In other words, it was the last time they played Christopher Robin and Pooh." --Conan O'Brien
 
"Fox News aired the second Republican presidential debate. My favorite part was when the white guy went after those two white guys, and three other white guys chimed in." --Conan O'Brien
 
"They had another Republican presidential debate. ... Did you see those Republican candidates? They looked like the evil law firm in a John Grisham movie." --David Letterman
 
"There are rumors coming out of Washington that when Vice President Dick Cheney was CEO of Halliburton, he used to go visit prostitutes. This could explain why one girl was paid $2 billion." --David Letterman
 
"Cheney going to a prostitute? I can't believe a good-looking guy like that would ever have to pay for sex" --David Letterman
 
"They had the second Republican debate. And the main difference this time? [on screen: Fox News Channel's Brit Hume saying the debate is being sponsored by Fox News and the SC GOP]. Isn't that redundant?" --Jon Stewart
 
"The Republican presidential candidates had a big debate, 10 candidates. The last time that many rich white guys got together, I think Exxon merged with Mobil." --Jay Leno
 
"Plans are in the works for another terminator movie, 'Terminator 4,' but Arnold Schwarzenegger will not return as the terminator. I guess they finally realized that a hi-tech robot from the future should be able to speak a little better English than that." --Jay Leno
 
"I'm happy to report that Vice President Dick Cheney has returned from the Middle East. And he certainly straightened that mess out. ... He made a stop in Egypt, as a matter of fact, on the way home. Apparently, Halliburton wants to rebuild the pyramids." --David Letterman
 
"President Bush introduced plans to cut the nation's addiction to oil. Dick Cheney, who's been on a trip to the Middle East, said, 'I can't leave that guy for two minutes. He does something stupid like this.'" --Jay Leno
 
"Last week, Tony Blair announced that he will step down as U.K. prime minister in June. Seems arbitrary, but that's the British parliamentary system for you. I guess instead of term limits, you just retire whenever Merlin tells you to." --Stephen Colbert
 
"Listen to what Mr. Romney said on '60 Minutes' about his church's history [on screen: Romney saying that he 'cannot imagine anything more awful than polygamy']. Really? You can't think of anything more awful than multiple wives? What if one of those wives was a minotaur? What if it was gay polygamy, and they're all dudes? Or what if they were gay minotaurs? Mr. Romney, presidents can't have a failure of imagination. ... Point is you should not apologize for your religion. You don't see me apologizing for what Catholics did in the past -- the Crusades, the Inquisition, guitar mass" --Stephen Colbert
 
"Tony Blair, prime minister of England, is stepping down. He said he wanted to spend more time humping Bush's leg. ... He said he hopes people remember him as the people's poodle." --Bill Maher
 
"They didn't have the heart to tell Bush. They didn't say Blair was gone. They just said he went to live on a farm." --Bill Maher
 
"Apparently, we may have foiled a terrorist attack right here in America. Six bozos were going to attack the army base at Fort Dix, New Jersey. But Bush outsmarted them ... because, as we all know, every single American soldier is safely in Iraq." --Bill Maher
 
"There's a DC madam. She's got a little black book. Apparently, Dick Cheney's undisclosed location may have been in her little black book. The vice president's office has vigorously denied that he had ever had anything to do with giving a human being pleasure" --Bill Maher
 
"Hamas has started a new children's show, which features Farfur, a Mickey Mouse knock-off who teaches Islamic radicalism and hatred toward America and Israel. Farfur replaces the network's previous children's show, Dora the Exploder." --Seth Meyers
 
"A 75-year-old retired nurse has become the first black woman to reach the North Pole, in what has to be the worst Katrina relocation story yet" --Seth Myers
 
"While visiting troops in Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney told them that he knows they are suffering hardships from extended deployments, but the longer stays are vital to the mission. Then, still pointing his side arm, he slowly backed into his plane and left." --Amy Poehler
 
"The president said today he would go along with Congress' request to establish benchmarks regarding Iraq. For example, the Iraqi government would have to show results by certain dates before they are given any more money. Forget Iraq. Why don't we try that here?" --Jay Leno
 
"British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced that he will step down next month. After hearing this, President Bush said, 'That's a shame. He's the only world leader who took the time to learn English.'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"According to a new State Department report, the number of terrorist attacks in Iraq jumped 91% from 2005 to 2006, many of the attacks planned and executed by al-Qaeda, and several of those attacks using deadly chlorine gas. That's right people: Iraq and al-Qaeda, working together with weapons of mass destruction... finally Iraq has become the country we thought it was when we invaded." --Jon Stewart
 
"An employee at Circuit City busted up a terrorist ring. Well, no wonder I can never get a salesman to help me pick out an answering machine. They're out chasing al Qaeda guys. ... This guy's pretty good. Not only did he bust up the terror ring, he also sold them a bunch of crap they didn't need" --David Letterman
 
"20% of teenagers say they would like to grow up and be president of the United States. ... So kids, remember, if you don't study and all you do is party, it could happen for you" --Jay Leno
 

2007/5/18

This opens up a can of Worms .. pun intended

@ 05:36 AM (30 months, 4 days ago)

I smell a RAT .. not just a worm.
 
Florida must have some kind of different environment where coincidences are more probable. Or some really piss-poor IT people.
 
Internet Worm Hit Florida Election Database
"The computer database infrastructure of Sarasota County, Fla., was attacked by a notorious Internet worm on the first day of early voting during the 2006 election, which featured the now-contested U.S. House race between Democrat Christine Jennings and Republican Vern Buchanan in Florida's 13th Congressional district.
 
....Oct. 23, 2006, an Internet worm slammed into the county's database system, breaching its firewall and overwriting the system's administrative password. The havoc brought the county's network -- and the electronic voting system which relies on it -- to its knees as Internet access was all but lost at voting locations for two hours that afternoon. Voters in one of the nation's most hotly contested Congressional elections were unable to cast ballots during the outage, since officials were unable to verify registration data.
 
....The panel was commissioned to investigate the still unexplained, extraordinarily high number of reports of votes that were cast but unrecorded by the touch-screen systems in the District 13 Congressional race."
 
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9019560
 
Well well .. don't tell me the worm only erased Democrat names. Or erased all the voters in a heavily black district .. seein' how most blacks are Democrats.
 
The 'Slammer Worm' was discovered in 2002--they wanted to call it Karl Rove but he declined--everyone fixed it with a patch. Everyone except the Sarasota County voter data people. So Slammer then spread an infection that overtook the network on voting day. BTW-- it was missing five years' worth of security updates. On voting day.
 
How many times have we heard that only crazy people think the Republicans stole the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections. Crazy people and computer experts, that is. ;-)
 
If no partisan shennanigans were involved, okay, glad to hear it. Some people are saying that the Florida government is just too damn dumb to be able to foresee this happening and take the necessary steps to prevent it.
 
But not Jeb Bush .. right before the 2004 election Jeb publicly expressed confidence in the electronic machines while privately telling Republicans to use absentee ballots to "ensure" their vote is counted.
 
We all know that if a worm can be sent to a system for nefarious reasons ..  it will be. Eventually.

Yes, just the fact that a  worm CAN enter a system so easily--allowing a remote attacker to take control as the local system user--is enough to make me thankful that in my state we still mark a ballot with a pencil. Yep, old fashioned I know .. and we put the paper ballots in a big box which is opened in a big room on a big table and both political parties witness the counting.

Yeah, I know .. fraud can happen there too .. just not as much, and on a much smaller scale.
 

2007/5/17

Jerry Falwell called home

@ 11:40 AM (30 months, 5 days ago)
 
Here is my take on Jerry Falwell:
 
He was a con man who tricked poor, elderly and diseased people into sending him money because of his supposed direct pipeline to God.
 
Journalist Chris Hitchens said it so much better than I .. of course, he's been out on  the talk-show circuit pushing his new book  ..
 
Anyway, he enjoys a little dust-up. So how very convenient that the Lord picked this time to call Jerry home .. Chris gets lots more ink and airtime if he savages a dead man.
 
Just look at what he said on on CNN:
CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, AUTHOR, "GOD IS NOT GREAT": The empty life of this ugly little charlatan proves only one thing, that you can get away with the most extraordinary offenses to morality and to truth in this country if you'll just get yourself called "Reverend". Who would even at your network have invited on such a little toad to tell us that the attacks of September the 11th were the result of our sinfulness and were god's punishment if they hadn't gotten some kind of clerical qualification?
 
