I'll Be Back

Check back often as Kenny Bloggins should return within the week.

Oh, and to the gentleman who wished me a happy birthday from the “Muslim Brotherhood," thanks for your thoughts. Because as anyone who has read this site knows, I’m a huge supporter of super-conservative, far-right religious ideology.

Happy Birthday To Me

Yep. Today's the big day. The big Three-Oh.

I will be in celebrating tonight with friends in Portland, then travelling to NY (Queens, Long Island, etc) to spend the next several days.

On Monday, I have Daily Show tickets in Manhatten, so be sure to try and catch the show!

Oh, and if anyone wants to Paypal me some money for a birthday drink, click the link below and send to phishman@maine.rr.com.

Yup. I'm 30 and I'm totally shameless.

Discrimination Hurts National Security

Since the start of the Iraq war, and very public scandals about Bush/Rumsfeld's less than stellar administration of deploying troops to war (see: lack of equipment, over-extension, lack of support upon their return for post traumatic stress disorder, no clear mission, no real re-deployment plan, etc), the U.S. armed forces have had more than a difficult time meeting recruitment needs. In fact, 2005 was the worst in 26 years.

Specifically since we've been told how the battle has changed since 9/11, new strategies in terms of intelligence gathering have quickly emerged.

Agreed.

Obviously, this includes underscoring the importance of cultural and linguistic specialists who are incredibly crucial in terms of our ability to quickly translate information from Arabic and other common Middle Eastern language into usable data in good old fashioned English, and perhaps even further downsized into something Bush might be able to comprehend.

Given the fact that less than 1% of U.S. citizens raised in English-only households are bilingual, finding Americans who both speak Arabic or Farsi are willing to join the military these days is the intelligence gathering equivalent of a small jackpot.

So what have we done with over 800 of these linguistic gems? Threw their faggoty asses out of course!

A decorated sergeant and Arabic language specialist was dismissed from the U.S. Army under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, though he says he never told his superiors he was gay and his accuser was never identified. Bleu Copas, 30, told The Associated Press he is gay, but said he was "outed" by a stream of anonymous e-mails to his superiors in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C.

An eight-month Army investigation culminated in Copas' honorable discharge on Jan. 30 -- less than four years after he enlisted, he said, out of a post-Sept. 11 sense of duty to his country. Copas now carries the discharge papers, which mention his awards and citations, so he can document his military service for prospective employers. But the papers also give the reason for his dismissal.

More than 11,000 service members have been dismissed under the policy, including 726 last year -- an 11 percent jump from 2004 and the first increase since 2001.

Read on...

It should be noted that one William J. Clinton shares as much blame for the military's ridiculous "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as anyone else involved in its creation back in the early 90's, and while I support a lot of what Clinton did in terms of Civil Rights and for our country as a whole, this piece of legislation is beyond a black mark on his record as far as I'm concerned.

Considering the amount of military men and women we've lost to this policy in a time of acute need, I hope Clinton reflects back on his pen stroke for DADT with regret and shame.

The Paris Hilton Tax

For the very first time during his 6 year presidency, and just in time for the November mid-terms, Bush decided he would address the nation's oldest Civil Rights group.

The last time Bush address such a concentrated group of African Americans under one roof was the Coretta Scott King funeral, of which I have some video here.

Now, as a fellow blogger once published, "once in a while Bush has one of these, 'What the Fuck Did He Just Say?' moments during his speeches (see: Human-Animal Hybrids this year's State of the Union)." Bush's speech in front of the NAACP was no exception.

Sure, the speech had it's humorous moments (Listen here: ), and of course Bush got heckled a few times (while the White House transcript officially documented the major heckling incident as "applause"). But my favorite part of the NAACP speech was the What-the-Fuck-Did-He-Just-Say? moment that made me spit out my drink was Bush pushing the abolition of the Estate Tax to the audience.

Even though the liberals are the elitist rich crowd (according to Bush supporters), many Republicans and fighting tooth and nail to have the Estate Tax repealed. A tax for which only two tenths of one perenct of Americans are wealthy to qualify.

And, specifically pertaining to this audience, I thought I'd pass along the number of black Americans financially affected by the estate tax:

59.

Out of 38,000,000.

That's .000000015%. That's 1 in every 644,067.

That means if the entire city of Boston were comprised of black Americans, chances are not one single person would pay a tax on their estate if they passed away. By comparison, you have a .032% chance of getting hit by lightning.

Not that Bush has a record of being insensitive or out of touch...but perhaps he could have saved the Estate Tax part of the speech for this crowd -

Listen:

I think people should head over to Americablog to read what would gather a lot more steam in the liberal mainstream media - you know, if they weren't so busy covering the Mel Gibson story (who himself is a certified member of liberal Hollywood):

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/08/pentagon-may-have-criminally-misled.html

Air America has been reporting this and screaming about this for over 3 years, and again it appears they're way, way ahead of the curve (as they were with the Valerie Plame story, reported on daily for about 2 years before most of your friends had ever heard her name).

I think this story is starting to get picked up by the corporate media outlets, and its important to keep this in the headlines. I also think that if this turns out to be what it seems, we should keep this in mind each time those associated with this current Federal government insist on using 9/11 as a political crutch.

And Now Some More Maine Flavor...

This weekend was a beautiful one to be out on the Maine ocean. I thought I would post a link to some of the photos taken this weekend.

The first several photos are of some random coastal from Saturday. The remaining pics are from the annual lobter boat races in Harpswell (Pots Harbor).

There is nothing more uniquely Maine than a day at the lobster boat races. Its a chance for everyone around coastal Maine and the islands to gather, grill out, party, and enjoy a beautiful day of community boating and drunkeness - two of the most common experiences in coastal Maine. Enjoy the pics.

http://www.rageagainsttheright.com/lobster/

Today's New Verb: Murtharize

While I've always felt accusing someone of flip-flopping on political issues simply because the person who changed their opinion happens to have nuanced thinking (or was presented with new information to which they must react and change course) is childish, I can no longer resist the temptation.

Many Republicans, decorated military Generals, and even some infamous neocons themselves have flipped, flopped and waffled their way toward more reasonable thinking, while looking back on their colleagues hanging by their fingernails onto support for the war on Iraq with perplexing confusion.

The latest to join the cut-n-run crowd of American troop haters is Representative Gil Gutknecht of Minnesota:

Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minn., once a strong supporter of the war, returned from Iraq this week declaring that conditions in Baghdad were far worse "than we'd been led to believe," and urging that troop withdrawals begin immediately.

"Essentially, what the White House is saying is, 'Stay the course, stay the course,' " Gutknecht said. "I don't think that course is politically sustainable."During a debate last month, Gutknecht intoned, "Members, now is not the time to go wobbly." This week, he conceded "I guess I didn't understand the situation," saying that a partial troop withdrawal now would "send a clear message to the Iraqis that the next step is up to you."

Read on.

Gutknecht his hardly alone, as Patrick McHenry, a Republican from North Carolina commented on seeing the reality of the situation:

"It's like after (Hurricane) Katrina, when the secretary of Homeland Security was saying all those people weren't really stranded (at the New Orleans civic center) when we were all watching it on TV," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C. "I still hear about that. We can't look like we won't face reality."

It is fair to say these and the other Republicans stepping up to the plate of reality are wobbling on Iraq due to the fact that supporting the Iraq war before the upcoming mid-term elections is getting closer and closer to political suicide, as most Americans are now seeing Iraq for what it actually is.

However, two of the most prominent architects of Neo-conservatism, without public offices to lose, have expressed their own thoughts on the war in no uncertain terms, and I thought I’d recap what both of them said a few months ago before the death toll and increasing symptoms of civil war evolved to what they are today:

Francis Fukuyama

History:
Fukuyama is an author and is influential in American economics when it comes to Free Market Capitalism. Those are his virtuous qualities. He’s one the strongest voices for the inevitable collapse of non-Capitalist governments in favor of democracies, whether or not that is done at the barrel a gun or not. He is also one of the founding architects of neo-conservatism, and a key member of the Project for the New American Century and has close ties to other neo-conservatives in that group, such as Karl Rove and Scooter Libby. He signed a letter urging president Bush to invade and occupy Iraq, whether or not there was evidence that Saddam had anything to do with 9/11.

Fukuyama’s current views on Iraq:
“Neo-conservatism should be discarded on to history's pile of discredited ideologies….By invading Iraq, the Bush administration created a self-fulfilling prophecy: Iraq has now replaced Afghanistan as a magnet, a training ground and an operational base for jihadist terrorists, with plenty of American targets to shoot at… The so-called Bush Doctrine that set the framework for the administration's first term is now in shambles…successful pre-emption depends on the ability to predict the future accurately and on good intelligence, which was not forthcoming, while America's perceived unilateralism has isolated it as never before. The Islamist Muslim Brotherhood made a strong showing in Egypt's parliamentary elections in November and December. While the holding of elections in Iraq this past December was an achievement in itself, the vote led to the ascendance of a Shiite bloc with close ties to Iran (following on the election of the conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president of Iran in June). But the clincher was the decisive Hamas victory in the Palestinian election last month, which brought to power a movement overtly dedicated to the destruction of Israel…read on.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

William F. Buckley Jr.

History: With way too many qualifiers and surnames in his identification, William F. Buckley has been a major influential force in the conservative movement since the 1950’s, and is a much more recognized name to the American publican than Fukuyama. He founded the conservative National Review publication, but before doing so wrote “God and Man at Yale” which lashed out at Yale for straying from it’s original Christian, Capitalist mission. Once in a debate with Gore Vidal regarding the
situation at the Democratic Convention in Chicago during Vietnam, Buckley responded to being called a Nazi by saying, “Now listen, you queer, stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I'll sock you in your goddamn face, and you'll stay plastered.” In 1991 he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by W’s father. He’s a classic conservative who comes from money, privilege and opportunity.

Buckley’s current views on Iraq:
"One can't doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed… because Iraqi animosities have proved uncontainable by an invading army of 130,000 Americans... It would not be surprising to learn from an anonymously cited American soldier that he can understand why Saddam Hussein was needed to keep the Sunnis and the Shiites from each other's throats…

The administration has, now, to cope with failure… Mr. Bush has a very difficult internal problem here because to make the kind of concession that is strategically appropriate requires a mitigation of policies he has several times affirmed in high-flown pronouncements…(read the entire article here)."

Although it is easy to pounce on these men for their abrupt about-face, I certainly applaud them and welcome them to the world of reality with warm handshake and a “we’ve been expecting you” kind of greeting.

Additionally, I think perhaps the most important thing here is to expose the juvenile and destructive behavior of most Bush supporters that continues today, and can be observed on cable news talk shows, AM radio, and any other political forum (including the comments of this very web site). Said behavior involves accusing those who don’t support continued long tours of duty in Iraq or the philosophy of the war itself of being anti-American, not supporting the troops, and rooting for America to fail in the Middle East.

It occurs to me that most Bush voters hurling those insults will not do so to the men listed above, or the countless other Republican politicians and military experts will be spared this rhetoric, unlike the John Murthas, Senator Kerrys, and Howard Deans of the world.

Honestly, this kind of political smearing confuses me. I’ve never been able to fully understand how someone who observes that Iraq is a mess and calls it a mess, is somehow helping to cause Iraq to be a mess, rather than those who want to keep our troops in the middle of the mess in the first place. Nor can I comprehend how person A, who wants our troops home and out of harms way, is actually less troop-supporting than person B, who wishes to keep them there to die for a cause of which no one is quite sure.

And, I certainly don’t understand how those who have served, such as Murtha, Kerry, Kennedy, Clark, and Cleeland, are considered less patriotic and more war-ignorant than the civilians pushing the war, such as Bush, Limbaugh, Hannity, Cheney, Rove, O’Reilly etc, all of whom have more deferments and active military duty no-shows than the invite list to a cocktail party at Ann Coulter’s house (don’t make me use the list!)

Nevertheless, it doesn’t make this kind of language any less obnoxious, off-point, or infinitely worse, a total irrelevant and inaccurate distraction from an open-thought sponsored exchange of ideas. It is almost as if those taking this position are admitting political bankruptcy, and throwing sand in the eyes of those who would distract them with facts and reality.

However, if Bush supporters continue to use one of the key defining characteristics of fascism (creating scapegoats by accusing those against military action of being unpatriotic and aiding the enemy), at least have the courage and sense of balance to throw these same accusations at one of your own. The list seems to grow a little bit each month.

Chancellor Merkel: I Need an Adult!

I realize this is a bit late, because by now most of heard or seen or rocketed milk out of their nose as they watched the video of Bush massaging the shoulders of one of the most powerful women in Europe.

However, as he always does, Mark Morford puts strange events into the hilarious words I could never find.

Mr. Morford, the stage is yours:

So now we know.

I mean, we sort of thought we knew, before, what kind of guy George W. Bush is, essentially our very own inept, inarticulate ex-alcoholic ex-frat-guy failed-businessman pseudo-leader who famously appeals to the most God-fearin' and least educated and least attuned among us because he is, well, one of them.

We thought we had him pegged: Just a casual and aw-shucks sort of walkin', talkin', war-happy embarrassment to the country who was rumored to be a Genuinely Nice Guy in person but who, when he traveled abroad, nevertheless caused the entire nation to pre-emptively cringe in preparation for all sorts of imminent humiliations and lots of hilarious-yet-excruciating new material for "The Complete Bushisms."

But every so often we get a glimpse of just a little more.

Or, rather, less. Of what lies just beneath that carefully controlled sheen of White House spin, what happens when Dubya is away from his handlers and his prefab scripts. We get a hint of just what fuels that clueless amble, that Chosen One bumble, that graceless and decidedly dorky sort of approach to everything from ordering a Diet Coke to comprehending Middle East chaos.

Witness, won't you, the latest in a huge pile of embarrassing Bush-on-tape moments. (Warning: Not for the faint of intellect.)

Here he is, the leader of the Free World, fresh off being caught on a live microphone at the Group of Eight summit meeting muttering to his favorite poodle Tony Blair, using his bestest Texas-boy shtick, that if them gul-dang Syrians would just tell Hezbollah to knock this s-- off, everything would be dandy ...

Here is the president of the most powerful nation on the planet, fresh from an awkward smackdown by Vladimir Putin on Bush's failed war in Iraq, muttering to Blair and Chinese President Hu Jintao, actually more amazed and confounded by the fact that Jintao's flight home takes about as long as Bush's to Washington ...
(Bush: "You eight hours? Me too. Russia's a big country and you're a big country. Takes him eight hours to fly home ... Russia's big and so is China. Yo Blair, what're
you doing? Are you leaving?" Ah, dumb-guy banter. Makes you feel proud all over,
no?)

And now, the icing on the giant cake o' domestic torture. Here is Dubya, strolling speedily into a G-8 summit meeting where powerful, intent world leaders are already gathered to discuss, presumably, serious issues of the day, walking straight up to a seated German Chancellor Angela Merkel and giving her a weird, unsolicited shoulder rub from behind, before dashing to his seat. Oh yes he did.

The pictures, the video reveal all. Merkel reacts accordingly, is instantly creeped out, cringes and shrugs Bush away with a look of surprised revulsion.

