The Progressive Truth

A Day in the Life of Joe Conservative's World

2011-09-04T14:43:00.002-04:00

A Day in the Life of Joe Conservative's World

Joe Conservative wakes up in the morning and goes to the bathroom. Joe is a middle aged, overweight, evangelical Christian and, is the king of his castle (a small single-wide mobile home). He flushes his toilet and brushes his teeth, mindful that each flush & brush costs him about 43 cents to his privatized water provider. His wacky, liberal neighbor keeps badgering the company to disclose how clean and safe their water is, but no one ever finds out. Just to be safe, Joe boils his drinking water. He doesn’t know that boiling water will only kill germs. It won’t remove the mercury and other pollutants that seeped into the aquifer from the mining operations, refineries and the nearby nuclear plant.

Joe steps outside and coughs. The pollution is especially bad today. Corporate
lobbyists for the auto industry convinced their representatives that clean air
regulations would hurt the factories by cutting into their profits. Catalytic
converters were expensive and a waste of materials. The cars that pollute the
most are the cheapest, so everyone buys them. Joe checks to make sure he has
enough toll money for the 3 different private roads he must drive to work.
There is no public transportation, so traffic is backed up and his 10 mile
commute takes an hour. Joe is nearly out of gas. At 15 dollars a gallon, it’s
hard to fill the tank.

On the way, he drops his 12 year old daughter off at the clothing
factory she works at. There are no child labor laws because everyone needs to
pull their own weight and contribute to society. Paying for kids to go to private school until they’re 18 is a luxury besides, Joe needs to keep the extra income coming in. Times are hard and there are no social safety nets. There are no public schools either so, a basic education is something only for the rich.

Joe is raising his 3 children alone. You see, his wife died a couple of
years ago. She had a (treatable) form of breast cancer. Joe’s wife lost her job
when she got too sick to work. There was no way to get treatment for her, they
had no insurance and, no money. Another “luxury” Joe could not afford. Joe has a 17 year old son who was working in a foundry. He was burned badly when molten iron splashed on him. He is in a convalescent home recovering from his injuries. The medical bills are mounting by thousands of dollars.Joe’s son may not be able to work again. His son’s job did not provide medical insurance and, there are no labor and industry regulations or coverage. Joe is liable for all the medical bills.

Because of the traffic jam, Joe gets to work 5 minutes late. He misses the call for Christian prayer and, is immediately docked an hour’s wage by his employer. He is not feeling well today but, he has no sick leave or health insurance. Since neither his employer nor the US government provide it. Paying for it himself is really expensive and, since he has a precondition the insurance companies won’t insure him or his family anyway. He just hopes that it is nothing serious. Joe doesn’t complain because the unemployment rate is up to 35 percent due; to all the jobs being shipped overseas. Joe doesn’t want to risk losing the job that he has. Finding another job would be very difficult to impossible. Joe’s workday is 12 hours long, because thereis no regulation over working hours. Today is an especially bad day. Joe’s manager demands that he work until midnight, a 16 hour day. Joe does, knowing that he’ll lose his job if he does not. Joe makes $6 an hour and his daughter makes only 50 cents an hour. There is no minimum wage. Again, he will lose hisjob if he complains or worse; tries unionize.

Finally, after midnight, Joe gets to pick up his daughter and go home. His daughter shows him the deep cut she got on the industrial sewing machine today. Joe is outraged and asks why she doesn’t have metal mesh gloves or other protection. She says the company will not provide it and she’ll have to pay for it out of her own pocket. Joe looks at the wound and decides, they’ll use an over the counter disinfectant and bandages until it heals. She’ll have a scar but, getting stitches at the emergency room is expensive. Half of Joe’s wages are being garnished, for the medical bills from his deceased wife and maimed son. There simply is no money for “luxury” things like, stitches. His daughter also complains that the manager made suggestive overtures towards her. Joe counsels her to be a “good girl” and not rock the boat, or she’ll get fired and they’ll be out the income. This is the same boss his 15 year old daughter worked for. The 15 year old was harassed by him and eventually forcibly raped. No charges were filed against her 50 year old boss. It was her word against his. He said it was consensual sex, she “claimed” it was rape. Nobody believed her even though, she suffered multiple injuries from the rape. There is no “age of consent” since fundamentalist extremists successfully lobbiedfor it to be lifted. They cited their religious rights were being restricted. So, statutory rape charges could not be filed either. She got pregnant as a result of said rape. She currently is in a home for unwed pregnant women and girls. She is taught how her brutal rape was all her fault. She’s forced to carry her rapists baby to term. Abortion is illegal and birth control is only available to married women.

They get home and there’s a message from his elderly father who can’t afford to pay his medical or heating bills. Joe’s father is a US army veteran. He served our country for 35 years. He has no social security, medicare, pension or veteran’s benefits. Joe can hear him coughing and shivering. There is nothing Joe can do. He has no money and his dad lives over 150 miles away. The tolls alone to get there would cost him a day’s pay. Joe turns on the radio and the top story is a proposal in congress to raise the voting age to 25 for men and, repeal women’s voting rights. A ranting, bleeding heart liberal states that “It’s an attempt to keep power out of the hands of working class Americans”. The conservative host immediately quashes him, screaming over him, calling him “a utopian idealist”. The host agrees with the congress that, men aren’t mature enough to make good choices until they’re at least 25 and, women can’t make them at all. They are seriously considering revoking voting rights for minorities too. Gay people have already lost their right to vote. The conservative congress labeled them insane and unable to vote with a sound mind....

Joe chuckles at the wine-swilling, cheese eating liberal egghead and says; “Thank God I live in Conservative America where I have freedom!

Analyzing the Massachusetts Senate Race

2010-01-20T09:47:00.003-05:00

While Conservatives are celebrating in the streets, Liberals are hanging their heads in shame and party leaders on both sides are pontificating this morning, it's necessary to take a look at the loss of Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts and why this election was NOT a referendum on health care.

Historically, midterm elections and special elections falling near a midterm election do not bode well for the Party in control of the White House. In the last 17 midterm elections "the president's party has lost an average 28 seats in the House, and an average 4 seats in the Senate." Based on what the last 34 years has shown us, we can clearly expect more losses in November.

These seat losses aren't purely because voters are unhappy with the sitting President's policies, much of the seat losses have to do with party mobilization. Voting members of the party in power will sometimes feel complacent, the party not in power often uses current policies of the Administration to mobilize their voters, getting a higher than normal turnout. In the Massachusetts race, "...turnout was depressed for this special election compared with last year’s general election. About 54 percent of registered voters turned out, compared with 73 percent in November 2008. In President Obama’s strongest areas — towns where he received more than 60 percent of the vote — the number of voters was about 30 percent below 2008 levels. In the rest of the state, the number of voters was down just 25 percent. In Boston — one of the strongest areas for Democrats — the number voting fell 35 percent." GOTV plays a crucial factor, and has for many elections.

Another area that was lacking in this race was the failure of the Coakley campaign to up the ante when Brown's poll numbers started to rise. Just as in the 2004 Presidential election, the campaign had a smug attitude that it was impossible for them to lose. According to a Senior Democratic official, "The DNC and the DSCC did everything they were asked and have been involved in the race for several weeks not just the last one - The campaign failed to recognize this threat, failed to keep Coakley on the campaign trail, failed to create a negative narrative about Brown, failed to stay on the air in December while he was running a brilliant campaign." The offical went on to refer to the campaign as "the worst debacle in American political history."

Finally, and most importantly, Liberals must realize that this election was not a referendum on health care reform. Senator Ted Kennedy held this seat for 47 years. As we all know, health care was his most important issue, dedicating his entire life just to get to where we are today. Had Senator Kennedy not passed, he would have once again been elected and Senator Brown would not have had a chance to fill this seat.

Democrats in office must remember, this is not a sign that the agenda needs to be stopped or slowed down, but in fact, it needs to be pushed harder. Look to history to find that this is not abnormal, nor unexpected. More losses will come due to mobilization efforts (specifically, the Tea Party Movement), but look to trends and keep strong in the fight.

Congrats Martin Brodeur: Winningest Goalie Ever

2009-03-17T21:39:00.003-04:00

From TSN.CA
New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur won his 552nd career game on Tuesday night and moved past Patrick Roy into first place on the all-time wins list as the Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2.

Brodeur was mobbed by his teammates and received a long standing ovation as the game ended in front of a home crowd at the Prudential Center. He was then handed a pair of scissors and proceeded to cut the netting off the goal he defended in the third period as a souvenir. With the crowd roaring, Brodeur took a victory lap of the ice.

Martin is not only a class act and one hellava netminder, but he took the record away from Patty Waaaaaah. :)

Congrats to Martin and to Devils' Fans everywhere.

Reagan Beats Out Obama... on Taxing the Rich

2009-03-16T19:59:00.001-04:00

Republicans are distorting the facts, and we need to set the record straight: Obama's budget asks far less of the rich than President Reagan or Nixon did.

The budget cuts taxes for 95% of working Americans who are struggling to make ends meet. And to pay for the investments we desperately need to get our economy moving again, it closes tax loopholes for big corporations and rolls back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

Pass this chart on to your friends, so everyone knows the facts.

Limbaugh is a Scat Muncher?

2009-03-15T10:11:00.002-04:00

Before his death, Bill Hicks provided some poetic commentary on the anti-American defeatist Limbaugh (NSFW). Needless to say, these statements are just as relevant today as they were 12+ years ago. Timeless...

Fox News: McCains' are "pigs" and "poop"

2009-03-13T20:12:00.005-04:00

Fox somehow continuously manages to find a new way to sink to a new low. Whether it's defending Limbaugh's defeatist anti-Americanism or hiring an unstable and deranged alcoholic. Well, not to be undone, the already fractured right-wing crumbles even further with the help of their very own propaganda outlet. The Fox News [sic] blog not only suggests that the McCain family should leave the Republican Party, but the website refers to John McCain as a “pig” and daughter Meghan as “poop”.

Now comes his daughter Meghan McCain, proving the old adage that the poop doesn’t fall far from the pig’s rear end, Meghan has joined her father in the Republican bashing business.

