The Bancroft family finally caved to greed, and crowned Rupert Murdoch king of the Wall Street Journal. Family members earlier had stated they were reluctant to sell to Murdoch, fearful that he would turn the Journal into the Post (which is really kind of stupid-haven't they been reading their own editorial pages? The Journal already IS the Post! The editorial page of the WSJ is actually so spectacularly and predictably dishonest it's hard to see how Murdoch could do it any harm, frankly).
There's likely to be lots of groaning and hand-wringing in the journalistic community about how this signals the death of serious journalism in this country, but in reality, they've got no one to blame but themselves. By pimping themselves to outfits like the Post and Fox News, the reporters in this country have done as much to impinge journalistic credibility as William Randolph Hearst ever did. More, in fact. While Murdoch may be the general, he cannot implement the coup by himself. He needs foot soldiers. Interestingly, the reporters at the WSJ are unionized and have staged at least one walk-out protesting the sale of the WSJ to Murdoch. We'll see how many stick to their principles now that he is, in fact, their boss.)
Countdown to Bush's Last Day
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
A Medical Marvel
Chief John Roberts is cooling his heels at Pen Bay Medical Center in Rockport tonight, after reportedly suffering a seizure while sullying our great state on vacation.
This makes Judge Roberts a bit of a medical curiosity, as seizures are a disorder of the brain, an organ the judge has previously shown no evidence of possessing.
I hear Oscar the Cat is in town for a visit, Judge...better watch your back.
This makes Judge Roberts a bit of a medical curiosity, as seizures are a disorder of the brain, an organ the judge has previously shown no evidence of possessing.
I hear Oscar the Cat is in town for a visit, Judge...better watch your back.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Five Surgeons
Five surgeons from big cities are discussing who makes the best patients to operate on.
The first surgeon, from New York, says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second, from Chicago, responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded."
The third surgeon, from Dallas, says, "No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers . . those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over."
But the fifth surgeon, from Washington DC, shut them all up: "By far, Republicans are the easiest to operate on. There is no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."
The first surgeon, from New York, says, "I like to see accountants on my operating table, because when you open them up, everything inside is numbered."
The second, from Chicago, responds, "Yeah, but you should try electricians! Everything inside them is color coded."
The third surgeon, from Dallas, says, "No, I really think librarians are the best, everything inside them is in alphabetical order."
The fourth surgeon, from Los Angeles chimes in: "You know, I like construction workers . . those guys always understand when you have a few parts left over."
But the fifth surgeon, from Washington DC, shut them all up: "By far, Republicans are the easiest to operate on. There is no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and the ass are interchangeable."
George Bush Accuses Poor Children of Cheating Big Insurance
Next week, he takes on Michael Vick's pit bulls, accusing them of frivolous lawsuits.
Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan
President Says He Objects On Philosophical Grounds
By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff
President Bush has rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.
The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.
"I support the initial intent of the program," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."
Bush: No Deal On Children's Health Plan
President Says He Objects On Philosophical Grounds
By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff
President Bush has rejected entreaties by his Republican allies that he compromise with Democrats on legislation to renew a popular program that provides health coverage to poor children, saying that expanding the program would enlarge the role of the federal government at the expense of private insurance.
The president said he objects on philosophical grounds to a bipartisan Senate proposal to boost the State Children's Health Insurance Program by $35 billion over five years. Bush has proposed $5 billion in increased funding and has threatened to veto the Senate compromise and a more costly expansion being contemplated in the House.
"I support the initial intent of the program," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post after a factory tour and a discussion on health care with small-business owners in Landover. "My concern is that when you expand eligibility . . . you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government."
Friday, July 27, 2007
Justice Perverted
To all those who advocate the unbridled power of the federal government as the only way to stamp out threats across the globe, a cautionary tale:
And how many more like them are still languishing in our prisons today?
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- A federal judge Thursday ordered theAnd, apparently, getting the same results: bupkiss. The Mafia is still with us, and these guys sacrificed 30 years of their lives. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't sell thirty years of my life for $100 million dollars.
government to pay more than $101 million in the case of four men who spent
decades in prison for a 1965 murder they didn't commit after the FBI
withheld evidence of their innocence.
The FBI encouraged perjury, helped frame the four men and withheld for more than three decades information that could have cleared them, U.S. District Judge Nancy Gertner said in issuing her ruling Thursday.
She called the government's argument that the FBI had no duty to get
involved in the state case "absurd."
Peter Limone, Joseph Salvati and the families of the two other
men who died in prison had sued the federal government for malicious
prosecution.
They argued that Boston FBI agents knew mob hitman Joseph
"the Animal" Barboza lied when he named the men as killers in the 1965 death
of Edward Deegan. They said Barboza was protecting a fellow FBI informant,
Vincent "Jimmy" Flemmi, who was involved. The four men convicted on
Barboza's lies were treated as "acceptable collateral damage" because the
FBI's priority at the time was taking down the Mafia, their attorneys
said.
"No lost liberty is dispensable. We have fought wars over
this principle. We are still fighting these wars," Gertner told the packed
courtroom.
And how many more like them are still languishing in our prisons today?
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Gonzo Apparently a Con Man
Robert Mueller today became the 970,000th person to call Alberto Gonzales a liar.
But Gonzales still has the confidence of the president, who is, of course, a liar himself. Tony Snow is a liar by proxy, saying that Gonzales was "speaking consistently."
Consistent with what? Advanced senile dementia? Or chronic fabulism?
Reminds me of a song...
When I'm just trying to get along
We were friends
But now it's the end of our love song...
So let's leave it alone
'Cause we can't see eye to eye
There ain't no good guys
There ain't no bad guys
There's only you and me and we just disagree
Btw, news outlets are such pussies. CNN on it's website titles the story, "FBI head apparently contradicts Gonzales." Mueller said in fact that Gonzales did indeed discuss the U.S. surveillance program with a half-dead John Ashcroft, which is exactly the opposite of what Gonzo himself testified to.
There's no "apparently" about it, CNN. Grow some stones, for Christ's sake, or the next thing I'll expect to see is "Anna Nicole Smith apparently still dead."
But Gonzales still has the confidence of the president, who is, of course, a liar himself. Tony Snow is a liar by proxy, saying that Gonzales was "speaking consistently."
Consistent with what? Advanced senile dementia? Or chronic fabulism?
Reminds me of a song...
When I'm just trying to get along
We were friends
But now it's the end of our love song...
So let's leave it alone
'Cause we can't see eye to eye
There ain't no good guys
There ain't no bad guys
There's only you and me and we just disagree
Btw, news outlets are such pussies. CNN on it's website titles the story, "FBI head apparently contradicts Gonzales." Mueller said in fact that Gonzales did indeed discuss the U.S. surveillance program with a half-dead John Ashcroft, which is exactly the opposite of what Gonzo himself testified to.