Dubya is, of course, oblivious. His expression is his classic blank "Who, me?" stare that recalls a child caught eating a live grasshopper. He looks right past Merkel and quickly dashes away as though nothing had happened, as if the powerful German leader didn't just recoil visibly at his very touch.

It all happens in about four seconds. It is merely, on the surface, a minor infraction, a stupid gesture, a "what-the-hell?" moment you want to forget immediately but is unfortunately burned into your retina like a flaming spear of oh-please-God-no. And it speaks volumes.

Let us imagine how it would be if, say, Jacques Chirac walked up behind Condi Rice and gave her a quick little noogie on the head, on camera, before a fancy state dinner. Or maybe if Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi snuck up behind Laura Bush and gave a hearty, unexpected smack on the ass before sitting down for a chat. How charming! Or, you know, not.

Some might argue that Merkel, despite the obvious recoil, actually smiles a little after Bush grabs her (it is a little difficult to tell if it's a wince or an awkward smirk
-- either way, she was more than a little shocked).

Some might even suggest that Merkel and Bush have a "special" sort of odd, chummy relationship that allows him to toy with her like a kid sister or a flirty high school buddy, the kind of relationship that Bush likes best of all: devoid of seriousness or deep respect or the crucial exchange of ideas, free of that kind of icky intellectual book-learnin' that just confuses Dubya and makes him all tired and sad. And hey, maybe they're right.

Then again, this was a G-8 summit. Israel and Lebanon are burning. Iraq is in tatters. North Korea is spitting on the world. Global leaders are gathered to discuss the most pressing and violent issues on the planet, many of which the Bush administration had a clammy hand in exacerbating. Might not be the best time for the leader of the free world to give a cheesy frat-guy neck rub to his German gal-pal in front of the world media. You think?

See, now we get it. This is the bottom line, the final truth, George W. Bush in a nutshell. Bush thinks he is That Guy. The one everybody just loves to have around, the one who sincerely thinks his goofy charm is so appealing and so innocuous and so licky-puppy friendly that he can get away with all sorts of casual infractions and weird gestures no one else would care to attempt lest they appear, you know, dorky as a pinwheel hat.

And you know what? Bush really is That Guy. Just not in the way he wants to think.

In other words, he is indeed That Guy, like the best man at the wedding party, the one standing out in the center of the room, casually and cluelessly telling off-color jokes that offend everyone but which he thinks are gul-dang hilarious and, hell, if you're offended then you're just some gul-dang hippie liberal. Haw.

He is That Guy. The one who thinks he is everybody's bestest pal, the guy everyone wants to kick back with and have a few brewskies and chat about baseball and lawn fertilizer and Jesus. After all, isn't that what we all desire of the man who decides some of the most difficult, deadly, complicated issues on the planet? Isn't that slacked, frat-guy goofiness exactly what you want trying to broker peace in the Middle East and understand global warming and stem-cell research? Sure it is.
And when it comes to women (or rather, "wimmin"), well, it's all taken one step further. Or, rather, downward.

It's like an awkward scene from "The Office," where Steve Carell's character Michael Scott, the smarmy manager everyone secretly loathes but who himself believes to be the funniest and most likable and naturally gifted guy in the room, walks up to one of his female employees and grabs a mango and cracks a grossly inappropriate joke about vaginas and laughs hard, slaps everyone on the back, and then takes a big, gross bite of the mango. What a kidder!

He does not, of course, realize no one else is laughing.

Ass, Cash or Grass - No One Gets Rescued for Free

Listen as an American family tries to get help from the government to leave Beirut:

Just like everyone else, I'm watching the events in Lebanon and Israel closely, hoping the voilence stops soon. The Middle East seems to have grown even more unstable since the Clinton years, despite promises from Dick Cheney that invading Iraq would help the region:

Listen here:

Perhaps because the “cut ‘N run” accusers are too busy issuing indictments for sub-patriotic behavior, they didn’t notice that the very government for which they magnet up their car was making some soldiers pay for their damaged body armor. Because after all, had those soldiers been a bit more IED-savvy, they wouldn’t have ruined a perfectly good bullet proof vest. Careless kids.

And with this same crowd gearing up for the really important issues facing the world this November (gay marriage, flag burning, preventing stem cell research, and demanding evolution and sex education be removed from classrooms) they will surely be far too distracted to realize that the American government is making evacuees from Lebanon issue promisary notes to pay back the money for cruise ship tickets out of the country.

I’ll say that again. The Bush administration has sent cruise ships over to Lebanon to rescue Americans residing in a war zone, but only those who buy a ticket can leave.

And to those Americans stuck in Beruit not doing so well financially? Well, you should have thought about that before Hezbollah kidnapped a couple of Israeli soliders, now should you.

From the US Embassy in Lebanon:

The Department of State reminds American citizens that the U.S. government does not provide no-cost transportation but does have the authority to provide repatriation loans to those in financial need. For the portion of your trip directly handled by the U.S. Government we will ask you to sign a promissory note and we will bill you at a later date. In a subsequent message, when we have specific details about the transporation arrangments, we will inform you about the costs you will incur. We will also work with commercial aircraft to ensure that they have adequate flights to help you depart Cyprus and connect to your final destination.

Let's just hope the exit strategy for Americans in Iraq is different.

Meanwhile, the Right has weighed in on Americans in Lebanon "crying" about a slow rescue:

Rush Limbaugh, 7/19:
"Even in the eyes of our ingrate, spoiled-rotten little children, brat-type ingrate citizens in Beirut, it’s our fault. (Crying.) 'It’s a war zone. It’s a war! How do I get out? (crying) We’re having to shield ourselves from the sun in cardboard.' (sobbing) That’s embarrassing.

Fox anchor Neil Cavuto, 7/20:
"The media is playing up a lot of whining, complaining Americans in this country who said there’s been no warning, no communication."

TownHall.com columnist Mike Gallagher, 7/21:
"Amazingly, we’re not even going to charge these ungrateful evacuees for the free trip home. … Their sense of outrage and entitlement is slowly but surely becoming the American way. And it’s positively disgusting."

Fox anchor Steve Doocy, 7/19:
"Shockingly, after they’ve been plucked out of Beirut, a lot of them are whining and complaining that, you know what, I had to sleep on the concrete and they didn’t have any food for me to eat."

Update: Much to the chagrin of those above (including Rush, War-zone Limbaugh), due in part to the embarrassing publicity, the fee to be rescued from the war zone has been waived. God Bless America!

More Good News From Iraq

Most Americans understand now that Iraq is a mess, has been a mess for years, and will probably be messy for years to come – on our dime, our watch, and with our lives in danger.

There are however some, “Iraq is going well,” or the “war is working” Bush supporters, who, albeit come in very small percentages, may be interested in reading the latest:

More than 14,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq in the first half of this year, an ominous figure reflecting the fact that "killings, kidnappings and torture remain widespread" in the war-torn country, a United Nations report says.

Killings of civilians are on "an upward trend," with more than 5,800 deaths and more than 5,700 injuries reported in May and June alone, it says.

The report, a bimonthly document produced by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, covers May and June, and includes chilling casualty figures and ugly anecdotes from the insurgent and sectarian warfare that continues to rage despite the establishment of a national unity government and a security crackdown in Baghdad.

Read on...

However, this isn’t even the best part. You’ll of course remember that the previous justification du jour regarding the invasion of Iraq was the link to 9/11, terrorism, and threats from radical Islam in Iraq (all of which still have yet to build their case for war).

It turns out that the one-time secular, Sunni Muslim dominated counterbalance to Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Iran, and other radical Islamic players in the region, is now itself moving toward a more radicalized, Shiite-ized state, progressing from a secular dictatorship style government to a radically Islamic state:

The U.N. agency says it has been made aware since last year of the targeting of
homosexuals, "increasingly threatened and extra-judicially executed by militias and 'death squads' because of their sexual orientation." The intolerance propelling the anti-gay prejudice extends to ethnic and religious minorities and others whose manner of dress doesn't meet the standards of religious extremists.

"On 28 May, an Iraqi tennis coach and two of his players were shot dead in Baghdad allegedly because they were wearing shorts. Similar threats are said to be made to induce men to conform to certain hair styles or rules regarding facial hair," the report says.Women face intolerance -- and violence -- as well.

"In some Baghdad neighborhoods, women are now prevented from going to the markets alone. In other cases, women have been warned not to drive cars or have faced harassment if they wear trousers. Women have also reported that wearing a headscarf is becoming not a matter of religious choice but one of survival in many parts of Iraq, a fact which is particularly resented by non-Muslim women."

The good news however, is that this report was issued by the United Nations, who along with college professors, the New York Times, and the entire city of San Francisco, is considered by the Right to be too irrelevant and full of hatred for America to amount to anything.

But for the rest of us not on planet Falwell keeping score at home…

Since the invasion of Iraq, you know, to combat global terrorism:

Global terrorism has increased threefold- Iran has started to develop nuclear weapons- Iran has also elected a hard-line radical Islamic president, who sympathizes with the former Ayatollah Khomeini

North Korea is conducting missile tests to see how close to California they can hurl their nuclear goodies

Iraq is heading toward civil war with unprecedented sectarian and religious violence, after electing a Shiite majority to its government, and re-writing its Constitution to move toward a more Islamic state

A recognized terrorist organization has won an election in Palestine to control its Parliament- Egypt’s parliamentary elections have further radicalized the nation via election of the Muslim Brotherhood to more representation

Iran is now encouraging and supporting Hezbollah as it attempts to start war with Israel

Without getting into body armor, back door drafts, mind-blowing spending, American casualties, missing money, alienating allies and forgetting about Afghanistan, I’d say we’re doing a heck of a job in Iraq.

From Not Finding Oil in Texas to Losing it in Iraq

Remember this?

TED KOPPEL: All right, this is the first. I mean, when you talk about 1.7, you're not suggesting that the rebuilding of Iraq is gonna be done for $1.7 billion?

ANDREW NATSIOS: (administration official in charge of rebuilding Iraq) Well, in terms of the American taxpayers contribution, I do, this is it for the US. The rest of the rebuilding of Iraq will be done by other countries…and Iraqi oil revenues…They're going to get in $20 billion a year in oil revenues. But the American part of this will be 1.7 billion. We have no plans for any further-on funding for this.

TED KOPPEL: And we're back once again with ANDREW NATSIOS, administrator for the Agency for International Development. I want to be sure that I understood you correctly. You're saying the, the top cost for the US taxpayer will be $1.7 billion. No more than that?

ANDREW NATSIOSF: or the reconstruction. And then there's 700 million in the supplemental budget for humanitarian relief, which we don't competitively bid 'cause its charities that get that money.

TED KOPPEL: I understand. But as far as reconstruction goes, the American taxpayer will not be hit for more than $1.7 billion no matter how long the process takes?

ANDREW NATSIOS: That is our plan and that is our intention. And these figures, outlandish figures I've seen, I have to say, there's a little bit of hoopla involved in this.


I remember watching the episode of Nightline live as it happened, almost pulling whatever the hell muscle it is that controls the sharp, upward movement of the eyebrows, which forms the unmistakable expression on one’s face that says, “are you fucking kidding me?”

If I had TIVO, I’d have probably played it back on a loop for everyone that visits my house, following it by holding up some cash and saying, “anyone care to make this interesting?”

Obviously that interview has famously come to symbolize yet another miscalculation intentionally misleading screw-up of the Bush administration in Iraq, all a product of politicizing and marketing the war two a country in which 40% of the people were willing to believe it.

Natsios wasn’t alone. There were things the Bush administration had to tell us in order to get the war they wanted, and considering oil revenues paying for the war and its aftermath was something etched in the minds of American public, I thought it would be appropriate to get an update on this from the Government Accountability Office:

S. Comptroller General David M. Walker told Congress last week that "massive corruption" and "a lot of theft going on" in Iraq's government-controlled oil industry is hampering the country's ability to govern itself.

"It took me about, you know, a second and a half to realize that, obviously, there was massive corruption going on, because the numbers just didn't add up," Walker said, referring to a trip he took to Iraq this year in which he was shown figures on oil production and revenue. He said about 10 percent of Iraq's refined fuels and 30 percent of its imported fuels are being stolen…

Read on.

Now, I had a few reactions when I read this.

The first was this: The same administration that promised to usher in an era of accountability in sharp contrast to how they felt the Clinton administration operated, is probably pretty god damn sick and tired of the Government Accountability Office (see: illegal propaganda).

Secondly, I thought to myself, “Republicans are going to be pissed when they hear about this,” and believe me, unless I see a gay pride march or read a new development about stem cell research providing hope to people, I don’t say that very often. I realize this is anecdotal, but the Republicans in my office aren’t necessarily concerned about the war in terms 10’s of thousands of lives lost, the price we’ve paid with our allies, the lack of body armor, the destabilization of the Middle East, or that international terrorism has tripled worldwide…or any of the other stuff with which rest of us are a little concerned. No – the ears of the Bush supporters in these parts perk up when the talk turns toward vanishing tax dollars – which of course isn’t a good thing, but compared to 18 year old kids getting ripped into pieces by IDEs, well, I guess Republicans and I have a bit of a different list of priorities.

Third, this reminded me of when the Coalition Provisional Authority couldn’t account for $8.8 billion, or when Halliburton was caught by the Pentagon overcharging millions in service (not for the dirty food they served our troops, but for gas and other services), or when Custer Battles, the Republican no-bid contract winners hired for security in Iraq, ripped off the government to a tune of more than $10 million.

Now mind you – there is not finite number that can be associated with the amount of oil lost. This type of financial loss is probably worse, but much different, because it wasn’t really lost, it was simply stolen. Good times.

Finally, the report from the GOA went on to say this:

The report concludes that neither the Defense Department nor Congress "can reliably determine the costs of the war, nor do they have details on how appropriated funds are being spent or historical data useful in considering future funding needs."

Finally, something other than gay adoption and flag burning to get the Republicans’ attention.

Back, Relaxed, and On Track!

Well, one out of the three anyway.

I'll be posting again within the next few days. Right now I'm just trying to get my mind back.

In the meantime - and yes, I realize this is like watching someone else's boring home movies - but if you'd like to see some vacation pics, click here.

PS - did Bush do anything stupid while I was gone?

Oops...

I've had a couple "where are you?!" emails...forgot to post this.

I'll be on vacation starting within hours - a bunch of friends and I have a house rented on an island off the coast of Maine. Fishing, boating, and drinking will be accomplished in nearly dangerous quantities, but of course only 2 of the 3 at the same time.

In the meantime, be sure to visit as many “fellow blogger” links on the right hand side of the page – it’s the only place you can actually get news these days.

Cheers.

