Stealing from Santa Claus?
How will Bush explain this one to the kiddies?

Does Bush still believe in Santa? He must, because he's going up there to grab all the gifts that the North Pole has to offer:

The Arctic's untapped resources include huge reserves of fuel and minerals. Now Moscow has raised tensions by dispatching an expedition to annex a vast expanse of the ocean.

Ho ho ho. Except it's not funny.

In the darkest depths of the Arctic Ocean a new Cold War is brewing. American and British nuclear submarines lurk in the shadows, preparing for company.

Who'd have guessed that they'd force Kris Kringel into the oil market? I hope the reindeer don't get spooked, what with all the drilling and all.

The stakes are high. The ocean is home to vast oil and mineral reserves as well as massive shoals of fish and strategically important shipping lanes...But if oil companies and mining firms start pumping out carbon dioxide and other waste as they open up the region, the pristine conditions that have helped scientists make past observations will be destroyed, obscuring our view of our dangerously warming world.

Call me crazy, but it's my feeling that a few world leaders are going to find coal oil reindeer poop in their stockings.

...in the frozen waters around the North Pole one thing is certain: the days of the Cold War are back.

Merry Christmas.

Talk about risking life and limb...

Iraq is facing a hidden healthcare and social crisis over the soaring number of amputations, largely of lower limbs, necessitated by the daily explosions and violence gripping the country.

Why am I only reading about this in the Guardian? Oh yeah. We don't have a free press any more.

In the north of Iraq...there is a requirement for up to 3,000 replacement limbs a year. If that estimate is applied across the country, it suggests an acute and looming long-term health challenge that has been largely ignored by the world. The revelation of the scale of limb loss suffered by Iraqi civilians is not entirely surprising, even though it has gone unreported.

It's the Republicans' war. Hey, Commander Guy, is this what you mean by your surge succeeding?

Levels of amputations performed by military surgeons on US troops in Iraq are twice as high as those recorded in previous wars: the most recently available figures suggest 6 per cent of wounded US troops require an amputation, compared with 3 per cent in other conflicts.

Someone needs to amputate impeach the executive branch.

h/t Gimmeabreak for saving my ass.

Not that polls matter to anyone, but is it me, or is there a trend here?

• Obama Gains Ground Over Thompson and Giuliani Rasmussen Reports - Sat Jul 28, 10:15 AM ET
  
• Who’s Best on National Security: 28% Say Clinton, 20% Giuliani Rasmussen Reports - Fri Jul 27, 11:08 AM ET
  
• Democrats Now Trusted More than GOP on Ten Out of Ten Key Issues Rasmussen Reports - Wed Jul 25, 10:35 AM ET

I knew it wasn't me.

The 10 issues:

1. National Security
2. War in Iraq
3. Immigration
4. Government Ethics and Corruption
5. Economy
6. Taxes
7. Health Care
8. Social Security
9. Education
10. Abortion

A separate survey found that Democrats have a nine-point advantage on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

OMG. What a silly thing to get him to change. The man has been beating us over the head for 6 years with his hyperbolic rhetoric, and the D's are worried about this?

Bush alters radio address for Democrats

WASHINGTON (CNN) — One sentence in President Bush’s weekly radio address was deleted overnight after some Democrats privately complained that it was overly partisan on the explosive subject of reforming the administration’s warrantless wiretap program, White House officials confirmed Saturday.

In the initial radio address, which was taped Friday, Bush charged that the country is less safe because of Democratic delays in passing legislation that would reform the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

“Every day that Congress puts off these reforms increases the danger to our nation,” the president originally said.

White House officials say that line of audio was deleted after Democrats saw a transcript of the remarks distributed Friday afternoon.

Ooooo, Mr. Maliki no likey General Petraeus:

"Make him go home now or I'll tell al-Qa'eda!" (and no, that's not a direct quote)

Aw, come on. These are adults in a very precarious and dangerous moment in history. Everything hinges on working well together. Really, now, how bad could it be?

Relations between the top United States general in Iraq and Nouri al-Maliki, the country's prime minister, are so bad that the Iraqi leader made a direct appeal for his removal to President George W Bush.

Although the call was rejected, aides to both men admit that Mr Maliki and Gen David Petraeus engage in frequent stand-up shouting matches, differing particularly over the US general's moves to arm Sunni tribesmen to fight al-Qa'eda.

Use your indoor voices or no oil access for a week! And if I hear either of you start to threaten the other---too late:

"He told Bush that if Petraeus continues, he would arm Shia militias," said the official. "Bush told Maliki to calm down."

Hey now, what did I just say? Do I have to stop the car?

At another meeting with Gen Petraeus, Mr Maliki said: "I can't deal with you any more. I will ask for someone else to replace you."

That's it. Go to your room. We'll manage to blow up the rest of the troops and Iraqi population without either of you, thank you very much. And you can just forget about that extra hour of electricity.

Breaking news! Romney Flip-Flops!

Oh, wait. That's not news. But he is flip-flopping again:

He may, may, now join the other--How many is it again? Oh yeah, two--Republicans in the YouTube debate.

When asked about the YouTube format, Mitt felt that the "level of respectfulness was breached". He blamed it on the snowman. So remember all you Romney YouTubers out there: He discriminates against short, round, white questioners.

He also dissed Obama. He's an equal-opportunity disser.

But you never know. He may change his opinion about all this tomorrow. Stay tuned.

The Great Aquafina Joke--It's Tap Water!

The Great Bush Joke--It's Cheney!

The Great Gonzo Joke--It's Perjury!

The Great Iraq Joke--It's Unwinnable!

The Great Economy Joke--It's Tanking!

The Great Election Joke--It's fraudulent!

The Great Republican Joke--It's Over!

Fun stuff!!!


ChickenHawk Squad 1:
(l-r) Ben Ferguson, Dan Senor and Ben Shapiro

Steal these pics - Duke.S

Did you guys know that there is a Progressive Book Club starting this fall?

Excellent.

So many soldiers dying that don't get reported on Icasualties.

Press Reports: Another Apparent Iraq Vet Suicide

By Greg Mitchell
Published: July 28, 2007 11:25 AM ET

NEW YORK One of the least covered aspects of the fallout from the Iraq war is the rising toll of suicides, both near the battlefield and back home.

Latest official figures released by the Pentagon reveal at least 116 self-inflicted fatalities in Iraq. But this does not include several dozen still under investigation, nor any of the many cases back in the U.S.

The Star Tribune of Minneapolis reported the latest example today. It revealed that an Iraq war veteran reported missing in northern Minnesota -- and suffering from post-traumatic stress -- had been found dead.

A sheriff's deputy said that he believed the body of Noah Charles Pierce, 23, was found in the Gilbert, Minn., area but had few details.

Lazy blogging, good videos.




and

Gorgeous beach in Rosslare, Ireland

Happy Saturday!!!

Here's some tidbits to make your eyebrows crinkle.

2 Charged in Tom Cruise Photo Plot

Unique reefs of glass sponges discovered off Washington coast

Man in jail after sex romp in kilt

Zsa Zsa Gabor's husband found naked in car, says he was mugged

Courts struggle to get jurors to serve

Ad for safe sex: massive floating condom

Pistol Packing Pastor Nabs Theft Suspect

Jerry Garcia's kitchen sink for sale

Coin dealer carries $1.9M dime in pocket

No end in sight for clash of toy train companies

Naked came the stranger – off a 60-metre cliff

Take That O'Loofah Factor! - Lowe's Pulls O'Reilly Advertising



That's right Falafel Man, two can play at this game. You want a war, you got it. We actually fight, unlike you blowhard cowards who always talk tough and then have a "bad knee" when the actual fighting takes place (or a falafel up the ---).

So Lowe's, upon being informed of the racist, sexist and downright stupid content of The O'Loofah Factor has now pulled their ads. This is going to be fun (and please try and "ambush" me at YearlyKos oh Fox producers, PLEASE).

Is it just me...

Digby

By far the most compelling confirmation of the phallic meaning of the president's aircraft-carrier cakewalk was found on the hot-selling "George W. Bush Top Gun action figure" manufactured by Talking Presidents. I originally ordered one to use as part of the cover design for this book.

The studly twelve-inch flyboy not only comes with a helmet and visor, goggles and oxygen mask, but underneath his flight suit is a full "basket" --- a genuine fake penis, apparently constructed with lifelike silicone.

I'll just let that percolate in your mind for a bit.

Or is that not the most bizarre thing you've ever heard? I mean, Ken's been around for 40 years and he's STILL not gotten one.

Totally unfair, and I'm sure completely dimensionally inaccurate.

I must own that doll.

Yeah, let's use our Blackhawks for a secret plan to help Mexico fight the drug cartels. Our guys in Iraq don't need 'em.

Shhhh. It's on the down low:

Mexican President Felipe Calderon, locked in a bloody confrontation with drug cartels, is negotiating a massive counter-drug aid package with the Bush administration worth hundreds of millions of dollars, several officials say. Officials on both sides are working out the details of a package that resembles a U.S. aid plan for Colombia. The talks have been taking place quietly for several months...

Hey, it's cool, we're just helping out those who value us as good neighbors:

Mexican officials have been reluctant to go public with the discussions, mindful of anti-U.S. sentiments harbored by many Mexicans.

Okay, well, maybe it'll help us with that whole immigration issue somehow.

“If Calderon loses this battle,” says Roger Noriega [a former assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere and now with the American Enterprise Institute think tank], “then there will be no wall high enough to keep out Mexicans who are displaced by violence and by the security threat that undermines Mexico’s growth.”

Mexico's got a Wish List! And guess what's on it?

