Responses to Political Garbage

2007-04-20T13:34:00.000-04:00

Choose One

It’s been about a week since the senseless tragedy at my graduate school alma mater Virginia Tech and we have now had time to move past the initial shock of the event and begin to grieve. As is seemingly the norm for modern America we have, in incredibly rapid succession, gone from seeing a horrible tragedy unfold, live on our television sets, to learning the minutest details of a mentally disturbed young man, to learning about incredible acts of heroism, to the heart-wrenching stories of those we have lost, to the sharing of pain and sorrow. Driven by our multimedia culture we move faster and faster through the collective process; perhaps we are simply too well-versed in the morbid steps of such a public tragedy.

Regardless, our lives will go on, and this is a good thing, because life will go on. While the images and emotions of that fateful day seem seared into our collective conscience now, our own lives with all of the demands of the modern world will cause them to fade, quicker than we might think, into the background to a small place in the back of our memories. We pledge not to forget, but we will. Intuitively, I think we all know this, and because of this we all try to cling to one thing that will sooth our soul and make us feel as if we won’t forget what happened. It would seem that the date "04-16-07" is that one thing; but dates lack a soul and that icon is destined to be coupled with an even larger American tragedy.

We would struggle with remembering so many names over time and, unfortunately, the name we will probably always remember will be that of the man we should all do our best to forget. For this reason I ask all of you, the Hokie Nation and those who are touched by our tragedy, to choose one name; to choose one of the thirty-two lives lost to remember. Who that person should be I leave to you, but I ask that once you choose that person make a commitment to learn all that you can about them. Study their picture to remember their smile. Learn about their passions, their accomplishments and their dreams and wishes. Learn everything you can so no matter how much time passes at least a little bit of that person will remain with you. Perhaps, after many years, the name will be all that is left; but it will be a name worthy of remembrance.

Let us all collective lift up upon our shoulders our individual choices and carry them with us so that they may, through us, live the rest of the life they will never know. Every time you don the Orange and Maroon, think of them. Every time you meet up with fellow alum think of them. Every time you meet a friend who went to Virginia Tech, think of them. Every time you see "VT" or the Hokie Bird, think of them. Every time you jump up and down as "Enter Sandman" plays and our team takes the field of play; let them whisper in your ear, "Go Hokies", and think of them. Let us carry them forward so we forget the one name we should and remember more than just a date.

Choose one.

2007-04-09T12:04:00.000-04:00

More Than Bush

This is why my anxiety has always been caused by the fact that I have KNOWN it is more than just the fact that Bush is a MORON.

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19590

2007-02-02T14:59:00.000-05:00

The Plan, The Answer, The BEST Analysis Yet!

Just read it.

http://americaspurpose.org/report/TerrorismReport.pdf

2007-01-16T12:45:00.000-05:00

The False Assumption of the Surge

We got into this war in Iraq based on a series of false assumptions; some may even say a great deal of “false knowledge”. The key false assumption was that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction. Of course it was really only a matter of convenience that it was this particular false assumption that was used as the primary political battering ram to “sell” the war to the public; it was, after all, the one with the largest fear quotient. Vice President Cheney spent days upon days inside the agencies that make up the Intelligence Community (IC) in order to “find” the “evidence” they needed to close the deal on the sale of the war. The IC has phrases for this, some of which are very similar to “cherry-picking” and “politicization”.

Unfortunately, it would seem that this administration is dipping into the ‘false assumption well’ again in order to make its case for the latest quixotic attempt to save face. I would say it was an attempt to win the war, but since winning strategically has never trumped the politics of this war, I will refrain. You have all heard this false assumption several times. In fact, one cannot hear the call for a “Surge” without the attendant prefatory statement that is the false assumption. The reason we are barraged with this false assumption is that the entire argument for “staying the course”, or the latest incarnation of said strategy, “surge”, is dependent upon its tacit acceptance.

The false assumption I am referring to is that if we were to withdrawal from Iraq the region will plunge into chaos. The supporting assumptions are that it would become a haven for global terror organizations and, at the very least, and really the most important to this administration, collapse would impede the flow of oil. The reason we are constantly reminded of this assumption before they pitch their latest plan for “success” is because their entire strategy becomes moot if it’s proven to be false. Therefore, it must become more than an assumption; it must become a meme that can become the very foundation from which they operate. Well, I call BS.

This false assumption rests on some pretty dubious analysis of the history of the region as well as our own history with respect to a similar war, Vietnam. Remember the Domino Theory that never came to fruition? The reality is that if we were to simply get out of the way, we would cease being the target of opportunity and focal point for collective rage. And, in getting out of the way we finally give them what they have wanted all along, the independence to get on with their lives they way THEY see fit. If that means killing each other over a thousand-year-old argument about succession of holy power, than so be it. If it means the violent resolution of grudges formed because of actions taken on behalf of the argument above, then in the end, it’s their business. If it means gaining control of their resources without having to sign them over to western corporations, even better.

The argument that Iraq will become a haven for extremist is only true if the context is a local one. The reality is that the extremists that will be located in Iraq will be locally oriented for the most part and regional at best. Even IF they had global aspirations they would be too busy trying to survive in an environment that isn’t exactly friendly to them to actually plan and execute a global, international attack of any consequence. This particular assumption rests on a series of false assumptions that all Islamic extremists are the same in scope, aspirations and capability; really not that far a leap from the thought that all Muslims are the same – an assumption causing bitten tongues throughout the war lover factions. The reality is that even OBL was a local extremist until he realized that he was never going to change Saudi Arabia as long as America was willing to fund the government and turn a blind eye to their approach to dealing with those who didn’t agree with their policies. Of course no one wants to ask why the Saudis refused to deal with OBL instead of exiling him to become someone else’s problem – mostly ours.

The next assumption that the region will fall into chaos is an extreme case of poor risk analysis. There are two factors that weigh into any risk analysis: expected cost and probability of occurrence. While a regional conflagration would indeed be costly, the reality is that such an event of that scale has little probability of actually occurring. Why? Because the ability of relatively stable Arab countries to control internal insurgencies is quite robust. I believe Friedman called it “Hama Rules”. The Saudis will never allow extremists that threaten their power and stability to operate within their borders; same for the Syrians and Iranians. So, that leaves Iraq as the battle ground over which they will vie for control and resources. Well, guess what, if they are busy trying to secure their piece of Iraq, they won’t have much in the way of time or resources for us.

This issue is further ameliorated by the fact that Wahabi Sunnis and their radical off-shoots, the backbone of Al Qaeda aren’t exactly liked by the rest of the Muslim world. Muslims are all about unity of identity, but they aren’t so accommodating when it comes to having some self-appointed, know-it-all clerics telling them how to run their lives or countries. Of course, when faced with a choice between us telling them how to live their lives and the clerics, well, we lose. So, why not remove the choice? Why not let them work through their own problems for once? I guarantee the biggest reason Iran will be kept in check will be because the two Sunni powers that exist adjacent to Iraq, Syria and Saudi Arabia, will not allow a Shia dominated power to control so much land and the resources that come with it. And, if we aren’t fighting that fight for them, they will have to expend their own resources to work it out either on the battlefield or, if they are smart, in the diplomatic meeting room. If they are expending resources and are focused on such things, they won’t have the time, resources or inclination to lash out at us.

Lastly, the real fear that keeps the war/energy lobby (and they are one in the same) awake at night, because their portfolios rely on it, is the fear that oil and energy resources will be curtailed. Well, this is so foolish on so many fronts that it saddens me because it demonstrates a clear lack of reason from people who should know better. First, if we had spent the $300+ billion dollars we have spent on this war on developing alternative energy resources and greater energy-use efficiencies, we wouldn’t care even IF it did happened. But, alas, that wouldn’t have padded the pockets of those in power. Second, IF it were to happen, it would be the wake-up call we have needed for the public to realize just how dependent we are on other’s resources – and how angry we have been making them via our heavy-handed exploitation. This is a dependency this administration obviously ignores given its approach to securing global good will. Third, and most importantly, it ain’t going to happen.

What would most likely happen if there was any disturbance in the oil market, that wasn’t based on pure speculation, is a rise in oil prices, not a loss of production. Well, that is just as bad for the war cheerleaders in the energy lobby as anything because the public will only tolerate so much and continued energy cost increases coupled with continued reports of record profits by energy companies may very will be a tipping point that could bring down the whole cabal of greed that is the war/energy sector.

Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf States that rely on the lone resource that keeps them in power are not going to allow a bunch of malcontents and religious fundamentalists to get in the way of continued resource exploitation and the associated accumulation of wealth. Again, forcing them to deal with the reality of the threat to THEIR livelihood will be a much more efficient and expedient approach to dealing with the global threat of religion-inspired terrorism. As long as we continue to act as high-horse imperialists the extremist we supposedly fear so much will have an iron-clad argument for Jihad. The second we wash our hands of it, they will no longer be able to appeal to the emotions of the Muslim world. They will be left to go back to attacking the very hands that have been feeding them, clandestinely of course, all this time.

Also, we should not forget the calls to patriotic loyalty and emotion that have us considering the morale of the forces in the field and the blow a loss would deal them. Well, it didn’t take too long for the American public and the military to figure out that our loss in Vietnam was not the fault of the soldier, but of the political leaders that used them to political ends based on dubious reasoning. It will take them even less time to come to that conclusion this time.

The American soldier will, and should, be honored for choosing the warrior path, executing their operations superbly, and following the orders of their commander, regardless of how irrational they may have been. A loss in Iraq, if we can call it that, will rest squarely on the architects that predisposed us to losing by ignoring the Generals and others who told them what it would take to do it right. And, what makes it even more egregious is that they were ignored for political purposes because the truth of the cost in resources and treasure (and reason) would have made the “sale” untenable. It’s this TRUTH that President Bush and his administration fear the most. And, it’s this TRUTH that will have these same people finding new emotional strings to pull and “new ways forward” until they can walk away from the mess in 2008. And, we shouldn’t be surprised by such an approach by W et al as it is an MO he has demonstrated throughout his life.

2006-12-11T13:42:00.000-05:00

Follow the Money, Find the Lies

http://www.exxonsecrets.org/

(Need Flash to navigate.)

Exxon funds virtually EVERY climate change skeptic in America. Shameless. Yeah, I know, we need gas, but do you have to fund lies in order to maintain PROFITS? Why not invest in alternative research and just monopolize that?

Simple is as simple does.

2006-12-06T14:27:00.000-05:00

BushCo Crook List

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002075.php

2006-12-04T11:45:00.000-05:00

They Are Attacking Science Itself

Scientist Fights Church Effort to Hide Museum's Pre-Human Fossils
By Kendrick Frazier

Famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey is giving no quarter to powerful evangelical church leaders who are pressing Kenya's national museum to relegate to a back room its world-famous collection of hominid fossils showing the evolution of humans' early ancestors.

Leakey called the churches' plans "the most outrageous comments I have ever heard."
He told The Daily Telegraph (London): "The National Museums of Kenya should be extremely strong in presenting a very forceful case for the evolutionary theory of the origins of mankind.

The collection it holds is one of Kenya's very few global claims to fame and it must be forthright in defending its right to be at the forefront of this branch of science." Leakey was for years director of the museum and of Kenya's entire museum system.

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They will stop at nothing to retain the power they believe they have been given in the past six years. They are attacking the very foundations of the scientific method, not just the conclusions. They are creating a very dangerous situation akin to the fundamentalism of the Islamic religion.

2006-11-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

Floating a Coup

Bush adviser raises doubts about al-Maliki
Details of classified Hadley memo surface in New York Times

WASHINGTON - President Bush’s national security adviser has raised serious doubts about Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s ability to control sectarian violence, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

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This has been leaked in order to float the idea of removing him from office. Mark my words, BushCo will be taking him out one way or another in the next six months. If I were al-Maliki, I would tell us to get out as soon as possible and end the Status of Forces Agreement. However, if we remove him in any way, the civil war will commence at full speed immediately. BushCo is playing a very dangerous game.

2006-11-29T11:57:00.000-05:00

Bush Learns Frat Boy Intimidation Crap Doesn't Work on Everyone

Son also rises in testy Webb-Bush exchange
By Emily Heil

President Bush has pledged to work with the new Democratic majorities in Congress, but he has already gotten off on the wrong foot with Jim Webb, whose surprise victory over Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) tipped the Senate to the Democrats.
Webb, a decorated former Marine officer, hammered Allen and Bush over the unpopular war in Iraq while wearing his son’s old combat boots on the campaign trail. It seems the president may have some lingering resentment.

At a private reception held at the White House with newly elected lawmakers shortly after the election, Bush asked Webb how his son, a Marine lance corporal serving in Iraq, was doing.

Webb responded that he really wanted to see his son brought back home, said a person who heard about the exchange from Webb.

“I didn’t ask you that, I asked how he’s doing,” Bush retorted, according to the source.

Webb confessed that he was so angered by this that he was tempted to slug the commander-in-chief, reported the source, but of course didn’t. It’s safe to say, however, that Bush and Webb won’t be taking any overseas trips together anytime soon.

“Jim did have a conversation with Bush at that dinner,” said Webb’s spokeswoman Kristian Denny Todd. “Basically, he asked about Jim’s son, Jim expressed the fact that he wanted to have him home.” Todd did not want to escalate matters by commenting on Bush’s response, saying, “It was a private conversation.”

A White House spokeswoman declined to give Bush’s version of the conversation.

2006-11-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

About that House of Cards....

Home prices: Record drop in October

Median price sinks 3.5 percent from a year earlier, trade group see more price declines ahead.
By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer
November 28 2006: 2:59 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The price of existing homes sold in October fell for the third straight month and posted the biggest drop on record, an industry group said Tuesday, adding it expects weakness in pricing to drag on into next year.

The National Association of Realtors said that the median price of a home sold in October was $221,000, the same as in September, but down 3.5 percent from October 2005.

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Like I said, plan accordingly.

2006-11-28T13:24:00.000-05:00

Progressive Ponderings: Faith-based Government

by Joe Mayer

"Tell me your image of God and I'll tell you your politics." — Marcus BorgIn a previous Pondering I asked the rhetorical questions: Do we really believe America has a preferential place in God's divine plan? And, does that plan approve of the violence that we use? Sadly, today in this 21st century after the birth of the namesake of our "national religion," the answer to both questions is a resounding "Yes."

Before we continue to dismantle our "separation of church and state" and advance "faith-based initiatives" sponsored and paid for by government, we need to step back and look at modern examples of church/state marriage. Al-Qaeda is a faith-based initiative, as is the Taliban. The Israeli/Palestinian and Irish/English conflicts are faith-based. Do we want to emulate that which we condemn in others, that which we label as "evil," that which we war against? I'm afraid to answer that question.

The Borg quote at the top refers to one image of God as the almighty, wrathful judge who lives outside our world, a God of empire who demands exclusive loyalty, favors some tribes of people over others, rules over the world through earthly anointed representatives and visits a terrible vengeance on his enemies and unbelievers. The second image of God is that of a loving creator living amongst his / her cherished people, always encouraging an interdependent, all-inclusive relationship and understanding within all aspects of an evolving world.

...Click on the link to read the entire editorial.

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Like I said...no difference.

2006-11-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

Holy Hell

My Half-Year of Hell With Christian Fundamentalists

When Polish student Michael Gromek, 19, went to America on a student exchange, he found himself trapped in a host family of Christian fundamentalists. What followed was a six-month hell of dawn church visits and sex education talks as his new family tried to banish the devil from his soul. Here's his story.

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Just another reminder of the ignorance and danger these people pose to this country. This isn't about being against religion or faith, it's about being against the very absolutism from which people ran to this country.

2006-11-28T12:42:00.000-05:00

This Is The Beginning...

Orders for manufactured goods plunge

WASHINGTON - Orders for big-ticket manufactured goods plunged in October by the largest amount in more than six years, in another sign of a slowing economy.

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Mark my words, the recession is coming. The first cards in the house of cards that is our economy are starting to tumble. The dollar is falling overseas. The housing market, which is the NUMBER ONE investment for Americans, is dropping. And, the credit extended to Americans on said investment is overused and will start to kill our ability to consume; the only thing we seem to do.

Plan accordingly.

2006-11-27T12:01:00.000-05:00

G-D, Please Save Me From Your Followers

"The problem doesn’t just lie in the contradictions of fundamentalist teaching about Stonewall Jackson. It recurs now, today, in the Pentagon. Sharlet sees “a joyous disregard for democracy.”