Get a fresh six-pack and some popcorn. The next two years are going to be very entertaining!! Stay classy, wing-nuts!

God Didn't Help Roland Burris Today

2009-01-06T18:34:00.006-05:00

Roland Burris, appointed by corrupt Governor Ron "Fucking" Blagojevich (D - IL) to take over President Elect Obama's Senate seat, appeared in Washington DC today to do just that. Burris, who believes his appointment was "ordained by God", was denied access to the Senate, thus forcing Senate Democrats to turn away both Burris and seemingly, God's will.

After attempting to enter the Senate to be seated, Burris spoke with reporters saying, "I will not be accepted, I will not be seated," and that he is "not seeking to have any type of confrontation," which he made abundantly clear when he showed up to be seated this morning.

Later in the day, Burris found a new ally in the Senate, in the newest opponent of President Elect Obama, Senator Diane Fienstein (D - CA). Feinstein parted with her Senate colleagues when she stated her opinion that Burris should be seated.

Burris says now that he will continue to look into what his future steps will be. Not included in his considerations however; is refusing the nomination and standing with his fellow Democrats in their united front against Blagojevich. I guess if you can't win 5 primaries, this is the only way to get into office. I'm sure he'll include that he was appointed by a corrupt governor on his mausoleum, along with his many other accomplishments.

Scarborough Drops F-Bomb November 10, 2006 AND 2008

2008-11-10T22:17:00.008-05:00

Scarborough appears to have a problem with November 10ths and dropping F-Bombs live on Cable TV.

Scarborough, November 2008:
Today on “Morning Joe,” host Joe Scarborough was discussing the calm nature of the Obama campaign and accidentally used the f-word. His guests joked about needing a seven-second delay. After apologizing, Scarborough said, “My wife is going to kill me when I get home.”

Scarborough, November 2006:
Joe responds to Tucker's complimentary introduction by dropping an F-bomb

Redux: Time for Biden to Resign

2008-11-08T11:45:00.003-05:00

Janie, you know I love you....I'll graciously accept your apology anytime now. ;)

Janie's post from January 2007:
We all remember a few months back when Joe Biden had this to say about "Indians":

"You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent."

Well, ole Biden has struck again. This time in an interview with The New York Observer, Biden makes what can be construed as a racist comment while attacking his would-be opponents in the 2008 Presidential race:

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

The article goes on to quote Biden referring to Hillary Clinton's plan for Iraq as a "disaster," while saying about John Edward's plan, "I don't think John Edwards knows what the heck he is talking about."

This coming from the man that wants to partitian Iraq.

These comments present two problems:

1) In a political climate where Democrats need to band together to win the very important 2008 election, Biden is already trashing his opponents which will do nothing to strengthen the party.

2) The comment regarding Obama can be construed as racist, and gives the right a new talking point for which to attack him with and through association, all Democrats as well.

I think it's time for ole Joe to go.

President Elect Obama

2008-11-05T00:15:00.003-05:00

President Elect Obama!!!!

How to watch the election

2008-11-03T07:38:00.002-05:00

Some key races to watch at key times tomorrow night:

Electoral Map Predictions

2008-11-02T17:23:00.004-05:00

McGramps, the unhinged right-wing, and the corporate media are desperately grasping at straws and attempting to make a story that McCain is on the verge of winning.

Electoral-vote.com was actually one of the most accurate electoral vote predictors from 2004:

On Nov 4th they predicted, Kerry 252 Bush 279 and the actual results were Kerry 251 Bush 286.

Today, they have it: Obama 353 McCain 185

Update I:

Votes needed to win: 270

NTRADE (based on trading in candidate futures)
http://electoralmap.net/index.php
Obama: 353 EC votes
McCain: 174 EC votes
Too close to call: 11 EC votes
Update: Obama loses 11 to McCain.

ELECTORAL-VOTE.COM (a respected consolidator of poll results)
http://www.electoral-vote.com/
Obama: 364
McCain: 171
Too close: 3
Update: McCain gains 11 from Obama and 3 from "too close."

REAL CLEAR POLITICS
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epo...bama_vs_mccain
Obama: 311
McCain: 142
Too close: 85
Update: McCain loses 5 to Obama and 10 to "too close."

538.COM
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/
Obama: 346
McCain: 192
Too close: 0
Update: McCain gains 5 from Obama.

POLLSTER.COM
http://www.pollster.com/
Obama: 311
McCain: 142
Too close: 85
Comment: Obama gains 5 from "too close."

More Palin Winking

2008-11-02T00:40:00.001-04:00

Obama Called The N-Word At Palin Rally

2008-11-01T22:46:00.002-04:00

It's clearly obvious that O'Sarah bin Palin heard the remark as she stumbled and bumbled through her ranting vile speech, yet she does nothing to denounce it.....

Winking: Palin to Bush

2008-10-30T22:39:00.001-04:00

Attacked by a McCain Supporter!

2008-10-26T15:02:00.007-04:00

The unhinged and factually challenged right-wing was in a complete meltdown late last week because of an alleged attack on a McCain Volunteer, Ashley Todd (R), which turned out to be a BIG...FAT....LIE. The fake outrage from the right-wing was comedy gold and the VP of Fox "News", John Moody (R), even went so far to claim:

If Ms. Todd’s allegations are proven accurate, some voters may revisit their support for Senator Obama, not because they are racists (with due respect to Rep. John Murtha), but because they suddenly feel they do not know enough about the Democratic nominee.

If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain’s quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting.

Well, to no surprise, no apologies have been issued by any of the unhinged, angry, and vile right-wingers that attacked the entire Left, every Obama supporter, and as well as his campaign because they were dumb enough to believe this Lie. The rest of the non-23%ers of America will await their apology....but we won't hold our breath.

Nonetheless, it appears some people did not receive word that the "attack" on Ashley Todd (R) was hoax and now there are right-wing vigilantes seeking revenge. Here is one such account:

McCain Campaign Steals Obama Logo

2008-10-26T13:25:00.008-04:00

McCain is losing and behind in just about every national poll and electoral map prediction. With the campaign in an utter and complete tailspin, it appears they only have one option....emulate their opposition.

The McCain Campaign is now stealing the Obama Logo and using it in their own ads. I came across the ad on fivethirtyeight.com:

Update: Here is another snapshot of the web ad.

This day in 2004.....

2008-10-26T13:25:00.000-04:00

This day in 2004 the electoral map was predicting Kerry 247 - Bush 285 and the "actual results" were Kerry 251 - Bush 286.

Today, the electoral maps put Obama at 375, 306, and 350.

We're getting close to Nov 4th. The polls and electoral map are in our favor, but we still need to GOTV!!!

Colin Powell endorses Obama and Al Qaeda endorses John McCain

2008-10-22T09:39:00.001-04:00

Al Qaeda affiliates are endorsing John McCain (R-AZ). “Al-Qaeda will have to support McCain (R-AZ) in the coming election,” said a commentary posted Monday on the extremist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said McCain would continue the “failing march of his predecessor,” President Bush (R-TX).

H/T: TP

The Clash - Police On My Back (Live)

2008-10-18T23:36:00.001-04:00

Greatest...Band...Ever...

Obama Leads in Pizza Poll

2008-10-18T22:15:00.005-04:00

So, I decided to order a pie online from Dominoes while watching the Rays-BoSox game. After you place your order, Domino's has interactive tracking which includes a few brief questions about the election. After you answer the questions, the results are displayed. It appears the Domino's Poll is consistent with the rest of the polls out there, i.e., Obama is America's choice!

I'm sure the right-wing will claim Domino's is "liberal" and "biased".

Palin as President: A Frightening Look at Reality

2008-10-18T10:50:00.002-04:00

Move your mouse around the screen and click at will....

http://www.palinaspresident.us/

McCainenstein

2008-10-16T23:10:00.004-04:00

McCain doing up the Frankenstein-look for Halloween?

"grrrrrrrrrrr, libruls, grrrrrrrrrrr, libruls, me want libruls, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"

The Detroit Red Wings are Boring

2008-06-30T20:01:00.001-04:00

Sports Poetry?

They play hockey, they win.
They have room under the salary cap and players aren't screaming to get unreal raises.
Their fans love them. The players get along.
Hall of Famers (Chelios and Hasek) sit on the bench and cheer the other players on.
They give an old washed up drunk (McCarty) another chance and he once again becomes the heart and soul of the team.
Americans, Canadians, Swedes, Fins, Czechs, and Russians all getting along and strive for a common goal.
No Drugs, No (off-ice) Assaults, No Womanizing, No Trash Talking, No Prima Donnas, No NHL Anointed Superstars.
They are a boring team.

Sometimes boring is a great thing!!

~Voltaire26, Jun 29, 2008

Cindy McCain Stole Drugs from her own Charity

2008-06-15T21:08:00.000-04:00

Every time the incompetent and inept right-wing Media tells a lie about Michelle Obama, just remember the truth about Cindy "The Lude" McCain.

Oct. 18, 1999 | PHOENIX -- GOP presidential candidate John McCain's wife Cindy took to the airwaves last week, recounting for Jane Pauley (on "Dateline") and Diane Sawyer (on "Good Morning America") the tale of her onetime addiction to Percocet and Vicodin, and the fact that she stole the drugs from her own nonprofit medical relief organization.

It was a brave and obviously painful thing to do.

It was also vintage McCain media manipulation.

Read on....

Midwest Flooding: McCain prays, Obama grabs a shovel

2008-06-15T16:43:00.000-04:00

Enough said.

Michael Reagan Calls for the Murder of Americans

2008-06-15T15:22:00.009-04:00

Far, FAR right-wing extremist and radio talk show host Michael Reagan, the adopted son of former President Ronnie Raygun, has recently called for the murder of Mark Dice and other individuals in the 9/11 truth movement. Reagan's death threats were aired Tuesday, June 10th during the second hour. Reagan called for the murder of Mark Dice and 9/11 truther movement activists after hearing that Dice is mailing letters and DVDs to troops in Iraq. Reagan even stated that he wants to pay for the bullets.

