Saturday, September 04, 2004
Open Letter to Senator McCain
Those of you who have read my bio know that I also run The Independent Voter. Recently one of our readers here posted a letter, he'd written to Senator McCain, in the comments of a blog post here. I agreed completely with what he'd said in the letter and asked his permission to use it. He agreed and I've just posted it over at The Independent Voter.
I wrote a fairly long intro piece that is near the top of the front page there. The link to Rob's letter is at the end of the intro, which relates a discussion I had with another Independent at a recent Howard Dean book signing here in Portland. I chose to post it over there because the letter is from a fellow Independent and felt that was a more appropriate forum for it. But, also because the accompanying graphic is way too big to post over here. As it is I've got an Arnold graphic here (post below this one) which is playing hell with our blog's sidebar. I can only imagine the havoc that posting the larger graphic would cause here. LOL
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I wrote a fairly long intro piece that is near the top of the front page there. The link to Rob's letter is at the end of the intro, which relates a discussion I had with another Independent at a recent Howard Dean book signing here in Portland. I chose to post it over there because the letter is from a fellow Independent and felt that was a more appropriate forum for it. But, also because the accompanying graphic is way too big to post over here. As it is I've got an Arnold graphic here (post below this one) which is playing hell with our blog's sidebar. I can only imagine the havoc that posting the larger graphic would cause here. LOL
Friday, September 03, 2004
New Addition to Blogroll
I just added a great new blog to our blogroll: My Chiron.... I've shortened the name down a bit to fit our sidebar.
Carla and I are fairly choosy about who gets added to the blogroll. Laurel's blog was an easy choice... interesting and humorous with a sarcastic edge. Just my style. Carla of course is gone until after the holiday. But, I've no doubt that she'll approve.
Found on her blog: Wearable Dissent. They've got some great stuff. Such as... The Purple Heartless Project where I found the following:
Which spoofs the tasteless mocking of Purple Heart recipients that Republicans dished out at the recently concluded RNC:
They've also got a truly fabulous, but also truly huge, graphic collage on McCain appropriately called, Courage My Ass, which I intend to use later on my The Independent Voter site.
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Carla and I are fairly choosy about who gets added to the blogroll. Laurel's blog was an easy choice... interesting and humorous with a sarcastic edge. Just my style. Carla of course is gone until after the holiday. But, I've no doubt that she'll approve.
Found on her blog: Wearable Dissent. They've got some great stuff. Such as... The Purple Heartless Project where I found the following:
Which spoofs the tasteless mocking of Purple Heart recipients that Republicans dished out at the recently concluded RNC:
They've also got a truly fabulous, but also truly huge, graphic collage on McCain appropriately called, Courage My Ass, which I intend to use later on my The Independent Voter site.
Dazed and confused
Cheney Says Kerry Doesn't Understand West.
Well, Mr. Vice Flip-Flopper in Chief... last time I checked you couldn't decide whether you live in Texas or in Wyoming. Now, I know that you and George are anti-science and it may well be asking too much of you to refer to a map. But, if you check the one that I've just linked for you, you'll notice that both Texas and Wyoming are East of Oregon, California and Washington. Further, you'll notice that all three Western states are solidly backing Kerry. This despite the fact that early on Oregon and Washington were considered swing states up for grabs.
While you and George "Flip-Flopper in Chief" Bush have visited out West. I have lived here my entire life. I was born in California, have lived in Oregon since the late 60's, and went to college in Washington. You, Sir, are an Easterner as far as we're concerned. And we don't much like you out here in the real West.
Now, it's pretty obvious from the look on your face that this pisses you off more than a little. But there it is whether you like it or not.
Station Break
This being Labor Day weekend, I'm going to take a few days away from the blog.
The kids are getting ready to head back to school, my garden has been woefully neglected and I feel the need to rest up in preparation for the next few weeks.
Have a great weekend....and don't forget to turn off those computers and get out into the sunshine.
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The kids are getting ready to head back to school, my garden has been woefully neglected and I feel the need to rest up in preparation for the next few weeks.
Have a great weekend....and don't forget to turn off those computers and get out into the sunshine.
Quote of the Day....
....courtesy of Rob Salzman of About It All
"Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue."
-- Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) "Sleepy Hollow" (Paramount; 1999)
Timely words indeed.
It reminds me of a passage from the Bible that Kevin tends to talk about when I get on a rant about Christians who resemble nothing regarding Christianity:
Matthew 7:15-18
(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17)Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18)A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Wise words to remember in the days ahead.
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"Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue."
-- Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp) "Sleepy Hollow" (Paramount; 1999)
Timely words indeed.
It reminds me of a passage from the Bible that Kevin tends to talk about when I get on a rant about Christians who resemble nothing regarding Christianity:
Matthew 7:15-18
(15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17)Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18)A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither [can] a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Wise words to remember in the days ahead.
Showing their hand...
Digby reveals Andy Card's true feelings about his boss' view of the country:
White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said yesterday that President Bush views America as a ''10-year-old child" in need of the sort of protection provided by a parent.
Welcome to Sesame Street. Today has been brought to you by the letters W, F and U. And by the number 2, as in duplicitous.
The original piece from the Boston Globe.
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White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card said yesterday that President Bush views America as a ''10-year-old child" in need of the sort of protection provided by a parent.
Welcome to Sesame Street. Today has been brought to you by the letters W, F and U. And by the number 2, as in duplicitous.
The original piece from the Boston Globe.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Journalism isn't totally dead...yet
The Washington Post shows some ability to actually do journalism:
• Kerry did not cast a series of votes against weapons systems, as Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) suggested in a slashing convention speech in New York late Wednesday, but instead Kerry opposed a huge Pentagon spending package in 1990 as part of congressional deliberations over restructuring the military in the post-Cold War era.
• Both Vice President Cheney and Miller have said that Kerry would like to see U.S. troops deployed only at the direction of the United Nations, with Cheney noting that the remark had been made at the start of Kerry's political career. This refers to a statement made nearly 35 years ago, when Kerry gave an interview to the Harvard Crimson, 10 months after he had returned from the Vietnam War angry and disillusioned by his experiences there. (President Bush at the time was in the Air National Guard, about to earn his wings.)