People familiar with the talks say Mexico drew up a list that included equipment, training and technology, including Black Hawk helicopters, which are difficult to come by given the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but are considered the transport of choice for security forces.

Do we even have the money to pull this thing off? Silly question.

It is not clear how the administration will request the funds from Congress, since the foreign operations spending bill for the coming year already has been approved by the House.

How to sell a bad idea to a wary public:

The Mexico package more likely will be cast as an effort to improve Mexico’s judicial system and its security forces.

Send Gonzo! He needs a little time away, and if anyone can screw up improve their judicial system, it's him.

In a lighter vein, I started thinking about earworms earlier tonite when that incredastupid new commercial for Celebrex that lasts FOREVER was on.

You know the one I mean.

This youtube is my own personal earworm that bubbles up to torment me every few months since right around 1973. I know, amazing I can still tie my shoelaces.


WARNING: VIDEO BELOW IS AN EARWORM

Earworm, a loan translation of the German Ohrwurm, is a term for a song stuck in one's head. Use of the English translation was popularised by James Kellaris, a professor of marketing at the University of Cincinnati. His studies appeared to demonstrate that different people have varying susceptibilities to earworms, but that almost everybody has been afflicted with one at some time or another.

Earworms may be songs or tunes that become stuck in the phonological loop, the part of the brain that rehearses verbal information in Baddeley's model of working memory. This usually happens when a person sings the song or hums the tune once and then repeats it in his or her mind.

Synonyms for earworms include "Last Song Syndrome", "repetuneitis", or in extreme degree "melodymania". A "repetune" is a song or other musical piece stuck in one's head.

Medications that are used to treat Obsessive-compulsive disorder or anxiety can alleviate the symptoms of earworms.

So what songs stick with you..... forever?

To quote the paraphrasers.....

Josh is being snarky with this line:

But if they can't face Youtube how can they defeat the terrorists?

but it's important to remember who uttered a similar line. Russert:


It’s a TV show. If you can’t handle TV questions, how are you going to stand up to Iran, and North Korea, and the rest of the world?

Interesting headline.....

U.S. to sell advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and others

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has decided to supply billions of dollars in advanced new weapons to Saudi Arabia, other Arab allies of the United States and to Israel, senior State Department officials and congressional aides said Friday.

Um, lemme see....I've got it around here someplace.... okay, here it is....

Saudis’ Role in Iraq Frustrates U.S. Officials

...The Bush administration’s frustration with the Saudi government has increased in recent months because it appears that Saudi Arabia has stepped up efforts to undermine the Maliki government and to pursue a different course in Iraq from what the administration has charted. Saudi Arabia has also stymied a number of other American foreign policy initiatives, including a hoped-for Saudi embrace of Israel.

(snip)

The American officials in Iraq also say that the majority of suicide bombers in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia and that about 40 percent of all foreign fighters are Saudi.

And this article laying out how the Saudis are undermining our efforts isn't from months or freaking years ago, it's from yesterday.

The surge is working, we're making progress, just move along....
nothing to see here.

The battle steps up.

Liberals Go After Fox News Advertisers

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Liberal activists are stepping up their campaign against Fox News Channel by pressuring advertisers not to patronize the network.

MoveOn.org, the Campaign for America's Future and liberal blogs like DailyKos.com are asking thousands of supporters to monitor who is advertising on the network. Once a database is gathered, an organized phone-calling campaign will begin, said Jim Gilliam, vice president of media strategy for Brave New Films, a company that has made anti-Fox videos.

(snip)

MoveOn.org is campaigning against Fox because it says the network characterizes itself as a fair news network when it consistently favors a conservative point of view, said Adam Green, the organization's spokesman.

"We're not trying to silence anybody," Green said. "Rush Limbaugh has a right to be on the air - he admits his point of view. Fox doesn't."

Every single time they get confronted on their hatespeech or lying, they grab the censorship meme and run with it.

Remember Coulters squawking about Elizabeth Edwards?

"You're telling me to stop speaking, you're tellling me to stop writing books, you're telling me to not do my columns." That is all they understand, what they see as being taken away from them. Not what Elizabeth Edwards was trying to ask her to contribute to the discussion- thoughtful, insightful, rational dialogue.

Fox will survive like a cockroach, we'll keep on railing against it, but at least we can say we tried.

To quote our BFF's BNF (hehe), Go Do Something.

This is the right way to make money off your cleavage.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Few political fundraising e-mails have ever carried the subject header “cleavage,” but White House hopeful Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign sent a solicitation to supporters Friday with the attention-grabbing header in order to decry a recent Washington Post article devoted to the New York Democrat’s chest — and raise campaign cash in the process.

“Frankly, focusing on women’s bodies instead of their ideas is insulting,” Ann Lewis, a senior adviser to Clinton, wrote in the e-mail. “It’s insulting to every woman who has ever tried to be taken seriously in a business meeting. It’s insulting to our daughters — and our sons — who are constantly pressured by the media to grow up too fast.”

Cue Queen

And another one bites the dust. At this pace, Thompson will be the first candidate to have a wholesale staff change before he enters the race.

Another aide to Fred Thompson's campaign-in-waiting resigned last night, two sources close to the campaign confirm. Tom Frechette had been effectively serving as campaign manager Tom Collamore's deputy. Collamore was removed from his post Tuesday and given a "senior adviser" role. Like Collamore, Frechhette was said to have chafed under the heavy influence of Thompson's wife, Jeri.

What should really worry the campaign is the lack of control over this story. If there was a mass resignation, it would be a one day bad story. Yet somehow, the resignations have dribbled out over the course of a week, meaning that the bad press has lasted for a week. I don't know much about Thompson's wife Jeri, but I do know this - a good manager would have squelched this story by now.


******
Note from Paddy

Click here to read about ole Fredrick of Hollywood's money woes....

Cheney to get new defibrillator Saturday

"On Saturday morning, the Vice President will have a scheduled visit with his doctors at George Washington University Hospital at which time his ICD will be replaced," his spokeswoman Megan McGinn said.

But if he's out of commission, who's going to be President?

FYI

Catch Greg Palast on PBS’ top current affairs program.
‘NOW’ furthers the story Palast first busted open for Britain’s BBC Newsnight, the scheme to attack voters of color - the ‘Blue’ ones.

Palast lays out the latest evidence never before televised.

8:30pm Eastern. Check local listings. 9:30n pm on KCET in L.A.

McConnell Lies Again On WHAS Radio

Not even two weeks after the Courier-Journal caught Mitch McConnell lying on CNN, McConnell played games with the truth once again on WHAS radio this morning. McConnell discussed the problems in Iraq by claiming, “”most of the problems over there are being caused by Al-Qaeda.”

Really?

Actually, McConnell’s claim is not even close to the truth. Anthony Cordesman, a security analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Time Magazine that estimates are that al Qaeda accounts for only 15 percent of the attacks in Iraq.

Most of the problems, Mitch?

Gonzo will be grilled by YouTubers, a la the Big CNN-YouTube Extravaganza
Welcome to the newest reality show, "Last Republican Standing"!
IS THIS A SPOOF? Yes, it is. I just spoke to the writer.

YouTube, the video-sharing Web site that is already reshaping the form of presidential debates, will now try its hand at revolutionizing Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

With the blessing of Congress, YouTube plans to grill the United States Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, "and get the denials that the Senate Judiciary Committee can’t."

Couldn't they get anywhere on their own?

"It was clear we weren’t gong to get anywhere on our own," noted Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., the top Republican on the panel.

Oh.

Specter was even hopeful that the "mind-bending format," in which Gonzales will have to deliver answers to video-recorded questions sent in by the public, will help encourage others to come forward to testify "and grab their chance for fame." The Pennsylvania senator said it was one thing to stonewall "a bunch of elected old white men in suits with subpoena power," but quite another to turn up an opportunity at the latest reality production.

One of the criticisms of the CNN debate was that it got a little silly. This is very serious business, what with Gonzo perjuring himself and all. I can't imagine that this will get as YouTubey as those wacky presidential debates did.

Some of the videos do not ask questions at all. In one, a man plays guitar and sings a song — "If I had a Problem" — about the attorney general’s plans to stay on and "fix the problems" in the Justice Department, which is sung to the tune of "If I had a hammer" by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger.

Song parodies at a Judiciary hearing? No way!

"What would you, as attorney general do to make it up to me?" Ashcroft sings into the camera to the same musical score as his famous "Let the Eagle Soar."

Way. Oy. Oy way.

One political insider said, "If Congress can’t vote Gonzales ‘off the island.’ They’re going to enlist YouTube to do it for them. There is no end to where this could go, especially if Rupert Murdoch buys it."

Kill me now.

UPDATE FROM GOTTALAFF: We're all asking the same question: Is this for real? Here's the byline:

By Philip Maddocks

GateHouse News Service

Fri Jul 27, 2007, 10:30 AM EDT
Click on my link and see for yourself. It doesn't appear to be spoofy, but we can all agree, it's just bizarre.

UPDATE #2: I just called the paper, and Maddocks' voice mail picked up. I left a message for him to call me back. Meantime, I did speak to somebody else who said he's legit, but occasionally does do satire. This just has to be one of those, don't you think? The minute I find out, I'll update again.

UPDATE #3: Yep, he's as nuts as we are. A really nice guy who said that maybe he needed to be even spoofier to avoid any further confusion. I told him we'd suspected as much, but we had to be sure...and with the way things are these days, we all had to wonder, even if just for a moment, if this could happen.

Michael Moore, you've been served (no, not as an entree...yet)

Tit for Tat (Call the FCC. I just said..."tat"):

Michael Thursday said the Bush administration has served him with a subpoena regarding his trip to Cuba during the making of his new film, "Sicko."