Transcript of Reagan’s statements:

Reagan: "Excuse me folks, I’m going to say this. We ought to find the people who are doing this, take them out and shoot them. Really. You take them out, they are traitors to this country, and shoot them. You have a problem with that? Deal with it. You shoot them. You call them traitors, that’s what they are, and you shoot them dead. I’ll pay for the bullets."

Reagan adds, "How about you take Mark Dice out and put him in the middle of a firing range. Tie him to a post, don’t blindfold him, let it rip and have some fun with Mark Dice."

Dice is demanding that Reagan be fired immediately. “Calling for the murder of someone because you disagree with their political stance is absolutely unacceptable, un-American, and possibly illegal,” says Dice.

Dice has filed a report with the FBI and is considering legal action against Reagan.

Dice’s organization, The Resistance, has launched a campaign to send documentary films and declassified documents to U.S. troops who are stationed in Iraq to inform them that the 9/11 attacks were aided by elements within the U.S. government.

Personal Comments (Dr. Matt): Now, I am no fan of the 9/11 truth movement and I am not involved in their campaign. However, I am very concerned when someone uses public airwaves to issue death threats against someone they do not agree with. We all know this is nothing new for the right-wing (for example, here, here, here, here to name a few). However, we also know that the right-wing loons that listen to AM hate radio extremists are fragile enough to follow through with such a request. I hope and pray that Reagan is fired, arrested, tried, and convicted.

I'm voting Republican because....

2008-06-12T12:06:00.005-04:00

The folks at Synthetic Human.com provide sound reason for why someone would want to vote Republican.

Possible Obama VP Picks

2008-06-11T01:34:00.005-04:00

Obama VP team discusses 20 possible picks (From CNN):

Sen. Barack Obama's vice presidential search team on Tuesday shared with a Democratic senator the names of about 20 people under consideration to be the presumptive Democratic nominee's running mate.

Sen. Kent Conrad, D-North Dakota, said that some of those considered are "top officials now," others are "former lawmakers" and others are "former top military leaders."

He said many of the names already have been "bandied about" in the media, but others were "outside the box."

He declined to give examples.

[...]

Although Obama's campaign has not released the names of any front-runners for the VP spot, there's been a lot of speculation about who he will pick.

Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose tenacious refusal to surrender the nomination contest turned the Democratic race into one of the most nail-biting in modern U.S. political history, has indicated that she would be willing to sign up on a joint ticket.

Other possible front-runners include former presidential hopefuls Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Bill Richardson and John Edwards.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who has often been mentioned as a possible vice presidential pick, said Tuesday that if asked, he would "absolutely not" join the party's presidential ticket this fall.

Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh, who has served on both armed services and intelligence committees in the Senate, has been mentioned as a possible contender.

And ever since New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ruled out his own independent bid for the presidency, he's been seen as a potential running mate for both Obama and John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

Wesley Clark, a former NATO commander who failed in his bid for the 2004 presidential nomination, could be in the running, along with a slew of current politicians including Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas and Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia.

You might be a terrorist if....

2008-06-10T22:06:00.004-04:00

From the HuffPo:

Now that Michelle and Barack Obama have been exposed as Osama's lackeys due to their foolishly giving each other the terrorist fist jab so common in al-Qaeda and Hamas circles, we can finally rest easy, safe in the knowledge that this mole that the terrorists cleverly hid away in a Christian church for several decades will never see the inside of the White House. Why the Obamas displayed this well-known terrorist secret handshake so publicly will probably never be known, until they confess under duress at Guantanamo of course, but best not to think about that too hard. Victory's on the march, after all. The Obamas are only the latest terror-sympathizing fifth columnists to be revealed to the world. Just a few days before the Obamas shamelessly revealed their desire for never-ending jihad with a shocked American public, fellow terrorist Rachael Ray was caught red-handed wearing a Sharia-inspired scarf. The terrorists seems to be everywhere these days, what with their running for president and shilling for donutmongers. But as long as we all make like Michelle Malkin and keep our eyes open, wary for the next foul scarf, we'll all be fine. What follows, then, are more signs of terrorist sympathies. Learn them. Know them. They just might save your life. Or your life. Or your life. Or YOURS!
Signs you might be a terrorist:
1) If you drink any sort of coffee with a name ending in "-ccino," you might be a terrorist.
2) If you plan on voting for fist-pounding terrorist sympathizer Barack Obama, you might be a terrorist.

3) If you live in San Francisco, you might be a terrorist.

4) If you think that even Michelle Malkin could find better things to do with her time than examine the fashion choices of Rachael Ray, you might be a terrorist.

5) If you think that Fox News' reporting of a fist pound as a terrorist fist jab makes them look shockingly, eye-poppingly, searingly stupid as opposed to making Barack Obama look like a terrorist, you might be a terrorist.

6) If you went out and bought one of those scarves the minute Dunkin Donuts pulled the ad, you might be a terrorist.

7) If you read Huffington Post, you might be a terrorist.

8) If you actually blog at Huffington Post, you are a terrorist. Report to Guantanamo for re-education.

The Cure - Pictures of You (Live) - Houston, Texas

2008-06-10T20:11:00.006-04:00

Last night I saw The Cure in concert at the Toyota Center, Houston, Texas. This is only my second time seeing the band, the first time was in Orlando in 1996. The show was amazing and they sounded perfect. Seriously, it was like listening to a really, really loud CD. The modest-sized crowd was stoked throughout the evening as Robert Smith et al. performing a blistering 3+ hour, 33 song set that including three encores. Anyhow, I decided to personally record and now blog one of my all-time favorite The Cure songs, "Pictures of You". I didn't record the first few seconds of the song, but was able to record almost the entire piece. Here it is.....enjoy:

Here is the set list from last night:

Intro: Adagio for Strings

Set: Out Of This World, Want, Fascination Street, A Night Like This, The End of the World, Lovesong, A Boy I Never Knew, Pictures Of You, Lullaby, Maybe Someday, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The Perfect Boy, Kyoto Song, Hot Hot Hot, The Only One, The Blood, Sleep When I'm Dead, Push, How Beautiful You Are, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, A Letter To Elise, Us Or Them, One Hundred Years, Bloodflowers

Encore 1: Plainsong, Disintegration,

Encore 2: Boys Don't Cry, Jumping Someone Else's Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, Killing An Arab

Encore 3: A Forest

McCain: America is a Christian Nation

2008-06-09T15:20:00.005-04:00

Is this video, McCain is desperately and pathetically pandering to the extreme right-wing evangelicals by putting forth the same old, and debunked (and here and here and here), talking points that "America is a Christian Nation", the "Constitution establishes America as a Christian Nation", etc., etc.,

How come the words "Christ" or "Jesus" or "Christianity" do not appear anywhere in the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, or the rest of Constitution?

Answer:

The U.S. Constitution is a secular document. It begins, "We the people," and contains no mention of "God" or "Christianity." Its only references to religion are exclusionary, such as, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust" (Art. VI), and "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" (First Amendment). The presidential oath of office, the only oath detailed in the Constitution, does not contain the phrase "so help me God" or any requirement to swear on a bible (Art. II, Sec. 1, Clause 8). If we are a Christian nation, why doesn't our Constitution say so?

In 1797 America made a treaty with Tripoli, declaring that "the government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." This reassurance to Islam was written under Washington's presidency, and approved by the Senate under John Adams.

Read on.....

Terrorist Fist Jabs: Terrorists Are Everywhere!

2008-06-09T00:28:00.012-04:00

As noted earlier, that inept excuse for a cable "news" station (i.e. Faux "News") accused Michelle and Barack of performing a "terrorist fist jab" prior to Barack's "victory" speech as the presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee. So, I decided to provide a dedicated blog entry to expose all the other terrorist fist jabbers out there and hope to add more as we, good Americans, track-down and identify these scoundrels:

Young American gymnast terrorists

Baseball terrorists

More baseball terrorists

Football players and young white boy terrorists

American Idol terrorists

Harry Connick Jr, the terrorist

Senator Terrorists Feinstein (D-CA) and Hutchison (R-TX)

Cartoon terrorists

Old White Men Playing Golf Terrorists

Some sort of terrorist fist jabbing training tool for our youth

Terrorist Polar Bears (perhaps this is why right-wingers want to destroy the artic?)

Ricky Bobby aka Terroristy Bobby

LIEbermann (I-Israel) the Independent terrorist

The Original Terrorist Fist Jab

U.S. Soldier terrorists
Watch the very end of the commercial.

Bud Light exposes that the terrorist jab is out of fashion

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

2008-06-08T18:16:00.002-04:00

Fox News: Obama’s Fist Bump, "A Terrorist Fist Jab?"

2008-06-08T13:14:00.013-04:00

From MMFA:

Teasing a segment on the "gesture everyone seems to interpret differently," Fox News' E.D. Hill said: "A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab? ... We'll show you some interesting body communication and find out what it really says." In the ensuing discussion with a "body language expert," Hill referred to the "Michelle and Barack Obama fist bump or fist pound," but at no point did she explain her earlier reference to "a terrorist fist jab." Click here to read more...

Fox "News", once again, displays zero journalist [sic] integrity by attempting to link a Democrat to terrorism. What's even worse is that the inept idiots at Faux picked up the concept of a "terrorist jab" from a poster comment from the far, far, right-wing website Human Events.com in a blog entry by Cal Thomas.

Michelle is not as “refined” as Obama at hiding her TRUE feelings about America–etc. Her “Hezbollah” style fist-jabbing–mouth-twisted anti-American speeches is STRAIGHT from ISLAM!

*sigh* It's so pathetic and sad, yet not unexpected to see the low-life scum at Faux parroting the comments made at a far, far right-wing website.

So, by right-wing "standards", it appears we are surrounded by terrorists:

Young American gymnast terrorists

Baseball terrorists

Football players and young white boy terrorists

American Idol terrorists

Harry Connick Jr, the terrorist

Senator Terrorists Feinstein (D-CA) and Hutchison (R-TX)

The original terrorist fist jab

U.S. Soldier terrorists
Watch the very end of the commercial.