People like that should be out in the street shouting in horror with a cardboard sign and selling pencils from a cup. The whole consideration of this horrible little person is offensive to very, very many of us who have some regard for truth and for morality, and who think that ethics do not require that lies be told to children."
 
We have to have Falwell quotes too:
 
The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell, Sermon, July 4, 1976
 
Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them.
-- Jerry Falwell, on CNN's Crossfire, May 17, 1997
 
I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!
-- Rev Jerry Falwell, America Can Be Saved, 1979 pp. 52-53, from Albert J Menendez and Edd Doerr, The Great Quotations on Religious Freedom
 
Pat, did you notice yesterday the ACLU, and all the Christ-haters, People For the American Way, NOW, etc. were totally disregarded by the Democrats and the Republicans in both houses of Congress as they went out on the steps and called out on to God in prayer and sang "God Bless America" and said "let the ACLU be hanged"? In other words, when the nation is on its knees, the only normal and natural and spiritual thing to do is what we ought to be doing all the time -- calling upon God.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell, justifying the breech of Constitutional Separation of Religion from Government while blaming civil libertarians for the terrorist attacks of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, to which Rev Pat Robertson again agreed, quoted from AANEWS #958 by American Atheists (September 14, 2001)
 
God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.
-- Rev Jerry Falwell, blaming civil libertarians, feminists, homosexuals, and abortion rights supporters for the terrorist attacks of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, to which Rev Pat Robertson agreed, quoted from John F Harris, "God Gave US 'What We Deserve,' Falwell Says," The Washington Post (September 14, 2001)
 
And this latest one:
 
Jerry's last words (to the EMS medical technicians)....
 
"Bill Clinton killed Vince Foster"
 

2007/5/16

Way to go Ron Paul!

@ 11:19 AM (30 months, 6 days ago)
 
Even though just hearing Brit Hume curl his sneering lips around "enhanced interrogation techniques" was enough to make me hurl, I forced myself to watch some of the Republican debate .. just because I admire Ron Paul.
 
My, my .. the Republicans do, indeed, need a SINGLE defining issue for themselves each election, don't they? This year it seems to be supporting indefinite military presence in Iraq .. if you don't, you're a Democrat and don't want us to win victory.
 
Remember all the people they had stirred up on that gay marriage obsession of '04? It put them over the top at the polls.
 
This year their other obsessions -- abortion and illegal immigrants -- are chugging right along. Those issues will get waaay more airtime than Iraq.
 
I liked McCain's response to torture -- as a former victim he knows that torture "doesn't often work and discredits and diminishes those who use it."
 
I was thinking of the 3 missing soldiers.
 
When Ron Paul speaks about the war he is more articulate than what you hear from many Democrats.
 
Rudy got huge applause for taking Ron Paul to task about why the Middle East hate us. Paul said what all the experts say -- because of our foreign policy and occupation.
 
REP. PAUL: "Have you ever read the reasons they attacked us? They attack us because we've been over there; we've been bombing Iraq for 10 years. We've been in the Middle East -- I think Reagan was right.
 
We don't understand the irrationality of Middle Eastern politics. So right now we're building an embassy in Iraq that's bigger than the Vatican. We're building 14 permanent bases."
 
Did you see Rudy's face right after twisting what Paul said into 'it being our fault we were attacked' and he asked him to take it back? Rudy's eyes got very wide and big. He sure knows how to monger fear.
 
I knew Fox would spin Ron's 9/11 answer and give Rudy an At-a-Boy .. and they did! Following the debate, Ron Paul went head-to-head with Sean Hannity and didn’t back down:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEZO7MPxJIs
 
Whatever are the Republicans going to do about Ron Paul? But I guess we shouldn't even ponder it -- Paul will never be elected Prez. If only we lived in a one person one vote democracy.
 
Ron Paul has done the unspeakable in the Republican party. He made sense. He's a real conservative and the only real anti-war candidate .. I wanted him to rant about how the American people are getting screwed over by Defense Contractors like Halliburton, KBR, etc etc. It's one of his best rants .. he backs it up will all sorts of facts.
 
This debate had viewers vote on the winner by sending a text message to Fox News. Romney, who has a lot of tech-savvy and youth-oriented campaigners, came in first, with 29 percent. And while Ron Paul is not too popular with the debate audience, many viewers at home appeared to appreciate his libertarian, anti-war message—he came in second with 25 percent.
 
Of course all the Righties are blogging that Paul lost the debate. Not so. Paul's website is getting more traffic than Rudy McRomney gets.
 
In fact .. true conservative Barry Goldwater is somewhere smiling.

So are Hillary Clinton and John Edwards.

If I were a Republican I might be frowning a little ...
 

2007/5/15

More time with the family .. yes yes

@ 07:37 AM (30 months, 7 days ago)
 
Ya think Rove told him, "You blabbed your head off and if you don't get the hell out of DC, I'll demote you to janitor!"
 
Attorney General Gonzales' number 2 man, Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty, sent his soon to be former boss a resignation letter .. he will stay on until a successor can be put in place.
 
Meanwhile Fredo continues to sit is his office all day cackling and lighting cigars with letters of resignation.
 
From the Washington Post: "McNulty, 49, said in an interview that the political tumult over the prosecutor dismissals-- including his role in providing inaccurate information to Congress-- did not play a part in his decision. He said he has not lined up a job but is considering his options.
 
... Nine U.S. attorneys were forced to resign last year, including seven on one day in December, as part of a two-year effort by senior White Hose and Justice Department officials to remove prosecutors based in part on their perceived disloyalty to Bush administration policies."
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/14/AR2007051401071.html?hpid=topnews
 
If Gonzales really loved his boss he would resign. This is just another good example of how out of step BushCo is regarding the nation. Can't they see that allowing Fredo to keep his job feeds the story .. allows it to remain on cable news and in the papers?
 
The trail is now sniffing around Karl Rove .. the last man Bush wants investigated in regards to this story.
 
Another resignation won’t make us forget the unanswered questions:
 
Who developed the list of the US Attorneys to be fired?
 
How did US Attorneys end up on that list?
 
What happened to the public corruption cases those US Attorneys were investigating at the time of their departures?
 
McNulty stepping down won't distract John Conyers and Patrick Leahy from their sniffing out major wrong doing by Rove and Gonzales.
 
Conyers said it's just "a sign that top level administration at the Justice Department may be crumbling under the pressure of ongoing revelations, and what is yet to be disclosed."
 
Chuck Schumer had the best line: "It seems ironic that Paul McNulty, who at least tried to level with the committee, goes while Gonzales, who stonewalled the committee, is still in charge. This administration owes us a lot better."
 
Newsweek's Michael Isikoff on Bush's "Bloody Monday": "The White House was hit by two sudden resignations late Monday when Paul McNulty, a top Justice Department official, and Lanny Davis, the only Democratic member of the president’s civil liberties watchdog board, announced they were stepping down. Both resignations are likely to fuel allegations of White House political meddling in law enforcement and national security issues."
 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18665704/site/newsweek/
 
Likely to fuel allegations? .. huh? .. no, really, I want to know more.
 

2007/5/14

Fredo thinks he's home free

@ 06:38 AM (30 months, 8 days ago)

 

Keeping a proper balance in Bush Koolaid is important .. if a certain level is not maintained, the smell of bullshit becomes unbearable.

"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales confidently deflected House Democrats' demands Thursday for details in the firings of U.S. attorneys, appearing ever more likely to survive accusations that the dismissals were politically motivated."

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070511/NEWS/705110352/-1/State

Yep, apparently he's been running around telling friends that he bit the bullet over the firing of nine US attorneys, and that his job is safe despite all the calls for his resignation.

Let's hope he's wrong. Not only is the purge of the attorneys extremely serious, it's becoming so clear that Gonzales does not have the smarts or the ability to do his important job.

Congress hammered at him over and over again about who made up the list of prosecutors to be fired, and why. That should not be a hard question. The nine prosecutors who have been purged -- it was eight until the case of Todd Graves of Missouri popped up this week -- are nearly 10 percent of all US attorneys. It just defies belief that an Attorney General would allow so many of them to be fired without knowing why.

Gonzales would only say that he "delegated" .. he was not informed, and he could not recall. None of it was believable.

Rep. Wexler demanded to know who decided to fire David Iglesias, the US attorney in New Mexico. Gonzales said he did not know .. but he was certain that it was NOT President Bush or VP Cheney.

