Ornery Dem

WaPo Republican Blogger Called Coretta Scott King A Communist

2006-03-22T20:19:00.000-05:00

I tried to ignore the dustup over the hiring of Ben Domenech at the Washington Post. You see, Ben has a new blog over at WaPo. He calls it 'Red America'. Part of me understands, but doesn't appreciate, the twisted, lazy logic of the Post which leads them to bend over backwards to appear " fair & balanced". It's the classic, yet flawed he-said she-said logic that leads them to fail at their jobs every single day of the week. You see, to them they are offering a balance to Dan Froomkin's 'White House Briefing'. But, to me Dan Froomkin argues from a principled rather than a partisan perspective. This 'Red America' dimwit is nothing more than a political hack, worse than toe jam. I think I know the difference when I see it. I'm pretty sure that Froomkin will be equally critical of the next Democratic president if he or she is as much of an idiot has Bush and his minion.

So, in order to really achieve this elusive 50/50 balance (did you know that all arguments, positions and policies were created equal? I didn't know, but I digress) they should now hire a partisan Democrat left-wing nutcase.

I really wasn't going to talk about it because I'm not surprised. The people making decisions are scared little idiots. The folks on the left, I felt, are wasting time and energy even thinking about something like this when we have elections to win November and I'm pretty damn sure this issue will not be on anyone's radar.

But, damn if I don't love an easy kill as much as the next fellow. It seems that Mr. Domenech had the nerve, gaul, audacity and stupidity to call Coretta Scott King a communist -- and he said this during the time we were mourning her death.

Domenech on President Bush's trip to the funeral of Coretta Scott King (HuffingtonPost via TheNewsBlog):

The President visits the funeral of a Communist

And phones in a message to the March for Life.

I think we can get a little pissed about this.

That's the Republican way - grace and class all the way. I pretty much assume all Republicans are racist little fucks, but I also thought they had learned to keep that shit to themselves. This little fucker needs to go. There is no way on God's green earth I will EVER read or reference the Washington Post so long as they choose to employ an unqualified, racist little fuck-face shit who has the nerve to call the Kings communist for daring to demand equality. Josh has more on him?

TallkingPointsMemo:

You see, it turns out the Domenech family came in for a number of Bush administration appointments. Not only Ben, but Ben's dad, Doug, who was White House liaison to the Department of Interior.

Or to put it more colloquially, White House guy to make sure Jack Abramoff got what he wanted with the Indians and the Pacific Island stuff.

Wayne Smith was the point man for Indian casino policy at the Department of Interior. He ended up having kind of a rough ride over at Interior. And, according to Smith, as reported last year in the Denver Post, Domenech told him "we had to pay attention to [Jack] Abramoff, because otherwise the religious right and (Ralph) Reed are going to come up and bite us, and our whole base will go crazy. They will light up our phones, shut down our phone lines."

According to Smith, Domenech was the conduit for Abramoff operative Italia Federici. Said Smith: "Doug would come down and say, 'Italia called and Jack wants this' That's how it all happened internally."

Probably not the last fun quote from these quarters.

Ahhh, Jack Abramoff, the gift that keeps on giving.

That should be enough to take this little bitch out, right? Can take more than a few days and front page highlight of his own words, right?

Let's do it.

The Washington Post

Washington Post ombudsman: ombudsman@washpost.com

202-334-7582

Post e-mail directory

The Washington Post

1150 15th St. NW

Washington, DC 20071

Update: MyDD, DailyKos have more

Technorati Tags: Ben Domenech, Corretta Scott King, Red America, Republican Racists, Republicans, Washington Post

Bush Has Logic Of A 5-Year Old

2006-03-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here listening to the President of the United States, leader of the free world -- most powerful man on the face of the earth. You know what? That man is an idiot. A jackass. A 5-Year old. He utilizes a logic which leads him to do the opposite of what he thinks his enemy wants him to do. See, he is ultimately concerned with defeating "the enemy" whomever he perceives that to be. Democrats are the enemy. The press is the enemy. Osama bin Laden is the enemy. In any given situation he will do the exact opposite of what they want, regardless of the value of the action.

You know, I get it. I understand wanting to stick it to the other guy, but when you are the President of the United States, leader of the free world -- most powerful man on the face of the earth shouldn't your objective be to do what ever is best for the country? If the Democrats say, with a partisan twinkle in their eye, the sky is blue and not red are you really going to insist that the sky is purple? I wouldn't. Bush would. "The enemy" wants us to get out of Iraq, so we'll stay in Iraq. How about an analytical cost-benefit analysis instead of a oppositions-desire analysis?

It just doesn't make any sense that this man is president. My dog approaches problems with more logic.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Press Conference

Happy Birthday to Vanessa Williams!!

2006-03-18T17:32:00.000-05:00

V is 43 today. She is still gorgeous. Random, I know. But, I love her!!!!!

ж Meanwhile, I read somewhere recently that she has booked one of the lead roles for ABC's upcoming pilot, UGLY BETTY. I haven't been able to verify it with Variety or Hollywood Reporter, but I'm hoping its true.

ж She will also be at the March of Dimes 2006 WalkeAmerica event on Sunday, April 30 at Lincoln Center [PlanetVanessa]

Technorati Tags: Ugly Betty, Vanessa Williams

testing

2006-03-16T22:40:00.000-05:00

blogger is screwing up. will not let me on to the site. wonder if i can still post?

Katherine Harris is All In

2006-03-16T02:32:00.000-05:00

Katherine Harris has finally put an end to all the recent speculation surrounding her bid to replace Senator Bill Nelson of Florida. Some thought she might drop out of the race given her poor showing in the polls (Nelson leads Harris 20% points in the polls) and receipt of nearly $50,000 in illegal donations from MZM Inc..

That would be enough to send any sane politician running for the hills. But, we mustn't forget that this bitch is crazy. She had the balls to steal the 2000 Presidential election for Dumbass so why would she shy away from this battle.

ABC News:

U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris plans to spend $10 million of her inheritance in her race to unseat Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson, she announced Wednesday night.

Her campaign has had difficulties since last summer. GOP leaders in Washington sought a primary opponent for her, believing her role in securing President Bush's 537-vote victory would galvanize Democrats and independents against her.

The lack of party support led to lower-than-expected campaign contributions. Harris began the year trailing Nelson in fundraising, $8 million to $1 million.

So, this bitch is going to spend her entire inheritance ($10 million) on a race that is sure to end in failure? Hmmm....Who is counting the votes? Maybe she knows something we don't.

Technorati Tags: Katherine Harris, Senate

NSA vs. Google

2006-03-14T14:06:00.000-05:00

I ruffled more than a few feathers yesterday when I railed against Russ Feingold's blatant, self-serving political stunt yesterday. I argued that the domestic spying issue may be intellectually important and all that jazz, but that it really isn't an issue that the American people will ever care about until we are able to prove that it has been used for political or nefarious ends.

