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Election Results

Why do I just get this sinking feeling it's gonna be a nail-biter?

Technorati Tags: election, election2008, gobama

QotD

Richard Clarke on Olbermann referring to today's Senate Intelligence Report on how the Bush administration lied us into war:

I just don't think we can let these people back into polite society [...] and just pretend this didn't happen. [...] Someone should have to pay.

Um, can I get an AMEN?

Toothpaste Tubes

It's official: the GOP is 100% gay.

After the two men apparently had sex, Castagna allegedly left the hotel room with Curtis’ wallet, the report says. Curtis agreed to give the man $200, which he left at his hotel’s desk, only to be confronted with a demand for an additional $800, the report says.

Spokane Police Detective Tim Madsen wrote in his report that Curtis wanted to keep the whole incident quiet. At one point, Madsen told Curtis that “the toothpaste was already out of the tube.”

Separation Anxiety

Link:

WASHINGTON, DC—A confused President Bush broke free from the restraint of Secret Service agents this morning and ran in pursuit of departing deputy chief of staff Karl Rove's car for several blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue before being outdistanced by the vehicle.

Remembering Falwell

I don't take any particular joy in his death, but I do know if I'd met him yesterday, he'd of deemed me immoral and doomed me to hell. So, well, fuck him.

You can Google around as well as I can to find out what an awful human being he was, but here's a few in memorandum.

"I hope I live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!" (you didn't!)

"AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals."

"I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians ... the A.C.L.U., People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen.'"

(in reference to 9-11) "God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve."

"Textbooks are Soviet propaganda."

"The whole global warming thing is created to destroy America's free enterprise system and our economic stability."

"Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions."

Oh, and let's not forget his crusade against Tinky-Winky, the purple Teletubby turning your children teh gay.

[ UPDATE: Heh. There's a postmortem protest at 18th & Castro tonight. Hey, boys -- shouldn't you be saving this for Phelps? ]

Technorati Tags: jerry falwell

Road to Redemption Chart

Hmmm... work in progress, but starting a chart here on America's favorite export: blame.

Iraq'd

Seeing as The Decider has decided he can't bother himself with these pesky things during the holidays, it's important to remember that whatever happens, even if there's an army of magical peace unicorns in waiting, the pattern will continue to repeat itself:

1. Declare that we must stay in Iraq to prevent some Bad Thing from happening.

2. Bad Thing happens anyway.

3. Declare that we must stay in Iraq to prevent some Worse Thing from happening.

4. Worse Thing happens anyway.

5. Reiterate sequence.

At no point does the “Sensible Center” consider that the previous failures implicate our ability to fulfill the new mission, which is always paradoxically grander in scale while being a retreat from previous ambitions.

Karl Rove takes bath with toaster

Well, at least he should be.

But, I will not gloat.

Okay, perhaps a little. People I no longer have to suffer:

• "Man-on-dog" Rick Santorum.
• Mike DeWine
• Ken Blackwell
• Richard Pombo
• George Allen
• Gov Pataki
• Gov Romney
• Jon Kyl
• Katherine Harris
• Conrad Burns

Oh, yeah, and Rumsfeld. Buh-bye.

Please, oh God please, let the door hit you on the way out.

*happy dance*

And "liberal" media? We got you too -- we took both houses.

Thankfully, sycophant Lieberman will suck up to the Democrats now that they're in the majority.

My hit list for the next election(s):

• James Inhofe
• Marilyn Musgrave
• Tubemeister Stevens
• Sam Brownback
• "I attack limbless vets!" Saxby Chambliss
• Tom "illegal abortions" Coburn
• John Cornyn
• Peter King
• Saint McCain
• Trent Lott
• Obvious Alzheimer victim, Jim Bunning
• ...and Droopy Dog, Joe Lieberman

But I will not gloat.

Sorry, MSNBC...

Sonny's a Republican. The makes-your-skin-crawl variety.

I know...

...paying attention to the returns as they come in will only upset me, but at least "man-on-dog" Santorum will be gone. (Glenn Beck just compared Santorum to Churchill. o-kay.) Musgrave possibly. DeWine probably. Sen. Macaca's gonna be one of those we may still be guessing tomorrow morning. And I'll still have to live with Arnold.

And that freak of nature Ken Blackwell lost in Ohio. (You know, the one that helped steal the 2004 election in Ohio for Bush.)

I know it's gonna be a long night: the results, me, and too much beer. I only hope I'm doing a drunken happy dance before I call it.

If you haven't voted yet, you've got til 8... move yer ass.

Yer Murkah

This is your America:

http://bitingbeaver.blogspot.com/2006/09/morality-clauses-ec-and-broken-condoms.html

Folks, the condom broke Friday night and I searched all weekend for someone who could prescribe me EC. It is now Monday and I have to report that I have been unable to find anyone who will write me a fucking prescription for EC. None of the hospitals in the surrounding counties would write it for me. I stopped my search at about 100 miles from my home because my telephone book wouldn't take me out any further than that.

I have been asked about my sexual practices. Whether I'm 'monogamous' or 'in a relationship' if I'm married, if I have kids, how many kids I have, if I was raped or 'traumatized' but there wasn’t' ONE question about my health. Not one. The few places that said that they had a doctor who would occasionally write prescriptions for EC told me that I had to ask for that doctor specifically and then they proceeded to tell me that I would be 'interviewed' to see if I meet that doctors 'criteria' and then they proceeded to ask me all the above questions before telling me that I should 'try anyway' and I 'might be able to talk him into it'.

Al and Ann, My Fav Fucktards

If you click on my fucktards category, turns out you can get a poster of Ann Coulter for the low, low price of $4.87! She's as emaciated and skeletal as you please. What a steal!

I have this theory that Ann really needs some black cock. Specifically, Al Sharpton's. I know, you're gonna have to work with me on this one, but I think we can reduce political discourse in this country by 23.8% if we just all look the other way while Al anally violates Ann. (I conducted a scientifical study and all. Real scientifical. Wait.. remember.. I said work with me. Oh, and I asked. Turns out Ann LIVES for this kinda action -- "hard, rough, and forget lube! Only Satan-worshiping Bin-Laden lovin' Democrats use ass lube!" Uh, her words, not mine.)

Thankfully, an Al Sharpton for President 2008 sticker can be had for only $3.95.

Get both.

Recommended activity: pin the giant black wang on the boney pus-filled ass.

When the Leeves Broke

Really, just sad.

The PR campaign was just gross. Bush, Cheney showing up -- many days after the fact -- trying to look involved. Thankfully, a few noticed:

"George Bush doesn't care about black people." - Kayne West

"I thought it'd be poetic justice if I quoted the Dick to the dick." (referring to Cheney's 'go fuck yourself' to Sen. Patrick Leahy.)
"Go fuck yourself, Mr. Cheney. Go fuck yourself."
- Dr. Ben Marble

"President Bush can kiss my ass.
The United States government can kiss my ass.
St. Bernard Parish can kiss my ass.
Even though there's not much left, there's enough to kiss.
- Cheryl Livaudas

So, they're angry. And they should be. See why.

So let me get this right...

Israel gets weapons on the cheap from the US then bombs the living daylights out of Lebanon. We give $30M in aid to Lebanon then Newsweek portrays Bush as a decisive leader "handling" the crisis in the Middle East.

37% approval.

Irony, RIP.

Disgusting

When UCSC Chancellor Denise Denton swan-dived to her death from the 42nd floor of a San Francisco apartment building, the media seemed, well -- confused -- of what to make of it.

Thankfully, Michelle Malkin has stepped forward to piss all over Denton's grave -- a grave which she may have helped create.

TAP:

You may have missed this story, but it's worth a look. It appears that Michelle Malkin is taking some heat from her compadres on the right because she failed to apologized after heaping a great deal of vitriol on a woman who subsequently committed suicide.

Well, now Malkin has lashed back at her critics. Her response? She smeared the dead woman again, calling her a "corruptocrat."

[...]

Vile. What's next? Ann Coulter, fresh from attacking the 9/11 widows/widowers, plagiarist?

Really, if there is a hell, these people are on the short list...

Stewart takes down Bill Bennett

I never know why Jon Stewart softballs some asshats then smartly annihilates others, but this segment over 'gay marriage' with Bill Bennett made my nipples hard.

"I disagree. It's a debate about whether you think gay people are part of the human condition or just a random fetish."

Let's Bomb Iran!

Sing Along!

Bombed Afghanistan, but gave up the Taliban,
Hey at least this rhymes with "stan" and that's enough to make a plan
To Bomb Iran! Bomb Bomb, Bomb... Let's Bomb Iran!
You're a commie if you doubt and my time is running out, To Bomb Iran, Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran!

$5000 Bounty

For Penn Jillette. DEAD.

But thems just jokes.

Loves me some wingnuts.

Down the Drain

Tom DeLay will not seek re-election.

Actually, this is not a good thing, as it would dealt him a crushing defeat in his backwater GOP stronghold come November. Apparently he is that smart.

But Tom still faces jail. And he's way more the power player than Abramhoff. I sincerely hope this doesn't derail his inevitable incarceration.

Ronnie Earle: do not back down. Put this asshole in jail.

Some love -- waxing Nostalgic.

Helen

After watching these clips yesterday with Helen Thomas going after Bush, and with her as a guest with Wolfman Blitz, I can come to only one conclusion: I'd totally bang her.

The Abu Ghraib Files

Salon's got 279 photos and 19 videos from Rummy's favorite little pet project in Iraq.

If you weren't disgusted enough, some choice quotes from the nutosphere:

[The US] "does not permit, tolerate, or condone torture under any circumstances"
- Condi Rice

"brilliant!"
- Rush Limbaugh

"more outraged by the outrage than we are by the treatment."
- Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)

"There was underwear on the head of one of them. We're not raping and killing anybody."
- Sean Hannity

"hazing"
"fraternity prank"
- Rush Limbaugh

"Clearly, more pictures of Abu Ghraib help the terrorists, as do Geneva Convention protections and civilian lawyers. So there’s no question the ACLU and the judges who side with them are terror allies."
- Bill O'Reilly

UPDATE 8:02pm: How could I forget the biggest fans?

"We do not torture"
- George W. Bush

"this new paradigm renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions."
- Alberto "Abu" Gonzales

Big Brother

Cue Rockwell...

US Marines: Wonkette - no; convicted Watergate felon G. Gordon Liddy -- YES!

Homeland Security notified of JCPenney Credit Card Payment

S. Dakota Legislation to Ban Most Abortions

Somebody's Watching, indeed.

New South Dakota License Plate

Well, at least they're trying to be 'hip'...



South Dakota passes abortion ban

AOL and Wingnuts

What is it with AOL and wingnuts? (Disclaimer: I used to work for them, so I have an account gratis.)

I've always noticed how AOL is just flooded with rabid, even violent, conservatives. It's the Mickey D's of the internets, I get that, but it's still got tens of millions of users.

Just a small sample of tonight:

A poll asking who did a better job in New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin or George W. Bush. 66% went for the Shrubbery. (Yes, the poll is retarded, as it should of really been two polls asking for the performance of each.) A CBS poll has 58% of Americans disapproving of W's response to Katrina. Why so lopsided?

A story about a Cindy Sheehan rally in NYC being shut down and a demonstrator being arrested for an "unauthorized sound device," sparked message board threads with such titles as:

• FUCK CINDY CUNT AND HER LIBS COWARD FAGGOTS
• 'BIG NOSE' DISGRACES SON!
• Sheehan rymes [sic] with Nazi
• Liberals will be the down fall of this nation
• BIN LADEN WOULD LOVE BIG NOSE CINDY
• CINDY SHEEHAN A NATIONAL DISGRACE
• Should have hanged the traitor
• Tired of this Sheehan Bitch
• ONLY SHOVED A BIT? SHE NEEDS A BULLET!

My favorite? A thread simply titled Whore. Ahhh.... my heart is full.

Sure, there was some more sane responses, but there was a lot of this crap. I mean, shitfuck, this woman's son is dead, and she's pissed off. How is patriotic to strip this woman's dignity?

Is the rise of Nazi Germany not taught in school anymore? Is Orwell banned in red states? Is irony dead?

This shit's just fucking scary. (And yes, I realize there's probably a correlation between AOL's demo and the Right's anti-intellectualism... but still)

W Wee-Wees

You know, for the last day I've been looking at this photo...

U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war.

...and I just can't it get it out of my head. Bush wrote "I think I may need a bathroom break?" to Condi. This is the leader of the "free" world -- telling Condi he needs a potty pit stop. Does he need permission? Did Condi excuse him? Why is it a question rather than a statement? (Few things are more absolute than the urge to take a piss.) Was it code for a quickie in the bathroom? Just unfuckingbelievable.

Obviously, he was bored in this meeting. (It was the UN after all, an organization he uses only when convenient.) But you voted for him. It's been 10 months and most of you are now against the Iraq war, think the fed fucked up the Katrina response, and his popularity is lower than Nixon during Watergate. BUT YOU VOTED FOR HIM! Where the hell were you in November? It's not like the Shrub went bad since re-election.

I just don't get it anymore.

Rehnquist Dead

Link

...and, yes, what's happening in New Orleans (and the entire Gulf Coast) is a terrible tragedy. Once I stop vomiting from the bungled federal response (it's apparently New Orleans' fault they don't own amphibious military vehicles), Chertoff blaming poor people for not owning escape Escalades, endless press conferences, and the staged photo ops (levee repairs, hugging dark people, aerial map "strategy" sessions), I'll have a lot to say about it.

You can donate to the Red Cross here.

Wingnuts are Fun!

OMG. This is the funniest thing I've seen in ages -- a comic depicting a bleak future run by liberals! (Ohhhh... scary!)

I mean, this is genius:

It is 2021, tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of 9/11. America is under oppression by ultra-liberal extremists which have yielded governing authority to the United Nations. It is up to an underground conservative group (known as F.O.I.L.) led by Sean Hannity, G. Gordon Liddy and Oliver North to thwart Ambassador Usama Bin Laden�s plans to nuke New York City.

Go ahead. Tell me that isn't the greatest comic ever... go ahead. :-)

I think this guy may have cornered the 2005 Schmeeve Tardo of the Year Award.

Vice President Moore? Oh, lord, this thing just kills. I'm buckled over here...

Fucking Brilliant

First, a few quotes:

Never met a Democrat he couldn't casually accuse of treason.

If she didn't have tits, she'd be stuck writing at Townhall.com.

Bilious Minnesotans led by someone who nicknamed himself "Hindrocket."

Site gives off a strong scent of roast pork.

...he's described himself as a "law and order conservative" (code for putting blacks in jail) and praised torturing prisoners before executing them.

Death to Muslims! Death to Muslims! Death to Muslims! It goes on like that.

Darfur is an especially favorite topic, because it both shows Islam in a bad light and has the advantage of not having to actually do anything.

What's this, you ask? It's the Conservative Blog Taxonomy!

HOT KARL

Blumenthal in an op-ed over at Salon:

The sound and fury of Rove's defenders will soon subside. The last word, the only word that matters, will belong to the prosecutor. So far, he has said very, very little. Unlike the unprofessional, inexperienced and weak Ken Starr, he does not leak illegally to the press. But he has commented publicly on his understanding of the case. "This case," he said, "is not about a whistle-blower. It's about a potential retaliation against a whistle-blower."

If you're in a lurch about what happened and when, he paints a detailed-enough picture. Whether or not Rove is fucked remains to be seen -- but this thing is getting legs.

What's curious is the press suddenly seems to be doing their job because, you know, THEY were lied to. Forget lying to the American public. Doesn't matter. The almightly White House press corp has suddenly been personally dishonored -- and, by golly, they're not gonna stand for it! This says a lot about our press. Remember the epic Clenis epidemic of the 90's had the same MO. Nary of any interest until "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." Fucking prima-donnas...

Senior Journalistologist

bahahahahahahhahahaha... last night's Daily Show:

Well, Bush has a real problem on his hands here, John. What honor should he bestow on Karl Rove?

George 'Slam Dunk' Tenet got us into Iraq on mistaken intel, he got the medal of freedom.

Condi Rice sees a memo warning Bin Laden determined to attack the United States, ignores it -- BOOM -- gets kicked upstairs to Secretary of State.

For a bungle this bad, I think we might be looking at Chief Justice Karl Rove.

I'm gonna miss Ted Hitler, er, Stephen Colbert...

Jail Bird

I've struggled with this over the past few weeks, weighing my loathsome distaste for Miller and her WMD-baiting and the whole journalistic protection thing, but I think Will Bunch nails it here:

That is why the ability of reporters to keep the identity of their true sources confidential is protected by shield laws in 31 states and the District of Columbia (although not in federal courts). Without such protections, the government official would not be able to report the wrongdoing of a president (remember "Deep Throat," the ultimate confidential source?), nor would the corporate executive feel free to rat out a crooked CEO. The comfortable and corrupt could not be afflicted.

But the Times' Judy Miller has not been afflicting the comfortable. She has been protecting them, advancing their objectives, and helping them to mislead a now very afflicted American public. In fact, thinking again about Watergate and Deep Throat is a good way to understand why Judy Miller should not be protected today. Because in Watergate, a reporter acting like Miller would not be meeting the FBI's Mark Felt in an underground parking garage. She would be obsessively on the phone with H.R. Haldeman or John Dean, listening to bad gossip about Carl Bernstein or their plans to make Judge Sirica look bad.

In the run-up to the Iraq war, Miller -- working with her "sources" inside the Bush administration and their friends in the Iraqi exile community like the discredited Ahmed Chalabi -- wrote a number of stories that now seem meant to dupe the American people into to thinking Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were a threat.

Turns out, as you know, there weren't any. When the Times looked back on the fiasco, it found that Miller wrote or co-wrote nine of the "problematic stories" on the topic.

And if Martha did it, why can't Judy? Coming this fall, a new reality show: Judith "The Queen of All Iraq" Miller Felates LIVE with guest stars Ahmed Chalabi, Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, and W himself for a full hour!

Bomb's Away

Click here.

FNC

Worth repeating, even though I'm not worried about the actual story:

....the problem with Fox News is not that it's conservative, it's that its essentially a mouthpiece of the God's Own Party. I can't think of any other media outlet, except maybe Rush Limbaugh, which so perfectly functions as an RNC puke funnel...

Look, this needs to stop. We need to stop accepting that "this" exists and "we" have to live with it... there is a response; let's grow a fucking spine already.