Breaking News: McCain's Latest Rally Gets out of Hand!

2008-06-08T12:56:00.003-04:00

Rick Santorum Equates Same-Sex Marriage to Incest (Again) and Out-of-Wedlock Birthrates

2008-05-22T19:05:00.009-04:00

Image from www.waynebesen.com

Man-on-dog Ricky Sanatorium (R) has once again equated a loving same-sex relationship to incest and equates same-sex marriage to skyrocketing birthrates in Norway. Ricky authored a rant today in the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding the California Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage. From TP:

Sanatorium: Look at Norway. It began allowing same-sex marriage in the 1990s. In just the last decade, its heterosexual-marriage rates have nose-dived and its out-of-wedlock birthrate skyrocketed to 80 percent for firstborn children.

[...]

Is anyone saying same-sex couples can’t love each other? I love my children. I love my friends, my brother. Heck, I even love my mother-in-law. Should we call these relationships marriage, too? Marriage is and always has been more than the acknowledgment of the love between two people.

And poor whiddle Ricky wonders why he got his arse handed to him in the 2006 elections. Anywhoooo, can someone explain: 1) What does out-of-wedlock birthrates have to do with gay marriage? 2) What does a loving same-sex couple have to do with incest? Is this the right-wing vision for "love"? Sickos. Really. Sick, sick, sick.....

Poll: Obama leads McCain in November Match

2008-05-21T12:39:00.005-04:00

So, after months and months of the [right-wing] MSM covering the Wright non-story, it turns out that Obama still leads McCain. Oops!! Guess the [right-wing] MSM will have to go back to flag-pins and bowling scores.

From Reuters

Democrat Barack Obama has opened an 8-point national lead on Republican John McCain as the U.S. presidential rivals turn their focus to a general election race, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Obama, who was tied with McCain in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup last month, moved to a 48 percent to 40 percent lead over the Arizona senator in May as he took command of his grueling Democratic presidential duel with rival Hillary Clinton.

[...]

OBAMA BETTER ON ECONOMY

The poll found Obama was seen as a better steward of the economy than McCain, leading 48 percent to 39 percent. McCain led Obama by 3 points last month on an issue that is certain to be crucial in their campaign.

Obama led McCain among independents, 47 percent to 35 percent, and led among some groups of voters who have backed Clinton during their Democratic primary battle, including Catholics, Jews, union households and voters making less than $35,000 a year.

McCain led among whites, NASCAR fans, and elderly voters. McCain led with voters who believed the United States was on the right track, and Obama led with the much higher percentage of voters who believed it was on the wrong track.

[...]

GOP Consultant: Sometimes It's "Accurate" To Call A Woman A "Bitch"

2008-05-21T12:21:00.002-04:00

From TPM Election Central and TP

During yesterday’s Democratic primary coverage on CNN, Jeff Toobin criticized a New York Times column that published a joke about Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) being a "white bitch". "I think it’s appalling, but I think she’s absolutely right that there has been a level of sexism," said Toobin. But CNN contributor Alex Castellanos, who is also an adviser to Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign, disagreed, saying that some women deserve to be called a "bitch":

If I can disagree, I think you’re dead wrong. She’s dead wrong. And I think she thinks her problem is she’s a woman. Her problem is she’s Hillary Clinton. And some women, by the way, are named that and it’s accurate.

RED WINGS ARE GOING BACK TO THE FINALS!!!!!

2008-05-20T01:36:00.005-04:00

From AP Sports:

So much for the demise of the Detroit Red Wings. Not only are they headed back to the Stanley Cup finals, they’re again looking like the club that dominated the regular season and most of the playoffs.
After consecutive losses hinted at vulnerability, the Red Wings bounced back strong in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, getting first-period goals from Kris Draper, Pavel Datsyuk and Dallas Drake on their way to knocking out the Dallas Stars 4-1 on Monday night.

“We were relentless,” Draper said. “It was just a solid first period and obviously the difference in the hockey game. … We’re back in the Stanley Cup and it sounds great for us.”
Detroit led this series 3-0 before running into trouble. Now that the fear of a collapse is gone, the focus turns to winning its fourth championship in 11 seasons. The Red Wings will face the Pittsburgh Penguins starting Saturday at Joe Louis Arena, with the schedule following a Saturday-Monday-Wednesday pattern.
[...]
The Red Wings and Penguins did not meet this season. They did the two previous years and Detroit won both. … This will be the first Detroit-Pittsburgh finals. … It also will be the first all-American finals since 2003, when New Jersey faced Anaheim. … The team that scored first won every game this series. … Detroit is the first Presidents’ Trophy winners to make the finals since its 2002 club did it.

First PNAC, Now Conservapedia?

2008-05-19T16:16:00.017-04:00

Last week it was noted throughout the blogosphere that the far right-wing Neocon PNAC website has been suspended. Visitors to the PNAC site are now greeted with a message stating the site has been "suspended" and to "contact the billing department".

H/T to TP for the image.

At least they can't hide from the WayBack Machine

It appears, at least for now, the far right-wing and factless-based Conservapedia may be the next interweb victim. When attempting to visit their revisionist website (Dr Matt: I tried for over an hour), visitors are greeted with a "The connection has timed out" message. Is Conservapedia the next victim of a fact-based world??? Developing......

As a reminder, here are the Top ten most viewed pages on Wikipedia vs Conservapedia:
—Wikipedia—

Main Page [30,090,900]
Wiki [904,800]
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [413,400]
Naruto [401,400]
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock [396,000]
United States [330,000]
Wikipedia [329,400]
Deaths in 2007 [321,300]
Heroes (TV series) [307,500]
Transformers (film) [303,600]
—Conservapedia—
Main Page‎ [1,906,729]
Homosexuality‎ [1,572,713]
Homosexuality and Hepatitis‎ [517,086]
Homosexuality and Promiscuity‎ [420,687]
Gay Bowel Syndrome‎ [389,052]
Homosexuality and Parasites‎ [388,123]
Homosexuality and Domestic Violence‎ [365,888]
Homosexuality and Gonorrhea‎ [331,553]
Homosexuality and Mental Health‎ [291,179]
Homosexuality and Syphilis‎ [265,322]

Update (5/19, 6:08 ET): Conservapedia is still down and out.

Update II (5/19, 8:55 ET): Conservapedia is back....thank gawd. We can continue to ridicule the wing-nuts and their perverse vision of "reality".

Gas, diesel prices soar to record high

2008-05-19T12:37:00.009-04:00

From MSNBC:

Gallon of regular unleaded hits $3.79; diesel now $4.52

[...]

Americans are now paying an average of $3.79 for a gallon of regular gas, according to a survey by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Diesel, used to transport goods a wide range of goods, now costs $4.52 a gallon.
Drivers in some parts of the country are paying considerably more, however. Gas pump prices in parts of California, where the average is down to $3.96, have been stuck above $4 a gallon for weeks now. Prices in Alaska and Connecticut are averaging just above $4 a gallon statewide.
A report released Sunday showed retail prices topped an average $4 a gallon for the first time in two metropolitan areas: Chicago and New York’s Long Island. The Lundberg Survey of 7,000 stations nationwide found the cheapest city to be Tucson, Ariz., where a gallon of regular sold for $3.48 on average.
[...]

Bush Family Legacy: Ties to Hitler and Nazis

2008-05-19T12:24:00.014-04:00

I am going to use this blog entry as an archival location, which will be constantly updated, that will contain documentation of the Bush family ties to Hitler and the Nazi Party. There is so much evidence spread throughout the internet(s), and hopefully I can create a single unique location that will reference all appropriate materials. Perhaps some crafty internet(s) guru could create a Wiki type tool for this important topic? *hint hint*

How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power: Rumors of a link between the US first family and the Nazi war machine have circulated for decades. Now the Guardian can reveal how repercussions of events that culminated in action under the Trading with the Enemy Act are still being felt by today's president.

The Hitler Project. Bush Property Seized - Trading with the Enemy: In October 1942, ten months after entering World War II, America was preparing its first assault against Nazi military forces. Prescott Bush was managing partner of Brown Brothers Harriman. His 18-year-old son George, the future U.S. President, had just begun training to become a naval pilot. On Oct. 20, 1942, the U.S. government ordered the seizure of Nazi German banking operations in New York City which were being conducted by Prescott Bush.

Documents: Bush's Grandfather Directed Bank Tied to Man Who Funded Hitler (FOXNews.com): President Bush's grandfather was a director of a bank seized by the federal government because of its ties to a German industrialist who helped bankroll Adolf Hitler's rise to power, government documents show.

Bush Family ties to funding the Nazis during WWII (YouTube Video): Bush Family - The First Family of Treason - How the Bush Family helped bankroll the Nazi War Machine. This is an excerpt from Alex Jones' latest film, 9/11 Martial Law: Rise of the Police State (Below is the same video).

Bush-Nazi Link Confirmed: Documents in National Archives Prove George W. Bush's Grandfather Traded with Nazis - Even After Pearl Harbor: After 60 years of inattention and even denial by the U.S. media, newly-uncovered government documents in The National Archives and Library of Congress reveal that Prescott Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush, served as a business partner of and U.S. banking operative for the financial architect of the Nazi war machine from 1926 until 1942, when Congress took aggressive action against Bush and his "enemy national" partners.

Democrats Introduce McCainpedia

2008-05-19T11:31:00.003-04:00

From Democrats.org

Today we're launching McCainpedia, the latest online tools designed to provide greater access to information and resources. McCainpedia is an electronic encyclopedia that provides the opportunity for anyone, anywhere to review the raw facts and research of John McCain's record and then use it or share it in any way they choose.

By visiting http://www.mccainpedia.org, you're a mouse-click away from our research on John McCain. You can easily find and share information on a specific issue or use the data to create flyers, blog posts, or YouTube videos. McCainpedia follows FlipperTV, a unique online video tool launched in November of 2007 that allows users to watch, download, and use video taken by Democratic trackers of John McCain from the campaign trail. We've now incorporated FlipperTV directly into McCainpedia.
[...]