Oh how they moaned and groaned yesterday about how I am nothing more than a Republican who is afraid to hold the administration accountable for "trashing" the Constitution.

Blah, blah, blah. Cry me a river. I'm not interested in wasting time talking about things that don't advance our agenda. The domestic spying story isn't going anywhere because it doesn't directly impact the lives of most Americans.

The Google snooping story, however, does hit people in the gut right away:

The Bush administration will renew its effort to find out what people have been looking for on Google Inc.'s Internet-leading search engine, continuing a legal showdown over how much of the Web's vast databases should be shared with the government.

Here we have the Bush administration trying to snoop directly in to our home computers. THIS is something that people get right away. How many Americans do you think have searched for something in Google that they probably don't want anyone else knowing about? 80% 90% of computer owners?

Most people are not the political/news junkies that most of us are. They don't have time for it. Thus, it will be stories like this that penetrate the demands of everyday life.

Although the Justice Department says it doesn't want any personal information now, a victory over Google in the case would likely encourage far more invasive requests in the future, said University of Connecticut law professor Paul Schiff Berman, who specializes in Internet law.

"The erosion of privacy tends to happen incrementally," Berman said. "While no one intrusion may seem that big, over the course of the next decade or two, you might end up in a place as a society where you never thought you would be."

For me, this gets more directly at the privacy concerns we all share. The NSA domestic spying question has already been successfully framed by the White House. This Google madness is ripe for the taking.

Technorati Tags: Censure, Domestic Spying, Google, Russ Feingold

Daily Kos & Me

2006-03-14T12:33:00.000-05:00

I love my brothers and sisters on the far left. I really do. If you catch me on the right day I might even join in on a hate-filled rant. But, I'm much more of a pragmatist (and more moderate politically) than many of my political siblings. They call that cautious and weak. I call it determined and smart. Passion is a weapon to be wielded strategically and purposefully. If you are passionate about everything (Dean) or the wrong things (Kerry) you end of looking crazy (Dean) or lame (Kerry).

Yesterday I got in to a very amusing (and probably heated for someone) conversation over at DailyKos about Russ Feingold's lame political stunt. Most of the folks over there thought Russ made a bold political move and the Democrats were lame and weak for not following Big Russ' lead. I thought Russ was playing political tricks, never expected the resolution to come to a vote and just wanted to get some more cred with the lefty blogs. Russ got egg on his face when Frist, in a rare politically adroit move, called the bluff.

I love the passion of my friends over at DailyKos, but they aren't the most strategic thinkers in world. They think, for instance, that all we need is passion and conviction to win elections. Isn't that cute? They still dream of Howard Dean. Now me, a ornery democrat who prefers winning over anything and everything, never like Howard Dean. Even before the scream I thought the guy was a nut. He was rejected in the primaries folks. So, why are they still holding on to that pipe dream? I just don't get it.

Well, I'm preaching a different song here. I am a Democrat who values winning over almost everything else because unless we control the Congress or White House we are irrelevant. The party in power sets the agenda in our American democracy. So, we need to win elections to advance any vision. What the folks on the far left fail to understand is that passion will never be enough. There are not enough people in either base to actually win an election. So, we need to find ways to reach out to new voters without completely abandoning our principles and base.

And, yes, we do have important principles that we care about passionately. For instance, we believe a woman should have autonomy over her own body. But, we also believe that we need to do everything we can to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in our country. And, we also believe that it is possible to be a good Democrat and disagree with the majority of us on this issue. What we can agree on, however, and what we can work on together is on finding ways to reduce unwanted pregnancies.

Common sense solutions. Localized selection of candidates.

Technorati Tags: DailyKos, Democrats, Liberals, Moderates, politics, Ornery Democrat

KT McFarland Stumbles

2006-03-14T10:53:00.000-05:00

The Republicans at the White House are so convinced that they need a woman to run against Hillary Clinton that they have completely failed to understand some of the basics of Republican politics in New York.

NYTimes:

Ms. McFarland could have trouble winning over conservatives. Though she has been reserved so far in detailing her platform, she did share a position paper with a political consultant, John McLaughlin, when she was considering running for the House of Representatives.

Mr. McLaughlin, who now works for Mr. Spencer, has made public the document, which was first obtained by The New York Post. In it, Ms. McFarland describes herself as "a liberal Republican in the Giuliani/McCain/Pataki mold" who believes "in a woman's right to choose, stem cell research and full civil rights for gays."

In an interview Monday, Michael R. Long, chairman of the Conservative Party, said, "I think her memo really knocks her out of the box for any consideration for a Conservative Party endorsement."

A "Liberal Republican"? What were they thinking? I know they were thinking that KT would be viable in the general election with these positions., but what were they thinking with regard to the Republican primary? John Spencer is too ornery and self-centered to 'take one for the team'. Anyway, KT can give up this pipe dream of hers to build upon her 20 years experience as a stay at home mom. John Spencer will get the Republican nomination. Hillary Clinton will waste little money dispensing of him and will be in an enviable position for the '08 presidential primaries.

Technorati Tags: Clinton, Hillary Clinton, KT McFarland, Senate

Bush Limbo

2006-03-13T18:18:00.000-05:00

How low can the jackass President go?

USAToday/Gallup:

The latest results show only 36% of those polled saying they "approve" of the way Bush is handling his job. Bush's previous low was 37%, set last November.

Sixty percent of those polled said they "disapprove" of Bush's performance. That matches an all-time worst rating hit last November and again two weeks ago.

Democrats have their biggest advantage since 1992 when poll respondents are asked if they favor Democratic or Republican congressional candidates. The spread: Democrats over Republicans 55% — 39%, a 16-percentage-point gap.

So, 36% of the American people are certifiable idiots? What, exactly, do they think is going so well I wonder? Maybe it is like what Wanda Sykes says re Bush's approval:

...makes sense to me, because he pretty much did everything I expected him to do. The economy is in the toilet. We're at war, and everything is on fire. He's met all my expectations. I have no complaints. He's right on target in my book.

Technorati Tags: Bush, poll

Ned Lamont Takes on Holy Joe Lieberman

2006-03-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

Ned Lamont makes his primary challenge to Joe Lieberman official.

Give him hell, Ned.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Ned Lamont, Joe Lieberman

Frist Calls Feingold's Bluff

2006-03-13T16:46:00.000-05:00

This should be interesting. I bet Feingold did not expect this. It is not clear to me the political impact of a vote for or against censure. I just think this entire thing is so stupid. Why mess around with such a stunt when we don't know the political impact and we are so close to an election.

Bad, Feingold. Bad.

Sen. Daschle Considering '08 Run For Presidency

2006-03-13T01:21:00.000-05:00

ABCNews:

Former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle, accusing the GOP of spreading a message of fear, says he is considering a 2008 presidential bid.

"I haven't ruled anything out or anything in at this point," Daschle said in an interview Saturday night after a hometown dinner in his honor.

