Politics, Pundits & Pickles....

Wow, the place looks great!!!

2007-09-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

*Sniff* I kinda missed it. Maybe I'll stick around and re-arrange the furniture a bit.

Does that lamp look okay over there? Different shade maybe?

Okay, for my 3 regular viewers...

2007-03-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm having so much fun blogging with Mr Schecter, that I just don't have time to come up with enough regular original content to keep doing this blog. Don't get me wrong, I'm keeping the pickles, but just taking a break until either I get into enough of a routine to do both or..... whatever.

You can find me at Cliff Schecter.

Gherkins of Info.....

2007-03-09T12:50:00.000-08:00

I am a neglectful Pickle Woman. *sigh*

Crooks & Liars

The Progressive:

It is the soldiers, their families, and the people of Iraq that pay the human costs. The tab so far: more than 3,000 dead U.S. troops, tens of thousands of wounded, over half a million Iraqi casualties, roughly 250,000 American servicemen and women struggling with PTSD, and almost 60,000 military marriages that have been broken by this war.

Democrats Meet Testicles, Testicles Meet Democrats

Democrats pressured to drop Fox News despite compromise

By MOLLY BALL
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Not satisfied with the Nevada Democratic Party's attempts to placate them, online activists say they won't rest until the party's partnership with Fox News is severed.

"People like Harry Reid and Tom Collins probably are not in touch with rank and file Democrats, who have been pretty mad about the lack of spine in the party for about 20 years," he said. "The Democratic Party has been rolling over for Republicans for ages."

Oh, Man.... can we get this guy to "purify" the US from coast to coast?

Priests to Purify Site After Bush Visit
JUAN CARLOS LLORCA | AP | March 9, 2007 12:20 AM EST

GUATEMALA CITY — Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate "bad spirits" after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.

"That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture," Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday.

Southern Baptist Mengeles?

Original Sin
Posted Mar 9th 2007 9:00AM by Richard Rothstein
Filed under: Gay Rights, Religion, Homophobia

One of the nation's leading Southern Baptists has called for a policy that would support medical treatment, if it were to become available, to change the sexual orientation of a fetus inside its mother's womb from homosexual to heterosexual.

This latest assault on our dignity and existence comes from no less a personage than Rev. R. Albert Mohler, the president of the prominent and influential Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.

Could Edwards Become First Woman President?

Head meet desk.

Chreeestofer!!!

2007-03-02T13:35:00.001-08:00

South Bend Area Barbies

2007-02-28T14:16:00.000-08:00

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the South Bend area market:

"Clay Township Barbie"
This princess Barbie is sold only at UP Mall. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a cookie-cutter house. Available with or without tummy tuck and face lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.

"Mishawaka Barbie"
The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Wind star Minivan
and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.

"River Park Barbie"
This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife,a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) ...unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.

"Granger Barbie"
This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2.Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.

"Osceola Barbie"
This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too
small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.

"Gilmer Park Barbie"
This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Osceola Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.

"Western Avenue Barbie Set"
This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow . She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Point Breeze Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.

"Southeast Side Barbie"
This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.

"100 Center Barbie/Ken"
This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on parts.

Helen Thomas To The Back Of The Room.

2007-02-20T16:35:00.000-08:00

I'm pissed... again.

There were rumblings about this last week, when Faux Freaks in the AM took a poll as to whether or not they should get a seat in the front for the gaggle and kick Helen out. I figured they were full of s**t.

Guess not.

Politico

Helen Thomas Moving Back After 46 Years Down Front

By: Mike Allen
February 20, 2007 04:47 PM EST

Every theater-style seat in the White House briefing room, now closed for renovation, had a brass plaque inscribed with the name of a news organization. Only one, in the middle of the front row, had a name: “HELEN THOMAS,” it said.
(snip)

The press corps is scheduled to move from temporary facilities back into the spiffed-up, rewired briefing room in May or June. Thomas, who has been questioning presidents and press secretaries for 46 years, plans to be there. But her front-row seat won’t be. Plans call for her to be moved to the second row to make room for a cable news channel – a sign of Washington’s changing pecking order, and of the new ways that Americans get their news.

THE NEW WAYS AMERICANS GET THEIR NEWS MIKE?

You mean giving credence to LIARS AND FABRICATORS, not tough minded JOURNALISTS who believe in the TRUTH? I'm having vapors, I'm so F**KING PISSED.

THIS IS THE WAY A JOURNALIST SPEAKS.

I pointed out that there is a school of thought that questions are worth asking even if the president won’t answer them. “At least the public’ll know you’re doing your job,” she said. “Questions should be out there, because the American people have seen us become so compliant and complicit. You were there for the run-up to the war. Where were the questions? Who asked why, what, what do you mean? We drop bombs and we accuse the enemy of meddling? We attack a country that did nothing on us? We dropped bombs on innocent people and started this war. You were there. Nobody said why.” When she paused and I filled the silence with “fascinating,” she continued: “It isn’t fascinating. It’s rid– it’s, it’s sad.”

Good thing Helen has more grace than I, 'cause I'd be firebombing Faux headquarters as we speak.

Pickled Stuffed Meatloaf

2007-02-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

Sandwich-cut pickles aren't just for layering between bread.
Here, they are used in meatloaf.
Tomato slices, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese provide color and flavor accents.

2 eggs
1/2 cup flavored dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup minced onions
1 teaspoon each dried oregano and basil
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 pounds lean ground beef
4 slices mozzarella cheese
6 sliced-lengthwise-for-sandwiches dill pickles
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tomato, sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat together eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, onions, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add ground beef and combine. Place half of ground beef mixture into bottom of roasting pan and mild loaf approximately 3 inches wide and 7 inches long. Fold 2 slices cheese in half and lay lengthwise down center of loaf. Top with 3 pickles, mushrooms, tomato slices and remaining pickles. Fold remaining slices of cheese in half and place on top of pickles.

Mold remaining meat mixture on top, making sure all stuffing is covered on all sides, as well as top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 40 to 50 more minutes, or until meat is no longer pink on the inside.

Serves 4 to 6. Per serving: Calories 551; fat 39g; saturated fat 16g; cholesterol 203mg; carbohydrate 13g; sodium 1,538 mg; protein 36g.

Shining A Green Tinged Light On The News.....

2007-02-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

Military Asks "24" Producers To Stop Promoting Torture

In fact, Finnegan and the others had come to voice their concern that the show’s central political premise—that the letter of American law must be sacrificed for the country’s security—was having a toxic effect. In their view, the show promoted unethical and illegal behavior and had adversely affected the training and performance of real American soldiers. “I’d like them to stop,” Finnegan said of the show’s producers. “They should do a show where torture backfires.”

Wonder why Net Neutrality is so important? The Agonist Spins a Tale.....

Questions That Should Be Asked

I wonder if the U.S. government has ever asked the Iraqi government the following question:

If the war started between U.S. and Iran, on which side the Iraqi government will be?

Who knew the Pope was a dinosaur. (Frank Gaffney Smackdown Deluxe)

I can't grab the video, so go to Crooks & Liars to see Colbert take Fauxs' Steve Douchey to town over trying to take away Helen Thomas' pressroom seat.

Major Kudos to my fellow Bloosier John Good on catching this..

KSFR says NO to unnamed source stories

After the recent widely-publicized stories in the main stream media about weapons from Iran allegedly killing Americans in Iraq, based completely on unnamed sources, at least one smaller news outlet has had enough of it.

Bill Dupuy, the news director of the public radio station KSFR in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has directed his staff to ignore national stories that quote unnamed sources. He also challenged other news outlets to take the same stance.

PUNKS. All 5 Reps that parroted the "Slow Bleed" meme on the floor yesterday, well, they are just fucking punks.

If only their rhetoric matched their voting record. In October 2003, as insurgent violence in Iraq was growing and military equipment shortages were becoming increasingly problematic, Rep. David Obey (D-WI) proposed an amendment shifting $3.6 billion to pay for better equipment and other quality-of-life measures for U.S. troops. Not one of the five voted for it.

That’s a real recipe for “slow bleed.”

Liebermans' Right Hand Guy Says Bloggers Are Teh MEAN!!!!

2007-02-16T10:21:00.000-08:00

Liebermans' Right Hand Guy Says Bloggers Are Teh MEAN!!!!

And loud, and they curse and make fun of people!! Oy.

Dan Gerstein writing for an ever declining Politico

Nor did they ever stop to think how hollow and hypocritical it sounded for the same people who ravaged George Allen, for his “macaca” moment in last year’s Virginia Senate campaign to cry “free speech” when confronted with a far more nasty, vulgar, and hurtful display of prejudice from two of their own.

Instead, right until the bitter end, most liberal bloggers responded in their familiar mode – by lashing out at their critics and trying to marginalize them. This was, in their eyes, purely a manufactured controversy by the “right-wing smear machine” and a cynical attempt to silence and marginalize the Netroots.

First Danny hun, George Allen was a CANDIDATE. Melissa & Amanda were gonna write PR posts on a blog. Hmmmm, you see a difference here? I know I do!!!

Second, where's the outrage over the man behind the "Call Me" anti-Ford ads working for McCain? Or any one of the many other fringe employees for Republican candidates?

THAT'S the kind of stuff that leads us to theorize it's a RIGHT WING SMEAR MACHINE ATTEMPT TO SILENCE AND MARGINALIZE THE NETROOTS!!!

Because it is Dan, it really truly is.

And let me quote myself from the comment I left at Politico on your article.

And hey!!
Whatever happened to that lawsuit about the Lamont people "attacking" your website? If you're not smart enough to set up a decent website for a senatorial candidate, I'm not paying attention to the rest of the stuff you claim to be an expert on.

We Got Some Good Ones

2007-02-14T08:27:00.000-08:00

It's Been A Long Week

2007-02-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-07T15:34:00.000-08:00

Lies Coming Home To Roost

2007-02-05T18:49:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-05T16:53:00.000-08:00

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.....

2007-02-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

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......

2007-02-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

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...

This Weeks' "Oh MY".

2007-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

Raw Story

Bush says he likes to keep people around with low expectations

John Byrne
Published: Saturday February 3, 2007

U.S. President George Bush told the NHL champion Carolina Hurricanes Friday he likes to be "around people that keep expectations low," according to a UPI report Friday.

"Bush congratulated the 2005-06 Stanley Cup winners at the White House, noting the team was ranked 28 out of 30 at the beginning of last season," UPI said.

"I like to be around people that keep expectations low," Bush said.

Good thing huh?

Pickle Festival Pickle Ice Cream

2007-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

Top your pumpkin pie with a scoop of this unique ice cream. It’s one of the favorite ice creams served at the ice cream tent of the St. Joe Pickle Festival. All the ice cream is made by the Lion’s Club members.

Ingredients
1 4-ounce package vanilla ice cream mix (we used Junket)
2 cups half-and-half
3 tablespoons finely shredded Sechler’s Sweet Orange Strip or Sweet Lemon Strip Pickles or Sweet Gerkins, drained
1 tablespoon juice from the Sechler’s pickles
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Several drops green food coloring (if you like)

Directions
Stir together the ice cream mix according to package directions (it’s a dry mix), using half-and-half as the liquid. Stir until mix is dissolved. Stir in the shredded pickle, pickle juice and lemon extract. Add green food coloring, if you want green ice cream. Using a 1- to 2-quart ice cream freezer, prepare ice cream according to manufacturer’s directions. Makes about 1 quart pickle ice cream.

We used the dry junket mix for this version, but you can make your favorite ice cream. Just add the shredded pickles, pickle juice and lemon extract in the amount proportional to the amount of ice cream the recipe makes. For example, a 2-quart recipe would use double the amound of pickles, pickle juice and lemon extract.

Shining A Green Tinged Light On The News.....

2007-02-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

Russia probes smelly orange snow

Russia has flown a team of chemical experts to a Siberian region to find out why smelly, coloured snow has been falling over several towns.
Oily yellow and orange snowflakes fell over an area of more than 1,500sq km (570sq miles) in the Omsk region on Wednesday, Russian officials said.

Chemical tests were under way to determine the cause, they said.

Residents have been advised not to use the snow for household tasks or let animals graze on it.

"So far we cannot explain the snow, which is oily to the touch and has a pronounced rotten smell," said Omsk environmental prosecutor Anton German, quoted by the Russian news agency Itar-Tass on Thursday.

The origin of the orange effect is still a mystery (pic: Russian TV)
"We are waiting for the results of a thorough test on samples."

Gore ex-campaign chief wishes on her star. 'Wait till Oscar night,' Donna Brazile says of a possible 2008 run.

By Daryl Nerl Of The Morning Call
Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama are the hot early front-runners, while 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry has already bowed out.

But could former Vice President Al Gore be waiting to make a dramatic entrance into the 2008 presidential race, especially if he wins an Oscar next month?