Song of the Day (It Was A Good Day, Ice Cube)

2008-05-19T01:49:00.002-04:00

"It Was a Good Day" is a 1993 single by American gangsta rapper Ice Cube from his third solo album, The Predator. It is the second single from the album and it peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also a hit in the UK Charts, peaking at number 27. In April 2006, it was ranked as the 81st greatest rap song of all time by About.com. In 2007, it was ranked number 77 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s.

75,000 Turn Out for Obama in Portland

2008-05-19T01:36:00.003-04:00

H/T Brad Blog

MSM Says 'Largest Crowd for Obama to Date', But Isn't it Also the Largest Crowd EVER - in American History - for a Primary Election Rally?

Updated with Video Below the Pics!

Some Detainees Are Drugged For Deportation

2008-05-19T01:28:00.003-04:00

H/t Digbys

The US government routinely injects psychotropic drugs into detainees to keep them sedated during deportation flights. , in violation of international human rights standards.

The U.S. government has injected hundreds of foreigners it has deported with dangerous psychotropic drugs against their will to keep them sedated during the trip back to their home country, according to medical records, internal documents and interviews with people who have been drugged.

The government's forced use of antipsychotic drugs, in people who have no history of mental illness, includes dozens of cases in which the "pre-flight cocktail," as a document calls it, had such a potent effect that federal guards needed a wheelchair to move the slumped deportee onto an airplane.

"Unsteady gait. Fell onto tarmac," says a medical note on the deportation of a 38-year-old woman to Costa Rica in late spring 2005. Another detainee was "dragged down the aisle in handcuffs, semi-comatose," according to an airline crew member's written account. Repeatedly, documents describe immigration guards "taking down" a reluctant deportee to be tranquilized before heading to an airport.
[...]

High Flying Fine Dining: Dinner at 165 Feet

2008-05-19T00:47:00.002-04:00

Here's a dining concept that'll make your head if not your stomach spin: It's dinner at a table suspended 165 feet in the air with chairs that swivel180 degrees.

Dubbed Dinner in the Sky, the attraction is making its U.S. debut Monday in Orlando at the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions convention. About 25,000attendees are expected at the one-stop-shopping event, where the amusement industry rolls out new thrill rides and related products.

Thehigh-flying dining venue was introduced in Europe last year and consists of a platform suspended from a crane. Guests are harnessed into 22 seats, with space in the center for a chef and two helpers.With local officials' blessings, the platform can be transported to just about anywhere the crane can maneuver. One recent spot: in front of the Amiens Cathedral in France, with dinner prepared by a three-star Michelin chef.

'It was like eating with the 12 apostles and Jesus Christ,' quips David Ghysels, co-founder of the Belgium-based company.

Ghysels sees all sorts of U.S. possibilities for the dangling restaurant, including air space over the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls and golf courses.

'I think human beings always like to see what's happening from the air,' he says. 'And there are so many wonderfuln atural spots in the U.S. Dinner in the Sky could go anywhere.'

Ther estaurant (dinnerinthesky.com) belongs firmly in the special-occasion category, however. The cost for eight hours is about $11,444 not including catering.

The Real John McCain: Less Jobs, More Wars

2008-05-18T16:59:00.003-04:00

From Brave New Films:

There's no question John McCain is getting a free ride from the mainstream press. But with the power of YouTube and the blogosphere, we can provide an accurate portrayal of the so-called Maverick. We can put the brakes on his free ride!

Since we first released The Real McCain a year ago, our REAL McCain series has garnered close to 2 million views, with over 13,000 comments and tens of thousands more in petition signatures! Clearly, John McCain's record is something the public wants to discuss, and yet the corporate media is doing NOTHING to present the truth. We feel obliged to continue countering the mainstream media's love of McCain. And so we thought it was high time for a sequel: The Real McCain 2.

QT Download

The O'Reilly Meltdown: The Gift That Keeps Giving

2008-05-16T15:59:00.011-04:00

Of course by now most of us have seen the original Bill O'Reilly meltdown that has recently surfaced on the interweb. So, it was only a matter of time before the internet(s) geniuses out there started to manipulate, edit, and tweak O'Reilly's hissy fit to further mock the mockable.

O'Reilly, the gift that keeps giving:

The Unseen, Behind-the-Scenes Video:

Bill O'Reilly (The Remix):

The Colbert Report:

Updated: I added the Colbert clip for additional comedic gold.

Puppy-Marine Saga: Revenge of the Puppy

2008-03-08T02:19:00.006-05:00

Puppies get revenge against the Marines. lol.

Puppy-Marine Saga: To Those Who Think the Video is Fake

2008-03-07T20:29:00.003-05:00

This certainly does not prove the puppy was or was not alive, but the videographer does provide some interesting observations to refute the notion that the pup was dead.

Troops Killing and Tormenting Animals: More Video Documentation

2008-03-06T00:30:00.004-05:00

realitybytesandpieces: Alleged puppy killer David Motari isn’t the only U.S. soldier who gets his jollies killing dogs. Here are a bunch of additional homemade videos that are making their way across the Internet featuring U.S. soldiers killing/tormenting dogs, cats and even a sheep:

Soldiers blowing up dogs for pleasure and thrills
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a4b_1198349822
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1be_1204379225

Soldiers shooting dogs for shits and giggles
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wj32twJXxsY
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0a5ee2d6eb
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=54e_1182844511

Soldiers tormenting a dog
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Fy_BSksdvAM

Soldiers throw grenade at sheepherder/sheep and laugh
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ULcj-Epr1rI

Soldiers blow-up cat and hysterics ensue
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=64d_1199566522&p=1

David Motari Apology? Fake or Real?

2008-03-05T22:50:00.006-05:00

So, not only are we to question whether the thrown puppy was already dead, now we have to question if an apparent Myspace posted apology, belonging to the now famous David Motari, is real or fake.

From jonathanturley.org

David Motari has been named as the Marine in the video, though the Marines are still investigating. In what is purported to be a posting from him below, he blames the stress of combat.

In his alleged apology, Modari says that in combat people “develope [sic] a different sence [sic] of humor than what others are used to.” He say that he is “sorry about the dog.” He also complains about people bothering his family and his girlfriend.

I say it's a fake....probably some attention-starved twit started up the profile.

http://www.myspace.com/davidmotari

The Puppy-Marine Saga Continues

2008-03-04T21:50:00.007-05:00

KITV of Honolulu, Hawaii provides more coverage of the "Puppy-Marine Saga":

Update I: The MSM is not only covering this but they are actually listing David Motari as the alleged puppy thrower. From the LA times:

[...]
In the video, a second Marine identifies the first by name;

"That was mean, Motari," he says, unconvincingly.

Online denizens quickly located the Bebo.com profile of a Marine named David Motari. The Marine Corps press office confirmed that Motari is, or at one time was, in the corps.

A phone number and address for a David Motari was repeatedly posted on the Bebo profile and in the comments on the Digg entry that led to the video. When I called the number, it had been disconnected.
[...]

U.S. Marine "Murders" a Puppy? Fake or Real?

2008-03-04T09:24:00.006-05:00

Many posters on Youtube and various blogs are bringing up the notion that the puppy was already dead and that the whimpering sound was actually edited in after the fact. I won't bother going through the effort to cite exact postings, but there is a minority out there that feels this way. Nonetheless, the Marines in this video should be exposed so the truth can be revealed. In fact, the USMC has launched an investigation:

The person is identified on the video and in subsequent internet postings as a lance corporal stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe.

"This is a shocking and deplorable video that is contrary to the high standards that we set for every Marine," said Maj. Chris Perrine, spokesperson for the Kaneohe base.

The Marine Corps has launched an investigation to determine whether the man on the video is their Marine who returned last October from a 7-month tour of duty in Iraq.

U.S. Marine Murders a Puppy

2008-03-03T18:11:00.015-05:00

Here is a quickly evolving "story" coming from the Middle East. To no surprise, the video is also going viral on the Internet(s) at the speed of light. In the Youtube clip you can see a U.S. Marine throwing a puppy off a cliff to its demise.

Caution! This is NOT for the faint of heart and I DO NOT suggest letting young children see this video:

It appears that folks on the Internet(s) have already revealed the identity of Marine and he is quickly gaining attention all over the web (David Motari). He even has a Wiki page....for now.

Update I: It looks like Wiki removed the entry for David Motari. I didn't have time to get a screen shot. But from Google, "David Motari is potentially the identity of a United States soldier seen in a video throwing a puppy over a cliff. The video has not been confirmed as..."

Update II: Youtube has deleted someone else's upload of the video clip, so I have uploaded the video to blogger in case my Youtube version disappears as well.

Update III: Apparently a concerned American contacted the USMC to inform them about this video and apparent identification of David Motari. I stumbled across this entry on TheForum.com. It appears to be legitimate email from a Staff Security for the USMC in Hawaii

Update IV: A screen shot of David Motari's, the alleged puppy thrower, Bebo Profile. Found at: http://www.mahalo.com/David_Motari

Update V: There is speculation that the video is fake.

bin Laden determined to strike US

2007-08-06T14:23:00.000-04:00

Flashback: Aug. 6, 2001 (H/t to TP)

Six years ago today, President Bush received a classified intelligence briefing that warned bin Laden was determined to strike inside the U.S. Bush was described as being “carefree” on the day he received the briefing at his Crawford ranch in Aug. 2001. Condoleezza Rice later dismissed the urgency of the briefing, claiming it was “not a warning” but rather an “historical memo.”

Security Camera Footage of Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

2007-08-02T11:31:00.001-04:00

Security Camera Footage of Minneapolis Bridge Collapse

War costs may top $1 trillion over 10 years

2007-08-01T12:24:00.000-04:00

The cost of military operations and diplomatic efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world could top $1 trillion over the next decade, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates provided to the House Budget Committee Tuesday.

The budgetary forecasts hinge largely on the size of the force deployed to Iraq between 2008 and 2017, a matter that Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the panel is nearly impossible to predict. "That's a long way in the future" to estimate both costs and force levels, he said.