Uhh....No. Get over yourself, dude.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Tom Daschle

Silly, Silly Sen. Russ Feingold

2006-03-13T01:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not a fan of Russ Feingold. I don't like that he panders to the some of the more extreme elements of the party with cheap stunts. His latest stunt designed to rile the base, calling for a censure of President Bush over the domestic spying scandal, is a waste of time. He knows that the measure isn't going anywhere. He's just putting it out there for publicity and to rack up more points with the extreme left.

ABC:

A liberal Democrat and potential White House contender is proposing censuring President Bush for authorizing domestic eavesdropping, saying the White House misled Americans about its legality.

"The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable," Sen. Russ Feingold (news, bio, voting record), D-Wis., told The Associated Press in an interview.

Don't get me wrong. I think the president needs to be held accountable, but I think that comes in the November elections. Let's have our revenge then and there. Once we have control of one of the bodies of congress we will be able to run them all out of town with the mere threat of real hearings.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Censure, Russ Feingold

Let the race begin...

2006-03-12T23:56:00.000-05:00

Southern Republican Leadership Conference results:

Senator Bill Frist 36.9%

Governor Mitt Romney 14.4%

Senator George Allen 10.3%

President Bush (write in) 10.3%

Senator John McCain 4.6%

Governor Mike Huckabee 3.8%

Second choices were...

None 24.1%

Allen 18.4%

Romney 12.0%

Giuliani 10.8%

McCain 10.6%

Bush 7.0%

Huckabee 4.0%

Gingrich 3.4%

So, the race is on to replace GWB on the Republican side. These results somewhat misleading as there is an oversampling of voters from TN. There is no clear heir since Cheney isn't up to the task (and has an approval rating of 18% LOL). John McCain and Rudy Giuliani are the presumed front-runners. I'm surprised that Romney shows up so well. He must be working very hard behind the scenes.

Technorati Tags: Straw Poll, Republicans, SRLC

Congrats to Chilie...

2006-03-12T14:11:00.000-05:00

for electing their first female president.

IHT:

Michelle Bachelet, a Socialist, pediatrician, and former political prisoner and exile, has been inaugurated as the first woman to be president of Chile, the culmination of its long and painful journey from repression and dictatorship to democracy.

Though six other women have served as presidents of Latin American countries, Bachelet, a single mother of three, is the first on the continent to be elected who is not the widow of a political leader and has built a career on her own.

Now, why is it so hard to imagine a female president for America?..or a non-religious person for that matter (Bachelet is s self-described agnostic and "promised" to uphold the constitution instead of swearing on a bible.). She has appointed 10 men and 10 women to her cabinet thus far and promises gender parity for all her appointments.

Technorati Tags: Chile, Michelle Bachlet, Presidential Election

Americans Finally Catch On

2006-03-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

New AP-Ipsos poll:

Nearly 70% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track. (no shit sherlock)

Nearly 80% believe Iraq will break out in full scale civil war.

36% have confidence in Bush on the domestic front

43% approve of Bush's handling of foreign affairs and terrorism (still way too high)

40% approval on Iraq.

Fewer Americans consider Bush likable, strong and dependable. (duh!)

BY A MARGIN OF 47-36 PEOPLE FAVOR DEMOCRATS OVER REPUBLICANS FOR CONTROL OF CONGRESS!!

LOL. I especially love the last point because the traditional media is stuck on stupid. Every time you read a story about how the Republicans are in trouble except for the fact that Democrats don't have their shit together just remember that last poll point. The media, it seems, if full of blathering idiots who are so close to the Republicans in power that they believe the Republican spin as part of their "balanced" reporting duties. Even the article detailing these poll results couldn't resist taking a swipe at the Democrats.

My only hope is that we have not peaked too soon. It is a long way to November folks. I think, however, the American people have finally woken up. It will be difficult to reverse these perceptions. Nothing will get done in the Congress. Democrats are emboldened and Republicans are scared.

Be on the look out for some sort of terror alert. They think that is their ace in the hole.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Democrats, Republicans

WTC Memorial Finally On The Way?

2006-03-10T00:35:00.000-05:00

WNYC:

The wait appears to be over. Groundbreaking on the World Trade Center memorial takes place this Monday. The memorial is due to be completed by 2009. WNYC's Arun Venugopal looks into the politics that have surrounded - and still surround the memorial - as well as the vision behind it.

Visitors would come up to the very edge of this enormous reflecting pool and stand next to this band of names which would surround each pool. They would be standing right behind a curtain of water... I wanted visitors to feel sheltered in the space, but I wanted also the space to feel very open to the city.

Meanwhile:

9/11 families have said the design dishonors the dead and is not safe for visitors because the memorial would be partially underground.

Last week, the families received a letter from LMDC President Stefan Pryor stating that construction would proceed as scheduled.

Pryor said the agency had responded to other family requests for design changes and made its final choices "in good faith."

The Rev. Bill Minson, a former ground zero chaplain who counsels Sept. 11 families, said he would remain at the site 24 hours a day until there's a change in the memorial plans.

Tallon said she would sleep every night across from the site in front of her brother's firehouse. She showed up just before 11 p.m. Wednesday to begin her first night.

Well, you will never be able to please everybody. I say go full force ahead and screw 'em. If they want to camp out there forever so be it. Sucks for them. I'm just glad they are finally starting the damn thing.

Technorati Tags: 9/11, WTC Memorial

Well What Do You...Sen. Allen Could Have A Race On His Hands

2006-03-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

We hear about how Sen. Clinton has one eye on the White House and one foot in the Senate almost every day. Her every move is analyzed and over analyzed. Her every motive is challenged by the traditional media. Sen. Allen who is also running for the White House in '08, but needs to win a Senate election in '06 first has been given scant attention. I wonder why no one has been questioning his every move?

While while the media was sleeping and while Sen. Allen was busy working Des Moines, a competitive race just might have snook up on him:

WaPo:

The two Democrats, former Information Technology Association of America head Harris Miller and James Webb, a best-selling author and Reagan administration secretary of the Navy, will meet in what appears to be an unprecedented, three-month lightning round of a primary. By June 14, the party should have its man, and Democrats are hoping that, at the least, they can force Allen to spend more time in Danville than Des Moines.

Six months ago, Democrats were just looking for someone who could make it a race against Allen and force him to spend some of the millions in his bank account. But Timothy M. Kaine's relatively wide margin in his race for governor in November, as well as his strong showing in the before-then solidly Republican territories of Prince William and Loudoun counties, combined with President Bush's diminishing approval ratings have some in the party daring to dream more boldly.

...

He and others believe that Bush's low approval ratings have particular resonance in the suburbs of Northern Virginia and that Allen's forays into the 2008 presidential race -- he's made trips to most of the influential early primary states and will be in Iowa for two days next week -- could hurt.

...