His former campaign manager, Donna Brazile, strongly implied that possibility while speaking at Moravian College in Bethlehem Tuesday night.

''Wait till Oscar night,'' Brazile told an audience of about 100 people at Haupert Student Union. ''I tell people: 'I'm dating. I haven't fallen in love yet.' On Oscar night, if Al Gore has slimmed down 25 or 30 pounds, Lord knows.''
(snip)
Before making her Oscar night comment, she said she was ''so proud'' of Gore's work to bring attention to global warming.

''I believe [Gore] is ready for this moment,'' Brazile said in an interview after her speech. ''He is a good leader. I think he can be one of the few leaders who can bring this country together.''

She acknowledged it will be a tough decision for Gore, noting Kerry's announcement last week to bow out of the race. Gore believes he is now doing his life's work, Brazile said. However, she conceded that Gore might be able to do more about global climate change from inside the Oval Office. He has already made an impact by forcing President Bush to talk about the issue, she said.

NYT: Pentagon altered casualty figures on website

RAW STORY
Published: Friday February 2, 2007

The New York Times reported today that the Pentagon has altered how nonfatal casualties are tallied on its website, thus resulting in lower casualty totals.

According to Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, deputy director of force health protection and readiness at the Defense Department, "the previous method of tallying casualties was misleading and might have made injuries and combat wounds seem worse and more numerous than they really were," the Times reports.

"....The best plan is to have this plan succeed."

2007-02-02T11:46:00.000-08:00

<---------Paddy

'Cause I Got Nothing Today

2007-02-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

Must be the weather, I've been dizzy on and off.... so here are some funnies for my fan..... singular... and yeah, I'm talking about you Fernando....

An Unique Voice Gone..... Molly Ivins, God Rest.

2007-01-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

Selected Molly Ivins Quotations

• The first rule of holes: when you're in one, stop digging.

• What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority.

• The thing about democracy, beloveds, is that it is not neat, orderly, or quiet. It requires a certain relish for confusion.

• Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.

• I believe that ignorance is the root of all evil. And that no one knows the truth.

• You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to.

• It is possible to read the history of this country as one long struggle to extend the liberties established in our Constitution to everyone in America.

• I am not anti-gun. I'm pro-knife. Consider the merits of the knife. In the first place, you have to catch up with someone in order to stab him. A general substitution of knives for guns would promote physical fitness. We'd turn into a whole nation of great runners. Plus, knives don't ricochet. And people are seldom killed while cleaning their knives.

• What stuns me most about contemporary politics is not even that the system has been so badly corrupted by money. It is that so few people get the connection between their lives and what the bozos do in Washington and our state capitols.

And my favorite.....

• It's like, duh. Just when you thought there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between the two parties, the Republicans go and prove you're wrong.

They Speak For Themselves

2007-01-29T19:06:00.001-08:00

better than any of us could....

Answer: Gingrich, Starr and Limbaugh*.

2007-01-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

Question??

Which 'evil men' was she talking about?

BY LYNN SWEET Sun-Times Columnist
DAVENPORT, Iowa -- What was she thinking? "You guys keep telling me, 'lighten up, be funny,'" said Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"You know, I get a little funny, and now I am being psychoanalyzed!"

Of course she is.

I'm thinking that it's you Ms Sweet and your grade school fart joke cronies that need to get psychoanalyed.

Hillary Clintons' husband Bill? He had an affair. He lied about it.
He embarassed her and her family in a way most people will never understand. BUT IT WAS A BLOODY AFFAIR!!!

Not....

Systematic hounding, vilifing, heckling, debasing, slandering and threatening....

Not to mention calling her daughter a "dog". Claiming she is a lesbian.
Accusing her of adultery, legal finnagling, and F'NG MURDER!

(Did you know if you google Lies About Hillary Clinton, you get pages and pages of.... LIES ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON.)

I'm not on the Hillary bandwagon, I don't know who I like yet. But this bullshit has got to stop. Literally, if you try and google something to defend Hillary, all that comes up are right wing smears that go the opposite way. Google "Slurs against Hillary Clinton", and you get accusations of Hillary Clinton making slurs.

She's married to him, she stayed with him. Get the f**k over it. It's not my damn business, and even if she were a girlfriend, I'd stay the hell out of it.

The "Evil Men" that she has learned from the past twenty odd years are the Pundits & Politicians that smile while lunging for her back. Or sometimes don't smile. Sounds like she might have a chance dealing with a straight up threat like Osama.

* Hannity, Savage, Gallagher, Snow, Beck ad nauseum........

Must See New Site "The Real McCain"

2007-01-29T14:42:00.000-08:00

Wonderful new site started by Robert Greenwald & Cliff Schecter.
Check out the "Double Talk Express"!!!!

South Bend Tribune LTE Writer Makes Funny On Mitch

2007-01-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

I can't find it on the website (I always have problems with their site- it sucks),
but take my word for it, this was in todays' paper.

A Comparison

Having "My Man Mitch" as your governor is like having a really bad boyfriend:
First, he sells off all of your stuff without asking,
then he starts nagging you all the time to lose weight.

Jeff Reed
South Bend

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

2007-01-29T03:51:00.000-08:00

This Day in History

1802: John Beckley becomes the first Librarian of Congress, appointed by President Thomas Jefferson. He reportedly was paid two dollars per day.

1891: Liliuokalani became Queen of Hawaii following the death of her brother King Kalakaua. She was the last monarch in Hawaiian history.

1936: Baseball greats Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Walter Johnson, and Christy Mathewson are the first players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The hall opens its doors to the public in 1939.

1958: Actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward marry.

1990: Exxon Valdez oil tanker captain Joseph Hazelwood goes on trial for his involvement in the worst oil spill in the history of the United States.

1995: The San Francisco 49ers make NFL history by winning their fifth Super Bowl.

Aquarius is symbolized by the water bearer. Aquarians are curious and independent. They are more concerned with intellectual pursuits than with physical matters. Intuitive, Aquarians can easily grasp abstract concepts.

Born on This Day

W. C. Fields, actor (1880)

Thomas Paine, political philosopher (1737)

William McKinley, 25th president of the United States (1843)

Oprah Winfrey, talk-show host (1954)

Leiberman Has To GO!!!

2007-01-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Faux News Sunday

WALLACE: As soon as he did, Senate Leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi said nope, there's a bipartisan structure, it's called the committee system.

LIEBERMAN: Yes. Well, I was really disappointed with the reaction of Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to the president's offer or invitation to have essentially a bipartisan war council, and it's a war on terror council.

(snip)

WALLACE: Joe Lieberman grew up in John Bailey's Connecticut, Democratic vice presidential nominee. You're saying you might vote Republican in 2008.

LIEBERMAN: I am

Stunningly Simple Move From Senator Tester

2007-01-28T15:10:00.001-08:00

Just an incredibly smart and d'oh-why-didn't-they-think of it move....
CNN

Tester aims for Senate transparency online

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Whether it's a visit to the gym, a meeting with the founder of the Montana Meth Project, or an interview with Wolf Blitzer, staff for freshman Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, post his entire schedule online each workday -- a Senate first.

A spokesman says Tester pledged to do this early in his 2006 campaign out of a "desire for transparency." The Senator's schedule reflects meetings with visiting Montanans, committee colleagues, as well as the occasional lobbyist. The information "gives people an opportunity to see with whom [Tester] is meeting, and if they represent the opposite point of view, they can also request a meeting," said the spokesman.

The Sunlight Foundation -- a group working for greater government transparency -- has been pushing for more online disclosures of this kind.

You can see it here.

I wonder how many of our elected officials will be following suit?

****crickets*****

All Day Saturday Removing 62 (!!) Viruses From My Computer

2007-01-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

Yep, 62. I use SpyBot for malware, and a friends' reco got Avast. Things seem to be working much better so far, but it freaks me out!! Where are these things coming from??(not to protest, but I really don't go to any sites that would download this stuff, or open iffy attachments)
After 8 hours yesterday tweaking the computer, I'm pretty sick of it.

"Path To 9/11" Redux. Bigger, Better W/Hannity On Top.

2007-01-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

I must stress the fact that there has not been ANYONE more committed to exposing the hypocrisy of ABC News or Disney Entertainment than John at AmericaBlog. He is a whiz at co-ordinating boycotts, and he once again has ABC/Disney in his sites.

The rumblings from the ABC/Disney vs Spocko had lessened to a dull roar, when this was revealed....

Media Bistro

Hannity's America To Air Unseen Footage From ABC's "The Path To 9/11"

"Fox News Channel is touting the fact that it has obtained controversial unseen footage from ABC's miniseries 'The Path to 9/11' and is planning to air the video during 'Hannity's America' on Sunday night," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Fox News obtained the outtakes by taping a public talk that Cyrus Nowrasteh, writer and producer of 'The Path to 9/11,' gave to a World Affairs Council chapter last Friday at Cal State Channel Islands. Nowrasteh discussed making the docudrama and played several minutes edited out of the movie," the Los Angeles Times adds.

What scene you ask?

Think Progress

Richard Clarke Blasts Key Scene In ABC’s 9/11 Docudrama

The first night of Path to 9/11 has a dramatic scene where former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger refuses to give the order to the CIA to take out bin Laden — even though CIA agents, along with the Northern Alliance, have his house surrounded.
(snip)
In short, this scene — which makes the incendiary claim that the Clinton administration passed on a surefire chance to kill or catch bin Laden — never happened. It was completely made up by Nowrasteh (writer-ed).

So, Sean Hannity on his pathetic little show, is going to show clips of this Nowrasteh guys' lecture, that includes the debunked false scenes from the POS "Path To 9/11". Pretty sad, and in itself wrong.

BUT IT GETS WRONGER

In brief, the premise behind behind the dust up between ABC and a little know blogger named Spocko....

Media Matters

In 2006, a blogger named Spocko began spotlighting inflammatory rhetoric common to several talk radio hosts on KSFO, an ABC Radio-owned station in San Francisco. Spocko compiled a litany of examples on both his weblog, Spocko's Brain, and in numerous letters to corporations advertising on KSFO.
(snip)
...on December 21, ABC Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group, apparently issued a cease-and-desist letter targeting Spocko and his blog for copyright violation. Specifically, ABC alleged that by posting brief audio clips of various talk radio hosts on KSFO, the site was "in clear violation" of the station's copyright. The letter demanded that the owner of the site "remove the content immediately." Soon after, according to Spocko, his Internet service provider shut down his blog.

So, ABC/Disney must be UP IN ARMS over this UNAUTHORIZED usage of their film clips!!! Right?

LA Times (registration required)

"I can't imagine what the news is here," he said.

An early version of the miniseries that ABC distributed to television critics is readily available on YouTube.com and other websites.

Fox News does not have ABC's permission to broadcast the unaired footage, but an attorney for the network said officials there believed that the newsworthiness of the material put it under the fair-use exception to the copyright statute.

So, what would the final judgement be?

So Disney/ABC don't care about the truth, though we already knew that. And why pray tell have Disney/ABC and YouTube refused to take down the video of the show that is STILL on YouTube to this day? It's a clear copyright violation, and we know how overzealous YouTube is about its purported copyright violations. And Disney is NOTORIOUS for asserting its copyright rights, yet in this case, Disney doesn't care. And for some reason, YouTube isn't so zealous about enforcing its own policy about illegally broadcasting video when the target is a Democrat.

Isn't that interesting.

The more I pay attention to this stuff, the more it looks like a co-ordinated attack. Everyone is giving everyone else a reach around, so everyone is "happy".

One last tidbit

AmericaBlog

President Clinton contacting head of Disney over rekindled "Path to 9/11" controversy
by John in DC - 1/26/2007 03:05:00 PM

President Clinton's office has just informed me that they're "taking it all the way to the top at Disney to find out why they're not enforcing copyright" in this matter.

Ted Kennedy Goes Off About R's Against The Minimum Wage

2007-01-26T10:29:00.000-08:00

TOOOOOO GOOD!!....

"Do you have such disdain for hard-working Americans that you want to pile all your amendments on this? Why don’t you just hold your amendments until other pieces of legislation? Why this volume of amendments on just the issue to try and raise the minimum wage? What is it about it that drives you Republicans crazy? What is it? Something. Something! What is the price that the workers have to pay to get an increase? What is it about working men and women that you find so offensive?"

Oh my

2007-01-25T19:01:00.000-08:00

And apologies to AmericaBlog for skirting the edges of "Fair Use", but this is tooo good....

Markos reports the following, then read on because I have more and it's good:
In an interview, Pelosi also said she was puzzled by what she considered the president's minimalist explanation for his confidence in the new surge of 21,500 U.S. troops that he has presented as the crux of a new "way forward" for U.S. forces in Iraq.

"He's tried this two times — it's failed twice," the California Democrat said. "I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?' And he said, 'Because I told them it had to.' "

Asked if the president had elaborated, she added that he simply said, " 'I told them that they had to.' That was the end of it. That's the way it is."