Justice Sunday!*

*for white judges only

Link:

Senate majority leader Bill Frist appeared through a telecast as a speaker at "Justice Sunday," at the invitation of the event's main sponsor, Family Research Council president Tony Perkins. "Justice Sunday" was promoted as a rally to portray Democrats as being "against people of faith." Many of the speakers compared the plight of conservative Christians to the civil rights movement. But in sharing the stage with Perkins, who introduced him to the rally, Frist was associating himself with someone who has longstanding ties to racist organizations.

Four years ago, Perkins addressed the Louisiana chapter of the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), America's premier white supremacist organization, the successor to the White Citizens Councils, which battled integration in the South. In 1996 Perkins paid former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke $82,000 for his mailing list. At the time, Perkins was the campaign manager for a right-wing Republican candidate for the US Senate in Louisiana. The Federal Election Commission fined the campaign Perkins ran $3,000 for attempting to hide the money paid to Duke.

As the emcee of Justice Sunday, Tony Perkins positioned himself beside a black preacher and a Catholic "civil rights" activist as he rattled off the phone numbers of senators wavering on President Bush's judicial nominees. The evening's speakers studiously couched their appeals on behalf of Bush's stalled judges in the vocabulary of victimhood, accusing Democratic senators of "filibustering people of faith."

James Dobson, who founded the Family Research Council as the Washington lobbying arm of his Focus on the Family, invoked the Christian right's persecution complex. On an evening when Jews were celebrating the second night of Passover, Dobson claimed, "The biggest Holocaust in world history came out of the Supreme Court" with the Roe v. Wade decision. On his syndicated radio show nearly two weeks earlier, on April 11, Dobson compared the "black robed men" on the Supreme Court to "the men in white robes, the Ku Klux Klan." By his logic, the burden of oppression had passed from religious and racial minorities to unborn children and pure-hearted heterosexuals engaged in "traditional marriage."

All your Weather are Belong to Us

So sayeth Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum.

More Santorum fun. Oldie, but a goodie.

Internets

Worst use of these here Internets:

The enduring wisdom of Pat Sajak protecting that poor victimized man of the people, Tom "I AM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT!" DeLay. (The original story referred to DeLay as "Senate Majority Whip," proving my aunt was right all along: Vanna's the one with the brains over there at WoF.)

Best use:

Protecting our children from the evils of penetration. In particular, the butt buggery section has very instructive pictures.

Wal-Mart Hearts the Caucasianally-Challenged

Wal-Mart's race-baiting:

"Wal-Mart is working for everyone," read the newspaper ad, which ran in January in more than 100 newspapers nationwide, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. "Some of our critics are working only for themselves." The same day, the company launched walmartfacts.com, a website to counter criticism of the kind you may have read in this magazine. Along with some misleading information intended to make Wal-Mart's wages and benefits sound much better than they are, the new campaign materials feature many smiling African-American faces; the website explains, accurately, that Wal-Mart is a "leading employer" of Hispanics and African-Americans.

As Jesse Jackson and other black leaders have pointed out in response to this boast, the slave plantation was once a "leading employer" of African-Americans as well. But this ad campaign was only the latest salvo in Wal-Mart's fervent battle for the goodwill of black America, inspired by the difficulties the company is having as it tries to move into urban areas.

Wal-Mart spent more than $1 million on a PR campaign backing a voter referendum to build a Supercenter in Inglewood, California, where the majority of voters are people of color, and was decisively defeated last year. The company faces continued resistance in Chicago as well, where it has been trying to open stores in black neighborhoods. A Wal-Mart on that city's West Side is scheduled to open by next February--to the frustration of those who opposed it--while plans for a South Side store have been scuttled. Controversy continues to rage about a Wal-Mart project in New Orleans, and in late February plans for a New York City Wal-Mart were scrapped in the wake of protests by labor, small business and neighborhood groups. Much of the opposition to the retailer has been led by activists of color. And, of course, since many people of color are poor, Wal-Mart depends on them as shoppers and as workers. It's no surprise, then, that the company would be eager to appeal to racial minorities.

Fucking wonderful. Despite the "urban fear" of crime, drugs, and violence perpetuated by the Colorado Springs of the country, this is a fine example of how these communities refuse to be cowed by their labels and are coming together to protect their own. God bless 'em.

RNC Luv

Having donated no money -- ever -- to the GOP, nor in anyway affiliated myself with the party -- ever; and in fact having slammed this president on every given occasion, accusing him of drug use and the defacto murder of school children; the RNC felt compelled to send me this today:

[note: picture may have been altered.. by me]

So, um... can we please stop calling them "better organized?"

Abu Alberto

Wolf is softballing Gonzales right now. He's a piece of work.

"No one can produce credible evidence of abuses of the PATRIOT Act."

Yes, that's because the PATRIOT Act allows all investigations to be conducted in complete secrecy. Number of terror convictions? Now 1, Lynne Stewart, and that was a PR stunt. She wasn't shopping eBay for Cesium-237.

"It's (The PATRIOT Act) one of the reasons we haven't had a terrorist attack in 3 years."

Hogwash. There's no evidence of this. The absence of an attack does not validate allowing the government to spy on its citizens. It was 8 years between attacks on the World Trade Center.

"We don't engage in torture."

Well, schmeeve submits Exhibit A into the record: Abu Grahib. For which people have been convicted.

Alberto also spread-headed getting a narrow definition of torture, and the President is exempt! Ain't that fucking grand!

"We don't want to hold [imprison] people indefinitely..."

Gitmo: 4 years and counting. Convictions? 0.

What an asshat. I've watched less than 5 minutes, and I can'ts takes no more...

JimmyJeff

I have a bit of politics fatigue, so haven't been so active lately, but this Jeff Gannon/JD Guckert thing is worth following. Nutshell: GOP plant asking softball questions of Bush & McClellan, and a former gay escort now (well, until recently) anti-gay writer for "fake" news organization owned by powerful Texas GOP organization. "8"+ cut, Top!" in case you were wondering. I wonder about the "+"

Salon's got the low-down.

AMERICAblog for continuing coverage. (and links to naked Gannon!)

Anderson Cooper grilled the fellow "family" member -- and did a shockingly good job. Media Matters has the video.

Seems Armstrong Williams was tip of the iceberg.

Seriously, don't you people get tired of being lied to?

SS

Chuck Schumer gives us a handy calculator letting you know how poor you ass be when Bush finishes "fixing" Social Security.

Hilter Youth

Link:

One in three U.S. high school students say the press ought to be more restricted, and even more say the government should approve newspaper stories before readers see them, according to a survey being released today.

The survey of 112,003 students finds that 36% believe newspapers should get "government approval" of stories before publishing; 51% say they should be able to publish freely; 13% have no opinion.

Disturbing, yes.. but think about it. Once these coddled lil' darlings get a taste of the "real world," this shit'll change. Poor bastards still think the government is honest and is there to serve them. They don't even pay taxes yet fer Christsake. And do you remember your American History textbook? Factually influenced fiction at best, but a glorious read revealing that America does, indeed, have the biggest wang.

So, not so surprising...

'The Poor Lost'

David Korn via Kos. God these people are disgusting:

Though there was no official poem for the occasion, impressionist Rich Little, emceeing the Constitution Ball at the Hilton Washington, did provide a bit of inaugural doggerel.

The gist of it was: "Let's get together, let bitterness pass, I'll hug your elephant, you kiss my ass!" And the crowd went crazy.

Little said he missed and adored the late President Ronald Reagan and "I wish he was here tonight, but as a matter of fact he is," and he proceeded to impersonate Reagan, saying, "You know, somebody asked me, 'Do you think the war on poverty is over?' I said, 'Yes, the poor lost.' " The crowd went wild.

In the same piece, Korn exposes Newt for the scumbag that he is. Not like anyone needed to draw you a picture, but he's such a bottom feeder.

Master Control Center

$2 billion for new Iraqi embassy. That's one fancy-schmancy embassy.

Just one gem in the $80B request from the Bush admin. today for "military operations."

Something tells me we could get a lot more "freedom" by giving each and every one of those 40 million Iraqis $50 each and scraping the Baghdad "gleaming tower of democracy*."

Compare and contrast: that mammoth Freedom Penis we're erecting at ground zero costs a mere $1.5B.

Bush hearts Iraq.

* Americans only. No furiners.

Electoral College

CNN:

The normally perfunctory ceremony of counting and certifying Electoral College votes was delayed for about four hours as Democrats unsuccessfully challenged Ohio's votes for Bush.

Bush received 286 electoral votes, 16 more than the 270 he needed to win re-election. Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, received 251 votes. One Democratic elector cast a vote not for Kerry but for former Sen. John Edwards, his vice presidential running mate.

In the vice presidential race, Vice President Dick Cheney received 286 electoral votes and Edwards received 252.

Alleging widespread "irregularities" on Election Day, a group of Democrats in Congress objected earlier Thursday to the counting of Ohio's 20 electoral votes.

The challenge was defeated 267-31 by the House and 74-1 by the Senate, clearing the way for the joint session to count the votes from the remaining states.

The move was not designed to overturn Bush's re-election, said Ohio Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones and California Sen. Barbara Boxer, who filed the objection.

The objecting Democrats, all of whom are House members except Boxer, said they wanted to draw attention to the need for aggressive election reform in the wake of what they said were widespread voter problems.

In a letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, members of the group said they would take the action because a new report by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee found "numerous, serious election irregularities," particularly in Ohio, that led to "a significant disenfranchisement of voters."

"How can we possibly tell millions of Americans who registered to vote, who came to the polls in record numbers, particularly our young people ... to simply get over it and move on?" Tubbs Jones said at a press conference with Boxer.

Thursday's joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate to count electoral votes is specified in the U.S. Constitution. Cheney, in his role as president of the Senate, presided over the session.

The results from each state, read in alphabetical order, were ticked through quickly until Ohio was called, and a clerk read the objection filed by Boxer and Tubbs Jones.

Then, as required by congressional rules in the event that at least one member of each house objects to the vote, Cheney ordered the lawmakers back to their respective chambers for two hours of debate on the merits of the challenge and to vote on it.

It was only the second such challenge since the current rules for counting electoral votes were established in 1877. The last was in 1969 and concerned a so-called "faithless elector," according to congressional researchers.

Four years ago, after the disputed election results in Florida, members of the Congressional Black Caucus attempted to block Florida's electoral votes from being counted.

In a scene recalled in Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," lawmaker after lawmaker was gaveled down by Vice President Al Gore because no senator would support the objections, as the rules require.

House Democrats involved in this year's protest worked for weeks to enlist the support of a senator in their party, and Boxer agreed to join the effort Wednesday.

"This is my opening shot to be able to focus the light of truth on these terrible problems in the electoral system," Boxer told the joint press conference with Tubbs Jones.

"While we have men and women dying to bring democracy abroad, we've got to make it the best it can be here at home, and that's why I'm doing this."

[...]

Look, the point here is it's a improvement over 2000.

Did fraud exist in the general election of 2004? In Ohio? With it's 20 electoral votes, which would of tipped the election? Yes and yes, to name a small few -- but damning -- examples.

Democracy was fun, wasn't it?

Mmmmmmm... Torture

I really want to rant about this ridiculous debate over whether Torturo Gonzales should be confirmed.

The answer, of course, is no. This is a man who was more interested in the "legal opinions" of torture as the Abu Ghraib horror broke than the fact that, you know, people were being tortured.

His belief that the President is above the law should also raise eyebrows, which natch endears him to Dear Leader, but is nary of any interest to Americans. If he had epic tits, or lip synched, or had an adorable white baby consumed by the tsunamis, just then America might take notice.

NYT: (bold mine)

Mr. Gonzales's role in seeking a legal opinion on the definition of torture and the legal limits on the force that could be used on terrorist suspects in captivity is expected to be a central issue in the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings scheduled to begin on Thursday on Mr. Gonzales's nomination to be attorney general.

The request by Mr. Gonzales produced the much-debated Justice Department memorandum of Aug. 1, 2002, which defined torture narrowly and said that Mr. Bush could circumvent domestic and international prohibitions against torture in the name of national security.

We are so thoroughly fucked.

"Stop Hurting America"

CNN's Crossfire is dead. Tucker's been whining about his poor treatment at CNN for some time, so this was expected, but Crossfire had devolved into a circus over the past few years mixing all the worst elements of political hackery and facts-free punditry. It hasn't always been that way, and it was one of the last places this side of Neptune you could find a partisan Democrat who had a bigger voice than writing angry letters from his Montana cabin. It'd be nice to have a show where useful debate took place on the air, as Crossfire once longed to be, but I don't really see this happening outside of Air America holding a winning $500M Powerball ticket.

And no, Jon Stewart didn't kill Crossfire. It sucked enough on its own. Didn't hurt tho.

Poking through the blog world today, I picked up that CNN's Capital Gang, which no one watches anyway, is also slated for exile. The good news here being these were the two permanent homes of "Douche Bag of Freedom" Bob Novak. As Novak recovered from hip replacement last month, Stewart noted on The Daily Show, "He didn't break it. It tried to ESCAPE!"

So, good riddance Crossfire. Thankfully, Tucker's bowtie continues to be adorable.

Capital?

Bush poised to be most unpopular president ever on inauguration day.

Think about that. With all this "political capital" and those HOT HOT HOT Man Dates.

This all doesn't add up. Either people voted for him despite disapproving of him, which is of course, shameful and monumentally retarded, or of course, someone cheated. Probably both.

This country is so squirrelly.

Oh, and fuck you Time. What about the dead soldiers? (Well, that was last year.. kinda) What about all those dead Iraqis? No, let's honor he who lied and then let die.

Granted, this is the same magazine that gave 1938 person of the year to this man and then in 1939 *and* 1942 to this man. [UPDATE: Look at list here. Other links are subscription-based. Stoopid.]

This genital electrocution sponsored by...

Try and look surprised:

NEW YORK -- A document released for the first time today by the American Civil Liberties Union suggests that President Bush issued an Executive Order authorizing the use of inhumane interrogation methods against detainees in Iraq. Also released by the ACLU today are a slew of other records including a December 2003 FBI e-mail that characterizes methods used by the Defense Department as "torture" and a June 2004 "Urgent Report" to the Director of the FBI that raises concerns that abuse of detainees is being covered up.

Why not just brand a giant "USA" on their asses?

Oh, we're gonna still pretend we're helping these people out? Oh, okay.

Also... 20 dead in Mosul this morning. Hope Rummy doesn't get carpal tunnel!

Freedom

So fighting for the Iraq justification du jour, freedom, in a country that obviously doesn't want freedom, now involves calling up the ready reserves. Not new news, but watching these people on 60 Minutes -- old, out of shape, being lied to over technicalities about their fulfillment of duty, and even disabled -- is just so fucking disgusting.

We're now gonna "protect America" by dropping 55 year old semi-retired women into Fallujah. Brilliant, George, just fucking brilliant.

Meanwhile, America is unfazed. Hurry, there's a sale on Bibles at Wal-Mart!

51% of you should be ashamed of yourselves. It doesn't get more un-Christian than this gross back-door draft. Instead of instituting a real draft -- and getting able bodied people to fight this ridiculous misadventure -- we get this. And why? Election year politics.

Redneck Math

In Charleston, SC visiting the fam.

Such friendly folk:

CHARLESTON, S.C. - A Lowcountry legislator says he wants to cut South Carolina Educational Television's budget after it aired a documentary on gays in the South.

"I thought it was just social, leftist propaganda that they had no business airing," said state Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston. "They were actively promoting homosexuality as an OK thing to do."

SCETV President Maurice Bresnahan says his agency isn't promoting an agenda by showing "We are your Neighbors" as part of its twice-monthly Southern Lens series of stories about life in the South.

[...]

The Southern Lens series has featured documentaries on Moon Pies and Holocaust survivors in South Carolina.

Another documentary, "Sentencing the Victim," focused on the hardships victims endure during criminal trials. The movie, which featured a Charleston woman, is credited with spurring legislators to address shortcomings in the legal process to ease victims' burden.

All of the documentaries are independently financed and cost the state nothing.

Altman sees the "Neighbors" documentary as an effort to promote a "militant homosexual agenda."

Altman says if SCETV can afford to produce such programs to influence the Legislature, then it can afford to have its budget cut. The agency runs on a budget of $12.7 million, down from $20.3 million four years ago.

I love redneck math:

Gay + Neighbor = Socialist
Gay + Flower Boxes + Porch Swings = Militant Homosexual Agenda

Googling around, I found several quotes from Mr. Altman whose major concern seems to be the Caucasionally-challenged, though butt-buggery is never far behind:

Meanwhile, outspoken Rep. John Graham Altman, R-Charleston, defeated Charlie Smith, a gay Democrat who has called Altman a bigot. Altman has said Smith contributes to the decay of traditional values.

Representative John Graham Altman III
District 119 - Charleston Co.
Contact Address:
(H) 77 Folly Rd., Charleston, 29407
Bus. (843) 747-6461 Home (843) 763-5313
(C) 306B Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29211
Bus. (803) 734-2947 Home

Rep. Altman apparently isn't on the internets.

South Carolina Educational Television Commission
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
mail@scetv.org
Website/Donate

106 Dead...

...this month. So far.

Why again are we fighting this war? 29 more and we're #1!

Meanwhile, it's Groundhog Day. (And overused analogy at this point, I know.) Middle east country. Shadow groups claiming the government is hiding nuclear programs. Bush wants "inspections" if they've got "nothing to hide." Colin's got a powerpoint deck. Imminent threats.

Porter is turning the CIA into ideological group-think and yes-men. She who thumbed the "Bin Laden determined to attack the US" memo most vaulted to highest cabinet position. Congress unable to pass security reforms. Omnibus bills give back $350B to over-subsidized tax-free corporations. House repeals law which prevents indicted members from serving as leader (now that's its a Republican). "JFK Reloaded" wants you to shoot the 35th president -- a Democrat -- more points for being "historically accurate." Your tax returns available to any member of Congress. The dollar at new lows against the Yen and Euro. China owns $550B of the US -- more than the entire US deficit. Congress passes bill to raise debt ceiling to merely pay the interest and keep us from federal bankruptcy.

At least Emperor W has a hand-woven Chilean poncho. Uh huh. He's got clothes.

Seriously, will we ever pull our heads out? Do we want to be remembered as the civilization which could of been but was too busy chasing our own tails?

Jesus can't save you now.

Dear CNN

Monkeys lack the cognitive ability to recognize irony:

Love,
schmeeve

Shenanigans

Link: (emphasis mine)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- An error with an electronic voting system gave President Bush 3,893 extra votes in suburban Columbus, elections officials said.