The 60-year-old former Marine (Webb) has a complicated résumé for die-hard Democratic voters to sort through: Republican Capitol Hill staffer; Reagan administration official; supporter of Robb against Oliver L. North in the Senate campaign of 1994; supporter of Allen against Robb in the Senate campaign of 2000. He has had kind words for those who fought for the Confederacy; unkind words for the Clinton administration, which he called "corrupt"; and now says that Allen has no accomplishments and that George W. Bush is no Ronald Reagan.

I like Webb. Actually, I like whomever can bloody up Allen. Winning is all that matters.

Polling: Rassmussen (2/8/06)

Allen - 48%

Miller - 35%

Allen - 49%

Webb - 37%

Technorati Tags: George Allen, Harris Miller, James Webb, Virginia, Senate

Rudy Warm & Cuddly? Are Americans on Crack?

2006-03-09T23:36:00.000-05:00

OMG, Americans are on crack:

WaPo:

The political artist formerly known as Hizzoner -- the sometimes wrathful Rudolph W. Giuliani -- is the politician about whom the most Americans feel warm and cuddly, according to a new national "thermometer" poll.

Quinnipiac University asked 1,900 voters to rate the warmth of their feelings about a dozen political leaders-- a "feeling thermometer" the pollsters called it. Fully 63.5 percent of Americans report feeling warmly about Giuliani, who ruled New York as mayor from 1994 to 2001. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) evokes warm feelings in 59.9 percent of respondents, while Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) gets 59.7 percent.

Ugh. A thousand times ugh. There is nothing warm and/or cuddly about Rudy Giuliani. He is a nasty, racist, scumbag who took credit for a decline in New York City crime that was well underway when he was first elected and an cheat to boot. I can't wait for people to actually learn what an ass Rudy is. Actually, I can't wait for all those self-righteous whack job Republicans learn that he has been divorced three times, supports gay rights, supports gun control, and supports abortion rights. At least he used to. I'm sure he'll be born again pretty soon.

He is truly one politician I can not stand. And I'm a New Yorker. I was here on 9/11. I think he did a swell job, but it was his fucking job, yo! There are definitely more repulsive Republicans out there. HRC would have an easier time beating Rudy over McCain. So, I guess it isn't half bad that might seek the nomination. His appeal, however, seems to be the "strong leader" thing and the "national security" thing because of 9/11 and his ardent support for Bush's Iraq War. Well, that little war ain't exactly going so well. And, I don't believe the next presidential election will be primarily about national security. After the gross incompetence of the Bush years Americans will be yearning for sound, competent leadership. A properly functioning government. Rudy could probably swing the competent government angle, but his baggage will make Bill & Hill look like saints.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani

Hillary Clinton, Queenmaker!

2006-03-09T22:53:00.000-05:00

Yet another story about some lame ass Democrats whining about how Hillary Clinton is positioning herself for the 2008 presidential election.

NYTimes:

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is locking up some of the Democratic Party's top fund-raisers, in a move that party officials and strategists say seems intended to complicate the efforts of any potential rivals in the 2008 presidential contest.

...

The effort comes as Mrs. Clinton has embarked on a nationwide fund-raising spree herself, enabling her to collect cash while appearing before audiences outside New York. Democrats say her goal is to raise at least $40 million for her Senate race, money that could be used for a national run after this year's Senate re-election bid, for which she faces minor opposition.

...Mrs. Clinton's finance team appears determined to build such a big bank account and to develop relationships with many of the party's top fund-raisers in an effort to make it harder for potential rivals to compete in 2008, Democrats closely monitoring the Clinton camp's efforts say.

Brilliant! These are the moves of a smart leader. She is doing what an ambitious politician is suppose to do.

Chris Lehane, a Democratic operative who has worked on several presidential campaigns, said the Clinton team's strategy is reminiscent of the one used by George W. Bush, who, as governor of Texas, began amassing cash and quietly assembling a team including the nation's most powerful and influential Republican fund-raisers well before the 2000 presidential election.

"He put together a financial infrastructure that laid the foundation for a presidential run and locked down the Who's Who of the Republican fund-raising community," he said. "Hillary Clinton's ability to lock up fund-raisers is not only a positive for her, but also takes away those potential assets for others."

Again, brilliant. I love this woman. Don't hate the playa, hate the game, baby!

Aren't reporters tired of writing this story. We've heard it all before. Hillary Clinton is preparing for a run for the presidency. The other Democrats are smothered by her celebrity status. Blah, blah, blah. Cry me a river, folks. If she is doing the hard work required to position her self up for a historic run for the White House how can we knock it.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Hillary Clinton

Data Mining & How Hillary Clinton Will Give 'em Hell in '08

2006-03-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

The Republicans "got it" a while ago that underneath all the emotional interests of our varying interest groups (the rabid anti-war crowd, the abortion crowd, the green crowd, etc.) is the science of politics. One would hope that this would be obvious to everyone, but it isn't. Most times said groups are overly emotional and single minded towards their own ends. I get that. But, it clearly doesn't win elections. Finally some Democrats are catching on. My senator, Hillary Clinton, is leading the charge. She is looking more and more like a true leader every single day.

WaPo:

A group of well-connected Democrats led by a former top aide to Bill Clinton is raising millions of dollars to start a private firm that plans to compile huge amounts of data on Americans to identify Democratic voters and blunt what has been a clear Republican lead in using technology for political advantage.

The effort by Harold Ickes, a deputy chief of staff in the Clinton White House and an adviser to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), is prompting intense behind-the-scenes debate in Democratic circles. Officials at the Democratic National Committee think that creating a modern database is their job, and they say that a competing for-profit entity could divert energy and money that should instead be invested with the national party.

And, of course, there is public bickering. Why is it that the 'Deaniacs' are always the ones complaining when other Democrats get serious about the business of winning elections? Yes, the DNC should be all over this project already. If they were doing their jobs over at the DNC there would not be a need for Ickes to produce a competing database, right?

Ickes's effort is drawing particular notice among Washington operatives who know about it because of speculation that he is acting to build a campaign resource for a possible 2008 presidential run by Hillary Clinton. She has long been concerned, advisers say, that Democrats and liberals lack the political infrastructure of Republicans and their conservative allies. Ickes said his new venture, Data Warehouse, will at first seek to sell its targeting information to politically active unions and liberal interest groups, rather than campaigns.

If Hillary Clinton is the only Democrat smart enough to understand that politics is as much about science, data, numbers, trends and predictions then she deserves to get the nomination today because she is the only one who is actually using her brain. That anyone could have any pause about the job getting done, regardless of who it ultimately benefits, is yet another reason why we will continue to lose. Yes, of course, I am a huge fan of Hillary and I'm psyched that this may ultimately benefit her election, but that is exactly the reason I like her so much. She is one smart, tough politician. I think I'll make another donation right now!

In the 2003-2004 election cycle, the DNC began building a national voter file, and it proved highly effective in raising money. Because of many technical problems, however, it was not useful to state and local organizations trying to get out the vote.