Oh, it's better than that. When I was on the Hill on Tuesday, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) told us (on the record) the rest of the story. Apparently, Pelosi's final come-back to the president was the following:

PELOSI: He's tried this two times — it's failed twice. I asked him at the White House, 'Mr. President, why do you think this time it's going to work?'

BUSH: Because I told them it had to.

PELOSI: Why didn't you tell them that the other two times?

Gherkins of Info.....

2007-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

(OH MY!!!!)

I'm still recovering from the BRUTAL thrashing the Pres gave us last night!!!

(wha? He wha? OH, That was JIM WEBB who thrashed? Nevermind.)

A couple of things really stood out to me today, starting with Churck Hagel...
Think Progress

Hagel Chides Colleagues On Iraq Vote: ‘If You Wanted A Safe Job, Go Sell Shoes’

This morning in his opening statements before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NE) said, “The American people are far ahead of us” on what to do next in Iraq. “They’re not conflicted with the nuances of life. They understand what’s going on.” According to a recent Gallup Poll, 56 percent of Americans want a withdrawal from Iraq within a year.

Hagel chided his fellow colleagues for being too concerned about the politics of their Iraq positioning. “If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes,” he said. Hagel concluded that all 100 Senators have a responsibility to take a position on escalation. “We owe it to those men and women that we continue to send in that grinder.”

Or how about a Hagel BOMBSHELL he dropped in GQ Magazine

In an interview in GQ Magazine, Hagel reveals that the Bush administration tried to get Congress to approve military action anywhere in the Middle East — not just in Iraq — in the fall of 2002. At the time, Hagel says, the Bush administration presented Congress with a resolution that would have authorized the use of force anywhere in the region:

HAGEL: [F]inally, begrudgingly, [the White House] sent over a resolution for Congress to approve. Well, it was astounding. It said they could go anywhere in the region.

GQ: It wasn’t specific to Iraq?

HAGEL: Oh no. It said the whole region! They could go into Greece or anywhere. Is central Asia in the region? I suppose! Sure as hell it was clear they meant the whole Middle East. It was anything. It was literally anything. No boundaries. No restrictions.

GQ: They expected Congress to let them start a war anywhere in the Middle East?

HAGEL: Yes. Yes. Wide open. We had to rewrite it. Joe Biden, Dick Lugar, and I stripped the language that the White House had set up and put our language in it.

THIS really pissed me off today....

Company's anti-war e-mail sparks outrage

Response led to threats against the Muslim-owned business

Updated: 12:38 p.m. ET Jan 24, 2007
MILWAUKEE - An American soldier in Iraq who e-mailed a U.S. company to ask for a shipment of floor mats got a brusque reply: "We would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq."

The response quickly circulated on the Internet and led to threats against the Muslim-owned business, including demands for a boycott.

Bargain Suppliers, an online retailer, shut down its Web site Monday and fired the unidentified employee who sent the e-mail, television station WTMJ reported.

You know for a DAMN fact that those Righty ~~Boogers~~, erm Bloggers don't give a shit about anything but the fact that some MUSLIMS ARE AGAINST THE WAR!!! THE HORROR!!

And, as it usually goes with the mouth-breathers, there are death threats.
Way to win that community over to our side....

State of the Union Address..... The Prequel

2007-01-23T16:08:00.001-08:00

Tucker Carlsons' Dad #1 In Libby Defense Fund*Ask MSNBC Why He's Commenting?!?!

2007-01-23T16:06:00.000-08:00

I've stewed over this for quite a while. I had heard on and off the Tucker Carlsons' dad Richard Carlson was bff with Scooter Libby, and headed his legal defense fund. SO WHY IS TUCKER COMMENTING ON THE LIBBY CASE WITHOUT AT LEAST A NOTATION TO THAT EFFECT???

CBS News

Libby Gets A Little Help From His Friends
More Than $3M Donated To Legal Fund For Indicted Former Cheney Aide

I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby won't lack powerful friends or financial resources when he goes on trial on Tuesday. A private fund set up to pay the legal bills of the former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney has collected more than $3 million since Libby's indictment 14 months ago.

(snip)
One of those friends is Dick Carlson, a former ambassador and Republican stalwart who has headed the Voice of America and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. (Carlson’s son is Tucker Carlson, the conservative TV pundit.)

Like many of Libby’s well-heeled friends, Carlson wasted no time in coming to his aid. On the day the indictment was announced in October 2005, Carlson said: “I sent a check by courier to Scooter’s house in McLean with the assumption that he’d need it.”

That check was the impetus for what quickly morphed into The Scooter Libby Legal Defense Trust. A source close to the trust said more than $3 million has been collected to pay Libby's legal bills. The public face of the defense fund is a cadre of Republican heavyweights that include Mary Matalin, Steve Forbes and Jack Kemp.

Back in March, it looks like Arianna took Tucker to the woodshed and dirtied the knees of his jumper. Musta pissed him off....

A nasty little propagandist

I didn't mention my father's support for Scooter Libby because it was irrelevant. Completely and utterly. Libby was my father's personal lawyer long before he joined the Bush administration. They're friends, and that has nothing at all to do with me. I've met Scooter Libby precisely once.

Tucker goes on to characterize Ariannas' column as ....." attempted character assassination by a nasty little propagandist. "

Ariannas' WONDERFULLY SOURCED COHERANT COLUMN HERE....

The Full Disclosure Tucker Carlson Isn't Making

I don't see how this could be anything but revelant. What, MSNBC doesn't have enough commenters that Tucker couldn't just bow out on this one?
Not enough semi-dirty stories for Tucker to cover?

It's called "Conflict Of Interest". He's on right now, making excuses for Libby.

dabrams@msnbc.com

Tucker just called it an "Abuse of Power".

New House speaker shows she's boss

2007-01-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer © 2007 The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Sworn in just over two weeks ago as the first female
speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi wasted no time showing who's boss.

The California Democrat rammed six major bills through the House at
breakneck speed, stomped out smoking privileges near the House floor, partially
sidelined a powerful Democratic committee chairman and decided she liked
traditionally Republican office space so much she claimed it for herself.

By Democrats' timekeeping, she did it all in far under the 100
legislative hours she had allotted."We did what we promised the American
people we would," Pelosi declared on Friday, pledging it was "just the
beginning."

Pelosi's initial agenda, completed Thursday, included measures with
wide popular support: increasing the minimum wage, broadening stem cell
research, allowing government bargaining on Medicare drug prices, cutting
student loan costs, putting in place terrorism-fighting recommendations from the
Sept. 11 commission and rolling back energy company tax breaks.
Each bill passed with bipartisan majorities and Pelosi triumphantly gaveled down the
votes, at one point banging the gavel so enthusiastically that it left a small
dent in the podium.
(snip)
....In the view of many Democrats, Pelosi's opening performance bodes well. She seemed to recover from postelection stumbles such as backing the losing candidate in the contest for House majority leader.

She also is getting a honeymoon from the public. Pelosi is held in higher regard than the president or her colleagues in the Congress. An AP-AOL News poll taken Jan. 16-18 put her approval rating at 51 percent — much higher than that of Congress (34 percent) or Bush (36 percent).
Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., a close ally, called Pelosis performance "spectacular."
"What the Democrats in the caucus are telling me is that this is the best three weeks of their life," he crowed.

Compare and Contrast.

CNN Dumbasses On November 16th

Situation Room onscreen text: Is Pelosi "Damaged Goods?"
On the November 16 edition of CNN's The Situation Room, host Wolf Blitzer asked "how badly is [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi [D-CA] damaged politically?" while the question "Damaged Goods?" was displayed on screen. Blitzer was referring to an "intraparty battle" among House Democrats, in which Pelosi backed Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) to be House majority leader but Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) was ultimately elected.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, January 21st

2007-01-20T18:19:00.000-08:00

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

Our Nation was founded on the belief that every human being has rights, dignity, and value. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, we underscore our commitment to building a culture of life where all individuals are welcomed in life and protected in law.
(snip)

When we seek to advance science and improve our lives, we must always preserve human dignity and remember that human life is a gift from our Creator. We must not sanction the creation of life only to destroy it. America must pursue the tremendous possibilities of medicine and research and at the same time remain an ethical and compassionate society.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day is an opportunity to strengthen our resolve in creating a society where every life has meaning and our most vulnerable members are protected and defended including unborn children, the sick and dying, and persons with disabilities and birth defects. This is an ideal that appeals to the noblest and most generous instincts within us, and this is the America we will achieve by working together.

No Words Can Explain How Lost We Are

2007-01-20T18:11:00.000-08:00

Manual to allow executions based on hearsay
Pentagon plan for detainee trials could spark fresh bipartisan debate

• Pentagon drafts detainee trial manual
Jan. 18: The Pentagon has completed a manual for upcoming detainee trials that would allow suspected terrorists to be imprisoned or executed using hearsay evidence.

Updated: 2:52 p.m. ET Jan 18, 2007
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon has drafted a manual for upcoming detainee trials that would allow suspected terrorists to be convicted on hearsay evidence and coerced testimony and imprisoned or put to death.

According to a copy of the manual obtained by The Associated Press, a terror suspect's defense lawyer cannot reveal classified evidence in the person's defense until the government has a chance to review it.

The manual, sent to Capitol Hill on Thursday and scheduled to be released later by the Pentagon, is intended to track a law passed last fall by Congress restoring President Bush's plans to have special military commissions try terror-war prisoners. Those commissions had been struck down earlier in the year by the Supreme Court.

The Pentagon manual could spark a fresh confrontation between the Bush administration and Congress — now led by Democrats — over the treatment of the nation’s terrorism suspects.

Last September, Congress — then led by Republicans — sent Bush a bill granting wide latitude in interrogating and detaining captured enemy combatants. The legislation also prohibited some of the worst abuses of detainees like mutilation and rape, but granted the president leeway to decide which other interrogation techniques are permissible.

Anyone out there remember any of this being part of the civics & history classes that you took? Did YOU learn in school that the US was just another rogue nation that cut swathes thru it enemies with no regard to basic human decency? That tortured, maimed and KILLED in the name of "National Security"?

I must have been in the parking lot lighting up that day.

A Toss Off That Means Something....

2007-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

South Bend Tribune...Wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!!! (Part Deux)

2007-01-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a total hissy fit!! Over and over in the South Bend Tribune print and online editions you see junk like this.....

State of the State: Daniels makes appeal to Demos

Hmmm, seems to be something wrong with that sentence.....

So, I checked dictionary.com and came up with this:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -
dem·o /ˈdɛmoʊ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dem-oh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural dem·os. Informal.
1. demonstration (defs. 4,6).
2. demonstrator (def. 5).
3. a phonograph record or tape recording of a new song or of one performed by an unknown singer or singing group, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.

and this......

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) -
Dem /dɛm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dem] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation–noun Informal.
1. a member of the Democratic party.
2. the Dems, the Democratic party.

Well, I have to admit that I went a little crazy. I emailed a friend of mine who is a reporter in DC to have him check his AP Stylebook (reporters bible for guidelines in things like this) and after a bit, he let me know that Demo is an archaic diminutive for Democrat that has not been used in many years, and that DEM is the one cited in the AP Stylebook. (there is an AP Stylebook online, but it is paid subscription)

I would like to credit Fred Dodd at the South Bend Tribune for looking into this (after an admittedly semi-pissed off voice mail from me) and calling a meeting with his copy editors. They discussed it, and agreed that DEMO is not the correct diminutive to use, and from now on their policy will be to use DEM.

Now, you might be wondering why I got all hopped up about this, and I will tell you.
For YEARS, the strategists on the right have been using words to try and pigeonhole Democrats, Progressives & Liberals. They say "Democrat Party" when it should be "Democratic Party". (One reason given for this is to emphasize democRAT) They say "Looney Left, Looney Liberals" and all that other garbage. In my humble opinion and many others I have asked, DEMO sounds really close to DUMBO or DUMMO.
I am very impressed that Mr Dodd and his editors took the time to correct something that they could have very easily ignored. (well, not really, but they didn't know what a pain in the ass I could be)

Looking forward to the first Tribune headline using the correct term, DEM!!!!

Cross Posted at Left In Aboite

Of Wedgies and Tinfoil, One Womans' View

2007-01-17T17:16:00.000-08:00

This afternoon when the "Breaking News" was all about how Abu Gonzales sent a letter saying that all of a sudden FISA "Was Our Friend", I knew something was up.
I ain't Glenn Greenwald, so go read him here.
I do have too much time on my hands.

Do you guys remember what was all the rage Monday & Tuesday? Well I do.

From Keiths' show last nite....

The two night special season opener of "24".

GREENWALD: Well, we know how susceptible people are to fear, some of it with good reason. The tragedy, as we know, has been how this administration has played on people‘s fears, and how Fox News and Fox in general has used it over and over and over again.