The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who appeared Thursday on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," said he was notified about the subpoena at the network's studios in Burbank, Calif.

NBC will do anything for ratings, won't they? And Bush will do, well, anything.

Maybe Michael should just ignore the subpoena. I understand it's okay to do that now.

Breaking: Ray LaHood Retiring

A so-called "moderate" from Illinois. Expect to see more of this, from Republicans in the Northeast, Midwest and West who simply cannot win anymore because their national party chose Iraq, corporatism and religious extremism as their path to salvation.

It's been a long week when you want to crack a beer at 1030am.



"Reckless rhetoric." Huh.

To quote "Friend Of Cliff" Mike Stark......

Defense Spending In Iraq And Afghanistan Set To Be Over $30 Billion More Than In 2006

The Department of Defense is set to spend an estimated $131.3 billion by the end of October 2007. Spending levels in Iraq have dramatically increased, while those in Afghanistan (in the region where Osama bin Laden is believed to remain at-large) are stable, as noted in this report.

David Vitter Knows Branding!

David Vitter, who you might have thought only mentally perused "branding" in masochism fantasies containing ladies of the avenue, is now apparently a GOP marketing maesto.

Vitter rose recently among his colleagues, the first time since his heartfelt admission that he had felt up other organs than hearts. He talked about "re-branding" the GOP as "fiscal conservatives." Which is easy to do when you took a surplus and under united government over six years, turned it into the largest deficit since the creation of the slide rule.

Yes, this is a man you want to listen to on public perception, oh GOP miscreants. In fact, please listen to him guys. PLEASE.

If I could, I think some re-branding as Scientologists or the Son of Sam or Ann Coulter's neck would also do wonders for you. I think I'm going to call Dave right now. I hope he is not, um, "busy."

Joe Trippi Talks YouTube And Mocks Republicans

He asks if "they even know what YouTube is?" Um, the answer would seem to be no, as only John McCain and Ron Paul have so far signed up for their version of this debate.

Technology can be scary. Woooooooooooooo.....

Max Blumenthal Visits Armageddon Tour 2007

And once again he brings his trusty camera:

Tastes Like Chicken



Just to add to Cliff's earlier post, according to a few reports, Rudy Giuliani has decided to annul his appearance at the YouTube debate in September (sorry for the bad pun).



I have to admit, I am a bit surprised. Rudy is fading in all the polls, so you'd think he'd want to get out there and show himself. Maybe he's feeling confident because he's managed to keep most of his staff on board, unlike Fred Thompson and John McCain.



Either way, for someone who revels in his "tough guy" persona, this stinks of being chicken.

Pat Tillman and his brother Kevin
The continuing cover-ups surrounding Pat Tillman's death make my blood boil

Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

This is beyond appalling. For his family to have to endure this kind of deception and for our government to spit on them the way they do our Constitution is unspeakable. Check this out:

The medical examiners' suspicions were outlined in 2,300 pages of testimony released to the AP this week by the Defense Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. Among other information contained in the documents:
• In his last words moments before he was killed, Tillman snapped at a panicky comrade under fire to shut up and stop "sniveling."
• Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or non-criminal, punishments.
• The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman's death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and couldn't recall details of his actions.
• No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene -- no one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.

First the Pentagon and the Bush administration lie their brains out in order to use Tillman to sell their sick, disastrous little war, then they put his mother and the rest of his family through utter hell with more lies and an excruciating trickle of misinformation. Way to support the troops, Commander Guy.

Congress is holding another hearing next week.

How many times, in how many ways, has this administration broken the laws and the spirit of this country? Tell me again why we haven't started impeachment proceedings?

Reporter quits White House beat over 'censorship'

Not that I'm a fan, but what will the White House briefings be like without Les?

White House press secretary Tony Snow took time out from answering questions at Wednesday's briefing to lecture a veteran reporter [Les Kinsolving] on journalism and demand that he change the "twisted words" in an article he had written.

Tony Snowjob wouldn't let Les get a word in edgewise. Nope, he just had to keep chewing him out, because, you know, Les Kinsolving's a bit of a neophyte.

Snow continued to press Kinsolving, "I saw the piece you wrote the other day, that has been thoroughly twisting[sic] out of context." At this point Kinsolving tried to get a word in, but Snow was having none of it, "You know what I don't care, because the fact is, if someone is going to take questions about things that don't fall under the president's purview, and I answer that question, and it gets twisted, it is a disservice to this White House and the craft of journalism."

It was never clear exactly what piece Snow was objecting to, but he was annoyed enough to suggest, "that if I were you, I would pick up the phone and tell them to start cleaning up or writing corrections."

Did I mention Les has twice been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize? When Snow finally stopped his blathering, Kinsolving didn't miss a beat and went right on with his next question.

But he's not coming back.

Tony Snow is the mouthpiece for the worst president ever. How perfectly appropriate.

Ahhh, okay Normie, now I get it

Using marijuana increases the risk of one day developing a psychotic illness such as schizophrenia, according to a study that provides some of the strongest evidence yet linking the drug to a mental disorder.

Yeah, but come on. Someone like, say, Norm "The Toker" Coleman, despite his smoke-filled past, couldn't be affected now, so many years later...or could he?

The researchers found that marijuana users had a 41 percent increased chance of developing psychosis marked by symptoms of hallucinations or delusions later in life than those who never used the drug. The risk rose with heavier consumption.

I have a habit of speaking too soon.

Other findings have highlighted the link between marijuana use and the risk of schizophrenia-like symptoms such as paranoia, hearing voices and seeing things that are not there.

Like, um, high poll numbers?

But this study marks one of the most comprehensive, thorough and reliable reviews of its kind and should serve as a warning...

Norm! Stop! Don't inhale!

Oopsie. Too little, too late. Tsk, tsk. Too bad.

Raul Castro offers olive branch to....? Hillary? Obama? Edwards?....Gravel?

Interim Cuban President Raul Castro on Thursday again offered an 'olive branch' to the United States, but said no dialogue would be possible with Washington until after US President George W Bush leaves office . The November 2008 US presidential elections will bring Bush's 'erratic and dangerous' administration to an end, Castro said in a speech...

Personally, I'm up for it ending prior to November 2008, but beggars can't be choosers.

'The new (US) administration will have to decide if it wants to keep the absurd, illegal and failed policy against Cuba or whether it accepts the olive branch that we offered' on December 2, Raul Castro said, referring to statements made in a speech last year.

'If the new US authorities finally step aside from their arrogance and decide to talk in a civilized manner, they're welcome,' he said.

What, "go f*** yourself" isn't civilized enough for you?

I transcribed the following as best I could. It's in bits and pieces, but you'll get the idea.
Who do you think said it? Hillary? Schumer? Al Franken?

Our civil liberties, our right to privacy, are disappearing before our very eyes...

...the unabashed way our political leaders are playing on our fears to increase military powers...

The remedy? The vice president and the neocons have worked their way into the top echalons of power.
One: Take advantage of the new leadership in Congress, like Patrick Leahy...who are in a position to conduct oversight hearings...against the Department of Justice, against the illicit, unlawful surveillance of citizens. Especially that...The Democrats neet to change the laws. The ACLU deserves our support. This kind of thing takes a long time.
Two: Get the people in power to support the Constitution.

[I ] support an inquiry into the issues, like FISA issues especially, which are the most serious potential grounds for impeachment. They have violated federal laws... perjury and obstruction of justice.

That was all said, nearly to a word, by Bob Barr.

Barr was one of the most conservative members of the House, but occasionally displayed a libertarian streak. He only voted for the Patriot Act after his amendments adding "sunset clauses" were added to the final bill. However, he is best known for his role as one of the House managers during the Clinton impeachment trial. During debate on the impeachment articles, he argued that Clinton's misleading testimony in the Paula Jones case endangered the Constitution, and thus demanded Clinton's removal from office.

He said that on Thom Hartmann's radio program this morning. His words echo those of Bruce Fein, John Dean, and Jonathan Turley, among other conservatives/libertarians. Keep talking, guys, because we're listening.

More On Impeachment

Susie Madrak, a brilliant writer over at Suburban Guerilla, makes a compelling argument for impeachment. Not based on revenge or political calculation, but loving this country and not allowing precedent to be set where the executive branch can act in a dictatorial manner.

Whether you think this is the proper course of action to take, or not, you should give it a read. I highly recommend it.

Fox Attacks Bloggers!

Our new video (Brave New Films) on another aspect of the paranoia that pervades the right-wing extremist demagogues of FoxNews.

Like A Kid In A Candy Store

Yes, that's what I feel like. Or like you're sitting in the movie theater about to watch the opening scene in that movie you've been waiting for all summer (for me, The Bourne Ultimatum).

Rumor has it that in my now-home state of Ohio--where I am loving life for a variety of reasons--that a member of the "Ohio House Delegation" has been uncovered for cavorting with Mrs. Palfrey's ladies (I'm sure it was just a massage) through those infamous phone records. I know who my bet's on, but let's wait and see.

Yes, just what the Ohio GOP needs, more scandal! Hopefully there is a warm cell open next to Bob Ney...

Heh, Freeway Blogger strikes.




Via Wonkette

Well, hell, it worked last time. Sort of. Okay, it didn’t actually work last time, but at least impeachment proceedings actually started and thrilled the nation for a few weeks! That’s something.

And then Bill Clinton continued to be the most popular president ever and we were all rich — okay, some of us were rich — and oh my god we weren’t all losing our houses to foreclosure and the dollar was worth like nine Euros and Al Gore hadn’t even invented global warming yet.

Really, someone needs to sit these people down and have a chat with them.