• Both Cheney and Miller faulted Kerry for voting against body armor for troops in Iraq. But much of the funding for body armor was added to the bill by House Democrats, not the administration, and Kerry's vote against the entire bill was rooted in a dispute with the administration over how to pay for $20 billion earmarked for reconstruction of Iraq.
Above is just a short excerpt...the Post does an excellent job showing the dishonesty of Miller and Cheney...as well as Bush....with their Kerry hate speeches.
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• Kerry did not cast a series of votes against weapons systems, as Sen. Zell Miller (D-Ga.) suggested in a slashing convention speech in New York late Wednesday, but instead Kerry opposed a huge Pentagon spending package in 1990 as part of congressional deliberations over restructuring the military in the post-Cold War era.
• Both Vice President Cheney and Miller have said that Kerry would like to see U.S. troops deployed only at the direction of the United Nations, with Cheney noting that the remark had been made at the start of Kerry's political career. This refers to a statement made nearly 35 years ago, when Kerry gave an interview to the Harvard Crimson, 10 months after he had returned from the Vietnam War angry and disillusioned by his experiences there. (President Bush at the time was in the Air National Guard, about to earn his wings.)
• Both Cheney and Miller faulted Kerry for voting against body armor for troops in Iraq. But much of the funding for body armor was added to the bill by House Democrats, not the administration, and Kerry's vote against the entire bill was rooted in a dispute with the administration over how to pay for $20 billion earmarked for reconstruction of Iraq.
Above is just a short excerpt...the Post does an excellent job showing the dishonesty of Miller and Cheney...as well as Bush....with their Kerry hate speeches.
Long on dull, short on substance...
...but at least the protesters were exciting.
Bush's speech offers no talk of jobs or specific economic proposals after a week of dismal economic news. Job numbers are to be announced tomorrow. Economists are forecasting the report to be between 100,000 and 250,000 for the month of August with unemployment remaining at 5.5%. The month of July yielded just 32,000 new jobs, much lower than expected. A gain of about 150,000 is generally seen by economists as necessary to keep pace with the number of people entering the work force.
The DJIA ended strong today on anticipation of a good jobs report. But bad economic news from several sectors of the economy this week don't bode well:
Worker productivity revised downward
Del Monte profits slide 41%
Intel lowers 3rd quarter revenue projections
Oil prices soar
GM and Ford cut output after weak sales
Retailers dissapointed in back to school sales
But hey...at least they got to have a Kerry hatefest.
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Bush's speech offers no talk of jobs or specific economic proposals after a week of dismal economic news. Job numbers are to be announced tomorrow. Economists are forecasting the report to be between 100,000 and 250,000 for the month of August with unemployment remaining at 5.5%. The month of July yielded just 32,000 new jobs, much lower than expected. A gain of about 150,000 is generally seen by economists as necessary to keep pace with the number of people entering the work force.
The DJIA ended strong today on anticipation of a good jobs report. But bad economic news from several sectors of the economy this week don't bode well:
Worker productivity revised downward
Del Monte profits slide 41%
Intel lowers 3rd quarter revenue projections
Oil prices soar
GM and Ford cut output after weak sales
Retailers dissapointed in back to school sales
But hey...at least they got to have a Kerry hatefest.
Unfit to lead...
John Kerry will take off the gloves tonight and go head on with Bush/Cheney.
Earlier today Kerry unleashed a major attack against Cheney's own lack of service in Vietnam based on being the recipient of five deferments.
Tonight, Kerry is expected to go hard after Bush. An excerpt:
"Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty. Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without healthcare makes you unfit to lead this nation...."
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Earlier today Kerry unleashed a major attack against Cheney's own lack of service in Vietnam based on being the recipient of five deferments.
Tonight, Kerry is expected to go hard after Bush. An excerpt:
"Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty. Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without healthcare makes you unfit to lead this nation...."
I'm the king of the castle...you're the dirty rascal...
DMB
Zell Miller and Dick Cheney launched two of the silliest, most angry, most contemptable political speeches heard in quite some time last evening at the Republican National Convention.
Miller, who calls himself a Democrat but who is to the political right of a great many moderate Republicans gave a fire and brimstone speech laced with major factual errors and angry, nasty rhetoric. Mark A Kleinman neatly deconstructs the mess that was Miller's speech. And just in case you thought it was just liberal bloggers who thought Miller had completely taken leave of his senses, Howard Kurtz disabuses that notion nicely.
And what about Cheney? So far ol Dick has been the epitome of a Kerry hater. He offers us no agenda for the next four years. He offers us no honest look at the past four years (in his speech he says that they've provided affordable health care for Americans...when was the last time Cheney looked at a real hospital bill?). Cheney's laughable attacks on Kerry (the "sensitive" remark...that Rumsfeld, Bush and even Cheney have used in the same way)was as disingenuous as it was flatly delivered. Cheney blathered on about Kerry resisting defense initatives that he himself resisted when Secretary of Defense. The dishonesty of Cheney's speech is staggering in it's breadth and breathtaking in it's depth.
Only an individual that's completely wed to voting for George W Bush would swallow these two speeches. Trying to paint Kerry as a self loathing America hater who looks forward to terrorists murdering our citizens and turning over our entire military to the UN will win over no undecided voters or for that matter change the minds of others.
What we witnessed from the Republicans last evening was childish behavor not unlike the tantrums of two year olds. Stamping their feet and screaming to give them what they want and telling lies to try and get it.
Update:Washington Monthly provides a round-up of the punditry and their guffaws at the mess that was Zell.
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Zell Miller and Dick Cheney launched two of the silliest, most angry, most contemptable political speeches heard in quite some time last evening at the Republican National Convention.
Miller, who calls himself a Democrat but who is to the political right of a great many moderate Republicans gave a fire and brimstone speech laced with major factual errors and angry, nasty rhetoric. Mark A Kleinman neatly deconstructs the mess that was Miller's speech. And just in case you thought it was just liberal bloggers who thought Miller had completely taken leave of his senses, Howard Kurtz disabuses that notion nicely.
And what about Cheney? So far ol Dick has been the epitome of a Kerry hater. He offers us no agenda for the next four years. He offers us no honest look at the past four years (in his speech he says that they've provided affordable health care for Americans...when was the last time Cheney looked at a real hospital bill?). Cheney's laughable attacks on Kerry (the "sensitive" remark...that Rumsfeld, Bush and even Cheney have used in the same way)was as disingenuous as it was flatly delivered. Cheney blathered on about Kerry resisting defense initatives that he himself resisted when Secretary of Defense. The dishonesty of Cheney's speech is staggering in it's breadth and breathtaking in it's depth.