Some Weekend Fun 'n Games

If you live near coastal New England, you know we’re about to endure our 6th completely rain-soaked washout in the past 8 weekends (yep, 75% of the weekends up here since May 1st have been completely useless…yay). So, I thought I’d queue up some fun and games for everyone through the end of the weekend:

First, listen to Bill O-Reallly? hurl personal insults at various people, groups, and nations – keeping in mind Bill swears up and down he doesn’t hurl personal insults (click here to view the video of O’Reilly not telling people to shut up). You can hear Al Franken in the background, commenting on which person or group Bill was insulting during the audio clip. Listen here:

Next, listen to a clip of John Stewart’s interview with Republican party chair Ken Mehlman, where Mehlman admits from the corruption in his party stems. Listen here:

Next, I have a clip from the Daily Show from the day Bush returned from Iraq and was a little over-excited in dealing with the press. I have NO idea why Crooks & Liars didn’t post this, so if anyone has the video please email me. Listen here:

Rounding out the audio is a clip of Randi Rhodes interviewing Justin Frank, the author of “Bush on the Couch,” where he tries to dissect where Bush’s twisted, strange, juvenile behavior comes from. Frank, a clinical professor in the Department of Psychiatry at George Washington University Medical Center and a teaching analyst at the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, and if anything else, provides an entertaining look into Bush’s brain (not Rove, his real brain). Listen here:

And finally – in order to test your own brain, Moxiegrrrl has posted a link to a quiz on her site, to see if you can tell if specific quotes were uttered by Adolf Hitler, or Ann Coulter. Good luck, and post your scores in the comments. I didn’t do so well. Go here for the quiz.

Report: Most of Hot Air Coming From Bush

More bad news for the Bush administration. They’re not big fans of the whole fancy book-learnin’ global warming evidence that just about which every single legitmate scientist has been warning us for well over a decade. Allow us to count the ways:

Well, we’ve pulled out of Kyoto (one of the only polluting nations in the world to do so).

We have actually hired members of the energy industry to re-write, edit and completely falsify reports released by scientists issued through the Environmental Protection Agency.

When asked the National Academy of Sciences to look into the issue and publish its findings, embarrassingly so for Bush, they agreed that yes the phenomenon is very real, very much a threat, and very much caused in large part by humans.

When the EPA did actually issue a reversal on the issue, Bush was asked why his administration flip-flopped: “I don’t think we have,” he said. (He obviously wasn’t aware of the report, and then when someone told him he responded, “Oh, OK, well, that's got to be true.")

The Bush administration has even gone out of its way to intimidate some of the leading NASA scientists on the issue, until those scientists went public with the allegations, while Faux news has actually put together Bush cheerleading documentaries dismissing the work of Al Gore and other leading Global Warming solution advocates (you may recall that Bush used to mock Al Gore around the debates when it came to alternative fuels for the country that’s “addicted to oil.”) Woops.

But honestly – ask yourselves how you’d expect anything different from an administration that is full of oil men, energy people, a Secretary of State with an oil tanker named for her, and a president who thinks the jury is out on evolution and sex education. Yep – this administration has the scientific progressiveness and depth of a grossed-out 6th grader dissecting their first frog in biology class.

Here’s the latest in Bush’s losing war on Global Warming awareness:

A panel convened by the National Research Council reached that conclusion in a broad review of scientific studies, reporting that the evidence indicates “recent warmth is unprecedented for at least the last 400 years.” The panel of top climate scientists told lawmakers that the Earth is running a fever and that “human activities are responsible for much of the recent warming.”

The report was requested last November by the chairman of the House Science Committee, Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., to address naysayers who question whether global warming is a major threat.

Last year, when the House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, launched an investigation of three climate scientists, Boehlert said Barton should try to learn from scientists, not intimidate them. Read on.

These top scientists however are omitting one obvious flaw in their studies. I believe it was newly minted Bush-supporter liberal Hollywood type Dennis Miller who said in all seriousness, that there is no way we could know the Earth’s temperature that far back due to the fact that we didn’t have thermometers.

By the same token, I honestly have Bush supporters at work citing the fact that it has been an unusually chilly May in Maine as their own counter to global warming evidence.

Sometimes the humor found in the line of reasoning from anti-evolutionists, anti-environmentalists, and the flat-Earthers is enough to offset the overwhelming urge to un-superglue their heads from their asses.

Iran? North Korea? Oil Prices? Nah, Flag Burning!

In the past, I’ve written about today’s Republican campaign and greater political strategies, and now that it’s in full swing, I thought I’d highlight the stupidity.

North Korea is officially poised to test a missile that is packed with enough boost and thrust to hit the United States. We’re currently engaged in one headline-starving, less prioritized war (Afghanistan), and another occupation where nearly 20,000 American soldiers have suffered injury, and to which another 2,500 have given their lives. We have incredible, gaping holes in our national security here at home, most notably at our nation’s ports, as well as an Iranian regime that is moving along quite nicely with its nuclear facilities – you know because the nation sitting on the 3rd largest oil reserve on the world needs to turn to nuclear power for its financial precedence. The national debt and federal government expansion, both led by the small-government, fiscally responsible Republicans, are the largest in American history, and those in the gulf and southeast coasts are wondering how well FEMA and local governments will respond during this, the start of Hurricane season.

So to what can we attribute the focus of the RepubliFear Congress? Gay marriage, and flag burning (priorities apparently listed in that order).

We all know the Gay marriage amendment, having been the first amendment in history to limit the freedom of a particular group rather than to broaden liberties for Americans, didn’t even make it to the floor for a Constitutional vote.

So, the Republicans have decided they’d take advantage of the national hyper-patriotic mood. They’re going to protect the actual symbol of the United States, instead of protecting the actual freedoms for which that symbol stands.

Now of course, Bush-supporters who read this site need thing broken down to a very simplistic, black and white level, so allow me to indulge them for just a second, and perhaps pre-emptively disarm these people of their obnoxious retorts ahead of time (this part isn’t for the progressives – you can simply skip down 2 paragraphs):

I’m not IN FAVOR of flag-burning. I’ve never burned an American flag, nor would I. When I see people burn the American flag, I’m not happy, proud or supportive – similar to when I see someone performing other unappealing, yet perfectly legal acts – say spanking their kid, or smoking while pregnant (both of which aren’t against the law, but actually affect another person physically, as opposed to flag desecration). What I am in favor of, as kooky as it sounds, is freedom of speech and expression, and to me, discarding a piece of cloth made in china, however vulgar the means, is much less destructive than discarding the freedoms, protections and history that particular cloth symbolizes. That cloth flag burned in San Francisco’s Haight district was not in the South Pacific sacrificing its life during WWII – my grandfather however was, so I’d rather honor him and the freedoms he helped secured, rather than that cloth sewn in 2005.

(Progressives and critical thinkers may now rejoin).

The Senate has projected it has 66 votes in favor of an anti-flag desecration amendment, which reads “The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." To those Senators, I would like to make the following points:

How exactly do you define desecration, and who holds the definition? Should we limit it just to burning the flag? What about taking the flag and tearing it in half? My grandmother wore a sweatshirt with an American flag on it this weekend – she didn’t wash it in the gentle cycle and some of the material ripped off. Technically, she ripped an American flag by her own actions. What should we do with her? What if I ripped it off intentionally, or if I had sewn a patch over it? What if I burned her sweatshirt while it still had a flag on it? What if I have a flag on my wall and spray pain a swastika on it? What if my flag outside my door gets old, worn, and is falling apart? That way I’m not desecrating it but I’m allowing it to be desecrated. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Again like the failed gay marriage amendment, this will be the first time in CENTURIES of Constitutional law, that the Bill of Rights will be infringed upon, and in essence scaled back.

The Supreme Court, in 1989 settled this debate and ruled that flag desecration is protected act under the First Amendment. Does that make the Senators trying to circumvent the law, “activist?”

Freedom of speech has never been curtailed based on the fact that it offends people. Flag burning may be offensive to only to some, but to most – however that doesn’t pass the First Amendment test of when specific speech should be censored.

Throughout history, the Constitution has been amended to expand freedoms and legally define pressing issues that need protections. Have we had a surge of flag burning in the past 30 years, and has that activity threatened our liberties in freedoms in any way? Conversely, can you think of some things President Bush has done to circumvent the law and threaten our liberties and freedoms?

I realize I’ve been accused by Bush supporters of not supporting the troops, so I’m a bad example – but explain for me again how this Amendment helps our troops in Iraq & Afghanistan? Could we perhaps be debating and expanding benefits for soldiers, talking about their pay, security, health care, and medical treatment, or doing more to help their families back home? Perhaps even advocate Rush’s brilliant idea to support our troops?

I have been criticized by some in the past of not hammering on the Democrats enough on this web site. Well, allow me to bask in the opportunity. I think the 13 Democrats that would support this bill are not only in the wrong, they should be ashamed of themselves. We have all come to expect this type of political maneuvering and pandering by Republicans. We knew this would be the summer of flag burning, gay marriage, fetal pain and any other bills that rally the conservative base. (After all, conservatives in this great nation have been ignored for too long! ) However, the Democrats should know better, and the fact that they are joining hands on this wedge issue, this non-issue and non-threat “during a time of war” is absolutely inexcusable.

So yes, Harry Reid, Hillary Clinton et all, you’re a bunch of sellouts. Welcome to the wedge issue summer of ’06, and thanks for bowing down to political pressure before bowing to the Constitution. Reason #4,212 I will not support any kind of Hillary primary win is due to the fact that she’ll move more and more to the right like some sort of Sean Hannity cocktail party whore, and this will be on record with all of the other concessions she’s made.

Either way, with or without Democratic support, it’s predicted that this Amendment will at least past the Senate, and become the law of the land before too long, so perhaps it’s wise to ask, just as I did with the death penalty, which nations will be keeping us company philosophically speaking. Here are some of note:

Nazi Germany
China
The former Soviet Union
Iraq (under Saddam)
Iran
Cuba
North Korea

As you ponder joining that stellar group, consider a quote I saw somewhere: "I would rather someone was wrapped in the Constitution burning the flag than wrapped in the flag burning the Constitution."

Or, perhaps Title 1, Chapter 4, Section 8 of the U.S. Code ("Respect for flag") might shed some light on the subject:

"The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."

Which Man is More Blind?

Welcome to the Bush Insensitivity Training and Humor Seminar -
Listen:

Bush's giddyness is now officially out of control. Of course the liberal media is touting the two recent Bush "victories."

1). The man that never really had much power, fame, or state support before we invaded Iraq, and subsequently gained all three after our invasion is now dead. That's right, we just killed one of the boogie men we in part, created. Sweet.

2). This is perhaps my favorite - Karl Rove will apparently NOT be indicted. Think about this for a second. It's a good week for the Bush administration when one of them NARROWLY ESCAPES INDICTMENT. Wow.

Still energized by drinks from the good news fountain, Bush held a press conference regarding his visit to Iraq. You remember, the one Rummy projected would last...well, I'll let him tell you:

Listen:

And of course, Bush went on to explain to us why he took such an important mission...to find out what the hell them little critters we're bombin' are thinkin' and what they're really like!

Listen:

And finally, the one that takes the cake...click the image, above/right, for the video. And then read here.

(Ok, so everyone has probably seen the video already, but I can't help myself - the more audio and video I stack on my server, the more we can all forward to that asshole Republican uncle of ours. )

Absolut Corruption

I wanted to take a minute and share my updated list of Republican corruption. The skeleton from which I worked can be found all over the web at progressive sites. Due to that fact, I cannot figure out who initially compiled the list, but they deserve an amazing amount of credit because keeping track of this kind of thing is very difficult and time consuming.

A few days ago, I addressed some comments from a couple of people, specifically one “anonymous” commenter who said that the “(Democrats)… (are)just as (corrupt),’ it's been proven so many times.”

I’m here to say that I truly believe that theory is invalid, on many different levels, and I’m using the list below to highlight my point.

DISCLAIMER:
Let me first start by making what I’m NOT saying crystal clear.

I am not saying there isn’t corruption in the Democratic, Green, Independent, Communist, Social, Libertarian, and (insert party here) camps.

I believe that the disdain and skepticism of American government has grown steadily over the past few decades, to the point where politicians share the same punch line with lawyers and Priests, and frankly many of them deserve it. One could easily rattle off some of the Kennedy antics from 30 years ago, and scream “Bill Clinton’s infidelity” until they’re blue in the face.

What I am highlighting here, however, is the absolutely noticeable, measurable and obvious imbalance of political corruption, hypocrisy, and indictments in the today’s Republican party, when compared to their Democratic counterparts. I will be the first to admit that it’s not necessary Republicanism that corrupts, but rather power, which makes both parties susceptible. However, I would ask that people keep two things in mind when reading the list:

1. Almost all of the indictments, investigations, and criminal probes have come during the time when the very party of these politicians is in absolute, total, unchecked control of the law. Had there been some sort of accountability and balance in government, I believe this list would be much, much more expansive.

2. Since the 1960’s and catalyzed during the Reagan era, Republicans have always tried to associate themselves with Christianity, the moral majority, the party of God, the family values group, and the ethical elite. They constantly seek wedge issues to rally their base of holier-than-thou constituents that have hijacked the right wing of their party. Do not forget this is the party of corrupt Christian conservatives such as James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Bob Jones, Gary Bauer, etc etc. For that alone, you shouldn’t need this, but hey, someone challenged me and I accepted.

Many of you with progressive web sites have seen this list and are well aware of its circulation, in its more condensed form. However, I have looked up each scandal, read a few articles to both learn and refresh my memory, added a lot more detailed description, additional information, and where possible, links to the stories that back the allegation. Feel free to circulate this version or any other you find helpful.

Put the kids to bed – here we go:

Alaska state Senator Ben Stevens: Investigated for accepting consulting fees from oil services firm Veco. Semco Energy, the corporation that owns Alaska's largest natural gas utility, gives $70,000 a year in cash and stock to sit on its board of directors and was undisclosed by Stevens. He may be subject to a recall vote.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Ethics probe for accepting salary from two men’s fitness magazines while governor, possible kickback from American Media publisher to Schwarzenegger charity and silence money to a woman who had an extramarital affair with Schwarzenegger. There may be a criminal investigation. Arnold has also been in court for sexual harassment from one Rhonda Miller. The law suit alleges the Schwarzenegger "grabbed me, put me on his lap and started feeling my breasts, so I hit him in the head again. He got mad and pushed me away."

Bill O’Reilly: Settled sexual harassment suit out of court

Rush Limbaugh: Turned himself in for charges of committing fraud to obtain prescription drugs. Drugs include OxyContin, Hydrocodone, and Xanax. This of course occurred after Rush called Jerry Garcia a druggie stating that we are whackos for honoring a drug addict, and that drug users ought to be
convicted and they ought to be sent up.

California Rep Duke Cunningham: Faced bribery allegations regarding defense firm MZM, Inc, and was investigated by the Pentagon. Pleaded guilty to tax evasion, conspiracy, Nov. 28, 2005. In exchange for defense contracts, Cunningham received money and mortgage help on a few different mansions in California.

California Rep Dana Rohrabacher: Received trips to the Mariana Islands, the territory in which there has been rape and forced abortions tied heavily to Abramoff and Tom DeLay, from college friend Jack Abramoff, as well as free dinners at Abramoff’s restaurant.

Connecticut Gov. John Rowland: Accused, convicted, and imprisoned for accepting free renovations to his vacation cottage as well as charter flights and vacations from a state contractor, and of defrauding the IRS by not paying taxes on the free services. He was released from prison this past February after time served.