Will The Last Person Please Turn Out The Lights

More news about the disintegrating campaign of John McCain. His media folks just left. It's going to be difficult for McCain to win without money, staff and campaign commercials, I imagine.

So sweet I'm getting a toothache.

Democrats urge perjury probe of Gonzales

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats called for a perjury investigation against Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Thursday and subpoenaed top presidential aide Karl Rove in a deepening political and legal clash with the Bush administration.


"It has become apparent that the attorney general has provided at a minimum half-truths and misleading statements," four Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee wrote in a letter to Solicitor General Paul Clement

They dispatched the letter shortly before Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., announced the subpoena of Rove, the president's top political strategist, in remarks on the Senate floor.

"We have now reached a point where the accumulated evidence shows that political considerations factored into the unprecedented firing of at least nine United States Attorneys last year," said Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Mitch Blocks D.C. Voting Rights Act

What a disgrace. There is one thing this is about. Mitch McConnell trying to stop African-Americans from going to the polls. Even after progressives and conservatives reached a compromise that would allow citizens of Washington, D.C. to vote by giving Utah an extra seat. Once again, the obstructionist-in-chief Mitch McConnell has blocked a debate on the bill:

Kemp, during a conference call earlier this week, argued that supporting D.C. voting rights is a way for the GOP — the party of Lincoln, he kept saying — to get back on the right side of history.

A 2005 survey found that 85 percent of Americans agree that D.C. residents ought to be allowed off what, symbolically at least, is America’s last political plantation.

This is all well and good, but there is an individual who has the power to keep all these juicy issues from being debated in the Senate.

That man is Kentucky’s own Sen. Mitch McConnell. He’s Senate minority leader, and unfortunately, on the D.C. voting rights bill, McConnell is on the opposite side. His contention is that the Constitution is clear that D.C. residents are not to have voting rights in Congress.

Well, well, well. Here at Casa de Cliff, it's been a rollercoaster for the past few days.

Gottalaff's post the other day about the illegal detention of a man who disagreed with Dick Cheney has had us at the top of Digg's Top News, Most Dugg and a couple other lists over there.

So, if you have an account (if you don't go get one) and give us one last nudge.



And in other blog-centric housecleaning stuff, please click on our newest advertisers-

Clean My Ride is a fantastic site for an important cause, plus very funny clips from very funny people.

And what can I say about Paul Rieckoff and his book? The best.

Lastly, if you're thinking of buying from Amazon, clicking thru our link to order gives us a little mojo at no cost to you!!

Take a bow Gottalaff!!!!

At least 70k hits on this post.

Cliff and I are taking the rest of the month off and going to Aruba.

It's All Because The Gays Are Getting Married!

Hysterical musical rendition of how gay marriage ruins everything, paticularly one guy's marriage. His wife leaves him, because marriage is just not sacred anymore.

Seriously, watch this. It's fantastic.

Funny Chris Dodd Ad

Watch it, don't cut and run!

Bush Rubs Soldier's Wound

This was actually reported a little while back. Nobody picked up on it. Well, nobody but our trusty friend OhDave. President Bush actually wanted to touch a soldier's wound. Yeah, I said "touch it."

Does that not spook anyone else out a little bit? Perhaps make you feel a bit icky, like David Vitter's dry cleaner? In any case, OhDave has the whole story.

Oh those RUDE, VILE, erm, praying (?) bloggers?


Mr. O'Reilly, We Will Pray* For You

We are not haters. We are not rabid. We are not extremists. We are people who want to help their neighbors and do what is right for their nation as best we are able.

With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that we will pray* for you, both now and at the Interfaith Worship Service at Yearly Kos: for continued good health, strong and equitable relationships with your family, friends, and staff, for peace of heart and mind. We will do this not out of sanctimony, nor because we have anything to prove to you, but simply because it is the right thing to do.

Better people than me over there at Street Prophets, much better.

Limerick-Off Continues

I was inspired yet again (maybe this is just a dream, however):

There once was a man named Alberto/
Whose constitutional knowledge was zippo/
Then he created a mess/
When he lied to Congress/
And now he's headed for Gitmo.

We may see that frogmarch yet.

Documents Contradict Gonzales' Testimony

BY LARA JAKES JORDAN
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Documents indicate eight congressional leaders were briefed about the Bush administration's terrorist surveillance program on the eve of its expiration in 2004, contradicting sworn Senate testimony this week by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

The documents underscore questions about Gonzales' credibility as senators consider whether a perjury investigation should be opened into conflicting accounts about the program and a dramatic March 2004 confrontation leading up to its potentially illegal reauthorization.

Michael Martin is 7, he stands 3 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 55 pounds, and he's on the TSA no-fly list

"He thought he did something wrong," his mother, Krista Martin, 36, of Coral Springs, said. [...] Because he shares a name with a known or suspected terrorist, he has run into roadblocks three times before boarding an airliner, Krista Martin said.

The idea of the no-fly list is " to avoid confusing a real terrorist with an innocent passenger, officials said."

I can see how 7-year-old, 3-foot- 9 Michael might have been confused with say, a 50-year-old, 6-foot-6 Osama Bin Laden type. Anyone would have made that mistake. I often confuse Mary Kate Olsen with Yao Ming. Or a watch list with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"The airline has the ability to and should immediately de-select any child allegedly on a watch list," White, the TSA spokesman, said.

I'm sure that's a huge comfort to Michael...and the rest of us. Although I wouldn't be too upset if they were to mistake me for Angelina Jolie, who probably is on their list.

Bush Administration Still Screwing Veterans

Shocker, I know. Our good friend Paul Rieckhoff and his great organization, The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Of America (IAVA), is on the case. Here is their response to the damning Dole-Shalala report just released:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
CONTACT: Michael Houston, IAVA (212) 982-9699 michael@iava.org

IAVA Responds to Dole-Shalala Commission Report: Today's Draft Report Should be a Wake-up Call for All Americans

NEW YORK ­ Following today's final public meeting of the Dole-Shalala Commission, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the nation's first and largest organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, released the following statement:

Today's draft report from the Dole-Shalala Commission has shown the American public that the Walter Reed fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg. Their findings should be a wake-up call for all Americans, said Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq veteran and Executive Director of IAVA. Last week the Secretary of the VA resigned. This week disabled Iraq veterans are suing the VA. Our veterans' healthcare system is facing tremendous challenges at every level and the Department of Defense and the VA are not ready to respond.

IAVA commends the Commission for their hard work and dedication, and we wholeheartedly endorse their call for fundamental changes and strong leadership to address the crisis facing veterans, said Rieckhoff. We urge the news media and American combat veterans of all generations to ensure that the recommendations of this report are implemented. Today's findings should not be buried in the back pages of our nation¹s newspapers beneath Lindsay Lohan's DUI.

The Commission heard testimony from a number of Iraq veterans in the past few months, including IAVA Director of Government Affairs Todd Bowers, who served two tours of duty in Iraq and was wounded in the face by a sniper's bullet. He was in attendance today at the Commission meeting in Washington, and said, "Too often we see reports like this get brief attention in the media and then they are set aside to collect dust on the shelf. But right now, there is a clear focus on veterans¹ care in America. Congress has appropriated more funds to the Veterans Administration than it has in 77 years. We call on the President and Congress to build on this progress andensure these recommendations are enacted quickly."

The Commission, authorized by President Bush in response to reports of poor conditions, neglect, and bureaucratic hurdles faced by outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, will release its final report next week. A draft is available now at http://www.pccww.gov and includes the following recommendations:

1. Implement Comprehensive Recovery Plans
2. Restructure Disability and Compensation Systems
3. Improve Care for People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
4. Strengthen Support for Families
5. Transfer Patient Information Across Systems
6. Support Walter Reed Until Closure

IAVA, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, is the nation's first and largest organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, representing more than 60,000 members and civilian supporters in all 50 states. To arrange an interview with Paul Rieckhoff, Todd Bowers or any other IAVA member veterans, contact Michael Houston at (212)-982-9699, or email michael@iava.org. For more information, visit www.iava.org

They still think the "No Flip-Flops!" line is funny

Proper attire must...must...be maintained at all times. And you...viiiill....liiiiike it.

So signs have popped up at various White House entrances -- including the press entrance and the staff and visitors' entrance at the southwest gate -- along with e-mails to staff members, to remind everyone, particularly tour groups, that, even in these times of sinking poll numbers, proper attire is to be maintained.

The email was in ALL CAPS, so you know it had to be important. Either that or nobody-- visitors, press, staff--takes anything the White House says seriously any more. Who's for the latter? Hands?

Some visitors from the Reagan and Bush I days were taken aback by the rule postings. "We were plenty button-down," recalled a Reagan aide who saw one of the signs, but added: "Do they have nothing else to do" than fret about this?

Other than infringe on all our rights, shred the Constitution, and declare martial law...? Nah.

And flip-flops have always been verboten. "As you know, this administration has a strong record against flip-flops," said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. But Crocs, with or without socks, presumably are okay if you're biking with Bush.

Crocs with socks on Bush. Time for some new rules.

Your kid can read a menu and calculate a restaurant check!

But she thinks the cosmos are part of Kramer's clan, can't sing a song, and (correctly?) believes The Odd Couple is Bush and Cheney. Oh, and she's hungry.

In the five years since a federal law mandated an expansion of reading and math tests, 44 percent of school districts nationwide have made deep cutbacks in social studies, science, art and music lessons in elementary grades and have even slashed lunchtime, a new survey has found.

The most detailed look at the rapidly changing American school day, in a report released today, found that most districts sharply increased time spent on reading and math.