The pressure on Democrats to begin more aggressive "data mining" in the hunt for votes began after the 2002 midterm elections and intensified after the 2004 presidential contest, when the GOP harnessed data technology to powerful effect.

Embarrassing and unacceptable. Dean can not be blamed for that. That is on Terry McCauliffe's shoulders as he focused almost exclusively on raising money and relying too heavily on anti-Bush sentiment to win the 2004 election.

The Republican database has allowed the party and its candidates to tailor messages to individual voters and households, using information about the kind of magazines they receive, whether they own guns, the churches they attend, their incomes, their charitable contributions and their voting histories.

This makes it possible to specifically address the issues of voters who, in the case of many GOP supporters, may oppose abortion, support gun rights or be angry about government use of eminent domain to take private property. A personalized pitch can be made during door-knocking, through direct mail and e-mail, and via phone banks.

This is the same way companies hock their products to consumers and you know what? It works. This is bringing GOTV efforts in to the next century, adding the science back to politics. Technology advances every industry. Econ 101. I love this shit!

Consultants working for the Republican National Committee developed strategies to design messages targeting individual voters' "anger points" in the belief that grievance is one of the strongest motivations to get people to turn out on Election Day.

Under the direction of Bush adviser Karl Rove, the RNC and state parties repeatedly tested the voter file and different ways to contact voters to determine which were most effective at boosting turnout.

As much as I hate the Republicans for reducing politics to its crudest base, I'm game. Let's roll. Karl Rove is not a political genius. This shit ain't rocket science.

Ickes has quietly raised an estimated $7.5 million in start-up money for Data Warehouse. A prospectus said the company will need at least $11.5 million in initial capital.

In addition to Soros's support, Ickes has the financial backing of some of the wealthy participants in a new fundraising group called the Democracy Alliance. He and Quinn, who will be chief executive of Data Warehouse, have hired technology specialists from internet retailer Amazon.com and a Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer project.

I hate that we are playing catch up, but we are well on our way. I wish that the good folks over at the DNC were leading this charge. They are, I'm sure, doing other important work like rebuilding local party structures, but this work is equally crucial. The first President Clinton may not have left much of a legacy by way of providing a foundation and structure for other Democrats to get elected, but the next President Clinton is well on her way to establishing herself as the calculating kingmaker (queenmaker?) the right-wingers already fear her to be.

Give hell Hill!

Technorati Tags: 2008, Data Minig, DNC, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean, Presidential Election, Republicans

Change versus More Of The Same

2006-03-07T00:29:00.000-05:00

The New York Times has another hit piece out about how the Democrats will not be able to capitalize on the bevy of Republican problems. They set up the challenge to be one of defining a national message similar to Newt Gingrich's "Contract With America" back in 1994. Let me just say up front, elections come down to one thing: candidate, candidate, candidate. We need to make sure our candidates meet central casting standards before we can talk about an agenda, much less a national theme. We need to consult with the local officials and choose quality candidates with passion and money. Then we need to minimize divisive primaries. People with egos who think it is their turn or whatever need to suck this one up for the team.

Then we need to make sure that those candidates are speaking to local concerns. They can't be blinded by national themes nor their personal crusade. I find it difficult to believe, for example, that a district currently represented by a Republican is going to vote for a Democrat who is demanding an immediate withdrawal from Iraq. People often times confuse dissatisfaction with the war with a sentiment for immediate withdrawal.

Next we need to make sure that any of the national themes can sell across the country. Newt Gingrich only allowed issues which had at least 60% approval. Nothing controversial. That means no abortion, no gun laws, no Iraq shit.

Rahm Emanuel seems to have settled on the theme of "Change versus More of the Same". This is a neat trick because the message can be tailored to meet the needs of each locality and still capitalize on the overall anti-incumbent mood of the country. But, change for the sake of change is a dog that wont hunt. So, we are gonna have to communicate our alternative. The country is ready for that. Hopefully the Dems will roll it out toward the end of the summer/early fall.

Personally, I think the theme should be about competence. People probably aren't clamoring for drastic changes, but do want the government to actually function efficiently. Hurricane Katrina revealed the incompetence of the President's government more than anything. And it reinforced the belief that they have incompetently conducted the Iraq War. The Medicare program is a model of inefficiency. The scandal over the Dubai ports deal unmasked the incompetence of port security and the review process. The government is a frickin mess. We can do better.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Republicans

Our Lying Army: Pat Tillman

2006-03-06T23:47:00.000-05:00

The Army simply can't get its lie straight when it comes to the tragic death of hero Pat Tillman. I pretty much assume that more than 50% of the shit coming from the government is a lie. When Tillman died back in April 2004 the propaganda apparatus of Rumsfeld's Pentagon was quick to put out their made up story. 2004 was an election year after all. I get that. They are political hacks. But lying to the family of a fallen soldier is disgusting. And it is beyond sad when the father of a fallen soldier has completely lost faith in the government's ability to either determine the truth or tell the truth.

If we can't trust them to tell the truth to a grieving family we can't trust them to tell us the truth about anything.

Technorati Tags: Pat Tillman, Distrust, Shame

KT McFarland Steps Up To Take On Hillary

2006-03-06T23:33:00.000-05:00

KT McFarland, an upper east side liberal Republican, has thrown her hat in the primary ring to challenge Sen. Clinton. I don't know anything about this lady, but it sounds like she might have the same problems as Pirro in rallying the more conservative elements of the Republican base to her side. McFarland's experience at Reagan's Pentagon, I suppose, should give her a bit more credibility, but she is still a liberal on social issues. Frankly, I'd be surprised if she got the the support of the Conservative Party in New York. The Conservative Party has already endorsed Spencer to challenge Clinton anyway. Bizarre. The Republican party leaders must really think only a woman can challenge Hillary.

Anyway, McFarland apparently wants to distinguish herself from Hillary on national security grounds. Well, that's just silly. Hillary has a very solid national security record. The most interesting thing about this race so far will probably be the Republican primary. Should be fun.

Technorati Tags: Clinton, Hillary Clinton, KT McFarland, New York, Senate

John McCain is a Coward

2006-03-06T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what people see in John McCain. The media falls over itself to bow before him and his lame ass "straight talk". Any respect I had for the man was lost during the 2004 election cycle when he allowed himself to be used by the Bush campaign. I don't really mind politicians making sacrifices to advance their own ambitions, but prices should be too high. The fact that McCain could stand with Bush as the Swift Boaters were trying to rip apart John Kerry's war record was beyond loathsome. Turns out he wasn't such a straight-talking maverick after all. When it came time he stood with an AWOL drunkard.

So, it really is no surprise that John "Maverick" McCain is trying to have it both ways with the newly raised abortion issue positioned to reclaim its spot on the campaign trail via that little state of South Dakota.

Background: South Dakota has just outlawed abortion of almost any kind in their state. The only exceptions the law allows is for the life of the mother. Period. If you are a woman in South Dakota and you get raped and you end up preggers resulting from that rape? Tough titty. Suck it up 'cause your state has decided that that fertilized egg is more important than your trauma.