There's no "apparently" about it, CNN. Grow some stones, for Christ's sake, or the next thing I'll expect to see is "Anna Nicole Smith apparently still dead."
Monday, July 23, 2007
Mitt Deflects Responsibility Again
Mitt Romney...the gift that keeps on giving. From CNN:
WASHINGTON (CNN) — GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has a message for those who are criticizing him for recently posing next to a supporter’s controversial campaign sign: “lighten up.”
The former Massachusetts governor took heat over the weekend from one town-hall audience member for recently posing with a supporter who donned a sign saying “”No to Osama, Obama and Chelsea’s Moma.”
The sign is an obvious grouping of the two leading Democratic presidential candidates — Sens. Hillary Clinton, the mother of Chelsea Clinton, and Barack Obama — with Al Qaeda leader and 9/11 organizer Osama Bin Laden.
“I don’t look at all the signs when I’m having pictures taken,” Romney said during a town-hall meeting in Exeter, New Hampshire when pressed to apologize by one member of the audience.
The comments were captured and made available to CNN by New Hampshire Public Radio.
“I have a lot of pictures taken with people, Romney also said. “I don’t really spend all that much time looking at the signs and the T-shirts and the buttons. I don’t have anything to say about a sign somebody else was holding.”
What a fucking moron. First, we learn that he thinks it's ok to tie his dog to the top of a car speeding along the highway at 65 miles an hour, telling us that if he doesn't know how to take care of a pet, he certainly can't be trusted with the keys to the free world. Now we find out that he has no eye for detail or subtlety, can't anticipate the consequences of his actions and basically just does what people tell him to do. You don't have anything to say about it, Mitt? Maybe not, but you do have something to say about what tactics you endorse. Standing and smiling broadly with a right wing fruitcake who equates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to Osama bin Laden says a lot about your principles and priorities, whether you admit it or not (of course, we can't forget this is the same guy who effusively introduced Ann Coulter at the CPAC a couple months ago, right before she called John Edwards a faggot).
He then went on to say, “You know what? Lighten up slightly. There are a lot of jokes out there. I’m not responsible for all the signs I see.”
Bah. You are respondible for the essence of your public appearances, and how you respond to your so-called supporter's tactics...and as far as jokes go, the biggest one by far is Mitt Romney himself.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Courage of Convictions?
A lot of cynical pundits on both the right and left have been wondering why John Edwards has chosen to make poverty a signature point of his campaign. After all, they muse, these people don't donate any money; the majority don't even vote. Why is he wasting his time?
Maybe this is why.
Because for so long, these people have had no one to speak up for them-not even each other. Certainly not their elected officials, who cut their housing funds while making sure big oil and millionaires get fat tax breaks.
I wonder what Ann Coulter has done for the poor lately, besides call their champion a slur?
Maybe this is why.
Because for so long, these people have had no one to speak up for them-not even each other. Certainly not their elected officials, who cut their housing funds while making sure big oil and millionaires get fat tax breaks.
I wonder what Ann Coulter has done for the poor lately, besides call their champion a slur?
Tom Allen's Guns A-Blazing
Despite Stoogan Collins' efforts to minimize the importance of Iraq to her constituents back here (how out of touch is this fool? And how little respect does she have for our intelligence?), Tom Allen has made it clear he's going to make the war front and center in his campaign. To wit:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2007
CONTACT: VALERIE MARTIN
207-774-9696
COLLINS OPPOSES LEVIN-REED ON IRAQ
PORTLAND – Susan Collins today stood by her opposition to timelines for withdrawal from Iraq although she attempted to hide behind her record with a vote for cloture on Levin-Reed today. Her vote for cloture was simply a vote to end debate, not for the legislation.
In an AP story, a Collins spokesperson said the Senator still opposes the legislation.
“Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is up for re-election next year, also voted to advance the bill. Spokesman Kevin Kelley said Collins believes the measure should be subject to a simple majority vote and not the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster. Kelley said the senator still opposes the legislation.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq
Valerie Martin, campaign manager for Tom Allen for U.S. Senate, said Collins has been wrong on Iraq since the beginning, while Allen has been a consistent and staunch opponent to the war in Iraq from the outset.
“For four and a half years, Susan Collins has been wrong about Iraq and has voted consistently to continue Bush’s failed policies. For four and a half years, Susan Collins has stood by the administration instead of standing up for what is right. For the past week, Susan Collins has been talking about changing missions and has hidden behind votes for cloture. That isn’t leadership. Maine needs a Senator who consistently does what is right,” said Martin.
By contrast, Tom Allen voted against authorization for the war in 2002 and has been an outspoken critic ever since, backing his words up with actions. Just last week, Allen voted in favor of H.R. 2956, a measure requiring the President to being troop withdrawal from Iraq within 120 days, to be concluded by April 1, 2008. The measure passed in the House on July 12.
Compare the Records on Iraq:
Collins Voted For Legislation She Said She Opposed. Today, Collins voted in favor of moving forward on legislation that would begin withdrawing American troops from Iraq. Immediately after the vote Collins’ spokesman claimed that in fact, she did not support timelines. “Spokesman Kevin Kelley said Collins believes the measure should be subject to a simple majority vote and not the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster. She opposes the legislation.” [HR 1585, Vote #252, 7/18/07; AP, 7/18/07]
Allen Again Voted For Timeline For Redeployment From Iraq. Last week, Allen again voted to end U.S. involvement in the Iraqi civil war. The vote mark the fifth time Allen had voted for a binding proposal to begin bringing troops home from Iraq. After the vote, Allen said, “Setting a binding timetable is the most effective way to remove American troops from Iraq. I will continue to advocate for a binding timetable so that the men and women serving so bravely in Iraq return home safely to their families.” [HRES 533, Vote #621, 7/12/07; Office of Representative Tom Allen, Press Release, 7/12/07]
Collins Said She Opposed Beginning To Withdraw Troops With 120 Days. Earlier this year, Collins said she opposed the 2007 Supplemental Funding bill for Iraq because it would begin to withdraw troops within 120 days. "Ms. Collins said she was more troubled by the requirement that the administration begin removing troops within 120 days of the legislation rather than the March 2008 deadline for having most of the military out." [New York Times, 3/28/07]
Allen Said There Was A Clear Choice Between Supporting Timetables Or Supporting Bush’s Failed Policies. Earlier this year, Allen said, “This week, the House of Representatives has a choice: either endorse the President’s open-ended commitment, or adopt a plan that demands accountability, sets a timeline for redeployment, and restores the readiness of our armed forces.” [Office of Representative Tom Allen, Press Release, 3/22/07]
Collins Voted To Authorize The War In Iraq. In October 2002, Collins voted authorize the use of force against Iraq. [Vote #237, 10/11/02]
Allen Was One of Only 133 Members To Vote Against Use Force Against Iraq. In 2002, Allen voted against allowing President Bush to use the military against Iraq [Vote #455, 10/10/02; New York Times, 10/11/02]
Collins Voted Against Withdrawing U.S. Troops. In March, Collins voted three times against setting a goal of withdrawing most American troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008, with the redeployment beginning within months.[Vote #126, 3/29/07; Vote #116, 3/27/07; Vote #75, 3/15/07]
Allen Supported Measure to Bring Our Troops Home by August 2008. In March, Allen voted for a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq by the summer of 2008. The legislation included strong benchmarks for the President to meet in Iraq. [Vote #186, 3/23/07]
Collins Wanted to “Stay the Course” In Iraq. In late 2003, Collins said, “it’s important that we hold the line in Iraq and that we stay the course…” [CNBC, 11/6/03]
Allen Has Consistently Advocated For A New Direction In Iraq. In February 2007, Allen spoke on the House floor “Recent experience shows that the U.S. must impose deadlines with consequences so that Iraqi leaders will be compelled to take responsibility. An unending U.S. military presence in Iraq creates a climate of dependency that undermines the goal of having the Iraqi Government control internal security.” [Congressman Tom Allen Floor Statement, 2/6/07]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2007
CONTACT: VALERIE MARTIN
207-774-9696
COLLINS OPPOSES LEVIN-REED ON IRAQ
PORTLAND – Susan Collins today stood by her opposition to timelines for withdrawal from Iraq although she attempted to hide behind her record with a vote for cloture on Levin-Reed today. Her vote for cloture was simply a vote to end debate, not for the legislation.