He kept trying to change the subject when they asked him if it would be a bad thing if US attorneys were pushed out to make room for eager young Republicans.

He's probably right to not worry about his job. A bunch of Republicans could march on the White House with pitchforks and torches and Bush would STILL refuse to force Gonzales out.

See, I'll bet Fredo knows some secrets .. like what all he did to help Bush back in their Texas days. Like getting him out of jury duty so he wouldn't have to answer -- under oath -- questions about drug use and DUIs.

How many qualified attorneys were turned away in favor of Republican partisans with less achievement and possibly less capability for excelling in their new positions?

When all the pieces fall into place we will see a clear pattern of firing USAs for doing their jobs properly, and hiring ones who are willing to subvert the law and carry out Karl Roves political dirty tricks campaigns on a national level.

It's becoming more obvious that the Dept. of Justice was being used as just another arm of the Republican party .. they were working overtime to influence the '06 election.

They have attempted a "silent coup" here. People should be pissed right off at all this.

Gonzales has a deplorable record. He wrote policies in the war on terror that the Supreme Court said were illegal and unconstitutional. He is supposed to uphold the Constitution .. but defended Bush’s illegal domestic wiretapping operations.

And he advised Bush that the war on terrorism renders certain Geneva Conventions obsolete and quaint .. such as how far we can go while questioning prisoners.

I wonder what our latest missing soldiers would have to say about that.

 

2007/5/13

Late-night jokes 5/13

@ 05:42 AM (30 months, 9 days ago)
 
"President Bush's approval rating has dropped to an all-time low of 28%. Here's my question: Is 28% still technically an approval rating?" --Jay Leno
 
"Vice President Cheney made a surprise visit to Iraq today. Great. The one place we need him firing off his gun, he doesn't bring it." --Jay Leno
 
"The price of oil fell to $1.26 a barrel. It went down. In fact, that's why Cheney is in the Mideast ... to find out what went wrong." --Jay Leno
 
"Barack Obama's wife, Michelle Obama, has been out campaigning for her husband. She praised her husband for having a moral compass. In fact, Hillary Clinton called her and asked, 'Where can I get one of these moral compasses for Bill?'" --Jay Leno
 
"It's a beautiful day. Or, as Al Gore calls it, the last gasp of a dying planet." --David Letterman
 
"Paris Hilton is going to prison. Paris Hilton's fans have contacted Governor Schwarzenegger to ask for a pardon for Paris Hilton. The reason they want the governor to pardon Paris Hilton is because she brings beauty and excitement to their lives. There's a precedent for this -- that's exactly why Ford pardoned Nixon." --David Letterman
 
"Vice President Dick Cheney is on his tour of the Middle East. Over there, he's very popular. He's known as 'Lawrence of Arrhythmia'" --David Letterman
 
"The 2008 presidential election is heating up. We have narrowed down the field to 18 candidates. 19, if you count Hillary's emotional baggage." --Stephen Colbert
 
"President Bush hosted a state dinner in Queen Elizabeth's honor. Guests included Trent Lott, Elizabeth Hasselbeck from 'The View' and the winning jockey from the Kentucky Derby. Which explains why the Queen was overheard saying, 'This party bites the big one.'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"In Iran, President Ahmadinejad is apparently so unpopular that the parliament has voted to take away his powers and shorten his term. When he heard this, President Bush said, 'That lucky bastard'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"There were record high temperatures yesterday. I blame Al Gore. Until he invented this global warming, none of this stuff happened." --Jimmy Kimmel
 
"Help is on the way, people -- Dick Cheney in a secret surprise visit. The vice president put on his Sunday best and arrived in Baghdad under cover of darkness. Now I know it appeared to be in the middle of the day, but Cheney, as you know, always brings his own cover of darkness. It's like Pig-Pen, but instead of dirt, followed by an intangible void." --Jon Stewart
 
"The British press is angry. They're claiming that President Bush disrespected the queen because he accidentally suggested she was over 200 years old and then winked at her. ... When President Bush noticed the queen was annoyed, he said, 'Shake it off,' and slapped her ass." --Conan O'Brien
 
"There was a big hubbub in Great Britain because President Bush winked at the queen. I'm pretty sure that was the first time the queen's ever been winked at. As you can see, she absolutely loved it [on screen: Queen Elizabeth looking stern]. In the old days, that's the look queens gave before you were beheaded." --Jimmy Kimmel
 
"Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has been touring the new world .. popping by the White House. ...  [on screen: Bush saying, 'You helped our nation celebrate its bicentennial in 17, in 1976' .. 'She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child']. She did give that look. Only in this case, the mother is the Queen of England and the child is our president." --Jon Stewart
 
"This week, former President Bill Clinton wrote the clues for the New York Times crossword puzzle. Which explains why the clue for number 9-Down is 'Synonym for pain in the ass rhyming with Millary.'" --Conan O'Brien
 
"In a commencement speech over the weekend, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told students they should all get married. But he said, 'Not like Giuliani. Don't go overboard'" --Jay Leno
 
"How much are you folks paying for gas? Get ready. ... It could be $4 a gallon this summer. It's all part of President Bush's 'No Oil Company Left Behind' program." --David Letterman
 
"According to the latest poll numbers, Hillary Clinton is widening her lead on Barack Obama. Bad news. The only bright spot is Clinton's continuing struggle to win over anti-war Democrats who demand she say her 2002 war authorization vote was a mistake. She hasn't, and I support that. Her refusal to admit a mistake is her most presidential attribute." --Stephen Colbert
 
"President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush hosted the Queen of England at a big state dinner. One embarrassing moment when the queen told President Bush she'd be on the throne for over 50 years, and Bush said, 'Try Metamucil.'" --Jay Leno
 

2007/5/12

Hey Dick, here's yer helmet, rifle, boots and pack

@ 08:40 AM (30 months, 10 days ago)
 
...now you go on over there and get them Eye-Raynians fer us, ye'hear?
 
Yep, ol' Dick five-deferment Cheney is saber-rattling again. I wish he would stay holed up in his undisclosed location rather than running all over in the Middle East stirring up conflict.
 
From The New York Times: "Vice President Dick Cheney used the deck of an American aircraft carrier just 150 miles off Iran’s coast as the backdrop yesterday to warn that the United States was prepared to use its naval power to keep Tehran from disrupting oil routes or “gaining nuclear weapons and dominating this region.”[..]
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/12/world/middleeast/12cheney.html
 
That's right, Dick. Bomb that evil Iran .. make sure every progressive, young person in that country is pushed away from their pro-western mindset right into Mahmoud's waiting arms.
 
Iran is one of only two democracies in the Middle East, and American belligerence will antagonize those Iranians who would be most sympathetic to the United States.
 
Congress has to shut this off before Cheney drives us over the edge into another disaster like Iraq.
 
But then again .. those two strike groups could be there to protect Halliburton's new head office in Dubai.
 

Obama Misunderestimates Tornado Deaths

@ 06:04 AM (30 months, 10 days ago)
 
What's up with flubbed numbers this past week? 1776 instead of 1976 .. 10,000 instead of 10.
 
Associated Press: "Barack Obama, caught up in the fervor of a campaign speech Tuesday, drastically overstated the Kansas tornadoes death toll, saying 10,000 had died. The death toll was 12."
 
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=3154291
 
Sorry Obama, but that's funny .. yet, uncomfortably close to our present Gaffe Guy. I'll chalk this one up to just a flub, but please don't start doing things like this on a regular basis.
 
And at least you corrected yourself right away. You said, "There are going to be times when I get tired, there are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."
 
Of course, the Righties quickly jumped on it to deflect attention away from the fact that so much Kansas National Guard emergency equipment is in Iraq. Greenburg, Kansas is just a smaller version of Katrina .. one of the biggest hurdles of the recovery effort is the lack of readily available National Guard resources.
 
At present, some 40% of our National Guard are stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan .. once again we are learning the consequences of not them here to protect the homeland.
 