So, what does John "Maverick" McCain have say about the South Dakota law? Would he sign the bill in to law?:

NationalJournal:

A spokesperson said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would have signed the South Dakota legislation, "but [he] would also take the appropriate steps under state law -- in whatever state -- to ensure that the exceptions of rape, incest or life of the mother were included."

What a cop out. What steps, exactly? Either you agree with the bill or you don't. The South Dakota legislature left out exceptions for rape and incest for a reason. Either you agree with them or you don't. Stand with your base, man!

The extreme radical right controls the Republican party. I, for one, am hoping this issue blows up in their faces. They are all happy because they think they finally have a sympathetic majority on the Supreme Court that will overturn Roe v. Wade. Well, let's fast track this issue and let the Supremes have their say. Let them outlaw abortion before this November's election. That is a challenge.

Technorati Tags: Abortion, Republicans

Republicans Finally Admit Bush Incompetance

2006-03-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

Pigs are flying, folks. Conservative Republican Bill Kristol was forced to admit what most sane people have known for 6 years now -- Bush is an idiot:

BILL KRISTOL: I think it’s become in people’s minds an emblem of the administration that just isn’t as serious about the competent execution of the functions of government as it should be. And even — I’m struck talking to conservatives and Republicans — they agree with the president on basic political philosophy, the they agree with his basic policy agenda, but they are worried that they just don’t seem to be able to execute as well as they should be.

[via ThinkProgress]

No shit, Sherlock. I hope that he has always realized this and this is merely the first time he has allowed himself to verbalize it publicly. It has been clear from the beginning that Bush is a top-notch campaigner. Unfortunately, that is where it ends. The Bush Republicans are all about applying the political campaign apparatus to governing. The only thing they are serious about is winning -- winning for the sake of winning. Once they have won they have no clue what to do.

Democrats have known this from the get go, but why are the Republicans finally jumping ship? Well, because the American people have caught on, of course. Bush's approval ratings are in the mid-upper 30s and Cheney's are even lower (18% approval...lol). Now watch all those Republican bastards run like the chicken hawks they are.

ThinkProgess leads the discussion here.

Technorati Tags: Bill Kristol, Bush, Incompetance

A Tale Of Two Indian Visits: Clinton v. Bush

2006-03-02T02:24:00.000-05:00

Remember when America was respected around the world?

Then: President Clinton visits India - March 2000

Now: President Bush is in India now

But, we are still the world's number 1 power regardless of the failed leadership of the Bushies. So, we can/should be happy some good has come out of Bush trip:

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday that his country reached agreement on a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, a coup for President Bush's first visit to India.

"We have reached an understanding on the implementation of our agreement on civil nuclear cooperation," Singh said during a joint appearance by the two leaders. "I have conveyed to the president that India has finalized the identification of civilian facilities to which we had committed."

[photos via ThinkProgress]

Technorati Tags: Bush, Clinton, India

AZ05 - Hayworth Can Be Beat

2006-02-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

Republican jackass JD Hayworth is always mouthing off about something on somebody's tv show or radio show. I'd love to see him lose his seat. Well, he's polling under 50% according to a recent internal (D).

A new blog covering the district here.

Technorati Tags: politics, Hayworth

US Coast Guard Warned of Intel Gaps on Ports Deal

2006-02-27T22:31:00.000-05:00

It is always about money with Republicans. When you find yourself scratching your head wondering why stupid Republicans keep doing stupid things -- like sign over our ports to suspect foreign countries without a thorough review-- it will always come down to money. Money for them or money for their friends. That is the only language they understand and/or respect. It isn't abortion. Abortion is just tool for more campaign money. It isn't war. War is just a tool for more money. It ain't conservative values or religion it is the almighty dollar morning, noon and night.

ThinkProgress has a great take down of national security argument in defense of the deal.

18%

2006-02-27T22:15:00.000-05:00

That's Cheney's approval rating in the same CBS poll.

lol. must suck knowing 82% of the country thinks you are full of shit. lol.

makes me giggle inside.

still should be lower. cheney is the devil.

Technorati Tags: Bush, cheney, poll

34%

2006-02-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

President Bush's approval rating in the latest CBS poll.

Damn, there are still people out there who like this jackass?

Technorati Tags: Bush

Hillary Clinton to Karl Rove: Why You Sweatin' Me?

2006-02-27T17:54:00.000-05:00

I love me some HIllary Clinton. I'm looking forward to her presidential run in 2008. I know that the conventional wisdom holds that she will win the primary as surely as she will lose in the general election. I think you can only make that bet if you know for sure that John McCain wins the Republican nomination. But, even John McCain is old enough and nutty enough to be ridiculed and marginalized. If you ever find yourself doubting Hillary's ability to win the general election just ask yourself, "why are all these Republicans so obsessed with her". I mean it is all they can seem to talk about is Hillary Clinton. Is that merely because they want to rile up their base or is it because they genuinely fear the woman.

Hillary today on Rove's obsession with her:

"Karl Rove is a brilliant strategist. So, if I were thinking about this," she told WROW-AM radio in Albany, "I'd say, why are they spending so much time talking about me?"

"What they're hoping is that all of their missteps, which are now numbering in the hundreds, are going to somehow be overlooked because people, instead of focusing on the '06 election, will jump ahead and think about the next one," said Clinton, D-N.Y.

So, true. All they have to do is mention Hillary's name and press is all distracted. One thing is for sure, it will be a fascinating race if she runs in '08.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Clinton, Hillary Clinton

Meet The Republicans

2006-02-27T00:56:00.000-05:00

Ariana watches so we don't have to. here.

Technorati Tags: Media, Tim Russert

Gay Rights Leader Is An Idiot

2006-02-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

Special interests groups are will be the death of us.

WTF:

The executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda US gay rights group has described Senator Hillary Clinton as "a complete disappointment", raising the prospect that some in the LGBT community may stop supporting her political career due to her opposition to same-sex marriage.

In a memo Alan Van Capelle sent to his board members, the gay leader refused to "lend my name and sell tickets" to any fund-raiser for Clinton's Senate re-election campaign.

Ugh. Shut the fuck up, dude. Do you really expect Clinton to adopt the gay agenda?

I am so sick and tired of all these one-issue organizations trying to hijack the Democratic party. If it isn't the gays its the abortionists or the love & peace anti-war freaks. They are so busy trying to box politicians in to corners when they need to be taking their message to the American people.

There will be no advancement of anyone's agenda until we win some elections. Making these sort of demands on our politicians are not helpful.

Technorati Tags: Gay Marriage, politics

Governorships key to White House

2006-02-26T21:43:00.000-05:00

Politics is a long-run war. We may lose the abortion battle today, but win the long-term war. In looking towards regaining the White House in 2008 we need to pay special attention to the races for governor this year. In close presidential races it pays to have a friendly governor in charge. So, while it would be nice to take over the House and Senate this election cycle it is unlikely. But, we do have a shot at taking over some key governorships.