I've worked in several schools for several years. I have kids of my own. Without the very programs that have been cut, and this is depressingly obvious to those of us who witness it firsthand, kids become limited in ways that the shortsighted backers of No Child Left Behind either choose to ignore, won't admit, or simply can't recognize. Plus, every teacher I know hates it.

The arts result in more creative, expansive, sharper minds and attitudes. Integrated into academic subjects, they bring dry subjects alive and make facts more memorable. Music and theatre allow developing minds to learn, flex, and even cope with emotions that they might otherwise be oblivious to. Science enhances logical thinking, to balance the emotional. I don't need to go on, you know all of this.

I'm not a credentialed teacher. I speak as someone who has worked in the classroom, partnered with a teacher, in theatre and fine arts. I have witnessed the increasing inability of kids to analyze, let alone comprehend, anything deeper than their iPods (Music!) and cell phones (Writing skills! "u r 2 kul, lol!").

My concerns are genuine; communication skills are vital. Without a well-rounded education, the quality of life is diminished. Coincidentally, in the past 5-6 years, I've witnessed a decline in commitment, focus, ability to communicate effectively (including spelling and grammar) if at all, and most disturbingly, an inability to effectively recognize and tap into one's own emotions.

Most have forgotten how to "pretend" or how to use their imaginations.

"No Child Left Behind". Many of us can read those words, but how many of our kids can understand them, explain them, or have a heartfelt response to them?

And while we're at it, let's give 'em a longer lunch break.

First Minimum Wage Increase In A Decade In Effect!

Yup, even though none of the beneficiaries are corporate CEOs who need more gold plating for their toilet seats--which makes Baby Republicans cry--some people will have a little bit of a better life now.

So the next time Republicans accuse Democrats of having done nothing, remind them that yeah, for their corporate-crony base, that is correct. For real people, it's a whole different story.

Watch the video of the celebration on Capitol Hill.

Re: Gonzo, Arlen Specter tells reporters that "there is a jail in the Capitol complex"

Specter later circled back to Gonzales on the matter, warning him: "My suggestion to you is you review your testimony to find out if your credibility has been breached to the point of being actionable," Specter said. The maximum penalty for being caught lying to Congress is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 per count. Specter wryly noted to reporters during a break that there is a jail in the Capitol complex.

And speaking of getting dragged off to jail, after watching the House Judiciary Committee this morning on CSPAN 3 (Consideration of Contempt Citations Judiciary) citing White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and former Counsel Harriet Miers for contempt of Congress, and with the knowledge that King Chimp will decree that none of his royal court can be held in contempt, I'm more convinced than ever that the inherent contempt option could be the logical next step.

It was unclear whether the White House would allow a prosecution of criminal contempt to move forward, since the refusal to comply is based upon Bush's claim of executive privilege.

Inherent contempt:

Under this process, the procedure for holding a person in contempt involves only the chamber concerned. Following a contempt citation, the person cited for contempt is arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House or Senate, brought to the floor of the chamber, held to answer charges by the presiding officer, and then subject to punishment that the House may dictate (usually imprisonment for punishment reasons, imprisonment for coercive effect, or release from the contempt citation.)

I'm certainly no expert, but I've heard inherent contempt discussed, even suggested, by John Dean, Bruce Fein, and others who understand it better than anyone. When it comes down to it, what's left? The utter disregard of Congress by the Monarchical Branch requires action.

Any lawyers out there?

Who thinks we'll see the Sergeant-at-Arms slap Harriet, the official president of the King George Fan Club (I hear she'll send out an 8x10 glossy of him for a price, assuming she's willing to part with one) with a spiffy new set of bracelets?

Ready. Set. Racebait!

We knew this was coming, right? The question is, how long before some non-descript GOP group puts this race-baiting stuff on the air?

Oh my.

Bill O'Reily.com being investigated by Secret Service

After seeing this post by John Aravosis on AmericaBlog, I was incensed and concerned at the same time. Here is the comment on O'Reilly's blog that crossed the line:

If Hillary wins, I will be respectful of our leader. If you could read my thoughts, I would be on the SS [Secret Service] watch list.

So, I did what a responsible person should do when they see something like this on a blog. I called the Secret Service to report it. This comment isn't about politics or defaming Senator Clinton. It outright states a threat to her life. It is unacceptable.

That's all I can quote in good conscience, go read what the Secret Service told him. And they did take it seriously.

Impeachment, Censure And Other Alternatives

Just want to place a quick comment on Cliff's Impeachment post and tie it in with Russ Feingold's measure to censure the President.

The fact that Fredo Gonzalez refuses to resign and that Bush won't fire him tells you all you need to know about these two clowns. Competence doesn't matter. Accountability doesn't matter. Truth doesn't matter. Justice, both the concept and the Department, doesn't matter. All that does matter in the end is loyalty. Everyone else and everything else be damned.

Of course, that leaves the Democratic Party and the American people in quite a pickle. We got 18 more months of these two and their crowd, and Bush and Company have made it quite clear that our opinion, and the rule of law, don't matter. So what to do?

The Impeachment/censure option is appealing because it forces accountability on Fredo, and it forces Republicans to make a choice - do what is right for the country or do what is right for their party (several have already chosen to do what is right, as evidenced by yesterday's hearing).

But I do not believe this is the best option. It will cause more partisan bickering, will take up valuable time and expose Democrats to charges of being more interested in vengeance than accomplishing the will of the American people.

Personally, I support the Rahm Emanuel approach to this type of problem (I know this is going to get me in trouble with some quarters of the left). I loved when Emanuel suggested zeroing out Cheney's funding from the Executive Branch budget when the Vice President said he wasn't part of the Executive Branch.

I think there is a similar application here. If Fredo won't go, and Bush won't fire him despite his incompetence and the obvious damage he has done to the Department, the Democrats ought to zero out his budget. When the Justice Department funding budget comes up, they should cut all funding for his personal office. If Fredo Gonzalez won't work for the American people, than we shouldn't pay him a dime.

Bill O'Reilly's Website Threatens Hillary Clinton's Life

Pretty serious stuff Billo. You might want to clean up your own act before judging others. You know the Bible says something about that.

But I understand, you were too busy rereading the loofah handbook to get to it. Some other time I'm sure.

Drinking Liberally Debuts On The Daily Show

Here we have the usual hilarious segment with John Oliver, this time about the YouTube debates. But what is even cooler is that my friend and one of the founders of Drinking Liberally, Justin Krebs, makes a very funny appearance.

Enjoy:

Only One Answer: Impeach Gonzo

This is coming from Cliff Schecter, and nobody else at this site. So please direct all grammatically-challenged, historically-inaccurate hate-mail to moi (that is me in French, we Commies lapse into a bit of Francais now and again).

After yet another performance that saw our AG stumble, stammer and flat out lie under oath, even many Republicans are having none of it.

This serial-perjurer and hijacker of our legal system needs to be shown the door like he's a hooker who's already spent 7 minutes with David Vitter. For the sake of the rule of law in this country, it is time to impeach the man.

Growing pains within Fred Thompson's "non-campaign" for president in 2008 revealed themselves in a big way Tuesday.

For months, the former Tennessee senator has been rising in the polls by merely "testing the waters" and refusing to undertake the traditional trappings of a presidential campaign.

But there has been much speculation about the role of Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, and today, a senior adviser to Fred Thompson today stepped out of a day-to-day role in the campaign because of friction with her.

(snip)

But multiple sources close to Thompson now tell FOX News that denial was inaccurate. In fact, Collamore and Kehn butted heads, and that was partially responsible for Collamore's move.

Thompson's wife Jeri is a hard-nosed former Republican party operative and a long time political professional with a strong will. Insiders have long speculated that her personality would play a big role in the narrative of Thompson's candidacy.

I'm ambivalent on this. I don't know if I'm schadenfreudey over the problems in the campaign, or glad that Ms Kehn isn't the pop tart she seems to be on the surface. Strong women are always a good thing.

Wolfson has a go at O'Reilly over the JetBlue broohaha.



Wonder if O'Reilly ever listens to C-span during open phones?
I've heard much worse there almost every morning.

Is It Time To Label Fox "Opinion Media?"

We at Brave New Films think so. Cenk thinks so.

Could the answer to this question really be any more obvious?



Sorry, a little puke came up...now back to what I was saying. It is time for fairness in advertising with Fox. I sure hope the folks who issue press credentials at Yearly Kos start the ball rolling.

Hmmm, I'm smelling "We The People".

Pick up a fon, type some words, yell a little louder.

From Daily Kos

If the Republican's newest talking point is that Congress isn't doing enough, then let's keep Congress working all through August.

That would be a nice juxtaposition to seeing Bush chopping wood down in Crawford.

Heck, do all nighters twice a week as the Republicans filibuster.

Let's frame the August working session as a match to what our troops are doing in Iraq, fighting for the American people in 120 degree weather.

This is the first summer when the Democrats are in charge of Congress in a time of this Iraq war. Let's show Republicans and this President that we don't take recesses while our troops are at war!

We could devote all of August's bills towards Iraq and the troops and brand the effort with such a statement like, "if our soldiers have to work in 120 degree weather and we want the Iraq Parliment to be in session throughout August, then we can be in session too when it is only 90 degrees in Washington."

I'm sure the families of our congress men and women can forgo vacations in a time of WAR!

Lastly, another poster pointed out that the Democrats are doing so well at fundraising, it might be beneficial not to let the Republicans go home to fundraise and catch up.

+

=

You know what's pathetic? I mean besides the subjects of these photos?

The fact that we think that the subjects of these photos are pathetic.

And dangerous. And dishonest.

And that these are the country's most most powerful people.

Have you ever seen someone about to fall and been unable to prevent it?

Assuming you wanted to.