In an AP story, a Collins spokesperson said the Senator still opposes the legislation.
“Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who is up for re-election next year, also voted to advance the bill. Spokesman Kevin Kelley said Collins believes the measure should be subject to a simple majority vote and not the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster. Kelley said the senator still opposes the legislation.”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070718/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq
Valerie Martin, campaign manager for Tom Allen for U.S. Senate, said Collins has been wrong on Iraq since the beginning, while Allen has been a consistent and staunch opponent to the war in Iraq from the outset.
“For four and a half years, Susan Collins has been wrong about Iraq and has voted consistently to continue Bush’s failed policies. For four and a half years, Susan Collins has stood by the administration instead of standing up for what is right. For the past week, Susan Collins has been talking about changing missions and has hidden behind votes for cloture. That isn’t leadership. Maine needs a Senator who consistently does what is right,” said Martin.
By contrast, Tom Allen voted against authorization for the war in 2002 and has been an outspoken critic ever since, backing his words up with actions. Just last week, Allen voted in favor of H.R. 2956, a measure requiring the President to being troop withdrawal from Iraq within 120 days, to be concluded by April 1, 2008. The measure passed in the House on July 12.
Compare the Records on Iraq:
Collins Voted For Legislation She Said She Opposed. Today, Collins voted in favor of moving forward on legislation that would begin withdrawing American troops from Iraq. Immediately after the vote Collins’ spokesman claimed that in fact, she did not support timelines. “Spokesman Kevin Kelley said Collins believes the measure should be subject to a simple majority vote and not the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster. She opposes the legislation.” [HR 1585, Vote #252, 7/18/07; AP, 7/18/07]
Allen Again Voted For Timeline For Redeployment From Iraq. Last week, Allen again voted to end U.S. involvement in the Iraqi civil war. The vote mark the fifth time Allen had voted for a binding proposal to begin bringing troops home from Iraq. After the vote, Allen said, “Setting a binding timetable is the most effective way to remove American troops from Iraq. I will continue to advocate for a binding timetable so that the men and women serving so bravely in Iraq return home safely to their families.” [HRES 533, Vote #621, 7/12/07; Office of Representative Tom Allen, Press Release, 7/12/07]
Collins Said She Opposed Beginning To Withdraw Troops With 120 Days. Earlier this year, Collins said she opposed the 2007 Supplemental Funding bill for Iraq because it would begin to withdraw troops within 120 days. "Ms. Collins said she was more troubled by the requirement that the administration begin removing troops within 120 days of the legislation rather than the March 2008 deadline for having most of the military out." [New York Times, 3/28/07]
Allen Said There Was A Clear Choice Between Supporting Timetables Or Supporting Bush’s Failed Policies. Earlier this year, Allen said, “This week, the House of Representatives has a choice: either endorse the President’s open-ended commitment, or adopt a plan that demands accountability, sets a timeline for redeployment, and restores the readiness of our armed forces.” [Office of Representative Tom Allen, Press Release, 3/22/07]
Collins Voted To Authorize The War In Iraq. In October 2002, Collins voted authorize the use of force against Iraq. [Vote #237, 10/11/02]
Allen Was One of Only 133 Members To Vote Against Use Force Against Iraq. In 2002, Allen voted against allowing President Bush to use the military against Iraq [Vote #455, 10/10/02; New York Times, 10/11/02]
Collins Voted Against Withdrawing U.S. Troops. In March, Collins voted three times against setting a goal of withdrawing most American troops from Iraq by March 31, 2008, with the redeployment beginning within months.[Vote #126, 3/29/07; Vote #116, 3/27/07; Vote #75, 3/15/07]
Allen Supported Measure to Bring Our Troops Home by August 2008. In March, Allen voted for a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq by the summer of 2008. The legislation included strong benchmarks for the President to meet in Iraq. [Vote #186, 3/23/07]
Collins Wanted to “Stay the Course” In Iraq. In late 2003, Collins said, “it’s important that we hold the line in Iraq and that we stay the course…” [CNBC, 11/6/03]
Allen Has Consistently Advocated For A New Direction In Iraq. In February 2007, Allen spoke on the House floor “Recent experience shows that the U.S. must impose deadlines with consequences so that Iraqi leaders will be compelled to take responsibility. An unending U.S. military presence in Iraq creates a climate of dependency that undermines the goal of having the Iraqi Government control internal security.” [Congressman Tom Allen Floor Statement, 2/6/07]
The Server is Busy
Got this from the HSUS this morning concerning their campaign to suspend Michael Vick:
Nice job, people. Keep the heat on the NFL over this asshole. If you tried to hit on the links yesterday and couldn't, please do so now here!
"WE ARE SO SORRY! Shortly after we sent you this email earlier today, our system went down due to the high volume of communications from those outraged about this case. If our links did not work for you, we hope you will contact the NFL now. Again, our deepest apologies for the breakdown and the extra email from us today."
Nice job, people. Keep the heat on the NFL over this asshole. If you tried to hit on the links yesterday and couldn't, please do so now here!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Suspend Michael Vick!
From my inbox. This shit has got to be stopped somehow.
Tell the NFL to Suspend Michael Vick!
Dear Lisa,
This dog was one of 52 pit bulls seized from Michael Vick's property.
Late yesterday, a federal grand jury indicted NFL star quarterback Michael Vick and three cohorts on felony dogfighting charges. It’s the latest disturbing news in a case that The Humane Society of the United States has assisted with since the alleged cruelties came to light in Virginia last April.