As you say, people can tell the difference. This is fiction. What we‘re dealing with in the world at times is fact. You know, of course, the question is, can this administration tell the difference, given that every day we get a different reason about who we should be afraid of, why we should be afraid, and why we went to war.

OLBERMANN: And the old line, of course, seems to apply here, about people insisting TV does not impact the public‘s perceptions, and then you point out, Well, gee whiz, all those advertisers must have wasted every dollar they ever spent on television.

And what's going to happen tomorrow? Abu gets grilled by the Senate Select Committee On Intelligence.

Stop and think a minute. Those people who aren't total phreaks like us, they just pick up bits and pieces of the news as they go along with life.

THEY WEDGED THIS PERFECTLY.
Yesterday the innoculated the masses.... "Oh, Jack tortures!!! Jack taps phones!! No time to get stinking warrants!!!"

Today, an announcement that isn't an announcement came out.

If the Pres and his cronies didn't have a problem with abiding by the FISA court, WHAT THE FU*K was that hongo deal last year about?

But now they have plausible deniability. "Oooooh, see we're being GOOD."

Tomorrow they refuse to talk about anything and cloak themselves behind the horrors of the upcoming nuclear war & the fact that they are already "following the law" even if there is no proof.

And then top it off with....

The Doomsday Clock

Wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!!!

2007-01-17T08:41:00.000-08:00

State of the State: Daniels makes appeal to Demos

INDIANAPOLIS -- Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels urged a newly divided General Assembly to cooperate in moving Indiana forward, while also using his State of the State speech Tuesday night to tout initiatives that include full-day kindergarten, outsourcing the Hoosier Lottery and raising cigarette taxes to fund health programs.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
dem·o /ˈdɛmoʊ/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dem-oh] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural dem·os. Informal.
1. demonstration (defs. 4,6).
2. demonstrator (def. 5).
3. a phonograph record or tape recording of a new song or of one performed by an unknown singer or singing group, distributed to disc jockeys, recording companies, etc., to demonstrate the merits of the song or performer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
Dem /dɛm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[dem] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation–noun Informal.
1. a member of the Democratic party.
2. the Dems, the Democratic party.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1830–40, Americanism; shortening of Democrat]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Hmm, How Do You Send A Video To Congress?

2007-01-16T15:57:00.000-08:00

LonelyDem07....

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait....

2007-01-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Bill Moyers Is BACK!!!!!

Bill Moyers to Return to PBS With Weekly Show -- Starting with Look at Press and Iraq
Published: January 13, 2007 11:45 PM ET

NEW YORK Bill Moyers is returning to PBS in April with a weekly public affairs series, ''Bill Moyers Journal,'' that resurrects the name of his first public television series for a new century.

Moyers, 72, did two specials for PBS last year, and both the work and response ''whetted my appetite for more.''

''People keep writing or stopping me on the street to suggest stories that are not being reported and voices that are not being heard,'' said the former press secretary for President Lyndon Johnson. ''A lot of Americans long for more than conventional wisdom, celebrity pundits, predictable opinions and safe analysis of the obvious.''

The first episode on April 25 discusses the role of the press before the invasion of Iraq.

Bwahahaha.... Looks Like Crime Doesn't Pay!!

2007-01-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Here

Convicted lawmakers may lose pensions
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer
Fri Jan 12, 3:49 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, behind bars for bribery, can at least be consoled by the federal pension he'll continue to collect. Current or future lawmakers convicted of crimes may not be so lucky.

The Senate on Friday voted 87-0 to strip away the pensions of members of Congress convicted of white-collar crimes such as bribery, perjury and fraud. That could result in benefit losses of more than $100,000 a year.

Did Tweety Put The Smackdown On "Democrat" Party?

2007-01-15T15:17:00.000-08:00

It was brief, but it looks like Chris Matthews may have put the hammer down on the "Democrat" meme.

At the end of the show, Ron Christie was talking and he said
"..... the Democrat .... (pause, nod and finger wag at Chris) The DEMOCRATIC party......"

Thank you Jesus.

Many interesting reasons as to Democrat vs. Democratic here...

Why Shorten Democratic?

"Democrat Party" was a 2004 election linguistics trick cooked up by the Republican Party which was supposedly focus-grouped to sound more negative. If you go back through President Bush's speeches on the campaign trail and his surrogates, you will find "Democrat Party" used when trying to slur the party.

This goes back long before 2004, especially in Republican convention speeches. This discusssion has a variety of theories going back to the 60s. One point made is the "democrat party" sounds like "bureaucrat party", so a negative association is created. It's interesting because "Democratic Senator" or "Democrats endorse XYZ" really don't have that same negative ring.

So You Don't Have To....

2007-01-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

I read the scum...

(You have to wade thru alot of "end of world" shit to get to some of these.....)
World Net Daily

Kupelian reveals 'pro-choice' movement's 'skeletons in the closet' in live teleseminar
Posted: January 13, 2007
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

With the anniversary of the Supreme Court's infamous Roe v. Wade decision just around the corner, WND Managing Editor David Kupelian will speak with hundreds of telephone callers Tuesday night in a special, live teleseminar titled "Abortion Marketing Exposed!"

Kupelian is the author of the controversial best seller, "The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised as Freedom." Many who have read chapter nine – titled "Blood Confessions: How lying marketers sold America on unrestricted abortion" – say it has profoundly changed the way they see the issue.
(snip)

"On the call," says Kupelian, "I will be exposing how radicals and deceitful marketers sold America on legalized abortion, and how millions of us continue to be manipulated and deceived by them every day. But by unmasking these marketers of evil – and by examining the powerful techniques and strategies they use to fool us – we'll also discover how you and I can turn the tide and finally end the tragedy and injustice of abortion."

NewsMax

The Looming Democratic Party Civil War
Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
Friday, Jan. 12, 2007

Iraq is not the only place that is threatening to dissolve into the anarchy and bloodletting of a civil war.

It's about to happen to the Democratic Party.

Reacting to Bush's planned "surge" in troop strength, the Democratic leaders in Congress, savoring their victory, are contemplating taking only symbolic steps to protest Bush's war policies, a timidity that will highly displease their leftist boosters.

The liberal activists who funded and impelled the Democratic victory in 2006 did not focus on winning a congressional majority so that it would take merely symbolic action. Symbolic action would have been appropriate for a minority party, but the backers of a party in the majority expect something more.

So the Democrats are about to form their customary firing squad — a circular one — and begin again the battles that ripped their party apart in the late 1960s. The battle lines are the same: The new left vs. the party establishment. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid are about to squander their credibility with their supporters on the left by failing to cut back, or cut off entirely, funding for the war.

LOL, the Dick Morris one is barely 6 paragraphs.... and he NEEDED a Co-Author? Ha.

Drudge Report

Laura Bush takes literacy campaign to Paris

Jan 15 4:13 PM US/Eastern

US First Lady Laura Bush kicked off a three-day visit to Paris with a UNESCO round table discussion on promoting global literacy.
Bush, a former teacher and high-profile campaigner for literacy worldwide, is an honorary ambassador for the UN agency's decade of literacy.

"Ending illiteracy is a challenge for every country," she told the participants, who included envoys from Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Madagascar and Egypt as well as Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
(snip)
Laura Bush's visit was to continue Monday with a tour of Paris's new Quai Branly museum of tribal arts, as well as the newly-refurbished Musee de L'Orangerie, which hosts some of Claude Monet's best-known water lily murals.

Imagined conversation 'tween GeeDubya & Pickles.....

"George, I landed in Paris!! It's just lovely!! I saw Monets' "Water Lilies"!!'
"Honey, be careful!! You might fall in the pond and kitch a cold!"

Thank God For My Hometown & McClatchy!!!

2007-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Look to the right....

Hey fTucker!!!!

2007-01-13T19:23:00.000-08:00

Guess Chuckles got his door prize!!!

A Clerk's Blog Spells Trouble

It all started with a simple video rental. Who knows where it will end?

Potomac Video store clerk Charles Williamson, 28, posted a message on his blog, Freelance Genius, Dec. 23 that described how he set up a movie rental account for MSNBC host Tucker Carlson at the MacArthur Boulevard store the day before.

MSNBC talker Tucker Carlson might want to rent DVDs by mail from now on. (By Craig Blankenhorn -- Msnbc Via Associated Press)
=

"I could tell you what he and his ridiculously wasped-out female companion (wife?) rented if you really want to know," he wrote. "I won't tell you where he lives, though. That would be wrong and stupid." Williamson also joked that he wouldn't send 10,000 copies of Jon Stewart's best-selling political satire, "America (The Book)," to Carlson's home; Stewart ridiculed Carlson on "Crossfire" before the 2004 election.

A week later, Williamson had forgotten all about it, he told us yesterday. That is, until Carlson, 37, reappeared at the video store and, said Williamson, "got pretty aggressive." According to Williamson, Carlson confronted him about the blog and said he viewed the post as a threat to him and his wife. "He said, 'If you keep this [expletive] up, I will [expletive] destroy you,' " Williamson recalled.

The blog in question? Freelance Genius

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Pickle

2007-01-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

FABULOUS CAJUN PICKLES
This spicy recipe comes from the Pickle People, wholesalers in Long Island, N.Y.

8 cups cold water

1/2 cup kosher salt

2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

2 teaspoons pickling spice

1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning

3/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

50 small kirby pickling cucumbers (about 4 pounds), each about the size of an index finger, well scrubbed

10 cherry peppers, quartered (we left this out)

2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced (don't seed)

1/4 large sweet white onion, thinly sliced

4 clean quart jars (or 8 pint jars) with lids andbands

In 2-quart measuring cup, measure water. Stir in salt, vinegar and seasonings until salt is dissolved. Stir in garlic.

Pack cucumbers and equal parts cherry peppers, jalapenos and onion into jars. Ladle in spiced brine, covering vegetables. Screw on lids and let pickles ferment at cool room temperature for 3 days. Refrigerate another 5 days, and they are ready to eat. They will keep up to 3 months, refrigerated.

Makes about 4 quarts.

Saturday Night Things To Pucker Up Over.....

2007-01-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

Sad, sad days. The convolutions ABC/Disney are going thru are truly sickening to see. Even after the lying manipulations of truth were outed in "The Path to 9/11", they continue to push hate speech (Spockos' Continuing Saga) and hire bigots (Gibbering Glen Beck On GMA. F**k the mouse.

Faux News and right wing mouthpieces (CNS News, Newsbusters, CW meme) get all aflutter over

"Who pays the price? I'm not going to pay a personal price. My kids are too old and my grandchild is too young," Boxer said. "You're not going to pay a particular price, as I understand it, with an immediate family. So who pays the price? The American military and their families."

Yet this?

Nancy Pelosi, however, could breastfeed on the speaker's podium and receive the plaudits of the mainstream media. (snip)

Lady Macbeth had a child (Act I, Scene 7), but she wouldn't be my first choice to run a country. It is no less offensive for Pelosi to run based on her uterus than it would be for a man to campaign based on his working prostate.

Or how about this?

I mean, whatever it was that I said in criticism of Democrats, it was not personal, like they have turned it into on the Democrat [sic] side. (snip)

Limbaugh later added: "[L]ook at Ms. Pelosi. Why, she can multitask. She can breastfeed, she can clip her toenails, she can direct the House, all while the kids are sitting on her lap at the same time."

And my personal favorite for the week, maybe not as earthshattering as some, but on a basic level just as bad.

Tucker Carlson gets a blogger fired, stalks him and then when the WaPo gets into it, denies everything. The poor blogger doesn't even get a mention in the WaPo as a door prize for losing his job.

This is why I've been quiet....

2007-01-12T16:24:00.000-08:00

Helping Jeff get over

I was joking about how whiny and pathetic he is, but truth be told he's doing terrific and should be driving again in two weeks.
Medicine can really rock sometimes.
(go google "knee replacement surgery". OH MY GOD, they can put some freaky pics on these internets!! EEEEWWWWWWWW.)

The Surge Has Started Already....

2007-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

Lookie here.... shiny objects....

Don't look over Here.

Troop Surge Already Under Way

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 10, 2007— President Bush's speech may be scheduled for tonight, but the troop surge in Iraq is already under way.

ABC News has learned that the "surge" Bush is expected to announce in a prime time speech tonight has already begun. Ninety advance troops from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Baghdad today.

An additional battalion of roughly 100 troops from the same division are expected to arrive in Baghdad Thursday.

It is the first small wave of troops in a new White House strategy that is expected to put more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops on the ground in Iraq and likely require new call-ups of the National Guard.

Hmmm, Eerie .....

2007-01-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Watch this clip now, then watch the president tonite.
Document the similarities.....

H/T the Fine Men of AmericaBlog!!!

More Googlelicious Fun For fTucker!!!!