Only an individual that's completely wed to voting for George W Bush would swallow these two speeches. Trying to paint Kerry as a self loathing America hater who looks forward to terrorists murdering our citizens and turning over our entire military to the UN will win over no undecided voters or for that matter change the minds of others.
What we witnessed from the Republicans last evening was childish behavor not unlike the tantrums of two year olds. Stamping their feet and screaming to give them what they want and telling lies to try and get it.
Update:Washington Monthly provides a round-up of the punditry and their guffaws at the mess that was Zell.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Fear Factor
Via Oliver Willis
Via Eschaton
*Update*
In a post-speech interview Zell Miller went ballistic on Chris Matthews (Keith Olbermann blogs on it) after he was asked to explain a speech from 2001 in which Miller described Kerry in glowing terms. Scroll down from the Olbermann post and you'll see a video clip of the Matthews/Miller interview.
For his part Cheney served up a speech heavy on irony and hypocrisy when he criticized Kerry for voting against selected Defense Appropriations Bills during an era when then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney fought for even deeper cuts in defense spending. I blogged on this general issue back during the Reagan Funeral after Cheney hypocritically lauded Reagan's defense spending when he had been one of Reagan's chief critics on that very same defense spending.
You're down with G.O.P
With profuse apologies to Naughty by Nature
There's a new drinking game that's sweeping the nation! It's called, "The President inherited a recession". The Republicans are saying it all over TV this week. And incidentally, it's a lie.
Here's how the game is played: Every time you hear a Republican say, "We inherited a recession" or "The President inherited a recession", you do a slammer. If you watch Fox, you'll be dead on your butt drunk in 15 minutes. For CNN...30 minutes, tops.
If you hurry...you can just beat Jenna and Barbara.
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There's a new drinking game that's sweeping the nation! It's called, "The President inherited a recession". The Republicans are saying it all over TV this week. And incidentally, it's a lie.
Here's how the game is played: Every time you hear a Republican say, "We inherited a recession" or "The President inherited a recession", you do a slammer. If you watch Fox, you'll be dead on your butt drunk in 15 minutes. For CNN...30 minutes, tops.
If you hurry...you can just beat Jenna and Barbara.
Where's journalism?
Looking for journalism in the major news media outlets is pretty much like playing "Where's Waldo?".
Much has been written about leaders in conservative Catholic circles going after John Kerry for being a prochoice candidate.
A bishop from the Vatican has gone so far as to say that American Catholic diocese should be denying Kerry communion for his position.
Yet these conservative activists are strangely silent this week, as the Republican Convention highlights their prominent prochoice members in prime time. Where is the denial of communion to Rudi Giuliani, the prochoice Catholic who also denies social justice and has affairs outside of marriage? Where is the denial of communion to Arnold...the great actor from Hollywood who participates in group sex,porno films, drugs and kills babies ineutero?
As Amy Sullivan writes,
The dirty little secret about these groups is that they don't demand that Catholic politicians -- who, according to church teaching, should be held to a higher standard because of their visible status -- conform to all church positions on issues like the death penalty or war or immigration reform or combatting poverty. And they don't really care if PCRCs stray from church teaching on abortion (sounds like you need to read Evangelium Vitae a bit more carefully, guys...)
What they do care about is defeating Democrats. Some of them don't even try to gloss over that fact. Deal Hudson (the now-disgraced and resigned former head of Catholic outreach for the Bush/Cheney campaign) told the Washington Post last spring that "he believes the denial of Communion should begin, and end, with Kerry."
So they're hypocrites, you say. Thanks for the newsflash, brainiac. So what?
The so what is that, for whatever reason, journalists listen to these guys. Remember last spring, when John Kerry couldn't take a step without some reporter trying to examine his molars for evidence of unswallowed communion host? The issue of whether or not Kerry should, as a pro-choice Catholic, take communion was pressed by conservative Catholics with a partisan agenda and it was wholeheartedly accepted as a relevant story by most major news outlets.
And there you have it. The major news outlets once again come into play...failing to do the job of being journalists. Being manipulated by a group of religious fanatics...bent on the destruction of a political group because of their diverse religious/spiritual and political beliefs.
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Much has been written about leaders in conservative Catholic circles going after John Kerry for being a prochoice candidate.
A bishop from the Vatican has gone so far as to say that American Catholic diocese should be denying Kerry communion for his position.
Yet these conservative activists are strangely silent this week, as the Republican Convention highlights their prominent prochoice members in prime time. Where is the denial of communion to Rudi Giuliani, the prochoice Catholic who also denies social justice and has affairs outside of marriage? Where is the denial of communion to Arnold...the great actor from Hollywood who participates in group sex,porno films, drugs and kills babies ineutero?
As Amy Sullivan writes,
The dirty little secret about these groups is that they don't demand that Catholic politicians -- who, according to church teaching, should be held to a higher standard because of their visible status -- conform to all church positions on issues like the death penalty or war or immigration reform or combatting poverty. And they don't really care if PCRCs stray from church teaching on abortion (sounds like you need to read Evangelium Vitae a bit more carefully, guys...)
What they do care about is defeating Democrats. Some of them don't even try to gloss over that fact. Deal Hudson (the now-disgraced and resigned former head of Catholic outreach for the Bush/Cheney campaign) told the Washington Post last spring that "he believes the denial of Communion should begin, and end, with Kerry."
So they're hypocrites, you say. Thanks for the newsflash, brainiac. So what?
The so what is that, for whatever reason, journalists listen to these guys. Remember last spring, when John Kerry couldn't take a step without some reporter trying to examine his molars for evidence of unswallowed communion host? The issue of whether or not Kerry should, as a pro-choice Catholic, take communion was pressed by conservative Catholics with a partisan agenda and it was wholeheartedly accepted as a relevant story by most major news outlets.
And there you have it. The major news outlets once again come into play...failing to do the job of being journalists. Being manipulated by a group of religious fanatics...bent on the destruction of a political group because of their diverse religious/spiritual and political beliefs.
Arnold's icons might need an update
Apparently Arnold didn't quite vet Nixon enough before he decided to put him on the pedestal of "political icon".