But CBO officials, at the request of House Budget Chairman John Spratt, D-S.C., estimated that the total costs of operations would range from $924 billion to just over $1 trillion if the size of the deployed force decreases from 210,000 today to 75,000 by 2013.

That compares to a CBO estimate in February of $840 billion total cost. But if the size of the deployed force shrinks to 30,000 troops by 2010, war costs would range from $481 billion to $603 billion between 2008 and 2017, CBO said Tuesday.

Faux "News" Named #2 Top Conservative Political Website

2007-07-31T14:36:00.001-04:00

Oops. So much for that "fair and balanced" mantra! From the comically named "Intellectual" [sic] Conservative.

Here is a ranking of the top 100 conservative political websites and blogs. Other than sifting and sorting through directories like alexa's , there’s no easy way to determine what are the most popular conservative websites. John Hawkins of rightwingnews has ranked all political websites in order of popularity in the past, but hasn’t put out an updated list since 2004. I have attempted to create an updated list of the conservative websites for 2007, using alexa’s directory and rankings. There are other sites like trafficranking.com which use different methodology to rank the popularity of websites, however, alexa’s system, which is based on the web surfing habits of those using its browser helper software remains the most popular.
And here is the list. Intellectual [sic] Conservative rounds out the end of the top 100:

1. Drudge Report – 951
2. Fox News - 599
3. Wall Street Journal – 1,043
4. New York Post – 1,778
5. WorldNetDaily – 4,605
6. NewsMax – 5,334
7. Boston Herald – 6,684
8. Free Republic – 7,114
9. Town Hall – 7,915
10. U.S. News and World Report - 8,694
11. National Review Online – 10,502
12. Politico – 11,359
13. Lew Rockwell – 13,174
14. Washington Times – 13,621
15. Rush Limbaugh – 14,117
16. Real Clear Politics – 17,027
17. The Post Chronicle – 19,203
18. Reason Online – 19,942
19. Little Green Footballs – 21,079
20. Michelle Malkin – 23,570

New Product From Bill O'Reilly.com

2007-07-30T18:26:00.000-04:00

In a desperate attempt to attract more [sad and deluded] premium members to Bill O'Reilly.com, the Falafel King has an enticing offer to new members. Apparently though, some of the new premium members are upset and are now speaking out.

"I joined Bill O'Reilly.com and all I got was this lousy dildo."
(Click on photo for larger version)

H/T to "GSD" from C&L.

Romney Afraid of Snowmen, What About bin Laden?

2007-07-30T14:39:00.000-04:00

KURTZ: Mitt Romney said that, he was expressing his reservations about joining the next YouTube debate, “I don’t think candidates should have to answer questions from a snowman.” Well let me just say this to the former governor: how are you going to deal with Osama bin Laden if you’re afraid of that snowman?

Michelle Malkin Defends Michael Vick to Attack PETA

2007-07-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

From Newshounds.us

Michelle Malkin, in for Bill O'Reilly, talked with Daphna Nachminovich, a representative for People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals, about Nike and Reebok's announcement that they are no longer selling products endorsed by Michael Vick. Although the public outcry about Vick's horrific "Bad News Kennels" transcends politics, Malkin chose to side with Michael Vick and attack PETA simply because it's erroneously labeled a left wing organization. Once again, reich-wingers are on the wrong side of yet another issue.

Bill O'Reilly: Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up, Shut up,

2007-07-27T12:47:00.001-04:00

Astronauts Flew While Intoxicated

2007-07-26T14:31:00.000-04:00

From Aviation Week (AW is loading slowly, so I C&Ped the entire story):

A panel reviewing astronaut health issues in the wake of the Lisa Nowak arrest has found that on at least two occasions astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk.

The panel, also reported "heavy use of alcohol" by astronauts before launch, within the standard 12-hour "bottle to throttle" rule applied to NASA flight crew members.

A NASA spokesman declined comment on the findings, which were obtained by Aviation Week & Space Technology. The spokesman said a press conference has tentatively been scheduled for Friday afternoon on the issue. At the direction of Administrator Michael Griffin, NASA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Richard S. Williams set up the panel to review astronaut medical and psychological screening after Nowak was arrested in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 5 on charges of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping for allegedly stalking and threatening a woman who was dating another astronaut. The attempted murder charge was subsequently dropped.

The panel is composed of military and civilian government physicians, psychologists, lawyers, safety experts and astronauts under the chairmanship of U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, dean of the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Panel members visited Johnson Space Center in April to gather information from flight surgeons and the astronaut office on astronaut health screening. A panel member said Wednesday the report was still in draft form, and probably would be released in August. Separately, Griffin ordered JSC Director Mike Coats to review intake and on-going psychological screening for astronaut candidates and astronauts, and to recommend changes if necessary.

Griffin also directed Coats, himself a former astronaut, to "determine whether there were any areas of concern - any leading indicators we might have picked up on, based on Lisa Nowak's dealings with other astronauts or NASA employees," in the words of Deputy Administrator Shana Dale.

The Bachmann panel report apparently does not deal directly with Nowak or mention any other astronaut by name. Coats' findings also will be part of the press conference on Friday, according to the agency spokesman.

Bush Breaks Disapproval Records: Impeachment Imminent?

2007-07-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

H/t to C&L

dubyah is the most unpopular President [sic] for the longest stretch of time in A
American history. Keith reports on the latest poll findings confirming this sad, sad fact, and conservative Republican & former Reagan Deputy AG Bruce Fein talks about why Bush must be impeached.

Bill Maher: The Decider on HBO

2007-07-24T14:35:00.000-04:00

In his eighth solo HBO comedy special, comedian and social commentator Bill Maher offers acerbic takes on a wide range of social and political issues. Among the hot-button subjects he'll discuss are sex, drugs, Iraq, immigration, the environment and, of course, President Bush.

Here are 8 Youtube videos of his comedy special:

1 of 8

2 of 8

3 of 8

4 of 8

5 of 8

6 of 8

7 of 8

8 of 8

Minimum Wage Goes Up Today

2007-07-24T12:55:00.000-04:00

From the NYT

The minimum wage rises 70 cents to $5.85 an hour today, the first increase in a decade. It ends the longest period without an increase since the federal minimum wage was enacted in 1938. The last previous increase came in September 1997. Legislation signed in May increases the wage 70 cents each summer until 2009, when it will reach $7.25 an hour. Government figures show about 1.7 million people earned $5.15 or less per hour in 2006. A person working 40 hours a week at the current minimum wage of $5.15 makes about $10,700 a year. A raise to $5.85 an hour would increase that to $12,168 a year before taxes. An increase to $7.25 would raise that to just over $15,000 a year.

Lindsay Lohan: Arrested Again, Mug Shot

2007-07-24T12:28:00.000-04:00

From TSG

Here's the mug shot Lindsay Lohan posed for this morning following her arrest in Santa Monica for drunk driving and cocaine possession. The actress, 21, was nabbed after cops spotted her SUV chasing another vehicle at high speed. After Lohan failed a field sobriety test, she was transported to the L.A. county lockup, where a pat down search turned up cocaine in her pants pocket. Click here to see the Santa Monica Police Department's booking sheet for Lindsay Dee Lohan, accused felon. (2 pages)

Caption This: The Decider

2007-07-23T19:14:00.000-04:00

Criminalizing the Antiwar Movement

2007-07-23T15:48:00.000-04:00

From Global Research

The Executive Order entitled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq" provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of whoever opposes the US led war.

A presidential Executive Order issued on July 17th, repeals with the stroke of a pen the right to dissent and to oppose the Pentagon's military agenda in Iraq.

The Executive Order entitled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq" provides the President with the authority to confiscate the assets of "certain persons" who oppose the US led war in Iraq:

"I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons determined to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people."

In substance, under this executive order, opposing the war becomes an illegal act.

The Executive Order criminalizes the antiwar movement. It is intended to "blocking property" of US citizens and organizations actively involved in the peace movement. It allows the Department of Defense to interfere in financial affairs and instruct the Treasury to "block the property" and/or confiscate/ freeze the assets of "Certain Persons" involved in antiwar activities. It targets those "Certain Persons" in America, including civil society organizatioins, who oppose the Bush Administration's "peace and stability" program in Iraq, characterized, in plain English, by an illegal occupation and the continued killing of innocent civilians.

The Executive Order also targets those "Certain Persons" who are "undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction", or who, again in plain English, are opposed to the confiscation and privatization of Iraq's oil resources, on behalf of the Anglo-American oil giants.

The order is also intended for anybody who opposes Bush's program of "political reform in Iraq", in other words, who questions the legitimacy of an Iraqi "government" installed by the occupation forces.

Moreover, those persons or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), who provide bona fide humanitarian aid to Iraqi civilians, and who are not approved by the US Military or its lackeys in the US sponsored Iraqi puppet government are also liable to have their financial assets confiscated.

The executive order violates the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments of the US Constitution. It repeals one of the fundamental tenets of US democracy, which is the right to free expression and dissent. The order has not been the object of discussion in the US Congress. Sofar, it has not been addressed by the US antiwar movement, in terms of a formal statement.

Apart from a bland Associated Press wire report, which presents the executive order as "an authority to use financial sanctions", there has been no media coverage or commentary of a presidential decision which strikes at the heart of the US Constitution..

Broader implications

The criminalization of the State is when the sitting President and Vice President use and abuse their authority through executive orders, presidential directives or otherwise to define "who are the criminals" when in fact they they are the criminals.

This latest executive order criminalizes the peace movement. It must be viewed in relation to various pieces of "anti-terrorist" legislation, the gamut of presidential and national security directives, etc., which are ultimately geared towards repealing constitutional government and installing martial law in the event of a "national emergency".

The war criminals in high office are intent upon repressing all forms of dissent which question the legitimacy of the war in Iraq.

The executive order combined with the existing anti-terrorist legislation is eventually intended to be used against the anti-war and civil rights movements. It can be used to seize the assets of antiwar groups in America as well as block the property and activities of non-governmental humanitarian organizations providing relief in Iraq, seizing the assets of alternative media involved in reporting the truth regarding the US-led war, etc.