I hope you will take action today to urge the NFL to suspend Michael Vick indefinitely.
The abuses described in the 19-page indictment are almost beyond belief:
In or about March of 2003, PEACE [one of Vick’s co-defendants], after consulting with VICK about the losing female pit bull's condition, executed the losing dog by wetting the dog down with water and electrocuting the animal.
In or about April 2007, PEACE, PHILLIPS, and VICK executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in "testing" sessions...by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."
The NFL expressed “disappointment” and said yesterday that “we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts.”
Well, that’s just not good enough. These acts were not petty or harmless; they were nothing short of gruesome and barbaric. And there is precedent for a suspension: Other NFL players, such as Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, have been suspended while they awaited trial and before they were convicted. Please contact the NFL today and urge the league to suspend Michael Vick.
For details about the case and The HSUS’s role in assisting federal prosecutors with the investigation and the care of 52 pit bulls taken from Vick’s property, click here. And if you are able, please make a special donation today to help us care for those animals while the case is being pursued by federal authorities.
Thank you for all you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
In case you need more encouragement to do the right thing here, you can watch some video of the sordid way Michael Vick gets his jollies here.
Tell the NFL to Suspend Michael Vick!
Dear Lisa,
This dog was one of 52 pit bulls seized from Michael Vick's property.
Late yesterday, a federal grand jury indicted NFL star quarterback Michael Vick and three cohorts on felony dogfighting charges. It’s the latest disturbing news in a case that The Humane Society of the United States has assisted with since the alleged cruelties came to light in Virginia last April.
I hope you will take action today to urge the NFL to suspend Michael Vick indefinitely.
The abuses described in the 19-page indictment are almost beyond belief:
In or about March of 2003, PEACE [one of Vick’s co-defendants], after consulting with VICK about the losing female pit bull's condition, executed the losing dog by wetting the dog down with water and electrocuting the animal.
In or about April 2007, PEACE, PHILLIPS, and VICK executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in "testing" sessions...by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."
The NFL expressed “disappointment” and said yesterday that “we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts.”
Well, that’s just not good enough. These acts were not petty or harmless; they were nothing short of gruesome and barbaric. And there is precedent for a suspension: Other NFL players, such as Pacman Jones and Chris Henry, have been suspended while they awaited trial and before they were convicted. Please contact the NFL today and urge the league to suspend Michael Vick.
For details about the case and The HSUS’s role in assisting federal prosecutors with the investigation and the care of 52 pit bulls taken from Vick’s property, click here. And if you are able, please make a special donation today to help us care for those animals while the case is being pursued by federal authorities.
Thank you for all you do for animals.
Sincerely,
Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States
In case you need more encouragement to do the right thing here, you can watch some video of the sordid way Michael Vick gets his jollies here.
The Right Wing Fringe is Getting VERY Nervous...
You know how I can tell? Boston-based complete knee-jerk asshole Howie Carr is suddenly seeing parallels between last night's Senate Iraq all-nighter and the Chappaquiddick tragedy.
How lame. That's the best you've got, Howie? Chappaquiddick, horrific as it was, hasn't worked as a political tool for thirty-eight years despite the desperate right-wing's best efforts.
For all his blustering and posturing about the "irony" of the two events falling decades apart, Carr apparently fails to see the irony of his attack on Kennedy for his action after an accident in which a person died, and his failure to attack President Bush for his cold blooded murder of thousands of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens. Yes, Chappaquiddick, for all the conspiracy theories surrounding it, was an accident. Iraq was a purposeful military action founded on deliberate, bald faced lies, yet I see no outraged columns by Carr denouncing the calculated sacrifice of American soldiers for a lie concocted for pure political gain.
How lame. That's the best you've got, Howie? Chappaquiddick, horrific as it was, hasn't worked as a political tool for thirty-eight years despite the desperate right-wing's best efforts.
For all his blustering and posturing about the "irony" of the two events falling decades apart, Carr apparently fails to see the irony of his attack on Kennedy for his action after an accident in which a person died, and his failure to attack President Bush for his cold blooded murder of thousands of American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens. Yes, Chappaquiddick, for all the conspiracy theories surrounding it, was an accident. Iraq was a purposeful military action founded on deliberate, bald faced lies, yet I see no outraged columns by Carr denouncing the calculated sacrifice of American soldiers for a lie concocted for pure political gain.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hypocrite Deux Fois
Check out the look on Wendy Vitter's face while the most recent nominee for Hypocrite of the Century is speaking. Doesn't she look like she just threw up in her mouth a little bit?
Is it her husband, or did she just catch sight of herself in that dress? Yikes.
While the holier-than-thou senator was calling for Bill Clinton's resignation over his indiscretions, wife Wendy was making her own case for a Hypocrite of the Century award. She had this to say when asked by the Times-Picayune if she could forgive her husband if he strayed, as Bob Livingston's wife had done: "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary [Clinton]. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."
It's hard to tell from this angle if Sen. Vitter remains intact...or of the only thing he's been stripped of is his credibility.
Is it her husband, or did she just catch sight of herself in that dress? Yikes.
While the holier-than-thou senator was calling for Bill Clinton's resignation over his indiscretions, wife Wendy was making her own case for a Hypocrite of the Century award. She had this to say when asked by the Times-Picayune if she could forgive her husband if he strayed, as Bob Livingston's wife had done: "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary [Clinton]. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."
It's hard to tell from this angle if Sen. Vitter remains intact...or of the only thing he's been stripped of is his credibility.
Monday, July 16, 2007
A Book Plug
A must-read for all sports fans with a social conscience.
"When professional athletes speak out for social justice, it's usually the sign of deeper discontent in society. Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King were exceptional individuals, but also products of social movements that shaped them and that they in turn helped shape.
The responses to Hurricane Katrina, among other recent rumblings and grumblings in our SportsWorld, writes Dave Zirin in an excerpt from his new book, demonstrates that struggle and its relation to sports is a question not of the past but of the future.
If you like this excerpt from Welcome to the Terrordome, check out the book itself. Zirin is currently in California in the middle of a series of readings. Click here for the full national schedule."
If you like what you see and want to read the book, please consider ordering from your locally owned bookstore instead of Amazon. I got mine from Nonesuch Books in South Portland.
"When professional athletes speak out for social justice, it's usually the sign of deeper discontent in society. Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Billie Jean King were exceptional individuals, but also products of social movements that shaped them and that they in turn helped shape.
The responses to Hurricane Katrina, among other recent rumblings and grumblings in our SportsWorld, writes Dave Zirin in an excerpt from his new book, demonstrates that struggle and its relation to sports is a question not of the past but of the future.
If you like this excerpt from Welcome to the Terrordome, check out the book itself. Zirin is currently in California in the middle of a series of readings. Click here for the full national schedule."