NYTimes:

Democrats have a strong chance to pick up a number of seats held by Republicans while keeping seats even in states that President Bush won in 2004, potentially allowing Democrats to put their view of government on display across a bigger swath of the country and strengthening their position for the 2008 presidential race, party officials said.

...

Beyond the potentially considerable effect on education, health, transportation and other policy issues in the states, the outcome could have substantial implications for the 2008 presidential race. As Mr. Bush showed in Ohio and Florida, having a friendly governor can be critical in close general elections. As a result, this year's contests are of considerable interest to presidential contenders in both parties, many of whom are current or former governors.

...

Analysts said Democrats had a chance of picking up Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Ohio and — possibly, though less likely — Alabama, California, Florida and Minnesota.

Ohio is the most important state to capture as it will remain a battleground in '08. The Republican party is mired in controversy and scandal.

The other component, of course, is the fact that governorships are a good launching pad for presidential races. Our Governors are our future presidential candidates. We need a deeper bench.

Technorati Tags: politics

Abortion Battle Shaping Up

2006-02-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

Reuters:

The South Dakota Legislature on Friday approved a bill that would ban almost all abortions in a move that could set up a challenge to the national abortion standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe vs. Wade ruling.

The legislation, which calls for $5,000 fines and five-year prison sentences for doctors who carry out abortions, now goes to Republican Gov. Mike Rounds, who has said he is inclined to sign it.

Bring out the back alley hangers. It will take a year for a challenge to this case to reach the Supreme Court.

I happen to think the Democrats will ultimately win the abortion battle. Most Americans don't want the government telling them what they can and can not do with their bodies. Once we are forced to live under the Republican rules I think we, as a country, will refuse them once and for all. The Republicans have used abortion for years to scare their base to the voting booth. They don't actually want to outlaw abortion because it eliminates one of their most effective electoral weapons. That is why Bush initially tried to put Harriet Miers on the Supreme Court. She most likely would have sided with choice. But, the extreme right-wing base revolted and he gave them what they wanted in Sam Alito. Alito and Roberts will most likely vote against abortion. The extreme right will win the battle, but the Republicans will lose the war.

Technorati Tags: Abortion, politics

Gov. Pataki Needs To Man Up

2006-02-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Yo. What is going on with Pataki? He is literally falling apart. First there was the appendicitis last week and now another surgery to remove digestive blockage. I really couldn't give a shit about Pataki, but if he wants to embarrass himself with a run for the presidency he needs to man up! All these pansy surgeries aren't gonna cut it, my friend.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Pataki, surgery

Bush: Biggest Idiot To Ever Walk The Face Of The Earth?

2006-02-19T17:54:00.000-05:00

Count me as officially scared for my life:

NYTimes:

In his new book about Mr. Bush, "Rebel in Chief: Inside the Bold and Controversial Presidency of George W. Bush," Fred Barnes recalls a visit to the White House last year by Michael Crichton, whose 2004 best-selling novel, "State of Fear," suggests that global warming is an unproven theory and an overstated threat.

Mr. Barnes, who describes Mr. Bush as "a dissenter on the theory of global warming," writes that the president "avidly read" the novel and met the author after Karl Rove, his chief political adviser, arranged it. He says Mr. Bush and his guest "talked for an hour and were in near-total agreement."
...
Mr. Crichton, whose views in "State of Fear" helped him win the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' annual journalism award this month, has been a leading doubter of global warming and last September appeared before a Senate committee to argue that the supporting science was mixed, at best.

What the fuck? Unfortunately, that was not satire, folks. The President of the United States gets off on bouncing global warming science off of Michael Frickin' Crichton. Now, I definitely count myself among the "need to see it to really believe it" category. I'm no paranoid environmentalist. But, I'd listen to my dog before listening to a bad science-FICTION writer. WTF is wrong with that man? We have an overgrown 12 year old running the country.

I joke that global warming is a good thing, but is a frickin joke, yo. I'm definitely willing to give the scientist the benefit of the doubt. What, exactly, do we do if, God forbid, the actual scientist are right and the fiction writers are wrong?

If this is the logic which guides that man, we should all fear for our lives. The end is near. Bush is the devil.

Susan G leads a discussion over at Kos.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Michael Crichton, Global Warming

Dick Cheney Is A Pussy

2006-02-15T23:52:00.000-05:00

So, Dick Cheney mistakes a man for a duck and can only gather the nuts to talk to Fox News. Of course, the traditional media is falling all over themselves praise the 'emotion' he display in said interview. Give me a frickin break. That man is the devil. He doesn't believe he should be held accountable by the American people. He was forced to give a personal account and speak to the media only after three days of non-stop whinning from the hapless press. And who does he speak to when he decides to speak? Not a real news outlet or a real journalist. Fox? Brit Hume? What a pussy.

Technorati Tags: Dick Cheney, Fox, politics

ABC News: Poll: Jackson, Rice Are Tops Among Blacks

2006-02-15T23:33:00.000-05:00

I had a WTF double take on this doozy of a headline: Jackson, Rice Are Tops Among Blacks. First of all, Jesse Jackson is an irrelevant cartoon. He is a leader of himself. I have no problem with that at all. It's all good. Second of all, Condolezza Rice is not Black. She is a Bush tool morning, moon and night. The only times you get her to acknowledge that she is black is when the Republicans need to put a black face on a PR problem. That is her right and all, but fuck that bitch. Kick her out of the club.

Listen up folks, there is no Black leadership in this country. There is barely a coherent Black agenda to speak of. Black folk have joined the ranks of the every-man-for-himself American mainstream. Like most of America we have a middle class Black America and a poverty stricken Black America. These worlds hardly interact. Middle class black folk are grateful they got out of the vicious circle of poverty and have no intention of going back. Poor Black folk can barely do anything aside from surviving.

I'm particularly annoyed that Condolezza Rice even showed up in this poll. Give me a fucking break. I can't think of another person I loathe more than her. I mean, Black Republicans strike me as self-loathing retards anyway, but this bitch takes the cake. I wonder if she sits up at night imagining how much better her life would be if she wasn't Black. Heck she would probably be married to that son of a bitch. ugh! i'm gonna go through up.

The essential point of the poll question, however, reveals an important truth. Black people are on their on. We have no leadership. More importantly we don't need any leadership. We know the system is stacked against us and it is time to stand up and say so fucking what. I'm getting mine! It is past time for us to focus inwardly on ourselves as individuals and families to get to where we need to go. Most of the structural impediments to our advancement, I think, are institutionalized to the point that I sometimes lose hope of things ever changing. There will never be a significant investment in inner-city schools or healthcare for poor Americans, much less poor Black Americans. At least not until we take over the strings of the institution. In the meantime, we have to ask ourselves what next? We rise up and move the fuck on. That's what. Take matters in to our own hands. There are no structural walls we can't climb via cultural fortitude. We make the schools better by parents getting in there and pushing their kids. We limit health problems via healthier living. What we need is a cultural leader, not a political leader. Politic leadership is a luxury we can't afford right now.