Delaware Atty General Jane Brady: Accused of helping MBNA Bank of Wilmington skirt campaign finance laws.

Jack Abramoff, GOP lobbyist, Bush Fund Raiser Pioneer, Bush/Cheney transition team member: Pleaded guilty to fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Currently naming other Republicans coinciding with his indictment to reduce his prison sentence.

Adam Kidan: College Republican member with Abramoff, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud in December of last year.

Michael Scanlon, Chief of Staff to Tom Delay: Indicted Nov. 18, 2005 for conspiracy to defraud Indian tribes. Pleaded guilty 3 days later. Scanlon's public relations firm, Capitol Campaign Strategies, received millions of dollars from tribes involved in gambling casinos, funneling the money to conservative causes and Republican Party organizations

Steve Rosen, (AIPAC): Indicted for the leak of classified Pentagon information.

Keith Weissman (AIPAC): Same as above, turned himself in for arrest last May.

Larry Franklin: Pentagon official who leaked classified information about Iraq to the above men.

Scooter Libby, aid to VP Dick Cheney: Probed for illegal disclosure of CIA classified information. Indicted on 5 charges including, obstruction of justice, making false statements and perjury. Trial pending.

Karl Rove: Probed for illegal disclosure of CIA classified information. New Grand Jury investigating Rove, possible indictment pending. Back in Texas, Rove was accused of bugging his own office and blaming it on the Democrats. While the evidence shows this was probably the case, he was never arrested.

David H. Safavian, Head of Procurement Policy, Office of Management and Budget: Arrested for made repeated false statements to government officials and investigators about a golf trip with Abramoff to Scotland in 2002. The indictment also accuses him of concealed his efforts to help Jack Abramoff acquire control of two federally managed properties in Washington.

Kenneth Tomlinson, Broadcasting Board of Governors member: Member of PBS who tried to inject more conservative bias into public broadcasting, now under investigation for violating the Public Broadcasting Act. The investigation found that Tomlinson broke the law. He was also found to be exchanging emails with Karl Rove.

Patricia Harrison, President Corporation for Public Broadcasting: This former Republican Party co-chairwoman was under investigation with Tomlinson for the same violations, and is the person Tomlinson hired, which was part of the indictment.

Dick Cheney, Vice President: Part of investigation for the Valerie Plame leak. Arrested for DWI in the early 1960’s in Wyoming. Twice. In Two years.

George W. Bush, President: Arrested at age 30 in Kennebunkport for DWI.
Katherine Harris, Florida Congresswoman: Probed for receiving illegal donations from MZM Inc (see Duke Cunningham) totaling $10,000.

Tom Feeney, Florida Congressman: Probed for corporate ties to Yang Enterprises, involved in over-billing the state of Florida. Feeney was Jeb Bush’s 1994 running mate for Lt. Gov.

Ralph Reed, Southeast regional chairman of the Bush-Cheney '04 and former Christian Coalition Head: Arrested but not prosecuted for staging a protest outside of an abortion clinic, (where mock baby funerals were held), after bursting into front doors of the Fleming clinic. He was under investigation in 1997 for charges that stemmed from “marking up” the Coalition’s bills. He resigned in April of that year. He is also associated with Jack Abramoff in many of the Casino scandals, and accepted more than $1 million in fees from the lobbyist on behalf of American Indian casinos and prompted a federal investigation. He is considered one of the principle players in the Abramoff scandal.

Guam Gov. Felix Camacho: Probed for demoting Acting US Attorney for Guam Frederick Black. Black had been supervising a grand jury investigation into lobbyist Jack Abramoff's secret arrangement with Guam Superior Court officials to lobby against a court revision bill then pending in Congress. An ethics team is investigating under the assumption the demotion was done in retaliation for investigating Abramoff.

Dalton Tanonaka, former Lt. gubernatorial and congressional candidate (and former anchor for liberal CNN): Under FEC investigation for campaign contribution violations. Also investigated for possible illegal foreign funding from Hong Kong and Japan. He pleaded guilty in July to a series of charges stemming for the campaign fraud, and making false statement on a loan application. He was sentenced to three months in federal prison.

Galen Fox, Republican House Minority Leader, Hawaii: Convicted on federal charges in Los Angeles of sexual battery on a woman during a Honolulu to LAX flight. He resigned in November 2005.

Dennis Hastert, Republican House Speaker: Probed for having been the recipient of tens of thousands of dollars of secret payments from Turkish officials in exchange for political favors and information.

Bob Kjellander , Republican National Treasurer, headed President Bush's re-election campaign in three states: Under Federal probe for steering investment contracts, specifically one for 4.5 million to Illinois Teachers Retirement Fund.

Lee Daniels, Former Illinois Republican House Leader: Subpoenaed by a federal grand jury conducting a criminal investigation for misuse of state employees for political activity and state contract kickbacks.

Gov. Mitch Daniels, Indiana: Under investigation for violating the “open records law” in return for Indiana Dept. of Transportation contracts. The investigation also includes the following Republicans:

Thomas Sharp, INDOT Commissioner – See above

Jim Kittle, GOP state chairman - See above

Indiana Rep. Chris Chocola - See above

Adam Taff, Republican congressional candidate: Indicted last August for allegedly using campaign contributions to fraudulently obtain a loan for a $1.2 million home.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Kentucky: On May 11, 2006 a special grand jury indicted Fletcher on three misdemeanor charges for conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination. The following KY Republicans were indicted with him:

Transportation Commissioner Dan Druen: See above

Deputy Personnel Secretary Bob Wilson: See above

Darrell Brock, Chairman of Kentucky GOP: See above

Gov. Personnel Adviser Basil Turbyfill: See above

Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert: See above

Dick Murgatroyd, Gov. Deputy Chief of Staff: See above

Jim Adams, Deputy Transportation Secretary: See above

Cory Meadows, Executive Director, Transportation Dept.: See above

Kentucky GOP Treasurer Dave Disponett: Indicted on three counts of criminal conspiracy to commit political discrimination.

J. Marshall Hughes, Kentucky GOP party chairman: Indicted on two counts of the same conspiracy charge.

Senator David Vitter, Louisiana Senator: With lose ties to Abramoff, he inserted a provision into a Department of Interior spending bill for one of Abramoff's clients, the Coushatta tribe of Louisiana, which prevented a competing casino from opening. He initially lied when he claimed he never met the lobbyist, despite having used Abramoff's restaurant, Signatures, for a September 2003 fundraiser.

Joseph Steffen, aide to Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich: Tasked by the governor to attend meetings in order to root people out not loyal to Ehrlich. He later resigned for writing e-mails and Web site postings that spread false rumors about the private life of Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley.

Mitt Romney, Mass governor: Awarded a $10,000 contract to a conservative Boston Herald op-ed columnist to promote the governor's environmental policies.

Lawrence Novak, Vice Chair, Mass GOP, Republican State Treasurer: Arrested in September ’05 after making a deposit in a Brockton bank, for money laundering.

Mike Cox, Michigan Atty General: Refused to investigate Graceland Fruit Inc. and its owner Don Nugent on potential felony pollution charges. He refused to say why.

Rep. Roy Blunt, Missouri House Majority Leader: Deeply connected to Abramoff, investigated for trading illegal PAC money with Tom DeLay through Blunt's Rely on Your Beliefs Fund.

Trent Lott, former Senate Majority Leader: In may of 2000, The Washington Post reported that Senate Majority Leader Lott may have pressured high-tech lobbyists for contributions to a non-profit organization, Americans for Job Security, to assist the re-election efforts of Senator Spencer Abraham (R-MI), in exchange for legislative action on an immigration bill. Resigned from leadership post after making the comment that United States would be a better place if Strom Thurmond, who campaigned on a platform of racial segregation, was elected President.

Gene Chandler, NH Republican House Speaker: Stepped down from his post after being charged with violating the Legislature’s Ethics Guidelines. He failed to report $64,000 he received in gifts over a four year period, and pleaded guilty.

James Tobin, Northeast political director National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee: Indicted, conspiracy, orchestrated a plot to jam telephone lines set up by the Democratic party in New Hampshire on Election Day 2002. Convicted Dec. 15, on 2 telephone harassment charges. Sentenced to 7 months in federal prison. The presiding judge made the following statement on sentencing day: "I'm not sure you recognize that the nature of this offense is extraordinary. It was a direct assault on free and fair elections. ... Our democracy is fragile, it cannot afford assaults on the integrity of that process… We'll never know if the wrong people are sitting in government.” Other Republicans pleading guilty:

Chuck McGee, former Exec. Dir. New Hampshire Republican Party: See above

Allen Raymond, GOP Marketplace President: See above

Tom Wilson, New Jersey GOP State Chairman: Probed for his firm receiving $2.7 million from the Burlington County Bridge Commission.

Mike Furguson, Rep from NJ: A close friend of Jack Abramoff, Rep. Ferguson has accepted $54,413 directly from DeLay and his political action committee known as ARMPAC since 1998. The Ferguson campaign has also accepted close to $200,000 from fundraising programs run by former DeLay employees embroiled in corruption scandals.

Jeanine Pirro, Westchester County District Attorney and Republican US Senate candidate: Probed for campaign donations from mobsters. Signed joint tax returns for which her husband, Albert J. Pirro, was convicted. In 2000, he was convicted on 66 counts of federal tax fraud. Pirro had hidden $1 million in income from the Federal Government between 1988 and 1997, claiming dozens of personal luxuries as business expenses, including his $123,000 Ferrari and his wife's Mercedes-Benz. He served 17 months in prison.

Charles Taylor, Rep, NC: Investigation pending into Taylor’s investments, based on testimony in a criminal prosecution of three men involved with making fraudulent loans at Blue Ridge Savings Bank in Asheville, N.C, of which Taylor is the vice chairman.

Hayes Martin, Taylor’s Campaign Treasurer: Indicted for fraud and money laundering. He pleaded guilty last April and is currently on probation.

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft: Convicted, (pleaded no contest), and was the first Ohio governor convicted with a crime. $4000 fine and public apology, two Federal Grand Juries, one state Grand Jury still investigating Taft. Taft's conviction is grounds under the Ohio Constitution for impeachment and removal from office by the Ohio General Assembly. However, since both chambers are currently controlled by Republicans and impeachment is highly unlikely.

Thomas Noe, Bush-Cheney 04 campaign chair: Noe has been indicted by a Federal Grand Jury for laundering money into the Bush/Cheney 04 campaign. In February ’05, Noe was indicted on 53 felonies including money laundering, theft, tampering with records and forgery. $50 million was missing from the State Workers Pension Plan when all was said and done due to a risky rare coin investment scandal.

Bernadette Noe, wife of Tom Noe, chair of the Lucas County Republican Party: A report by Ken Blackwell found gross failures on the part of Ms. Noe’s board in preparation for the administration of Nov ’04 elections. She is accused of failing to lock and secure ballots and voting machines; manipulating the three percent hand recount; and failing to properly remove Ralph Nader from county ballots.

Ohio Rep Rep. Bob Ney: Strongly tied to the Abramoff scandal with Tom DeLay, and is expecting federal indictment based on financial transactions in the Abramoff scandal.

Ohio Rep Jean Schmidt: Cut-and-run Jean subject of a probe regarding financial ties to Games, Inc., and proposal to put Ohio State Lottery on the Internet.

Douglas Moormann, Gov. Taft's Executive Assistant for Business and Industry: Charged with failing to report a $5,000 loan from Noe in 2004, under criminal investigation.

Douglass Talbot, Aide to Gove Taft: Failed to report a $39,000 loan from Noe in 2002 and made illegal contributions of $1,000 each to three Ohio Supreme Court justices.

Walden W. O'Dell, Chairman & CEO of Diebold (Voting Machines), major Bush-Cheney campaign contributor: After promising to "deliver" Ohio to Bush in 2004, he resigned in late 2005 after initiation of a class action lawsuit against Diebold for securities fraud.

Oregon Rep. Dan Doyle: Convicted and sentenced to 10 months in jail in October 2005 for falsifying campaign-finance reports. Doyle also was fined $127,185.

Pennsylvania Rep. Don Sherwood: Investigated by DC police for assaulting and choking a 29-year old Maryland woman.

Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick: Closely linked to the Abramoff scandal. Federal Elections Commission records show that Fitzpatrick has received $15,000 from the DeLay controlled Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC) since 2004. DeLay has been indicted in Texas for money laundering and accepting illegal contributions to one of his “leadership PACs.”

Mike Battles, 2002 Rhode Island House Candidate: Half of a firm called Custer Battles, disbarred from Iraq contracts after allegations of over charging and money laundering. Custer Battles LLC of Fairfax was paid approximately $15 million to provide security for civilian flights at Baghdad International Airport, even though no planes flew during the contract term. Custer Battles is one of the most underreported scandals in the current Iraq war. If you haven’t read about the firm, please look it up.

Vince Cianci Providence, RI Mayor: Indicted in April 2001 on federal criminal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, witness tampering, and mail fraud. Currently serving his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix. He is scheduled to be released in December of 2007. In August 2005, Cianci was denied a request for early release.

Bill Janklow, South Dakota Rep: In January ’02, convicted of second-degree manslaughter, speeding, running a stop sign and reckless driving.

Bill Frist, Senate majority leader: In September, ’05, SEC prosecutors issued a subpoena for documents HCA Inc believes may be related to the sale of its stock by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He is accused of insider trading.

Former House Leader Tom Delay: Where to start? Admonished several times by the House Ethics committee, including bribery, threatening, misappropriation of tax dollars, money laundering, etc (click the link to read the list). Probed for campaign finance fraud, ties to Abramoff/Kidan, Saipan sweat shops. Grand Jury, Travis County prosecutor, and House Ethics Committee probing DeLay. Indicted by Travis County District Attorney for 1 count of criminal conspiracy and 2 counts of money laundering. Arrested and booked at Harris County jail October 20, 2005. One of the principal partners in the Jack Abramoff scandal. Conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering charges still stand after Texas Judge dropped the one count of criminal conspiracy on December 5, 2005. Also tied to Delay in terms of their indictments are the following:

Jim Ellis, Director Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC) PAC tied to DeLay and Abramoff: Indicted, See above

John Colyandro, Texans for a Republican Majority (TRMPAC), DeLay associate: Indicted, See above

Warren RoBold, Lobbyist and DeLay associate: Indicted, See above

Tom Craddick, Texas Speaker of the House: Closely tied to Delay, Accepted $152,000 from Tom DeLay’s Texans for a Republican Majority PAC, which Craddick’s campaign aides then distributed to 14 Republican House candidates crucial to Craddick’s election as Speaker. He also spent more than $1,200 of his donors’ money on tickets to the 2004 Super Bowl.

Sam Walls, Republican Texas House Candidate: Has appeared in several photos dressed as a woman, and has acknowledged he is a cross-dresser (note: this in and of itself doesn’t make anyone corrupt in the least – however a Texas Republican cross-dresser is in and of itself a punch-line worthy of mentioning.)

Todd Baxter, Texas State Rep: Resigned from office after Baxter took $35,000 in illegal corporate cash from Tom DeLay during his first legislative campaign in 2002. That contribution is still being examined by a Travis Co. grand jury.