2007-01-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

Bwah ha ha..... it's going EVERYWHERE!!!! Chuckles revenge is sweet!!!
Remember THIS?

Tucker Carlson Gets Blogger Fired For Blogging About Tucker!!

2007-01-09T11:52:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the fTucker has learned how to google, and he's not too happy.
I know, I know. But I don't have a job that Tucker can get me fired from,
so maybe he could come visit and shake his finger in my face for this diary,
or even for this one?

His Bowtie Knows Where You Sleep...err...Work

The wingnut wankjob I mentioned in the formerly removed post, Tucker Carlson, has threatened the video store where I now formerly worked with legal action and as a result, I no longer work there. I do not have access to these threats but I can imagine that they consist of something similar to this:

"I'm easily the most recognizable conservative pundit today, as my wikipedia page will attest, but goddam it, I deserve to be recognized only if I stand to benefit from it! I am a huge asshole and I expect to be treated like one. I will fucking destroy anyone who dares to poke fun at me and so help me god my bowtie is stylish and not at all funny! I can't believe that I might be subject to ridicule after I physically threatened another man with destruction because he mentioned me on his blog!(This part is absolutely true.)

Freelance Genius is really funny!! I'm not going to cut and paste all of it, but go bump up his hit counter and read the rest. Worth the guffaw.
Anyone who had to put up with this

Tucker: If you keep this shit up, I will fucking destroy you.
The Genius (Me): Whoah, perhaps you would like to take this outside where you can continue threatening me without disturbing the other customers.
Tucker: *Looks out the window, then back at me* I am not threatening you.
The Genius: You just said you would fucking destroy me.
Tucker: No, I didn't.

Deserves our admiration.

Indiana Sandwich Stackers....

2007-01-08T07:36:00.000-08:00

South Bend Tribune

Court upholds voter ID law in Indiana
ACLU of Indiana legal director says he's disappointed by ruling.

DEANNA MARTIN
Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Republicans hailed a federal court ruling upholding Indiana's voter ID law as a victory for voting reforms, while opponents of the law planned their next move.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled 2-1 last week that Indiana's law, which requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls, has the potential to do more good than harm.

The Republican-controlled Legislature approved the law in 2005, saying it would help prevent voter fraud. But the Indiana Democratic Party and the American Civil Liberties Union say the law unfairly affects people who may struggle to obtain a photo ID.

Ken Falk, legal director of the ACLU of Indiana, said he was disappointed with the ruling by the three-judge panel.

"I have not spoken with my clients yet, but I'm going to recommend a rehearing before the entire 7th Circuit," he said Thursday.

The three-judge panel questioned arguments that Indiana's rule is unfair to poor, elderly, minority and disabled voters, and pointed out that opponents could not find anyone unable to cast a ballot under the new law.

"No doubt there are at least a few such people in Indiana," wrote Judge Richard A. Posner, "but the inability of the sponsors of this litigation to find any such person to join as a plaintiff suggests that the motivation for the suit is simply that the law may require the Democratic Party and the other organizational plaintiffs to work harder to get every last one of their supporters to the polls."

Indy Star

Can 25¢ more a pack help us kick the habit?
Proposal to raise cigarette tax, insure 120,000 is poised to be one of the legislature's top issues

By Mary Beth Schneider
mary.beth.schneider@indystar.com

Dr. Judith Monroe, Indiana's health commissioner, calls the numbers "staggering."

The Indiana Legislature begins work today. A key decision this session will be whether to raise the cigarette tax, and by how much, in order to fund health care coverage for more Hoosiers. Hearings will be held in both the Senate Health and Provider Services Committee, and the House Public Health Committee on health coverage plans, while the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Tax and Fiscal Policy Committee will have to debate the cigarette tax.

The health care debate
The General Assembly will debate several proposals to provide health coverage for uninsured Hoosiers, including one by Gov. Mitch Daniels. His plan would:
• Create a voluntary program for Hoosiers who earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level and are not eligible to enroll in employer-sponsored health insurance and lacked insurance a minimum of six months.
• Enrollment would be on a first-come, first-served basis, with the number enrolled based on the amount of money the state has available.
• The program would be paid for in part by an increase in the cigarette tax of at least 25 cents. The higher the tax, the more people who could be covered, with 120,000 covered with a 25-cent cigarette tax increase and 200,000 with a 50-cent cigarette tax increase.
• Participants would contribute up to 5 percent of their gross family income.
• Participants would get up to $500 of preventive care each year. Dental, vision and outpatient mental health services would not be covered.
• Personal Wellness Responsibility -- or POWER -- accounts would be created for each participant of up to $1,100 per adult, which could be used for health expenses or eventually withdrawn for other needs as long as enrollees took advantage of the preventive care.
• Participants would get $300,000 in annual insurance coverage with a $1 million lifetime cap.
Source: Governor's office.

For starters, about $2 billion annually is spent in the state on health care costs related to cigarette smoking.
And there's the human toll. Each year, about 9,800 Hoosiers die from smoking-related illnesses.
(snip)
When the legislature convenes today, lawmakers will begin debating a proposal by Gov. Mitch Daniels calculated to address those numbers and one more: the state's more than 500,000 uninsured.
Daniels has proposed a minimum 25-cents-a-pack increase to Indiana's current 55.5-cent cigarette tax. That increase, he has said, would reduce the number of smokers and generate $95 million to create a health plan that would cover 120,000 Hoosiers.
The state's cigarette tax is among the lowest in the nation, and Monroe and others say it's one reason Indiana has the second-highest rate of smoking in the nation, trailing only Kentucky. They point to numerous studies showing that higher taxes have reduced smoking rates and boosted state revenues.

Ft Wayne Journal Gazette

Nothing of any interest. What a crappy paper.

How the West will make a killing on Iraqi oil riches

2007-01-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

The UK Independant Online

Future of Iraq: The spoils of war

By Danny Fortson, Andrew Murray-Watson and Tim Webb
Published: 07 January 2007

Iraq's massive oil reserves, the third-largest in the world, are about to be thrown open for large-scale exploitation by Western oil companies under a controversial law which is expected to come before the Iraqi parliament within days.

The US government has been involved in drawing up the law, a draft of which has been seen by The Independent on Sunday. It would give big oil companies such as BP, Shell and Exxon 30-year contracts to extract Iraqi crude and allow the first large-scale operation of foreign oil interests in the country since the industry was nationalised in 1972.

The huge potential prizes for Western firms will give ammunition to critics who say the Iraq war was fought for oil. They point to statements such as one from Vice-President Dick Cheney, who said in 1999, while he was still chief executive of the oil services company Halliburton, that the world would need an additional 50 million barrels of oil a day by 2010. "So where is the oil going to come from?... The Middle East, with two-thirds of the world's oil and the lowest cost, is still where the prize ultimately lies," he said.

Oil industry executives and analysts say the law, which would permit Western companies to pocket up to three-quarters of profits in the early years, is the only way to get Iraq's oil industry back on its feet after years of sanctions, war and loss of expertise. But it will operate through "production-sharing agreements" (or PSAs) which are highly unusual in the Middle East, where the oil industry in Saudi Arabia and Iran, the world's two largest producers, is state controlled.

Proposing the parliamentary motion for war in 2003, Tony Blair denied the "false claim" that "we want to seize" Iraq's oil revenues. He said the money should be put into a trust fund, run by the UN, for the Iraqis, but the idea came to nothing. The same year Colin Powell, then Secretary of State, said: "It cost a great deal of money to prosecute this war. But the oil of the Iraqi people belongs to the Iraqi people; it is their wealth, it will be used for their benefit. So we did not do it for oil."

Supporters say the provision allowing oil companies to take up to 75 per cent of the profits will last until they have recouped initial drilling costs. After that, they would collect about 20 per cent of all profits, according to industry sources in Iraq. But that is twice the industry average for such deals.

Yesterday someone told me about a t-shirt thats says "I hated Bush before it was cool".

Brings to mind the fact that we knew what this war was about before it was cool to say it.

75%.

That is just stunning. We go in, destroy their infrastructure, ruin their cities, send refugees fleeing (but we won't take them into the U.S.) and then we take the money that so famously was supposed to rebuild their country and give it to the oil companies?

The United States Taxpayer is paying a half a TRILLION dollars for this?

Over 1000 Form "IMPEACH" On San Francisco Beach

2007-01-07T17:04:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Affiliate

Protestors Join In S.F. To Impeach BushOver 1,000 Join Beach Bash
By: Noel Cisneros
Jan. 6 - KGO - To voice their displeasure with the current administration, hundreds of people lined up on Ocean Beach Saturday morning to call for the impeachment of President Bush.

Over one thousand protestors decided to make a stand - by lying down.

Protestor: "I'd like to see him impeached for every crime he's committed since he was appointed to his office."

Fingers up - heads down - they lined Ocean Beach, to form the word impeach -- exclamation point included.

Dan Brook, Protestor: "Every great idea starts with people -- it has to start with people or it will never happen -- so it has to start with us."

ABC7's Noel Cisneros: "Do you think the country has the stomach for another impeachment?"

Dan Brook: "I think we don't have the stomach for another two years of Bush."

The "Impeach on the Beach" project is the brain child of Brad Newsham -- who got the idea from looking at Google satellite images with his daughter.

Brad Newsham, Event Organizer: "I hope we send a message of what a great country we have, and what horrible leadership we have, and we hope the message gets back to Washington -- and impeachment gets put back onto the table where the American people want it to be."

ABC7 Legal Analyst Dean Johnson: "You can't impeach a president for incompetence."

Dean Johnson is a former prosecutor and he says the strongest legal case against Mr. Bush would likely be for the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretaps of millions of American telephone calls.

This really could work into a thing. Think about it. What if all the people who owned farms started cutting their crops into "IMPEACH" designs? People whose homes' roofs are visible to airports or other mass transit? Or even a sign between two windows in an apartment in a big city?

Cross posted at Daily Kos......

A Happy Hoosier Saturday To ALL!!!!

2007-01-06T09:03:00.001-08:00

U.S. House Digest Blog

2007-01-06T09:03:00.000-08:00

Very cool new site-

A moderately detailed account of the on-goings of the People’s House.
Because you shouldn’t have to be a scholar to figure out what your government is doing.

U. S. House Digest

Can't. Stop. Laughing.

2007-01-05T19:19:00.001-08:00

Incoming Judiciary Chairman Leahy Targets Corruption

2007-01-05T19:19:00.000-08:00

Paging Harry Truman........

Then

As a U.S. senator in 1941, Truman drove thousands of miles around the country going from one defense plant to another documenting waste and fraud. He then headed the Senate Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program -- the Truman committee, for short. The process saved American taxpayers $15 billion (in 1940s dollars). And by uncovering faulty military equipment, he prevented the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of U.S. soldiers.

And Now....

Incoming Judiciary Chairman Leahy Targets Corruption
In First Bills Of 110th Congress

Leahy Introduces Bills To Combat War Profiteering, Public Corruption

WASHINGTON (Thursday, January 4) – Signaling a renewed emphasis on combating corruption at home and abroad, incoming Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), introduced a package of bills Thursday targeting corrupt officials and private companies seeking to defraud American taxpayers and troops.

(snip)

Many Democratic Senators joined Leahy in reintroducing a bill creating criminal penalties for war profiteers and cheats who would exploit taxpayer-funded efforts in Iraq and elsewhere around the world. The War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007 builds on earlier efforts by Leahy, who is also a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, to crack down on this type of rampant fraud and abuse. It is similar to legislation Leahy introduced in 2003, that was subsequently passed by the Senate as part of an appropriations bill but later torpedoed by the White House and the House Republican leadership, which stripped out the Leahy provision.

Take a good look at the wording of this. To my eye, it looks like a total shitbomb for the Republicans. What's not to like? What wording could they complain about and not be outed as the total hypocrites and "War Profiteers" they really are.

What ever are the R's to do?

Relish the Moment!!! (dill relish of course)

2007-01-05T07:56:00.000-08:00

Think Progress

In its first legislative act, the 110th Congress voted 430-1 yesterday to approve “the broadest ethics and lobbying revision since the Watergate era.” Today, the House will vote on a package to end anonymous sponsorship of earmarks.

Yesterday, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) not only introduced himself to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), but also asked him out for coffee. “By reaching out to Congressman Goode I’m not trying to be accepted, I’m trying to build bridges. In this world there are too many misunderstandings. I want to put a human face on things,” explained Ellison.

Yesterday, Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) ascension to Majority Leader was almost overshadowed by former President Bill Clinton’s quest for a bathroom. Minutes before Reid was to be sworn in, Clinton “sauntered into the Senate press gallery in search of a urinal. Reporters swarmed, some abandoning their seats in the chamber. … ‘They told me the closest restroom was in the press gallery,’ Clinton explained.”

30%. President Bush’s approval rating, according to a new CBS News poll. Sixty-eight percent said they had optimistic feelings about the 110th Congress, while 25 percent said they were pessimistic.