Arnold mentioned last night in his speech that those who are pessimistic about our American economy are "girlie men". But when his political icon spoke about the US economy in 1968, he said:
When the strongest nation in the world can be tied down for four years in a war in Vietnam with no end in sight, when the richest nation in the world cannot manage its economy, when the nation with the greatest tradition of the rule of war is plagued by unprecedented racial violence, when the President of the United States cannot travel abroad, or to any major city at home, then its time for new leadership for the United States."
- President Nixon, 1968 RNC Acceptance Speech
via Kos
And then there was Arnold's invocation of Nelson Mandela:
Nelson Mandela smiled in election victory after all those years in prison America celebrated, too.
A lot of Americans did indeed smile when Mandela was victorious. But the current Vice President sure did what he could to keep it from happening:
Cheney opposed the sanctions against Apartheid era South Africa. He also voted against a resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.
And what does Mandela have to say about Cheney?
He calls Cheney a dinosaur and arch conservative who doesn't want Bush to belong to the modern age.
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Arnold mentioned last night in his speech that those who are pessimistic about our American economy are "girlie men". But when his political icon spoke about the US economy in 1968, he said:
When the strongest nation in the world can be tied down for four years in a war in Vietnam with no end in sight, when the richest nation in the world cannot manage its economy, when the nation with the greatest tradition of the rule of war is plagued by unprecedented racial violence, when the President of the United States cannot travel abroad, or to any major city at home, then its time for new leadership for the United States."
- President Nixon, 1968 RNC Acceptance Speech
via Kos
And then there was Arnold's invocation of Nelson Mandela:
Nelson Mandela smiled in election victory after all those years in prison America celebrated, too.
A lot of Americans did indeed smile when Mandela was victorious. But the current Vice President sure did what he could to keep it from happening:
Cheney opposed the sanctions against Apartheid era South Africa. He also voted against a resolution calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.
And what does Mandela have to say about Cheney?
He calls Cheney a dinosaur and arch conservative who doesn't want Bush to belong to the modern age.
Bush's Father tries to help him out of a jam... again
In an interview aired Wednesday on CBS's "The Early Show," the president's father dismissed claims that he helped his son stay out of the conflict.
"They keep saying that and it's a lie, a total lie," former President George H.W. Bush said. "Nobody's come up with any evidence, and yet it's repeated all the time."
Well, Mr. President, setting aside the fact that former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes has openly stated that he helped get your son into the "Champaign Unit" of the Texas Air National Guard (TXANG, 147th Fighter Interceptor Group), which was stocked with other rich boys and professional athletes from the Dallas Cowboys football team, the end result was the same. It seems to me that you are parsing the word "helped" beyond anything Clinton dreamed of when he parsed the word "is".
Whether you actively intereferred to get your boozing son into the Champaign Unit or passively stood by while politicians pandered to you by pulling strings... the fact remains that your son was allowed to jump over 200 young men already in line to get into that unit. And he was able to do so because of who his daddy is.
Do you seriously believe that GEORGE ALLEN ALFORD JR, of Alvin Texas, could have gotten into the Champaign Unit? He entered the military mere weeks after your son did. How about FRANCISCO ALVAREZ of Rio Grande City, Texas? He enlisted just after your son did too. Do you think he had a chance in hell of getting into the Champaign Unit? He died in Vietnam. As did George Alford Jr. Alford had the right first name. But, unfortunately his last name wasn't sufficiently impressive to save his life.
Oh, and by the way, Mr. President... The most that Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes could do was to help your son get in. As The AWOL Project documents, not even the Governer of Texas had the authority to get Dubya into a cushy unit that didn't need more F102 pilots.
So, how did your son get into a unit that didn't need more pilots and which already had a LOT of young men in line ahead of him? I'm sure the families of Francisco Alvarez and George Alford Jr. would like to know how their sons lives could have been spared.
Rudi/Arnold: Tainted with the stink of the GOP
The much vaunted speech given Monday night by former NYC mayor Rudi Giuliani, contained some typical GOP slight of hand. Today's Washington Post dissects Rudi's less than honest picture of Kerry and offers context. In typical GOP/Bush Campaign fashion, Rudi took bits and pieces of statements or actions by Kerry and dishonestly represented them.
Another interesting Convention development are the GOP's reliance on Convention Jockeys. Convention Jockeys are a group of media-savvy staff members -- some with journalism backgrounds -- who are producing interviews and stories shown inside Madison Square Garden as part of the convention propaganda. Most outlets are refusing to air these segments. But CSpan and ABC have, declaring them as part of their complete Convention coverage. Other outlets are saying that the segments blur the line between journalism and politics (something that cable talk shows have done for years with apparently no pangs by the TV outlets).
Another extravaganza of Kerry hating rhetoric and GOP fluff ensued last evening. In an entertaining speech, Arnold declared himself a Republican inspired by the late Richard Nixon. Apparently coming to the US in 1968 and watching the complete corruption of the Nixon Administration inspired the young Austrian bodybuilder to do porn videos, grope women, do drugs, create some of the most violent films in history and register as a Republican.
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Another interesting Convention development are the GOP's reliance on Convention Jockeys. Convention Jockeys are a group of media-savvy staff members -- some with journalism backgrounds -- who are producing interviews and stories shown inside Madison Square Garden as part of the convention propaganda. Most outlets are refusing to air these segments. But CSpan and ABC have, declaring them as part of their complete Convention coverage. Other outlets are saying that the segments blur the line between journalism and politics (something that cable talk shows have done for years with apparently no pangs by the TV outlets).
Another extravaganza of Kerry hating rhetoric and GOP fluff ensued last evening. In an entertaining speech, Arnold declared himself a Republican inspired by the late Richard Nixon. Apparently coming to the US in 1968 and watching the complete corruption of the Nixon Administration inspired the young Austrian bodybuilder to do porn videos, grope women, do drugs, create some of the most violent films in history and register as a Republican.
WA-08:Top GOP candidate walks out on forum
The Seattle Times is reporting that Congressional candidate and King County Sheriff Dave Reichert walked out on a candidates forum on Mercer Island. Reichert refused to share the stage with the two other GOP candidates who had been mailing ads critical of him.
Thin skin isn't good for someone who wants to be in Congress....