If you like what you see and want to read the book, please consider ordering from your locally owned bookstore instead of Amazon. I got mine from Nonesuch Books in South Portland.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
From the Mouths of Babes
So, to write this post, I'll have to admit I was, once again, watching "Meet the Press"...so sue me.
Anyway, right wing neanderthal columnist Bob Novak was on a panel discussion. Say what you want about Novak's positions-and I have-but he can't be accused of being shrewdly politically astute all the time. As such, he sometimes gives us wide open windows as to why anybody who has any kind of principles or sense of social responsibility is NOT a Republican. To wit:
"A lot of Republicans like McCarthyism."
Not that that's a great insight, but it's nice to hear it out of the mouth of a less fringe right-winger than Ann Coulter. Novak admits that the modern Republican party yearns for the days of witch hunts and smear campaigns leading to demonization leading to public hysteria which corrals power in the hands of the few, while the rest are too cowed to speak out, fearing they'll be next.
Oh...wait a minute...isn't that post 9/11 Bush administration policy...?
"Republicans are, are very pessimistic about 2008, when you talk to them off the record. They don't see how they can win this thing. And then you--they think for a minute, and only the Democratic Party, with everything in their favor, would say that, OK, this is a year either to have a woman or an African-American to break precedent, to do things the country's never done before, and it gives the Republicans hope."
Again, Novak is stating the obvious-Republicans are sexist and racist, and count on that in their "base" to win elections-but you have to think that the RNC cringed a little bit when they heard that. Your base from "Jesus Camp" may be nodding in approval, but you won't get the all-important "independent" vote admitting that sort of thing.
Anyway, right wing neanderthal columnist Bob Novak was on a panel discussion. Say what you want about Novak's positions-and I have-but he can't be accused of being shrewdly politically astute all the time. As such, he sometimes gives us wide open windows as to why anybody who has any kind of principles or sense of social responsibility is NOT a Republican. To wit:
"A lot of Republicans like McCarthyism."
Not that that's a great insight, but it's nice to hear it out of the mouth of a less fringe right-winger than Ann Coulter. Novak admits that the modern Republican party yearns for the days of witch hunts and smear campaigns leading to demonization leading to public hysteria which corrals power in the hands of the few, while the rest are too cowed to speak out, fearing they'll be next.
Oh...wait a minute...isn't that post 9/11 Bush administration policy...?
"Republicans are, are very pessimistic about 2008, when you talk to them off the record. They don't see how they can win this thing. And then you--they think for a minute, and only the Democratic Party, with everything in their favor, would say that, OK, this is a year either to have a woman or an African-American to break precedent, to do things the country's never done before, and it gives the Republicans hope."
Again, Novak is stating the obvious-Republicans are sexist and racist, and count on that in their "base" to win elections-but you have to think that the RNC cringed a little bit when they heard that. Your base from "Jesus Camp" may be nodding in approval, but you won't get the all-important "independent" vote admitting that sort of thing.
Friday, July 13, 2007
You Flatter Yourself, Joe
Thursday, July 12, 2007
A Shocking Truth Revealed
From CNN.com:
President Bush on Thursday acknowledged publicly for the first time that someone in his administration likely leaked the name of a CIA operative, although he also said he hopes the controversy over his decision to spare prison for a former White House aide has "run its course."
President Bush addresses questions during a Wednesday news conference.
"And now we're going to move on," Bush said in a White House news conference.
And in doing so, also break yet another pledge: "If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration," Bush told reporters in July of 2005. Of course, we all know that identifying covert operatives is against the law, and that the perps in charge of that crime-Cheney and Rove-are still sitting pretty in the White House.
Don't make promises you're not prepared to keep, George, although you have stood by another statement you made concerning the whole mess: "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of," you said in February of 2004, and that much is true...Scooter has been very, very well taken care of, and I'm sure he thanks you for it.
President Bush on Thursday acknowledged publicly for the first time that someone in his administration likely leaked the name of a CIA operative, although he also said he hopes the controversy over his decision to spare prison for a former White House aide has "run its course."
President Bush addresses questions during a Wednesday news conference.
"And now we're going to move on," Bush said in a White House news conference.
And in doing so, also break yet another pledge: "If someone committed a crime, they will no longer work in my administration," Bush told reporters in July of 2005. Of course, we all know that identifying covert operatives is against the law, and that the perps in charge of that crime-Cheney and Rove-are still sitting pretty in the White House.
Don't make promises you're not prepared to keep, George, although you have stood by another statement you made concerning the whole mess: "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of," you said in February of 2004, and that much is true...Scooter has been very, very well taken care of, and I'm sure he thanks you for it.
Parade of Pipsqueaks
"I'm trying to be consistent and perhaps have not done a great job of that...I have tried"-Sara Taylor, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the attorney general firings.
Kyle Sampson, 37. Monica Goodling, 33. And now Sara Taylor, the former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs at the White House, who is 32.
Apparently the Bush administration could find no mature, experienced conservatives to assume positions of responsibility in their administration.
Probably because they don't exist...or when they do exist, they turn out like James Comey.
Just too big a risk.
Kyle Sampson, 37. Monica Goodling, 33. And now Sara Taylor, the former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Political Affairs at the White House, who is 32.
Apparently the Bush administration could find no mature, experienced conservatives to assume positions of responsibility in their administration.
Probably because they don't exist...or when they do exist, they turn out like James Comey.
Just too big a risk.
Lucky Seven
Until these Senators are prepared to vote against continued funding for the war—and none of them are now—Bush and Cheney can go on their bloody way. -Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive Magazine, July 5
We saw what happened yesterday-Mitch McConnell continues to hold the country hostage to the now-delusional George Bush, who is beginning to remind one of Dreyfus ("No crater? But I want a crater! I want wreckage, twisted metal! Something the world will not forget!") playing the organ in The Pink Panther Strikes Again. This is no longer a Bush war-this is now a fully Republican war. The Congress now has the power to hold the president accountable for this nightmarish mess, but in true partisan fashion they opt not to...and the country will remember, Mr. McConnell (the state of Maine will also remember the mind-numbing lack of leadership Susan Collins has shown on this issue).
It's time to put your money where your mouth is, guys. Defund this war.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Virile Vitter
David Vitter, senator from Louisiana and stringent defender of "traditional marriage" has been caught, literally, with his pants down. His phone number was found among the voluminous records of the Washington madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey, and a New Orleans madam's charge that Vitter was a frequent guest at her house as well also puts the senator in a, um, compromising position. Monday night Vitter issued this statement: "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible...several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and from my wife in confession and marriage counseling."
Vitter was also seen wearing a yellow bracelet with the letters WWBLD on it. He responded to reporter's questions that the letters stood for "What Would Bob Livingston Do?" Ok, I made that last part up, but don't you think it's more than a little ironic that Vitter took Livingston's House seat after Livingston stepped down over a sex scandal? And before his departure, Livingston had been chosen to succeed Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House-who was also boffing a Woman Other Than His Wife at the time? Christ, don't these Republicans ever work?