That's it Tucker, I've HAD IT with YOU!!

2007-01-04T17:03:00.000-08:00

Just now Tucker on his freaking show, mewling and whining
(whining was in the R meme today) to Bill Press.....

"But WHY is it a big deal she's the first woman Speaker? Why? I Don't UNDERSTAND!!!!"

Well Tucker, I understand your confusion (all those years of bow-tie wearing impeded proper blood flow to your brain) let me help you along by posing a question to YOU.

What if Bow-Tie Wearing White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who go to Private Schools and come from Priveleged Monied Backgrounds were first given the right to vote in 1920?

What if up until the last part of the past century BTWWASPPSPM's were expected to live the lives their mothers, sisters, uncles and wives TOLD them to live? (and sometimes even now)

What if EVEN NOW BTWWASPPSSPM's were curtailed in their rights to how and when they would father a child, even to the point of being harassed and vilified ATTEMPTING to obtain condoms?

What if you Mr BTWWASPPSPM only made 76.5% of women's wages.
JUST BECAUSE OF HOW YOU WERE BORN?

What if the representative government of the country that YOU loved and served in had only 90 BTWWASPPSPMs out of 535 when BTWWASPPSPMs made up more than half of the population of said beloved country?

Tell me, wouldn't you be ecstatic a BTWWASPPSPM became the third most powerful person in the United States for the first time?

AND YOU HAVE THREE DAUGHTERS? Oy oy oy.

Now go STFU you pasty faced perv.

Celebratory Congressional Chili!!!!

2007-01-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

Coyote's Pickle Chili Recipe courtesy of Kellie McDonald from Virginia Beach, VA, for the FoodTV.com Manly Man Chili Cook-Off

3 cups chili beans, pre-cooked (canned chili beans work too)
1 large can V-8 Spicy tomato juice
4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 lbs. ground beef or steak cubed
2 cups dill pickle juice
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic

In a large pot, start to cook the chili beans or start warming them if precooked. Meanwhile, in a large skillet saute the onion and minced garlic until onion is slightly transparent, then add the ground beef or steak, brown until half cooked, add to the beans.
Add the tomatoes, pickle juice, and just enough water to come barely over the top of chili. Simmer until water is almost boiled off, stirring occasionally. Chili is done when it is nice and thick and a wooden spoon will almost stand up in it. Garnish with coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese and onion pieces.

Next He'll Be Digging In Our Underwear Drawers...

2007-01-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

Honestly, we should all just grab our copies of "1984" and use them as daily guides to living in GWB's Amerika......

New York Daily News

W pushes envelope on U.S. spying

New postal law lets Bush peek through your mail

BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

President Bush added a "signing statement" in recently passed postal reform bill that may give him new powers to pry into your mail - without a warrant.

WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.
The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.

That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.

Bush's move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise.

"Despite the President's statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government from snooping into people's mail without a warrant," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the incoming House Government Reform Committee chairman, who co-sponsored the bill.

Experts said the new powers could be easily abused and used to vacuum up large amounts of mail.

"The [Bush] signing statement claims authority to open domestic mail without a warrant, and that would be new and quite alarming," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington.

"The danger is they're reading Americans' mail," she said.

"You have to be concerned," agreed a career senior U.S. official who reviewed the legal underpinnings of Bush's claim. "It takes Executive Branch authority beyond anything we've ever known."

A top Senate Intelligence Committee aide promised, "It's something we're going to look into."

Even Better

2007-01-04T10:14:00.000-08:00

Than hearing Joe vote for "Nancy Pelosi!" on the floor of the 110th,
is the sight of this...

For those of you with bad eyes, it says

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Majority Leader

Good News for All!!!

2007-01-04T08:02:00.000-08:00

I am proud to have campaigned for Joe this last election, and even more proud that he will be one of three new Indiana Democratic Representatives sworn in today. (BTW Joe, thanks for putting on a neon bright tie. Made it much easier to spot you on the floor!!)

South Bend Tribune

Donnelly ceremonies today on Capitol Hill

Second District Congressman-elect Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, will take his oath of office in a Capitol Hill ceremony today.

The official ceremony will take place on the House floor beginning at noon today and will be televised over C-Span, according to a Donnelly spokesman, Andrew Lattanner.

In a separate ceremony, former U.S. Rep. John Brademas will administer Donnelly's oath of office at 2 p.m. today. That gathering will take place in the Rayburn House Office Building.

Donnelly will officially occupy his new congressional office at noon today. The office is in room 1218, Longworth House Office Building.

There's a Football Metaphor in Here Somewhere.....

2007-01-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

Washington Post

But It's Thomas Jefferson's Koran!

By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Wednesday, January 3, 2007; Page C03

Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, found himself under attack last month when he announced he'd take his oath of office on the Koran -- especially from Virginia Rep. Virgil Goode, who called it a threat to American values.

Yet the holy book at tomorrow's ceremony has an unassailably all-American provenance. We've learned that the new congressman -- in a savvy bit of political symbolism -- will hold the personal copy once owned by Thomas Jefferson.

If Keith Ellison takes the ceremonial oath of office using Thomas Jefferson's Koran, will he and Virgil Goode at long last be on the same page? Don't hold your breath.

"He wanted to use a Koran that was special," said Mark Dimunation, chief of the rare book and special collections division at the Library of Congress, who was contacted by the Minnesota Dem early in December. Dimunation, who grew up in Ellison's 5th District, was happy to help.
(snip)

One person unlikely to be swayed by the book's illustrious history is Goode, who released a letter two weeks ago objecting to Ellison's use of the Koran. "I believe that the overwhelming majority of voters in my district would prefer the use of the Bible," the Virginia Republican told Fox News, and then went on to warn about what he regards as the dangers of Muslims immigrating to the United States and Muslims gaining elective office.

Yeah, but what about a Koran that belonged to one of the greatest Virginians in history? Goode, who represents Jefferson's birthplace of Albemarle County, had no comment yesterday.

Winger Radio Host Calls For Execution of Half of Congress

2007-01-03T06:09:00.000-08:00

World Net Daily

'Assassination' schedule announced for Congress
Radio-show host says leaders won't be allowed to 'betray' nation
Posted: December 6, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Hal Turner

A radio talk-show entertainer whose earlier statements that he "may" have to assassinate members of Congress if the wrong people were elected Nov. 7 now has set a timetable for those killings.

In a statement on his website, Hal Turner noted that a newspaper has reported that a bill granting amnesty to illegal aliens is expected to be enacted in January, when the Democratic Party takes control of the U.S. Senate and House.

"ANY MEMBER OF CONGRESS WHO INTRODUCES, CO-SPONSORS OR VOTES IN FAVOR OF ANY SUCH AMNESTY WILL BE DECLARED A DOMESTIC ENEMY AND WILL BE CONSIDERED A LEGITIMATE TARGET FOR ASSASSINATION," Turner posted on his website.

Go read the whole thing, it is scary as hell.

Government by Inclusion

2007-01-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually into retrospection, but in moving stuff around the house today, getting ready for my housemates' knee replacement surgery tomorrow, I started thinking about "inclusion" i.e. just making sure he could continue to be a part of the home, part of his life.

Inclusion is the way I've always thought about how religion in the United States of America should be.... everyone welcomed, none pushed away.

But maybe I've been selling inclusion short.

The opposite of inclusion is...

To seclude...

se·clude /sɪˈklud/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[si-klood] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–verb (used with object), -clud·ed, -clud·ing. 1. to place in or withdraw into solitude; remove from social contact and activity, etc.
2. to isolate; shut off; keep apart: They secluded the garden from the rest of the property.

I look forward this Thursday to be included in how my government works. Smiling my butt off over the fact that I in Indiana, can watch Joe Donnelly swear in front of Men and Country to uphold these truths....

Because I have a television, I can see this. Because I have a computer I can discuss it.

I am hopeful

We are past the days of secluded men in secluded offices deciding our lives. Tearing open the veil, poking our oh so ready heads thru, we are part of the cogs now.

We are an integral component of the machine.

Welcome to the beginnings of our government........

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish.

2007-01-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a small "township" right next to St Marys' & Notre Dame in South Bend called Roseland. For the past few years the town council has been run roughshod by some strange bullies, Dorothy & Dave Snyder.
Intimidation, bending and twisting of rules and downright silliness has been the hallmark of the 3 person council that the couple dominated.

It's finally over with Ms Snyder stepping down, but of course she had to get one last bizarro dig in...

Roseland ends year in squabble

Dorothy Snyder files police report against successor.

KEN BRADFORD
Tribune Staff Writer

The new year will bring new leadership to the Roseland Town Council.

Before the new board takes over, there's going to be one more squabble involving Dorothy Snyder.

Her term as board president expired at midnight Sunday.

But in one of her last acts, she has filed a police report against Ted Penn, who was elected in November to replace her on the three-person board.

She said Sunday that she filed the report with the Indiana State Police because she received a letter from Penn that she found "intimidating and hostile."

Penn said the whole episode is shameful and is an example of why outsiders make fun of the town.
(snip)
The latest trouble began when Penn asked two town police officers to deliver a letter to Dorothy Snyder on Friday night.

In the letter, Penn quoted state law saying Dorothy Snyder should deliver to him on Jan. 1 "all government items and all paperwork" in her possession.

Dorothy Snyder was bothered by the demanding tone.

By having two uniformed officers appear at her door after dark to deliver the letter, he was attempting to intimidate her, she said.

Penn asked the town police to deliver the letter because it is related to official town business and "because there's a potential for stress between David and I," he said.

According to Penn, Dorothy Snyder asked the town police officers to file charges against Penn because it was a threatening letter.

The officers reportedly read the letter, told her they saw no threatening language and told her they saw no need to file a report.

According to Penn, she then accused them of insubordination and asked Town Marshal Mike Howell to suspend them both.

Honestly, what would you really expect from a person who has a town resident ejected from a meeting because they said "Amen" at the end of the pledge of allegiance too loud?

Toodles Dot, don't let the....... (you know)

2007.... Ya know it's gotta be better....

2006-12-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

A Polish Blessing for 2007

". May the land be fertile beneath your feet.
May your days be gentle as the sun-kissed dew.
May your hand be outstretched to all you meet.
And may all men say "Brother" When they speak to you.
Na Zdrowie

And an Irish one as well.....

May your feet never sweat,
your neighbor give you ne're a treat.
When flowers bloom, I hope you'll not sneeze,
and may you always have someone to sqeeze!

Please don't let on that you knew me when......

2006-12-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

From The Unapologetic Mexican

Pugnacious Pols & Pundits for 2007!!!!

2006-12-31T05:58:00.000-08:00

2007? The year of fighting back.

Remember this guy? The first shooter across the bow.....

Why have we allowed the dialogue of politics to degrade to a point where you have to state who you are and explain why you are the way you are. It’s a waste of time. It’s ridiculous.
When I walk into the courthouse, when you walk into the courthouse there is not and should not be a form where you check off and it says, “I’m gay. I’m straight. I’m bi. I’m not sure.”
We as Democrats have facilitated that conversation by allowing, what I call the radical right, to politicize. It’s just stupid. Gay Americans. Straight Americans. We’re all the same. We all get the same rights.
Anybody who wants to say that there’s a litmus test on who gets rights and who doesn’t get rights based on their sexuality, it’s just un-American. And that’s how I view it.

Shorter Paul Hackett, "Jeez that's stupid."
Hmmm, how about this guy?

"Since 2003, President Bush has laid out nine different plans for victory in Iraq, none of them serious and none of them workable. And most seriously, this incompetence has hindered our ability to fight international terror,"

Shorter Jim Webb, "The president is stupid."

Or this gal?

Well you know, I think that‘s the problem. I mean, we went in there—you know, the height of irresponsibility is going into a conflict like that with the kind of problems internally that were there, without any plan for peace.

Shorter Claire McCaskill, "What the president did is stupid."

Things are shifting with out pundits also.....

In ya face Tucker!!!

Maddow: This is a global war on terror. This is a war for you or for us to win. You need patience...He sounds like Ken Mehlman when he’s saying that only less gay. I mean this is ridiculous.

Shorter Rachel Maddow, "Of course Mehlman is gay you stupid bow-tie wearing dweeb!"

Oooooh, Whap, Slap,Snip, SNAP!!

Schecter:"Your party is a party of criminals and predators"

Shorter Cliff Schecter, "I'm not stupid and neither are the viewers, Noron!!"

And of course, Madam Speaker.....

The fact is that there is no Ethics Committee.
It has been completely gutted by the Republicans.

And this should be a cause of great outrage in the country.

What the Republicans are saying is:
"We are above the law. Because we are above the law, we may decide on our own to take the law into our own hands when it comes to your personal decisions in your lives, but for us, we are above the law."

No shorter version for Ms Pelosi. Pretty succinct.

