Saturday, April 22, 2006
Dear Mr. President - the Video
Watch it here. You won't be sorry. My daughters watched it with me.
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Friday, April 21, 2006
"Greatest Strategic Disaster in US History"
Former NSA Director Lieutenant General William Odom lets the Bush Administration have it with both barrels.
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"The invasion wasn't in our interests, it was in Iran's interest, Al Qaida's interest. Seeing America invade must have made Iranian leaders ecstatic. Iran's hostility to Saddam was hard to exaggerate.. Iraq is now open to Al Qaida, which it never was before - it's easier for terrorists to kill Americans there than in the US.. Neither our leaders or the mainstream media recognize the perversity of key US policies now begetting outcomes they were designed to prevent… 3 years later the US is bogged down in Iraq, pretending a Constitution has been put in place, while the civil war rages, Iran meddles, and Al Qaida swells its ranks with new recruits.. We have lost our capacity to lead and are in a state of crisis - diplomatic and military."Full coverage over at Digby's place.
Looks like we won't be hearing any more about
those secret prisons in Eastern Europe where the US has been sending prisoners "off the books" for interrogation.
via SF Gate:
UPDATE - Friday afternoon: AMERICAblog nails the ugly irony.
UPDATE - Friday night: Looks like Condi's been doing a little leaking of her own.
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via SF Gate:
The CIA has fired an employee for leaking classified information to the news media, an agency official said Friday. A federal criminal investigation has also been opened.Yes indeedy. Can't have anymore people who are sworn to uphold the Constitution leaking those reports about the government's efforts to subvert the Constitution. That would be a blow to, um, fascism.
UPDATE - Friday afternoon: AMERICAblog nails the ugly irony.
UPDATE - Friday night: Looks like Condi's been doing a little leaking of her own.
Funny that it's okay for George Bush, Karl Rove, and Scooter Libby to leak classified information to the media - information that was NOT yet declassified (that's a crime, thank you) - but when a CIA agent does the same thing to reveal that the US government is illegally spying on innocent American citizens, that leaker is fired.
Horne Dog Strikes Again
I wrote about Tom Horne before. He's Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction. He's running for re-election.
I mentioned the story about how he got asked to leave a prominent Arizona law firm for his habit of hitting on the secretaries. One former state legislator told me that, during Horne's tenure in the legislature, it was the same story. His nickname was Horne Dog.
This isn't about that.
Now he's using his office as the head of Arizona's public schools for political purposes.
Responding to a Latina labor activist who spoke in a Tucson school and said that Republicans hate Latinos and encouraged them to miss class to demonstrate on immigration issues, Horne offered up his own deputy to speak so that the students might hear "both sides."
In his press release dated April 14, Horne wrote:
And really, do you want to tell the whole world that the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction is a slow learner? Well, maybe she takes after her boss.
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I mentioned the story about how he got asked to leave a prominent Arizona law firm for his habit of hitting on the secretaries. One former state legislator told me that, during Horne's tenure in the legislature, it was the same story. His nickname was Horne Dog.
This isn't about that.
Now he's using his office as the head of Arizona's public schools for political purposes.
Responding to a Latina labor activist who spoke in a Tucson school and said that Republicans hate Latinos and encouraged them to miss class to demonstrate on immigration issues, Horne offered up his own deputy to speak so that the students might hear "both sides."
In his press release dated April 14, Horne wrote:
It is important that the students in the Tucson schools hear both sides. I hearby offer to them as a speaker Margaret Garcia Dugan, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, the nubmer two person in the Department of Education. She can speak to the students about why she is proud to be a Latina and why she is proud to be a Republican.Uh, Horne Dog, I don't think you're supposed to have the people of Arizona pay for your press releases about your deputy being a proud Republican.
And really, do you want to tell the whole world that the Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction is a slow learner? Well, maybe she takes after her boss.
Warning: Adult Language
Back in the day, one of my favorite professors used to introduce himself on the first day of the semester with:
Thanks to Duncan for the link.
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Hi. My name is Lucas. Just so you know, I swear. If that's going to be a problem, you might want to see about fulfilling your academic requirement with some other class.Just for the record, I'm an old paratrooper. My language may sometimes be a bit strong. If that's going to be a problem Henninger, you might want to think about getting your blog content somewhere a bit more dainty.
Thanks to Duncan for the link.