The most striking example is a short video on faith and diplomacy made in the aftermath of September 11,2001, by Christian Embassy, a behind-the-scenes ministry for government and military elites. It almost seems to endorse deliberate negligence of duty, Dan Cooper, an undersecretary of veterans' affairs, announces that his weekly prayer sessions are "more important than doing the job." Major General Jack Catton says that he sees his position as an adviser to the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a "wonderful opportunity" to evangelize men and women setting defense policy. "My first priority is my faith," he says. "I think it's a huge impact.... You have many men and women who are seeking God’s counsel and wisdom as they advise the Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs] and the Secretary of Defense." Brigadier General Bob Caslen puts it in sensual terms: "We're the aroma of Jesus Christ." There's a joyous disregard for democracy in these sentiments, for its demands and its compromises, that in its darkest manifestation becomes the overlooked piety at the heart of the old logic of Vietnam, lately applied to Iraq: In order to save the village, we must destroy it. "

...click on the link to read the entire article.
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Repeat after me...there is NO difference between our religious fundamentalists and those who attack us in the name of G-d. Period.

The ONLY difference right NOW is that they haven't started killing people YET.

2006-11-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

God MUST be PISSED!

Homosexual Animals Out of the Closet
AnimalDomain

From male killer whales that ride the dorsal fin of another male to female bonobos that rub their genitals together, the animal kingdom tolerates all kinds of lifestyles.

A first-ever museum display, "Against Nature?," which opened last month at the University of Oslo's Natural History Museum in Norway, presents 51 species of animals exhibiting homosexuality.

"Homosexuality has been observed in more than 1,500 species, and the phenomenon has been well described for 500 of them," said Petter Bockman, project coordinator of the exhibition.

Click on the link for more...

2006-11-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Just Thinking About Money Makes You Selfish...Who Would Have Thought?

Mere Thought of Money Makes People Selfish
Health SciTech

Just the mere thought of money can turn a person selfish, so that he helps others less often and prefers to play alone, a new study shows.

In a series of nine experiments, researchers found that money enhanced people's motivation to achieve their own goals and degraded their behavior toward others. The concept of money, they suggest, makes a person feel more self-sufficient and thus more apt to stand alone.

The scientists said the study had nothing to do with making a person feel wealthy. When real or fake money, or even a photo of cash, was placed in sight of participants, they became selfish.

The results could explain why the topic of money can be so detrimental to a couple’s lasting bond.

“In our experiments, the people who are reminded of money really worked hard toward their own goals. But that might not be conducive to a good interpersonal relationship,” said study leader Kathleen Vohs of the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

Continued on link...

2006-11-09T10:41:00.000-05:00

Indecision 2006

I LOVE Steven Colbert!

2006-11-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

The Morning After

I wish I could say I was sorry to see them all go...but no.

2006-11-08T09:55:00.000-05:00

A GREAT day to be an American!

No real time to post today, but I wanted to say that it is a great day to be an American. Finally, finally, our sense overcame our fear.

Now, let's hold ALL of their feet to the fire and start moving forward again!

Congratulations America!

2006-11-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Let's Pretend

As Keith said, he is just making it up as he goes along.

2006-11-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

White House Caught Doctoring

BushCo Ministry of History does its work.

2006-11-07T13:32:00.000-05:00

Repugs Will Stop At Nothing II

Firedoglake

UPDATE: Laura Ingraham has asked her listeners to call the Dem Voter protection hotline — and they are now being flooded with calls from crank callers. Please call Laura and tell her what you think about this: 800.876.4123. You can e-mail her here. Apparently, voter intimidation and fraud are a joke to Laura Ingraham. Let's let her know that it is no joke.

UPDATE #2: More on Laura Ingraham: "caller indicated she is running a tape of Bill Clinton over and over saying "call 1-888 Dem Vote to report problems" — and then making fun of him, thus producing a spike in crank calls to the number" Protecting voter integrity is no joke. And I am not laughing. If anyone has audio of this, I'd love it.

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This is what Republicans think about democracy at home. It's a joke to them. Power is all they care about.

2006-11-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

Why Clinton Would Win Again...In A Landslide

Clinton Stumps for Webb (Video)

Just watch and listen.

2006-11-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

Bush Tells the Truth About WHY We Went Into Iraq...Finally

It's ALL About the Oil (Video)

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Now that he isn't running, he tells us what it is really all about.

2006-11-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Republicans Will Stop At Nothing

Voter Intimidation In Virginia

FBI looking into possible Va. voter intimidation
Officials probing reports of phone calls allegedly intended to confuse voters

Phone Barrages

Robo-Calls (Video)

Recording of Phone Call (Video)
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They are truly evil.

2006-11-07T10:10:00.000-05:00

Freedom

YouTube...voice for the people.

2006-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Moving Forward In Iraq

Newsweek Article

The drawdown option: It is past time to confront reality. To avoid total defeat, the United States must reduce and redeploy its troops and nudge the Iraqis toward a deal. Here's how.

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Hey, someone read a little about counter-insurgency. It's about time SOMEONE did.

2006-11-07T09:43:00.000-05:00

Murdoch Is A Tool

Murdoch thinks Iraq casualties are "minute"

Casualties in Iraq

Sure, since NO ONE he knows would have to do the fighting. What is it with these business douchebags who think that soldiers are just assets to be spent? They are so arrogant that they dismiss soldiers as nothing more than chess pieces that are expendable for THEIR vision of what is good.

Oh please let their be a change.

2006-11-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

Just Vote!

In honor of Jim Webb I am wearing my combat boots to work today. Please vote. Please vote for change. Please take part in the governing of this country. Please help return the power to the people. Please fight fear. Please vote.

Call a friend and take them to the polls with you. Let's initiate change.

2006-11-02T13:27:00.000-05:00

Deibold Wants HBO to Cancel Show

Oops...a little to close to home I guess.

2006-11-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

Hypocrisy is an Art with the Radical Right

Man Claims 3 Year Relationship with Pastor

Is there even ONE heterosexual Republican?

Hey, Republicans, just remember, you're not really gay if you don't smile or backup.

2006-11-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

Politicizing Intelligence to Start a War

This is what you are voting for on the 7th. If you want this to be investigated, if you want it to stop happening...vote for change.

2006-11-02T11:02:00.000-05:00

Scott Ritter: We Don't Care About Iraqi's

The truth is ugly.

2006-11-02T10:02:00.000-05:00

The Climate Project

I have been accepted to be a trained presenter for Al Gore's Climate Project. I plan on attending the class and taking part. It should be interesting and fun.

2006-11-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

Scandals Alone Could Cost Republicans Their House Majority

Indictments, investigations and allegations of wrongdoing have helped put at least 15 Republican House seats in jeopardy, enough to swing control to the Democrats on Tuesday even before the larger issues of war, economic unease and President Bush are invoked.

With just five days left before Election Day, allegations are springing up like brushfires. Four GOP House seats have been tarred by lobbyist Jack Abramoff's influence-peddling scandal. Five have been adversely affected by then-Rep. Mark Foley's unseemly contacts with teenage male House pages. The remaining half a dozen or so could turn on controversies including offshore tax dodging, sexual misconduct and shady land deals.

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That is assuming most Americans are even paying attention.

2006-11-01T14:29:00.000-05:00

Because of Iraq

Yes. Yes. Yes.

2006-11-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Military Charts Movement of Conflict in Iraq Toward Chaos

A classified briefing prepared two weeks ago by the United States Central Command portrays Iraq as edging toward chaos, in a chart that the military is using as a barometer of civil conflict.

A one-page slide shown at the Oct. 18 briefing provides a rare glimpse into how the military command that oversees the war is trying to track its trajectory, particularly in terms of sectarian fighting.

The slide includes a color-coded bar chart that is used to illustrate an “Index of Civil Conflict.” It shows a sharp escalation in sectarian violence since the bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra in February, and tracks a further worsening this month despite a concerted American push to tamp down the violence in Baghdad.

In fashioning the index, the military is weighing factors like the ineffectual Iraqi police and the dwindling influence of moderate religious and political figures, rather than more traditional military measures such as the enemy’s fighting strength and the control of territory.