We're not taking it any more. We're not even gonna pretend to take it.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as “his” troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

And this is only the beginning.......

Sweet Pickles are SATAN!!!!!

2006-12-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

Deep Fried Pickles Recipe

24 dill pickle spears, chilled
Egg wash, recipe follows
Breading, recipe follows
Canola oil, for frying
Ranch dressing, recipe follows

Using only very cold dill pickle spears, dip pickle into egg wash and then coat with breading. Repeat until no pickles remain, and arrange dipped pickles on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
In a deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees F. Alternatively, heat oil in a large, heavy pot suitable for deep-frying. Carefully add chilled pickle spears, in batches, to the hot oil and fry for about 3 1/2 minutes or until golden. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve with Ranch Dressing.

Egg Wash:
2 cups milk
2 eggs
Pinch lemon pepper
Pinch dill weed
Pickle juice
Breading:
2 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lemon pepper
1/2 cup dill weed
4 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic salt
Pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

For egg wash: In a baking dish, whisk all ingredients together, except pickle juice. Add pickle juice, to taste, and whisk to combine.

For breading: Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.

Ranch Dressing:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 garlic clove, minced
Mayonnaise

In a large mixing bowl, stir all ingredients together, except mayonnaise. Add mayonnaise, as needed, to thicken. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Gherkins of Info.....

2006-12-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

NYT

December 30, 2006
U.S. Official Overseeing Oil Program Faces Inquiry
By EDMUND L. ANDREWS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 29 — The Justice Department is investigating whether the director of a multibillion-dollar oil-trading program at the Interior Department has been paid as a consultant for oil companies hoping for contracts.

The director of the program and three subordinates, all based in Denver, have been transferred to different jobs and have been ordered to cease all contacts with the oil industry until the investigation is completed some time next spring, according to officials involved.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation had not been announced publicly, said investigators were worried that senior government officials had been steering huge oil-trading contracts to favored companies.

South Bend Tribune

December 30. 2006 6:59AM

County pares staff by 19 jobs
Thin budget, hard decisions behind housekeeper layoffs.

JOSEPH DITS
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- On the Thursday before Christmas, 19 workers who clean offices for the county learned they're losing their part-time jobs as of Jan. 1.
It will leave the county with 11 people to do housekeeping.

Wilma Mathes is among those who've lost their jobs.
"Everyone is bothered by it," she says of her co-workers. "This is the only job for some of them."
She says she's found another job. But it pays $1 less than her $7.07 hourly wage with the county, and it doesn't offer the health insurance she had through the county, Mathes says.

This, county officials say, is one of the prices of a budget that needed to be balanced. So, too, is the fact that some office workers will have to sweep up after themselves.

"We cannot sustain our spending level anymore," says county Auditor Michael Eby. "We're being asked to do more and more with less and less."

He says the St. Joseph County Council adopted the 2007 budget -- and a reduced housekeeping budget -- in September.

Among the many reasons for the thin budget, officials have cited the rising costs of fuel, utilities and housing juveniles in state correctional facilities.

This is a total shame!! The county is paying these people $7 an hour, and they can't afford it?!? The real money buster here (hidden in the article) is the health insurance. Over and over we're told that health insurance costs are unduly burdening small businesses, but what about the burden on government groups like this? I'm sure the health insurance costs for these people was a large percentage of whatever measly income they brought home. Now who will pay for their health care costs?
You guessed it, still us, but at a higher amount. Catch-22 kids.

You knew it was gonna happen....

December deadliest month for U.S. in Iraq in 2 yrs
30 Dec 2006 15:15:12 GMT

BAGHDAD, Dec 30 (Reuters) - December became the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq in two years after the U.S. military reported six more combat deaths, leaving the tally just two short of the emotive 3,000 mark.

Three U.S. marines died on Thursday from wounds suffered in combat in Iraq's western Anbar province. One soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in northwest Baghdad and another soldier was killed in Anbar on Friday, the military said on Saturday.

Another statement announced the death of a U.S. soldier killed by a roadside bomb in southwest Baghdad on Friday.

The latest deaths take the number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq since the invasion of March 2003 to 2,998, according to icasualties.org, a Web site that tracks U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The number who died in December is now 109, three more than the previous high this year in October, and the highest since November 2004 when 137 U.S. servicemen and women died.

Interesting New Group

2006-12-30T09:22:00.000-08:00

Got chatting with Ron McBride about his new group

Inspired by the presidential campaign of Howard Dean, and his Democracy for America, WeDemocrats was founded in October 2006 as a political action committee and coalition of progressive groups, dedicated to supporting fiscally responsible, socially progressive candidates at all levels of government—from school board to the presidency. WeDemocrats.org fights against the influence of the far right-wing and their radical, divisive policies and the selfish special interests that for too long have dominated our politics.

"Our goal is to establish coordinators at all county and state levels, for the purpose of providing support to help local grassroots chapters coordinate with Democratic leaders, in other words we will be the coordinators for grassroots in the field, while we continue with our stated educational path. I know that local groups, at present may stay in contact with state organizations but in most cases there is no coordination in efforts to elect more than a local candidate, we will fill this void. In addition there are well over 3,000 counties in the US. We will fill this void." said Ron McBride, publisher of We! The People.

"WeDemocrats.org joins with PDA, Grassroots for America, the Progressive Principles Project and DFA in their long-term goals to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up—it will take time, but we must start building a base now for the future," he said.

With a current membership of over 1,708 democrats in the first eleven weeks , WeDemocrats is growing daily as concerned progressives band together to contribute to redirecting the American political train. The organization has three sites on the Internet where this valuable work is moving forward. The home page of WeDemocrats, a blog site, and now, a magazine where the members can make their voices heard, not just to other members but to the people of the United States.

We! Opens its first issue with more than ten timely topical articles written by progressives from all walks of life. The concerns of the progressive democrats of America will be presented in every issue.

"We! Will go out to every politician with a computer and every democrat who has an interest in taking the reins of control in hand. The hands of the Party of the People. It is our voice. The issues that concern us will fill its pages." Antinoro said. "We! will join Progressive Democrats of America, Democracy for America and other progressives in bringing about positive change from the bottom up."

We Democrats

Finishing Up A Few Things This AM

2006-12-30T07:55:00.001-08:00

Shouldn't take long......

George W Bush Monument Fundraising Letter

2006-12-29T19:22:00.000-08:00

Just got in my email.

Dear Friend,
I have the distinguished honor of being named to the committee to raise $5,000,000 for a monument to George W. Bush. I am contacting you in hopes you will be willing to contribute to this noble cause. But first, a little about what the committee has been doing to date.

We originally wanted to put him on Mount Rushmore, until we discovered that there was not enough room for two more faces. We then decided to erect a statue of George in the Washington, DC Hall of Fame. We were in a quandary as to where the statue should be placed. It was not proper to place it beside the statue of George Washington, who never told a lie, or beside Richard Nixon, who never told the truth, since George could never tell the difference.

We finally decided to place it beside Christopher Columbus, the greatest Republican of all. He left not knowing where he was going, and when he got there he did not know where he was. He returned not knowing where he had been, decimated the well-being of the majority of the population while he was there, and did it all on someone else's money.

Thank you.
~~Donald H Rumsfeld~~ Sean Hannity
George W. Bush Monument Committee

P. S. The Committee has raised $1.35 so far. So please be generous.

Friday Night Ska

2006-12-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

Weird day. Never hurts to ska yourself into the weekend....

More, more and more.....

Pawn Indiana Inc

2006-12-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

From My Friend D Honig

Mendacious Mitchs' Indiana For Sale

2006-12-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

One of the major points behind NOT privatizing social services for Americas' citizens is oversight. (did that sound calm? good.) That's all the calm you get.

First, I outlined some of the problems and bs that ensued with Mr Daniels conversion of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to be run by a private company here.

Sounds pretty crappy, eh? Problems on top of problems.
Did he learn his lesson? What do you think?

Mitch Daniels Outlines Plans to Privatize Lottery
By kpaul
Posted on Thu Dec 14, 2006 at 09:17:23 PM EST

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Governor Mitch Daniels today proposed to transform higher education in Indiana by creating a new scholarship for top Hoosier students who remain in-state after graduation, as well as a fund that will enhance the state's key knowledge-based industries by bringing world-class researchers and scholars to Indiana's public universities. (snip)

The governor proposed franchising the Hoosier Lottery for a fixed term to a contractor, which would operate the Lottery while continuing current payment levels to the state. The state would license and regulate the operator, as it does today with casinos and horse tracks that are run by private companies.

(snip)
According to other news reports, the proposal has caught some people by surprise.

Dan Parker, Indiana Democratic Party Chair, was quoted in Inside Indiana Business as saying, "We don't know for how long he wants to lease the Lottery or whether he'd allow a private company to expand gambling in our state to make a higher profit. All we know is that he's decided he wants to sell off a profit-generating agency to a private company."

Okay, stupid but not crazy, right?

Daniels clears welfare privatization
Critics worry about outsourcing $1.16 billion in services for needy.

MIKE SMITH
Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday signed a controversial $1.16 billion contract to pay a team led by IBM Corp. to help run programs for food stamps, Medicaid and other assistance for the needy.

The contract calls for the state to pay the team the money over 10 years to help process applications for the programs and lend technical support to the state's Family and Social Services Administration, which now handles the work.

The decision to move forward with the plan comes after months of discussions and review and strong criticism by some Democrats, caseworkers, union representatives and advocates for the needy.

"For taxpayers, a billion dollars of savings," Daniels said in a news release. "For recipients, better service and a better chance to escape welfare for the world of work and self-reliance. No decision we've made is more clearly in the public interest."

Critics have said the state should not outsource services for the needy to a for-profit company.

They worry that Indiana might encounter some of the same problems as other states that opted for private vendors. That includes Texas, where some applicant benefits have been delayed.

So, how did the Texas, version turn out?

John Young: Texas's privatization disaster

Sunday, May 14, 2006

AUSTIN — It’s one of Texas’ biggest stories in years. Too bad few Texans know about it.

It’s the great Texas Push-Button Bureaucracy-Eliminating Paper-Pusher Massacre (TPBBEPPM). I made that name up but not the debacle that state policymakers now face. It’s a mess they’re hoping will slide right past your nose.

It was part of a massive privatized effort to change how Texas grants food stamps, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Texans were told in 2003 that privatization of social services not only would save taxpayers money but serve more needy people.

This came under a massive restructuring of social services and a creature called TIERS — Texas Integrated Eligibility Redesign System.

The concept dates back to the ’90s and George Bush’s time in the governor’s mansion. The objective: to hand state services en masse to private contractors. They would use computers and distant call centers to do the jobs that a community-based state workforce has done in eligibility centers around Texas.

TIERS was derailed for a while in part by the Clinton administration, which was skeptical that it would get the job done. Most of these are federal benefits after all.

In 2003, no such obstacle remained. Bush was where Clinton had been. And the GOP controlled Texas government. Promising big savings to taxpayers, lawmakers went whole hog on privatization.

The big winner from all of this was Bermuda-based Accenture LLP.

Having won contracts elsewhere, including a voter-purge list in Florida used in the 2000 presidential elections, Accenture led a consortium which won an $899 million contract to replace Texas’ system of determining eligibility for state services.

Last week, after massive backlogs and interminable waits for people needing help at pilot sites in Travis and Hays counties, state Health and Human Service Commissioner Albert Hawkins told Accenture to clean up its act. Meanwhile, affected eligibility centers were returning to pre-Accenture procedures. Under privatization, applications routed through a clearinghouse in Midland were backing things up like hair down a drain.

The state advised 2,000 state eligibility workers that their jobs either were going away or they would need to reapply, in many cases requiring them to relocate.

Now, with all the delays, and with some applications that appeared to vanish after reaching Midland, the state has said “Not so fast” to at least 1,000 of the previously unneeded employees.

We all like to deride paper pushers and bureaucracy, but when it comes to administering state services, paper-pushing is what it takes — or at least sufficient numbers of human hands to keep things straight.
(snip)

In some ways, this mess has the look of another rush-into-the-fray, go-with-your-gut, on-the-cheap endeavor: like Operation Iraqi Freedom.

How appealing it is to put our trust in a hunch and think that government can do something massive and fundamental with minimal investment, particularly of the human kind.

Governing — whether administering food stamps in Texas or remaking a war-shattered country — is a lot more complicated than awarding bids.

I'm aware this is not new, the "privatizing of the government", but right now, right here in Indiana you have a stunningly clear case of it happening as we watch it. In my section of Indiana, people are not happy about this, most vocally calling for the privatization of the Governors' office (heh).

The Republicans and Business Neo-Cons think they are going to get away with this and dismantle the interior workings of the system so totally that no Democrat can put the pieces back together.

We all know exactly what it is they want.

And how good is Mitch at predicting costs?

Not So Much.