In May 2007, Bush issued a major presidential National Security Directive (National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51/HSPD 20), which would suspend constitutional government and instate broad dictatorial powers under martial law in the case of a "Catastrophic Emergency" (e.g. Second 9/11 terrorist attack).

On July 11, 2007 the CIA published its "National Intelligence Estimate" which pointed to an imminent Al Qaeda attack on America, a second 9/11 which, according to the terms of NSPD 51, would immediately be followed by the suspension of constitutional government and the instatement of martial law under the authority of the president and the vice-president. (For further details, see Michel Chossudovsky, Bush Directive for a "Catastrophic Emergency" in America: Building a Justification for Waging War on Iran? June 2007)

NSPD 51 grants unprecedented powers to the Presidency and the Department of Homeland Security, overriding the foundations of Constitutional government. It allows the sitting president to declare a “national emergency” without Congressional approval. The implementation of NSPD 51 would lead to the de facto closing down of the Legislature and the militarization of justice and law enforcement.

"The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government...."

Were NSPD 51 to be invoked, Vice President Dick Cheney, who constitutes the real power behind the Executive, would essentially assume de facto dictatorial powers, circumventing both the US Congress and the Judiciary, while continuing to use President George W. Bush as a proxy figurehead.

NSPD 51, while bypassing the Constitution, nonetheless, envisages very precise procedures which guarantee the powers of Vice President Dick Cheney in relation to "Continuity of Goverment" functions under Martial Law:

"This directive shall be implemented in a manner that is consistent with, and facilitates effective implementation of, provisions of the Constitution concerning succession to the Presidency or the exercise of its powers, and the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (3 U.S.C. 19), with consultation of the Vice President and, as appropriate, others involved. Heads of executive departments and agencies shall ensure that appropriate support is available to the Vice President and others involved as necessary to be prepared at all times to implement those provisions." (NSPD 51, op cit.)

The executive order to confiscate the assets of antiwar/peace activists is broadly consistent with NSPD 51. It could be triggered even in the absence of a "Catastrophic emergency" as envisaged under NSPD 51. It repeals democracy. It goes one step further in "criminalizing" all forms of opposition and dissent. to the US led war and "Homeland Security" agenda.

Wedding Announcements: Just for the hell of it

2007-07-23T12:28:00.000-04:00

"I don't know, last I saw them, they . . "

Hurry .. hurry ..

"Well, years ago I might have . . . .. "

"The main thing I learned in College was . . ."

"As soon as I get done here I'm gonna . . ."

"The coroner told me that it looked like he had
been hit in the head several times with a . . ."

...no comment .

"Not only has my ass been itchin', on closer
inspection I find my . . . "

No Comment ... really!!!

"It figures, right after I got my Butts-McCracken
condition cleared up, now I've got an . . . ."

"Honest Judge, I'm not really a . . . ."

"My Doctor told me the best way to get rid of my
Aikin-Johnson was to . . . "

"And...the Doctor also suggested for preventive measures,
at least twice a week, I should be . . . "

"After I get all of these medical problems taken care of,
I think I'll go get a . . ."

The Only Moral Abortion Is My Abortion

2007-07-23T12:09:00.001-04:00

Right-wing dilemma and scathing hypocrisy (From DKos)

When the Anti-Choice Choose
Abortion is a highly personal decision that many women are sure they'll never have to think about until they're suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. But this can happen to anyone, including women who are strongly anti-choice. So what does an anti-choice woman do when she experiences an unwanted pregnancy herself? Often, she will grin and bear it, so to speak, but frequently, she opts for the solution she would deny to other women - abortion.

In the spring of 2000, I collected the following anecdotes directly from abortion doctors and other clinic staff in North America, Australia, and Europe. The stories are presented in the providers' own words, with minor editing for grammar, clarity, and brevity. Names have been omitted to protect privacy.

"I have done several abortions on women who have regularly picketed my clinics, including a 16 year old schoolgirl who came back to picket the day after her abortion, about three years ago. During her whole stay at the clinic, we felt that she was not quite right, but there were no real warning bells. She insisted that the abortion was her idea and assured us that all was OK. She went through the procedure very smoothly and was discharged with no problems. A quite routine operation. Next morning she was with her mother and several school mates in front of the clinic with the usual anti posters and chants. It appears that she got the abortion she needed and still displayed the appropriate anti views expected of her by her parents, teachers, and peers." (Physician, Australia)

"We too have seen our share of anti-choice women, ones the counselors usually grit their teeth over. Just last week a woman announced loudly enough for all to hear in the recovery room, that she thought abortion should be illegal. Amazingly, this was her second abortion within the last few months, having gotten pregnant again within a month of the first abortion. The nurse handled it by talking about all the carnage that went on before abortion was legalized and how fortunate she was to be receiving safe, professional care. However, this young woman continued to insist it was wrong and should be made illegal. Finally the nurse said, 'Well, I guess we won't be seeing you here again, not that you're not welcome.' Later on, another patient who had overheard this exchange thanked the nurse for her remarks." (Clinic Administrator, Alberta)
"Recently, we had a patient who had given a history of being a 'pro-life' activist, but who had decided to have an abortion. She was pleasant to me and our initial discussion was mutually respectful. Later, she told someone on my staff that she thought abortion is murder, that she is a murderer, and that she is murdering her baby. So before doing her procedure, I asked her if she thought abortion is murder - the answer was yes. I asked her if she thought I am a murderer, and if she thought I would be murdering her baby, and she said yes. But murder is a crime, and murderers are executed. Is this a crime? Well, it should be, she said. At that point, she became angry and hostile, and the summary of the conversation was that she regarded me as an abortion-dispensing machine, and how dare I ask her what she thinks. After explaining to her that I do not perform abortions for people who think I am a murderer or people who are angry at me, I declined to provide her with medical care. I do not know whether she found someone else to do her abortion." (Physician, Colorado)

"In 1973, after Roe v. Wade, abortion became legal but had to be performed in a hospital. That of course was changed later. For the first 'legal abortion day' I had scheduled five procedures. While scrubbing between cases, I was accosted by the Chief of the OB/Gyn service. He asked me, 'How many children are you going to kill today?' My response, out of anger, was a familiar vulgar retort. About three months later, this born-again Christian called me to explain that he was against abortion but his daughter was only a junior in high school and was too young to have a baby and he was also afraid that if she did have a baby she would not want to put it up for adoption. I told him he did not need to explain the situation to me. 'All I need to know', I said, 'is that SHE wants an abortion.' Two years later I performed a second abortion on her during her college break. She thanked me and pleaded, 'Please don't tell my dad, he is still anti-abortion.'" (Physician, Washington State)

Go to DKos for additional stories of right-wing hypocrisy

Miers, Bush Chief of Staff to face contempt charges

2007-07-23T12:00:00.000-04:00

From Raw story

Former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten, the current Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, will likely be charged with contempt by the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday this week.
"This investigation, including the reluctant but necessary decision to move forward with contempt, has been a very deliberative process, taking care at each step to respect the Executive Branch’s legitimate prerogatives,” said Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, in a statement. "I've allowed the White House and Ms. Miers every opportunity to cooperate with this investigation, either voluntarily or under subpoena. It is still my hope that they will reconsider this hard-line position, and cooperate with our investigation so that we can get to the bottom of this matter."

Through an attorney, Miers had had earlier stated that she does not fear contempt charges. She refused to comply with a subpoena and appear before the House Committee on July 12 as part of the investigation into the firing of 9 US Attorneys. Bolten also has failed to turn over documents sought by House Democrats. The Bush chief of staff was ordered to comply with the subpoena by 10 AM this morning.

How to Create an Angry American: Expose the Lies

2007-07-22T14:37:00.000-04:00

H/T to Informed Consent:

A clever montage of Bush administration falsehoods and denials regarding the Iraq War, via YouTube:

Mitt Supports Comparison of Hillary and Obama to Bin Laden

2007-07-21T13:10:00.000-04:00

From TMZ:

Not everyone is a fan of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but comparing them to one of the most dastardly pieces of human excrement of all time -- that might be bit much. Especially for a presidential candidate.

TMZ obtained photos of presidential candidate Mitt Romney trying to win over grammatically challenged South Carolinians Thursday by holding a sign that said, "No to Obama, Osama and Chelsea's Moma."

Olbermann Skewers "The Falafel Factor"

2007-07-21T04:04:00.000-04:00

Keith brings us the latest installment of the new FOX hit series, "The Falafel Factor.

Mitt & Rudy - Draft Dodging For Dummies

2007-07-21T04:02:00.000-04:00

H/T to C&L

Via Salon:

Nothing unites the Republican candidates for president or excites the conservative base more than their bellicose barking about war and confrontation. The GOP presidential debates often sound like a tough-man competition, with Rudolph Giuliani denouncing the “cut-and-run” Democrats, Mitt Romney demanding a double-size Guantánamo detention camp, and the rest of the pack struggling to keep pace with the snarling alpha dogs.

Consider Giuliani, the former New York mayor who has remained among the most vocal supporters of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. He never hesitates to suggest that politicians with differing opinions simply lack guts. When he spoke at the 2004 Republican convention, he gleefully insinuated that Democratic nominee John Kerry lacked the fortitude to combat terrorism. Now he denigrates the supposedly spineless Democrats running for president in 2008.

But he has always confined his enthusiasm for war to podium speeches and position papers. Born in 1944, young Rudy was highly eligible for military service when he reached his 20s during the Vietnam War. He did not volunteer for combat — as Kerry did — and instead found a highly creative way to dodge the draft.

If Giuliani has a draft problem, Romney’s may be even worse. The former Massachusetts governor, whose supporters object strenuously to any discussion of his religious beliefs, got his military service deferred thanks to the Mormon church. Read more…

Draft College Republicans: Generation Chickenhawk

2007-07-20T00:49:00.000-04:00

Generation Chickenhawk: Max Blumenthal's Unofficial College Republican Tour.