"Last week, a devastating tornado hit the Midwest. Our hearts go out to the people of Kansas. And just as their lives were getting back to normal, Kansas was hit by an even big disaster ... the behavior of their Governor Kathleen Sebelius. On Monday, Governor Sebelius complained that help for Kansas was slowed because so much of the National Guard equipment is in Iraq. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow sympathized, saying, 'If you don't request it, you're not going to get it.' How is the White House supposed to know a town was wiped out? They're not meteorologists." --Stephen Colbert
 
Anyway .. cheer up Barack .. no matter how badly you misspeak you could never top Commander Guy. It is the one thing about him that I love. Here are some of his latest from this year:
 
"I'm honored to be here with the eternal general of the United States, mi amigo Alberto Gonzales." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 4, 2007
 
"Wisdom and strength, and my family, is what I'd like for you to pray for." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007
 
"Information is moving -- you know, nightly news is one way, of course, but it's also moving through the blogosphere and through the Internets." --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., May 2, 2007
 
"And so, what Gen. Petraeus is saying, some early signs, still dangerous, but give me -- give my chance a plan to work." --George W. Bush, in an interview with Charlie Rose, April 24, 2007
 
"There are jobs Americans aren't doing. ... If you've got a chicken factory, a chicken-plucking factory, or whatever you call them, you know what I'm talking about." --George W. Bush. Tipp City, Ohio, April 19, 2007
 
"And there is distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that exists in this town. And I'm sorry it's the case, and I'll work hard to try to elevate it."--George W. Bush, interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
 
"The best way to defeat the totalitarian of hate is with an ideology of hope -- an ideology of hate -- excuse me --with an ideology of hope." --George W. Bush, Fort Benning, Ga., Jan. 11, 2007" --George W. Bush, interview on National Public Radio, Jan. 29, 2007
 
My personal favorite is the one he popped out at a campaign stop in Poplar Bluff, Missouri in 2004. He was discussing malpractice lawsuit reforms and he said that "too many OB/GYN's aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country."
 

2007/5/11

"Mr. President, you are breaking our great Army and Marine Corps"

@ 07:12 AM (30 months, 11 days ago)
 
Most Americans don't believe our president when he says that he's doing everything he can to protect the men and women he puts in harm's way. He never really "listened to the Generals on the ground." He simply fires the ones who tell him what he doesn't want to hear, and hires new ones that agree with him.
 
Hooray for VoteVets, one of the few veterans organizations that puts the welfare of the troops ahead of partisan politics, for bringing us a voice that speaks truth to power. Here's Maj Gen John Batiste (Ret.), former commanding general of the first infantry division in Iraq:
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPIi03wSfY
 
Who has more war credibility here -- Tony Snow, Rush Limbaugh or Major General Batiste?
 
The Rabid Righties and the swiftboaters will now come out of the woodwork .. but tough luck, because General Batiste has an unimpeachable record. He received his second star when he passed the loyalty screening test given by Rummy himself.
 
Batiste is not and has never been a Democrat .. he is not running for office .. he is not looking for a political appointment. There can be no political or personal advantage in this for him. In fact, he was fired as a consultant to CBS because of this ad.
 
Batiste successfully commanded a division in combat, and was offered a third star with a plum assignment. In other words, General Batiste was in reach of the highest levels of the US military. But he chose to resign his life's work instead.
 
He knows how the military is supposed to work, and what it means to be in harm's way .. and now he chooses to speak for the soldiers who cannot.
 
Then there is this:

Poll: More troops unhappy with Bush’s course in Iraq

Jan 6, 2007 -- The American military — once a staunch supporter of President Bush and the Iraq war — has grown increasingly pessimistic about chances for victory, according to the 2006 Military Times Poll.

For the first time, more troops disapprove of the president’s handling of the war than approve of it. Barely one-third of service members approve of the way the president is handling the war.........

2007/5/10

Hang in there Democrats

@ 09:36 AM (30 months, 12 days ago)
 
.. just saw a Gallup poll that said 6 in 10 Americans favor setting a firm timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
 
Liberal media huh? Nobody is reporting on the following yet .. but you will soon read that just a couple days ago a majority of Iraqi parliament members signed a petition calling for a U.S. withdrawal:
 
"On Tuesday, without note in the U.S. media, more than half of the members of Iraq’s parliament rejected the continuing occupation of their country. 144 lawmakers signed onto a legislative petition calling on the United States to set a timetable for withdrawal, according to Nassar Al-Rubaie, a spokesman for the Al Sadr movement, the nationalist Shia group that sponsored the petition."
 
http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/51624/
 
Wait -- C-SPAN's Washington Journal just covered it.
 
So .. the Iraqi parliament wants us gone...
 
The Iraqi people want us gone…
 
The American people want us gone…
 
The American soldiers want us gone...
 
The American Congress want us gone…
 
So…who *doesn’t* want us gone?
 
Bush & Co.
 
Haliburton.
 
Big Oil.
 
The terrorists.
 

11 Republicans took THE WALK

@ 07:39 AM (30 months, 12 days ago)

In the bad old days of Watergate, the tipping point was when Republicans made THE WALK to the White House to tell Nixon it was over.
 
We can only hope this LONG overdue walk to tell Bush the truth about Iraq will impress on him just how deep the doodoo is .. hopefully we've reached a tipping point.
 
The Iraqis planning to take a two-month vacation was probably the push .. yeah, off on holiday while American soldiers are fighting and dying for their country.
 
Wonder if Cheney could talk the vacationers out of it yesterday?
 
From the Washington Post:
A Warning on Eve Of Vote on New Bill
"House Republican moderates, in a remarkably blunt White House meeting, warned President Bush this week that his pursuit of the war in Iraq is risking the future of the Republican Party and that he cannot count on GOP support for many more months.
 
....the meeting between 11 House Republicans, Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, White House political adviser Karl Rove and presidential press secretary Tony Snow was perhaps the clearest sign yet that patience in the party is running out.
 
.... presented Bush dismal polling figures to dramatize just how perilous the party's position is.
 
....warned Bush that his personal credibility on the war is all but gone.[..]
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/09/AR2007050902461.html?hpid=topnews
 
Will Bush change his mind? Will he change course? Will they need to haul him off in a straight jacket first? We've all read that he CANNOT admit failure or being wrong. CAN'T! And he REALLY wants to just surf along until he can hand this mess to the next president. So he can blame them for the failure.
 
For months every time I heard Democrats call for impeachment, I scoffed. It just ain't gonna happen. I always knew that instead, a group of Republicans would take THE WALK to the White House to tell Bush, if not it's time to resign, at least to change his ways.
 
Maybe there will have to be a number of WALKs. But I knew they would come, I knew the Republicans would not go swirling down the drain with ol' crazy stubborn George W. Bush.
 
One Republican congressman told Bush, "The word about the war and its progress cannot come from the White House or even you, Mr. President. There is no longer any credibility. It has to come from Gen. Petraeus."
 
See, it's not about what's best for the country, it's not about US soldiers dying every day, or dozens of Iraqis .. it's about "harming the GOP."
 
The current estimate is that in 2008 Democrats will pick up between another 9 and 17 seats in the House. 21 Republican Senators are up for reelection and only 9 Democrats, so Dems WILL probably pick up more seats in the Senate .. plus the White House ...
 
THAT'S why Republicans are trying to find a way to declare victory and get out of Iraq. Hell, we could have done that after we caught Saddam.
 
But here we sit .. and finally reality has arrived. If Bush doesn't move, Republicans will move on without him.
 
Pop up some popcorn .. this is going to be fun ...
 

2007/5/9

Late-night jokes 5/9

@ 06:03 AM (30 months, 13 days ago)
 
"The last time the Queen of England was in the United States was 1991. An awful lot has changed since 1991. Back then, President Bush was fighting a war in Iraq" --David Letterman
 
"Queen Elizabeth met with President Bush over the weekend. I thought this was nice of President Bush. ... He took the time to learn a little bit of English so he could speak with her." --Jay Leno
 
"The Queen was welcomed with a 21-gun salute. Well, 22 if you count Cheney's gun, which went off accidentally" --Jay Leno
 
"The Queen of England was at the White House. And George Bush, by gosh, I wouldn't give this guy's troubles to a monkey on a rock. He gets confused and he went up to the Queen and congratulated her on her Academy Award." --David Letterman
 
"A week after the first Democratic presidential debate, last Thursday was the Republicans turn at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California. ... This debate aimed to introduce the candidates to the Republican base, or as they're otherwise known, the 28% of Americans who think the last six years have been ... okay. The night's biggest star was Ronald Reagan himself, whose name was evoked no less than 21 times almost 20 years since he left Washington. Compared to our current president, whose name was evoked uh, uh, uh once." --Jon Stewart
 