MITCH DANIELS

Role In Going To War: Mitch Daniels was the director of the Office of Management and Budget from January 2001 through June of 2003. In this capacity, he was responsible for releasing the initial budget estimates for the Iraq War which he pegged at $50 to $60 billion. The estimated cost of the war, including the full economic ramifications, is approaching $1 trillion. [MSNBC, 3/17/06]

Where He Is Now: In 2004, Daniels was elected Governor of Indiana. [USA Today, 11/3/04]

Key Quote: Mitch Daniels had said the war would be an “affordable endeavor” and rejected an estimate by the chief White House economic adviser that the war would cost between $100 billion and $200 billion as “very, very high.” [Christian Science Monitor, 1/10/06]

Cross posted at Daily Kos

June thru Dec 2006 Bushisms

2006-12-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

"This business about graceful exit just simply has no realism to it at all."-responding to speculation that American forces could be called back from Iraq, Amman, Jordan, Nov. 30, 2006

"No doubt in my mind, with your help, Dave Lamberti will be the next United States congressman."-speaking at a campaign rally for Jeff Lamberti, Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006.

"You know, when I campaigned here in 2000, I said, I want to be a war President. No President wants to be a war President, but I am one."-Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 26, 2006

"This morning my administration released the budget numbers for fiscal 2006. These budget numbers are not just estimates; these are the actual results for the fiscal year that ended February the 30th."-referring to the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006.

"One has a stronger hand when there's more people playing your same cards."-Washington, D.C., Oct. 11, 2006

"You're one of the outstanding leaders in a very important part of the world. I want to thank you for strategizing our discussions."-Meeting with the prime minister of Malaysia, New York, Sept. 18, 2006

"The goals of this country is to enhance prosperity and peace."-Speaking at the White House Conference on Global Literacy, New York, Sept. 18, 2006
.

"You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."-Interview with CBS News, Washington D.C., Sept. 6, 2006

"And I suspect that what you'll see, Toby, is there will be a momentum, momentum will be gathered. Houses will begat jobs, jobs will begat houses." -Speaking with reporters along the Gulf Coast, Gulfport, Miss., Aug. 28, 2006

"And the question is, are we going to be facile enough to change with-will we be nimble enough; will we be able to deal with the circumstances on the ground? And the answer is, yes, we will."-Washington, D.C., July 25, 2006

"One thing is clear, is relations between America and Russia are good, and they're important that they be good."-Strelna, Russia, July 15, 2006

"We shouldn't fear a world that is more interacted."-Washington, D.C., June 27, 2006.

"I've reminded the prime minister-the American people, Mr. Prime Minister, over the past months that it was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship."-Washington, D.C., June 29, 2006

"I tell people, let's don't fear the future, let's shape it."-Omaha, Neb., June 7, 2006

.
"I think-tide turning-see, as I remember-I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of-it's easy to see a tide turn-did I say those words?"-Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

President Bush: Peter. Are you going to ask that question with shades on?
Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times: I can take them off.
Bush: I'm interested in the shade look, seriously.
Wallsten: All right, I'll keep it, then.
Bush: For the viewers, there's no sun.
Wallsten: I guess it depends on your perspective.
Bush: Touché.
-Exchange with legally blind reporter Peter Wallsten, to whom Bush later apologized, Washington, D.C., June 14, 2006

'Cause You Were Dying To Know.....

2006-12-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Bush family exchanges Christmas presents

President gives first lady earrings, receives biking shoes

Updated: 7:11 p.m. ET Dec 26, 2006
CRAWFORD, Texas - President Bush gave his wife citrine earrings for Christmas to match the triple-strand, amber-colored necklace he presented her last month for her birthday, a White House spokesman said Tuesday.

First lady Laura Bush gave her husband, who is an avid mountain biker, biking shoes, a blue suit and the new Sam Moore CD "Overnight Sensational," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.

Each year the Bush family draws names to give gifts to other members, and this year the first couple drew the president's parents, former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara.

They donated mosquito bed nets through malarianomore.org in the former president's name, Stanzel said.

Two quick observations-
Isn't it kinda tacky to give the First Lady of the US a semi-precious stone, let
alone one of the low-tier semi-precious ones? I mean, c'mon!!! Citrine?
Not enough time to pick out a nice emerald or some sparkley diamonds? And the
earrings to match the necklace he gave her last month? Isn't that like giving her
one shoe of a pair, then SUPRISE giving her the other?

Second, I thought people picked names to gift in large families mostly for time
and money contraints. Not enough staff in the Bush dynasty to toss off a nice
sofa throw to Jeb and his wife? No new Ipod (money green) to the twins? Sad.

***********************************************************************************
Update

Malaria No More

But of course, it's run by Bushites......

John Bridgeland, CEO
- Biography
John Bridgeland is also President & CEO of Civic Enterprises. He was a Teaching Fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he offered a class on Presidential Decision Making. Most recently, Mr. Bridgeland served as Assistant to the President of the United States and the first Director of the USA Freedom Corps. In that role, he coordinated more than $1 billion in domestic and international service initiatives and worked with non-profits, corporations and schools to foster a culture of service in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Prior to that, Bridgeland served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House. Bridgeland graduated with honors in government from Harvard University and received his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law.

Conservatives may resign from board if DeLay hired as lobbyist;

2006-12-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

Oh my jeebus, this is sweet....

Say Buh Bye....

Novak: Conservatives may resign from board if DeLay hired as lobbyist; Obama running in 2008

Ron Brynaert
Published: Monday December 25, 2006 .

In a Christmas Eve column for the Chicago Sun-Times, conservative columnist Robert Novak claims he has heard of potential resignations of board members at the American Conservative Union, should former GOP Texas Congressman Tom DeLay, who was indicted on state campaign finance charges, be hired as a lobbyist for the organization.

"Buckle Up Boys, It's Gonna Be A Bumpy Night (year)."

2006-12-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

Bumpy Night Indeed.

Bush is bracing for new scrutiny
White House hiring lawyers in expectation of Democratic probes
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis

Originally published December 26, 2006
WASHINGTON //
President Bush is bracing for what could be an onslaught of investigations by the new Democratic-led Congress by hiring lawyers to fill key White House posts and preparing to play defense on countless document requests and possible subpoenas.
Bush is moving quickly to fill vacancies within his stable of lawyers, though White House officials say there are no plans to drastically expand the legal staff to deal with a flood of oversight.

Still, in the days after the elections, the White House announced that Bush had hired two replacements to plug holes in his counsel's office, including one lawyer, Christopher G. Oprison, who is a specialist in handling white-collar investigations. A third hire was securities law specialist Paul R. Eckert, whose duties include dealing with the Office of the Special Counsel. Bush is in the process of hiring a fourth associate counsel, said Emily A. Lawrimore, a White House spokeswoman.

Republicans close to Bush say any such moves would not come until the White House sees how aggressive Democrats are in trying to pry the lid off the inner workings of the administration.

"They just think it's inevitable that there will be some investigations that will tie up some time and attention," said Charles Black, a strategist with close ties to the White House. But there's no panic in the ranks of Bush's team, he added. "They don't think they have anything to hide."

Bush still must do what he can now -- before Democrats take over the majority in Congress next month -- to prepare, legal specialists say.

"At a time like this, the experienced people in the White House view themselves as in a race they hope to win, of organizing and coordinating their defenses to have them in place in time to slow down or resist oversight before the oversight can get organized," said Charles Tiefer of the University of Baltimore Law School, a former House counsel and veteran of congressional investigations.

Democrats' stated intention to conduct more rigorous oversight of the Bush administration "simply will mean that [White House officials] need a few more people to manage the paper flow," Brown said.

Corallo and Barbara Comstock, another Republican public-relations executive with broad experience in Hill investigations, are launching a crisis-communications firm to serve officials and corporations who, Corallo said, could end up as "drive-by victims" in a new round of probes.

Democrats are reluctant to reveal their investigative plans, but they have made it plain that they want to conduct more oversight of the Bush administration.

Yule Log

2006-12-25T07:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemi sphere.

Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

By accepting these greetings, you are accepting the aforementioned terms as stated. This greeting is not subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the
wishes for herself/himself/others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent
holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

For My Non-Politician Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Reason For The Season

2006-12-24T13:13:00.000-08:00

From Jesus' Generals' site

For Our Jewish Brethern....

2006-12-23T08:10:00.000-08:00

I'm working overnites this weekend, and then I get a flat on the way home.

Too tired to be snarky.

Here ya go....

I Actually Own This On Red Collectors Vinyl!

2006-12-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

It may seem goofy, but I love the way their voices sound together.

Friday Fuh?

2006-12-22T12:41:00.001-08:00

Not for us!!!!

Oh. Gotta go see if my cats can do this shit.... woow.

'NYT' Sunday Preview: Sen. Jim Webb Says Story on Rift With Bush 'Emanated from the White House'

2006-12-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

They are playing games with the wrong guy.

By E&P Staff

Published: December 22, 2006 12:40 PM ET

NEW YORK In an interview with Deborah Solomon that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, the newly-elected U.S. senator from Virginia, Jim Webb, discusses his recent widely-publicized exchange with President Bush over an Iraq pullout.

At a recent White House reception the president had asked about Webb's son, who is serving in Iraq. Webb suggested that troops should start coming home from Iraq, and Bush snapped back, "I didn't ask you that."

Webb calls the coverage of that "vastly overblown" but adds: "I think what I said was appropriate." He also stated, "This was something that emanated from the White House. I did not say anything about this for two weeks. I said nothing publicly at all."

So why did the White House push the issue? "Probably as an attempt to try to define me between the election and the beginning of the Congress," Webb replied "And that's all I am going to say."

Honestly, they really are stupid. What in the world did they think was going to happen? Webb haul off and bitchslap the chimperor? (we can dream)

They totally are out of their league with Webb, and they'd be remiss to forget it.
Webbs' not gonna even pretend to take it.

Yipes!!! I Always Think Of God When I Watch "Rambo"!

2006-12-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

San Francisco Gate

An unexpected pair: God and 'Rocky'
Stallone promotes 6th installment of series as family film, speaks about renewed faith
Joe Garofoli, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

After 30 years of onscreen carnage, resulting in a triple-digit body count, Sylvester Stallone is promoting his new "Rocky Balboa" by talking up his rediscovery of Christianity. In conference calls with religious leaders over the past few weeks -- and with the help of a marketing expert who promoted Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" -- Stallone said he thinks Hollywood should make more movies the whole family can see.

Like, say, "Rocky Balboa," which opens today -- 21 years after Stallone's character killed 57 people in "Rambo: First Blood, Part II."

"We need the God-fearing script, the script that really deals with compassion and deals with the word of Jesus and God, and believe me, people will rally behind it because we need it," Stallone said in a late November conference call to Christian leaders. "It's like, you watch some of the films, they only save these kinds of films for Christmas."
(snip)

And Stallone promised religious leaders that he will evangelize while promoting "Rocky Balboa" on the talk show circuit. "I do plan to get out that this is a film with great spirituality, this is a film that to me was driven home by the guidance of God," Stallone said. However, he didn't mention such an influence during recent interviews on National Public Radio and on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Eh, not so much.....

This Day In HISTORY!!!!!

2006-12-20T15:21:00.000-08:00

Something happened this day in history in 1968.... lemme see if I can remember...

1790: American cotton producer Samuel Slater opens the first American cotton mill.

1803: France formally transfers authority over the territory of Louisiana to the United States.

1820: Missouri passes legislation that taxes single men, aged 21 to 50, one dollar.

1860: South Carolina becomes the first state to secede from the United States, following the victory of Republican Abraham Lincoln in the presidential election.

1880: In New York City, electric lights are installed on Broadway.

1922: The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is formed.

God that's boring..... let me check some more...

Born on This Day

Branch Rickey, American baseball executive (1881)

Harvey Firestone, American industrialist (1868)

(Jack) John Christiansen, American football player (1928)

Yikes... double snore...

The archer is the symbol of Sagittarians. Sagittarians are thought to be friendly, philosophical, and optimistic. Though they need freedom, they tend to be fairly conventional. They respect honesty in all its forms.

Okay, this might commemorate the day properly....

Happy Birthday Twit!!! I remember it well!!!
(they should have named you Patrick, okay? Just sayin...)

Is $100M Guantanamo Courthouse Necessary?

2006-12-19T07:46:00.000-08:00

Heh. My tax dollars at work.

Pentagon's Plans For Another Facility To Try 60 People Are Questioned

(CBS) The U.S. government already has a courthouse at Guantanamo Bay, but the Pentagon isn't satisfied, CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson reports. It plans to spend $100 million of your tax dollars to build a huge new facility just down the hill.

"This is very expensive for the number of cases, 60, which they anticipate trying," says Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Sipping Pickle Juice Hits A Milestone!!!

2006-12-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

Visitor #69 on the sitemeter!!!

Just sayin....