Vitter did get a lukewarm vote of approval from that other paragon of sexual fidelity, Republican front runner Rudy Guiliani, who also noted that, "Some people disappoint you." Your son couldn't agree more, Rudy.
Sen. Vitter is currently seeking spiritual advice from Jimmy Swaggert and Ted Haggard.
Ok, I made that up too. At least, I think I did.
Vitter was also seen wearing a yellow bracelet with the letters WWBLD on it. He responded to reporter's questions that the letters stood for "What Would Bob Livingston Do?" Ok, I made that last part up, but don't you think it's more than a little ironic that Vitter took Livingston's House seat after Livingston stepped down over a sex scandal? And before his departure, Livingston had been chosen to succeed Newt Gingrich as Speaker of the House-who was also boffing a Woman Other Than His Wife at the time? Christ, don't these Republicans ever work?
Vitter did get a lukewarm vote of approval from that other paragon of sexual fidelity, Republican front runner Rudy Guiliani, who also noted that, "Some people disappoint you." Your son couldn't agree more, Rudy.
Sen. Vitter is currently seeking spiritual advice from Jimmy Swaggert and Ted Haggard.
Ok, I made that up too. At least, I think I did.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Karl Rove Brings Down the House
"I make no apologies," Rove said when an audience member asked how personally responsible he felt for the war. "It was the right thing to do. The world is better off with (Saddam Hussein) gone. We all thought he had weapons of mass destruction. The whole world did. He didn't. ...
"In the aftermath of the removal of the regime, al-Qaeda decided to make its stand in Iraq. And we have got to, in my opinion, fight 'em and beat 'em there; otherwise we are going to face them somewhere else." -Karl Rove at the Aspen Ideas Festival, July 8
Is the truth just allergic to this man? Or any sense of conscience or accountability? Or does he just lie so spectacularly and with such abandon that he can be considered certifiably insane, a danger to himself and others, the standard for being what is quaintly known in the psychiatric world as "blue-papered"-committed without consent.
Karl, they're coming to take you away, hah-hah...Yes. I think it's time. Would that it were true...
You can read a full accounting of the farce here.
"In the aftermath of the removal of the regime, al-Qaeda decided to make its stand in Iraq. And we have got to, in my opinion, fight 'em and beat 'em there; otherwise we are going to face them somewhere else." -Karl Rove at the Aspen Ideas Festival, July 8
Is the truth just allergic to this man? Or any sense of conscience or accountability? Or does he just lie so spectacularly and with such abandon that he can be considered certifiably insane, a danger to himself and others, the standard for being what is quaintly known in the psychiatric world as "blue-papered"-committed without consent.
Karl, they're coming to take you away, hah-hah...Yes. I think it's time. Would that it were true...
You can read a full accounting of the farce here.
Where Do You Stand, Tom?
From the American Research Group, released on 7/5/07:
Question:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush?
45% of all adults in favor, 46% oppose, 9% unsure. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats report they are in favor of this action, as well as 50% of independents. (Republicans, as expected, are apparently waiting for Dubya to get a blow job to decide that enough is enough. If my reaction to the president is the same as most women's-and I suspect it is-they will be waiting a long, long time.)
Question:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney?
54% of all adults in favor, 40% opposed, 6% unsure. Seventy-six percent of Democrats and 51% of independents favor this action. Republicans must figure the chances of the veep getting a BJ are even infinitesimally smaller than some drunk, blind floozy going down on Dubya, so they're feeling pretty safe there (unless, of course, Ann Coulter decides to fulffill a fantasy...)
Nearly half the population of the republic wants the president impeached (compare that to the number who supported Clinton's impeachment, which was essentially the right wing fringe; that little gamble backfired badly, crystallized support behind Bill Clinton and cost Newt Gingrich his job) with the number growing by the day as more evidence of his criminal and duplicitous behavior emerges. The vast majority of Democrats certainly want to see the president held accountable in a criminal proceeding.
Tom Allen, who is asking for our support is his effort to unseat Stoogan Collins (who has apparently just awakened from a five-year coma and decided that, hey! Maybe the war is important after all!) has not come out with a strong statement in support of impeachment of either the president or vice president. While this in and of itself is not enough to sway my support of him-yeah, right, like I'm going to vote for that sniveling lapdog Lieberman suck up Collins-I think he needs to be reminded where his supporters stand on this issue and make his position transparent. I wrote and told him exactly that. You can reach him at:
rep.tomallen@mail.house.gov
or via his Portland offices at 774-5019.
Question:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against President George W. Bush?
45% of all adults in favor, 46% oppose, 9% unsure. Sixty-nine percent of Democrats report they are in favor of this action, as well as 50% of independents. (Republicans, as expected, are apparently waiting for Dubya to get a blow job to decide that enough is enough. If my reaction to the president is the same as most women's-and I suspect it is-they will be waiting a long, long time.)
Question:
Do you favor or oppose the US House of Representatives beginning impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney?
54% of all adults in favor, 40% opposed, 6% unsure. Seventy-six percent of Democrats and 51% of independents favor this action. Republicans must figure the chances of the veep getting a BJ are even infinitesimally smaller than some drunk, blind floozy going down on Dubya, so they're feeling pretty safe there (unless, of course, Ann Coulter decides to fulffill a fantasy...)
Nearly half the population of the republic wants the president impeached (compare that to the number who supported Clinton's impeachment, which was essentially the right wing fringe; that little gamble backfired badly, crystallized support behind Bill Clinton and cost Newt Gingrich his job) with the number growing by the day as more evidence of his criminal and duplicitous behavior emerges. The vast majority of Democrats certainly want to see the president held accountable in a criminal proceeding.
Tom Allen, who is asking for our support is his effort to unseat Stoogan Collins (who has apparently just awakened from a five-year coma and decided that, hey! Maybe the war is important after all!) has not come out with a strong statement in support of impeachment of either the president or vice president. While this in and of itself is not enough to sway my support of him-yeah, right, like I'm going to vote for that sniveling lapdog Lieberman suck up Collins-I think he needs to be reminded where his supporters stand on this issue and make his position transparent. I wrote and told him exactly that. You can reach him at:
rep.tomallen@mail.house.gov
or via his Portland offices at 774-5019.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Quote of the Year
"I'm busy teaching my students all about the Constitution (and) wondering if we'll ever get anybody here who actually reads it"-Bill Greenberg, a high school teacher from Arizona, at the White House during a field trip to Washington with his students.
(Kudos for your bluntness, Bill, especially in light of the fact that Arizona's a red state...hope you still have a job!)
(Kudos for your bluntness, Bill, especially in light of the fact that Arizona's a red state...hope you still have a job!)
A Call for Resignation
If you haven't seen this, it will bring tears to your eyes...especially the gut-wrenching laundry list of accusations of how this president has turned our country into a cesspool of political fear and cronyism:
I accuse you, Mr. Bush, of lying this country into war.