My ABLOG Column

It got delayed until today. So in case you missed it, enjoy (or not, as you will):

The Week That Was 7/20/07

Another Week. More preposterousness to report.

What a week it's been for the ranting-rube named O'Reilly. Sadly, he was forced to take a few hours off from falafel-gazing and sizing up Miss New Jersey's potential for an on-air loofahing so he could accuse Yearly Kos attendees of resemblign the "KKK" and "Nazis." Meanwhile, showing their usual level of consistency, FoxNews just added a new robo-contributor who likes to call Barack Obama racist names when not auditioning for a role as a Woody Allen character.

They report, Sean Hannity decides.

And speaking of the mendacious who lack function in their frontal lobe, let's talk about a few GOP Senators, namely Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell. The former, a know-nothing professional liar, who liked to claim term limits until her two terms were cashed and still calls herself a "moderate," while voting for Benito Alito and joining hands with every Iraq-enabling, rubber-stamp, McCain-for-brains in the Senate.

The woman endorsed Sir John of Arizona for President. She was endorsed by Lieberman. She campaigned with Bush. What else do you need to know about her marriage to Sunni-Shiite violence and American soldiers dying in a war based upon lies, besides the fact that when she opens her mouth she actually sounds like she has a couple of spent mortal shells in it.

It's called RIF Suze. Reading Is Fundamental. It's never too late you see.

As for McConnell. Well, what can we say about George W. Bush's best friend? He's been cowering in a closet somewhere on the Capitol grounds lately (Lindsey Graham's suite?), issuing his orders but too scared to provide consistent opinions on immigration and Iraq, lest his corporate bosses crack the whip against his already greased and prone corpus and make him scream "sir may I have another?"

It's gonna be ok Mitch. Just come on out of that closet and share your strong, firm, manly positions on all issues where there may be some corporate benefactor to please, particularly Communist China. You know, the place where you like to ship our jobs in return for food more polluted than Rush Limbaugh's red blood cells.

Surely there must be some more legislation for the common-good you can obstruct in your never-ending quest to collect more cash than a de-pantsed hooker on David Vitter's lawn?

Remember folks. These two clowns are up for reelection next year. It's time to show them that jokers, are in fact, not wild.

So many stories, so little time

So here's a smattering. Once upon a time, Hillary said, "Obama is a babyyyy, Obama is a babyyyy. Neener nanner, lalala." Not really, but that's what Big News is trying to make out of Hill's comments.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., said today that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, her chief rival for the Democratic nomination, made comments that were "irresponsible and frankly naive" when he said in Monday night's debate that he would meet with leaders of rogue nations during his first year in office.

And in the Best Friends Forever-r-r Dep't.:

The United States tops the list of countries viewed by the global public as both their nation's greatest threat and their greatest ally, according to a major survey released Tuesday. [...]
Overall in the survey of more than 45,000 people, the United States was cited by most respondents in 19 countries as their country's leading ally. In 17 countries, the United States was described as their top threat.

More details here. And who's the latest Republican criminal resigning today? Let's take a gander:

South Carolina Treasurer Thomas Ravenel resigned from office Tuesday, more than a month after he was indicted on a federal cocaine charge.

What a guy.

Ravenel, a Republican, had been considered a rising political star before his indictment was announced June 19. [...] If convicted, Ravenel would face up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

Think back....who is this "rising political star" again?

Ravenel also has stepped down as state campaign chairman for Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.

Oh yeah.

What else is going on, you may be asking? Why, here's something now! And it's a "heated exchange"!

US charges that Iran was fueling sectarian strife in Iraq and terrorism in the Middle East led to tense and heated debate in rare talks Tuesday between the two arch enemies, US officials said.

Nothing like diplomacy to make you feel good about The Homeland's top officials. For example, see how our Homeland Leaders are dealing with those pesky birth pangs of democracy?

The United States plans to maintain a significant presence in Iraq well into 2009, according to a classified report obtained by the New York Times.

Ruh-Roh. I've said enough. Keep in mind, I'm just the messenger.

Buh-Bye, Paula Zahn

We knew she was going. Here are a couple of details:

A day after CNN announced that it was hiring Campbell Brown to replace one of its prime-time hosts, presumably Paula Zahn, Ms. Zahn confirmed today that she was leaving the cable channel, effective Aug. 2.

The unraveling of “Paula Zahn Now,” which made its debut at 8 p.m. in spring 2003, was ultimately a function of ratings. [...]

"...what has become clear when you look at the landscape, particularly in the 8 o’clock hour, it seems pretty obvious the audience is drawn to opinion-driven shows. That is not what I do.”

It's not? I could have sworn I picked up on an opinion here and there.

For all the rumors in recent months of Ms. Zahn’s impending departure, the transition to Ms. Brown will not necessarily be an orderly one. Ms. Brown signed an exit agreement with NBC which keeps her off the air until Nov. 1, meaning CNN will have no regular host in its 8 p.m. timeslot for three months. (She is also expecting her first child in late December, and planning to take at least a few weeks maternity leave then.)

Once she makes her debut, Ms. Brown, like Ms. Zahn before her, will be asked to marshal all her experience on network news to try not only to surpass Mr. Olbermann but somehow to become competitive with Mr. O’Reilly.

Hmmm, which of the following has more appeal: Keith's Special Comments....Mrs. Dan Senor. Keith....Mrs. Dan...Keith...Mrs...... Keith...Keith...KEITH!!

Whew, sorry. My hair must look a mess. That was highly unprofessional. Now back to our regularly scheduled blogging.

Bush Insists Al Qaeda in Iraq Threatens U.S.

President George W. Bush argued forcefully today that an Al Qaeda-affiliated group in Iraq is linked tightly to the central Al Qaeda leadership, and that for American forces to leave Iraq without defeating the terror group would be “dangerous for the world and disastrous for America.”

Isn't that cute? He still thinks he has a shred of credibility!

Froomkin:

His optimism is falling flat because it's untethered from reality. The public is rejecting his message because it doesn't believe him or what he's selling. In fact, according to the latest polls, an overwhelming majority of Americans have lost faith in both the war and the president's ability to lead it.

"Untethered from reality". Got that? The leader of the free world is "untethered from reality". With that, let's take another peek into our

*Vote Republican!* snappy Campaign-omercial file:

911, 911, 911! Vote Republican: The party where repetition really counts! The party where repetition really counts! The party where repetition really counts!

It's a good thing reality gets in the way.

Aw, their wittle feelings are getting teh hurt!!

Reid's No Daschle

Don't look for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the old Nevada boxing coach, to back down under the GOP's assault. He's just plain rude to President Bush when he calls the prez a "liar" and "part of the culture of corruption" like he did Sunday on Face the Nation.

Just consider what his spokesman, Jim Manley, told me today: "What the Republicans are trying to do to Senator Reid is what they did to [former Senate Minority Leader] Tom Daschle, and it's not going to work." Recall that the GOP ably attacked Daschle to the point that he lost his seat to Republican John Thune. Today, the Republican National Committee and the Nevada GOP chairwoman issued E-mails to supporters bashing Reid's harsh language when talking about Bush.

Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said that "given the dismal state of Congress under the Democrats' leadership, Sen. Reid's choice of words is unfortunate, but not unexpected..."

In my neck of the woods, the utterance appropriate here would be "F*** that noise".

If the president lies, then he is a liar. If a Senator in the United States Congress states "The President is a liar", and has reason to say so, more power to him. Mr Bush has every opportunity to prove him (and me) wrong. Have at it George.

How about Senators that take pot shots at a President's child? Seems to me that would be more in the "rude" or "impolite" or even "unfortunate" category.

The Spectator Jul 4, 1998

THE OTHER day, Senator John McCain stood up to address a Republican fundraising meeting. `You think that was a tasteless joke?' he began, referring to the previous speaker's Viagra gag. `Listen to this one.' He then unburdened himself of the following jest: `Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her real father's Janet Reno.'

Or how about just juvenile slurs?

When Senator McCain's Republican colleague, Dan Burton, called the President a 'scumbag', the Incivility Police jumped all over him...

Jumped all over him deservedly I might add.

So, my point is if you have a problem with Senator Reid calling the President a technical term for a person who does not tell the truth, pony up the proof he isn't or STFU.

The Implosion of the Justice Department

First quick reaction to a whole lot of information. I have questions:

Will Specter and company really follow through on appointing a special prosecutor to deal with Bush's shutting down congressional supervision?

Was Gonzo telling the truth when he said he wasn't referring to the Terrorist Surveillance Program (TSP), or was he lying? It's easy to say it was another one of his lies, but stop and think a minute: Did he slip and leak something about an entirely different program, a secret one, that seems to have started on September 11? That's what I wish Schumer had asked him. The good news is that Leahy stepped right in to say they'd follow up.

The dispute centered on an unidentified surveillance activity which Comey and other senior Justice officials had determined they could not reauthorize after a review of its legality. White House officials disagreed and moved aggressively to get the program renewed.

The Bush administration has refused to say which classified program was at issue in the dispute. Some sources have said the dispute was related to a controversial warrantless surveillance program operated by the National Security Agency, the existence of which was later confirmed by President Bush.

However, Gonzales reiterated today that the dispute was not about the program that Bush described. Gonzales also said he misspoke during a news conference in June, when he said it was the same program.

The program he referred to was reinstated March 11 (every six months), which would mean it was in the works before 9/11. So, hmmm, what would that mean?

Gonzales said an emergency meeting was held on the afternoon of March 10, 2004, with the so-called "Gang of Eight," which consists of the bipartisan leadership of the House, Senate and both intelligence committees. Gonzales said congressional leaders agreed that the intelligence activity should continue, and he and Card traveled to George Washington University Hospital that evening to visit Ashcroft, who was recovering from gall bladder surgery.

