It's Been A Long Week

I feel about MSNBC the way I do about an old boyfriend. I can't trust him, sometimes he's FANTASTIC, but man, when he sucks- HE REALLY SUCKS.

Tonite on MSNBC I heard lies & innuendos about the "Pelosi Plane" bullshit & the
"Obama Madrassa" bullshit. No facts- not a single one of the talking heads (which included 2 Chicago JOURNALISTS) had the facts. Say what you may about Tweety Bird Matthews, he actually asked for facts from Terry "Human Events" Jefferies & Ron "Hey, You Can't Pick Your Dad" Reagan. NEITHER ONE HAD THE FACTS.

I realize I'm old, and I realize that I'm just some strange lady in Indiana, but when I was on the High School newspaper back in the day, even I knew there are basics to a story.

WHO

WHAT

WHEN

WHERE

WHY

Not single one of these m'f**kers has ANY clue about this. It's all, "Can I get air time? Will it get print space?"

They're all just whores.

Hump Day Hilarity

Lies Coming Home To Roost

Think Progress

Bush’s ‘08 Budget Slashes Middle-Class Assistance
On Jan. 31, President Bush headed to Wall Street and acknowledged for the first time that income inequality exists in America: “The fact is that income inequality is real. It has been rising for more than 25 years.”

But apparently, he’s not quite ready to do anything about it. Bush’s 2008 budget cuts crucial aid for America’s middle class:

– “$77 billion in funding cuts for Medicare and Medicaid over the next five years, and $280 billion over the next 10.”

– $223 million in funding cuts (4 percent decrease from this year’s levels) to the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

– “$4.9 billion, or 8 percent, cut in education, training, employment and social services” grants.

– $100 million cut for Head Start, which provides child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families.

– “$2.4 billion cut in community and regional development grants — which often provide funding for low- and middle-income communities — to $16.5 billion from $18.9 billion.

– $400 million — 18 percent — cut in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, “which provides $2.2 billion to help people pay heating bills this year.”

– $172 million — nearly 25 percent — cut in funding for housing for low-income seniors.

While Bush forgot about the middle class in the new budget, he made sure to look out for the wealthy. As the Tax Policy Center notes, “People with incomes of more than $1 million would get tax cuts averaging $162,000 a year (in 2012 dollars) in perpetuity.”

I'm coming Senator Lugar

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate
Vote Summary

Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on the Motion to Proceed to S. 470 )
Measure Title: A bill to express the sense of Congress on Iraq.
Vote Counts: YEAs 49
NAYs 47
Not Voting 4
Vote Summary By Senator Name By Vote Position By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Nay

Lott (R-MS), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay

I've been lucky enough to have a good relationship with the people at Senator Lugars' Ft Wayne office, but it looks like I'm going to be spending some time on the telephone with them tomorrow..... and all the other offices.

What exactly is democratic about stifling debate? Did Senator Lugar not take an oath to protect the Constitution? IS THAT WHAT SENATOR LUGAR IS? Someone who cares more about political maneuvering than American citizens & Iraqi civilians DYING because of a case of "If We Lose I'll Be Neutered"itis?

It may be time to start seriously looking for a Democratic opponent for Senator Lugar in '08. He obviously is insulated from the will of his constituents.

NO MORE TROOPS!!!! NO MORE DEATH!!!!
"CAPTURE, BUILD AND HAND IT OVER!!!!!"

NOW.

senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov


WASHINGTON, D.C.
(202) 224-4814

INDIANAPOLIS
(317) 226-5555

NORTHEAST
(260) 422-1505

NORTHWEST
ph: (219) 548-8035

SOUTHEAST
(812) 288-3377

SOUTHWEST
(812) 465-6313

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.....

Don't let them get away with it...

TPM

TPM Reader SS on the senate squabble: "I think it's pretty simple. Everyone voting today to shut this down "voted to support President Bush's escalation in Iraq." That's the language I would bash them over the heads with for the 21 months between today and election day 2008. There's nothing untrue about that statement. It's a parliamentary tactic designed to support the President escalation in Iraq by silencing those who wish to criticize the President's decision."

Words To Live By......

This Almost Made Me Cry With It's Truth

By Dan Froomkin
froomkin@niemanwatchdog.org

Lessons we thought had been learned from Vietnam were forgotten in the rush to invade Iraq. And now, as we cover President Bush’s ratcheting up of the rhetoric against Iran, it’s looking like the lessons we should have learned from Iraq may not have been learned at all. So at the risk of stating the obvious, here are some thoughts about what those lessons were. (Feel free to add more in comments.)

You Can’t Be Too Skeptical of Authority

1. Don’t assume anything administration officials tell you is true. In fact, you are probably better off assuming anything they tell you is a lie.

2. Demand proof for their every assertion. Assume the proof is a lie. Demand that they prove that their proof is accurate.

3. Just because they say it, doesn’t mean it should be make the headlines. The absence of supporting evidence for their assertion -- or a preponderance of evidence that contradicts the assertion -- may be more newsworthy than the assertion itself.
Don’t print anonymous assertions. Demand that sources make themselves accountable for what they insist is true.

Provocation Alone Does Not Justify War

4. War is so serious that even proving the existence of a casus belli isn’t enough. Make officials prove to the public that going to war will make things better.

5. Demand to know what happens if the war (or tactical strike) doesn’t go as planned?
Demand to know what happens if it does? What happens after “victory”?

6. Ask them: Isn’t it possible this will make things worse, rather than better?

Be Particularly Skeptical of Secrecy

Don’t assume that these officials, with their access to secret intelligence, know more than you do.

Alternately, assume that they do indeed know more than you do – and are trying to keep intelligence that would undermine their arguments secret.

The entire article is MUST READ.
If only our press and media read it also...