"Let's go to the meat and potatoes. How do the candidates respond to a contentious, complex issue? [on screen: candidates being asked if they don't believe in evolution]. In case you missed it, raising their hands were Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, and Mike Huckabee. They will be missed" --Jon Stewart
 
"Nation, we did it again. This past Sunday, the French people went to the polls and elected conservative, pro-American candidate Nicolas Sarkozy as their new president. ... Just how American is he? He's allowed himself to be photographed with George W. Bush, which means he's more American than many of our presidential candidates." --Stephen Colbert
 
"Speaking of elections, last week Republicans held their first presidential debate. ... All the big candidates were there. McCain, Romney, Giuliani, Brownback, Huckabee ... and five other candidates who demonstrated the Republican Party's diversity. All the colors of the rainbow from eggshell to ivory." --Stephen Colbert
 
"When reporters of the Associated Press recently asked some of presidential candidates what their favorite reality shows were, Mitt Romney said 'American Idol.' Joe Biden said he didn't have a favorite show. And surprisingly, Rudy Giuliani picked 'Wife Swap.'" --Jay Leno
 
"ABC had their big expose on Friday on '20/20' about the DC madam. That turned out to be nothing. They didn't name any names. The DC madam said a lot of the hookers who worked for her were in their late 50s. She said they were the most popular ones ... especially when the Rolling Stones are in town." --Jay Leno
 
"The people who want Bush's job were in Simi Valley for the big first Republican debate. Ten of them got on the stage. ... Chris Matthews was the host and asked the question, 'Raise your hand if you do not believe in evolution.' Three of these clowns raised their hands. Actually, four. But McCain just had to use the potty. ... McCain said he not only believes in evolution, he remembers it." --Bill Maher
 
"Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo -- those were the three guys who said they do not believe in evolution. The irony will be on them when their campaigns die off in favor of stronger, fitter campaigns." --Bill Maher
 
"The candidates came prepared. Rudy Giuliani, of course, brought his energy; McCain brought his experience; Mitt Romney brought his charm; Mike Huckabee brought his name tag." --Jay Leno, on the Republican debate
 
"My favorite part of the debate was when Chris Matthews asked, 'Who does not believe in evolution?' And Sam Brownback, Mike Huckabee and Tom Tancredo all raised their paw. ... They said they do not believe in evolution. Then they said the biggest threat to America is religious radicals living in the Dark Ages. " --Jay Leno
 
"At the Reagan Library, President Bush's name was only mentioned once ... in the entire debate. But to be fair, you often don't hear Bush's name mentioned in libraries." --Jay Leno
 
"Given the fact we have a war going on in Iraq and global warming and George Bush in the White House, it's nice to see someone taking to the streets in this country. Of course, once again, Mexicans performing the work Americans can't be bothered to do." --Bill Maher, on immigration protests
 
"This is the week that Congress sent the president a bill to bring the troops home, which, of course, as he promised he would do, vetoed it. The president said setting a deadline for withdrawal was setting a date for failure. And we all know, this is a president who likes his failures unplanned and spur-of-the-moment." --Bill Maher
 
"Barack Obama has been placed under Secret Service protection. ... Of course, now comes the tough part -- picking a Secret Service codename that Al Sharpton will not find racist." --Bill Maher
 
"Hillary Clinton, as a former first lady, already has a Secret Service detail. And, of course, Bill Clinton never travels without protection" --Bill Maher
 
"Because of Barack Obama's immense popularity, he has already been given Secret Service protection. ... Poor Joe Biden. Did you see what he got? A can of a mace and a pen knife." --Jay Leno
 
"Time Magazine released its list of the '100 Most Influential People in the World.' President Bush is not on the list. However, supermodel Kate Moss is. I guess the scary part is that Katie Moss actually has a better plan for getting us out of Iraq" --Jay Leno
 
"You know, the Republican Party has had a difficult time lately because not too many people like President Bush. His approval rating is still down in the 30s. And that percent, by the way, is 30 people" --Jimmy Kimmel
 

2007/5/8

At least he didn't call her Queenie

@ 07:35 AM (30 months, 14 days ago)

Ah .. my heart just swells with pride for that man .. Our Uniter .. Our Decider .. Our Commander Guy...
 
Poor Queen Elizabeth II .. she comes to Jamestown and first off gets saddled with Dick Cheney (who at least didn't wear his formal NFL-fan faux-fur trimmed parka), and then she comes to the White House and has to put up with Commander Guy and Pickles.
 
She probably wished she was still in Kentucky knocking back mint juleps ...
 
We hoped that Bush would be on his best behavior and not say anything stupid to the Queen. But we should know better .. because the past encounters Bush has had with dignitaries all seem to be marred by something.
 
Hmm .. on second thought, maybe there ARE national security reasons for not having official diplomatic contact with countries like Syria, Iran, North Korea, etc. after all…
 
In his speech he mispronounced Edinburgh .. and he still hasn’t figured out how to pronounce “terrorists.” For goodness sake, can't he go five minutes without talking about "terrorism" "freedom" and "liberty" .. does he have to push the BushCo agenda every time he opens his mouth?
 
In contrast, when Queen Elizabeth spoke, she said her fifth journey to the United States over 50 years was an occasion to "step back from our current preoccupations."
 
I wanted her to ask Bush why his kids aren’t fighting "terra" like her grandson is .. it might have wiped that smirk off his face. The Queen has more vet-cred than the entire Bush administration.
 
He called the Magna Carta the “Magna Carter .. and listed all the things that are great about the Queen, like how she honors fallen soldiers by comforting their families. All things he doesn’t do.
 
He spoke about how the settlers of Jamestown planted the seeds of freedom and democracy on American soil. Nothing about genocide and slavery .. but who’s counting?
 
And gave the audience a laugh when he said the queen had dined with 10 U.S. presidents and had helped the United States “celebrate its bicentennial in 17… ” but caught himself and corrected the date to 1976. Then said something about her looking at him as a mother would her child. And winked at her .. yes, winked at her. She managed a "reserved chuckle" and an icy stare at the same time.
 
Some think this gaffe was planned, to have him come off as cute and folksy. It is sort of Rovian.
 
I could hear her thinking “We are displeased by the utter banality of the American president, and we are extremely pleased to be rid of the colonies.”
 
I had a lovely mental image of her hitting him repeatedly with her purse, Ruth Buzzi-style.
 
We'll have to wait for the White House Formal Dinner gossip to leak out. Laura told reporters that he balked about a white tie affair .. that she and Condi had to talk him into it. Hmm .. maybe those two could be the go-betweens for him and the Democrats.
 
Hopefully, he didn't sneak up behind the Queen and give her a neck massage (Angela Merkel) or grab her by the jacket sleeve like he did that Japanese diplomat.
 
And hopefully Cheney didn't accidentally shoot the Queen's equerry..
 
I wonder why Poppy and Barbara weren't invited?
 

2007/5/7

Obama Wins Over Bush Defectors

@ 08:12 AM (30 months, 15 days ago)
 
Yep, some of them see their party circling the drain and they're shifting over to who might have the best chance at the White House .. and who some of them are might surprise you.
 
Of course, some of the Republicans support Obama because he is the anti-Hillary .. and Republicans haaaate the Clintons.
 
From timesonline: "Some disillusioned backers of President George W Bush are defecting to an unlikely choice: Barack Obama, the Democratic senator for Illinois.
 
"Obama has a message of hope for the country," said John Martin, a Navy reservist bound for Afghanistan who founded the website Republicans for Obama.
 
...Tom Bernstein went to Yale University with Bush and co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team with him. In 2004 he donated the maximum $2,000 to the president's reelection campaign and gave $50,000 to the Republican National Committee. This year he is switching his support to Obama. He is one of many former Bush admirers who find the Democrat newcomer appealing.
 
... last week a surprising new name joined the chorus of praise for the antiwar Obama that of Robert Kagan, a leading neoconservative and co-founder of the Project for the New American Century in the late 1990s, which called for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
 
...John Canning, a "Bush pioneer" and investment banker who pledged to raise $100,000 for the president in 2004, has given up on the Republicans. "I know lots of my friends in this business are disenchanted and are definitely looking for something different," he said.
 
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article1752381.ece
 
There's just something .. calming about Barack's personality. He's a throw back to how politics used to be .. or at least how we think they used to be.
 
How many times over the last few years have you heard people reminiscing about how politicians used to be able to fight like dogs during the day and then go out for a beer together afterward?
 
That idea appeals to a lot of people, and I think they see that in Obama.
 