And what about those political briefings?

In one instance, State Department aides attended a White House meeting at which political officials examined the 55 most critical House races for 2002 and the media markets most critical to battleground states for President Bush's reelection fight in 2004, according to documents the department provided to the Senate committee.

They targeted media outlets. Four radio stations in Ohio, after the 2006 elections, after Howard Dean said those progressive stations might have helped us win, got shut down. The subject of the briefings was raised during the hearings. How will that be dealt with, and when?

Tomorrow: The house contends with contempt issues.

Palate Cleanser-

Department of Silly Little Girls-

Britney Spears Reportedly Breaks Down in Magazine Interview

Lohan Hit With Drug and Alcohol Arrest

You know, I can almost feel sorry for Brit, she obviously has "issues", but that Lohan girl is just butt stupid.
All that money buys lots of cab or limo rides.

I love, love, LOVE Chuck Schumer!!!!



He's ripping him up again right now.

The Morning After

As usual, there's a ton of post debate coverage. But the one thing that sticks out to me is this - the press is desperate for Obama and Clinton to tussle. Look at this breathless write up from the insider rag "The Note."

You might have missed it if you were fixing your hair or cleaning your guns, but mid-way through last night's Democratic debate, the clash we've all been waiting for finally occurred -- sort of. But when Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was done delivering his best jab of the night (his first direct hit of the campaign, and the one he'd been waiting weeks to deliver), Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., was standing tall as ever. (Emphasis added)

I find it fascinating that the press can't wait for these two to argue, instead of talking about policy and other things that matter to the American people. They can't wait for this to happen, so they can label Sen. Obama another typical politician, and ridicule Sen. Clinton for her cold but tough responses. It's much easier for them to cover this kind of back-and-forth arguing, than actually having to cover policy (they have to read and study the policy stuff and that's like, extra work). I hope the two principals involved make them wait a bit longer. Primary voters and the American people don't need more coverage of bickering, they need to find adults who can answer questions about moving America forward after this disastrous Presidency.

Nice.

A Great Summary Of The DOJ Scandal

Set to cool tunes and fun graphics! What do you have to lose!?! Watch it!

That's Bond, Kit Bond



Are Republicans unbelievably daft or perhaps just exceptionally shameless liars? I am going to go out on a limb here and say "not mutually exclusive." This week we give you corporate crony Kit Bond--the good Senator from Missouri. Bond claims that the recent National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), arguing that Al Qaeda is back up to pre-9/11 strength, is a good thing.

Bond Translation: we are "safer."

Huh? Yup, he is either missing part of his frontal lobe, is a tribute to mendacity, or most likely, both. I don't see this coming up in a campaign commercial when you're up again in 2010, do you Mr. Bond?

Remember that's Bond, Kit Bond. Just like the secret agent, but not really at all.

Good morning!!!!

It's feeling like a good day here in Indiana-land. We have Gonzo going up against the big dogz at 930a EST and it's "Super Duper Politics Tuesday" on MSNBC.

The debate last night was refreshing, IMHO. My winner? Hillary again. (disgruntled sigh) But Obama and Edwards didn't suck, so all in all I thought it was interesting and actually (at times- gasp) entertaining.

So, what did you think? Who won? Who lost?

(PS- Please click on our newer advertisers- Go Left TV has some incredible stuff on their website- funny, entertaining and just plain good. Clean My Ride is a fantastic site for important things, plus very funny clips from very funny people. And what can I say about Paul Rieckoff and his book? The best. Lastly, if you're thinking of buying from Amazon, clicking thru our link to order gives us a little mojo at no cost to you!!)

Mike Moore on Hardball

Other Fun GOP Numbers

Paddy covered George W. Bush's now officially having the support of exactly a quarter of the American public. In other words, he's now envious of the good feeling out there for The Bubonic Plague. And Here are some other numbers, from a Zogby poll asking who people blame for specific problems, that must make those GOP consultants equally sanguine:

War: 62% blamed Republicans vs. 14% Democrats

Global Warming: 56% blamed Republicans vs. 10% Democrats

Prejudice: 52% blamed Republicans vs. 22% for Democrats

Poverty: 49% held Republicans accountable; 29% Democrats

Corruption: 47% blamed Republicans vs. 31% Democrats

So, um, nice job Bush & Co. Pretty promising numbers, no? Perhaps they're what make people suspicious that you amoral lunatics must be up to something not quite aboveboard (that and 100 other pathologies you've displayed), as otherwise we're looking at 1932 again for your party (it only took you 40-50 years to fully recover from that).

As a bonus, here's Bill Maher on The Duke and Duchess of Hazard (sadly he came up with that joke, not me):

We're making Georgie cry!!!

Bush Hits 25% Approval

According to a new American Research Group poll, just 25% of Americans approve of the way President Bush is handling his job as president and 71% disapprove. These are record lows for the survey.

When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 23% approve and 73% disapprove.

"You did a great job tonight, Anderson, keeping 8 presidential candidates in line."

Wolf Blitzer just said that to Anderson Cooper after commentary on the CNN-YouTube debate.

Will someone now keep Wolf Blitzer "in line"?

Can't forget the funnest part!!!

Chris Dodd beats 'em all out of the gate....

(click to enlarge Toles' brilliance)

Think Bush will decree that the V.A. can't be sued?
::coughexecutive privilegecough:: Why the hekuvah not?

Frustrated by delays in health care, injured Iraq war veterans accused VA Secretary Jim Nicholson in a lawsuit of breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.

Support our troops! Support our troops!

It contends the VA failed to provide prompt disability benefits, failed to add staff to reduce wait times for medical care and failed to boost services for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Like that matters. No need to acknowledge this. Shove it up your colonoscopic orifices with the rest of the frivolous lawsuits that attempt to rectify horrendous miscarriages of justice.

The lawsuit also accuses the VA of deliberately cheating some veterans by allegedly working with the Pentagon to misclassify PTSD claims as pre-existing personality disorders to avoid paying benefits.

Lawsuit, schmawsuit. It's just a bunch of used-up, damaged, traumatized, maimed young men and women in uniform who did their dirty work and can now be discarded. It's not like they owe them or anything. And besides, they were like that before they signed up...this is actually working out very well for them.

On to the next outrage...

Kinda equal opportunity.

Typical GOP MO

Over at the Daily Dish, Marc Armbinder has a look at Mitt Romney's strategy for the next few weeks. It consists roughly of slandering Democrats, regardless of the merits. Key graph

On health care, Romney will try to damn Barack Obama with faint praise, saying this weekend that "at least Barack Obama had the "courage to admit that his plan means higher taxes." He also jumped on Obama's remarks last week at a Planned Parenthood conference that it was OK to teach age-appropriate sex ed to kindergarteners, a characterization that Obama said masks the more nuanced reality of his record.

Though the media counter-attacked, pointing out that the Massachusetts sex-ed curriculum under Romney included plenty of non-conservative teachings, Romney's campaign professed to be pleased by how conservative activists responded to the controversy. They dismissed the attempts to bring attention to Romney's ideological evolution as unsound. But this weekend in New Hampshire, Romney again made the contrast, suggesting that the campaign believed the comparison was sound.

In other words, the Romeny campaign wasn't going to let the facts get in the way of a good criticism. The only side seemingly hung up on being accurate or at least intellectually honest are the Democrats. And the only way that will change is if voters punish Romney for being intellectually dishonest.

The Ew Factor

First we have Margaret Spellings brushing off advances from Karl Rove. Now this:

Cheney also reveals a biting sense of humor in the book, saying of his well-publicized dustup with Patrick Leahy on the floor of the Senate, "Leahy came over and put his arm around me and he didn't kiss me but it was close to it. So I flashed and I told him -- I dropped the F-bomb on him...it was heartfelt."

So, what, was Leahy's reach-around too forward for the shrinking Dick violet?

My take? The Dick was asking for it. Sluts like him always are.

FYI

CSPAN 3 TUESDAY JULY 24, 2007
09:30 AM EDT

3:00 (est.) LIVE
Senate Committee
U.S. Attorney Dismissals
Judiciary
Patrick J. Leahy , D-VT
Alberto R. Gonzales , Department of Justice
The beginning and end of this live program may be earlier or later than the scheduled times.

And WEDNESDAY, Miers will be held in contempt, per Sam Seder just now.

Here we go: Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten, the current Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, will likely be charged with contempt by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday this week.

A man walked up to Dick Cheney, calmly told him he thought his Iraq policy was reprehensible, and walked away. A few minutes later he was arrested by the Secret Service, in front of his 8-year-old son, for "assault".

When he asked what would happen to his child, the Secret Service said, "He can be sent to Child Services." Luckily, the boy found his mother and was safe.

But the citizen who practiced his free speech spent a few hours in jail before he was released.

This is a story that was just told by Matthew Rothschild on Thom Hartmann's radio show.

Increasingly, we are being intimidated into suppressing any attempt at dissent. Rothschild wrote a book about it, documenting the above incident and more.

Add that to your mental list of infringements on our freedoms. You know, the ones that are disappearing on a sickeningly regular basis.


Update: Top anti-Cheney videos at Brave New Films and the BNF Impeachment petition.

USDA Paid Deceased Farmers

I'm short of cash. Can anyone kill me so I can pay a few bills?

The U.S. Department of Agriculture distributed $1.1 billion over seven years to the estates or companies of deceased farmers and routinely failed to conduct reviews required to ensure that the payments were properly made, according to a government report.

In a selection of 181 cases from 1999 to 2005, the Government Accountability Office found that officials approved payments without any review 40 percent of the time.