Franklin County's unofficial results had Bush receiving 4,258 votes to Democrat John Kerry's 260 votes in a precinct in Gahanna. Records show only 638 voters cast ballots in that precinct.

[...]

In one North Carolina county, more than 4,500 votes were lost because officials mistakenly believed a computer that stored ballots electronically could hold more data than it did. ...

It's important to note that while most of Ohio uses punch-cards, they are taken to central tally centers where ballots are fed into processing machines; machines manufactured by -- you guessed it -- Diebold. Machines running Microsoft Windows and using Microsoft Access databases. (Microsoft, security is job #1!) "[Diebold is] committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the President next year," CEO Wally O'Dell promised last September.

And then there's this:

MONDAY Nov 1 2004: New information indicates that hackers may be targeting the central computers counting our votes tomorrow. All county elections officials who use modems to transfer votes from polling places to the central vote-counting server should disconnect the modems now.

[...]

It appears that such an attack may already have taken place, in a primary election 6 weeks ago in King County, Washington -- a large jurisdiction with over one million registered voters. Documents, including internal audit logs for the central vote-counting computer, along with modem "trouble slips" consistent with hacker activity, show that the system may have been hacked on Sept. 14, 2004. Three hours is now missing from the vote-counting computer's "audit log," an automatically generated record, similar to the black box in an airplane, which registers certain kinds of events.

I'm not going to tinfoil hat yet, but I'd expect more of this, and the election was only 3 days ago.

Dumb

I mean, c'mon, the dude can't even do the Vulcan hand greeting correctly...

Canada Ho!

It's disheartening to watch America vote against itself -- against it's own economic interests, against civil rights, and against the world. It's difficult to stomach the arrogance of a party universally sporting that same shit-eating grin this morning as they set their sights on a renewed attack on the foundations of this country and its Constitution. It's inexplicable and maddening, but it's not the end.

Like a battered spouse who insists she's still loved, Americans said yesterday they still love George W. Bush. And like that battered spouse, it's becoming increasingly evident Americans will need to be beaten within an inch of their lives before finally seeking shelter from that which abuses them. For this, I am truly sorry, as I do believe you will receive that beating, soundly, in the next four years. I am sorry for the 55M Americans who tried to stop the abuse only to be trumped by bigoted zealots who pow-wow every Sunday to fear and fight that which has nothing to do with their own personal lives. I am sad for those in 11 states who have outlawed love and commitment. That hate will destroy you from the inside. I am sorry for those who tried to stop Senate candidates who believe a woman's right to choose is punishable by death.

When I cast my vote yesterday for John Kerry, I cast it in faith that he could lead the country should he become president. Likewise, I have faith in him to make a decision of when to call it quits, as he did a short time ago.

It's over folks. For now. Rest a few days and let's prepare for 2006.

Whoa

Tucker Carlson just said on Anderson Cooper he thought John Kerry would win.

On his knees early... thatta boy...

GOTV

GOTV!

We ARE gonna win this thing.

GOTV:

Phonebank with MoveOn.
Get a ride to the polls.
Send a voting reminder to friends, family, co-workers.
Attend events.

Report election problems at 1-866-MYVOTE1 (run by NBC) or use 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) for immediate legal assistance.

I'm going over the voter pamphlet tonight and will give my take on all the California races and propositions. It's expansive. My supervisory district in San Francisco has 23 candidates alone.

All I know so far is no on 68/70, vote Boxer, and probably yes on 71 (stem cells), but I need to read the fine print.

And while both major parties are against 62, which allows open voting in primaries, I'm tempted to vote yes.

Superstition Watch

Suffering from a terrible cold, so didn't hit the streets today in AZ. So I'm turning to quackery to soothe me...

Redskins: if they loose, incumbent looses election. 1:48 to go in the 4th, 28-14 Green Bay. True since 1936. Advantage: Kerry.

Halloween masks: candidate with most sales of their masks in last 6 (since 1980) presidential elections wins. Advantage: Bush

Astrology: "Planets governing President Bush are eclipsed and in an uncomfortable position, making his tenure controversial and his re-election bid unsuccessful..." Advantage: Kerry

...update: Redskins go down 28-14. Go Kerry.

Soros Speak, You Listen

Link. Even-tempered and sound.

You should read the whole thing, but if you're too lazy... some excerpts (emphasis mine):

An open society such as ours is based on the recognition that our understanding of reality is inherently imperfect. Nobody is in possession of the ultimate truth. As the philosopher Karl Popper has shown, the ultimate truth is not attainable even in science. All theories are subject to testing and the process of replacing old theories with better ones never ends.

Faith plays an important role in an open society. Exactly because our understanding is imperfect, we cannot base our decisions on knowledge alone. We need to rely on beliefs, religious or otherwise, to help us make decisions. But we must remain open to the possibility that we may be wrong so that we can correct our mistakes. Otherwise, we are bound to be wrong.

[...]

The war on terror is an abstraction. But the terrorists are real people and they are not all alike. Most of the people attacking our soldiers in Iraq originally had nothing to do with al Qaeda. They have been generated by the policies of the Bush administration. We have been spared a terrorist attack at home but it is quite a stretch to attribute that to the invasion of Iraq. The insurrection in Iraq, however, is a somber reality and it doesn't make us safer at home. Our security, far from improving as President Bush claims, is deteriorating.

Bush's war in Iraq has done untold damage to the United States. It has impaired our military power and undermined the morale of our armed forces. Our troops were trained to project overwhelming power. They were not trained for occupation duties. Having to fight an insurgency saps their morale. After Iraq, it has become more difficult to recruit people for the armed forces and we may have to resort to conscription.

Before the invasion of Iraq, we could project overwhelming power in any part of the world. We cannot do so any more because we are bogged down in Iraq. Iran and North Korea are moving ahead with their nuclear programs at full speed and our hand in dealing with them has been greatly weakened.

There are many other policies for which the Bush administration can be criticized but none are as important as Iraq. Iraq is the proof that we cannot put our faith in the President.

[...]

I have been crisscrossing the country for the last three weeks arguing against the reelection of President Bush. On my travels I have heard many doubts about John Kerry. Why can't he project the same certainty as President Bush? Admittedly, he won the debates, but does that qualify him to be our Commander in Chief? Will he be as single- minded in pursuing the war on terror as George W. Bush?

Let me address these concerns. John Kerry has presented a cogent and coherent case but the Bush campaign managed to define him before he could define himself. They made fun of his explanation of the various votes he cast on the $87 billion appropriation for Iraq, although it made perfect sense. He was practically not heard, except in snippets, until the debates.

But the trouble goes deeper. The war on terror as defined by President Bush is a one-dimensional presentation of reality. We cannot fight terrorism by military means alone. We can use military force only when we have a known target; but it is the habit of terrorists to keep their whereabouts hidden. To track them down we need the support of the populations amongst whom they hide. Offense is not necessarily the best defense if it offends those whose allegiance we need.

John Kerry is aware of this other dimension. That is why he cannot be as single-minded as George W. Bush. He is nuanced because reality is complicated. This has been turned into a character flaw by the Bush campaign. Yet, that is exactly the character we need in our commander in chief. John Kerry is prepared to defend the country as he showed in Viet Nam; but he has learned first hand the devastation that war can bring and will use military force only as a last resort.

By contrast George W. Bush revels in being a war president. His campaign is shamelessly exploiting the fears generated by 9/11. Vice President Cheney is conjuring mushroom clouds into our cities. But fear is a bad counselor; we must resist it wherever it comes from. President Roosevelt had the right idea when he said, "We have nothing to fear but Fear itself." If we re-elect President Bush the war on terror will never end. The terrorists are invisible, therefore they can never disappear. It is our civil liberties that may disappear instead.

An open society is always in danger. It must constantly reaffirm its principles in order to survive. We are being sorely tested, first by 9/11 and then by President Bush's response. To pass the test we must face reality instead of finding solace in false certainties. This election transcends party loyalties. Our future as an open society depends on resisting the Siren's song.

"Osama bin Taping"

...was one of those witty captions on CNN last night, making light of the golden-robed posterboy of terror which the GOP is jumping all over as "a little gift" for Bush. The wingnut CW on this being anything terror-related helps Bush.

As the news broke yesterday, Wolf suggested Osama "bin" watching F-9/11, to which Danielle Pletka spewed, bug-eyed and seething with rage, "It's nice that Michael Moore is providing aid and comfort to our enemy." Never mind that Osama got most of it wrong aside from it being something involving a goat.

Wes Clark last night on Bill Maher:

If George Bush had done his job as Commander in Chief before 9/11 we would never have had the strikes of 9/11.... The guy that had the 9/10 mindset, that was George Bush. The guy who didn't want to listen to the threat of terrorism. The guy who never held a cabinet meeting. Why didn't he call his cabinet together and introduce the Attorney General to the Director of CIA and say gentlemen I'd like you to meet each other, and please I don't want any terrorist attacks?

...and this about cod-piece boy:

But if he wants to wear the uniform, and take the glory of the men and women who are actually risking their lives in that flight suit, then he ought to understand what the command responsibility of being Commander in Chief is. When you wear that uniform, especially in the United States Navy, it's a one strike and you're out system. If you're the captain of the ship and it runs aground, they don't care whether you were on the bridge, eating lunch, asleep, chopping cedars in Texas, they don't care. You're out! They only ask one question, were you the captain on the day it ran aground? You're out.

Whether this helps or hurts either campaign is entirely beside the point. Our cowed media is all-over the "Bush polls better when it's related to terror" line, something that will undoubtedly be pushed through the weekend. FOX has shifted into full "Holy fucking crap, we're all gonna die!" mode which probably will crescendo on Monday and be nary of any interest come Wednesday.

Let's not forget Dear Leader 6 months after invading Afghanistan:

I don't know where he is. I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him. I know he is on the run.

Yes, apparently "on the run" to the The Golden Robe Warehouse, Miss Burka's Nail Palace, and Podiums-R-Us.

Three more days and this this administration will know they should of fucking cared, not shot their decade-old neocon wad all over Iraq while playing lip-service to the 3,000 people who died on 9/11.

The Things I Do For My Country

Off to Arizona (and maybe NV) tomorrow for swing state neighborhood-walking or whatever else I need to do.

Prediction: Kerry wins at least 285 electoral and popular vote. Don't believe the polls. Especially the oversampling-GOP Gallup and electoral-vote.com, which despite its best intentions, is more-for-fun than employing any real methodology.

Buh-bye George. Congrats -- you're just like daddy.

Meanwhile, my attempts to find Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was somewhat fruitless today despite stops in Circuit City, EBGames, CompUSA, and Good Guys. So I ordered it off Amazon and had it two-dayed to Arizona where I'll be. That's one way of cracking that nut I suppose. I think Sam owes me a free copy anyway, but bygones... read the OPM review here. It might -- just might -- be the best game ever.

See you Monday. We are gonna win this thing. Trust me on this one.

Shutup!

You can hear O'Reilly now telling the NY Supreme Court, "Just shutup!"

Admittedly, I pictured him more as a genital mutilation and snuff flicks kinda guy. Or, at the very least, all butt-sex all-the-time. Anyway, here's a few gems. Enjoy!

36. During the course of their dinner in early May 2002 Defendant BILL O'REILLY proceeded, without solicitation or invite, to inform Plaintiff ANDREA MACKRIS that he had advised another woman to purchase a vibrator, and had taught that woman how to masturbate...

37. ...such as when he [O'Reilly] received a massage in a cabana in Bali and the "little short brown woman" asked to see his penis and was "amazed."

[...]

42. ...two "really wild" Scandinavian airline stewardesses... a "girl" at a sex show in Thailand who had shown him things in a backroom that "blew [his] mind."... going to Italy to meet the Pope, that his pregnant wife was staying at home with his daughter, and implied he was looking forward to some extra-marital dalliances with the "hot Italian women."

[...]

45. Defendant once again tried to convince Plaintiff to engage in telephone sex with him. Plaintiff again adamantly refused....

[...]

55. ..Defendant sternly warned to the effect:

If you cross FOX NEWS CHANNEL, it's not just me, it's Roger Ailes who will go after you. I'm the street guy out front making loud noises about the issues, but Ailes operates behind the scenes, strategizes and makes things happen so that one day BAM! The person gets what's coming to them but never sees it coming. Look at Al Franken, one day he's going to get a knock on his door and life as he known it will change forever. That day will happen, trust me.

[...]

66. ...he suggested that Plaintiff ANDREW MACKRIS purchase a vibrator and name it, and that he had one "shaped like a cock with a little battery in it" that a woman had given him. It became apparent that Defendant was masturbating as he spoke...

[...]

77. ...watching a porn... babbled perversely regarding his fantasies concerning Carribean vacations...

78. ..."So anyway, I'd be rubbing your big boobs and getting your nipples really hard, kinda' kissing your neck from behind... and then I would take the other hand with the falafel (sic) thing and I'd put it on your pussy but you'd have to do it really light, just kind of a tease business..."

79. ...Defendant BILL O'REILLY suggested that he would perform oral sex... and that she would start to perform fellatio upon his "big cock" but not complete the sex act: "you'd tease me, like you wouldn't really do it, you'd just like -- 'cuz I know you... you're like a tease."

[...]

81. ...it became clear he was using a vibrator upon himself, and that he ejaculated. Plaintiff was repulsed.

Falafel? WTF?

Y2K

All over again:

LAS VEGAS � The FBI has been notified that hundreds of voter-registration forms have been intentionally discarded or destroyed by a private company hired by the Republican Party to sign people up to vote.

According to KLAS-TV, the local CBS affiliate, employees who worked for Voters Outreach of America allege scores of registration forms were thrown in the trash.

[...]

Similar complaints have been received in Reno, Nev., where officials have asked the FBI to investigate.

BuzzFlash:

BuzzFlash posted two stories about voter registration fraud, one in Nevada and one in Oregon, having to do with America Votes, or as it is also known Voter Outreach of America, or any one of dozens of other aliases. This is all the brainchild of Nathan Sproul, former head of the Arizona Republican Party AND a former high-ranking official in the Christian Coalition. [...] And this is the same individual and group that is/was behind the Nader petition drive, a two-pronged approach.

Nice that a complaint has been filed with the FBI and all, but $10 says ain't no one going to jail. Anyone?

Oh, and since I haven't mentioned it yet, fuck you Mark "Holocaust Deniers" Hyman. I own those airwaves, not you, not Sinclair. And this ain't going away. Shaft SBG here or here.

GOP Senate Meltdown

(Been busy swing statin'... sorry for the lack of recent posts)

Something stinks in OK and KY -- it's their GOP Senate candidates. Regardless of your politics, these two take wingnuttery to a level which would even embarrass the Bugman. (Okay, maybe not.) Can't subjugate without a majority, I 'spose... must. win. at. any. cost.

First up: Baseball hall-of-famer and first term KY Senator Jim Bunning. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

It's no secret in Kentucky that Sen. Jim Bunning, a Republican who was expected to coast to reelection on Nov. 2, has been acting strange. Over the past few months, Bunning has angrily pushed away reporters, exchanged testy words with a questioner at a Rotary Club and stuck to brief, heavily scripted remarks at campaign events, delivered in a halting monotone. The former major league baseball star now travels the Bluegrass State with a special police escort, at taxpayer expense. His explanation? Al-Qaida may be out to get him.

[...]

On Monday, however, Bunning -- who turns 73 this month -- abruptly retreated behind yet another barrier, in an action so inexplicable that it appears likely to bring the rumors about his health, now referred to obliquely in Kentucky news reports, into open discussion. It may also mark a turning point in a race that, against all expectations, has been tightening recently.

Saying falsely that he was needed in Washington this week for Senate votes, Bunning tore up his own carefully crafted debate agreement and refused to return to Kentucky on Monday for his one scheduled debate with Mongiardo. It was to have taken place at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Lexington, Ky., studio of WKYT-TV. Instead, Bunning insisted on "debating" via satellite from the womblike conditions of the Republican National Committee headquarters studio in Washington.

The senator refused to allow a member of the Kentucky media to be present at the RNC studio to monitor whether Bunning was receiving assistance with his answers, according to Mongiardo campaign manager Kim Geveden and WKYT news director Jim Ogle. And Bunning refused to engage reporters via satellite in a previously agreed upon post-debate news conference, insisting instead that his 15 minutes of answering questions occur by telephone, without accompanying video footage.

And then there's our friend Tom "cryptosporidium kills fags dead" Coburn, who -- THANK GOD -- is finally thinking about the blessed children of OK:

...lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go to the bathroom. Now think about it. Think about that issue. How is it that that's happened to us?

Coburn's opponent Brad Carson is about as exciting as watching moss grow on a rock, and he'd never float here on the coast, but this ain't OK. I don't know anything about Bunning's opponent, Daniel Mongiardo (who Bunning likens to one of Saddams' sons), but good gravy, these people shouldn't even be in the running, much less even on this planet.

So, WTF is wrong with KY and OK? Has there been a big sale at Wal-Mart thats got everyone distracted or sumthing?

UPDATE: If you're in one of those two states, here's how you can help.

But what about Poland!

Newsweek:

In the new NEWSWEEK Poll, Bush's 49-43 percent lead in a three-way race has been erased, with Kerry now ahead 47-45 percent. Electoral politics is a game of comparison, and the first appearance of the two men side by side�one having a good night, the other a bad one�did wonders for Kerry's image. His "favorable/unfavorable" rating, last month a tepid 48-44 percent, rose to 52-40 (while Bush's dropped from 52-44 to 49-46). A whopping 63 million voters watched the Miami debate, and Kerry was scored the winner by 61 percent of them; only 19 percent thought Bush had won. Among viewers, Kerry overwhelmingly was regarded as the better informed and more self-assured. More ominously for Bush, Kerry was seen as the stronger leader onstage (47-44 percent)�and even as the more likable guy (47-41 percent).

...memo to the Kerry camp: no popping corks until Nov. 3rd! Kerry has a tendency to sputter whenever he gets ahead, or too far behind, so I don't really know if this is good or bad. "Stay on target" or this is little but minor damage to the deathstar.

Also, there's more here. Viewership for this debate, while certainly not Superbowl caliber, was higher than any of the last 3 first-round presidential debates. (I think... don't have the energy to look up the facts.) This could be a good sign for all the "turnout this year will be higher than ever" punditry, which in all likelihood helps the Dems. (Provided we're not so stoned on Nov. 2nd we can't find the polling station.)

Fox Posts Fake Kerry Quotes

Oy:

The phony item posted early Friday read in part:

"Rallying supporters in Tampa Friday Kerry played up his performance in Thursday night's debate in which many observers agreed the Massachusetts senator outperformed the president.