When you look back on it, millions of Reagan Democrats didn't just pop up overnight because Democrats suddenly realized they were conservatives .. they just liked the guy. The way I'm drawn to Fred Thompson.
 
People who aren't political junkies don't feel the polarization of our politics like we who are in it up to our eyeballs do. Regular people on the street don't view Obama as a liberal, moderate or conservative .. they seem to see him as a breath of fresh air.
 
We would rather have a president who disagrees with us on some issues but who's fair and competent .. than a president who agrees with us but is not. And that may be Obama's biggest selling point right there .. people just seem to trust the guy.
 
Funny thing is that many in the black community don't cotton to Obama, at this stage anyway. It may be his direct call to action for them to clean up rap music and the destructive language they found so unacceptable when used by a white man like Imus.
 
Yes, I think Obama can provide a vision that could unite this nation, but I am afraid for him .. given the lunacy of our political culture. Every knuckle-dragging skinhead will be gunning for him and his family. After all, that early Secret Service protection is not based solely on some mild hate-mail from a few bigots.
 
BTW--I read in the paper that Hate Groups are on the rise and thriving .. drawn to the flames fanned by hate radio and people like Lou Dobbs against illegal immigrants. Boy, that's right up their alley. And crimes against Latinos are also on the rise, whether they are born here or not. It you have brown skin .. that's enough for the skinheads .. but I digress ...
 
Anyway .. Obama sure seems to be someone who inspires the best in us. I find his speeches inspiring. He's a good solid moderate Democrat.
 
People respect that he left a corporate job to take a low paying (13K a year) community organizing job .. they say it shows a lot of character. Especially from a Harvard Law School grad .. one who did it the old fashioned way -- he EARNED it.
 
Not like Bush .. who some wag said was "born on 3rd base, and thinks he hit a triple."
 

2007/5/6

I want the old Republican party back

@ 07:40 AM (30 months, 16 days ago)
 
... and now that Bush has ruined this one, maybe there's a chance.
 
Newsweek has a new poll that shows George W. Bush to be the most unpopular President in a generation .. 28% approval rating. Right down there with Jimmy Carter who sank that low during the Iran hostage embarrassment.
 
AND Bush is proving to be political poison to Republican 2008 Presidential candidate wannabes. They just better be glad that Cheney isn't running .. he's at 9%.
 
From Newsweek:
"It’s hard to say which is worse news for Republicans: that George W. Bush now has the worst approval rating of an American president in a generation, or that he seems to be dragging every ’08 Republican presidential candidate down with him.
 
But according to the new NEWSWEEK Poll, the public’s approval of Bush has sunk to 28 percent, an all-time low for this president in our poll, and a point lower than Gallup recorded for his father at Bush Sr.’s nadir.
 
....This remarkably low rating seems to be casting a dark shadow over the GOP’s chances for victory in ’08. The NEWSWEEK Poll finds each of the leading Democratic contenders beating the Republican frontrunners in head-to-head match ups."
 
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18505030/site/newsweek/
 
28 percent! All he has left is the radical head-in-the-sand Bush fanatics in his corner. I am truly proud of my fellow Americans--of both parties--who make up the other 72% .. shows they’re waking up.
 
It will be tough for the R's to ditch the albatross of Bush policies and failures. His incompetence, ego and stubbornness have basically destroyed the Republican party .. destroyed any credibility they would have on issues that should be good for Republicans.
 
No Republican can run on being a fiscal conservative because Bush is anything but a fiscal conservative. We owe our souls to the Chinese. Everyone is afraid to talk about it .. but they'll come a-knocking one day ...
 
Republicans cannot run on small government because Bush lost all credibility on that. First thing he did was create more bureaucracy.
 
Republicans cannot run on securing borders and anti-illegal immigration because Bush wants an open borders program.
 
Republicans cannot run on good government because Bush as been such a lousy manager. He hires his cronies, who have no experience doing whatever job he gives them.
 
All he has going for him is that there hasn't been another terrorist attack inside the US since 9/11  .. and that is just plain luck. All the experts say it's just a matter of time. HE hasn't done enough to secure our borders and ports .. even wanted to give control of our ports to a Middle Eastern company.
 
The American people are sick to death of the Iraq war. That will be what knocks the Republicans down in 2008. Their problem is that even if they start voting to bring the troops home now, the rest of their voting record will be brought up again and again and again.
 
I want the old Republican party back. I am a Democrat who will swing the other way if I see a good candidate. I used to be very interested in McCain. But not any more.
 
With the gains that Democrats are probably going to make in '08 and '10, I still don't want America to turn into a single party nation. It will hurt us in the long run. I want viable candidates in both parties so we can have a choice. More than two parties would be even better, but that doesn't seem to work .. so far.
 
Both parties need to purge some of their radicals and work to elect more mainstream candidates. That would lure a wider group of voters, because there are plenty of independents out there who stay home on election day because they don't like either choice.
 
Are Republicans down for the count? Probably for 2008, and possibly for 2010. But it's right and proper that they should first do a little suffering for the mistakes they made.
 
Political parties should always put our country first .. party second. It's a shame that when politicians get a little drunk with power they seem to start doing whatever it takes to stay in power. Both Democrats and Republicans do this. It's why we need checks and balances.
 
Election reform is what ALL of us should focus on ..  things such as having non-partisan commissions draw district lines.
 
We need to make voting easier. We the public need to finance political campaigns .. not mega-corporations.
 
We need to somehow get media to spend a specific amount of time covering public issues .. maybe we could threaten their federal broadcast license.
 
Ah .. but I dream ...
 

2007/5/5

Late-night jokes 5/5

@ 08:53 AM (30 months, 17 days ago)
Catching up on last week's funnies...
 
"How many of you saw the Republican presidential debate? There are ten Republicans who want to be president of the United States. Did you see them? I mean, they looked like guys waiting to tee off at a restricted country club. " --David Letterman
 
"The Republican presidential debate was held tonight in California, and ten candidates took part. Political experts say that the ten Republican candidates represented all races, creeds, and colors of rich white men." --Conan O'Brien
 
"Tonight was the big Republican debate. Ten white guys. ... It looked like a meeting of the Hair Club for Men. GOP stands for Gray, Old and Pale." --Jay Leno
 
"There's a brand new book out. In it Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says that she has a crush on President Bush. Well, sure. Who doesn't?" --David Letterman
 
"It looks like a lot of politicians' careers will be ruined when this Washington madam releases the names on her client list. President Bush's Deputy Secretary of State Randall Tobias has already resigned because he was a customer. He claims he just got a massage, but no sex. I think that was called 'The Married Guy Special.'" --Jay Leno
 
"The DC madam says that when she's releasing these names, she's not doing it for political reasons. She says she does not have a political bone in her body. At least not today." --Jay Leno
 
"According to Men's Health Magazine, one out of five grown adult men still watch Saturday morning cartoons every week. To which President Bush went, 'See'" --Jay Leno
 
"The Democrats' problem isn't that they're calling for timetables. It's that they're calling them timetables. You're up against Bush and the Republicans, you got to bring some zing. Don't call them timetables. Call them ... patriot dates ... freedom deadlines ... glory goals. What decent, patriotic American wouldn't stand behind a glory goal?" --Jon Stewart
 
"Everyone has been so nice to me here in San Francisco. Earlier today, Mayor Gavin Newsom invited me over for a sandwich. After that, we had lunch." --Conan O'Brien
 
"President Bush vetoed the Iraq troop withdrawal bill. He said it would turn the country into a cauldron of chaos. And you'd hate to see Iraq become unstable." --David Letterman
 
"You all know who Nancy Pelosi is, right? She's the second most powerful woman in the country, right behind the D.C. madam." --Jay Leno
 
"The Washington, D.C., madam has threatened to release more names of Washington politicians who were her customers. ... She says another member of the White House will be named very soon. This proves once again that members of the Bush administration don't know when it's time to pull out." --Jay Leno
 
"Did you hear about the Washington, D.C., madam? She was running a call girl operation, and they think a lot of congressmen and senators and high ranking politicians were visiting the prostitutes. It's just crazy. One girl actually got paid with a new highway project." --David Letterman
 
"Politicians having sex with prostitutes? What's the matter? All of a sudden, congressional pages aren't good enough anymore?" --David Letterman
 
"Here's the latest scandal in Washington: ... They say on '20/20' this week, the D.C. madam ... is going to list the names of famous Republicans who used her female escort service. ... That shows you the fundamental philosophical differences between the two parties. Bush Republicans believe in having the private sector provide sex for profit. Whereas, Clinton Democrats believe it should be a big give-away program." --Jay Leno
 