The conclusions the Central Command has drawn from these trends are not encouraging, according to a copy of the slide that was obtained by The New York Times. The slide shows Iraq as moving sharply away from “peace,” an ideal on the far left side of the chart, to a point much closer to the right side of the spectrum, a red zone marked “chaos.” As depicted in the command’s chart, the needle has been moving steadily toward the far right of the chart.

An intelligence summary at the bottom of the slide reads “urban areas experiencing ‘ethnic cleansing’ campaigns to consolidate control” and “violence at all-time high, spreading geographically.” According to a Central Command official, the index on civil strife has been a staple of internal command briefings for most of this year. The analysis was prepared by the command’s intelligence directorate, which is overseen by Brig. Gen. John M. Custer.

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Really? Tell us something we didn't know. Oh, and why is it classified? Not because of sources and methods, but because it speaks badly about our status in Iraq.

2006-11-01T13:50:00.000-05:00

Bottom Line

2006-10-31T15:56:00.000-05:00

Allen Staffer Attacks Man

Yeah, the guy was a dick, but could Allen's people BE more stupid?

2006-10-31T13:38:00.000-05:00

Pentagon Conducts IO on America

Information Operations is SUPPOSED to be about the ENEMY'S information capabilities, not ours. It's not that they are countering with facts, it's that they don't want the facts to be left unchecked. Joseph Goebbels would be proud.

This is what MY military does instead of fight the war. Any wonder why I left? Basically, the military now has a domestic propaganda arm. Nice.

2006-10-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

Republicans NEED a Fantasy World

Republicans need the fantasy world set up for them by Fox News, Rush and the others. Why? Because otherwise reality would destroy the fantasy world they live in. No coffins, no funerals, no disease, no poverty...just belief.

2006-10-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

Jim Webb Responds Vigorously to False Personal Attacks

Substance (Webb) vs. Nothing (Allen)

2006-10-31T12:45:00.000-05:00

Al Franken's SUPPLY SIDE JESUS... animated.

If only they would follow his example.

2006-10-31T11:01:00.000-05:00

Webb Ahead in Poll!

International Herald Tribune

RICHMOND, Virginia In a key race that could determine control of the Senate, Democrat Jim Webb is slightly ahead of Republican incumbent Sen. George Allen with a week to go, according to a poll released Tuesday

50% to 46%!

Let's go Virginia...it is time for a change!

2006-10-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

Fear Is All They Have

Cheney says it's really just about them...

So easy to send others to their death for fear when it's not your life on the line. Why is it so easy for Chickenhawks like Cheney use fear to whip up the vote?

I'll say this...the only fear I smell is coming from the RNC. If, and I say IF, Democrats can take one of the houses I propose that we impeach NOT "W", but Cheney and Rumsfeld and leave "W" to take the blame that is rightfully his.

Karma is a bitch and it may not happen this election, but it will eventually. These men who care for power more than the people of this country will have their judgment day. If they are lucky, it will only be one here on Earth.

2006-10-30T15:33:00.000-05:00

Just Watch & Listen

Part Two

He is the REAL thing. A veteran and a citizen that wants to truly serve the public.

The camera work is bad, but listen, LISTEN to what he is saying.

Vote for Webb in Virginia.

2006-10-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

From the General

Vote Republican...for good Confederate values!

Republican Traditional Values?

2006-10-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

Hey, George, while we're on the topic of full disclosure...

What's in your divorce record you don't want anyone to see?

Talking Points Memo

The Allen campaign refuses to return our calls asking whether Sen. Allen will release his sealed divorce records. We're not the only news outlet asking, just the only one telling you how the Allen campaign is responding. Heck, one major national daily had a reporter out in LA for at least week trying to nail down the story. It's what every Washington insider is talking about: what's inside those sealed records down in Albemarle County. Now that the Allen campaign is about to go on the airwaves about sex scenes in Jim Webb's books, maybe you should know about this too.

-- Josh Marshall

2006-10-30T14:41:00.000-05:00

Glitches cited in early voting

Early voters are urged to cast their ballots with care following scattered reports of problems with heavily used machines.

And so it begins...

2006-10-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

Webb: Democrats will provide Iraq remedy

How can Allen even compare to this MAN? Substance vs. Nothing. Cowboy boots on a Cali rich kid vs. Combat boots on a combat vet? Published author vs. Professional politician? Please. The ONLY way Allen can eek out a win will be to smear this MAN until the cows come home to their Southwest Virginia barns.

Unfortunately, the rest of us may have to live with the results of the simplistic ignorance of our southern brethren.

2006-10-30T13:31:00.000-05:00

Pornography? Yeah, for those who think Breast Feeding is sexual.

Only Rush and the Allen campaign could be so crass as to call excerpts, taken out of context, from a novel about war, describing a scene in Thailand and other places as pornography. Of course they would actually have to have served and traveled overseas to see such cultures to really understand. Not that we can expect that from such Chicken Hawk Republicans.

The people who buy into this type of political smear are the same ones who think breast feeding is sexual...seriously. Of course, this would be MOST of Southwest Virginia - the constituency they are targeting.

I fear that fear and ignorance will win the day in my beloved state, but I can hope.

Webb Defends Novels Against Attacks

Chris Matthews Show

2006-10-24T09:44:00.000-04:00

Don't Be Fooled By The Stock Market

"In summary, the Bush economy has been great for the 30 largest companies in the U.S. and the upper 5 percentile of wage earners."

2006-10-23T11:57:00.000-04:00

How Much?

How much is the war in Iraq costing us?
Estimates of financial impact are debatable, but several studies have tried

"Using a “top-down” calculation based on U.S. budget appropriations, the group estimates the total money spent or allocated comes to about $255 million per day, or a little less than $1.8 billion a week. That figure includes both military and non-military spending on things like reconstruction.

Other estimates cast a wider net in their definition of total costs — including things like the loss of life. Insurance companies and juries in wrongful death cases inevitably come up with a dollar figure, but any number used to represent the financial loss resulting from the death of more than 3,000 soldiers is only and estimate the true economic impact. Such estimates also include the short- and long-term cost of caring for the tens of thousands of those disabled in combat.

Then there are future costs that don’t show up in current appropriations, like the money needed to replace equipment that's wearing out faster that it would if wasn’t being used in combat. And, since the government is running deficits — and borrowing to make up the difference — at least some of the interest on the national debt has to be added to the Iraq war bill.

If you add these costs, and others, to the total tab, the cost of the war has jumped from $4.4 billion to $7.1 billion a month since the 2003 fiscal year, according to a paper co-authored in January by Columbia University professor and Nobel-prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, an outspoken critic of the war. The paper estimates the total cost could top $1 trillion."

-----

Don't forget, the oil was going to pay for it and it wasn't even going to cost a Billion in the first place.

Whatever.

2006-10-20T15:50:00.001-04:00

Republican Woes Lead to Feuding by Conservatives

Let the canalbalism begin!

I'm just waiting for the one pointing finger too many.

Rep #1: "YOU cost us the House!"

Rep #2: "YEAH!?!? Well...at least I wasn't getting blown by MY "well dressed" staffer every week!"

Capitol Police Officer: "Uh...emm...Gentlemen, this is the reporter from MSNBC...and the camera is on."

2006-10-20T15:30:00.000-04:00

Ha...

From Wonkette Comments:

JupiterPluvius says:

"I did not write that letter, Lo!
I did not write it!" "Tan, I know--
But what was sent was very bad.
It made me sore. It made me mad!
So do not do that stuff again
Just do not do it, Tan Nguyen!"

2006-10-20T12:44:00.000-04:00

Flippity, Floppity...Floop

Ok, "W" is either flip-flopping or he is pandering for the election. Which is it?

Bush to consult generals about Iraq strategy
'We are constantly adjusting tactics,' president says

Top commander heads for D.C. talks amid Iraq concerns

Hey, dumbass, operational approach is NOT tactics. YOU, thank God, do not dictate or discuss tactical approaches to combat with Generals. YOU talk about strategy and operational concepts with Generals. So, YOU are either flip-flopping or you are pandering for the mid-term elections with no intention of actually changing a thing. So, "W", "W"hich is it?

Did daddy send his "fixer" to try and help you dig out of the hole? Mr. Baker can only do so much. Could you please just go to your room now?