"'Didn't my nails and cuticles look great? What a good debate!' Kerry said Friday.

"With the foreign-policy debate in the history books, Kerry hopes to keep the pressure on and the sense of traction going.

"Aides say he will step up attacks on the president in the next few days, and pivot somewhat to the domestic agenda, with a focus on women and abortion rights.

"'It's about the Supreme Court. Women should like me! I do manicures,' Kerry said."

The item also quoted Kerry as saying of himself and President Bush: "I'm metrosexual -- he's a cowboy."

No, it's a mistake, really! They swear!

Bush Debate Notes

The Talent Show lets us know what Bush was scribbling on that notepaper during the debate last night:

Debates

He won, according to just about everybody -- including the now notoriously bias Gallup.

Show some love to our next president.

...BTW, sorry I didn't make it Matt. I was exhausted after having to shift out of Dem HQ due to a HUGE turnout and having find another venue just to see the damn TV, which just happened to be throwing a party after the debate for Ross Mirkarimi for Supervisor. Met the guy, and I liked him, so am keeping an eye on him from here on out. I'll donate my time/$ should I find myself on the same page. He's been endorsed by Gonzalez, which already makes me lean towards him.

MSNBC cans Luntz

Background here.

Congratulate MSNBC for at least doing one thing right:

One MSNBC Plaza
Secaucus, NJ 07094
Phone: (201) 583-5000
Fax: (201) 583-5453
world@msnbc.com
GeneralComments@feedback.msnbc.com

...BTW, I'll be at Dem HQ tomorrow evening for the debate. I'm either then going to Matt's or hanging out with the Drinking Liberally crowd at Martuni's. Most probably both...

UPDATE: Ohhhh... Debate Drinking Games! Although I think if Bush mutters "safer" and "Saddam" in the same sentence, that's worth two. Also worth noting Bush hasn't uttered "Osama bin Laden" in public in 16 months, so that should be worth like a whole pitcher.

Homeland Security

Keepin' us safe... by denying Cat Stevens entry to the United States.

Psychedelic 'W' and the Goat Squadron�

Where was George W. Bush in the late summer and autumn of 1972?

Gallup

...oversamples Republicans. Ain't that just grand.

Lordy.

Missives from the Kremlin BC04

Running with the Cheney line in an email today, again reminding us that if we don't make the right choice on 11/2, the terrorists have won:

This election is critical for our nation.

The choice is between winning the war on terror by defending the homeland, taking the battle to the terrorists and fighting them where they live and train�- or retreating to a pre-9/11 worldview that treats acts of terrorism as a law enforcement issue.

Friendly Reminder

I respect all your good-intentioned principles. Really, I do. I too wish Kerry said the Iraq war was wrong, and I also wish he supported full equal protection under the law -- even for the Godless homosexuals.

However, your inability to understand the reality on the ground and the gravity of the situation is endlessly irritating.

So, I leave you with this thought:

Come November 2nd, either Bush or Kerry will be elected. Protest votes will benefit Bush, unless you're a Libertarian, and I don't think you are. In 2000, when Nader was less, um, insane than he is now, how many electoral votes did he win? ZERO. That's right. Zilch. Nada. Zippo. 2004 will be no different.

Coburn

Mentioned him yesterday, but Salon's got more on Oklahoma Senate candidate Tom Coburn. He's already in the House, and is actually ahead in the polls...

For Coburn, the imminent danger facing America is apparently not terrorism but the "gay agenda." His thumping about this menace within contributed to the pressure that led to Bush's endorsement of a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage. At a Republican meeting this spring, Coburn warned: "The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."

...

At a House subcommittee meeting on the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1996, which heard testimony on the danger of the parasite cryptosporidium, which had killed 104 and sickened 400,000 in Milwaukee in 1993 and killed 19 in Las Vegas in 1994, Coburn displayed his expertise as a doctor. The lethal spores, he held forth, "can sometimes ... be very helpful -- for doctors -- because it helps us identify those people who in fact are immuno-compromised."

As a doctor, he also sterilized a woman without her consent, then illegally billed Medicaid for the procedure.

For all his fine contributions, Shrub appointed him chairman of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS in 2003.

R-OK Senate Candidate

Channeling Duncan Black Atrios again, this one almost made me fall outta my chair:

A doctor who has performed abortions wants there to be the death penalty for those who perform them. He also sterilized a 20 year old woman without her consent, and then illegally billed Medicaid for the procedure. He said "That ["the gay"] agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today." He criticized NBC for showing "Schindler's List," saying that it promoted "irresponsible sexual behavior."

Oh, and he's the Republican candidate for Senate from Oklahoma.

VP, Last I Looked

Apparently, the White House has decided that transcripts need footnotes. How they must miss Ari.

Witness ScottyBoy today, and the after-the-fact footnote:

Q Why did the President defy a direct order to get a physical in 1972?

MR. McCLELLAN: Scott, these are the same old recycled attacks that we see every time the President is up for election. It's not surprising that you see a coordinated effort by Democrats to attack the President when Senator Kerry is falling behind in the polls. And we had a very successful convention, and that's what this is about. It was well known that the President was going to work in Alabama and seeking a transfer to perform equivalent duty in a non-flying status. And that's what he was doing.

Q Did he decline to take it because he was moving to Alabama?

MR. McCLELLAN: He was transferring to a unit in Alabama to perform equivalent duty in a non-flying status. That is nothing new.

Q This was a direct order he defied, right? I mean, he did have a direct order that he defied?*

MR. McCLELLAN: John, these issues have come up every year. This was all part of the records -- that he was seeking to transfer to a unit in Alabama because he was going there to work in a civilian capacity. And he was granted permission to do so. And he was proud of his service and he was honorably discharged in October '73, after meeting his obligations.

*The memos that were released, in fact, show the President was working with his commanders to comply with the order.

Um, okay, nice footnote. Evidence please? There's no links, no sources, no documents. You felt the need to footnote a *transcript* for fuck's sake, so back it the hell up. Hello, a TRANSCRIPT! Fuckwads.

In the same press conference, this gem. Let's all consider the the source -- Al Gore, Vice President of the United States for 8 years, apparently not-at-all credible. Or not:

Q Al Gore is saying today that Cheney's comments on the election are sleazy and despicable and an effort to blackmail voters with fear. That's from Al Gore today -- Al Gore in response to Cheney's comments about another terrorist attack coming. If Kerry is elected -- Al Gore is calling Cheney's comments --

MR. MCCLELLAN: Consider the source.

Q He was Vice President, last I looked.

Douche-baggery. Say it with me, "douche-baggery."

Meatbag

Catching up on The Daily Show from last week. (God bless TiVo!)

Arnold:

And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, don't be economic girly-men!

Stewart:

Yes, for the 1.3M Americans who have sunk into poverty this year, Arnold's message to you is simply, "Suck it up faggots." "Walk it off." "You can do it."

While I'm talking about it, more on the Arnold speech:

Arnold crowed over the Nixon/Humphrey debate. Nevermind there was actually was no such debate, and Nixon was thrown out of office months later in disgrace.

Also nevermind this wasn't the only flatout lie. Case in point: the "Soviet tanks" comment. There never were any Soviet tanks in his Austrian hometown when he lived there.

Total meatbag.

(Of course, we should probably blame Karen Hughes for the blunders, not Arnold. She was so busy with the Zell "I challenge you to a duel" Miller fascist manifesto and the Shrub proclamation of disinformation vs. insurmountable facts, she probably forgot to fudge these facts as well as the others. Hope she's getting overtime, the poor girl. More on Hughes: The Other Women)

UPDATE: My GOP friend notes that I may have taken things out of context. So, I'll concede Arnie never used the word "debate" and he never said the tanks were in his hometown -- just in Austria. Does anyone else get the facts vs. implication angle? Of course not, because that matters not. I'm just a liberal baby eater.

So let's break down to true analysis, implication aside: Arnie based his decision to be a Republican entirely on TV. So he says. That same TV provided him all said needed principles to align himself to a party, God bless El Impeachadiablo Nixon. Secondly, wherever Soviet tanks appeared in Austria, he was there -- apparently privy to some sort invasion schedule from the enemy -- so he could make such a claim at the RNC. Unless he's holding out on some sort of unexpected vacation which included Soviet tanks as a bonus. Because, as those pesky facts dictate, they did not parade down Main St. in his hometown. But he SAW them. So he must of been traveling. Or something. Honestly, I tend to think the Soviet Tank Tour of Austria is a bit less exciting than the Sex Tour of Cambodia, but bygones...

KE04 Office Plan

Like, um, really funny:

[ credit: Wonkette ]

"Factual Errors"

Suckholes at CNN obsessed with a Kerry "factual error" in a speech this morning, when Kerry said General Shenseki was fired by the Bush admin. over a disagreement. In fact, he "retired." Yeah, retired. Uh huh. Retired. Right...

Meanwhile, here's Dicky yesterday, letting us all know that if we don't re-elect them come Nov. 2nd the terrorists have won:

It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States.

Priorities, you weenies. Priorities. I mean, after all, Cheney is apparently privy to some information that electing Kerry will directly lead to a terrorist attack. Those are the facts I want to know.

Sullivan

What Atrios says:

One annoying habit of my liberal brethren in the blogosphere is to seize on any harsh denunciation of the Bush administration by Andrew Sullivan as a breath of fresh air, or something. Look, there are moderates and open minded Republicans whose opinions we can respect and whose opposition to the Bush administration is more than welcome, but Andrew Sullivan is not one of those people. Andrew Sullivan is one of those people who, as Charles Pierce has suggested, should simply be shunned by all decent people.

In the immediate aftermath of September 11th, Sullivan wrote this:

The middle part of the country - the great red zone that voted for Bush - is clearly ready for war. The decadent Left in its enclaves on the coasts is not dead - and may well mount what amounts to a fifth column.

This is something he's so proud of that he's included it in the "greatest hits" section of his blog.

Sullivan was literally concerned that the "decadent Left" was plotting treason against the country, desiring to aid and abet terrorists. And, with this began the mission by armchair warriors everywhere to do what they imagined was their duty - to hunt down and destroy anyone who was insufficiently enthusiastic about whatever the latest Bush administration policy was. This warblogger mission was, in their eyes, a noble mission. At least as noble as, say, enlisting. Thus began the process of the marginalization of anyone who would seriously question the course of this "war on terror." Disagreement with the Bush administration became disagreement with "America." People who were "anti Bush" became "anti America" and "pro terrorist."

You reap what you sow. If the patriotically correct police had been a bit more concerned with the actual battle against terrorism, instead of whatever Susan Sontag wrote that week, they may have noticed that the administration was diverting money and resources away from Afghanistan and towards Iraq. They may have noticed that the desire to go to war in Iraq - something the warbloggers such as Sullivan who, having been disappointed by the premature ejaculation of the conflict in Afghanistan eagerly joined - would ensure that their first pet war would be a disaster both for us and for the people of Afghanistan.

Then we got to pet war two. Sullivan and ilk called us appeasers. Compared us to Chamberlain. Said we were "objectively pro-Saddam." The 101st Fighting Keyboarders had their second mission - to take us to war in Iraq. Let's remember the climate they helped foster. Remember the shit-storm which erupted when Natalie Maines said the following:

So you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.

If their fans hate them for that, fine. But this attitude was mainstreamed by the media, as if such a statement was truly outside the bounds of polite discourse. This culminated in the ridiculuous Diane Sawyer interview. Oddly, Maines actually hadn't said a damn thing about Iraq, but in that climate Iraq was everything.

Once again, if we hadn't been living in that climate, nursed by Sullivan and propagated by our mainstream media, we may have had more people asking tough questions about Afghanistan. Asking tough questions about the reasons for war. Asking tough questions about the disastrous handling of post-Saddam Iraq.

None of these things concerned Sullivan. His mission was to tar dissenters as treasonous supporters of dictators.

So, who the fuck cares what Andrew Sullivan thinks about anything?

Preach on, brother...

I honestly think we give Sullivan too much leeway because he's a "boutique" conservative: a fag who loves Bush. His recent enlightening re: the Iraq war isn't "enlightening" so much as it's merely waking the hell up -- way to late -- to the painfully obvious. We latch on to him out of shear perplexity... unable to rationalize why someone who is so clearly hated by his chosen party blindly supports said party.

So, right, who the fuck cares what Andrew Sullivan thinks.

Daryn and Rush Sitting in a Tree...

K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

(Kagan and Limbaugh.)

...'scuse me while I crawl outta my skin.

Serendipity

Guess who's going to the RNC?

Oh yeah, baby, ME!

Actually, I have to be in NYC next week for other reasons, but the irony certainly is not lost. I'm open for suggestions on how to crash the party, or at least piss off some wingnuts. Maybe I can get on TV humping Candy Crowley's leg or something... okay, maybe not that, but dammit, the temptation is just too great. So what should I do, besides yelling FUGGEDABOUTDIT out the window?

Wolf Sucks

Had a ridiculous fluff piece on this morning with Ann Veneman, Agriculture Secretary, about "good nutrition" for our school kids and all the love of the government school breakfast and lunch programs. Not once did Wolf ask, "Why did the USDA under the Bush administration almost immediately reverse food safety rules enacted by the Clinton administration testing for E.Coli and other dangerous food-borne illness in the meat supply fed at our schools, which I may add, kills 5,000 American children each year?"

Let's take a closer look at Veneman:

Common Dreams:

Veneman has served as a key member of the Reagan and Bush administration farm teams, as director of the California Department of Food and Agriculture during the gubernatorial administration of agribusiness favorite Pete Wilson, as an agribusiness lawyer and as a member of the national steering committee of Farmers and Ranchers for Bush. In those positions she has rarely missed an opportunity to promote a free-trade regimen that advances the interests of international food production and processing conglomerates, to encourage policies that lead to the displacement of family farms with huge factory farms, to open public lands for mineral extraction and timbering, to support genetic modification of food and to defend biotech experimentation with agriculture. Indeed, Veneman is a biotech absolutist who served on the board of Calgene, the corporation that launched the first genetically engineered food in 1994. Veneman told a forum last year, "We simply will not be able to feed the world without biotechnology."

[snip]

In addition, she was actively involved in negotiating the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the North American Free Trade Agreement. So determined is Veneman to advance the free-trade agenda that Bush transition team aides briefly considered her as a candidate for the position of U.S. trade representative before handing the keys to the Department of Agriculture, with its 100,000-member staff and $100 billion budget, to the woman who has already proven her willingness to sacrifice the interests of American farmers on the altar of trade liberalization. Even as family farmers from Wisconsin and Minnesota were marching in the streets of Seattle to protest WTO interference with agricultural supports and food safety standards, Veneman was in Seattle to tell the WTO to move more aggressively to remove so-called "technical barriers to trade."

And from Disinfopedia:

Ann Veneman served on the board of directors for Calgene Inc. In 1994, Calgene became the first company to bring genetically-engineered food, the Flavr Savr tomato, to supermarket shelves. Calgene was bought out by Monsanto, the nation�s leading biotech company, in 1997. Monsanto, in turn, became part of pharmaceutical company Pharmacia in 2000. Monsanto, which donated more than $12,000 to George Bush�s presidential bid, wants two things this year: no mandatory labeling of biotech foods and better access to international markets. Veneman also served on the International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and Trade, a group funded by Cargill, Nestle, Kraft, and Archer Daniels Midland.

Yeah, she cares about your children. No, really, she does.

Gitmo and Abu Gharib

Gitmo "commission" begins today, and Abuse Panel nails the DoD brass. Somewhat. Short version: First it was "just 7" soldiers, now it's "just 28," and Rummy seems safe for now.... grrr...

Picked this up a few months ago -- somewhere (Jesus' General?) -- but it's just perfectly apt:

Battleground States

Saw this over at the WSJ, and we all know blue is your favorite color...

(No, I wasn't reading from the White House Propaganda Department, er, uh, Journal op-ed page...)

Swift Liars

God our media sucks. Why doesn't Wolf bring this up?

Look, The MoveOn Voter Fund is real 527, a registered PAC with a large number of contributors which abides by all the laws of the 2002 Campaign Reform Act. The Swift Vets do not. They claim to not be a "PAC," and therefore are skirting the PAC label requiring contribution limitations and public reporting of all donations over $200. Go see for yourself at the FEC.

Isn't that just the tiniest bit shady? We need to stop this crap comparing the progressive 527's to the Swift Vets as being birds of feather.

Disinfopedia has an exhaustive page on the subject.

Feel the Love

Ann Coulter spreads the love in the UK:

Meet Ann Coulter. In her opinion, "liberals are racists", the French are "a bunch of faggots", only property owners should be allowed to vote, and anyone who disagrees with her is a "fatuous idiot" or "evil". In liberal Europe, such propositions are seldom aired, even in the most right-wing salons. In America, however, Coulter - blonde, fortysomething - is a regular guest commentator on news and talk shows such as Good Morning America, Hannity and Colmes, At Large with Geraldo Rivera and The O'Reilly Factor.

How we love ye Ann.

Thankfully, she's not alone in her nutosphere. Witness Brent Bozell on the O'Reilly Factor, a show (well, network) not exactly know for its non-partisan viewpoint. The subject: the "Swift Boat Vets" ad with token liberal Paul Waldman of The Gadflyer. And this comes after the show in the "green room:"

But alas, it was not to be. The moment I walked in, Bozell looked at me angrily and said, "That was horseshit, what you said!" I reconstruct here the rest of the discussion as best I can recall. Although I wrote it down on the way home, a word here or there may be less than precise. Rest assured, though, the nasty parts from Bozell are verbatim:

WALDMAN: What part of it?
BOZELL: You're a liar!
WALDMAN: What are you talking about?
BOZELL: That stuff about Kerry!
WALDMAN: What, about atrocities?
BOZELL: He called them war criminals!
WALDMAN: He didn't accuse any individuals of anything.
BOZELL: You're a liar!
WALDMAN: He never accused those guys of anything.
BOZELL: John Kerry is a liar, and you're a liar!
WALDMAN: What are you talking about?
BOZELL: Fuck you!

At that, Bozell stormed out. I should note that throughout this little argument, I remained calm, partly in an attempt to diffuse Bozell's boiling rage, but also because I was genuinely having a hard time figuring out what he was trying to get across. Bozell, in contrast, looked as though his head was about to explode, his voice growing louder and his face redder. I would say that I was afraid he was going to take a swing at me, but I don't think "afraid" is quite the right word. I'm quite a few years younger than Bozell, and though I suspect he fights dirty, I have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, so I'm pretty sure I could take him. Fortunately, it didn't come to that.