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Thin skin isn't good for someone who wants to be in Congress....
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
WWJD?
When asked in a Time magazine interview if she thought the Swift Boat Veterans attacks (lies) have been unfair to John Kerry, Laura Bush said, "Not really. There have been millions of terrible ads against my husband."
Keeping in mind that while Kerry goes out of his way to keep his spirituality private (see Matthew, chapter 6), the Bush's go out of their way to wear their religiosity on their sleeves on the campaign trail. It seems perfectly reasonable to see if their walk matches their talk.
Now... I'm no theologian. But the meaning of the 9th Commandment seems pretty self-evident to me: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (NIV). That's pretty interesting in and of itself because Jesus directly tied Loving God with loving your neighbor towards the end of Matthew chapter 22. So, telling lies about your neighbor would seem to be very clearly in violation of the most basic Christian tenets. It goes without saying that condoning lies makes one a party to the lie.
Excusing the SBV lies with the argument that her husband has been on the receiving end doesn't get a pass either. Jesus had some pretty blunt things to say about seeking revenge in Matthew 5:38-48.
WWJD?
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Keeping in mind that while Kerry goes out of his way to keep his spirituality private (see Matthew, chapter 6), the Bush's go out of their way to wear their religiosity on their sleeves on the campaign trail. It seems perfectly reasonable to see if their walk matches their talk.
Now... I'm no theologian. But the meaning of the 9th Commandment seems pretty self-evident to me: "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (NIV). That's pretty interesting in and of itself because Jesus directly tied Loving God with loving your neighbor towards the end of Matthew chapter 22. So, telling lies about your neighbor would seem to be very clearly in violation of the most basic Christian tenets. It goes without saying that condoning lies makes one a party to the lie.
Excusing the SBV lies with the argument that her husband has been on the receiving end doesn't get a pass either. Jesus had some pretty blunt things to say about seeking revenge in Matthew 5:38-48.
WWJD?
Flip-Flopping GOP in disarray over War on Terror
President Bush has flip-flopped pretty badly recently by first maintaining for many months that the War on Terror can be won. Then as Carla noted in her post the other day, he said it can't be won. And now he's flip-flopped back to his earlier position that it can be won.
Former Republican speaker of the House and FOX News Channel contributor Newt Gingrich said that Kerry would be "really silly" to argue that he could "win the war on terror." Media Matters reports,
So basically they've got Gingrich holding to a position that defines Bush as being "really silly" because he asserts (well... when he's not flip-flopping, of course) that we can win the War on Terror.
I think the way this is supposed to work, from the demented point of view of Bush partisans, is that no matter what Kerry says he's wrong by some NeoCon hack's definition. Of course the logical implication here is that the average American voter is simply too stupid to see thru the BS. But, as usual, they're counting on you not being bright enough to understand that.
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Former Republican speaker of the House and FOX News Channel contributor Newt Gingrich said that Kerry would be "really silly" to argue that he could "win the war on terror." Media Matters reports,
On the August 30 edition of FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, which aired live from the Republican National Convention, co-host Alan Colmes asked Gingrich about Bush's remark that the war on terror is not winnable. Gingrich said, "I'm sure you're going to have John Kerry, if he's not careful, saying something really silly, which is that he'd win the war on terror." Yet, as Media Matters for America has noted, it was Bush who said on July 30: "We have a clear vision on how to win the war on terror and bring peace to the world.
So basically they've got Gingrich holding to a position that defines Bush as being "really silly" because he asserts (well... when he's not flip-flopping, of course) that we can win the War on Terror.
I think the way this is supposed to work, from the demented point of view of Bush partisans, is that no matter what Kerry says he's wrong by some NeoCon hack's definition. Of course the logical implication here is that the average American voter is simply too stupid to see thru the BS. But, as usual, they're counting on you not being bright enough to understand that.
GOP/Hezbollah Connection
This is a bumper sticker for sale at republicanmarket.com.
Coincidentally(?) Hezbollah means "party of god."
The sheer arrogance of both groups is mind-boggling in it's level of self-delusion and propensity for selectively ignoring vast sections of their respective holy books. Needless to say, one can find religous conservative zealots at the root of the vast majority of bloody conflicts over the last 2000+ years. Funny how that works, huh.
Closed minded bigots have long resorted to religious texts in an attempt to justify their bigotry and hatred. The more things change the more they stay the same...
Greg at The Talent Show posted some extremely appropriate texts from the Bible with his post on this. But, I'm going to take another approach that I firmly believe gets to the root of matter.
Luke 18
11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[1] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.
No wonder they didn't talk about the economy last night....
They must have known about the economic numbers coming out today....
Consumer Confidence shaken
Manufacturing Index shows sharp drop
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Consumer Confidence shaken
Manufacturing Index shows sharp drop
In the Church of the Poison Mind...
Welcome to the Republican National Convention
I've turned into a major Amy Sullivan fan. Not only is she a very good writer, she has a formidable ability to level the glee the Republicans take in being completely disingenuous.
Sullivan points out some of the silliness in Giuliani's speech (a target rich enviornment):
In the midst of his half-hour ad lib of kicking back and telling stories, Giuliani talked about the fireman who used profane language when describing to Bush what should be done to al-Qaeda. "I can't repeat what he said," Giuliani told the audience. "This is a Republican Convention, after all." Oh, the laughs and chuckles that received. Please tell me that some television producer thought to cut to Dick "Go F*** Yourself" Cheney at that moment.
Did you know that until George W. Bush came along, terrorists did "not face any consequences"? Giuliani might want to stop in for a chat with Ramzi Yousef and friends, who I believe were captured, tried, and convicted for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
And went out of her way to show how John McCain proved Michael Moore to be spot on:
McCain may have singled out Michael Moore for ridicule last night, but there was more than enough evidence on display to support Moore's theory that, when in doubt, Republicans will try to win by scaring the hell out of all of us. I tried to keep track of all of the times I heard "dangerous world", "terrorists", "evil", "attack", "bombing", etc. and I lost count. But I sure am frightened now.
What's truely shameful and distasteful beyond what McCain and Giuliani did however, was the absolute whoring of September 11 by the Republican Party. The use of a national tragedy to turn tricks for their candidate is beyond the pale. And make no mistake...that's exactly what they're doing...prostituting the terrorist attacks in an effort make their guy look strong.