2006-10-20T11:57:00.000-04:00

How bad is it getting for the GOP?

Republicans aim to scare up big voter turnout
With House losses likely, tactics focus on warnings about Democrats

I suppose it's not surprising that they are turning to FEAR once again to try and rally the faithful, but the irony is that they cannot even scare them with "terrorists" anymore. The only FEAR I smell is that of the Republicans who know that if just one house falls, their house of cards is going to come crumbling down.

Imagine...IMAGINE...what is going through the minds of some of these people who have literally sold their souls and rubber-stamped rediculous policies in return for fleeting power. If the level of malfescence we have seen come to light IN SPITE of the cover-ups of the GOP cabal is any indication, imagine what is under that tip of the iceberg. I bet that the average alcohol consumption on Capitol Hill has tripled in the last month.

Watch and see what happens if it becomes clear that the House will fall. I'll bet you that the jockeying for ass covering will be a spectacle to behold. I forsee a whole lot of, "It has recently come to my attention that a member of my 'staff' has been illegally doing X." I can assure you that these staff members who have truly sold their souls for a buck and a whiff of power will not roll over easily. If this ship is going to sink, it ain't going to arise from the ashes anytime soon. And, with their qualifications, they will be looking at a Wal-Mart job. So, once the fingers begin to point...they will eat their own.

Oh, and Karl, yeah, Democrats lack consistency...the consistency to choose the wrong path and stick with it all the way to ruin. Here's to GOP consistency!

2006-10-20T10:50:00.001-04:00

101st Fighting Keyboarders

2006-10-19T16:26:00.000-04:00

Denied Entry

U.S. security officials have prevented an influential Islamic scholar from attending a conference in New York.

You would think that this administration would abide by two concepts...at least:

1) Read your own counter-insurgency manuals about how to win hearts and minds.

2) If, in fact, you believe one is your enemy, is it not better to keep your enemy close and in plain sight?

Simple is as simple does.

2006-10-19T16:22:00.000-04:00

Lie by Lie: Chronicle of a War Foretold: August 1990 to March 2003

Read it, know it, vote on it.

2006-10-19T14:41:00.000-04:00

Jim Webb for Senate

'nuff said.

2006-10-19T14:37:00.000-04:00

Judge for yourself....

Iraq for Sale

2006-10-19T14:11:00.000-04:00

They will stop at NOTHING to retain power...

A Particularly Poisonous Front Group

Republican Ad Calls Black Women "Ho's"

Know what you are up against. This is pure propoganda financed by the rich who care only about protecting their wealth. Wise up America.

2006-10-19T10:51:00.000-04:00

Work for Who?

Cutting to the Chase: Tax Cuts Work

You sir, are lying.

Total tax burden for the lower 80% of Americans has NOT changed due to increased State Taxes and Fees that have been raised to cover the unfunded mandates of federal regulation and the loss of federal support for other programs.

Furthermore, real wages have DROPPED for the vast majority of Americans.

And, lastly, and most disingenuously, the accounting methods of the US Government approach the criminal. The way they account for expenditures and income is EXACTLY how ENRON and other now defunct companies did their accounting. If we were do use general accounting rules for the US Government, the deficit this year would have been $700 Billion!!! And, even with their funky accounting we are STILL running a deficit…that means we spent more than we took in…for the 6th year in a row!

Tax cuts are a SHORT TERM shot that harms long term economic health if not considered temporary. It cost money to manage a nation of 300 million. That money must come from somewhere. We ALL benefit from the stability of a well managed country, not just the poor and middle class.

2006-10-19T10:38:00.000-04:00

FOX News...Where the X stands for Xenophobia

So, what's next? Sewing gold crescents on their clothing?

Muslim Veil Shouldn't Be Worn in West

"Speaking as an American: no Sharia law, no veils. If you're here, be American.

You don't have to conform. You just have to give up the urge to be separate and apart and unwilling to assimilate like the rest of us."

-----

John, for your edification:

Amendment I to the Constitution of the US

Congress shall make no law respecting and establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Damn that pesky Constitution!

2006-10-19T10:33:00.000-04:00

Just Strange

I do NOT subscribe to conspiracy theories, but this is just strange.

From Wonkette:

The Cuban news service reports that George W. Bush has purchased 98,840 acres in Paraguay, near the Bolivian/Brazilian border.

We Hate To Bring It Up...

2005-11-04T14:39:00.000-05:00

Fox News Contributes To Delay Legal Fund

Well...not really...but...

Fox News Paid for DeLay's TravelRep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) "filed a report with the Clerk of the House of Representatives indicating he received free travel valued at $13,998.55 from Fox News Sunday for 'officially connected travel' on October 1-2, 2005, from Sugarland, TX to Washington, D.C. and back to Sugarland, TX. Rep. DeLay appeared on Fox News Sunday on October 2, 2005, the weekend after his indictment on September 28, 2005."

2005-11-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

Bush Losing His Way?

"Ron Fournier writes for the Associated Press: "The building blocks of President Bush's career -- his credibility and image as a strong and competent leader -- have been severely undercut by self-inflicted wounds, leading close allies to fret about his presidency. They say he's lost his way."

-----

One cannot LOSE their way when they were lost to begin with. So, this is what it's like when they realize the emperor has no clothes. Funny or sad?

2005-11-04T09:07:00.000-05:00

Yeah Brit, It's The Methodology

Editorial Link

-----

Brit Hume dismisses Bush's low numbers because not enough Republicans were asked. Hell, Brit, people are beginning to be embarrassed to be called a Republican.

2005-11-04T08:52:00.000-05:00

Their Desperation Is Comforting

John Gibson says we won, we can come home now.

Editorial Link

-----

They are so done with defending Bush, that they can't even fake it anymore. John Gibson is on the frontline of what I believe the new strategy for the right will be regarding the war in Iraq: We won! That's right, Saddam is in jail so....MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

The rationale of course is that Saddam would still be in power if we hadn't acted. I say, so what? 2000+ soldiers would be alive. 12,000+ wouldn't be wounded. Possibly up to 100,000 civilians would be alive. We would have an extra $200 Billion to spend on the Gulf Coast and Florida. Al Queda wouldn't be in Iraq. Recruiting for Al Queda would be down, instead of up. Iran wouldn't have a foothold in Iraq. And, our military wouldn't be ruined.

Yeah...we win.

2005-10-26T14:23:00.000-04:00

Deconstructing WSJ Spin on Plamegate

Article Link

-----

Excellent look at how the shills in the press weave GOP talking points into the news and editorials. It's not like they can think for themselves.

2005-10-26T14:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks Dad!

A great blog entry.

2005-10-26T13:54:00.000-04:00

College Repug Attacks College Dem's Service

Article Link

BRUNSWICK — On Dec. 1, Alex Cornell du Houx, a 21-year-old Bowdoin College senior from Solon will head to Iraq for approximately 10 months as part of the Alpha 1st Company Battalion of the Marines.

Instead of staying up late to finish off college papers and cram for finals, Cornell du Houx will use his training and experience as a 0351 Assault Man to shoot rockets, deal with demolitions and work the Javelin Missile System.

...

Others on campus, particularly his political opponents in the Bowdoin College Republicans, feel differently about his service. Daniel Schuberth, a leader of the Bowdoin College Republicans and College Republican national secretary, said, "I applaud Mr. Houx for his service, just as I applaud any other soldier who is brave enough to take up arms in defense of his country. I find it troubling, however, that one of the most vocal opponents of our president, our country and our mission in Iraq has chosen to fight for a cause he claims is wrong. Mr. Houx's rhetoric against the war on terror places him in agreement with the most radical fringes of the Democratic Party, and I am left to question his logic and motivation."

-----

Another Republican Chickenhawk. The next Karl Rove perhaps?

Jesus General's Letter

2005-10-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

Right Lies About Air America...Big Surprise

Feel threatened much?

-----

Blog Link

In October 2004, AA had 38 affiliates with a cume of 1,997,700. Currently, it has have 70 affiliates with a cume of 3 million.

As for the debts, Danny writes me:

Air America is in strong financial shape. Last week we started broadcasting from our new multi-million dollar studios. Several weeks earlier the Board of Directors of Air America’s parent company accelerated re-payment of a loan from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of $875,000 two years in advance of a previously agreed upon re-payment plan.