Bill O'Reilly Defends Pedophiles...again

2007-07-19T19:29:00.000-04:00

Keith Olbermann examines another example of how Bill O’Reilly is literally losing his mind on the air. First, Bill-O finds himself in the odd position of defending a pedophile (yet again) in an attempt to slam MSNBC/NBC. This is followed by, as originally noted by the hilarious show "The Soup", Bill-O's interview with the beleaguered Miss New Jersey over blackmailed photographs which takes a distinct turn into creepy-Bill-O-fantasy-land.

Watch the Video:

H/T to C&L.com

National Review Love Boat: Let's Execute Some Liberals!

2007-07-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

The New Republic's Johann Hari recently went on the National Review cruise and then filed this extraordinary report about what he witnessed (the full article is also available here). Hari mingled in with the NR faithful who, unaware that he was a reporter, provided him with material like this:

I lie on the beach with Hillary-Ann, a chatty, scatty 35-year-old Californian designer. As she explains the perils of Republican dating, my mind drifts, watching the gentle tide. When I hear her say, " Of course, we need to execute some of these people," I wake up. Who do we need to execute? She runs her fingers through the sand lazily. "A few of these prominent liberals who are trying to demoralise the country," she says. "Just take a couple of these anti-war people off to the gas chamber for treason to show, if you try to bring down America at a time of war, that's what you'll get." She squints at the sun and smiles. " Then things'll change."

And, at a dinner Hari attended on the first day:

To my left, I find a middle-aged Floridian with a neat beard. To my right are two elderly New Yorkers who look and sound like late-era Dorothy Parkers, minus the alcohol poisoning. They live on Park Avenue, they explain in precise Northern tones. "You must live near the UN building," the Floridian says to one of the New York ladies after the entree is served. Yes, she responds, shaking her head wearily. "They should suicide-bomb that place," he says. They all chuckle gently. How did that happen? How do you go from sweet to suicide-bomb in six seconds?

Read more...

Larry Flynt says he has 30 more names!

2007-07-18T19:05:00.000-04:00

Larry Flynt told Larry King that he has at least 30 more names to release in his quest to expose Republican hypocrisy. Flynt said we will be shocked at a certain Senator that he has left unnamed so far.

Caption This: David Vitter

2007-07-18T13:02:00.003-04:00

Wet Cats: Just for the hell of it

2007-07-17T23:43:00.000-04:00

David "Diaper" Vitter Plays The Victim Card, Refuses To Resign

2007-07-16T20:45:00.000-04:00

Vitter (R-LA) Getting Diaper Fetish "Cure" at NOLA Hospital?

2007-07-13T16:04:00.001-04:00

Citizens For Legitimate Government has received information that Senator David Vitter (R-LA) is in the Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans. What lame excuse will he give for his stay?

I like the results of this poll

2007-07-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

--->Click here for poll updates<---

Larry Flynt: Payback is a bitch

2007-07-12T23:42:00.000-04:00

Larry Flynt has done a brilliant job of exposing right-wing hypocrisy.

Round II: Michael Moore vs. Blitzer

2007-07-10T19:00:00.000-04:00

Senate moves to cut off funding for Cheney

2007-07-10T18:53:00.000-04:00

Senate Democrats moved Tuesday to cut off funding for U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's office in a continuing battle over whether he must comply with national security disclosure rules.

A Senate appropriations panel chaired by Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin refused to fund $4.8 million in the vice president's budget until Cheney's office complies with parts of an executive order governing its handling of classified information.

At issue is a requirement that executive branch offices provide data on how much material they classify and declassify. That information is to be provided to the Information Security Oversight Office at The National Archives.

The funding cut came as the appropriations panel approved 5-4 along party lines a measure funding White House operations, the Treasury Department and many smaller agencies.

Poll: America disagrees with Libby pardon

2007-07-10T18:45:00.000-04:00

66% of Americans believes Bush should not have commuted Scooter Libby’s prison sentence, according to a new Gallup poll.

H/T to Think Progress

Michael Moore Bitch Slaps Blitzer

2007-07-09T21:25:00.000-04:00

TDS: You don't know Dick

2007-07-08T20:51:00.000-04:00

Nixon on Fred Thompson: "He’s Dumb as Hell"

2007-07-08T20:33:00.000-04:00

From the Pensito Review

Pres. Nixon didn’t want Fred Thompson as minority counsel during the Watergate hearings because he doubted the mental capacity of the future actor and lobbyist.
Thompson, then 30, was appointed counsel by his political mentor, Tennessee Sen. Howard Baker, the top Republican on the Senate committee. Thompson had been an assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville and had managed Baker’s re-election campaign…

Nixon was disappointed with the selection of Thompson, whom he called “dumb as hell.” Nixon did not think Thompson was skilled enough to interrogate unfriendly witnesses and would be outsmarted by the committee’s Democratic counsel.

Powell tried to talk Bush out of war

2007-07-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

From Times Online:

The former American secretary of state Colin Powell has revealed that he spent 2½ hours vainly trying to persuade President George W Bush not to invade Iraq and believes today’s conflict cannot be resolved by US forces.

“I tried to avoid this war,” Powell said at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado. “I took him through the consequences of going into an Arab country and becoming the occupiers.”

Powell has become increasingly outspoken about the level of violence in Iraq, which he believes is in a state of civil war. “The civil war will ultimately be resolved by a test of arms,” he said. “It’s not going to be pretty to watch, but I don’t know any way to avoid it. It is happening now.”

He added: “It is not a civil war that can be put down or solved by the armed forces of the United States.” All the military could do, Powell suggested, was put “a heavier lid on this pot of boiling sectarian stew”.

The signs are that the views of Powell and other critics of the war are finally being heard in the Pentagon, if not yet in the White House. Robert Gates, the defence secretary, is drawing up plans to reduce troop levels in Iraq in anticipation that General David Petraeus, the commander in Iraq, will not be able to deliver an upbeat progress report in September on the American troop surge.

Sheehan considers challenge to Pelosi

2007-07-08T20:22:00.000-04:00

From Yahoo.com

Cindy Sheehan, the soldier's mother who galvanized the anti-war movement, said Sunday that she plans to seek House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks.

Sheehan said she will run against the San Francisco Democrat in 2008 as an independent if Pelosi does not seek by July 23 to impeach Bush. That's when Sheehan and her supporters are to arrive in Washington, D.C., after a 13-day caravan and walking tour starting next week from the group's war protest site near Bush's Crawford ranch.

"Democrats and Americans feel betrayed by the Democratic leadership," Sheehan told The Associated Press. "We hired them to bring an end to the war. I'm not too far from San Francisco, so it wouldn't be too big of a move for me. I would give her a run for her money.

Campaign to Impeach Cheney and Bush

2007-07-07T18:54:00.000-04:00

From FarLeft:

8/18/07 - Mark Your Calendars Folks
Write your Representative and both Senators.
If you're looking for reasons to include in your e-mail, try:

* the 8/18/07 impeachment site
* reasons to impeach Bush
* reasons to impeach Cheney

It doesn't have to be a long letter. Something handwritten might be nice. So, mark it down - August 18, 2007 - reserve 30 minutes to make your voice heard.

You can find the address for your Congresspersons at the following sites:

* enter your zip code or click your state
* select your member's name or enter your zip code
* enter your zip code or select your state

World's Worst: Cavuto, O'Reilly, O'Reilly

2007-07-07T18:41:00.000-04:00

H/t to C&L.com

Friday night's Worst Person In The World honors go to Neil Cavuto, BillO and...BillO. Mr.Orally won the Silver for getting his radio show yanked from the Washington D.C. airwaves to make way for a sports talk show, but he takes the Gold for his report on a "national underground network of lesbian gangs carrying pink pistols" who are terrorizing and raping young girls and forcing them into lesbianism. A guest on his show stated that there are some 150 of these lesbian gangs in the D.C. area, which of course turned out to be false.

Three Solid Sources: Valerie Wilson Was a Covert Agent When Team Cheney Outed Her

2007-07-07T17:53:00.000-04:00

From the Pensito Review:

1. In a court filing in May, special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald stated Wilson was covert:

An unclassified summary of outed CIA officer Valerie Plame’s employment history at the spy agency, disclosed for the first time today in a court filing by Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald, indicates that Plame was “covert” when her name became public in July 2003.

If Fitzgerald submitted false documents to the court, we can assume the jackals on the right would have found this out by now and his head would be on a pike.

2. Valerie Wilson’s sworn testimony before the Oversight Committee of the House of Representatives:

VIDEO
ThinkProgress also has video of Wilson’s testimony.

I worked in the Counterproliferation Division of the CIA, still as a covert officer whose affiliation with the CIA was classified.

Same as above. Wilson would be facing prison right now for lying under oath, if Republicans had evidence that this statement was false.

3. The CIA has said Wilson was covert — twice:

At the Oversight hearing in March, Chairman Henry Waxman, D-West Hollywood, read a statement that had been approved by the head of the CIA, Gen. Michael Hayden, a Bush appointee:

“During her employment at the CIA, Ms. Wilson was undercover. Her employment status with the CIA was classified information, prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958. At the time of the publication of Robert Novak’s column on July 14, 2003, Ms. Wilson’s CIA employment status was covert. This was classified information. Ms. Wilson served in senior management positions at the CIA in which she oversaw the work for other CIA employees and she attained the level of GS-14 — Step Six under the federal pay scale. Ms. Wilson worked on some of the most sensitive and highly secretive matters handled by the CIA. Ms. Wilson served at various times overseas for the CIA.”

Two months after she was outed, the CIA described Wilson as being an “undercover operative” in a letter to the Dept. of Justice:

On September 16, 2003 the CIA sent a letter to the US Department of Justice, asserting that Plame’s status as a CIA undercover operative was classified information and requesting a federal investigation. Knowingly leaking the identity of a covert agent is a criminal violation of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act (IIPA), and the CIA is required by law to report any such possible criminal violation.

Leaving IIPA aside, the Bush officials who publicized Wilson’s name clearly violated the terms of their high level security clearances, the penalties for which include losing the clearance. But both Armitage and Libby kept their clearances until they resigned. Rove still has his.