Kevin Brady, Texas Rep: Arrested for DWI the night he received an Alumni Achievement Award at the University of South Dakota.

Virgil Goode, Virginia Rep: Directly tied to the Duke Cunningham MZM scandal, as MZM was his top campaign contributor. $627,000 is tied to MZM and good in sweetheart deals.
Jim West, Spokane Mayor: A fervent anti-gay legislation Republican, admitted to luring what he thought was a young adult man to his office but denied allegations that he molested two young boys more than 20 years ago. West confirmed to The Spokesman-Review of Spokane that he offered gifts, favors and a City Hall internship during Internet chats with a man he believed was 18. He was recalled by a 2 to 1 margin.

Kenneth Lay, Enron Executive: Major Bush contributor and friend, Kenny-boy was recently convicted on all six counts against him, including conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud related to Enron. He faces a maximum of 45 years in prison. Lay also faces 120 years in prison in a separate case. Lay was quoted after his trial, saying “"I firmly believe I'm innocent of the charges against me. We believe that God in fact is in control and indeed he does work all things for good for those who love the lord." Hope your cell mate feels the same way Ken.

Jeffrey Skilling, Enron Executive: Convicted on 19 counts of conspiracy and fraud. Combined with his conviction on one count of insider trading, he faces a maximum of 185 years in prison. God has not commented on his case.

Macy's Loses its Pride

The Macy’s Department store removed a display including two male mannequins, due to the demands of a fringe, gay-bashing group whose web site has “had enough…of homosexual activist recruitment of our children in the public schools!”

The group who freaked out, Mass Resistance, list of links on their site gives shout-outs to one Michael Heath, leader of the Maine Christian Civic League here in Maine. Heath is best known for starting his own web site to voluntarily “out” all local politicians “suspected” of being gay so everyone knows who they are. Such a cute little close-knit group of homophobes, these people are.

The reason why Macy’s had what appeared to be two gay mannequins in the window? It’s Boston’s gay pride week.

Macy's department store has removed a window display marking Boston's gay pride week after a group that opposes gay marriage complained it was offensive.

The display at the downtown Boston store featured two male mannequins, with one wearing a gay pride rainbow flag around his waist, next to a list of several planned Boston Pride Week events (see the image, above right, thanks to AmericaBlog).

MassResistance, formerly the Article 8 Alliance, which has campaigned against gay marriage and gay-themed textbooks in public schools, objected to the display...Read on.

Americablog has a picture of the visual metaphor. Because after all, if the gay pride displays are removed, people will stop being gay, right? Right?

Although this group is certainly an outlier on the scale of politics, I would suggest there is a strong connection between our political leaders devaluing gays, lesbians and their relationships, and the bacteria-like breeding of groups such as MassResistance. Despite the fact that we’ve already got the 1997 Defense of Marriage Act on the books, Senator Vitter of Louisiana has this to say about his political priorities.

Hurricane season is upon us Senator. Thousands of people are still desperate, homeless or dead, but thank fucking God boys aren’t legally kissing under a shared roof. That would just be wrong.

Ann Coulter and Her Giant Adam's Apple

Ann Coulter, who has become one of the best selling authors for the conservative movement, says stupid things sometimes all the time.

While most people have heard the news by now, I honestly don’t think she’s getting her boney ass kicked enough in the media. I realize all she wants is the attention, as she’s currently #3 on the Amazon list, but the only tough reaction I’ve seen to what she said so far has been from Keith Olberman, and Air America.

I’ve been trying to gather the words to respond to this hateful scumbag, because many in the Republican party have certainly clammed up about it. Instead of just ranting and raving about how offensive her comments were, and how this is reason #1,392 why liberals continue to raise eyebrows at conservatives who think the response to 9/11 and the war on terror is best associated with Republicans, and that Democrats are missing the point on both issues – I will instead respond via video, audio, and text. After all, there’s nothing I could say that most others aren’t thinking. The information below paints enough of a picture for now.


Thanks to Crooks and Liars, the Olberman response can be seen here .

Today on the Jerry Springer Show (I know), a caller, who was so enraged her voice was shaking, puts a personal touch on the level of offense Coulter achieved. Listen here:

And finally, for Ann Coulter’s thoughts on some other issues:

-"To expiate the pain of losing her first-born son in the Iraq war, Cindy Sheehan decided to cheer herself up by engaging in Stalinist agitprop outside President Bush's Crawford ranch. ... After your third profile on 'Entertainment Tonight,' you're no longer a grieving mom; you're a C-list celebrity trolling for a book deal or a reality show," Coulter wrote in her TownHall.com column on Aug. 18, 2005.

-"Even if corners were cut, (Iran-Contra) was a brilliant scheme. There is no possibility that anyone in any Democratic administration would have gone to such lengths to fund anti-communist forces. When Democrats scheme from the White House, it's to cover up the president's affair with an intern. When Republicans scheme, it's to support embattled anti-communist freedom fighters sold out by the Democrats," she wrote in 2003's "Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism."

-"My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building," The New York Observer quoted her as saying on Aug. 20, 2002. She clarified those remarks with RightWingNews.com: "Of course I regret it. I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters.'"

-"After all other suitable office space in Manhattan had dried up - and also after spending the weekend golfing at an all-white club in Florida - Clinton announced he would take an office in Harlem. ... As one of my friends remarked, that should be nice: Having escaped a mugging on the way to work, Clinton's female employees will then have to face an accused rapist in the office," Coulter wrote on Feb. 19, 2001.

-"The Americanization of Iraq proceeds at an astonishing pace, the Iraqis are taking to freedom like fish to water, and the possibilities for this nation are endless. It's hard to say who's more upset about these developments: the last vestiges of pro-Hussein Baathist resistance in Iraq or John Kerry's campaign manager," Coulter wrote in a June 30, 2004, column posted on her Web site.

-"(Liberals) are always accusing us of repressing their speech. I say let's do it. Let's repress them. ... Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the First Amendment," Coulter said during an Oct. 21, 2005, speech at the University of Florida.

-"Abortion is the sacrament and Roe v. Wade is Holy Writ," she wrote in "Godless: The Church of Liberalism," published Tuesday.

-"We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We weren't punctilious about locating and punishing only Hitler and his top officers. We carpet-bombed German cities; we killed civilians. That's war. And this is war," Coulter wrote in a column published by the National Review Online on Sept. 13, 2001.

-"The portrayal of Senator Joe McCarthy as a wild-eyed demagogue destroying innocent lives is sheer liberal hobgoblinism. Liberals weren't cowering in fear during the McCarthy era. They were systematically undermining the nation's ability to defend itself while waging a bellicose campaign of lies to blacken McCarthy's name. Everything you think you know about McCarthy is a hegemonic lie. Liberals denounced McCarthy because they were afraid of getting caught, so they fought back like animals to hide their own collaboration with a regime as evil as the Nazis," she wrote in "Treason."

-"Mostly the Witches of East Brunswick wanted George Bush to apologize for not being Bill Clinton," she wrote in "Godless." She was referring to the New Jersey town where two of the Sept. 11 widows live.

-"We need somebody to put rat poison in Justice Stevens' creme brulee," Coulter said in a Jan. 27 appearance at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., regarding Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. She later explained she was joking about the justice, whose votes have upheld Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision legalizing abortion.

-"You want to be careful not to become just a blowhard," she said in The Washington Post on October 16, 1998.

Watada

Add First Lieutenant Ehren Watada to the list of those who hate the troops (see other groups here, and please do what you can to stop them).

Lt. Watada, despite facing court martial, has decided to voice his opinion about the legality and legitimacy of the war in Iraq.

This of course has brought forth the “support the troops - but only when they support this war” crowd, who are waiting like airlines backed up on a runway at O’hare to get on cable news to bash this guy (It’s the same crowd that hates Cindy Sheehan, think some 9/11 widows enjoyed their husband’s deaths, and thinks Max Cleeland is a traitor for only offering only three of his limbs in Vietnam, instead of all four):

"I feel that we have been lied to and betrayed by this administration," Watada said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Fort Lewis. "It is the duty, the obligation of every soldier, and specifically the officers, to evaluate the legality, the truth behind every order — including the order to go to war."

In making his decision, Watada has reached out to peace groups, including clergy, students, some veterans opposed to Iraq and others. Some war critics are raising money for his legal defense as they seek to galvanize broader opposition to Bush administration policy in Iraq.

Among the enlisted ranks at Fort Lewis, Sgt. Kevin Benderman is serving a 15-month sentence at a base correctional facility for refusing a second tour of duty in Iraq. Benderman, an Army mechanic for 10 years, served in Iraq in 2003 but refused to board a plane for a return trip in January 2005. He did not, however, consider himself a conscientious objector, since he was willing to fight in wars that were justified, legal and in defense of the nation.

As to the question of whether or not individual captains, lieutenants, etc have the right to question orders, and directly disobey them? I just don’t know. One need not be in the military to understand the extreme importance of conformity, obedience to authority, and unquestionable sacrifice that goes along with having an effective army. Individual soldiers calling their own shots about what is right and what is not, seems almost like an oxymoron to me. If one enlists, one has an obligation to follow all orders…or do they?

Many would argue it’s the duty of those who serve to refute illegal orders. In other words, if those at Abu Ghraib refused to carry out the naked pyramid pile order issued by their superiors at the prison, they’d have been lauded, not court-martialed. I have no idea what military law states about whose determination makes a particular order illegal, however.

One thing is for certain – the Swift-Boating of this guy will begin faster than you can say “Cheney had 5 deferments during Vietnam.” This is not the time when free thought, dissent, or going against the grain for what you believe in are rewarded, especially if you’re military. Those are, after all, commie-liberal characteristics.

Bring on the Virgins!

I often snicker when I hear of an Islamic extremist who has murdered people, getting knocked off. They are told they'll be greeted with dozens of virgins in heaven (which by the way is some of the worst sex you can have...I've heard).

I only wish I could see the look on their face when they are in fact greeted properly, wherever they end up. Yesterday, al-Zarkawi got his chance.

According to the Pentagon, only about 2 to 3% of the attacks in Iraq are actually coming from foreign al-Qaeda. Most are from Iraqis who want the U.S. out. We will now get to see how accurate this theory is, and whether or not the attacks will slow down now that a major Al Qaeda leader has been snuffed.

Even the Captains Like Kool-Aid

While most polls continue to show Bush still kicking the 30% can down the road of presidential approval, in conjunction with support for the Iraq war well below 50% and still dropping (before Haditha really has a chance to resonate), I find myself wondering how people could actually think Iraq was worth it, that is it going well, or that it has an end in site.

In talking to the few people left who still support this war and somehow believe the mission is clear (yet still can't answer the "why are we there question") I have discovered something: There are a small minority of people who believe Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11. I'm not kidding. We on the left must be in the dark, because just when we thought that the Iraq/September 11th connection was as openly defeated, and just as bungled as our assumption that Iraq had WMD's when we invaded, I have made the discovery that people still connect Iraq to 9/11.

So there's your answer.

If you're asking yourself, as most of the country apparently is, how could anyone still think Iraq was a necessary or even smart move, this will help you understand. If one believes bitter enemies like Saddam and bin Laden cooperated in the horror we saw nearly 5 years ago, despite having directly clashing philosophies, despite the historical absence of a working relationship, despite the CIA dismissing it, despite other world intelligence agencies dismissing it, despite the 9/11 commission dismissing it, despite no one really having a shred of evidence proving otherwise, despite Germany having a greater relationship to Al Qaeda than Iraq, despite everyone in the world but this handful of people closing the book about 4 years ago and moving on - then one must believe the war in Iraq is justified. It's really that simple.

I'm currently reading Richard Clarke's book, Against all Enemies. By only the third chapter, the reader certainly has a sense of the significant role Clarke played - for decades - in terms of geopolitical power through several presidents to track, monitor, and mobilize several administrations toward combating not only terrorism but any threat to our country from the Cold War forward.

What is striking, however, is how Clarke takes the reader through the initial 9/11 attack, and the absolute dumbfoundedness, confusion and outright jaw-on-the-floor shock that he and other counter-terrorism experts felt as they watched officials in this administration, most of which are signed members of PNAC, focus their attention away from fundamentalist Islamic terrorists, to a nation that wasn't even on the radar screen as far as terrorism goes, when compared to about 15 other African and Asian nations.

When those who argue for the merits of the Iraq war mention 9/11, it's easy to feel a little nauseous, and I suspect that Randi Rhodes is no exception. Last Thursday she took a call from a captain in the Army regarding the Iraq war, who wasn't sure about the 9/11 --> Saddam connection.

Randi is not always polite to her callers, but in a time where liberals and Democrats are criticized for not having a pair, I believe she is needed. If you find her annoying, I would direct you to the tuning selector on your radio that enables you to travel the frequencies of the FM and AM spectrums to find about 46 other hosts with different opinions.

As for me, I think our side needs a bit more outrage while calling others on their bullshit. After all, this isn't a debate about tax cuts - people are dying.

And before Bush-supporters feign outrage that Randi is lecturing someine in armed forces, please cut her a little slack. Randi does have more credibility than most in the current administration when it comes to military knowledge – after all, she achieved Airman First Class in the United States Air Force.

Listen to the call:

And Now For Some Shock and Awe

Today's entry calls for another round of Lying or Stupid...
Listen:

Even though study after study shows that abstinence-only education isn't effective, and can actually increase ignorance of teens toward safe, and more important, healthy and informed attitudes toward sex, funding for this type of education in public schools has increased almost 3,000% since Bush took office (no, that's not a typo). As part of a recruitment tool, the Bush administration has directed this funding not only to schools, but to Churches and other anti-abortion groups.

Nevermind that abstinence-only educated kids are much less likely to practice safe sex and more likely to have anal sex than kids who've actually been educated regarding safe sex...that's fancy pants science hogwash!

In keeping with the Bush administration's theme of ignoring science and pushing misinformation, one documented lecture by Pam Stenzel, an abstinence instructor told a class of eighth graders that:

no one has ever had sex with more than one partner without paying a price

birth control pills make you ten times more susceptible to death

abortion causes long-term psychological damage

condoms are unsafe

boys don't get hurt by premarital sex while girls suffer for life (I know - a sexist, anti-female message from religiouss sex education - I'm shocked!)

large numbers of 18 to 20-year- old women are having radical hysterectomies because of cervical cancer caused by early sexual activity

Now, one study has found that kids who are observed after taking "the pledge" are probably not the best sources of info anyway. Why? Well, because they're lying...duh!


Here's the latest:

Teenagers who take pledges to remain virgins until marriage are likely to deny having taken the pledge if they later become sexually active. Conversely, those who were sexual active before taking the pledge frequency deny their sexual history, according to new study findings.

...In addition, these teens may also underestimate their risk of exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.

"Teenagers do not report their past sexual activity accurately, with virginity pledgers giving more inaccurate reports of their past sexual activity," study author Janet Rosenbaum, of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, told Reuters Health.

Read on.

So you know, the hope here is that Billy might have his first case chlamydia by 16, and be left with the impression that girls who like sex are "dirty" and will make Jesus mad and give them cancer because of it...at least he wasn't exposed to his teacher putting a rubber on a cucumber in health class. Whew.