As for the handouts,

The Air America Associates Program was created in response to our listeners requests to support our programming financially and is modeled after the Nation’s Magazine program, “The Nation’s Associates,” which is also a for-profit company.

And hey look:

Rush Limbaugh’s Web site offers his fans the “Limbaugh Letter” for $34.95 a year and a totally separate service called Rush 24/7 which includes access to archived programs at the cost of $49.95 a year. The Limbaugh site also features the “EIB Store” which sells such items as $19.95 polo shirt which amusingly says, “My Mullah went to G’itmo and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.”
The Sean Hannity Web-site features a “subscription” to something called, “The Hannity Insider” for $5.95 a month.

But no one tops the self proclaimed non-spinner Bill O’Reilly. Bill O’Reilly.com offers a “premium membership” for either $4.95 a month or $49.95 a year. He also offers a “Gift certificate” for $14.95. Products for sale on the Web site include:

Radio Factor diner coffee mug available in white or navy blue for $14.95
O’Reilly Factor keychain for $7.95 “while supplies last.”
Three different “No Spin” tote bags at $14.95 apiece
Ten different hats at a cost of $16.95 each
The “no spin” jacket for $79.95
The “ Unisex Black Fleece” embroidered with “The Spin Stops Here” for $39.95
Several bumper stickers including one that reads “Boycott France” for $2.50
License plate frame for $18.95
Three different “No Spin” tote bags at $14.95 each
An O’Reilly Factor Gear Bag at $64.95
“Mens Garment Bag” for $64.95 (sorry ladies!)
a “Spin Stops Here” organizer briefcase
A “Spin Stops Here” pen and pad bundle for $19.95
Two different designs of “Spin Stops Here” doormats for $49.95 and
Two different “Rain Stops Here

As for the ratings, Danny says,

On a nationwide basis the most recent Arbitron ratings Spring 2005 book showed that our affiliates reach over three million people per week, each of whom listens for an average of several hours a week. This is more than triple the amount of people who were listening when measured one year earlier in the Spring, 2004 book.

Here’s the data:

According to the most recent Arbitron Report, Summer 2005 Metro:

Mon-Sun 6a12m, AQH, Share and Cume have all increased for both Persons 12+ and Adults 25-54.For Adults 25-54, WLIB’s target audience, AQH is up 29%, Share increased 40% (from 1.0 to 1.4) and Cume increased 9%; for Persons 12+, AQH is up 6%, Share is up 20% and Cume is up 11%.WLIB ranks #2 in A25-54 TSL MSu6a12m (10h30m per week) among NY Talk stations, a 20% increase since the Spring 2005 book.

Now compare them to O’Reilly on WOR, also Arbitron Summer 2005:

The ratings for the Bill O’Reilly radio show in New York were worse in the demo of A25-54 than those on Air America that he described as “catastrophic.”

In the key 25-54 demographic which talk radio offers to advertisers, the Summer 2005 Arbitron ratings showed that Monday-Friday from 2-4 PM when O’Reilly is on WOR-AM and which at Air America’s 1190 WLIB-AM contains the last hour of “The Al Franken Show” and the first hour of “The Randi Rhodes Show,” that O’Reilly had a 0.6 share and Air America a 1.8 share. O’Reilly had a cumulative audience of 45,800 and Air America had a cumulative audience of 95,700.

2005-10-25T14:05:00.000-04:00

Thoughtful Piece on FOX News

The Earth may be warming, but Hell is getting colder. How much longer will the editors let this go on?

----

Reality Vs. Rhetoric in the Abortion Debate
Monday, October 24, 2005
By Martin Frost

I am normally reluctant to write about the highly charged issue of abortion, but this time is an exception.

For those of you who consider all abortion to be murder, you should stop reading now. These remarks are directed to the rest of the population that considers abortion appropriate in at least some circumstances — a clear majority of the American public.

Two noteworthy events occurred recently that are critical to further discussion of this very important public issue: publication by the think tank ThirdWay (search) of a study entitled “The Demographics of Abortion “ and the resignation of Susan Wood, the top Food and Drug Administration official in charge of women’s health issues.

First, let’s examine the ThirdWay study, one of the most comprehensive treatments ever put together on basic facts underlying the abortion issue in this country.

Let’s look at the basic numbers: since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been more than 40 million abortions in America. According to the study, “one of every three American women will have an abortion by the time they reach 45.” Additionally, in a typical year there are 4.1 million live births, 1.3 million abortions and 900,000 miscarriages.

The study found that “the average woman who seeks an abortion is 24 years old, unwed, earns a yearly income of about $25,000 and already is a mother…She has religious beliefs and is a Christian…the typical abortion is performed around the eighth week — well within the first trimester.”

There are two remarkable findings buried in this study. Again quoting, “The social conservatives’ focus on so-called 'partial-birth abortion' affects, at most, eight of every 10,000 abortions performed. The social liberals’ traditional defense of abortion on the grounds of rape and incest or the life of the mother is irrelevant in approximately 98 of every 100 abortions.”
And then there is the issue of religion. The study found “There is a vast gap between the rhetorical positions that religious leaders take on abortion and the actual practices of the laity in those religions.”

Specifically, Catholics represent 27 percent of those having abortions -- roughly 350,000 per year— and Born-Again or Evangelical Christians represent 13 percent of those having abortions – roughly 170,000 per year.

Obviously, abortion is widely practiced in the United States, even though it remains controversial. Virtually no one is pro-abortion, though millions of people want it to be available as an option when a pregnancy is unplanned or when the mother’s health is seriously at risk.
So what’s the answer? One answer is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus to reduce the need for abortion.

That’s why the resignation of Assistant FDA Commissioner Susan Wood (search) is so significant.

Wood said she was leaving her position with the FDA because of FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford’s recent announcement that he would delay approval of the emergency contraceptive Plan B (search), which is also known as the morning-after pill.

Plan B has been available as a prescription-only drug since 1999. Its distributor applied to the FDA for permission to sell the drug over the counter, and an FDA expert advisory panel voted 23 to 4 in favor of their application. It was Crawford’s action delaying approval of this application that prompted Wood’s resignation after working for the FDA for five years.

Plan B prevents pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual activity. Some religious conservatives have opposed it, even though in most cases it prevents fertilization of an egg and there is no abortion. This is the crowd that must believe that conception occurs when they take Cialis.

And so we have the situation that abortion is widely practiced in this country by people of all religious persuasions, many of whom are religious conservatives, and our government is taking action that could actually result in more abortions rather than fewer.
These are things that should be discussed openly, even if the subject itself is considered to be radioactive by many politicians.

Martin Frost served in Congress from 1979 to 2005, representing a diverse district in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He served two terms as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the third-ranking leadership position for House Democrats, and two terms as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Frost serves as a regular contributor to FOX News Channel, and is currently a fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Georgetown Law Center.

2005-10-25T13:51:00.000-04:00

The TAO of W

Blog Link

Is Bush on the beam? Is the world’s most churchgoing country truly following the path pioneered by sages? Or savages? To find out, it seems appropriate to compare Dubya’s most noteworthy sayings with the aphorisms of one the world’s first great teachers. In the Way of the Tao, Lao Tzu taught the path to achieving harmony—something Dubya is teaching the world through increasingly inventive examples that ensure just the opposite. In the classic tradition of Chinese sagacity, the emperor’s quote is given first, followed by commentary from the sage.

2005-10-25T13:34:00.000-04:00

Deaths Reach 2000

Honor The Fallen On The Front Page

2005-10-25T09:02:00.000-04:00

Good Thing He Didn't Get A Blowjob

W pals bushwhack CIA leak prosecutor
BY THOMAS M. DeFRANK and MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - As the White House and Republicans brace for possible indictments in the CIA leak probe, defenders have launched a not-so-subtle campaign against the prosecutor handling the case.

"He's a vile, detestable, moralistic person with no heart and no conscience who believes he's been tapped by God to do very important things," one White House ally said, referring to special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald.

-----

If I were "W" I would be insulted. I mean, come on, everyone KNOWS that only HE has been tapped by God to do very important things. Just ask him.

Seriously, lying to go to war, lying to cover up outing a secret agent for some vindictive attack on someone calling you on your lies...THAT'S just politics. But, lying about getting a BJ from some tart, something WHOLLY unrelated to the original investigation...now THAT'S important.