I accuse you of fabricating in the minds of your own people, a false implied link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
I accuse you of firing the generals who told you that the plans for Iraq were disastrously insufficient.
I accuse you of causing in Iraq the needless deaths of 3,586 of our brothers and sons, and sisters and daughters, and friends and neighbors.
I accuse you of subverting the Constitution, not in some misguided but sincerely-motivated struggle to combat terrorists, but to stifle dissent.
I accuse you of fomenting fear among your own people, of creating the very terror you claim to have fought.
I accuse you of exploiting that unreasoning fear, the natural fear of your own people who just want to live their lives in peace, as a political tool to slander your critics and libel your opponents.
I accuse you of handing part of this Republic over to a Vice President who is without conscience, and letting him run roughshod over it.
And I accuse you now, Mr. Bush, of giving, through that Vice President, carte blanche to Mr. Libby, to help defame Ambassador Joseph Wilson by any means necessary, to lie to Grand Juries and Special Counsel and before a court, in order to protect the mechanisms and particulars of that defamation, with your guarantee that Libby would never see prison, and, in so doing, as Ambassador Wilson himself phrased it here last night, of becoming an accessory to the obstruction of justice.
You can see the rest of the commentary here:
By all accounts, most people agree with you, Keith. Thank you for being our voice.
I accuse you, Mr. Bush, of lying this country into war.
I accuse you of fabricating in the minds of your own people, a false implied link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.
I accuse you of firing the generals who told you that the plans for Iraq were disastrously insufficient.
I accuse you of causing in Iraq the needless deaths of 3,586 of our brothers and sons, and sisters and daughters, and friends and neighbors.
I accuse you of subverting the Constitution, not in some misguided but sincerely-motivated struggle to combat terrorists, but to stifle dissent.
I accuse you of fomenting fear among your own people, of creating the very terror you claim to have fought.
I accuse you of exploiting that unreasoning fear, the natural fear of your own people who just want to live their lives in peace, as a political tool to slander your critics and libel your opponents.
I accuse you of handing part of this Republic over to a Vice President who is without conscience, and letting him run roughshod over it.
And I accuse you now, Mr. Bush, of giving, through that Vice President, carte blanche to Mr. Libby, to help defame Ambassador Joseph Wilson by any means necessary, to lie to Grand Juries and Special Counsel and before a court, in order to protect the mechanisms and particulars of that defamation, with your guarantee that Libby would never see prison, and, in so doing, as Ambassador Wilson himself phrased it here last night, of becoming an accessory to the obstruction of justice.
You can see the rest of the commentary here:
By all accounts, most people agree with you, Keith. Thank you for being our voice.
Hey! He Called Us Traitors!
Byron York, neocon lapdog and White House correspondent for the ideological toilet paper known as "The National Review," wrote an opinion piece that was reprinted in the Washington Post last Friday. As is typical with the crap that eminates from this entity, there was plenty to take issue with, but my eye fell and I paused at this particular sentence more than halfway through the article:
Huh. Well, imagine that!
Apparently, Mr. York didn't quite catch the irony of that statement-if he did, I'm sure he never would have so casually inserted those lines in the middle of that paragraph. As is my wont, I sat down and sent him an email (I sent a similar letter to the editors of the Post), which began with the quote above and continued:
Many conservatives are still hopping mad over the president's description of the bill's opponents as people who "don't want to do what's right for America."
Huh. Well, imagine that!
Apparently, Mr. York didn't quite catch the irony of that statement-if he did, I'm sure he never would have so casually inserted those lines in the middle of that paragraph. As is my wont, I sat down and sent him an email (I sent a similar letter to the editors of the Post), which began with the quote above and continued:
"Amazing. I'm sure that was a real eye-opener for the group that has been told
they are the only Americans that matter since 2000. Doesn't feel very good, does
it? To those people I would say, welcome to the world we on the left have lived
in for the past seven years. If you're not 100% with him then you're
100% against him, and there's no room for discussion. Once people have
been told they are not good Americans, the chances that you're going to get them
back you on anything is pretty slim, so perhaps this became the jumping off
point for Republicans to start breaking in earnest with the president on Iraq?
Maybe they thought, he thinks we're anti-American anyway, so to hell with him. I
can tell you from experience that's a powerful motivator.
Although this is clearly not a new tactic in this administration's arsenal, in
this case it seems more like friendly fire instead of an enemy
strike. Being essentially called a traitor by your president hurts, no
matter what side of the aisle you're on, and it's not ever true. What I'd
really like to know is where was all the outrage from conservatives when the
president was saying EXACTLY the same thing about those of us who were opposed
to the invasion of Iraq-and other various neocon undertakings-as far back as
2002, before anti-Bush sentiment was fashionable?
Lisa Keenan"
Saturday, July 7, 2007
An Unbiased Opinion?
Ok, I was watching a sports talk show the other day, where they were discussing the aforementioned George Bush at Washington Nationals game. One of the panelists, a prominent journalist, mentioned that perhaps Mr. Bush should take over as commissioner of baseball when his term is finished as he is such a devotee of the game. It's a guy I usually like, and I immediately fired off this tongue in cheek email to him:
"George Bush as commissioner??? Sweet tapdancing Jesus! Thanks to this country's destruction by that arrogant, overbearing, lying f*ck, baseball is practically the only thing we have left to enjoy, and you want him to take over that, too???? He'd probably send the White Sox in to invade the Cubs during interleague play! Are you seriously trying to destroy MLB???
What were you thinking when you said that?????
Lisa Keenan"
Within minutes, I got this reply:
"I was thinking-and this is ----------, private citizen talking, not ----------, reporter-that this country would have been a helluva lot better off if Bud [Selig, current baseball commissioner] had stepped aside years ago and allowed Bush to become commissioner, where by definition he could not have wreaked as much damage as he has caused in his current capacity."
Touche, my friend. Excellent point.
"George Bush as commissioner??? Sweet tapdancing Jesus! Thanks to this country's destruction by that arrogant, overbearing, lying f*ck, baseball is practically the only thing we have left to enjoy, and you want him to take over that, too???? He'd probably send the White Sox in to invade the Cubs during interleague play! Are you seriously trying to destroy MLB???
What were you thinking when you said that?????
Lisa Keenan"
Within minutes, I got this reply:
"I was thinking-and this is ----------, private citizen talking, not ----------, reporter-that this country would have been a helluva lot better off if Bud [Selig, current baseball commissioner] had stepped aside years ago and allowed Bush to become commissioner, where by definition he could not have wreaked as much damage as he has caused in his current capacity."
Touche, my friend. Excellent point.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Happy Birthday, Mr. President
Yes, and many happy returns for ol' Dubya, who turns 61 today. Reports say he is celebrating at Camp David with the first lady.
Our gift to him? The lowest approval ratings in a generation. Awwww, isn't that nice?