Faux News Still Cold on Global Warming

Sometimes Fox News does provide some comic relief. Whether or not you’re watching in shock as John Gibson and Bill O’Reilly try to convince you that the two most significant holidays in the Christian world (Easter and the one the one that literally sustains the American economy every fourth quarter, Christmas) are endangered, or listening to the conservative network tell you civil war could be a good thing for Iraq, you’ve got to admit there is some level of humor at Fox that CNN and MSNBC are lacking.

When the cable networks are not parading disproportionately blonde, pageant-looking, teleprompter-readers on their 24 hours networks, they’re shoving clowns like Jonathan Hoenig, stock market analyst for Fox, in front of the camera to say stupid shit like this:

There’s no scientific proof that global warming even exists. To be honest, it’s a bogus consensus dreamed up by Greens because they hate industry. They hate advancement. They hate technology…Greens will lead us back to the stone ages.

Of course I enjoy the thick, obvious irony of a science-ignoring conservative calling “greens” anti-advancement. You know, those silly people who fight for new advances in global fuel technology, and are by their very definition forward-thinking and progressive. They’re always trying to bring us back to the stone-age with their fancy hydrogen-powered automobiles.

Can someone explain to me why conservatives are wrapped in the flag (while burning the Constitution) regarding the “Global War on Terror,” while at the same time in bed with the very industry that funds it?

I suppose if you could answer that question, you could also figure out why anti-choice conservatives support Bush and hated Clinton, when the Clinton years saw a complete decline in abortions, before the rise seen in the current administration. Or, you could explain to me how the “family values” corps of Republicans support legislation breaking up illegally immigrating families by sending immigrant parents back to Mexico while keeping their kids in America, favor policies that make it harder for gay people to have families, or support laws ending programs like Head Start, and welfare for single mothers. Hypocrisy is indeed my favorite Republican sin.

Anyway, Think Progress was on the ball enough to note that out of 928 peer-reviewed scientific papers on global warming published in the past decade, not one…not ONE, challenged the scientific consensus that Earth’s temperature is rising due to human activity. Maybe pro-technology Jonathan Hoenig should be a little more pro-reading.

Pat Finally Finds a Sheikh He Likes

Move over Jake Lalaine, there’s another scary looking senior citizen trying to whip you in shape – except this one is a little more comical.

About once a month I attempt to keep this site updated as to what the hell it is Pat Robertson is doing or saying. In case you’re not keeping score at home, we’ve discussed:

-Pat’s belief that God smote Israeli Prime Minister Sharon
-The fact that the people of Dover, PA will face God’s wrath for voting for science in public schools
- We ought to assassinate the leader of another country because like Pat, he says stupid things
- The followers of Islam are possessed by demons

Pat’s latest utterance? He can leg press 2,000 lbs.

Go ahead and check it out on his web site, I’m not joking. Except there’s only one problem: 76-year old Pat Robertson has apparently shattered the Florida State leg press record by over 650pounds!

Pat Robertson has a new age-defying shake that allows him to look younger and literally leg press a ton. Rumor has it that the only side effect from the shake is that you might suddenly start talking like a bat-shit, schizophrenic, right wing Christian.

Apparently, Bush drank a few of these shakes right before he doubled the world record by landing the largest perch in recorded history, on his man-made lake.

The Rachael Maddow show talked about it this morning:
Listen:

No More Purple Heart Band Aids From the Right

I realize not everyone out there chooses to, or has the financial luxury of going apple-picking for premium cable channels, but for those like myself who might need to be institutionalized after the Sopranos end next year, the benefits of paying $12/month for HBO stretches far beyond the same 11 movies replayed 2300 throughout the year.

In keeping with its ability to blow away network and regular cable television out of the water with its homemade programming, HBO is currently airing a piece that takes a brutally honest look into the war, called “Baghdad ER.”

I had the opportunity to watch it the other night, and I have to say that it’s one of those documentaries that leave you feeling unlike the person you were just an hour prior. I’ll spare you the review. Let’s just say it is a powerful glimpse not only into this war, but how war in general comes nowhere near the glorious stereotypes packaged by “liberal” Hollywood pre-Vietnam.

Instead, I want to call attention to how much this chronicle of war really attaches human beings to what is sometimes a vague silhouette of a soldier that doesn’t appear much more than statistics and file footage on the Nightly News to us back home. (This will be apparent as the death toll takes a predictable, media-manufactured turn toward equaling the September 11th events for which we were told this war was launched.)

Because the film takes the audience away from cable news coverage and daily casualty updates and places them firmly in the middle of the casualty aftermath, I have to think that Bush supporters hate this documentary.

Since the war has started, the same crowd that can’t plaster enough “Pray For Our Troops” magnets (thus making their own statement about sacrifice by choosing a car surface-friendly magnet, as opposed to something stickier) on their vehicles doesn’t want you to get a real dose of reality regarding the war.

- Think about the Pentagon ban on photographing flag-draped coffins
- Think of liberal media giant Sinclair Broadcasting, and their refusal to air the Nightline broadcast in which read the names of then 700 fallen soldiers in Iraq
- Think of the fact that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld or any other architect of this war has yet to go to a service person’s funeral
- Think of the fact that airing Saving Private Ryan – during Veteran’s day - on network TV caused an uproar
- Think of the fact that liberal media member Brit Hume stated that the deaths in Iraq are negligible, historically speaking

And who could ever forget Barbara Bush protecting her beautiful mind on Good Morning America?

Therefore, I believe this documentary really shatters the, “move along, nothing to see here” attitude from the Bush administration regarding Iraq.

Many Americans can grimace and grind their patriotic teeth and argue the merits of this war, good or bad, based simply on the death toll figures. However, the number of casualties, rather than deaths – including limbs blown off, people returning home with one eye or unable to ever walk again, soldiers enduring 5, 10 or 15 surgeries just to survive – is perhaps the untold story of this entire saga. Over 17,000 of them and counting.

Couple this with the fact that so many injured are kids – fresh out of 12th grade study hall, not even old enough to legally drink away pain. Too young to have ever been through a psychology class, yet their first lesson will come from their own crash course in Posttraumatic Stress disorder, 101. Barely old enough to understand any of the politics that lead to 9/11, yet lied into buying the idea that they were sent to die in order to avenge it.

Now try to comprehend the fact that not a single pre-war justification for our invasion has proven true – and watching kids die makes you wonder how any of the neocons could ever look themselves in the mirror with any sense of pride or honor, or how the person at the traffic light next to you can display their W ’04 sticker without a deep sense of shame.

Finally, it should be noted that this film is completely apolitical, and only slightly bumps in the night with politics when one of the surgeons states, “We have to be doing good. I have to believe we're doing some good, otherwise, this is sheer madness."

While I think the doctor is right on, I think the sheer madness comes from those who know we were lied into war, yet don’t demand impeachment of this President.

Liberal Media Searches For Hoffa

A little while back, I listed several reasons why the tired battle cry of the liberal media is not only old, it's actually completely inaccurate. Please note, this is an "open" list in progress, so by all means, feel free to email or comment your additions as well.

I also posted a screen shot of CNN.com on that particular day to underscore my point.

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine tipped me off the latest liberal media craze: hunting Jimmy Hoffa (hat tip Ben!)

I went to CNN.com and thought I'd gold-star some of my favorite articles from Friday...

Another Reason to Look Forward to August

As another Friday night nears, I’m saddened by the fact that my VCR (that’s right, I’m old school) won’t be taping another Bill Maher broadcast until August.

This particular show was one of the top 3 of the season, without a doubt. Guests included Madeline Albright, Princeton professor Dr. Cornel West, Counterterrorism czar Richard Clarke, and musician John Legend.

Most of you have probably seen the show, but for those who haven't, I need to say this: Not only is this show entertaining and funny, it’s important.

It’s a round table discussion on current events that has absolutely not political correctness to it, where conservatives get called on their bullshit often. You will not see anything like this on any talk show or cable news network, ever.

Does it have a progressive bias? Absolutely. Does Maher criticize and come after the Democrats during his hour as well? Damn straight. Pair that up with the countless AM talk shows, cable news programs, and Sunday morning political shows, most of which lean to the right - and even though you've got a show that's unique, it’s a doesn’t even lift the elephant on the other end of the sea saw by a single inch.

Anyway, in case you missed the last show of the season, here are some transcriptional highlights (full transcript here):


Bill Maher on Bush’s Fish:
Well, here's my favorite story of the week. A German publication did an interview with the president and asked Mr. Bush what was his best moment of his presidency. And he said it was the day that he caught a 7 ½ pound perch. [laughter] I couldn't make that up. [laughter] Now, he leaves out the part that he was fishing in downtown New Orleans …That's—[laughter] [applause] [cheers]

No, he was fishing – he was fishing on his ranch. He has an – he has a man-made lake—[laughter]—that is artificially stocked with fish. And let's not forget the scuba divers who are under there—[laughter]—who actually put the fish on the hook for him. [laughter] [applause] And then Cheney comes over and they literally shoot fish in a barrel. [laughter]

But the part I love is that he says he caught a 7 ½ pound perch, when the biggest perch on record is 4.3 pounds. [laughter] Bush lied and a fish died. That's all I have to say. [laughter] [applause] And Cheney went even further. He said when they pulled the fish out of the water, it greeted them as liberators.



Bill Maher and Madelin Albright on Bush and God:
MAHER: Okay, your – your book is about religion in foreign policy, which is actually on the minds, I think, of a lot of people these days. Is it – do you really think that George Bush thinks that God appointed him to be president? [laughter] I mean, we do hear that a lot. Do you really think he believes that?

ALBRIGHT: Well, he – I have a quote in my book where he actually says it. It's hard to say whether he really believes it, but he does say that God is on our side. And I think it would be better if he actually said what President Lincoln said, which is that we ought to be on God's side. [applause]

MAHER: But – but if God chose George Bush, of all the people in the world. [laughter]…to be president. I mean, how good is God, really? [laughter] [applause] [cheers] ALBRIGHT: As somebody says, “the unhappiest character in the Bible is God because His plan didn't work out.” [laughter] [applause]


Maher and the panel on upcoming events on the Congressional docket before the November elections:
MAHER: Well, you mentioned Karl Rove. He is going to use the flag. That's what – I looked at some of the things that Congress is going to bring up in the summer session right before the election: banning gay marriage, that's going to come up again; flag burning—

LEGEND: The greatest hits. They're bringing them back. [laughter]

MAHER: The greatest hits. [applause] Outlaw cloning. A bill about fetal pain. And, of course, singing the National Anthem in Spanish.

LEGEND: When are people going to realize that they're b.s.-ing them? They do it every two years and then it just goes away. Like when did they work on gay marriage after the election? It was – it was just over; it was gone. Are people going to believe them again?

CLARKE: Well, people don't anymore. I mean, you look at the polls. There's a big difference in the polls between the election and today. In fact, there's a poll that came out today that said if you had the choice between Bill Clinton today and the incumbent, who would you pick? 68% of the people said Bill Clinton. [applause] [cheers]

MAHER: So when Bush picks this guy, General Hayden, to be head of the CIA, that actually is what Karl Rove wants. Because they want a battle where they're saying, “We're the Republicans. We're going to protect you at any costs, where the Democrats are for laws and all that pansy bullshit.” [laughter]


...on 9/11 conspiracy theories:
MAHER: Well, let me ask you then, because everywhere I go, people say to me, “Why don't you cover on your show what really happened on 9/11? Why don't you talk about the fact that a missile was what brought down Flight 93, and that the World Trade Center was a planned explosion?” Do you believe any of those conspiracy theories? Do you think it's even possible?

WEST: No, I don't. I don't believe it. But I know the world is a mysterious place. [laughter] Which means I'm open to coordinated activity in secret places. But I don't believe in conspiracy. [laughter] [applause]

MAHER: Wow. You could be a Republican. [laughter]

LEGEND: I think the government is dishonest and they try to keep secrets from us, but they're not that good at keeping secrets, apparently, because they keep coming out. People keep leaking them. So I don't believe that they could coordinate that, that well, and pull it off without us finding out.

CLARKE: Yes.

MAHER: Yeah, it seems like if they couldn't get a helicopter into the Superdome, they probably couldn't get – get some of this stuff going.

CLARKE: All these conspiracy theories have the two basic problems: one, they believe the government is competent. [laughter] [applause]

WEST: The sad thing is, you know, when they talk about welfare, they always talk about personal responsibility, personal responsibility. But when it comes to their actions, who takes responsibility? Hardly anybody at all. [applause] That's what you call not just moral inconsistency. That's what you call unadulterated hypocrisy. [applause]

CLARKE: The WMD issue, the White House now says, “CIA gave us the wrong information.” No, they didn't. CIA gave them fairly decent information that they took and exaggerated and extrapolated; talked about mushroom clouds. None of that is in what CIA gave them.

LEGEND: They picked the information they wanted and then they ignored the stuff that didn't fit the story.

CLARKE: And then they blamed CIA and give them Freedom Medals. But that's a whole other story. [laughter]

...on President Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush:
MAHER: I can't – how can you do that? Frank, please. [laughter] So he sent the first letter from an Iranian president directly to an American president in 27 years. He, of course, sends it to the one president who can't read. [laughter] [applause] And, look, this guy is a total nutcase and a dangerous loon, we all know that. But, you know, it was an opening, was it not? It was an 18-page letter. And Condoleezza Rice basically said, “Talk to the hand.” [laughter] Wasn't there something to build on in this?

WEST: The structure of the letter was very interesting, because, as you recall, the letter says, “Mr. Bush, I understand you to be a follower of Jesus Christ. If you love Jesus Christ and you're supposed to be concerned with the least of these, why don't your policies in any way reflect a concern for the poor and the rejected, and the luckless and the landless?” [applause] Now, this is a very interesting strategy, you know. It's what philosophers call “eminent critique.” Which is to say, you being where people start themselves. They accept the premise.

WEST: And then you bring critique to bear on their platform.

MAHER: He was trying to find some common ground. He was saying, “I'm a religious nut; you're a religious nut.” [laughter] Can't we just—

WEST: But he doesn't – he doesn't mention Islam hardly at all. Just Jesus Christ. Did you notice it in there?

CLARKE: Absolutely.

WEST: In the letter, it was a fascinating move.

CLARKE: Absolutely. But, you know, in the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy got a letter, and it was not a very good one from Khrushchev. And he decided to ignore it and respond not about what was in the letter, but respond through a back channel. And, you know, right now, we've got an opening. Forget what was in the letter. The letter was 18 pages of blah-blah. You know, it was just – no one can understand the letter.

LEGEND: Long letter.

WEST: Yeah, it was a long letter.

CLARKE: And Bush doesn't read things that are 18 pages long anyway. [laughter] So – but the point is, it was an opening.

MAHER: Yeah.