Well, at least kudos to the UK media for framing Coulter as respectfully as a totally complete nutjob can be framed. Those English, so polite... :-)

President JFK

As in John Forbes Kerry.

"I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty."

Speech tonight at the DNC a definite home run... energetic, upbeat, hopeful, concise, and a real display of true statesmanship. Despite the somewhat earned stick-up-his-ass reputation, Kerry proved himself tonight. Candy Crowley is moist.

Video will make it up on JohnKerry.com eventually; text is already up. If anyone knows another link, let me know.

Congrats to our next President. Latest polls have him up 5 points, this will only make things better.

Brace yourself for the hatefest next month in NY...

Horny Conventioners

Gotta love craigslist.

Married? older? bi-curious? top? bottom? vers? no-strings? vanilla? leather? role-playing? rubber? It's all within spitting distance of the Fleet Center.

[ via wonkette ]

Andy Gets Kinky

What's gotten into Andrew Sullivan?

...Tightly scripted, elegantly choreographed, seamlessly on the centrist message of war, unity, maturity and judgment...

...If the first night is any indicator, the Democrats have played the smartest, strongest card of the campaign so far...

...Remember when we were one as a nation? Do you really think that president Bush is capable of bringing any of us together again? Of course, some Democrats are responsible for exactly that polarization. But it's nevertheless a smart move to portray themselves as a unifying future compared to the divisive past.

I feel dirty.

Somewhere, Ted's crying...

CNN's CoverageLight (now with 50% less real news!) of the DNC has left me hurling insults at the TV screen more than a few times today. Watching Judy Woodruff bait former President Jimmy Carter with her partisan slant is nauseating... not to mention just downright disrespectful.

It runs the gambit from "you don't really think a MA liberal can win, do you?" to "polls show W is clearly stronger on homeland defense" to "did the Democratic party tell you what to say tonight and ask you to be nice to Kerry?" (I'm paraphrasing here.)

Let's see, she's reinforced a favorite GOP 4-letter word, promoted a bullshit statistic, and insuniated Carter doesn't really like Kerry that much all before it's time to run a Swiffer commercial. Nice job, toots.

She'd be less obvious giving Bush a handjob in primetime.

(Hmmmmm... I *am* just up the street from CNN HQ. Granted, most the bobbleheads are in Boston, but I'm sure there's a giant plug outside the building I can accidently trip over.)

Best DNC Button

Somewhere in Texas, a village is missing its idiot.

Idiocy

Do you think Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein worked together? Vote.

How many get-out-jail free cards does the Bush admin have? I mean, Jesus Fucking Christ, knock this shit off already. Liberal media my ass.

If your Building Collapses, Give Yourself a Blowjob

This was making the rounds at work yesterday. Way funny.

[ thanks Tim! ]

Liar

Today on Crossfire:

Bob Novak: "Well, Paul, I'm no political hack."

And he said it with a straight face. Nevermind that pesky Valerie Plame thing.

The Other Woman

James Moore has an interesting perspective into the interworkings of Karen Hughes over at Salon.

No one saw Karen Hughes' transcendent moment with George W. Bush. Possibly, she had already crossed over from being his communications consultant to being his confidant.

[...]

Actually, Hughes had become unsettlingly close to her boss long before journalism or outsiders began to take note. In fact, her worst critics have accused the presidential counselor of living almost vicariously through Bush. His goals and political ideology have been so inculcated into Hughes' consciousness that she may no longer be able discern between her own thinking and the president's. This undoubtedly is an odd characterization to make of two of the world's most powerful adults. There is, however, no shortage of evidence to prompt the speculation.

Undoubtedly, this will be written-off as a hack piece by the right, but it is interesting if nothing else. Watching Hughes on TV promoting her "expansive love note to her president, 'Ten Minutes From Normal'", it becomes quickly evident she's beer-bonged the Kool-Aid and W is our present-day messiah. Hughes' claims to fame are the hatchet-job Bush did to fellow-Republican McCain in 2000, followed by an all-out campaign to bury the drunkard Bush angle the media was feebly following. Indeed, she's willing to dive into the dirt for her president, no matter how taboo the topic.

It's difficult to understand how anyone outside of the Jerry Springer show can behave this way, but this article makes at least some attempt to bring reason to her inexplicable devotion to Our Dear Leader.

MaxSpeak Contest

Wow.

The challenge: "Submit your entries here for the most vicious thing posted by someone on the Instapundit blogroll."

Behold entry #1:

METROPOLIS, Ill. (AP)--A top high school basketball team was beaten in a game that ended in an on-court brawl among fans in which a coach was hit with a bottle and five people were treated at a hospital."

I saw the news clips. There wasn't a white face in the bunch. The gym was filled with black people who went totally African at the end of the game. It was a fvcking riot. I don't care whether you want to call me a racist or not, but black people cannot continue to behave as savages and be treated as free citizens in this country. We have fucking LAWS. You can't just nut-up and go n;gger over a fucking basketball game. The world doesn't work that way.

But you people keep doing it, over and over, then whining about "Civil Rights." Try the word CIVIL on your goddam tongue. The root word leads to "civilized." That means obeying the law and playing by the rules. If you want to change the system, rebel against it and take your fight to court. You don't hit a coach in the head with a bottle.

Don't n;gger-up and turn a high school gym into a scene right out of Haiti.

I know from reading this woman that she agrees with me. She's written before about seing such stories and hoping like hell that it wasn't a bunch of blacks running wild creating the scene.

But guess who it is almost every time, darlin? Yep. It's the n;ggers going crazy again. Black leaders should be outraged by such behavior and they should be preaching AGAINST IT, not encouraging it or excusing it. But I'll never live long enough to see such honesty from ANY goddam politician alive today.

I am becoming more comfortable with the word "n;gger" since the 1960s. I had compassion for an oppressed people back then. But I watched them shit all over every opportunity handed to them for the last 40 years, and you know what we have now? Not a minority absorbed into our society. We just have a bunch of n;ggers running wild.

You can face the truth or you can run from it, but whatever the choice, it won't change a damned thing. 49% of our prison population is black. Black wimmen have a 70% illegitmate birth rate. Only one in three black men (who AREN'T in prison) has a goddam job.

Yeah, I know, why repost it? Well, because it's important to know this type of wingnuttery is an everyday affair. Just look at some of the other entries. Now tell me these people aren't couching the Iraq "war" as a for-the-white man fundie Christian crusade.

Unfuckingbelievable.

Threat Matrix

Link:

It was the lead item on the government's daily threat matrix one day last April. Don Emilio Fulci described by an FBI tipster as a reclusive but evil millionaire, had formed a terrorist group that was planning chemical attacks against London and Washington, D.C. That day even FBI director Robert Mueller was briefed on the Fulci matter. But as the day went on without incident, a White House staffer had a brainstorm: He Googled Fulci. His findings: Fulci is the crime boss in the popular video game Headhunter. "Stand down," came the order from embarrassed national security types.

[ via Atrios ]

Instawingnut

Ugh. Instapundit. Yeah, I know, I shouldn't torture myself.

Today he's channeling this drivel from Mudville Gazette, which sent me over the edge.

Seymour Hersh has had an amazing story dropped into his lap. A group of American GIs, caught on camera, abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. Heinous acts. The wheels of justice were certainly turning, but nailing the abusive guards is not enough for the intrepid reporter. Indeed, since evidence indicates that one of those guard's attorneys most likely provided that information to Hersh, it follows that getting the higher ups was likely part of the deal. . . .

Hersh has embarked on a televised disinformation campaign, recently appearing on the "O'Reilly Factor" in an effort to sow additional confusion in a public already stunned into incomprehension by the graphic photos he helped make famous worldwide.

The campaign relies on two main points, neither of which is completely factual: 1) the Army did nothing, and 2) it's the superior's fault, not the troops. Point one is a lie. Point two is true, but there's a level where it becomes ludicrous. Given that point one is a lie, that level is low.

In essence, this is attempt to indirectly call Hersh a liar, while not actually attacking his "largely factual" article since that could be easily debunked. This goes way beyond the pale, and, of course, is not backed up by any evidence except, apparently, an interview with Bill O'Reilly. Good God.

So, supposed lie #1: the Army did nothing. Didn't Hersh base the entire article on General Taguba's report? Is Hersh denying this? I just don't get this at all. It is clear, however, the administration made little (if any) attempt to correct the situation. Who gives a shit if 3 investigations were done, nothing was done to stop the abuse. Is it acceptable to take months and months to investigate continuing abuse and possibly murder? This did not happen in the past! As far as I can tell, this is still going on, and while some military personnel have been removed, contractors have apparently received no requests from the administration to remove their personnel which were also involved. At the very least we know this was still happening while the investigations were underway.

And, yes, there was at least some action on the part of the armed forces: General Myers requested that CBS delay the Abu Ghraib story by two weeks, presumably because it could color the debate about whether we could detain and strip all rights from the "enemy combatants" in Gitmo, which went in front of the Supreme Court on April 21st.

Alleged lie #2 Hersh is spreading is, "it's the superior's fault." Is not the entire military based upon a chain of command? Did not Rumsfeld himself take responsibility for this saying it happened on his watch?

He goes on to agree with another wingnut who compares this to the Ramparts scandal in the LAPD, "which turned out to be rather less than initially thought."

Then, in the next post, we have this: "It's a scandal, to be dealt with. The people who want to make it the whole war are misguided, at best."

So Glenn thinks (a) it's "rather less" than we think, and (b) it just needs to be dealt with. This attitude is being spewed from all corners of the rightwing nutosphere.

The fallacy in comparing this to Ramparts is obvious. Ramparts was a local issue, by Los Angelians for Los Angelians. Story after story offer a buffet of sources which claim rampant abuse, including accounts from the Red Cross and even reports from the enlisted themselves who reported this to their superiors in vein. Despite who may or may not get hung for this, we know more data is coming. This attempt to downplay the gravity of the situation before we even see the second round of evidence is disingenuous.

But more short-sighted is the inability to see this: In Iraq, we invaded a country, presumably to liberate them and sow the seeds of democracy. (Well, at least that's the reason now, since the mushroom clouds didn't materialize. And never mind that some simple homework would tell you that Iraqi citizens would never vote for a democracy.) We are foreigners. We forcibly took over their country. This continuing belief that we can run roughshod over whatever the fuck we want to and then think it's okay because we're Americans and we know better, and they should be kissing our feet, is The. Most. Naive. Thing. Ever. We need to win the hearts & minds, not assume it's a freebie because we're the great geopolitical Jesus. [insert Vietnam comparison here.]

Whether we like it or not, the average Arab conversation about this "war" will now be framed in those pictures. (Unless we do something worse.) This is a PR disaster so monumental it's likely we've blown any chance of getting that hearts & minds thing.

Some of the inability to see the obvious may be because of the utter lack of focus on the victims. There's some basic lip-service: "Troubled." "Horrible." "Upsetting." But that's it. Sure, they're not explicitly written off as a bunch of uncooperative sandniggers who deserved it, but it's all there in the undercurrent. We know that 6 GIs were "involved." So we talk about "only 6" and how it was "isolated," yet no mention of the Iraqis themselves. They're merely props. Naked human being props hooked up to batteries through their genitals.

So, IMHO, we've lost the war abroad. Not militarily, but ideologically. The two are not mutually exclusive. GAME OVER.

I hate to give Karl Rove tips, but I think there could be one situation where this could really turn against us on the left here at home: if any of the accused Americans are tried in Iraqi courts. Hypothetically, they could be sentenced to death which may or may not be an appropriate sentence, but that wouldn't matter. First of all, it is improbable any trials could be completed before the November election. But an Iraqi court merely seeking the death penalty would cause the fickle American public to rally behind Shrub; perhaps creating a November landslide. Sure, this scenario is rife with hypocrisy, but that never bothered the voting public before. And after what W did to McCain in SC in 2000, I certainly wouldn't place this out of the realm of possibility.

Exxon

ExxonMobile may become the world's largest company, surpassing GE

Not a bit of a correlation between this and our ultrahigh gas prices, right?

Oh, wait, maybe:

High energy prices are bad news for the global economy, but they've generated windfall profits for Exxon. In the first quarter, the Irving, Texas, company reported record earnings of $5 billion, putting it on track to surpass last year's record profit of $21.5 billion.

Isn't this why we invaded Iraq? No, I mean, really... we're not still buying this "democracy" crap are we?

Buck Fush.

Rummy

So, the Bush team listening devices picked up this outside of Rummy's house tonight:

Joyce Rumsfeld: Good evening stud, how did your day go?

Rummy: Well, I lied to Congress. Then I masturbated. Oh, and after that... I sold my soul to Cheney for a bag of Cheetos. They were delicious, but they get all over your fingers, ya know?

Mrs.: Yes, I know sweetie. Well, just another day then? Huh?

Rummy: Yep.

And there's this:

Rumsfeld did not describe the photos, but U.S. military officials told NBC News that the unreleased images showed U.S. soldiers severely beating an Iraqi prisoner nearly to death, having sex with a female Iraqi female prisoner and “acting inappropriately with a dead body.” The officials said there was also a videotape, apparently shot by U.S. personnel, showing Iraqi guards raping young boys.

I will give Rummy this much: he admitted there were more photos, and even videos coming.

Ohhhh!!! *chortle* I can't wait for the "American GIs Gone Wild" videos. I mean, there's young boy rape and even inappropriate action with a dead body. Hot, hot, hot!

Meanwhile, of VITAL importance today, was denying OTC "morning after" pills for absolutely no sound scientific reason.

Kinda like when Bush was in Crawford ignoring the "Bin Laden Determined to Attack the US" PDB because he had more important business to attend to -- vacationing and denying stem cell research.

God Bless Amerika.

Debtor Nation

The 5/10 issue of The Nation features "Debtor Nation," an article by William Greider.

At task are our rising trade deficits and what it really means to us, as Americans, in the ever increasing global economy we live in. It's no secret that Americans are uber-consumers, putting themselves ever-more in debt for new cars and furniture. Meanwhile, they facilitate the trade deficit by patronizing "intra-trade" multinationals, like Wal-Mart, which use cheap overseas labor in favor of American jobs to sell ever-cheaper goods to Americans. It doesn't take a genius to see that's not sustainable. And mixing our declining economy with the world's most powerful military leads to some terrifying scenarios.

I'm not on the imminent doom bandwagon yet, but it's got some eye-opening and "putting 2-and-2 together" moments.

Full article is here, but here's some salient excerpts:

For several decades, in fact, the federal government has tolerated and even encouraged the dispersal of American production overseas--first to secure allies during the cold war, later to advance the fortunes of US multinationals. No other major economy in the world accepts perennial trade deficits; some maintain huge surpluses. But American leaders and policy-makers are uniquely dedicated to a faith in "free market" globalization, and they have regularly promised Americans that despite the disruptions, this policy guarantees their long-term prosperity. Present facts make these long-held convictions look like gross illusion. By 1998, the trade deficit was back to a new high and expanding ferociously, despite supposed improvements in US competitiveness. Last year it set another new record: $489 billion.

[...]

The US economy, in essence, is being kept afloat by enormous foreign lending so that consumers can keep buying more imports, thus increasing the bloated trade deficits. This lopsided arrangement will end when those foreign creditors--major trading partners like Japan, China and Europe--decide to stop the lending or simply reduce it substantially.

That reckoning could arrive as a sudden thunderclap of financial crisis--spiking interest rates, swooning stock market and crashing home prices. More likely it will be less dramatic but equally painful. As foreign capital moves elsewhere and easy credit disappears for consumers, many Americans will experience a major decline in their living standards--a gradual grinding-down process that could continue for years. If the US government reacts passively and allows "market forces" to make these adjustments, the consequences will be especially severe for the less affluent--families already stretched by stagnating wages and too much borrowing.

[...]

Both China and Japan are prodigious financiers of US consumption--the two largest foreign holders of US Treasury bonds--despite the weak returns they get from low US interest rates. China and Japan are willing to do this because they calculate that sustaining their own industrial output and employment is worth more than seeking stronger financial returns elsewhere.

[...]

The poker game ends when one major player or another decides it has gotten the last dollar off the table and it's time to go home. Creditor nations naturally have the upper hand, like any banker who can call the loan when he sees the borrower is hopelessly mired. But the decision to exit might be dictated by necessity more than bad faith. China, for instance, is booming, with a banking system riddled with bad loans to its domestic enterprises. If a banking crisis developed, Beijing might have no choice but to sell off its US bonds and use the capital at home to stabilize its financial system or to assuage political unrest among its unemployed masses. Tokyo has for some years anticipated an eventual American reckoning but hoped to keep the United States from doing anything rash until the Asian sphere was strong enough to prosper on its own, without depending so heavily on American consumers. (Bold mine.)

What might be done to avoid the worst? The necessary first step is for American politicians to cast aside the propagandistic claims advanced by multinational business and finance and endorsed by policy elites and orthodox economists. For decades, globalization advocates insisted, for example, that the solution to America's trade deficits was more "free trade." Each new trade agreement has been heralded as a market-opening breakthrough that would boost US exports and thus move toward balanced trade. That is not what happened--not after NAFTA (1993) and the WTO (1994), nor after China normalization (2000). In each case, the trade deficits grew dramatically. (Yes, it's true that since the early 1970s US export volume has grown by more than five times, but import volume has grown by eight times.) Economists have also claimed that ending deficit spending by the federal government would eliminate the trade gap. Yet when the federal government's budget did finally come into balance in 1999, the trade deficits were exploding. This discredited explanation is nonetheless being recycled, now that huge federal deficits have been spectacularly revived by the Bush Administration.

[...]

A decisive President, one who grasped the gravity of the situation, would start by bringing up a taboo subject--tariffs--and inform the world that the United States is prepared to impose a temporary general tariff of 10 or 15 percent on all US imports. Every multinational would have to rethink its industrial strategy, because some of its production might be stranded in the wrong country. Import-dependent retailers like Wal-Mart would be seriously disrupted, too.

The idea of tariffs is so alien to conventional wisdom it probably sounds illegal. Actually, a nondiscriminatory general tariff is permitted under the original GATT agreement for a nation to correct grave financial imbalances--exactly the problem America is facing. Richard Nixon stunned the world in 1971 when he abruptly announced a 10 percent import surcharge, devalued the dollar and unilaterally discarded the Bretton Woods monetary system. America needs a bit of Nixonian nerve.