Meanwhile, the Pentagon reports that two more soldiers were killed in Iraq on Wednesday, our country's birthday, bringing the number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war to 3,580. In a display of public grief and solidarity, the president went to a Washington Nationals game on Thursday and munched on chicken fingers and nachos with rich people. Hmmm, I wonder if any of those 3,580 dead shared your love of baseball, George? Even if they didn't, I imagine most of them would at least liked to have seen their 61st birthday...
Ahhh, Iraq, the president's most enduring present to us. The gift that keeps on giving.
So, happy birthday, George. May you be constantly haunted by the ghosts of those you have denied the same privilege.
(btw, Turn Maine Blue has a great post up reporting Stoogan Collins' breathtaking flip-flop in her opinion about how Mainers view the Iraq issue. Please, people. I beg of you. Get this idiot out of office!)
Our gift to him? The lowest approval ratings in a generation. Awwww, isn't that nice?
Meanwhile, the Pentagon reports that two more soldiers were killed in Iraq on Wednesday, our country's birthday, bringing the number of U.S. military deaths in the Iraq war to 3,580. In a display of public grief and solidarity, the president went to a Washington Nationals game on Thursday and munched on chicken fingers and nachos with rich people. Hmmm, I wonder if any of those 3,580 dead shared your love of baseball, George? Even if they didn't, I imagine most of them would at least liked to have seen their 61st birthday...
Ahhh, Iraq, the president's most enduring present to us. The gift that keeps on giving.
So, happy birthday, George. May you be constantly haunted by the ghosts of those you have denied the same privilege.
(btw, Turn Maine Blue has a great post up reporting Stoogan Collins' breathtaking flip-flop in her opinion about how Mainers view the Iraq issue. Please, people. I beg of you. Get this idiot out of office!)
Fantasy Busted
The Fantasy:
"Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs."
"Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we'll have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared."
"To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution."
The Reality:
Increased troop presence in Baghdad has not led to an increase in security in the area, and has only driven the insurgents out to other provinces, like Anbar and Diyala, where American casulaties are high and the surge is essentially a nonfactor.
The Iraqi forces are nowhere near prepared to assume defense of their own country.
The Iraqi government is unable to keep up any part of it's end of the bargain. Kermit and Fozzie could do a more credible job. What good is a puppet government that won't dance when you pull the strings?
Pete Dominici, apparently on break from trying to bulldoze US attorneys into filing fraudulent charges against political opponents, becomes the latest johnny-come-lately GOP weasel to blast the president on Iraq. Thanks a pantload, Pete. Where were you when we needed you? Oh, I remember: you were on the phone with David Iglesias...
"Our troops will have a well-defined mission: to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, to help them protect the local population, and to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs."
"Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we'll have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared."
"To establish its authority, the Iraqi government plans to take responsibility for security in all of Iraq's provinces by November. To give every Iraqi citizen a stake in the country's economy, Iraq will pass legislation to share oil revenues among all Iraqis. To show that it is committed to delivering a better life, the Iraqi government will spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects that will create new jobs. To empower local leaders, Iraqis plan to hold provincial elections later this year. And to allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life, the government will reform de-Baathification laws, and establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution."
The Reality:
Increased troop presence in Baghdad has not led to an increase in security in the area, and has only driven the insurgents out to other provinces, like Anbar and Diyala, where American casulaties are high and the surge is essentially a nonfactor.
The Iraqi forces are nowhere near prepared to assume defense of their own country.
The Iraqi government is unable to keep up any part of it's end of the bargain. Kermit and Fozzie could do a more credible job. What good is a puppet government that won't dance when you pull the strings?
Pete Dominici, apparently on break from trying to bulldoze US attorneys into filing fraudulent charges against political opponents, becomes the latest johnny-come-lately GOP weasel to blast the president on Iraq. Thanks a pantload, Pete. Where were you when we needed you? Oh, I remember: you were on the phone with David Iglesias...
Monday, July 2, 2007
Where's the Justice?
Paris Hilton had to go to jail...in fact, she was sent back to jail after they let her out. And she didn't even have a cushy right-wing think-tank job waiting for her after she was finally sprung.
What makes Scooter Libby any better than Paris Hilton? Except that he knows where all the president's bodies are buried, and George was frantic to keep his mouth shut.
Sheesh. Even Nixon didn't commute the sentences his law breaking associates.
What makes Scooter Libby any better than Paris Hilton? Except that he knows where all the president's bodies are buried, and George was frantic to keep his mouth shut.
Sheesh. Even Nixon didn't commute the sentences his law breaking associates.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
A Classic Song of Battle Revisited
From my inbox...
Battle Hymn of the Republicans
(to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Mine Eyes have seen the bungling of that stumbling moron Bush;
He has blathered all the drivel that the neo-cons can push;
He has lost all sight of reason 'cause his head is up his tush;
The Doofus marches on.
I have heard him butcher syntax like a kindergarten fool;
There is warranted suspicion that he never went to school;
Should we fault him for the policies -- or is he just their tool?
The lies keep piling on.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
His wreckage will live on.
I have seen him cut the taxes of the billionaires' lone heir;
As he spends another zillion on an aircraft carrier;
Let the smokestacks keep polluting -- do we really need clean air?
The surplus is now gone.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Your safety net is gone!
Now he's got a mighty hankerin' to bomb a prostrate state;
Though the whole world knows its crazy -- and the U.N. says to wait;
When he doesn't have the evidence, "We must prevaricate."
Diplomacy is done!
Oh, a trumped-up war is excellent; we have no moral bounds;
Should the reasons be disputed, we'll just make up other grounds;
Enraging several billions -- to his brainlessness redounds;
The Doofus marches on!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
THIS...DOO...FUS...MAR...CHES...ON
Battle Hymn of the Republicans
(to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic)
Mine Eyes have seen the bungling of that stumbling moron Bush;
He has blathered all the drivel that the neo-cons can push;
He has lost all sight of reason 'cause his head is up his tush;
The Doofus marches on.
I have heard him butcher syntax like a kindergarten fool;
There is warranted suspicion that he never went to school;
Should we fault him for the policies -- or is he just their tool?
The lies keep piling on.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
His wreckage will live on.
I have seen him cut the taxes of the billionaires' lone heir;
As he spends another zillion on an aircraft carrier;
Let the smokestacks keep polluting -- do we really need clean air?
The surplus is now gone.
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Your safety net is gone!
Now he's got a mighty hankerin' to bomb a prostrate state;
Though the whole world knows its crazy -- and the U.N. says to wait;
When he doesn't have the evidence, "We must prevaricate."
Diplomacy is done!
Oh, a trumped-up war is excellent; we have no moral bounds;
Should the reasons be disputed, we'll just make up other grounds;
Enraging several billions -- to his brainlessness redounds;
The Doofus marches on!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
Glory! Glory! How he'll Screw Ya'!
THIS...DOO...FUS...MAR...CHES...ON
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