"Randall Tobias, who is the deputy secretary of state, resigned after it was revealed he used this woman's services. Tobias, who was married, just claimed he just had a massage and did not have sex. Apparently, he can forget getting either one of those at home ever again." --Jay Leno
 
"Tobias was the guy who Bush put in charge of promoting abstinence ... and chastity in places like the Mideast. He was also the CEO of the company that makes Cialis. ... So, it sounds like he was caught between Iraq and a hard place" --Jay Leno
 
"This week, all the Republican candidates will debate each other at the Reagan Library. The winner will then be selected by Exxon-Mobil." --Jay Leno
 
"Four years ago, the president stood on the deck of an aircraft carrier and announced 'Mission Accomplished.' Two years later, the president appointed one of the main architects of that mission, Paul Wolfowitz, to head the World Bank. Because when someone has been completely wrong about everything, you gotta put him where he can't do any harm, like in charge of the world's poor." --Jon Stewart
 
"To comply with the bank's conflict of interest policy, Wolfowitz had Riza transferred to the State Department, given a $60,000 raise, a promotion, and guaranteed positive performance reviews ... to avoid conflict of interest. What's next? Bombing the s**t out of a country in order to help it?"--Jon Stewart
 
"The former first lady of New Jersey and soon to be ex-wife of gay former Governor Jim McGreevey was on 'Oprah' today. She wrote a book that claims even though she was married to the guy for almost four years, she never knew Jim McGreevey was gay. She just thought he had really bad aim" --Jimmy Kimmel
 
"These were $300-an-hour prostitutes ... which is pretty amazing when you realize John Edwards was paying $400 and all he got was a haircut." --Jay Leno
 
"When the White House heard about this scandal, they were relieved. Finally, a Republican caught in a sex scandal with a woman." --Jay Leno
 
"Here's good news: the FBI has arrested the madam who was in charge of the ring of prostitutes. No word though on Osama bin Laden." --David Letterman
 
"The former CIA chief George Tenet has a new book coming out. In this book, he criticizes the Bush administration's handling of the events leading up to the Iraq war. ... It's called 'Trying To Save My Own Ass.'" --Jay Leno
 
"Prince Harry is in the military over there in Britain. He says he wants to go to Iraq to fight. ... But the British newspapers say that when he gets there, he may be ordered to serve behind a desk. And today, former President Bill Clinton called him and said, 'You know, sitting behind a desk ain't that bad'" --Jay Leno
 
"San Francisco is terrific. It's a unique place. It's the only city in the world where marijuana is legal, but plastic bags are not." --Conan O'Brien
 
"Congress has finally passed a bill that requires troops to start leaving Iraq. ... Bush has not had a challenge like this since Laura poured his Wild Turkey down the toilet." --Bill Maher
 
"Bush is furious about this. He said, 'We have come this far, it is no time to get rational.'" --Bill Maher
 
"The other bombshell coming out this week is former CIA director George Tenet has a new book where he says there was no serious debate within the administration about going into Iraq. It will hit the stores on Monday, under the title 'No S**t.'" --Bill Maher
 
"Cheney was at the commencement at Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. There was protests ... at Brigham Young. You know you have credibility problems when even the Mormons won't buy your bulls**t." --Bill Maher
 
"In an effort to help the environment, Sheryl Crow has proposed using only one square of toilet paper when going to the bathroom. In a related story, don't ever shake hands with Sheryl Crow" --Conan O'Brien
 
"Eight Democratic presidential candidates squared off in the first presidential debate. Did anybody watch it? Nobody watched it. We need to make it like 'American Idol.' Each week we vote another one off." --Jay Leno
 
"According to the people who watched the Democratic debate, the big winner was the Republicans." --Jay Leno
 
"Actually, Joe Biden looked pretty good. In fact, Joe's popularity has gone from 1% to 2% last week to 3% today. At this rate, he could win the nomination by the year 2032." --Jay Leno
 
"John Edwards apologized for his $400 haircut. He said it was a mistake ... especially in the back, where they didn't feather enough." --Jay Leno
 
"The Wall Street Journal reports that a new Harris poll shows that President Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low of just 28%. In fact, it was so bad that today Alberto Gonzales said he's thinking about resigning ... just so he doesn't have to be seen standing with him"--Jay Leno
 
"The first Democratic presidential debate was held earlier ... Big event. It featured Senator Hillary Clinton facing off against seven men. Or, as Bill Clinton calls it, the worst porn movie plot ever." --Conan O'Brien
 
"Congressman and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney this week. Political pundits say Dennis Kucinich is that rare candidate capable of waging ... two hopeless campaigns at the same time." --Jay Leno
 
"Yesterday, down in Washington, DC, it was Malaria Awareness Day. Here's the sad part ... a confused President Bush sent 20,000 troops to Malaria" --David Letterman
 
"Yesterday, President Bush visited a school in New York City. Before his visit, the city filled in all the potholes near the school. Not only that, before the president's visit, the school hid all the sharp objects and covered the electric sockets with plastic protectors." --Conan O'Brien
 

2007/5/4

No Spin Zone my Aunt Minnie's moustache!

@ 07:04 AM (30 months, 18 days ago)
 
"O'Reilly Insults Somebody Once Every 6.8 Seconds"
 
O'Reilly's show is a Fox News wet dream for hateful Righties. I can't watch him because he's a partisan tabloid hack who sensationalizes every story with dire predictions and moral outrage. He's a caricature. And a fear monger.
 
He turned my stomach the most when I read what he said about the kid recently found in Missouri, who was abducted at the age of 11 and held for four years by an armed sex pervert -- that the kid probably enjoyed it and had fun because he didn't have to go to school.
 
This from a guy who casts himself as a champion of children.
 
Anyway, I sure wasn't surprised when I read this:
 
"Indiana University researchers found that O'Reilly called a person or a group a derogatory name once every 6.8 seconds, on average, or nearly nine times every minute during the editorials that open his program each night."
 
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/5535.html
 
I thought it interesting that the original researchers of 1939 found seven different types of propaganda ..  and Bill uses most all of them. This was sort of scary:
 
"A 2005 Annenberg Public Policy Center survey found that while 30 percent of Americans viewed Washington Post and Watergate reporter Bob Woodward as a journalist, 40 percent of respondents considered O'Reilly to be a journalist."
 
and then:
 
"The same techniques were used during the late 1930s to study another prominent voice in a war-era, Father Charles Coughlin. His sermons evolved into a darker message of anti-Semitism and fascism, and he became a defender of Hitler and Mussolini. In this study, O'Reilly is a heavier and less-nuanced user of the propaganda devices than Coughlin."
 
If this doesn't raise any concern .. then you've already overdosed on Bush's Red Kool-Aid.
 
My friend said so what, the same thing can be said of Lefties Bill Maher or Keith Olbermann. I pointed out that those guys don't attack specific groups of people, they just attack hate radio, neo-con politicians and the Republican White house.
 
O'Reilly slyly lumps Democrats and the 'liberal media' in with what he considers the 'evil elements' of illegal aliens, criminals, terrorists. Say what you will about Democrats and the media, most people don't believe illegal aliens are evil.
 
"Our results show a consistent pattern of O'Reilly casting non-Americans in a negative light. Both illegal aliens and foreigners were constructed as physical threats to the public ...."
 
O'Reilly sets himself up as the new sheriff of the morality police .. and calls all those who agree with him patriots, and all those who disagree with him traitors. He's very popular with the people who like to hate.
 
Thank goodness the haters only make up about 30% of the population.
 
Bill, like Rush, is the gasoline added to the fire of partisan hatred. He has the audience he does BECAUSE he is one sided .. if he was truly "Fair and Balanced" those haters would desert him and his ratings would fall faster than Bush's approval ratings.
 
Seriously, you can call yourself fair and balanced all you want .. but if your take is "Democrats are always bad and Republicans are always good" then it's hard to take you seriously. A true "fair and balanced" person is going to call both sides on their shit with equal passion, enthusiasm and spite.
 
BTW, If you're ever on the phone with O'Reilly and he moans, hang up .. unless you're into that sort of thing...
 

2007/5/3

"...and you're not the boss of me!"