"Thank God" George W Bush was President when 9/11 happened, opined Rudi. Yeah...Al Gore could never have managed to sit in a classroom after hearing our nation was attacked...apparently paralyzed, not knowing what to do. And then hide out all day like a scared child....only to promise us Bin Laden would be caught dead or alive...and completely fail to capture him and put an end to Al Qaida.
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I've turned into a major Amy Sullivan fan. Not only is she a very good writer, she has a formidable ability to level the glee the Republicans take in being completely disingenuous.
Sullivan points out some of the silliness in Giuliani's speech (a target rich enviornment):
In the midst of his half-hour ad lib of kicking back and telling stories, Giuliani talked about the fireman who used profane language when describing to Bush what should be done to al-Qaeda. "I can't repeat what he said," Giuliani told the audience. "This is a Republican Convention, after all." Oh, the laughs and chuckles that received. Please tell me that some television producer thought to cut to Dick "Go F*** Yourself" Cheney at that moment.
Did you know that until George W. Bush came along, terrorists did "not face any consequences"? Giuliani might want to stop in for a chat with Ramzi Yousef and friends, who I believe were captured, tried, and convicted for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
And went out of her way to show how John McCain proved Michael Moore to be spot on:
McCain may have singled out Michael Moore for ridicule last night, but there was more than enough evidence on display to support Moore's theory that, when in doubt, Republicans will try to win by scaring the hell out of all of us. I tried to keep track of all of the times I heard "dangerous world", "terrorists", "evil", "attack", "bombing", etc. and I lost count. But I sure am frightened now.
What's truely shameful and distasteful beyond what McCain and Giuliani did however, was the absolute whoring of September 11 by the Republican Party. The use of a national tragedy to turn tricks for their candidate is beyond the pale. And make no mistake...that's exactly what they're doing...prostituting the terrorist attacks in an effort make their guy look strong.
"Thank God" George W Bush was President when 9/11 happened, opined Rudi. Yeah...Al Gore could never have managed to sit in a classroom after hearing our nation was attacked...apparently paralyzed, not knowing what to do. And then hide out all day like a scared child....only to promise us Bin Laden would be caught dead or alive...and completely fail to capture him and put an end to Al Qaida.
GOP violating military rules at their Convention
Eric Alterman makes a nice catch.
The RNC convention week is boasting that it has 144 active duty military delegates at the convention or three percent of the total.
But according to DOD Directive 1344.10:
4.1.2. A member on active duty shall not:
4.1.2.1. Use his or her official authority or influence for interfering with an election; affecting the course or outcome of an election; soliciting votes for a particular candidate or issue; or requiring or soliciting political contributions from others.
The disgrace that is the Republican Convention continues....
Update: Alterman has updated his piece...saying that they are reserves, not regular military.
But the RNC sure managed to get that delegate list off of their website in a hurry...LOL
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The RNC convention week is boasting that it has 144 active duty military delegates at the convention or three percent of the total.
But according to DOD Directive 1344.10:
4.1.2. A member on active duty shall not:
4.1.2.1. Use his or her official authority or influence for interfering with an election; affecting the course or outcome of an election; soliciting votes for a particular candidate or issue; or requiring or soliciting political contributions from others.
The disgrace that is the Republican Convention continues....
Update: Alterman has updated his piece...saying that they are reserves, not regular military.
But the RNC sure managed to get that delegate list off of their website in a hurry...LOL
Gloom, Despair and Agony part 2
Predictably, the rightwing noise machine is virtually orgasmic over Giuliani and McCain from last evening. The left blogosphere thought it was a total farce.
However, an equal opportunity basher found last night's brouhaha pretty offensive.
Media reporter Howard Kurtz, blasted the Republican Convention:
NEW YORK, Aug. 31--I knew the Republicans were going to talk about 9/11 last night.
I didn't know they were going to drag us through every bloody minute of it.
When Rudy Giuliani recalled turning to his police commissioner after the awful attacks on the twin towers and declaring "Thank God George Bush is our president," it was clear they were pulling out all the stops.
Any campaign would take advantage of the president's response to 9/11, even if the convention wasn't in New York, even if the third anniversary wasn't days away. But the endless retelling of those days, the comments by the 9/11 family members, the skyline backdrop, all of that raises the question of whether they went a bit too far.
Indeed. Did 9/11 happen only to the Republicans?
And apparently going after decorated Veterans is the new GOP sport. They give us a candidate who ducks out of his National Guard service and spend their Convention bashing men who served. I'll give them credit for being ballsy, that's for sure. But in terms of loving their country more than their partisan BS? What little respect I had for Republicans was flushed down the toilet after that.
I've been fairly vocal here about my disdain for religion mixing with politics. But as we know, the Republicans don't shy away from beating folks over the head with their own brand of Jesus.
Just think, we're going to be treated to three more days of this disgrace.
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However, an equal opportunity basher found last night's brouhaha pretty offensive.
Media reporter Howard Kurtz, blasted the Republican Convention:
NEW YORK, Aug. 31--I knew the Republicans were going to talk about 9/11 last night.
I didn't know they were going to drag us through every bloody minute of it.
When Rudy Giuliani recalled turning to his police commissioner after the awful attacks on the twin towers and declaring "Thank God George Bush is our president," it was clear they were pulling out all the stops.
Any campaign would take advantage of the president's response to 9/11, even if the convention wasn't in New York, even if the third anniversary wasn't days away. But the endless retelling of those days, the comments by the 9/11 family members, the skyline backdrop, all of that raises the question of whether they went a bit too far.
Indeed. Did 9/11 happen only to the Republicans?
And apparently going after decorated Veterans is the new GOP sport. They give us a candidate who ducks out of his National Guard service and spend their Convention bashing men who served. I'll give them credit for being ballsy, that's for sure. But in terms of loving their country more than their partisan BS? What little respect I had for Republicans was flushed down the toilet after that.
I've been fairly vocal here about my disdain for religion mixing with politics. But as we know, the Republicans don't shy away from beating folks over the head with their own brand of Jesus.
Just think, we're going to be treated to three more days of this disgrace.
Republicans Mock Veterans
Republicans at the GOP Convention have revealed their true colors by mockingthe oldest service medal in the world, the Purple Heart. What they're doing is passing out bandaids with a purple heart on it in a truly unpatriotic attempt to belittle Kerry's service to his country.