With a general tariff, the practice of wage arbitrage--shifting high-wage jobs to low-wage nations, then selling the goods to the US market--would no longer be a free ride. If the US market were less wide-open, globalization could continue, but countries and companies would need to disperse production on different assumptions. They might finally confront the central dilemma of inadequate global demand versus the permanent overabundance of supply.

It goes on to propose some solutions. They are radical, but at the same time, there's a certain amount of undeniable logic. When you have Warren Buffet moving his wealth into overseas markets and currency, it's probably a good idea to wonder about these things yourself.

...read the full article

Nightline

CAP:

Tonight, ABC's "Nightline" will pay tribute to U.S. troops killed in Iraq by airing a 40 minute special – the names of the fallen will be read by anchor Ted Koppel as their photographs appear on screen. But Sinclair Broadcast Group – the country's largest owner of TV stations – will not allow its ABC affiliates to air the show. In a statement, Sinclair claims the special "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." While Sinclair claims it is pre-empting Nightline because it is an attempt to "influence public opinion," the record shows that Sinclair media has repeatedly leveraged its control over the airwaves to manipulate public opinion in favor of President Bush's right-wing agenda.

...more

Preznit Fetish

This is just weird.

And this is just gross.

Twins Be Testifyin'

Ok, so all the news stories I'm seeing on the Bush/Cheney testimony today at best speculate that, yes, they're testifying together to "keep their story straight."

Um, why is this news? I mean, isn't this how it always is? For all we know, they had danishes, coffee, and ordered up some strippers from Scores.

Fucking bobblehead media.

Look, there's three big known issues which they're conveniently ignoring about the whole thing:

1. Why is Bush lying -- again -- about wanting to testify. They tried their damnedest not to testify at all, but only succumbed after a public outcry. Furthermore, he's lying -- yet again -- that he didn't previously insist on only testifying for only one hour.
2. What the hell is up with the wussy commission even agreeing to these Rovian terms? Insane! No outcry over that. Nope, none at all.
3. Why is the White House lying about Clinton and Gore's testimony, claiming it was also in the same fashion -- not taped or transcribed. That's, in fact, utter crap. Transcripts of their testimony will be released.

Instead, we get crap quotes from Bush like "I answered every question they asked." Well, Jesus H, isn't that fucking special. Meanwhile, we've got Bob Kerrey saying "It was a good meeting." Um, hello, except for the bullshit circumstances under which it was held? And to think I liked you Bob.

Outrageous.

Impeach!

Up Yours, Diebold

Advisory panel here in California votes 8-0 to ditch Diebold e-voting machines for the Nov. 2nd election.

These machines produce no paper trail, which is in-and-of-itself monumentally stoopid, but their attempts to screw Maryland when they raised the same issue, along with their constant Bush fellating, means these jokers should of been kicked to the curb long ago.

Maryland:

An e-mail found in a collection of files stolen from Diebold Elections Systems' internal database recommends charging Maryland "out the yin-yang" if the state requires Diebold to add paper printouts to the $73 million voting system it purchased.

The e-mail from "Ken," dated Jan. 3, 2003, discusses a (Baltimore) Sun article about a University of Maryland study of the Diebold system:

"There is an important point that seems to be missed by all these articles: they already bought the system. At this point they are just closing the barn door. Let's just hope that as a company we are smart enough to charge out the yin if they try to change the rules now and legislate voter receipts."

"Ken" later clarifies that he meant "out the yin-yang," adding, "any after-sale changes should be prohibitively expensive."

Perhaps the GOP won't be spewing that "We can win California!" crap now that their secret weapon is gone.

Flat Taxes

Around this time of year, I always get in little tiffs with friends over "flat" taxes. Natch, the "fairness" club is hauled out early and often.

Kevin Drum's got it right: (in reference to this article in the National Review.)

But what really gets me is how they always present these things as if we need a flat tax because the tax code is too damn complex. Well, the tax code is too damn complex, but the least complex thing about it is the part where you look up your adjusted gross income in the tax table to figure out how much you owe. The complex part is figuring out your adjusted gross income in the first place, something that has nothing to do with whether the tax rate for millionaires is higher than the tax rate for those at the poverty line.

It is columns like this that cause me to lose patience with the tax jihadists on the right. It is dishonest to pretend that flattening tax rates has any connection to simplifying the tax code. It is dishonest to pretend that a flat income tax is "fair" while conveniently forgetting to suggest the same for Social Security taxes. It is dishonest to pretend that "income" is the same for everyone while failing to even mention capital gains, tax shelters, corporate perks, deferred compensation, pension contributions, stock options, or the thousand other options the wealthy have for making money that doesn't quite count as "income." It is dishonest not to mention that simple arithmetic guarantees that any flat income tax proposal would raise taxes for practically every middle class family in the country.

Semi-related: Back in December, this Plastic article really drove the point home with me about what's wrong with our current (er, uh, Republican) tax policies (which aren't flat, but getting there):

(I'm quoting a comment from "esmense" in it's entirity... it's worth the read)

The basic misunderstanding about taxes is that they are a transfer of money between individuals. From "the rich" to "the poor." From "the productive" to the "unproductive."

But, in reality, what taxes are is a transfer of resources between generations.

The reason this is misunderstood is because most people overlook one extremely important fact; in most societies, and most especially in broadly middle class societies (as ours once was, although it is becoming less so), the factor that most explains disparities in wealth is age.

Older people, in general, are richer than younger people. They earn more, and they possess more assets, including income producing assets.

The reason for this is obvious � it takes time and personal investment to create personal wealth; investments in education, training, investment in time to acquire valuable skills and experience, investment in establishing a home, raising a family, acquiring property, building a business, etc.

This is why the average income of male earners under the age of 30 is only a fraction of the average income of males in their early 50s � the peak earning years. It is also why about 85% of all asset wealth in this country is in the hands of people 55 and older.

So when you talk about "the rich" you are, in fact, mostly talking about mature earners; in their peak earning years, with � because they have already made their most important investments in acquiring personal assets, rearing their families, etc. � the most disposable income (income they can afford to further use for financial investment.)

And when you talk about "the poor" you are, in general, talking about the young. Those who have both lesser incomes, lesser disposable income, and, a greater need to expend their income on personal investments � the acquistion of eduation, tools, property, businesses, the establishment of a home and family, etc. � that can pay off for them and their dependents in the future.

Progressive taxation takes this basic, human reality into account in a way that notions like the flat tax do not.

In the normal course of events, progressive taxation allows young people � in the asset and wealth acquiring and personal investment stage of life � to DEFER their heaviest tax burden until the years when those investments have begun to pay off. While, at the same time, allowing the society as a whole to build, maintain and support the PUBLIC resources that contribute to, and are, in fact, necessary to, the accumulation of personal wealth; the educational, cultural, physical and social and commercial infra-structure of the society and the economy.

Conservatives argue that progressive taxation is "unfair" because it penalizes people who work hard and are successful. But, a flat tax system is equally "unfair." Because it must, inevitably, steal either public or personal resources, and most likely both, from the young � those in the wealth accumulation stage of life who have the least assets and resources for creating wealth, and yet, the most need to do so � in order to protect the wealth already acquired by their elders. (The word "fair" really has no place in a discussion of taxation. There is nothing fair about taxes and in reality no way to make taxes so. What benefits some must inevitably penalize some others. In discussing taxes, we need to talk about priorities, but, should leave "fairness" to the Girl Scouts. Unfortunately, we don't do so.)

This penalizing of the young becomes especially "unfair" when you consider that this generation of elders � those of the Silent and Boomer generation � enjoyed the benefits of both a highly progressive tax system, that gave them a very minimal tax burden, AND substantial, if not unprecedented, public investment, in their own youth.

But now that that THEIR bill is coming due, they are once again deferring it � only this time, through massive deficit � onto their children and grandchildren.

Stern

I've been listening to Howard Stern lately while driving to work. It's been a few years since I've tuned in on a regular basis, but his recent run-ins with the FCC and subsequent anti-right stances have, obviously, been appealing. It's funny -- with all the vitriol, lying, and conniving that surrounds our public "discourse" and policy today, I find Stern almost wholesome. He is what he is, and nothing more.

Yesterday, he had Arianna Huffington on, pushing her new book Fanatics & Fools. She was surprisingly effective against the typical Stern guttural assault. She rolled with the punches, played along, and really did herself justice. Then they asked if she had ever been with a black man. She had. The flood gates opened.

Later, they called the Gubernator and got him to come on the air not knowing Arianna was the guest. That went surprisingly well, given the viciousness of their exchanges during the gubernatorial race, with Arnold being very respectful and complimentary of her... until Stern posed the "have you been with a black person" question to Arnold. His response? "Yes, Howard, but lots of guys were with that woman that night." Well, at least he didn't use the "N" word.

Arianna departed with these words: "Don't ever have on [the program] a hooker who isn't registered [to vote]." Funny.

Stern has the potential for driving a serious wedge into the presidential race. The GOP consists of two elements, which don't necessarily have any interest in each other: the fundamentalist Christians and the fiscal conservatives. Historical ties have brought them together, but Bush clearly panders to the former. Someone who has mass appeal like Stern can really throw a wrench into the crazy fundie regime we're now living under and steer many casual non-politicos away from voting for the Chimperor. I think many on the left are realizing this may be just what we needed. Stern has a huge audience and isn't passive like the mainstream news outlets. The Stern Factor should not be dismissed or ignored. Quite the opposite.

Check out howardstern.com for more info on his battle with the FCC. Whether you like him or not, he is getting a raw deal.

Air America: The Sludge Report

After this drivel on Drudge, Air America releases The Sludge Report.

I always shy away from giving Drudge any coverage -- we all know the guy would suck himself off if he could. But the AA response is mildly amusing.

It's a bit unclear as to what exactly has transpired. Depending on who you listen to, either the radio network is a bunch of deadbeat check bouncers, or the owner of the LA & Chicago outlets is a slimeball used car salesman.

Meanwhile, they're due to invade two previously Asian-language stations here in the bay area next month. In the mean time, you can catch them each day via internet stream.

condo-LIE-zza rice

Here it now on NPR.

It really makes me want to get up in a tower and start hurting some people.

Well, okay, Condi mostly. Can this woman ever tell the truth?

UPDATE: CAP separates fact from fiction. Does she have dissociative identity disorder? Or perhaps is an alien taking on (slightly) human form? It's gotta be something. Or she's just entirely conscience-free.

Leave No Photo-Op with a Minority Behind

Bush wuvs them Caucasianally-challenged peeps.

No irony here, folks.

Nope, none at all.

Move along.

[ via Atrios ]

I'll take impending civil wars for $500, Alex...

Sources: Al-Sadr supporters take over Najaf

Wow

Cover of the 4/3 Economist.

Iraqi Parades

Not quite the Rose Parade, but...

Iraqis Drag Four Corpses Through Streets

It's nice to see them having so much fun. We're such good liberators! *warm fuzzy* Democracy goooooooood. We simply must invade more countries more often!

Anyway, this post isn't really about that. Air America launches today, the "so-called liberal" radio network. (Why does every news report use "so-called?" Are we doubting its liberalism? Odd.) Unfortunately, their website blows and you can't tell which end is up, much less find your local station. For the moment, you can only find it in New York, LA, Chicago, and Portland. Regulars include Al Franken ("The O'Franken Factor"), Janeane Garofalo, and RFK Jr.

A San Francisco station is set to pick it up next week. Streaming was purportedly on tap, but their website is effectively dead this morning. Republican DDoS attack! *shrug*

UPDATE: Air America is now streaming o'er da net for your listening pleasure.

Wasting Cycles

Okay, old addiction: grouphug.us. (Try the random link and keep hitting it for hours of terrifying fun.)

New addiction: seeing what my neighbors are donating to preznit wannabes at fundrace.org. They've even got geo-colored maps! Real purty.

UPDATE: Okay, fundrace.org is truly fascinating. Some finds:

• $2000 a piece to Dubya: Bill Gates, Steve Case & wife, Richard Parsons (CEO of Time Warner) & wife, Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay), Chuck Smith (CEO & Preznit of evil telecom giant SBC)
• Dick Cheney's lesbian daughter, Mary, gave $850 to Bush. She also works for the Bush-Cheney re-election, a campaign that seeks to outlaw her civil rights through a Constitutional amendment. Oy.
• George Soros: $2000/ea. to Kerry, Edwards, and Clark. $1k to Dean.
• Susan Surandon: 2 large to Dean
• John Edwards apparently donated $2k to himself. How, uh, terribly useful.
• A Howard Dean of Hinsdale, Il donated $2k to Bush.

God, I love the Bushies

Fuckup #17812347134789:

Seen on The Daily Show...

WTVF, Nashville TN:

Reporter: When President Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement & Modernization Act into law last month, millions of people who are covered by Medicare began asking how it can help them. The new law, say officials, simply offers people with Medicare ways to make their healthcare more affordable. In Washington, I'm Karan Ryan reporting.

Jon Stewart, Daily Show: Wow, that news report really makes me feel like the Medicare bill is a positive thing. Here's the problem -- there's no such person as Karen Ryan and that news report is completely fake. The White House produced so-called "news packages" on the Medicare bill and sent them to local TV news stations with actors playing the roles of reporters. 33 of those stations then aired them as if they were actual news reports. I mean, honestly people, fake news?

...

Anyway, the faux-journalism gained furthered legitimacy by featuring an interview with Secretary of Health & Human Services Tommy Thomson, "This is the same Medicare system only with additional benefits for those seniors, plus some additional choices that each senior will be able to have."

Well, that was some really heart-felt reading. Basically, this new Medicare bill is so good, the guy in charge of it can't say anything nice about it without a tele-prompter. Even the General Accounting Office, an independent agency responsible for monitoring White House Spending, has faulted the ads as containing "notable admissions and other weaknesses." But a spokesman for Tommy Thompson defended the fake news spots, noting, "Anyone who has questions about this practice needs to do some research on modern public information tools."

...

Stewart: C'mon, it's all there in the handbook. [cut to shot of 1984 by George Orwell.]

The scary thing is, it's all true except the very last bit -- you know, the punchline. It is, afterall, The Daily Show.

The extremely astute and on-top-things The Daily Show.

Go Vote!

Tomorrow is "Super Tuesday." Go vote, you wankers... it will only take a few minutes. And remember, if you're registered as an Independent, you may select an Independent-Democratic ballot. Otherwise you'll miss out being part of the clusterfuck that is Primaries 2004.

Besides the Preznit wannabes, there's a bunch of other stuff on the ballot:

• Prop 55: authorizes the state to borrow $12.3B to build & repair schools. This one seems obvious, and there doesn't seem to be any $400 gold pens and $2000-per-school ashtray allowances for the teacher lounges in this one. A no-brainer.
• Prop 56: lowers the requirement to pass a budget from 2/3rds to 55%. Majority rules, just a little less than before. *shrug*
• Prop 57 & Prop 58: the two are tied and one can't exist without the other. 57 essentially makes it constitutional to allow a one-time bond of $15B to reduce state debt (the deficit), and put away a tiny amount for a rainy day. 58 resets to zero state, making it illegal once again to use such bond measures. It's likely these two will pass, but I'm terribly conflicted... the whole fact that you have to make something constitutional in the first place to pass a related ballot measure makes me mondo-suspicious. And while it makes my skin crawl to agree with the Republicans, they've got a point when they say we're doing nothing more than passing our debt down to future generations. It also really does nothing to stop the over-spending that got us here in the first place, basically giving our elected officials a "get out of jail free" card and no incentive to behave themselves going forward. Major Dems, including SuperSenator Diane Feinstein, have come out in support of this one, but I just don't know... I'm no politician, but this whole mess seems more complex than to be remedied by a quick Terminator-style fix. I am, admittedly, somewhat irked by the repeal of the car tax: yes, it saved me money, but it's almost perfect in terms of progressive tax, as it's based on the worth of the car. It was "fair share," and would of put a lot of money back into the state.
• Measure 2: Raises bridge tolls by $1 for mass transit in the Bay Area. Golden Gate excluded, as it's already ridiculous at $5 (the bridge was paid for way back in the 70's). Mass transit good, yes, and $3 going one-way isn't going to break anyone.

Other regional elections, assemblies, and county measures exist as well. It's a big ballot. You can see The Chron's endorsements here, but I'm not saying you should take their recommendations. :-)

Those Nutty Fundies Down South

Atrios posted a link to an opinion piece from some podunk newspaper in Jasper, Al which offers a solution to all these "activist judges" and the "grievous sin" of homosexuality: execution! That'll fix 'em!

Fundie whack jobs aside, often carted out, as in this case, is Leviticus 18:22: "If a man lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Reading the comments, I found this gem: Apparently "Dr." Laura's been spewing similar crap opposing gay marriages and floating the same verse to prop up her argument. Not surprising -- her disdain for cake-boys is no secret. But I always find it interesting that Bible verses are conveniently pushed forward as to be taken literally, word-for-word, when it serves one group's purpose. So a listener decided to take "Dr." Laura's extensive Biblical knowledge and literal interpretation to task:

As Heard On Friday, January, 31, 2003: Letter to Doctor Laura from a Bob and Sheri listener!

Dear Dr. Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. For example, when someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. However, I do need some advice from you regarding some of the other specific laws and how to follow them.

1. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord (Lev.1:9). The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15:19-24. The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them (Lev. 24:10-16)? Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Gay Nuptials Continue

SFGate.com:

Two judges refused Tuesday to put an immediate halt to the parade of same-sex weddings taking place at San Francisco City Hall, leaving open the possibility that gays and lesbians will be able to obtain marriage licenses and wed at least until the end of this week.

Superior Court Judge James Warren turned down an anti-gay marriage group’s request to issue an immediate stay that would bar the city from issuing licenses. However, after a 2 1/2 –hour hearing in a packed courtroom, Warren gave city officials an option: “cease and desist” from issuing licenses, or return to court March 29 to explain why they should be able to allow gays and lesbians to marry.

Listen, this "battle" is simple. The court has no business halting something that doesn't legally exist in the first place. Why would you issue an injunction to something that, at the end of the day, isn't recognized by the state? Ridiculous. The court is doing their job.

I realize these right-wing groups are all up in arms simply because the "marriages" are happening, but the fact of the matter is, they're not legal so relax already. The mere thought makes them spontaneously spew bible verses and imaging consummation probably brings a full-on seizure, but this over-reaction to a legal non-event is not likely to work in their favor.

Well, Gavin, I hope your stunt works. I really do. Yes, the current law is discriminatory, but at the moment, you're pedaling hope without anything legal to back you up. Constitutional laws will override statues, so prove it unconstitutional already and let's get on with this.