CLARKE: That's – it was a symbol. It was an opening. And what do we say? “We refuse to talk to them because that would be rewarding bad behavior.” (pauses) We're not running a third grade class. [laughter] [applause] [West shakes Clarke's hand]


...on Rove’s gay marriage strategy:
MAHER: [overlapping] Everybody knows – everybody knows this was a big brouhaha during the 2004 campaign, and the right wing was furious at John Kerry. And let's go back just for a second and talk about what exactly happened. He was asked in the debate – was asked the question – he didn't bring it out of nothing – “Do you believe homosexuality is a choice?” And John Kerry said, “If you were to talk to Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian, she would tell you that she's just being who she is, who she was born as.” Now, considering the fact that this issue wouldn't even have been on the table except that Bush was pushing gay marriage—

LEGEND: Bingo.

MAHER: [overlapping]—it doesn't seem like such an outrageous proposition.

CLARKE: But the point is – the one that you made – is that Rove put the gay issue on 16 ballots for one reason: to get people out to vote, the religious right, who otherwise would not come out to vote. The reason Ohio went for Bush instead of Kerry by 59,000 votes is entirely because the gay issue was on the ballot. And twice the number of African Americans in Ohio voted for Bush as they did nationally, because they were able to – Rove is brilliant – Rove was able to get to them on this issue.

LEGEND: But – but they were also trying to suppress the black vote in Ohio . Let's talk about that.

WEST: That's true, too.

LEGEND: How they were going into neighborhoods, black neighborhoods, and trying to make sure they were confused about where to vote in Ohio . They didn't want us to vote in Ohio . I'm from Ohio , by the way. [applause]

CLARKE: Neighborhoods – neighborhoods where they had done the polling and knew that the people were going to vote for Kerry, they did that.

LEGEND: Yes. Which is still – the vast majority of black folks voted for Kerry. And they wanted to make sure we didn't vote as much. That's true.

CLARKE: They're going to try it again this year. This year, instead of gay marriage, it's going to be gay adoption, which they're going to put on ballots across the country so they can get that 10% of the religious right out to vote, who otherwise wouldn't come out to vote.

LEGEND: And you would think they'd feel betrayed by now, because they never get what they – what they go and vote for. [laughter]

LEGEND: Yeah, you would think they'd feel betrayed.

WEST: Oh, you mean the right wing themselves?

LEGEND: The right wing. Like they're going to the polls and, “Yeah, we're going to get this amendment.”

WEST: Yeah, that's a good point.

LEGEND: And they never get their amendment. [laughter] [applause]

WEST: But they get a kind of – they get a kind of symbolic satisfaction. It's like it's cathartic.

MAHER: That's right. That's Karl Rove's genius.


And finally, perhaps the most brilliantly delivered point of the night, Bill Maher’s new rule:
MAHER: And finally, New Rule: George Bush has to stop laughing at himself. [laughter] When you're incompetence literally costs lives, giggling at it isn't cute or funny. You know, there's a guy who's been running around the country pretending he's the president, and I believe his name is George Bush. [laughter] [applause] [cheers] And he wants everyone to know that he doesn't take himself too seriously. Which is working out great, because now nobody else in the world does either. [laughter]

You know, if the Republicans really want to joke around, I've got one for you. Knock, knock.

AUDIENCE: Who's there?

MAHER: Hillary. [laughter] [applause]

Now, this is our last show of the season, and I'm rather proud that we've gone all 13 weeks without once making George Bush the subject of our show-ending editorial. Because I didn't want to start sounding like a broken record. Or, to you kids, a degraded MP3 file. [laughter] [applause] Oh, there may have been a stray George Bush punchline here and there. But, come on. I am a comedian and he is a retard. [laughter] [applause] [cheers]

But, fuck it, this is our—[laughter] [applause] [cheers]—this is our last show. This is our last show for a while and I just want to say that when we come back on August 25 th , the week of Bill Clinton's 60 th birthday, and a great time for him to do the show. Wouldn't you love to see him do the show, folks? [applause] [cheers]—Bill Clinton, everywhere I go. So, your move, Mr. President. But when we come back, I hope we're only months away from the beginning of impeachment proceedings. [applause] [cheers]

But, wait. But not for what you think. Now, of course there is a laundry list of valid reasons for impeaching this president. But George Bush and his nest of vipers don't deserve to be impeached with dignity for transgressions involving lofty affairs of state. They deserve the far worse state that Clinton got: being impeached for absolutely nothing at all! [applause]

And that's why I want to impeach Bush over the fact that he lied about that fish! [laughter] [applause] [sustained cheers]

He said he caught a perch twice as large as any perch that's ever been caught! [laughter] And that's a lie about a fish! [laughter] In a time of war! [laughter] And if he will lie about a fish, then…something, something, something, what do we tell the children? [laughter] What do we tell Mrs. Paul?! [laughter] That perch was as American as a McDonald's fish sandwich. Assuming for the sake of argument that a McDonald's fish sandwich contained fish. [laughter] [applause]

So, Mr. President, don't laugh at yourself, because breaking the law is not cute. Having Americans torture people isn't adorable. Leaving poor people to drown wasn't enchanting. And WMD's wasn't a shaggy dog story. So, I'll make a deal with you. We won't impeach you if you just stay on your estate – I mean “ranch”—[laughter]—and fish on your man-made lake. For perch. Maybe you'll beat your own record. [laughter]

But, for the next three years, just don't touch anything. [laughter] [applause] I was wrong when I criticized you for taking too much vacation time. It couldn't be more the reverse. [laughter] Take all the “me” days you want. [laughter] [applause]

But if you get any big ideas and try to do something, you know, like go to Mars or put the Ten Commandments on the flag—[laughter]—or turn the ports over to the Amish—[laughter]—then we're going to have to put you in the only place we can be sure we can be safe from you. And it looks like this. [photo shown of David Blaine's water-filled Plexiglas globe] [applause] [cheers]

No (M)(B)(Tr)illionaire Left Behind

During lunch today, I had the opportunity misfortune of watching Bush give shout-outs to the hopeless, underprivileged dividend tax payers of this nation, as he toted his latest tax cut. During. A. Time. Of. WAR! (sorry, trying to hold it together here).

The Tax Policy Center, a nonprofit sect of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, estimated that 80% of the tax savings would go to the top 10% of American earners, and that almost 1/5 of the benefits will go to the top one-tenth of 1 percent (see chart, lower left).

To get a visual of how small .1% is, click the image below, and maximize the size of your browser window. The area shaded in red is one tenth of one percent of the entire blue bar (And you thought Marist College degrees were worthless!).

Nevertheless, as I watched the President proudly show-and-tell his latest crowning achievement of fiscal responsibility, I realized that my BMT (Bush Media Tolerance) has significantly shrunk over the years of this presidency.

What is the Bush Media Tolerance you might ask? It’s an index I have devised to gauge how long you can observe President Bush speak through any medium – whether it be on the radio, television, or in print – before you absolutely have to turn off said medium because you’re near the breaking point of stress, anger or anxiety.

To figure out your own BMT grab a stop watch, and put one of W’s speeches directly in front of your face (if you don’t have one available, just go here and click the video on the right) .

Start the watch at W’s first word, and keep it running until you can no longer stand it. It’s like the David Blaine stunt in which he held his breath underwater as long as he could, right before passing out. When you’re ready to put your fist through the TV, stop the watch, look at the time, and you now have your BMT number.

Mine is at about 17 seconds, and here is the exact piece of the transcript that did it for me today:
“I'm proud to be up here with Vice President Cheney. I couldn't have picked a better person to be the Vice President of the United States. (Applause.)”

My remote somehow found its way flying across the room, end over end, and I had to continue with my workout. Luckily, I'll have almost enough money from the Bush tax cut to buy another one.

What’s your BMT?

Oh, and this just in - Denny Hastert explains why people with lower incomes don't get a tax break:

"Well, folks, if you earn $40,000 a year and have a family of two, you don't pay any taxes. So you probably, if you don't pay any taxes, you are not going to get a big tax cut."

No shit? I have some surprising news for a couple of my friends then. It's the liberals who are elitist, right?

Dodgey McSideSteperson

I think the next time Bush side steps something with such impressive moves, he should at least do so in a Ninja costume to complete the effect.

Bush ducked from a question hurled at his head like a Chineese throwing star, regarding the topic of the federal government keeping track of our telecommunications activities. Today Bush was asked if it is true that the NSA is keeping a huge database of phone calls placed by millions of Americans, and he smirked the following answer back:

"We do not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval…What I've told the American people is we'll protect them against an al Qaeda attack. And we'll do that within the law.”

By my count, that’s three sentences, and two lies. Although Bush has lied at a much higher ratio than this, today’s lies particularly infuriate me, because he’s flip-flopping on something as important as national security (at one time that was enough to lose you a presidential election):

First he said the government wiretaps only with a warrant. Listen:

They he said, “what I meant was, of course we wiretap without warrants, but we circumvent the law because the law is outdated.” Listen:

Now he’s saying, “actually the first thing I said is what you should pay attention to.”

Either way, Glenn Greenwald has done some A+ research regarding the hypocrisy from Bush-supporters on this issue.

It turns out that there are some archived discussions on the Free Republic web site that shed some light into how the conservative slime reacted to the news that Clinton was wiretapping during his tenure. Here’s the one major difference, and keep this in mind as you’re reading the comments below – Clinton did this legally under the FISA law, and Bush is bypassing FISA.

I realize that some reading this may be unfamiliar with the well known blogs the get a lot of attention today, so if you’re one of those people, let it be known the Free Republic is one of the more conservative, everything-you-and-I-hate-about-Republicans supporting site out there today.

Here are the exact words from some of it’s members – the same ones who blame Clinton for 9/11 – when they discovered Clinton was wiretapping with FISA approval:

This is beyond frightening. Thank you for this find…This does not bode well for continued freedom.
Posted on 11/30/2000 21:38:11 PST by logos

Any chance of Bush rolling some of this back? It sounds amazing on its face. Why didn't Wen Ho Lee just "disappear" into one of these Star Chambers, never to return?
Posted on 11/30/2000 22:22:26 PST by drlevy88

As quietly as possible (although it sometimes breaks out into the open, usually with the sound of gunfire and the death of innocents), a "shadow government" has been set up all around us my friend. It's foundation is not the constitution, but Executive Orders, Presidential Procalamations, Secret Acts, and Emergency Powers. It has all the tools to be an absolute tyranny and those behind it (on both sides of the aisle) who crave power and their form of "governance" continue to move towards it while we are distracted by so many other goings on.
Posted on 12/01/2000 05:31:21 PST by Jeff Head (jeffhead@bigplanet.com)

This is wherein the danger lies in the precedent set by the Clinton criminal administration. God only knows who will be in power next, but there are no checks and balances anymore. This is exactly the SORT of thing I've been protesting all along. Libs just don't see this! But when and where do they find this in the major media? They don't even know!
Posted on 12/01/2000 05:37:18 PST by vharlow

This is one of those ideas that has a valid purpose behind it, but is wide open to terrible abuse. And there's no way to check to see if it is abused. Like all things that don't have the light of day shining on them, you can be sure that it is being twisted to suit the purposes of those who hold the power.
Posted on 12/01/2000 07:01:09 PST by Dog Gone

Dog Gone, the article doesn't seem to say, but isn't there a Congressional subcommittee in charge of overseeing these operations? Or is Congress just passing the bills then turning its collective back?
Posted on 12/01/2000 07:18:11 PST by drlevy88

Congressional oversight of the FISA court is virtually non-existent. This is something which ought to be changed. At least a small subcommittee should have oversight on a frequent basis.
Posted on 12/01/2000 07:45:35 PST by drlevy88

Wonder how many terrorist plots they have stopped? Sounds like despite trampling Constitutional rights, this was ineffective. Maybe because x42 told them to go after movie pirates!
Posted on 09/19/2001 06:01:22 PDT by antidisestablishment

Thanks for the post. Ominous possibilities. Kafka's Trial right on. This, as all law when it breaks down from crashing into individual rights, will default to the 2nd amendment.
Posted on 12/02/2000 05:11:22 PST by PGalt

Mmmm...smell that? That's hypocrisy.

What do you think of all this privacy stuff, Mr. President?
Listen:

Happy Mother's Day Music

Stop reading this immediately. Push your chair away from the computer. Get to the nearest independent music store (sorry Republicans, your darling Wal-Mart doesn't count).

Get the new Tool Album.

Give it to your mother before I do.

Vicarious
An impeccably written song, keeping in mind the corporate media will stop reporting this stuff when you stop buying it. Also listen to the tightness of the amazing asymmetrical rhythms, and the brilliant musical ideas in this song. If anyone has any question as to whether or not Danny Carey is one of the best drummers on the planet, this should lay those concerns to rest.

Listen:
Eye on the TV, 'cause tragedy thrills me
Whatever flavor it happens to be, like...

"Killed by the husband"
"Drowned by the ocean"
"Shot by his own son"
"She used a poison in his tea...kissed him goodbye."
That's my kind of story
It's no fun 'til someone dies.

Don't look at me like, I am a monster
Frown out your one face, but with the other
Stare like a junkie, into the TV
Stare like a zombie, while the mother holds her child

Watches him die.
Hands to the sky crying,
"Why, oh why?"

Cause I need to watch things die... from a distance
Vicariously I, live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie.

Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold will write as the story's told
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing

I need to watch things die... from a good, safe distance
Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same, so...

Why can't we just admit it?

Blood like rain come down
Drown my grave and ground

Part vampire
Part warrior
Carnivore and Voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle

La, la, la, la, la, la-la-lie...La, la, la, la, la, la-la-lie
La, la, la, la, la, la-la-lie...La, la, la, la, la, la-la-lie

Credulous at best, your desire to believe in
Angels in the hearts of men
Pull your head on out, your head please, and give a listen
Shouldn't have to say it all again

The universe is hostile, so impersonal
Devour to survive... so it is, so it's always been

We all feed on tragedy, it's like blood to a vampire

Vicariously I
Live while the whole world dies!
Much better you than I.


Right in Two
Obviously about war in the Middle East, one of my favorite songs on the new album.

Listen:
Angels on the sideline,
Puzzled and amused.
Why did Father give these humans free will?
Now they’re all confused.

Don’t these talking monkeys know that Eden has enough to go around?
Plenty in this holy garden, silly old monkeys,
Where there’s one, you're bound to divide it...
Right in two.

Angels on the sideline,
Baffled and confused.
Father blessed them all with reason.
And this is what they choose?

Monkey, killing monkey, killing monkey over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs, they forge a blade.
And where there's one they're bound to divide it,
Right in two.
Right in two.

Monkey, killing monkey, killing monkey, over pieces of the ground.
Silly monkeys give them thumbs, they make a club, and beat their brother down.
How they survive so misguided is a mystery.
Repugnant is a creature who would, squander the ability to live to die to have a conscience
Brothers sleep inside here...

Cut it all right in two.
Cut it all right in two.
Cut it all right in two.
Cut it all right in two.

Fight, over the clouds, over the earth, over sky.
Fight, over life, over blood, over air and light.
Over love, over sun, over another.
Fight, all the time. Over what? Over Lies and...

Angels on the sideline again.
Been so long with patience and reason.
Angels on the sideline again.
Wondering when this tug of war will end.

Cut it all right in two.
Cut it all right in two.
Cut it all right in two.
Right in two.
Right in two.

Wanna Bet?