See? This is what the righties have been telling us all along: Big Government is bad and needs to be smaller to avoid things like this and we should do away with it and have a Bush/Cheney dictatorship. That would simplify everything and there would be no more egregious wasteful errors such as these.

And you thought they haven't been looking out for our best interests.

Ooooh, snap!!

Olbermann: "Not A Snake-Oil Salesman"

The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz asks, "Can a cable host who regularly bashes Bush be tough on the Democrats?" After all, Keith Olbermann does frequently challenge the President during his "Special Comments" on Countdown.

What say Keith? "Fortunately, I'm a journalist who does periodic commentary, and not a snake-oil salesman pretending to be an analyst or newsman."

It was announced last week that Olbermann would moderate a democratic candidate forum in Chicago next month.

Romney Challenged On Racist Obama Sign



He does what he does best in response. He lies.



Update: I was just made aware that the "interrogator" in the video is Jerid from Buckeye State Blog. As in the Buckeye State, where I live. I apologize, Jerid, for not knowing this sooner. Excellent job my friend!

Hey Cliffie!

Luckily for you, Cliff, sometimes books write themselves. Even more fuel for your efforts to expose the real John McCain. Nut graphs.

Rick Davis, a lobbyist, McCain confidant and now the Arizona Republican's campaign manager, had more to do with budgeting, fund raising and spending than any individual, in his prior role as chief executive officer, current and former McCain advisers say.

Moreover, they say, Mr. Davis stood to benefit from campaign expenditures to an Internet-services company he formed with lobbying partner Paul Manafort. And he steered campaign funds to another company owned by a lobbyist-friend's client, an Indian-casino developer. In that case, campaign colleagues objected about what they saw as an unorthodox arrangement potentially embarrassing to Mr. McCain, who had been a Senate investigator of scandals involving Indian casinos.

Yeah haw!!! Too funny!!



Littel video about Jet Blue Airlines & their little tiff with Yearly Kos.

(h/t AMERICAblog)

Deja vu all over again.

UK's Brown won't rule out military action in Iran

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Monday he would not rule out military action against Iran, but believed a policy of sanctions could still persuade Tehran to drop its disputed nuclear program.

"I firmly believe that the sanctions policy that we are pursuing will work, but I'm not one who's going forward to say that we rule out any particular form of action," Brown told a news conference, when asked if he would rule out a military strike against Iran.

Ah, the spring of '03. I was in Ireland in February that year and every single person we met said,"Your daft president. He's going to attack Iraq, isn't he?"

After we had assured them that neither of of had voted for the man, we babbled on about sanctions and inspections, neither of us really believing it.

If I squint my eyes, Brown looks just like Blair.

21-Jul-2007
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET
UK Lance Corporal Timothy Darren Flowers

20-Jul-2007
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

19-Jul-2007
UK Senior Aircraftsman Matthew Caulwell
UK Senior Aircraftsman Christopher Dunsmore
UK Senior Aircraftsman Peter McFerran
US Corporal Brandon M. Craig
US Sergeant Ronald L. Coffelt
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

18-Jul-2007
US Sergeant 1st Class Luis E. Gutierrez-Rosales
US Specialist Richard Gilmore III
US Specialist Daniel E. Gomez
US Specialist Zachary Clouser A

17-Jul-2007
US Private 1st Class James J. Harrelson
US Petty Officer 1st Class Jeffrey L. Chaney
US Chief Petty Officer Patrick L. Wade
US Sergeant Nathan S. Barnes
US Private 1st Class Ron J. Joshua Jr.
US Private 1st Class Brandon K. Bobb

16-Jul-2007
US Lance Corporal Shawn V. Starkovich

This did not have to happen.

stats via Icasualties inspired by AMERICAblog

Equal opportunity.

Loves long walks on the beach and guys who aren't inept...

Just say "no" to KKKarl? Leave no Karl behind?

I'll give Margaret Spellings credit for this one thing: She turned down Karl Rove when he asked her out in the early '80s.

(Rove later joked it took his ego "decades to recover.")

Spellings paused, then said: "Have you met Karl Rove?

"He was so inept and so inartful," she added. "I mean, I couldn't even understand."

EW! Karl Rove asked the secretary of education out! EW, EW, EW!

But she, like, so wouldn't, like, go out with him! How cool is that?

Oh-em-gee, did he, like, get all pissed and like, totally go all pay-back and, like, try to extraordinary rendition you and torture you and junk? Tell, tell! I want details! I so suh-WEAR I won't tell anyone! Text me! 'K?

It's summer vacation time! Who wants to take a driving trip up the coast?

Oil refineries across the country have been plagued by a record number of fires, power failures, leaks, spills and breakdowns this year, causing dozens of them to shut down temporarily or trim production. The disruptions are helping to drive gasoline prices to highs not seen since last summer’s records.

Gosharooty. Didn't see that one coming. Maybe we can borrow Larry David's Prius.

After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita disrupted the nation’s energy lifeline two years ago, oil companies delayed maintenance on many of their plants to make up for lost supplies and take advantage of the high prices. But, analysts say, they are now paying a price for deferring repairs.

So are we. Heckuva job.

I hear the local mall is a fun vacation destination.

There, there...it's gonna be okay

Enhanced interrogations aren't torture, because we don't do torture. Bush said so.

We're also not a dictatorship.

We have free and fair elections.

We treat everyone equally.

We spread democracy, not violence or corporate rule.

We're safer today than we were on Sept. 11, 2001.

If there's a catastrophe, you know, like a hurricane or earthquake or...invasion...Bush is in complete charge and will... take care of us.

If you undermine Bush's Iraq efforts, he'll demolish you financially...because he cares and wants to protect you from the terrorists.

The only reason Bush won't release documents and/or testimony to our various oversight committees is because he needs the confidentiality it takes to collaborate with his most trusted advisers so he can protect you and the...Homeland.

Bush takes his orders from his God.

Bush and Cheney have everything under control....more and more every day. Complete control.



What, me worry?

Woman to be U.S. president in January

(CNN) – While voters will likely have to wait until February 2008 to learn the winners of the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries, there is no question a woman will be the commander-in-chief in prime-time Monday nights.

When the thriller “24” returns for its seventh season in January 2008, actress Cherry Jones will occupy the Oval Office playing President Allison Taylor. Fox made the announcement Sunday at the Television Critics Association tour in Los Angeles. The network did not announce any details about the character, her politics or the occupation (or former occupation) of her spouse.

One step at a time I guess. The only thing that I'm wondering about is why Fox of all companies chose an openly gay actress to portray the first woman president.

Am I reading too much into it?

I've seen her, and she's a perfectly good actress.

Rut roh.

DeFazio asks, but he's denied access
Classified info - The congressman wanted to see government plans for after a terror attack

WASHINGTON -- Oregonians called Peter DeFazio's office, worried there was a conspiracy buried in the classified portion of a White House plan for operating the government after a terrorist attack.

As a member of the U.S. House on the Homeland Security Committee, DeFazio, D-Ore., is permitted to enter a secure "bubbleroom" in the Capitol and examine classified material. So he asked the White House to see the secret documents.

On Wednesday, DeFazio got his answer: DENIED.

(snip)

This is the first time DeFazio has been denied access to documents. DeFazio has asked Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., to help him access the documents.

"Maybe the people who think there's a conspiracy out there are right," DeFazio said.

I'd post the whole article if I could, it's that important. Please go read.

This ties in with the martial law signing statement perfectly. Oh boy.

****UPDATE****

Majority Members
Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2)
Chairman of the full Committee on Homeland Security.
Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)
Vice Chair of the full Committee and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism
Ed Markey (MA-7)
Norman D. Dicks (WA-6)
Jane Harman (CA-36)
Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment
Peter DeFazio (OR-4)
Nita Lowey (NY-18)
Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-16)
Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18)
Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection
Donna Christensen (USVI)
Bob Etheridge (NC-2)
James R. Langevin (RI-2)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response
Christopher P. Carney (PA-10)
Yvette D. Clarke (NY-11)
Al Green (TX-9)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-7)

If any of them belong to you, hit those emails & fon lines first thing tomorrow.

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE REP'S SHOULD BE REQUESTING THE SAME DOCUMENTS. TOMORROW.

Spoof Of John Edwards Poverty Tour

I am a big fan of what former Sen. Edwards is doing, but this is just plain funny.

Oh goody, just what we need. A third war front.

Bush Aide: Military Could Go Into Pakistan

White House Adviser Says Operations Within Pakistan Possible If Musharraf Fails To Stop Al Qaeda

CBS/AP) The U.S. would consider military force if necessary to stem al Qaeda's growing ability to use its hideout in Pakistan to launch terrorist attacks, a White House aide said Sunday.

The president's homeland security adviser, Fran Townsend, said the U.S. was committed first and foremost to working with Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, in his efforts to control militants in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region. But she indicated the U.S. was ready to take additional measures.

How to create an Angry American



***Caution, couple of F words ***

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Pic via Cat of course

This picture sums up for me pretty much what the summer has been like up here in the "heartland" of IN/MI/IL- Mild, sunny and gorgeous. Now, having said that, tomorrow will be 101, we won't get any rain for 40 days and the mosquitoes will set up camp in my backyard.

Lil bits o' news today.

Australia to Name Park After Steve Irwin

200 trapped in Gateway Arch for 2 hours

Some allege Geek Squad agents copy your files

Texas Flooding Strands Passenger Train

Teen Sex Rates Stop Falling, Data Show

'Rather strange' college application not a bomb

Road rage prompts shutdown of Calif. highway under repair

The priest and the stripper

Even in Arizona, McCain's political hold loosens

Woman faces charges for kissing painting

Wild Horses Help With Border Patrol

The McCain Wars