The motivation behind this infantile and unpatriotic stunt is patently obvious. George W. Bush got two silver fillings in his mouth during the Vietnam War as he served in the "Champaigne Unit" of the Texas Air National Guard, while Kerry earned three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star during two tours of Vietnam which he volunteered for. That coupled with the fact that the GOP is literally packed with ChickenHawks and we begin to see why the Bush partisans are so desperate to smear Kerry any way possible. If that were all they were doing it would be one thing. But, in the process they are calling into question all medals ever won by service men and women who had the courage and character to serve this great nation in war. And the GOP smear machine is also implying gross incompetence on the part of the United States Navy by insinuating that the Navy is such a bumbling outfit that they allow soldiers and sailers to award themselves on a whim.
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The motivation behind this infantile and unpatriotic stunt is patently obvious. George W. Bush got two silver fillings in his mouth during the Vietnam War as he served in the "Champaigne Unit" of the Texas Air National Guard, while Kerry earned three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star during two tours of Vietnam which he volunteered for. That coupled with the fact that the GOP is literally packed with ChickenHawks and we begin to see why the Bush partisans are so desperate to smear Kerry any way possible. If that were all they were doing it would be one thing. But, in the process they are calling into question all medals ever won by service men and women who had the courage and character to serve this great nation in war. And the GOP smear machine is also implying gross incompetence on the part of the United States Navy by insinuating that the Navy is such a bumbling outfit that they allow soldiers and sailers to award themselves on a whim.
Monday, August 30, 2004
Gloom, despair and agony on me..
While freely admitting I'm no fan of Republican ideology, tonight's showing by the GOP was really lame, even by my standards.
Giuliani makes a happy face attack dog....but like the RNC website...it's all about Kerry-bashing...and nothing more. No outline of the GOP agenda/platform. No list of reasons to vote for Bush.
And McCain? Wow. This is guy who's been so well respected for being candid and cutting to the chase. As Amy Sullivan for Washington Monthly notes, McCain just doesn't do shill well.
Not to mention these are two moderates that have nothing at all to do with the power base of the Republican Party.
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Giuliani makes a happy face attack dog....but like the RNC website...it's all about Kerry-bashing...and nothing more. No outline of the GOP agenda/platform. No list of reasons to vote for Bush.
And McCain? Wow. This is guy who's been so well respected for being candid and cutting to the chase. As Amy Sullivan for Washington Monthly notes, McCain just doesn't do shill well.
Not to mention these are two moderates that have nothing at all to do with the power base of the Republican Party.
Bush: We can't win the war on terror
Just in time for the Republican Convention, Bush gets honest and admits we can't win the war on terror.
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I want to be a part of it...in old New York...
Predictable, yet appropriate
Alicublog has a very entertaining (but very long...bring a snack) diatribe on the protests in New York as well as some punditry reaction.
The Republican blogosphere is apparently all a-twitter over the idea that hundreds of thousands would show up and have the audacity to tell them that their President sucks.
Our good friends at Centerfield have several pieces up about reactions to New York City and the feel around the town. (Ignore the anti-Kerry stuff. Tully is hopeless.)
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Alicublog has a very entertaining (but very long...bring a snack) diatribe on the protests in New York as well as some punditry reaction.
The Republican blogosphere is apparently all a-twitter over the idea that hundreds of thousands would show up and have the audacity to tell them that their President sucks.
Our good friends at Centerfield have several pieces up about reactions to New York City and the feel around the town. (Ignore the anti-Kerry stuff. Tully is hopeless.)
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Because I love my country....
Tonight I was watching the tail end of "Inside The Actor's Studio" as Martin Sheen was being interviewed. As many are well aware, Sheen is a vocal liberal political activist.
He was questioned tonight by a man in the audience who was fomerly in the military, a graduate of West Point. The man told Sheen that their politics were completely divergent...but he could tell from listening to Sheen that he truely and deeply loved his country.
Sheen seem very moved by the man's words. He said (paraphrase) that he loves his country so much that he's willing to risk it's wrath to show it when it's doing something wrong.
To me, that is what it means to be a patriot.
Sheen also quoted a poem from the great Nobel Laureate poet,Rabindranath Tagore:
Where the Mind is Without Fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
It occurs to me that in the last decade, what it means to be a patriot has been muddled. Blind obedience and lack of dissent have become a hallmark for some of patriotism.
I'm grateful that men like Sheen love their country that much....
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He was questioned tonight by a man in the audience who was fomerly in the military, a graduate of West Point. The man told Sheen that their politics were completely divergent...but he could tell from listening to Sheen that he truely and deeply loved his country.
Sheen seem very moved by the man's words. He said (paraphrase) that he loves his country so much that he's willing to risk it's wrath to show it when it's doing something wrong.
To me, that is what it means to be a patriot.
Sheen also quoted a poem from the great Nobel Laureate poet,Rabindranath Tagore:
Where the Mind is Without Fear
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection:
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action--
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
It occurs to me that in the last decade, what it means to be a patriot has been muddled. Blind obedience and lack of dissent have become a hallmark for some of patriotism.
I'm grateful that men like Sheen love their country that much....
Joshua Kinberg arrested
Indy Media NYC reports:
Down in the comments section at IMNYC someone who apparently witnessed the arrest said that when the officers conferred they were told to test the chalk and if it didn't remove easily to arrest Kindberg.
braintag has an update posted. Apparently Kinberg was released this morning. But his amazing bicycle, laptop and cell phone have all been confiscated and will reportedly be held until the court hearing. A lawyer from the National Lawyer Guild believes that the case is a clear violation of the first amendment, citing Houston v. Hill which explicitly found that chalk is a protected medium for constitutionally protected self-expression.
I'm thinking that the NYC city hall has kicked over an ant hill on this one. But, I doubt they'll give it much attention until after the GOP convention is over.
Props to William Bragg where I first read about this story.
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Bikesagainstbush creator Joshua Kinberg was arrested while taping an interview with MSNBC's Ron Reagan in Manhattan Saturday afternoon.
Kinberg was stopped by police while demonstrating the bicycle for the television interview. His bicycle is a high-tech graffiti writer, using chalk to print anti-Bush political messages sent by people via the internet. Apparently there was a question of whether or not the sprayed messages were a defacement of property.