How is it the most self-righteous seem to have the least perspective?

P.S. - "W" stands for Worst President Ever.

2005-10-25T08:24:00.000-04:00

Whipping Up The Christians On a Non-Issue

Article Link

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Can someone please tell me how a nation that CLAIMS to be over 80% Christian can somehow marginalize Christians. Seriously. And, how about the use of the term WAR for their straw man? No emotional appeal there.

Can anyone tell me what John Gibson did before he became a mouthpiece for the radical right?

FOX News Directive: Let's talk about ANYTHING...ANYTHING...but the failure of this administration and the direction of this country. Oh, and help John Gibson sell a few books.

2005-10-25T08:18:00.000-04:00

Feel the hate...

Article Link

Boortz suggested that Katrina victim turn to prostitution

2005-10-21T10:14:00.000-04:00

Interesting Observation

From a friend:

"We live in a time where observation classifies one into a political party. Take global warming. State there is global warming means one is a Democrat. Besides the fact the seas are warmer and all resulting affects speak to this fact. But, somehow, this scientific observation makes one a Democrat. Now, at what sea temperature does one become a Republican? That is the logic we have in today's country."

2005-10-21T09:21:00.000-04:00

Schwarzenegger too busy to meet with Bush

Oh...my...God. I think W has ebola.

Here's my prediction:

W will have a nervous breakdown as he finally realizes that he is nothing more than a trust fund kid whom no one really likes. It, of course, will be covered up.

2005-10-20T13:52:00.000-04:00

Where's The Outrage?!?!

Va. firm pleads guilty in oil-for-food scandal

Trading company accused of paying Iraq kickbacks; will pay $250,000 fine

-----

Where's the story on Fox? Where's the outrage?

Oh, that's right, our hands were caught in the cookie jar too.

I can see Cheney calling Murdoch and saying, "Ixnay on the Oil for oodfay. Some big donors have been eating the cookies."

2005-10-20T13:05:00.000-04:00

The New Elliot Ness

Blog Post

"But the good news in all of this is that Fitzgerald gets it. He sees into the ugly, greedy, oozing heart of the NeoCon kleptocracy, its mafia-like structure and the all-too-cozy overlap between the war party and the profiteers, and it pisses him off. "Shareholders in public companies have a right to expect that their monies will be managed properly by officers and directors and that the officers and directors won't steal it," he said.

Fitzgerald has also been busy indicting henchmen of the cravenly corrupt Daley administration, proving along the way that a) he is non-partisan in his pursuit and just as willing to throw a beating to crooked Democrats, and b) he is, as he was once described, Elliot Ness with a sense of humor.

Let's hope Mr. Fitzgerald can put a few more NeoCons in the "posthumous" category before this is all over."

-----

One man with a brain and a backbone.

"And he whispered in his ear...all glory is fleeting."

2005-10-20T08:50:00.000-04:00

Just thought I would ask...

...where is Osama Bin Laden?

2005-10-19T11:26:00.000-04:00

Nixonian

Ok, perhaps I am just a bit slow here, but it suddenly occured to me that the reason this growing scandal smells so much like the 70's is because it's all the same damn people from the Nixon administration or their former juniors mixed with Ray-Gun disciples. Are we really surprised at this administration's approach to politics and policy when W reached back, or should I say under a rock, to get all the old cronies who were junior henchmen for Nixon or frustrated (because they got caught too) Ray-Gun disciples?

I guess they think that the only problem is that Nixon and Ray-Gun got caught. So, really, it was just a matter of execution, right? Oops, guess not. So, once again, it was their collective hubris in thinking that they could do it better that bit them in the ass.

Karma is right nasty bitch.

You do realize its the same type of people, who all went to the same B-Schools, currently running all our corporations into the ground don't you?

2005-10-18T14:47:00.000-04:00

Fox News Pushing “Criminalization of Politics” Talking Point

Think Progress

Conservative defenders of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby have settled on their No. 1 talking point: the grand jury investigation into the CIA leak scandal represents the “criminalization of politics.”
In other words, they say, the outing of a covert CIA agent in a time of war to punish a whistleblower is just everyday “politics” — nothing out of the ordinary, certainly nothing criminal. In fact, according to conservatives (as articulated by the National Review), the “criminalizing of politics” is actually “the most dangerous fire of this ordeal.”

To spread this talking point across the nation, the right has received a major assist from Fox News. According to a database search, every single television reference to the CIA leak scandal as the “criminalization of politics” in the last 30 days has been on Fox. Even more stunning: on every occassion, the phrase was introduced into the segment by a Fox News anchor or correspondent, never by a guest.

2005-10-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Paranoia May Destroy Ya...

What's hate got to do with it?
Plenty, because media firebrand Bill O'Reilly spawns enmity in all that he does - and he's sick of it

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Wow, when you start out as a paranoid with a big mouth and a healthy dose of hubris mixed with victimization, I can't even imagine what his level of paranoia must be now.

Let me get this straight, he uses his pulpit to spew his opinions as if they were gospel, tears down people who have no outlet for response and won't let them respond, verbally abuses those he doesn't like, won't admit anything when he is wrong, is a letch, and generally acts like an angry white man and then whines because people don't like him and some even want to do him harm?

So, basically he is a typical bully: a whining pussy who thinks the world is against him for every reason except his own behavior.

Oh, sweet Karma...

2005-10-18T13:50:00.000-04:00

Army is Broken
Joe Galloway
military.com

Editorial Link

"Armies are fragile institutions and, for all their might, easily broken."
Remember those words? They were written here, in this column, at the end of September 2003. I laid out the recipe for how to break a magnificent Army that had taken nearly two decades to rebuild itself in the wake of the Vietnam debacle.

In that early fall two years ago, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was still running victory laps and the words of his boss, President George W. Bush, were still ringing: "Bring `em on!"

Sadly, those two were, and still are, in charge.

Now they've broken the Army, and after this administration is history, it will take 12 or 15 or 20 years to repair the damage it's inflicted on an institution that our country desperately needs in a century as dangerous as this one.

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No comment.

2005-10-18T13:24:00.000-04:00

For GM, New Deal and Big Loss
Firm Reaches Agreement With Union

Article Link

Wagoner also said yesterday GM is cutting $4 billion in costs by shuttering factories, slashing 25,000 manufacturing jobs, freezing bonuses, and cutting health benefits for nonunion workers and retirees. The GM of the future will be a smaller, leaner company designed to better compete with its more nimble foreign rivals.

Staggered by slow sales of its SUVs, GM said it is stepping up development of more fuel-efficient technology and the rollout of hybrid-powered cars. The automaker has long relied on the popularity -- and profitability -- of its trucks and SUVs, but the run-up in gas prices has turned the strategy into a liability. Wagoner told GM employees yesterday that the company had "too much reliance" on trucks and SUVs.

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Ok, first, NO SHIT! Everyone who cared about energy or the environment has been telling you NOT to rely on such large vehicles...but noooooooo...you Harvard, Penn, Standford educated MBAs just KNEW better. Sound familiar?

So, who gets screwed for executive incompetence? Yeah, the little guy doing real work. "Yeah, we screwed the pooch, so now you get fucked. Now is not the time to dwell on our mistakes, we must move forward." Wow, there seems to be a theme here.

Gee, I wonder how much the executives will be taking from their compensation packages to help with the crunch? Methinks, none. Oh, that's right, they're getting paid for this great strategy for cleaning up the mess from the last executive staff that fucked it up in the first place...and got paid well to do so.

Oh, and guess who is going to be picking up the tab for the health care for all of those losing benefits, or worse, their jobs? That's right, the taxpayer. But, don't worry, that executive who ISN'T taking any kind of significant pay cut and can probably afford to buy the clinic they would need to go to, won't be paying their share thanks to BushCo's tax cuts.

Just HOW much pain is the electorate willing to endure?

Me, mine & the bottom line.

2005-10-18T08:15:00.000-04:00

'Rule of Law'? That's So '90s
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington Post

Editorial Link

These cases portray an administration and a movement that can dish it out, but want to evade responsibility for doing so and can't take it when they are subjected to the same rule book that inconvenienced an earlier president. An editorial in the latest issue of the conservative Weekly Standard is a sign of arguments to come. The editorial complains about the various accusations being leveled against DeLay, Libby, Rove and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and it says that "a comprehensive strategy of criminalization had been implemented to inflict defeat on conservatives who seek to govern as conservatives."