City Hall was at least nice enough to waive the $62 ceremony fee for the first five days, in addition to extending hours on Saturday and Sunday to perform marriages. Congratulations to all 2,636 couples!

Honky Handout

Story: [yahoo.com]

BRISTOL, R.I. (AP) -- A student group at Roger Williams University is offering a new scholarship for which only white students are eligible, a move they say is designed to protest affirmative action.

The application for the $50 award requires an essay on "why you are proud of your white heritage" and a recent picture to "confirm whiteness."

"Evidence of bleaching will disqualify applicants," says the application, issued by the university's College Republicans.

Sharpton's on a Roll

"[Clarence Thomas] is my color, but not my kind. I'd take Howard Dean and John Kerry wrapped together over Clarence Thomas anyday."

Best Answer from Debate

Lester Holt: Do you believe the President knowingly lied and if so why? [in regards to Iraq war]

Al Sharpton: First of all, I think, if he didn't know he was lying and lied, that's even worse. Clearly he lied. Now if he's an unconscious liar, and doesn't realize when he's lying, then we're really in trouble. Because absolutely he was a liar. They said they knew the weapons were there, members of the administration said they knew where the weapons were. We're not just talking about something passing here, we're talking about 500 lives. We're talking about billions of dollars. So I hope he knew he was lying, because if he didn't and just went into some kinda crazy psychological breakdown then we're really in trouble. I'm a minister, why do people lie? Because they're liars. He lied in Florida, he's lied several times, I believe he lied in Iraq. ... We should give him his retirement [so he can] figure this out and explain this.

Amen.

Kucinich on Leno

This just killed me.

Dennis participated in a knock-off of "The Dating Game" last night on Jay Leno. ABCNews' The Note sums it up beautifully:

The image of a presidential candidate standing next to Jay Leno on a retro psychadelic game show set was surreal enough, but the contestants' fame and racy answers made it downright Fellini-esque. The participants included Oscar-nominated actress Jennifer Tilly, the lithe blonde Republican/radio megastar consultant Kim Serafin, and actress Cybil Shepherd.

Some highlights (or, one could argue, lowlights):

• Jennifer Tilly asking in her best Betty Boop voice "How's your hanging chad?"
• Cybil Shepherd screaming "I'm ready for a wardrobe malfunction!" after which she lifted up her dress to reveal satin pink underwear.
• Shepherd towering over Kucinich and trying to make out with him after not being picked, then reprising the skrit-lifting to make sure Kucinich had the chance to see it.
• Serafin, in what's safe to call a politically incorrect answer, claiming that if she were First Lady and the Chinese president came to the White House, she assumes he'd be bringing take-out so would order the number 4.

Kucinich ended up choosing Bachelorette number 1, Jennifer Tilly, and seemed genuinely shocked and delighted a the contestants' true identities. One can only assume he would have preferred to stay and have a real interview with Jay before heading out, but instead the vegan and his date were sent to dinner on the show at the raw food eatery Raw.

Repubs love 'em that Dem Dick

With Clinton's penis of no particular interest any longer, the Republicans have moved on. Different guy, same appendage. It almost worked before, so why not try again? And before he gets into office. Genius!

This time, the Drudge Report claims a woman that Democratic Presidential hopeful John Kerry recently had an affair with has fled the country at the nudging of the Kerry team.

This one has the rank stench of smear. Fleeing the country? Ludicrous. But whatever, we'll see how this plays out once the media majors get ahold of it. Natch, FOX's already pushing it.

He also goes onto speculate this is the reason for Deans' waffling about getting out based on Wisconsin's outcome.

Maybe Matlock Can Help

Since the CIA can't seem to find any Iraqi WMD, they're hoping you can -- and that you'll be more than happy to tell them.

The Iraqi Rewards Program promises swag for information on imminent attacks, WMDs, Ba'thist leaders, insurgencies and missing coalition personnel. No word on whether they can keep the power on in Baghdad long enough to submit the form.

If you have information relating to Iraq which you believe might be of interest to the U.S. Government, please contact us through our secure online form. We will carefully protect all information you provide, including your identity.

To help us confirm and act quickly on your information, you must provide your full name, nationality, occupation and contact information including phone number. This allows the U. S. Government to grant rewards for valuable information. We will maintain strict confidentiality.

Apparently, a tip-off to the whereabouts of an Anthrax vile will get you 50 tickets redeemable at any Chuck-E-Cheese. Or a FastPass to Gitmo.

Like It Matters Now

NEW YORK -- It probably means little now to Howard Dean, but CNN's top executive believes his network overplayed the infamous clip of Dean's "scream'' after the Iowa caucuses.

Full story.

Dipshits. Tell CNN to apologize already.

Meanwhile, Michael Powell wants a licensing hearing over Nipple Gate, akin to a murder charge in FCCland.

Ah, priorities.

Perspective on Dean

In 1992, Bill Clinton:

1. Lost the first 10 primaries/caucuses until Georgia in March
2. Wasn't sealed up as the real front-runner until June
3. Beat King George I in the November Election

'Nuff said.

West Needs Earlier Primaries

Predictably, Kerry has won Washington, but more interesting is the rest of the results:

Obviously, the "left" coast isn't like the rest of America. Were California (the largest state in terms of population and delegates) or even Washington allowed to vote earlier, we wouldn't be where we are today. Let's face it, and I think few will argue here, Kerry isn't winning because he's so fantastic, he's winning because of the "safe vote" factor present in middle-of-the-road states like Iowa, and the friggin' endless -- and entirely premature -- media attention on "Dean's Downfall" following those early primaries.

All things considered, Dean's showing in WA is respectable. Let's see how Michigan shapes up. I suspect Dean won't do so well there.

Last Stand in Cheeseville

The Dean camp sent around an email this morning proclaiming Wisconsin as a do-or-die primary and begging for a whopping $200. (What happened to the $100 revolution?) The goal is $700k by Sunday, and amazingly they've nearly got $300k already.

I like Dean, but I'm afraid it may be over. It doesn't have a damn thing to do with him, and it's got everything to do with the Dems singularly focused on getting Bush out of office. Kerry's about as exciting as watching moss grow on a rock, but voters are playing out the hypothetical matchup between Dem-X vs. Bush and then casting their votes. Dean seems volatile, and I'm not talking about his energy or "the Dean scream," but that for which he deserves the most credit: a grassroots surge in attention to this election. I can't quite put my finger on it, but this scares people. Too many images of dirty hippies and tree huggers, perhaps. In a society resistant to change, Kerry is predictable and staid.

I'm hoping Dean does win a few states. He's second in delegates, and the longer this plays out the less chance there is of whomever the nominee is peaking too early. Furthermore, he's less of a liability as Bush seems to be doing a damn good job of imploding all by himself. The 9/11 Commission, now expected to release it's report in late summer, could be the final nail in the coffin for Bush.

UPDATE 1pm: Here's clearly still got some mojo, having raised $450k already. Also, the amount requested in the email apparently isn't the same for everyone. While they asked me for $200, only $50 was requested of others. Odd -- somehow they've profiled me. You can contribute here. It's good for everyone (including Kerry) if Dean stays involved. He's clearly raised the bar and awareness. Dean deserves all the credit for shaking up this election.

I Swear I Didn't Do It

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Preliminary tests on a white, powdery substance found in the mailroom of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist indicate the presence of the deadly substance ricin, a Homeland Security official said Monday.

Full story.

Fundamentalist Regimes

Catching the last bit of the State of the Union, and I'm loving the irony: fundamentalist regimes: bad, but turning the U.S. into one: good! Faith-based initiatives, the attack on same-sex marriage, vilifying "activist judges," eroding civil rights via The PATRIOT Act, increasing abstinence programs in schools (doing so in Bush's Texas caused the teen pregnancy rate to rise for the first time in decades). Lots of black and white rhetoric. Good vs. Evil. Whether a Muslim Cleric or George W. Bush, it's all pushing fundamentalism.

God Bless America. Ahem.

Update: Okay, now I'm watching the Democratic response. What you'd expect, but how much work has Nancy Pelosi had done? She said she was in college 43 years ago. That makes her at least 61. Let's see: brow lift, eyes, face lift, chin suck? Think there might be some collagen (or Perlaine) in that upper lip too.

Arnold Gets Compassionate

Budget highlights:

• $454M cut from disabled in-home services (yeah, those people are BEST suited to get off their asses and get a job!)
• $6.6M cut from AIDS treatment programs
• $6.1M cut from breast cancer detection programs
• $4.2M cut from indigent health care
• $623M cut from fees to medical doctors (10% reduction, most doctors don't even accept medical as it is!)

Also targeted: California's Healthy Families program and higher education. Schools are closing, and the bay area city of Richmond is nearly bankrupt meaning a complete closing of all public services including fire and police.

Arnold luvs you. But shuddup, because you voted for him!

Agreeing with the RNC

Not that CNN is unbiased or even "fair and balanced," but yesterday I noticed them scrolling something across the marque during the Democratic presidential debate. "RNC: 'Bickering between democratic candidates is vile'" (Interesting that the "liberal media" scrolled a message from the RNC in a space they only otherwise used for summarizing comments from candidates.)

The sad part is, I couldn't agree more. It's disgusting, and completely counter-productive. I realize it's primary season, but the circus surrounding the Democratic candidates this year is creating more attention than ever... caution and appropriate behavior is paramount. The attention on attacking fellow possible Democratic nominees is, well, vile indeed. In this respect, I have to hand it to John Edwards for behaving like a gentleman and not attacking front-running Dean. I also have to hand it to Dean for asking the other candidates to join him in supporting the Democratic nominee no matter whom it may be during the debate. That was good politicking.

Meanwhile, Lieberman grossly attacked Dean getting down into nuts n' bolts that really probably don't matter at the end of the day. Jesus, no one is Jesus. (Not that Lieberman believes in Jesus, but anyway.) This needs to stop, less the whole bunch be summarily dismissed by the voting public at large... Dems included.

Naturally, the candidates I liked most from the debate last night were Kucinich and Mosley Braun. They're the leftist of the bunch, and I did notice left-wing advocate Ralph Nader on "Crossfire" today basically endorsing Kucinich as a "Democrat," although he may still run as an independent. Whatever Ralph, let your ego lie and stay out. Please. Meanwhile, Kucinich and Mosley Braun don't stand a chance, so hopefully whomever the front-runner is will adopt some of their platform. (Not likely, though Kucinich made a shot at Dean for that last night trying to get him to adopt some of his platform. Good move, Dennis.)

I just don't know what 2004 holds for us in the election. It's going to be intense and crazy, that's for sure. Yes, the goal indeed is getting Bush out of office. In fact, I think that's paramount to saving the country at this point. Bush has been 10x more effective than even his father or two-timer Reagan into turning this country into a fiefdom for the rich, and leaving the rest of us as a disenfranchised servant class. In this respect, he's been one of the most successful presidents ever... and 99% of the country suffers as a result.

If you Southerners and Midwesterners could just see past the God and flag-waving thing, you'd see what you're getting yourselves into... but that won't happen.

*shrug*
Um, God, save me? Please?

Merry Xmas from Republicans and the Meat Lobby

Link:

WASHINGTON - Legislation to keep meat from downed animals off American kitchen tables was scuttled — for the second time in as many years — as Congress labored unsuccessfully earlier this month to pass a catchall agency spending bill.

Now, in the wake of the apparent discovery of the first mad-cow case in the United States, the author of the House version of the cattle provision wants to press the issue anew when Congress returns Jan. 20 from its winter recess. The massive, $373 billion spending bill covering several government agencies is still pending in the Senate.

"I said on the floor of the House that you will rue the day that because of the greed of the industry to make a few extra pennies from 130,000 head, the industry would sacrifice the safety of the American people," said Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., chief House sponsor. "It's so pound foolish."

The provision dealing with downed cattle didn't even make it into the compromise version of the legislation that House and Senate conferees brought before Congress late in the year.

Righters Taking Homo Marriage Poll to Congress

The "American Family Association" is conducting an online poll about gay marriage. You know what to do.

[ via the bitter shack of resentment ]

Bushy Ironies: $33M to Protect Cows from Terrorism

As Wired notes, the Dept of Homeland Security is ponying up $33M to combat terrorist attacks against our crops and livestock.

Strangely absent are any mention of the Republican attacks on food safety rules at the behest of Big Meat and Agri businesses. Food-borne illness kills 5,000 each year and sickens 17 million. Osama would wet himself making those kind of numbers!

In 2001, the Bush administration reversed USDA regulations requiring testing for salmonella and E.coli in meat fed to 27M school children. This March 2002 open letter to the Prez from consumer watchdog groups is especially relevant, noting "even as bioterrorism concerns highlight weaknesses in our existing food-safety programs, key initiatives designed to ensure the safety of meat are languishing and existing safeguards are being eroded."

Protections of drinking water from pesticide run-off are under attack.

Tip of the iceburg. Look no further than Eric Scholosser's Fast Food Nation. That book impressed upon me this wonderful phrase, handy while at any MickeyD's: Acceptable levels of fecal contamination.

Mayor Matt? Hmmm...

Returns are coming in.

Got a few minutes?

Donate your time or money to elect Matt Gonzalez mayor of San Francisco. There's less than week left, and this guy may actually pull it off! If you're more accustomed to the lesser-of-two evils approach: Matt's hair is slightly less criminal than Gavin's.

MoveOn.org urges you to stop Bush's looting. This time it's $820B of your tax money in back-room corporate giveaways, monopoly media ownership, and rolling back rules regarding overtime pay.

WorkingForChange wisely suggests avoiding Wal-Mart this holiday season: "Wal-Mart engages in some of the worst labor practices in the country: paying its employees substandard wages, forcing unpaid overtime on its workers and refusing to provide affordable health insurance." Plus, you can even send a "No presents from Wal-Mart for Festivus" e-mail to all your friends and family when you're done. If you're still not convinced, learn about Wal-Mart's heavy-handed and possibly illegal behavior here in the bay area.

Salon gives me a Hardon

I really do love Salon, and you know what? The money they want for Salon Premium is totally worth it -- it's just that good, and I'm shamelessly plugging it. No one is perfect, including Salon, but they're leaps and bounds above the rest -- and it's just good hard-hitting journalism.

Save the Earth -- dump Bush: an interview with Robert Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer

All of the investment we have made in our environmental infrastructure since Earth Day 1970 is now being undermined in a three-year period of astonishing activity.

The NRDC Web site lists over 200 environmental rollbacks by the White House in the last two years. If even a fraction of those are actually implemented, we will effectively have no significant federal environmental law left in our country by this time next year. That's not exaggeration, it's not hyperbole, it is a fact.

Lining up to fight "the forces of evil": The religious right will mount a scorched-earth battle against the Massachusetts decision to permit same-sex marriage. And the White House may join in. (This one really pisses me off. What the hell is everyone so damn afraid of?)

"Welcome to Vietnam, Mr. President": As White House denials grow insistent, some of the sharpest thinkers of the Vietnam generation see stark parallels with the war in Iraq.

Is Dean too hot?: The Democratic front-runner has ignited a blaze of Bush hatred. But will it burn up the party's chances in 2004?

Joe Conason's Journal. It's a nearly-daily dose of tasty food for thought.

My Kinda Granny!

NEW ORLEANS -- Gertrude M. Jones didn't want flowers or cards when she died. She wanted to get rid of President Bush.

The 81-year-old woman's obituary asked that memorial donations be given "to any organization that seeks the removal of President Bush from office."

And people around the country are following her wishes.

Full story: Woman's anti-Bush obituary inspires donations [AP via salon.com]

Damn! I missed Protection From Pornography Week!

By proclamation of the "President" of the United States of America:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 26 through November 1, 2003, as Protection From Pornography Week. I call upon public officials, law enforcement officers, parents, and all the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate programs and activities.

Why Mr. Bush doesn't like pornography is a bit of a mystery to me. It's a private unregulated industry depicting his constituency (plumbers, truck drivers, pool boys, Maytag repair men) enjoying something he obviously enjoys doing every day (screwing the hell outta someone). So go figure.

You may be disappointed to know you probably also missed
National Character Counts Week in which "we must promote a culture of service, citizenship, and responsibility in our Nation" (mmm, Orwellian!) and the homophobic Marriage Protection Week.

Wal-Mart commits voter fraud?

While most have heard about Wal-Mart's slave labor problems [nytimes.com], today's Chronicle spotlights a local bay area community which said "no" to Wal-Mart [alternet.org] and it's hidden costs to taxpayers. Wal-Mart's response was nothing short of moral bankruptcy: an underhanded campaign to purposely mislead public opinion which could very well be just downright illegal.

Not only have they disguised their campaign as a do-good government program called "CAN", but they are participating in what may be outright voter fraud:

You also get a chance to fill out a voter registration application, which is conveniently mailed to Wal-Mart's CAN, rather than to the registrar of voters. If you want more information, you are referred to an 800 telephone number.

But 20 calls to the number elicited the same response: "Only 'Kathy' knows about the program, she's on the other line, so just leave your name and number." Is it conceivable that Wal-Mart has hired only one person who is familiar with CAN? Or is this just a ploy to gather names and phone numbers to enlist shoppers in its political campaign?

Pretty despicable stuff. But Americans have proven over and over again they're too stupid to tell the difference between a real bargain and a boondoggle laden with hidden costs. Just look at our current administration! Of course, Wal-Mart knows this and they also know they'll win. And guess what? That 22 cents you saved on Scope is going to cost you $22 in taxes and community services.

San Francisco Elections

Here's the returns [sfgate.com]. About 10% reporting.

Natch, Newsom is out in front. I personally find him and his plastic wife unpalatable, but whatever, there will most likely be a run-off between the ultra-coifed Gavin and "Angry Angela." She'll loose, but were this Fight Club my money'd be on her.

All the propositions are passing, with the exception of the bizarre Taxi permit "protection" for the disabled -- which was nothing more than a thinly disguised extortion racket by the permit holders.

Gavin's dimwitted Prop M -- the "Aggressive Solicitation Ban" -- is good example of what's wrong with this boy. It's a popularity ploy touted to get those 2-toothed homeless begging for quarters outta your face, but it can do real damage to organizations such as The Salvation Army and The Girl Scouts. Yes, that cute little 8-year old is "aggressively soliciting" Thin Mints to you in front of Mollie Stone's -- lock that bitch up!