When Kinberg showed the police sergeant how the bicycle used a non-permanent spray chalk, the sergeant seemed to agree that it wasn't defacement, at which point Kinberg asked, "am I free to go?" After conferring about it, officers decided to call superiors, then came back moments later to place Kinberg under arrest and confiscate the bicycle.
Kinberg cooperated fully with the officers as he was being handcuffed, only asking, "can I ask what I'm being arrested for?" to which no one provided an answer. As of 11:00 PM Saturday evening, he was still in custody without being charged with anything.
Video of the incident is available as a torrent at DV Guide.
Down in the comments section at IMNYC someone who apparently witnessed the arrest said that when the officers conferred they were told to test the chalk and if it didn't remove easily to arrest Kindberg.
braintag has an update posted. Apparently Kinberg was released this morning. But his amazing bicycle, laptop and cell phone have all been confiscated and will reportedly be held until the court hearing. A lawyer from the National Lawyer Guild believes that the case is a clear violation of the first amendment, citing Houston v. Hill which explicitly found that chalk is a protected medium for constitutionally protected self-expression.
I'm thinking that the NYC city hall has kicked over an ant hill on this one. But, I doubt they'll give it much attention until after the GOP convention is over.
Props to William Bragg where I first read about this story.
...cuz I'm workin' for a livin'....
Cuz I've been working like a Democrat so I can live like a Republican
I've been working most of the weekend in a booth at the Oregon State Fair for my employer so I'm too tired and lazy tonight to blog about some of the really good stuff. Instead...I'll leave it to
DemfromCT at Kos
Matthew Yglesias
And a very long but incredibly fascinating list of delicious good news from Ruy Teixiera.
Enjoy.
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I've been working most of the weekend in a booth at the Oregon State Fair for my employer so I'm too tired and lazy tonight to blog about some of the really good stuff. Instead...I'll leave it to
DemfromCT at Kos
Matthew Yglesias
And a very long but incredibly fascinating list of delicious good news from Ruy Teixiera.
Enjoy.
"It's just that so many of your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Apparently some Mormon Bushies are showering Carl Lewis with their own brand of Christan love:
Carl Lewis: His legs run well, but his brain is on Crack
So, dig this. We free Afghanistan & Iraq, allowing them to become FREE nations, and all Carl Lewis can do is attack President Bush for freeing them. He earned his gold medals. However, gold medals in track & field do not an intelligent man, nor his comments, make.
Yes, Carl...we boycotted the olympics to support Afghanistan in 1980. Now, instead of a boycott, we LIBERATED Afghanistan.
Carl, stop tacking Crack...unless you want to condemn the people of Afghanistan to living under dictators who keep & treat their women like dogs. If Olympic Medals could be lost for stupidity...yours would be gone already.
This reminds me of the story of when missionary E Stanley Jones met with Mahatma Ghandi and asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"
And Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Amen, Mahatma.
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Carl Lewis: His legs run well, but his brain is on Crack
So, dig this. We free Afghanistan & Iraq, allowing them to become FREE nations, and all Carl Lewis can do is attack President Bush for freeing them. He earned his gold medals. However, gold medals in track & field do not an intelligent man, nor his comments, make.
Yes, Carl...we boycotted the olympics to support Afghanistan in 1980. Now, instead of a boycott, we LIBERATED Afghanistan.
Carl, stop tacking Crack...unless you want to condemn the people of Afghanistan to living under dictators who keep & treat their women like dogs. If Olympic Medals could be lost for stupidity...yours would be gone already.
This reminds me of the story of when missionary E Stanley Jones met with Mahatma Ghandi and asked him, "Mr. Ghandi, though you quote the words of Christ often, why is that you appear to so adamantly reject becoming his follower?"
And Ghandi replied, "Oh, I don't reject your Christ. I love your Christ. It's just that so many of you Christians are so unlike your Christ."
Amen, Mahatma.
Of Naked Emperors and Failed Promises
Senate GOP Majority Leader Bill Frist and another Republican in New York trying to place blame for the very uncertain economic forecast.
The buzz is that Bush is planning on making the enshrining of his tax cut schemes as permanent a centerpiece of his rhetorical strategy to win re-election. This despite the fact that neither of his major tax cut schemes generated anything close to the numbers of new jobs that Bush had promised they would. The main thing the Bush tax schemes seem to have accomplished has been to squander the budget surplus Clinton left him and put the nation deep into debt. But don't expect him to talk about that aspect of it. He's trying to convince us to vote for him, not remind us of the painful legacy of his fiscal policies.
Let Nader Speak!
Iran-NeoCon(tra) II?
Last week the press reported that the FBI is investigating a CIA analyst suspected of passing highly sensitive information to Israel about the Bush administration's policy towards Iran. It seems the analyst is Larry Franklin, who works in the office of Undersecretary Douglas Feith. You'll recall that it was Feith's office that sponsored Ahmed Chalabi (at significant taxpayer expense!) and pushed the alleged Osama/Saddam partnership which has been disproven.
It appears that we've only seen the tip of the iceburg. In the first installment of an investigative project by Joshua Micah Marshall, Laura Rozen, and Paul Glastris we read about yet another rogue intelligence operation involving key NeoCons, both inside and outside the Bush administration. Naturally, Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar of Iran-Contra fame is in the thick of it too.
Can anyone really be surprised at this? Didn't we all watch George W. Bush surround himself with cronies of his father's administration when he took office in 2000? Yes, that would be the same George H.W. Bush who, as former Director of the CIA and sitting Vice President, told the whopper of all time when he claimed to have been "outside the loop" on Iran-NeoCon(tra) I.
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It appears that we've only seen the tip of the iceburg. In the first installment of an investigative project by Joshua Micah Marshall, Laura Rozen, and Paul Glastris we read about yet another rogue intelligence operation involving key NeoCons, both inside and outside the Bush administration. Naturally, Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar of Iran-Contra fame is in the thick of it too.
Can anyone really be surprised at this? Didn't we all watch George W. Bush surround himself with cronies of his father's administration when he took office in 2000? Yes, that would be the same George H.W. Bush who, as former Director of the CIA and sitting Vice President, told the whopper of all time when he claimed to have been "outside the loop" on Iran-NeoCon(tra) I.
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