Doom Time at the GOP
TBogg has rounded up a great collection of doom and denial from wingnutia, who see things turning to shit, but still think it's because the press hates Bush or the people don't see how really good things are.
A few choice tidbits:
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear Woody Guthrie singing some old dust bowl ballad:
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A few choice tidbits:
They aren't going to change their minds about the economy, either. People have not yet adjusted their mental picture of the economy to fit today's dynamism. "The average person sees high gas prices and bankrupt airlines and GM layoffs and it doesn't fit in their minds that this can be going on during a good economy.Uh, yeah. All those new Sprawl-Mart and Taco Bell jobs are really keeping the old economy humming along, aren't they. Ah, but there's more:
The reality was you were creating unprecedented amounts of wealth and moving people out of agrarian poverty into what we started to call the working class. But the commentary was almost uniformly negative. People just didn't understand it. Nobody was saying, Gosh, this is great, people are moving off the crummy farms and into cities."So, all you crummy farmers, get with the program, move to the city, and start flipping burgers. And thank the GOP for all the unprecedented wealth you'll be accumulatingng.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I hear Woody Guthrie singing some old dust bowl ballad:
But believe it or notThat's accumulated wealth, for you youngsters.
you won't find it so hot
if you ain't got that do re mi
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Prelude to the Frog March
While Bush was moving the deck chairs on the Titanic this week, I didn't think it was any big deal that Karl Rove was losing the "policy portfolio" so he can focus on politics.
Lots of folks have pointed out that the Bush administration doesn't do policy, or at best policy takes a back seat to politics. So dumping policy to focus on politics didn't seem to be that big a deal where Turd Blossom was concerned.
But more and more in the past couple of days, we're hearing that there may be more to it. Uncle Karl is about to be indicted.
That's the kind of news that makes Billmon want to sing!
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Lots of folks have pointed out that the Bush administration doesn't do policy, or at best policy takes a back seat to politics. So dumping policy to focus on politics didn't seem to be that big a deal where Turd Blossom was concerned.
But more and more in the past couple of days, we're hearing that there may be more to it. Uncle Karl is about to be indicted.
That's the kind of news that makes Billmon want to sing!
This never happened when I was in 8th grade
Boys in an Alabama classroom slipped a sexually expliclit DVD into the player when the teacher wasn't looking.
And I'm guessing that's about the closest thing to a sex-ed class those kids are going to get.
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And I'm guessing that's about the closest thing to a sex-ed class those kids are going to get.
Bush at 33 percent
And that's from Faux News, sort of like an internal White House poll.
So, I've got to think that somebody in Vegas will be taking bets on whether Bush can go sub-30.
Whadaya think?
Hey, looks like there's already book on Santorum.
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So, I've got to think that somebody in Vegas will be taking bets on whether Bush can go sub-30.
Whadaya think?
Hey, looks like there's already book on Santorum.
How to Avoid War with Iran
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from the fact-free administration:
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F.D.A. Dismisses Medical Benefit From Marijuanadespite the 1999 report from the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine that found
marijuana to be "moderately well suited for particular conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and AIDS wasting."But, there wouldn't be any politics going on over at the FDA, would there? Ya think?
Georgia
had to be talked into joining the United States to begin with. Then tried to leave and was returned by force (hat tip and a salute to General Sherman).
Now this.
If it wasn't for the music scene in Decatur and the Flying Biscuit Cafe (God bless the Indigo Girls), I'd say just cut 'em loose.
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Now this.
If it wasn't for the music scene in Decatur and the Flying Biscuit Cafe (God bless the Indigo Girls), I'd say just cut 'em loose.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Local Color from Liberia
I stumbled upon this interesting blog, written by a military observer with the UN mission in Liberia. I'm assuming he's an American soldier. His observations on the day-to-day corruption within the UN are pretty revealing, though not that surprising.
I especially appreciate his use of photos to portray life there. Take a look.
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I especially appreciate his use of photos to portray life there. Take a look.
Finally, news about those schools!
via Susie:
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BAGHDAD, April 19 (Reuters) - Separate groups of gunmen entered two primary schools in Baghdad on Wednesday and beheaded two teachers in front of their students, the Ministry of State for National Security said.Meanwhile, Rummy maintains "progress has been good" in Iraq.
“Two terrorist groups beheaded two teachers in front of their students in the Amna and Shaheed Hamdi primary schools in Shaab district in Baghdad,” a ministry statement said.