My prediction, at 11:05pm on Saturday, May 13th. Rove will be indicted by next weekend. Anyone want to take that bet? You heard it here first.
(well, maybe you didn't, but I still think it's coming).

RATR Terror Alert. REMAIN CALM.

And now it's time for everyone's favorite game, lying or stuipd!

Listen:

Ladies and Gentlemen – the terrorist issue is a lot worse than we thought. According to President Bush today:

"Our intelligence activities strictly target al-Qaeda and their known affiliates. We are not mining or trolling through the personal lives of innocent Americans."

Now it has been revealed that phone companies have provided the NSA with 10’s of millions of phone records in the past few years, and this of course means, by the president’s own words, these 10’s of millions of people are al-Qaeda affiliates.

Perhaps as much as one in every three Americans.

It could be your father. Your neighbor. That weird guy you peered over his newspaper at you on the subway. Perhaps your pre-school aged children. It could be...me.

Strangely, the terror alert level that scrolls across the bottom of my Fox News screen every 11 seconds has no changed. Hmmm…they must be in on it too.

Bush went on to make the following statement:

“The government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval.”

I was not aware of this. Apparently the debate we’ve been having in this country about whether or not the president can break the law to allows domestic surveillance without court approval is completely fabricated.

Of course the president isn’t breaking the law, because again, “the government does not listen to domestic phone calls without court approval.” Therefore, Bush has been defending warrantless wiretapping for no reason at all, by saying things like, “the FISA law was written in 1978. We're having this discussion in 2006. It's a different world.”

And, on top of all this? We may NEVER find out whether or not Domestic spying without a warrant is illegal.

Why you ask? Because the NSA isn’t going to let the justice department have the clearance they need to investigate them.

I’ll rephrase.

The subject of the investigation isn’t letting the investigators investigate:

The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department
lawyers security clearance.

The Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax Wednesday to Democratic Rep. Maurice Hinchey of New York saying it was closing its inquiry because without clearance it could not examine department lawyers' role in the program. The administration has vehemently defended the eavesdropping, saying the NSA's activities were narrowly targeted to intercept international calls and e-mails of Americans and others inside the U.S. with suspected ties to the al- Qaeda terror network.

Jack Cafferty on explains on CNN
Listen:

That would have been like OJ telling the LAPD that he was denying their request to investigate the murder of his wife.

The small government, get-the-feds-out-of-my-life Republicans have yet to comment...well, except for one.

This is Jonathan Turley, a well recognized expert on the subject of Constitutional Law, who is a regular guest on Fox News.
Listen:

10,000th Unique Visitor

According to my trusty counter on the right hand side, I've passed the 10,000 mark. I hadn't even noticed until now, but whomever the 10,000th visitor was, email me via the "speak to me" link on the left, and I'll mail you any one of several anti-Bush magnets I have here.

(Actually if anyone wants an anti-W magnet for your car or fridge, shoot me an email.)

Thanks to all who visit the site. Without you...well, I'd be writing anyway, for my own sanity, but I'm glad someone out there is reading.

And thanks especially to those who comment. And on top of that, Sox 5, Yankees 3.

As Ice Cube once said, "Today was a good day."

Pray for STD Prevention Education

Bush supporters, social conservatives and many Republicans detest science, largely because it directly conflicts with their utopian goals of bringing us back to the mid 1800’s as a society, where we can churn our butter, keep women’s goddamn legs and mouths shut, and ride horses to Church with Adam and Eve.

In the 6 year tenure of 100% Republican control, the government has launched a never ending holy war upon (among dozens of other things):

-Sex Education
-Evolution
-Global Warming
-Stem Cell Research-NASA
-Clean Air
-Clean Water

Entire books and web sites have been assembled with factual evidence, interviews and data to demonstrate countless examples of the Bush administration threatening, firing, discarding, or rewriting the opinions of well respected, world renound scientists, in order to push a more theological philosophy when it comes to educating the American public.

After all, why improve the quality of life through factual, documented research when you can make everyone adhere to the scientific method of the Bible, a book of metaphorical stories written by men 2,000 years ago solely to convince everyone to join their religion? I mean, theocracy is working well for other nations, right?

The Centers for Disease Control is hosting it’s biannual STD prevention conference next week, just got a taste of this for themselves recently.

The upcoming National STD Prevention Conference…has just been given an unhealthy shot of ideology. The conference was supposed to include a symposium designed to explore how abstinence-only sex education may undermine other efforts to reduce STDs. But now the symposium has been abruptly retooled to include two proponents of abstinence programs—and to exclude a well-respected detractor.

The symposium that's been meddled with was originally titled, "Are Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs a Threat to Public Health?" Its convener, Bruce Trigg of the New Mexico Department of Public Health, proposed a skeptical look at abstinence education, which the Bush administration is funding to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. As moderator, Trigg promised to ground the critique in scientific evidence.

Now called "Public Health Strategies of Abstinence Programs for Youth," the program will no longer be moderated by Trigg, though he and Santelli will still present. Smith, by contrast, has been bumped from the program.

Taking his place are two staunch proponents of abstinence-only education, Eric Walsh and Patricia Sulak. Walsh is a family physician affiliated with Loma Linda University, a Seventh-day Adventist institution in California. His approach to public health is explicitly ideological. "Dr. Walsh seeks to serve the Lord through medical missions and the preaching of the Gospel in all the world," an online bio explains. Sulak, meanwhile, is an obstetrician-gynecologist at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Texas and the founder of "Worth the Wait," an abstinence program noteworthy for its negative messages about condoms and stereotypical statements about girls and boys.

Read on.

Why Women Should Never Vote Republican: Reason 1,326

It was once said by a great comedian that the very people who think the United States is indisputably the greatest nation on Earth have probably never traveled outside of the country. Most people who make that argument are not drawing from any significant statistical fact, but rather from the same emotion and blind faith rendered by telling your classmate on the bus that your dad could beat up his dad.

After all, if the measure of a great Democracy includes how free its press is, the quality of public education, how it treats its minority populations, its poor, its incarcerated, and access to health care, Canada, Europe and parts of Asia are surging ahead in this pointless water cooler debate.

We’re one of the few 1st world nations actually rolling back, not expanding sex education, reproductive and abortion rights for women. We’re one of the few 1st world nations to have prison over crowding to the extent that we do. Our public school children are lagging behind in science, math, and social studies, while our citizens storm out of Bill Nye the Science Guy lectures due to offensive content about the moon’s light.

Oh, and take a look at whose company we keep in terms of Death penalty advocation.

We need to make changes if we’re going to remain reclaim the title of best nation on Earth. Perhaps we could start with some changes in health care:

…the United States has the second worst newborn mortality rate in the developed world, according to a new report. American babies are three times more likely to die in their first month as children born in Japan, and newborn mortality is 2.5 times higher in the United States than in Finland, Iceland or Norway, Save the Children researchers found.

Only Latvia, with six deaths per 1,000 live births, has a higher death rate for newborns than the United States.

For African-Americans, the mortality rate is nearly double that of the United States as a whole, with 9.3 deaths per 1,000 births. Only 17 percent of all U.S. births were to African-American families, but 33 percent of all low-birthweight babies were African-American, according to the report.

Charles MacCormack, president and CEO of Save the Children, said the report card "illustrates the direct line between the status of mothers and the status of their children.” Tinker said Japan was among a number of nations highly ranked mainly because they offer free health services for pregnant women and babies, while the United States suffers from disparities in access to health care.

The report highlights the three areas it says have the most influence on child well-being: female education, presence of a trained attendant at birth and use of family planning services.

The report said that family planning and increased contraception use leads to lower maternal and infant death rates. Many women and children in developing nations, it said, die as a result of births that come at the wrong time -- too close together, too early or too late in the mother's life.

So keeping the above information in mind, let’s read between the lines, and look at the Conservative agenda, dancing a sick Waltz of ignorance with today’s Republican leadership:

Decrease financial aid to those living below the poverty line while increasing aid to corporations

Continually vote against the universal health care plans for which Democrats and most of the country are a fighting to instate.

Stand in direct opposition of Planned Parenthood services, denying women access to health care, sexual and relationship health-related information.

Draft legislation chipping away at the opportunity for higher education among minorities.

Provide funding for abstinence only instruction, completely disregarding sex education, contraception, and teen gay & lesbian relationships.

Lobby against Title IX, passed by liberals in Congress in the early 1970’s which has had a direct effect in increasing women’s education at the collegiate level.

And so it is, one of the great hypocrisies of conservatives and the majority of the Republican party. How many times have these people rallied their troops around the theme of “saving” or helping children? How often have they bolstered their votes by targeting mothers, children, and the sanctity of life? These are the representatives of God, of Christianity, of children, and the culture of life?

Their political values are in stark opposition with reports such as these, and the standards with which we measure our success as a nation and a society. Their answer to the value of human society is not to educate and empower; it’s to shove feeding tubes down the throats of incoherent, brain damaged vegetables.

Conservatives therefore have two choices. Start adopting liberal philosophy in order to improve the health of children and mothers…OR…stop saying you care about children and mothers. You have to choose one, you cannot have both.

We’ll await your response.

Daily Show Moment of Zen

Thanks to C&L, those who missed it last night are able to see and hear for themselves the reasons why Bush nominated Michael Hayden to lead the CIA. And, of course why he nominated the man whose resignation left the very vancancy he will fill:

Yeah - What She Said

Once in a while I find that rather than writing my own particular entry for the day, I would do this site and anyone who stumbles across it a better service by simply posting a link an entry writing by someone else within the liberal blogging community; if not for any reason other than someone else is saying it a lot better than I am.

After reading BlueGal’s latest post, I’ve decided May 8th 2006 is one of those days.

She keyed a post today that reminds me a lot of who is perhaps my favorite columnist, Mark Morford was writing about during the time around the 2004 presidential election (please read this one specifically). He noted specifically the difference between blue and red voters, not necessarily geographically but culturally, educationally and in terms of overall societal value.

I mean, let’s just take a sample: almost of the cultural centers, college towns, scientific organizations, leading newspapers, faculty members, etc, all voted blue. The Pat Robertson’s, creationists, social conservatives, racists, (see Bob Jones U), Nascar dads, and Brittany Spears, all voted red.

Speaking about (and accurately for) the liberal blogosphere, Blue Gal highlighted not only the impact liberal blogs have had on the corporate media, but also the sharp contrast between the way we approach political discussion in both our presentation and intellect, versus the all drama, primal brain-tapping approach of the Right. Listen to the types of discussions Bill Maher has on his show, and then immediately pop in a tape of Bill O’Reilly earlier in the day and you’ll get an intellectual contrast I couldn’t even begin to describe here.

Here is some of what she said, and I hope you’ll read more at her site:

“…Without the lefty blogs, MSM (and by the way, folks, nobody even SAID "MSM"
before we came along, they were just the "M" and they got away with a lot more than they do now) would never have covered the Kaloogian fake photo of "Baghdad," Bush's fake "interview" with our troops, and, um, don't get me started about you-know-who. And you also know I'm just scratching the surface here. Needless to say Joe Lieberman wishes we would just go away…

But there is another connotation for "respect" and that we may never get. I hate to inform you, lefty blogospherians, but we are also the intellectuals of our society. That may sound snooty, but when Stephen Colbert says that "reality has as well-known liberal bias" and says that he "trusts his gut more than his head" he is talking back at us, directly and specifically. Critics stress that Colbert is pretending to be right-wing a la Bill O'Reilly, but more than knee-jerk conservativism, what Colbert is lambasting is O'Reilly's anti-intellectualism. Anti-intellectualism has a long and cherished history in American politics. Elections are won by being the guy everyone wants to have a beer with, rather than the one with the best ideas…

The challenge of the internet, and particularly the blog, is that you are capable, and I would argue, therefore required, to name your sources and back up your bullshit. The tightness of our community is also its control mechanism. If you lie, if you plagiarize, you will be caught and you will be outed. The internet is no respecter of persons, it respects the truth.

We bloggers as intellectuals will never get any "respect" in that sense. Those who think their vote on American Idol is as valuable as their vote for President will never respect us…"

Read on.

Getting Hated Over There, So They Don't Hate Us Here

I remember fondly some trips to Ireland that Bill Clinton took during his presidency, both for diplomatic purposes and to make his contribution toward the terrorism problems the Irish faced in the North (if you'd like to read about some other counter-terrorism efforts from the Clinton administration, go to this part of the site. Read further down for Bush's pre-9/11 efforts, and you'll understand why Democrats want to rip the face of anyone who suggests Clinton was weak on international terrorism).

I remember the images from the massive crowds of Irish gathered to hear his speech, whipped into an American president-admiring frenzy, waving miniature American flags (memory refresh here). It was as if the latest American Idol, who weeks prior was asking you if you wanted ketchup with your order, just set foot in your local Best Buy to promote the new album written and produced before the karaoke contest winner was even crowned.

I distinctly recall how proud I was at that moment - of my country, and of my president. It's similar to the feeling you get when watching the American athletes roll into the stadium at the Olympics every few years: "Damn right, that's my country."

I haven't had that feeling in 5 years. I can only assume it's on hold for another 2, and perhaps longer. In fact, the most recent overflowing, patriotic memory I have comes from the days after 9/11.

Our President had a near 90% approval rating.
The entire international community was with us, asking how they could help.
The band outside Buckingham Palace played "The Star-Spangled Banner" during a changing of the guard, as thousands of Londoners tearfully waved American flags.
The headline in the Parisian newspaper from soon to be hated France proclaimed the phrase heard 'round the world: We Are ALL Americans.

And how did Bush respond?

He blew one of the greatest opportunities for international power and cooperation since World War II. A president who had almost the entire world community at his fingertips suddenly became the most simultaneously protested American in civilization's history.

Americans traveling abroad EVERYWHERE must use caution, for fear that even looking like an American tourist will be at best be enough to get you harassed, and at worst, get you killed. It's now to the point where a clothing company (based in New Mexico) is actually selling "Go Canadian" clothing kits in which traveling Americans receive a gift basket full of red maple leaf insigned attire, hoping to trick everyone into thinking they're not really from Calgary, not San Diego.

And of course, with the World Cup in Germany right around the corner, it is with great embarrassment I bring you this gem:

The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup will not bear a flag for security reasons.

The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt, and the other 31 buses have large national flags of the their teams painted on rear sides.

At the 2002 World Cup, the United States was among the most heavily guarded teams. When the Americans arrived at Incheon International Airport, about 500 police formed a corridor the players walked through as they came out of customs, with SWAT team commandos mixed in.

When the team’s charter flight landed at Daegu Airport before a game against South Korea, two tanks were on the runway. Metal detectors were placed at the entrance of the team hotel throughout the players’ stay in Seoul.

Bush supporters responded to this story by issuing this single, collective statement:

"We continute to support our President's efforts to make Americans safer as they travel abroad.

We are disappointed our concept for the American team bus in Germany donning 11 American flags, two Pray For Our Troops ribbon magnets, and a mural depicting Toby Keith with an eagle on his shoulder, urinating on the head of Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not pan out. We are hereby renaming hot dogs, commonly known as frankfurters, 'freedom tubes.'"

Would anyone like french fries with that?