I found Angela's Prop J, which promised to provide shelter for the city's homeless youth, seniors, and disabled to be just soooo San Francisco. The entire legal text of the proposition was no more than 3 paragraphs and offered absolutely zero implementation details. In other words, it was nothing more than sympathy vote and guilt-removal for all us who step over and ignore these people every day.

UPDATE 10:43pm: Thankfully, Matt Gonzalez will be Newsom's opponent in the December runoff. Good for Matt.

The Real Beneficiaries of the Iraq War

One of these days, I'm gonna stop spewing politics, maybe around November 2004, or perhaps when I move to Canada.

But not today. Check out Divvying up the Iraq pie [alternet.org], a detailed report on who the real winners of the Iraq war. (HINT: It's NOT Iraqis!)

America's Iraq-sticker-shock may turn to anger when taxpayers discover the small group of men and companies reaping the benefits of President Bush's newly found appreciation for nation building. While Vice President Dick Cheney's company, Halliburton, has attracted most of press attention for its Iraq-related contracts, Halliburton is hardly the whole story. Halliburton's share is but a slice of multi-billion dollar pie being divided up among a brotherhood of unusually well connected and economically related individuals and entities.

Salon also notes To the cronies go the spoils.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Phone logs and records related to the Plame leak investigation will be given to White House lawyers before being turned over to the Justice Department. Some have fingered the Bush camp in the leak, calling it an act of revenge. But you knew we'd never really know what happened, didn't you?

Gov. Arnold: Mmmm... Misguided Frustration

It appears Schwarzenegger will take the governorship of California. He ran as an "independent" Republican, a for-the-people, "let's take back California" kinda guy. Bush "won" spewing this ideology in 2000, which was clearly utter bullshit, so why Californians are buying it this time around is beyond me. Ugh, misguided frustration, me thinks. But I digress...

Unfortunately, I don't really think Arnie understands what he's up against: This is a solidly Democratic state. The assembly and state senate are heavily Democrat, and I hate to break the news to him during his victory lap, but listen up Arnold: you're only going to get as much done as they want you to...

But anyway... bygones. Let's see what happens.

As for Gray Davis, for better or worse, his political career is effectively kaput.

Some interesting nuggets:

• Election Results [cnn.com]
• Prop. 54 went down, the so called "Racial Privacy Act" which really amounted to nothing more than "racial discrimination without a paper trail"
• San Francisco, where I live, is as Democratic as always, saying no to the recall by a 4-to-1 margin (80%). The rest of the Bay Area also said no to the recall, but by not nearly the same margins. The rest of the state was ~60/40 for, with Los Angeles being nearly 50/50. Just look at this SpatiaLogic map, and you'll get an idea of why the Bay Area is so unique in this state.
• CNN Exit Polls: 64% of voters said Schwarzenegger did NOT "address the issues." (Uh, then why'd you vote for him, fool!?) 47% thought the recall was a waste of money, and more believe we can't solve the budget crisis without raising taxes than those who do not
• CNN Quick Vote [unscientific]: 83% believe the recall will NOT solve California's problems
• Democrats are already circling their recall wagons... as if you didn't see that coming. Target: 3/04. To get you started: Procedure for Recalling State and Local Officials [www.ss.ca.gov]
• Many pro-lifers voted for Arnold even though he's clearly pro-choice. Usually a deal breaker. Republican win at any cost?
• Cruz Bustamante is still Lt. Governor and will continue to serve under Arnold's administration
• Support Arianna Huffington's Clean Elections Initiative for the March 2004 ballot
• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight: "This just in... Schwarzenegger has been accused of groping Hitler inappropriately."

Recall Free-for-All 2003

Well, here we are, (re-)election day.

There's little doubt Gray Davis will receive the most number of votes, more than Arnold, Cruz, or any other candidate. The problem is Davis needs at least 50% of the vote to just survive, and all Arnold needs is more votes than any other recall candidate -- of which there are over 130. And, of course, there's the rub: While unlikely, it is possible for Davis to loose with 49.9%, and Arnold to win with only 1% of the vote.

Food for thought. Now go vote.

Twisted Sister supports Arnold

Yep, there it was... in all it's odd, misshapened freakishness: Dee Snider (of Twisted Sister) singing "We're Not Gonna Take It" on the steps of the capitol in Sacramento today. WTF? Maybe Dee's Austrian? T-48 hours and the state is in full frenzy mode -- and we're all in the splash zone.

It's not like I was going to vote for Arnold, and unfortunately I can't stick my finger in my vagina and let him smell it (seeing as I don't have one), although I'll be happy to stick it somewhere else and let him smell it...

Rush Limbaugh: The Racist Druggie

Wow, two good bits of news about Rush Limbaugh all in one week... my nipples are hard!

Ah, sweet hyprocracy... the man who spent 8 years building his radio empire attacking Bill Clinton and the Democrats as being dishonest and immoral, turns out to be nothing more than a racist pill popper.

Try to look shocked.

Limbaugh Leaves ESPN Over McNabb Remarks
Rush Limbaugh in pill probe

And, it's not like his bigotry is a new thing...

Limbaugh: A Color Man Who Has A Problem With Color?

It's official: Huffington is out!

Dear Arianna,

You did the right thing stepping down this evening on Larry King Live, and I thank you for bringing real issues to the forefront and having the where-with-all to speak your mind at the end of the day. God knows, no one else is. You did the right thing, and I thank you for having the intelligence to know that you can make more of a difference in the coming week defeating the recall, rather than turning over the world's 5th largest economy to an actor with no experience who will be a dog on a choke chain to the Bush administration. You truly have propelled yourself as a real person and activist instead of a self-serving politician -- evidence that many of things said about you were patently wrong. Congratulations!

I support your "three NO's and one YES" platform moving forward through the next week:

1. NO on the Recall.
2. NO on Schwarzenegger.
3. NO on Prop 54.

And YES! "on the Clean Elections Ballot Initiative I filed last
week, which I will be working overtime to pass in 2004." Read
more about the Initiative: http://www.votearianna.com/cleanelections

At any rate -- for Christ's sake, educate yourself -- DO NOT cast your vote in ignorance. It's the wrong thing to do, and you know it.

Huffington Out?

Since the debate last week, talk has been stirring that independent gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington may quit to prevent a GOP coup and throw her support behind Democrat Cruz Bustamante. There has been some early signals of coziness, with Bustamante supporting Huffington's Clean Elections Initiative.

This comes on the heals of a poll last week which showed that 63% of voters supported the recall, with Schwarzenegger leading at 40% followed by Bustamante at 25%. Huffington had 2%. However, the poll assumes that 47% of voters at the polls will vote GOP, despite Republicans only being 35% of registered voters in the state. In reality, support for the recall is probably about 50/50, with Schwarzenegger and Bustamante in a statistical dead heat.

Of course, if McClintock drops out, then we really might be in trouble -- albeit many of his supporters are the types that would just as well vote for Hitler over someone who supported gay unions.

I like Arianna... she's loud-mouthed, usually dead-on, and unafraid. She's grounded in reason and common sense, although perhaps overly optimistic on the reality of implementation. (But who isn't?) I still laugh when I think about her showing up at Arnold's running-paper filing event, and generally being a pest to get her face out there. It worked, her picture graced the front page of the NYT the next day -- along with Arnold's of course. That was smart. And her Special Interest Brothel is a real hoot.

In reality, I think her biggest liability isn't her past, her Greek accent, or her attack-like nature in the debates. I think it's her gender. Yes, there's been a few female governors in this country, but I think one of our state's biggest assets maybe detrimental to women seeking positions of power -- our diverse population and culture. One word: machismo. I don't think she ever expected to win, but she's important for getting issues on the table which otherwise might of been ignored.

In any event, the recall itself is wrong. It's a perversion of government and a 100-year old law which didn't allow for or protect against well-funded coup attempts. (Ironically, Issa now opposes the recall because of the Schwarzenegger vs. McClintock dissent in the California GOP.)

And despite this recall circus, voters remain generally apathetic and uneducated on the candidates or issues. So, remember -- in the end, no matter what happens, it's no one fault's but your own.

meanwhile:
Arnold's 1977 flick Pumping Iron is playing at the Roxie in the mission.

What will $87 billion buy?

Bush is asking for an additional $87B in spending for the "war on terror" in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those are your tax dollars, and the National Priorities Database provides a handy calculator letting you know what your money could of bought instead...

$87 billion could buy:

10,609,953Housing Vouchersor
12,647,184People Receiving Health Careor
1,340,702Elementary School Teachersor
314,290Firetrucksor
9,870,130Head Start Places for Childrenor
37,971,435Children Receiving Health Care

But it begs another question: what's the acceptable trade-off of lives for profits? Every day we spend in Iraq, American soldiers are dying and Bush refuses to let other countries help because it isn't on his terms -- which are complete American control of the rebuilding effort. Don't let his little trip to the UN today fool you: the terms haven't changed. Obviously, no country is going to put their soldiers in harm's way without having a say in how they are utilized. And why do we want complete control? Simple: to ensure profitable rebuilding contracts go to American companies. (It's not there's any risk of making the situation worse... it's already been a "spectacular failure" (TM).) This makes it a double-whammy for the other country: no profit sharing and dead soldiers!

So how many Halliburton dollars is that dead American GI worth?

Burning Man 2003

Couple of weeks ago now, but SF Gate has some good pictorials on this year's Burning Man: here, here, and here.

Also: Pumping iron apparently isn't as good as "coming," or so says Arnold.

And as I watched the backlash yesterday from the court mandated blocking of the recall here in California, one thing never seemed to dawn on anyone: the point isn't the fact that punch-card ballots were used for decades, the point is that some counties have a newer system, while others using the older punch-card system, thus creating disparity in error rates. Duh!

MISSING! Tom McClintock's Lips

You heard it here first: never trust a man with no lips.

Arianna's alterior motives?

I caught Darrell Issa on Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer yesterday, where he reiterated a point I hear over and over about Arianna Huffington's campaign for governor: that's she only in it for her own personal gain. (Cavaet: Darrell Issa is the scumbag RepubliSleaze who footed the $1M bill for getting the recall off the ground in the first place. His fortune funded by selling car alarms. There's a resum� for you!)

Can someone please explain to me this "only in it for herself" mentality? Aside from status, which of course is huge unto itself, I seem to have trouble finding the devil horns under Arianna's mondo 'do. Simply put, what she says makes sense. Perhaps naive at times, but never-the-less, well intentioned on the surface. Her attacks on rank-and-file politicians are priceless. (Witness her lobby to Cruz Bustamonte during the debate re: Indian Gaming money.) Granted, she could get into office and do none of the things she promised, but we all know where that would lead: another recall.

So... please... someone enlighten me.

Gubernatorial Spam!

I actually got spammed today pitching "Arnold for Governor" t-shirts.

Jesus H, not like I was going to vote for him anyway, but now a line has been crossed.

I reported it through SpamCop, some offshore dealy naturally, but I've been thinking about ditching SpamCop after Julian Haight's mob theory. What a nutter!

The real leaders of the "free" world...

A presidential election is around the corner, and the circus has come to California. The American public has apathetically learned the names of those who may boldly lead us into tomorrow: Arnold, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, and a fat bald guy named Cruz. And of course our current "leader of the free world," George W. Bush. Howard Dean graced the cover of both Time and Newsweek simultaneously -- and it's not even primary season.

But I got to thinking: do you know the real leaders of the free world?

How about the CEO of Phillip Morris, a company which spends $50M a year on lobbying Washington to brush those 400,000 dead Americans under the carpet?

Or perhaps the board of Verizon, a company which gleefully spends $40M a year insuring they'll be the next pre-breakup AT&T by stifling local competition while simultaneously demanding access to sell long distance service?

What about the CEO of ExxonMobile, who's $35M a year makes sure your next vehicle relies on already scare fossil fuels? (Side-note: the price of gas went up 30 cents in just the last week here in California.)

Then there's Halliburton, which now benefits from a avalanche of no-bid government contracts thanks to a $33.7M investment (er, retirement package) in former CEO Dick Cheney. (Dick hasn't let down, awarding contracts before we even dropped the first bomb in Iraq. Wasn't that convenient!)

Well, every one deserves a fair chance to be heard in Washington, no? I mean, I'm sure that all the hard-working Americans in Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's constituency get the same voice as his wife, Linda, a highly paid lobbyist working for the likes of American Airlines and Northwest Airlines, right?

Let's not forget Chet Lott, son of Mississippi Senator Trent Lott, who went from pizza-franchise owner to powerful lobbyist on behalf of Verizon. No conflict of interest there!

Well, perhaps now you know... or at least have a better idea.

The Arnold factor and our pending name change

So, I've discovered the silver-lining in Arnold: his liberal social politics are at direct odds with the Bush administration and much of the ultra right-wing GOP which Bush has aligned himself with. Arnie's pro-choice, and believes gay couples should be allowed to adopt. When Bush was asked about homosexuality, he astutely replied: "I am mindful that we're all sinners, and I caution those who may try to take the speck out of their neighbor's eye when they got a log in their own." Whatever the fuck that means you coke-snorting boozer. Point being this could cause some serious rifts in the GOP given that California is the world's 5th largest economy and Arnold isn't rank-and-file GOP.

I did enjoy Arianna's display on Friday: every reporter within 500 miles showed up at the Santa Monica records office where Arnold was to file his papers to run. Arianna also showed up, butting her way in front of Arnold and knocking down a microphone stand to give herself some attention. Smart girl. It's really sad -- she gave a full 30 minutes of interviews while Arnold was inside with Skeletina filing his papers, and not one second of that made it on TV -- and she actually answered the questions she was asked! It seems the outcome of this short race is inevitable, given the 1987 repeal of the "equal-time" law. Even though I think this recall is wrong, it would be nice if Arianna got some attention -- sorta like My Big Fat Greek Election. She's obnoxious enough to do whatever it takes, so don't count her out...

Meanwhile, it looks like AOL Time Warner is going back to just being Time Warner, now that the "crown jewel" (I knew that title would come back to bite them in the ass) is not the shining star it was once. In all honesty, AOL could survive on it's own, as it did from 1985 to 2000, but a spin-off or selling of the unit at this point would give the street too much of a "I told you so" satisfaction. I doubt this will do much to save things, as the idioticy that infects the company festers in full bloom on a daily basis, but who knows... point is, I could really care less.

An Austrian, a crippled smut king, and a midget walk into a bar...

Well, perhaps not a bar, but they're trying to make their way into the California governor's mansion.

Terminator and sexual harasser Arnold Schwarzenegger entered the race today, joining the likes of Larry Flynt, porn star "Angelyne," Gary Coleman, and Gallagher -- yes, he of watermelon-smashing fame.

Political pundit Arianna Huffington and her gay ex-husband Michael have both thrown their hats in the ring, but Diane Feinstein has declined -- perhaps wisely considering a single vote for governor could be spent on any one of 350+ candidates.

Well, at least the whole world won't be laughing at us... *cough*

Angry Ann Scam

I caught a segment on CNN last night with Ann Coulter, the lawyer, political pundit and author of Slander and the just-released Treason. If you're not familiar with Ann, she's a trash-talking ultra right-winger who blames Democrats for the Cold War, considers Joseph McCarthy an American "hero," and believes liberals are traitors to our country. After 9/11, she purported the solution to terrorism was to "invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity." She's never met a TV camera she hasn't liked, and tarts-up her skeletal thin body and long blonde hair -- presumably to distract any reasonable thought from the fat white man usually providing her a soapbox. Amazingly adept at spinning together half-truths and questionable sources to float her outlandish arguments, reaction to her is at times knee-jerk and extreme.

Political views aside, Ann is one of the things I hate most: a self-made character created to promote herself and fatten up her wallet. This is nothing new, but it sure is irritating. She knows she's incendiary and she knows that sells lots of books, but I highly doubt she believes the crap that spews out of her mouth. (Last night, she was lamenting her #2 position on the NYT Best Sellers to Hillary, presumably unaware of the fact she's been knocked down to #4 with Hillary retaining the top position.) With Hillary's book, she was at least writing about her life and events. Ann has done nothing interesting with her own life (defending Paula Jones? um, NO), so she's decided to make a life out of attacking others -- not because she's passionate about "liberal treachery," but because it will buy a pair of Manola Blahniks for every day of the week. What a disgusting scam.

And don't even get me started on Pat Robertson and his Operation Supreme Court Freedom.

The Bushwhacking of America

An excerpt of former U.N. Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter's book, Frontier Justice: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Bushwhacking of America, is available online [PDF]. The 28-page excerpt includes the foreward and chapter 1, "The West Texas Lynch Mob." Interesting read.

This AP story has a good summary. In reference to "Operation Iraqi Freedom":

The truth of the matter is that the Bush administration has lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi links to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda. The Bush administration worked the lynch mob up into a murderous frenzy by fabricating evidence and misrepresenting facts. In lying to the American people, the United States Congress, and the international community, the Bush adminstration has demonstrated flagrant disregard for the rule of the law and the very virtues of American society. As a result of this perfidy, we Americans face a critical moment in our nation's history.

Presidental Candidate does Blogging

Democratic presidental candidate Howard Dean will be the guest blogger at author and Standard Law School Professor Lawrence Lessig's site starting next week while the professor is on vacation.

Why he doesn't start his own is beyond me, but it's interesting none the less. I'm not expecting the usual fare of techno-babble and personal misery that fill most blogs, but I'll suffer through a little stumping for the novelty factor alone.

Meanwhile, Bush has finally gotten himself in good mess over those little white lies during the State of the Union address. (Perhaps if he hadn't of repeated them several dozen times.)

Thankfully, he's standing behind his fallguy. Awww, how sweet. Yet America-at-large seems disinterested and blasé. Seriously people, you'll throw a fit if the neighbor's dog shits on your lawn and every Wal-Mart receipt is inspected in minute detail for the tiniest of mistakes. But waging war as a nation? Questionable motives? Shenanigans and cover-ups? No problem-o! He's the president after all, he loves America and God and Texas. (Well, except for the homosexuals and poor people.)

Being the crafty fucks that our current administration are, I'm sure this will blow over through a handy third-world distraction. Liberia anyone?

Bush: mentally ill?

Not like I needed proof, but here it is from the mouth of a professional...

"Dr. Norman Doidge, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, has identified among the telltale symptoms of fanatics: an intolerance of dissent, a doctrine that is riddled with contradictions, the belief that one's cause has been blessed or even commanded by God, and the use of reinforcement techniques such as repetition to spread one's message.

Sound like anyone you know? George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfeld, Karl Rove, Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle -- come on down!"

Full article:
Wonder why the WMD are MIA? The answer may lie in the DSM -- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.