@ 06:04 AM (30 months, 19 days ago)

George Bush has given himself yet another nickname. He is now the Commander Guy.  Jon Stewart is gonna have a field day with this one. How the late-night comics love Bush .. he hands them this stuff on a platter .. anyway, they were getting tired of playing around with The Decider.
 
You know, it might be easy to feel like Commander Guy when God tells you to invade countries 'n shit ..
 
Hey, wait a minute, maybe this is why we're in Iraq. Cheney wanted the oil and Bush wanted to play Commander Guy.
 
Here's the relevant passage of his address to the Associated General Contractors of America:
 
"I liked what James A. Baker and Lee Hamilton reported back after a serious investigation of Iraq. I liked their ideas. And it's something that we should seriously consider .... By the way, in the report it said, it is—the government may have to put in more troops to be able to get to that position. And that's what we do. We put in more troops to get to a position where we can be in some other place. The question is, who ought to make that decision? The Congress or the commanders? And as you know, my position is clear—I'm the commander guy."
 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070502-2.html
 
Another little tidbit for Letterman's "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" ...
 
Hey, wait a minute .. wasn't Commander Guy one of the Village People?
 
Yale alumni must be so proud .. sounds like something a five year old who watches too many cartoons would say.
 
Disaster Guy suits him better.
 
I read the entire transcript of the speech Bush gave .. sound bites cannot capture the mind-numbing incoherence of this guy.
 
He said we're "putting in MORE troops to get to a position where we can be in some other place?" What?
 
And notice how Commander Guy flip-flops. He told us several months ago that he was no longer relying on the commander guys on the ground. He said that in the future he was going to be Decider guy .. not the commanders. Now when Congress is looking to take away his car keys, suddenly it's the commanders in Iraq who are running the show.
 
Funny .. considering how he was only in the National Guard for .. uh, a questionable period .. and he's fired HOW many Generals who didn't agree with him? How does that qualify him to make military policy?
 
Gah! I can’t believe there’s still more than a year and 8 months of this international embarrassment. I wonder if the millions of Republicans responsible for putting Cowboy Guy into office --TWICE--are embarrassed. This is THEIR leader. This is the face and speech of THEIR party.
 
Woe is we .. Commander Guy are in charge of the nukular thingy. I sure hope Clinton switched the Red Button with the doorbell before he left.
 
It's all well and good to make jokes, it relieves tension .. but let us never forget how dangerous Commander Guy and his crew really are. They would strike Iran in a heartbeat if we had the troops. We must all take to the streets with pitchforks and torches before we let this happen.
 
But one good thing -- George W. Bush is the ONLY person who could've screwed up Middle Eastern foreign policy so badly that alternative fuels have become economically viable for the first time.
 
So cut Commander Guy some slack .. he may save the world yet.
 

2007/5/2

General-ly speaking

@ 06:57 AM (30 months, 20 days ago)

"As matters stand now, a private who loses a rifle suffers far greater consequences than a general who loses a war."--Lt. Col Yingling
 
The brown stuff might fly because of the following scathing assault on the Iraq war by an ACTIVE duty officer in the nation’s top military brass .. who speaks out at great professional and personal risk.
 
Lt. Col Yingling, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment, has served two tours in Iraq and is hardly some bleeding heart liberal. Quite the contrary.
 
Last week he wrote an essay for Armed Forces Journal that should be required reading for every American on the left, the right and down the middle.
 
America deserves military leaders who are at least as good at waging war as they are at pinning ribbons on their own chests and sucking up to the Commander-in-Chief. This is even more important when they are being led by a CiC who is .. is .. oh hell.. I am running out of disparaging words.
 
Armed Forces Journal, April 2007
A failure in generalship ... By Lt. Col. Paul Yingling
 
"For the second time in a generation, the United States faces the prospect of defeat at the hands of an insurgency. In April 1975, the U.S. fled the Republic of Vietnam, abandoning our allies to their fate at the hands of North Vietnamese communists. In 2007, Iraq's grave and deteriorating condition offers diminishing hope for an American victory and portends risk of an even wider and more destructive regional war.
 
These debacles are not attributable to individual failures, but rather to a crisis in an entire institution: America's general officer corps. America's generals have failed to prepare our armed forces for war and advise civilian authorities on the application of force to achieve the aims of policy. The argument that follows consists of three elements. First, generals have a responsibility to society to provide policymakers with a correct estimate of strategic probabilities. Second, America's generals in Vietnam and Iraq failed to perform this responsibility. Third, remedying the crisis in American generalship requires the intervention of Congress.
 
While the physical courage of America's generals is not in doubt, there is less certainty regarding their moral courage. In almost surreal language, professional military men blame their recent lack of candor on the intimidating management style of their civilian masters. Now that the public is immediately concerned with the crisis in Iraq, some of our generals are finding their voices. They may have waited too long."
 
(Full Essay)    http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/05/2635198
 
Our military has stopped training the Iraqi army .. the government we sent our sons and daughters to die for is breaking apart .. and now our military is losing faith in its leadership....
 
What's it going to take to get this President to be concerned about something more than someone "testing his will"?
 
Either the man is completely demented .. or we are, for allowing this madness to go on this long.
 

2007/5/1

Happy "Mission Accomplished" Day!

@ 08:24 AM (30 months, 21 days ago)

Has it really been four years? When Bush landed on his "Mission Accomplished" aircraft carrier and did his flight suit strut, grinnin' and Top Gun swaggerin' .. to give us one of the most dishonest propaganda speeches in modern American history?
 
"My fellow Americans, major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."
 
Dang near as good as his speech to the rising level of Iraqi Insurgents -- ”Bring it on!” You know .. that might have been his only success.
 
And boy howdy, can you believe how well the war is going? How much the Iraqis love us? How cheap gas has gotten since we tapped Iraq's oil reserves? I should be ashamed to have ever questioned the wisdom of the neo-cons .. those guys are modern-day prophets! Every single thing they told us about Iraq has come true.
 
<snort>
 
Seriously now .. we know just how much a failure and fiasco the Iraq invasion was/is. The entire Bush presidency is a failure .. you can take your pick on any number of domestic or foreign debacles that leave 70% of us holding our breath, and noses, until January 20, 2009.
 
I love how the Truth always bubbles to the top. Watching former CIA director George Tenet pimp his new book, "At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA", on "60 Minutes" gave us the impression that the Bush administration ignored his good advice about terrorists and insisted on invading Iraq at all costs.
 
But Tenet accepted the Medal of Freedom and waited all these years to tell us what we knew all along -- that the Bush White House used lies and cherry-picked intelligence to invade Iraq.
 
Too little too late George T .. and brace yourself, people are already coming out of the woodwork to flay you. Christopher Hitchens over at Slate has your lunch: "A Loser's History: George Tenet's sniveling, self-justifying new book is a disgrace."
 
http://www.slate.com/id/2165269/pagenum/all/#page_start
 
If only Tenet and Colin Powell had cared more about the fate of our country than themselves .. and told us that Bush was driving us to war on the basis of lies. If they had come forth and told us the Full Truth in 2002 or 2003, we the people would not have supported an Iraqi invasion .. and would've made sure our political representatives didn't either. We could have stayed in Afghanistan and got the job done there.
 
The Nutjob Righties are looking for Tenet to quickly become the darling of the Nutjob Lefties .. even though the CIA under his leadership was responsible for Bush’s lies about Iraq. Well. sorry to disappoint, but we don't want him .. or maybe I'm not nutty enough.
 
I still don't understand how lying about a blow job warrants impeachement and Bush's actions are simply 'debated'. We have spent over 3,350 precious lives and over $340 billion in Iraq, with the price tag rising .. and no good has come out of it. There is no peace, no end to terror and worst of all we have left the Iraqi people in deeper poverty and despair.
 
On this "Mission Accomplished" anniversary Bush has the opportunity to sign Congress's bill which gives him all his own funding requests, his own milestones .. and a little timetable to force the hand of the Iraqi Parliament. We the People support this timetable, the troops support this timetable, Iraq's leaders support this timetable, and Congress has approved this timetable.
 
But don't hold your breath ...
 
BTW--I keep this article in my files .. it's all there, why they planned it, how long they planned it, who planned it:
 
The Thirty-Year Itch
 
"Three decades ago, in the throes of the energy crisis, Washington's hawks conceived of a strategy for US control of the Persian Gulf's oil. Now, with the same strategists firmly in control of the White House, the Bush administration is playing out their script for global dominance."
 
http://www.themodernreligion.com/terror/thirty-year-itch.html