I have great respect for my friends at the Weekly Standard, so I think they'll understand my surprise and wonder over this new conservative concern for the criminalization of politics. A process that was about "the rule of law" when Democrats were in power is suddenly an outrage now that it's Republicans who are being held accountable.

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Yes, funny how the tone changes when the tables are turned. Let's see, Clinton was eventually charged with perjury for not admitting to getting a blowjob in the Whitehouse. Crass, yes, lacking in judgment, yes, just plain selfish, yes; but, not really Earth shaking.

Now, graft, money laundering, violating the Secrets Act, propaganda, and taking us to war on a lie...well, those things and more have really shaken the Earth. Forget the fact that they were supposed to be setting the example and that they would unite this nation.

A little perspective please.

2005-10-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

Spoon-Feeding The Machine

Another Win for 'Friends & Allies'

When John G. Roberts is approved as chief justice of the United States, as expected, he can thank President Bush 's "Friends & Allies" program, which went to work on him immediately after he was nominated. The project, started by the Republican National Committee in the 2004 re-election campaign, is simple and effective: Give opinion makers, media friends, and even cocktail party hosts insider info on the topic of the day. How? Through E-mailed talking points, called D.C. Talkers, and conference calls. For Roberts, it worked this way: A daily conference call to about 80 pundits, GOP-leaning radio and TV hosts, and newsmakers was made around 9 a.m. On the other end were the main Roberts gunslingers like Steve Schmidt at the White House and Ken Mehlman and Brian Jones at the RNC. D.C. Talkers would then be distributed to an even larger list filled with positive info about Roberts and lines of attack on his critics. "The idea," said one of those involved, "is to feed them information and have them invested in us." It has even created addicts, he added. "Now they come to us before going on TV."

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Yup...no shock that right-wing pundits are incapable of thinking for themselves. The entire right-wing agenda relies on the intellectual laziness of its followers. Is it any wonder the majority of evangelicals are right-wingers? Why think and actually do research when I can have snappy, emotionally charged "points" spoon-fed to me? Hell, gives me more time to watch reality television.

2005-10-17T15:29:00.000-04:00

Touchdown In The Eyes Means Dropping The Ball Beforehand

Bush to Blair: First Iraq, then Saudi

George Bush told the Prime Minister two months before the invasion of Iraq that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea may also be dealt with over weapons of mass destruction, a top secret Downing Street memo shows.

The US President told Tony Blair, in a secret telephone conversation in January 2003 that he "wanted to go beyond Iraq".

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See, here's the rub: Even if you believe that such belligerent action is warranted (I worry if you did), you have to admit that you better have your ducks in a row before you start trying to kick everyone's ass. Seriously, did he believe that the world would just follow his lead? ("Who's with me...ahhhhhh) I mean...it's HIS lead after all. It's not like the rest of the world has been drinking from the same Kool-Aid that half of America has. Bush couldn't lead a turd into a toilet if he was sitting on it. Frat President is about all he is qualified for.

Oh, and if you get into the ring during an elimination tournament, you'd better be sure you can win the first fight and have enough left over to make it through the next round. Oops...guess not. I think he was already so enamoured with his "legacy" that he took his eyes off the ball. Seriously, WHO starts talking about their legacy BEFORE their job even ends. So, he is either a belligerent fool or incompetent; if the idea was right, then the execution was pathetic.

Hmm...I'm thinking both.

I swear, the 3rd generation removed from where the money was EARNED is rarely up to the most menial task. Too rich to look in the mirror and know one's limits I guess. Daddy will always make it right.

"Man's GOT to know his limitations."
- Dirty Harry

2005-10-17T14:58:00.000-04:00

Feel the hate...

Playing a character out of Mel Brooks' "History of the World", Boortz says, "Fuck the poor!"

Article Link

2005-10-17T10:38:00.000-04:00

I get it...and I don't

Editorial Link

Mr. Dobson quelled the controversy by saying that Karl Rove, the White House's deputy chief of staff, had not given him assurances about how a Justice Miers would vote. "I would have loved to have known how Harriet Miers views Roe v. Wade," Mr. Dobson said last week. "But even if Karl had known the answer to that--and I'm certain that he didn't because the president himself said he didn't know--Karl would not have told me that. That's the most incendiary information that's out there, and it was never part of our discussion."

It might, however, have been part of another discussion. On Oct. 3, the day the Miers nomination was announced, Mr. Dobson and other religious conservatives held a conference call to discuss the nomination. One of the people on the call took extensive notes, which I have obtained. According to the notes, two of Ms. Miers's close friends--both sitting judges--said during the call that she would vote to overturn Roe.

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Ok, I get it that almost EVERY politician is a hypocrite sometimes. I get it that they pander. But, what I don't get is how these particular politicians have the balls to scream about ideology not being a part of the process for SCOUTUS positions, but then make it a priority when it's in their favor. What gives? Is it really just unadulterated hubris stemming from absolute power?

I guess you're only an activist if you are a liberal-minded judge.

Oh, sweet Karma, please come soon.

2005-10-14T14:35:00.000-04:00

George Will Calling Out The Faux Conservatives?

Editorial Link

"Conservatives are not supposed to be cuddly, or even particularly nice. They are, however, supposed to be competent. And to know that scarcity—of money, virtue, wisdom, competence, everything—forces choices. Furthermore, they are supposed to have an unsentimental commitment to meritocracy and excellence. The fact that none of those responsible for the postwar planning, or lack thereof, in Iraq have been sacked suggests—no, shouts—that in Washington today there is no serious penalty for serious failure. Hence the multiplication of failures."

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Damn, the rats are leaving the ship. It's about time.

2005-10-12T11:10:00.000-04:00

Senators For Torture

These nine Senators voted against tenets of McCain's anti-torture principles, the safety of our Troops, against the future of the Iraqi people, and against the best American values and FOR torture. Here they are:

NAYs:
Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)

2005-10-11T13:04:00.000-04:00

A Response To: Defending A Parents Rights To Teach Values
Fox News
Wendy of iFeminist

The problem is that teaching about the social/family construct of a household headed by same-sex adults is NOT ABOUT SEX!

It's about two CONSENTING adults who are acting in the role of parents. Only the near-sightedness of a fundamentalist would trivialize it into a question of sexuality and sex. However, this isn't surprising given the fact that it's the sexual act of same sex partners that is the crux of personal revulsion; because, if it was about the worthiness to parent, then the focal point would be turned on everyone, including those who teach their children fundamentalist beliefs that preach hate and exclusion. And, we can't have that.

2005-10-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

A Response To: White Oppressor? Me?
Fox News Editorial
Wendy of iFeminist

I agree with you on this specific case as it is obviously a case of doing exactly what one is meeting to discuss how to mitigate. However, your general denial of the concept of "white privilege" is myopic at best.

You don't perceive "white privilege" because you have never been denied anything based on your skin color. Having never been in that situation makes everyday life completely different as many people's initial perceptions of you are "good" due only to the color of your skin, white. "White privilege" isn't a matter of law, it's a matter of social construct and perception. Your offense to the reaction of this group's denial of participation is exactly what those not in the "white privilege" group deal with on an almost daily basis - not by construct, but by social norms and latent racists beliefs.

Are things considerably better than just 20 years ago? Yes. But to deny that racism is still prevalent, in a much more stealthy, and therefore odious way, is simplistic on its face.

You cannot see the "privilege" of the forest for the white trees that dominate it.

2005-10-07T08:59:00.000-04:00

YES! Finally someone calls them on it...

"And Ed Morrissey, whose "Captain's Quarters" is one of the most popular conservative blogs, said publicly what other concerned conservatives have said privately. "The push by more enthusiastic Miers supporters to consider her religious outlook smacks of a bit of hypocrisy," Morrissey wrote. "After all, we argued the exact opposite when it came to John Roberts and William Pryor when they appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. . . . Conservatives claimed that using religion as a reason for rejection violated the Constitution and any notion of religious freedom. Does that really change if we base our support on the same grounds?"

I'm eagerly awaiting the White House's answer to that question."

.....

Editorial Here: Faith-Based Hypocrisy

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington Post