A ministry official said he believed the attacks were aimed at: “intimidating pupils and disrupting learning.”
Help Wanted, Liars Preferred
Fox News speculates that Flounder's replacement might be their own Tony Snow. Josh Marshall comments:
Maybe Bush could hire some of those junior wingers he sent to rebuild Iraq a couple years ago. They'd fit right in, now that their resumes have been padded with important government service.
UPDATE: I should have included a line about re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but one has to be careful about metaphor overload.
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Isn't that more like an interdepartmental transfer than a job change?Since the Bush west wing is looking more like a train wreck every day, both Josh and Duncan note the administration seems to be finding people who want to work there.
Maybe Bush could hire some of those junior wingers he sent to rebuild Iraq a couple years ago. They'd fit right in, now that their resumes have been padded with important government service.
UPDATE: I should have included a line about re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, but one has to be careful about metaphor overload.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Mandate!
and no, we're not talking about Jim-Jeffy lube.
New USA Today/Gallup numbers: Bush's overall approval rating is 36% with a 59% disapproval.
His numbers on the Iraq War are equally impressive: 32% approve - 65% disapprove.
Well, that's a mandate for taking us into another mid-east war if ever there was one!
UPDATE - Tuesday night: SUSA has a breakdown by state. McJoan had the link.
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New USA Today/Gallup numbers: Bush's overall approval rating is 36% with a 59% disapproval.
His numbers on the Iraq War are equally impressive: 32% approve - 65% disapprove.
Well, that's a mandate for taking us into another mid-east war if ever there was one!
UPDATE - Tuesday night: SUSA has a breakdown by state. McJoan had the link.
BushCo ends decline in wetlands . . .
by including water hazards on golf courses. You can't make this stuff up.
Susie has the details. Tell me again why those who love to hunt and fish vote for Republicans.
Maybe if Bush declared a fewgolf courses country clubs to be national parks, the Park Service wouldn't get its funding slashed.
I can see it now: From Augusta National Monument, Wetlands, and Country Club, it's The Masters, brought to you by Texaco.
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Susie has the details. Tell me again why those who love to hunt and fish vote for Republicans.
Maybe if Bush declared a few
I can see it now: From Augusta National Monument, Wetlands, and Country Club, it's The Masters, brought to you by Texaco.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Bush hates our National Parks
Guess they're not macho enough for the Neo-cons to care about them.
Or maybe it's related to that whole liberal tree-hugging hippy thing BushCo hates so much.
Susie has more.
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Or maybe it's related to that whole liberal tree-hugging hippy thing BushCo hates so much.
Susie has more.
Support Good Music
Many of you listened to Pink (with the Inidigo Girls) singing Dear Mr. President that was linked here and elsewhere. If you liked it, please consider buying the CD. Watch the Video.
And While we're talking music, I agree with Duncan. Support the Dixie Chicks. Much of the country music industrial complex is still in full boycott mode because the Chicks had the courage to say that George W. Bush is a major embarrassment.
Help push their new CD (scheduled for release in May) to Number 1. Pre-order it today.
You could do it just to piss off the Michelle Maglalangs of the world. Or you could do it just because it's really good music. You decide.
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And While we're talking music, I agree with Duncan. Support the Dixie Chicks. Much of the country music industrial complex is still in full boycott mode because the Chicks had the courage to say that George W. Bush is a major embarrassment.
Help push their new CD (scheduled for release in May) to Number 1. Pre-order it today.
You could do it just to piss off the Michelle Maglalangs of the world. Or you could do it just because it's really good music. You decide.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Nuclear War for Cheap Oil?
Military genious Steve Forbes (I think he served in the same outfit with Cheney and Limbaugh) tells Faux News that nuclear war with Iran will bring gas prices down.
I remember when regime change in Iraq was going to bring gas prices down, too.
Matt Stoller puts that economic model in the proper perspective:
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I remember when regime change in Iraq was going to bring gas prices down, too.
Matt Stoller puts that economic model in the proper perspective:
Howard, some nuclears DO lower oil prices. You see, when there's a nuclear war, everyone tends to die. And when there are fewer people, there's less oil demand, which makes prices lower.So . . . don't fill up your gas tank this weekend when the price at the pump is approaching $3 a gallon. Wait a few weeks. If it turns out that you survive, then go looking for the bargains at the pump. It's all part of the brilliant BushCo economic revival.