ABC News:

Jesse Jackson and Condoleezza Rice get the top support among blacks asked to name the nation's "most important black leader," according to an AP-AOL Black Voices poll. Next come Colin Powell and Barack Obama.

Technorati Tags: African Americans, Condolezza Rice, Jesse Jackson, politics, leadership

New Abu Ghraib Abuse Photos Surface

2006-02-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! News:

New images showing Iraqis abused by U.S. guards at Abu Ghraib prison three years ago threatened Wednesday to enflame public anger already running high over footage of British soldiers beating youths in southern Iraq.

More disgusting images from the Abu Ghraib abuse have emerged. Republicans will no doubt complain about the images getting out there. What, exactly, do they have against the truth anyway? I simply don't get that. Here is a case where some of our soldiers have behaved like monsters and people want to protect them. Why? Is it somehow Un-American to be disgusted by these photos?

Everyone knows/believes/hopes that the vast majority of our soldiers are upstanding, honorable people if only because we know/hope/believe most of our fellow citizens are upstanding, honorable people. But, everyone also knows that a good chunk of the American people are deplorable assholes. Ever been to a frat party? Now imagine you have taken those drunken asshole frat boys and thrown them over to some far off land and you tell them that we are fighting the enemy and protecting the American people back home. It doesn't take too much imagination to know some shit is going to go down. It is strangely natural. The only safeguard against such shit, of course, is proper supervision and a clear understanding of consequences for wrongdoing. And that is exactly where the problem lies.

At the very least, these young people did not have the proper supervision. I'd venture to say, even, the chances of abuse rise significantly when we denigrate Muslim people and suggest they are monsters, less than human. We have a long history of making such convenient distinctions about people different from ourselves. We did it to Native Americans, African Americans, Vietnamese and every visibly distinct people we have ever come in to contact with.

So, I'm not surprised at all. And I don't think that these are isolated incidents. Unfortunately, it is part of who we are. It makes it easier for us to define, hate and kill our enemy. The good thing is that we know it is wrong. Such depersonalization of a group of people will usually illicit shame. So, it completely undermines our progression as a people to try to hide this crap from the people at large. The more we know about this the more shame we will feel and the less likely this will happen again.

Technorati Tags: Abu Ghraib

More Lies and Cover Ups From White House

2006-02-13T13:09:00.000-05:00

Hillary Clinton may indeed be proven right when she said this will go down as the worst administration ever. Their first instinct is to lie and obfuscate. Even when they don't need to lie, they lie. Even when all involved are psycho Bush loyalists, they lie.

E&P has a helpful timeline:

E&P has learned that the official confirmation of the shooting came about only after a local reporter in Corpus Christi, Texas, received a tip from the owner of the property where the shooting occurred and called Vice President Cheney's office for confirmation.

The confirmation was made but it is not known for certain that Cheney's office, the White House, or anyone else intended to announce the shooting if the reporter, Jaime Powell of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, had not received word from the ranch owner.

Umm...why does someone have to dig out the fact that the Vice President shot a man? I'd be my life that they would not have released this information had that reporter not called. These people are disgusting. They do not believe they need to answer to the public or let the public know anything. I confess to not really giving a fuck what the Vice President does, but I'd lie to know when he goes out shooting people. And don't you just love the fact that Armstrong, their hostess, is the one who delivered the story? Hilarious.

In an odd disparity, Armstrong told the Houston Chronicle that Whittington, 78, was "bruised more than bloodied" in the incident and "his pride was hurt more than anything else." Yet he was airlifted to a hospital and has spent more than a day in an intensive care unit.

"When a vice president of the U.S. shoots a man under any circumstance," James noted, "that is extremely relevant information. What might be the excuse to justify not immediately making the incident public?

"The vice president is well-known for preferring to operate in secret....Some secrecy, especially when it comes to the executing the duties of president or vice president, is understandable and expected by Americans.

"But when the vice president's office, or the White House, delays in reporting a shooting like Saturday's to the public via the media, it needlessly raises suspicions and questions of trust. And it may just further the impression held by many, rightly or wrongly, that the White House doesn't place the highest premium on keeping the public fully and immediately informed."

Yes, they loathe being accountable to the public. Is this administration over yet?

Technorati Tags: Dick Cheney

Questions for Cheney's Quail Accident

2006-02-13T12:31:00.000-05:00

Direland has a few questions for good 'ol Dick.

Technorati Tags: Dick Cheney

Holy Indictment Batman!

2006-02-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

TOLEDO -- Thomas W. Noe, the coin dealer and prominent Republican contributor whose $50 million state coin investment sparked one of the biggest scandals in Ohio state government history, was indicted today on 53 felonies, including theft of more than $1 million.
The charges include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 11 counts of theft, 11 of money laundering, 8 of tampering with records and 22 of forgery. He could be sentenced to a maximum 175 years in prison, although such a sentence is considere

Columbus Dispatch has the story. ThinkProgress is discussing here.

Technorati Tags: Coingate, Ohio

2008 White House: George Allen Wins CPAC Straw Poll

2006-02-12T23:13:00.000-05:00

While the media wets their pants hoping for a John McCain White House, George Allen is the one to watch as far as I'm concerned. The Republican Party organizers may be convinced that McCain is their only hope of defeating Hillary Clinton, but it remains to be seen if the primary voters will make the same calculation.

Human Events Online is reporting that Senator Allen has won this years CPAC straw poll. CPAC is a group of right-ring psychos who vote in primaries. According to this rag Allen received 22%, followed by McCain's 20%. Allen is up from a third place showing last year when he received 11%. Clearly, he is doing something right. But, John McCain can't be counted out just yet unfortunately.

Technorati Tags: 2008, George Allen, John McCain, CPAC

Bush & Abramoff Sitting In A Tree

2006-02-12T21:57:00.000-05:00

So, the White House has finally admitted that Abramoff was indeed in that little meeting with Kickapoo Tribe leader Raul Garza. Uhh...duh. No shit Sherlock. As usual, the Bush folk only admit to the truth when there is irrefutable evidence. Honestly, I don't understand why anyone believes anything they say. They lie with a straight face on a daily basis. The only thing worse than the pathetic blind followship of the Republican base is the stupidity of the press. The good news is that the American people have finally come to the conclusion that Bush can't be trusted. And that is despite the ineptness of the Democrats and the constant propping up by the media.

I'm going to love to see this story slowly drip, drip out. The photos will come out. The harder they deny it the more damaging it will be. So, keep it up folks. Deny, deny, deny.

Technorati Tags: Abramoff Scandal, Bush, Scandal

Dick Cheney Shoots Hunting Buddy

2006-02-12T21:24:00.000-05:00

Seriously, the Vice President shot one of his hunting buddies. The guy, Harry Whittington, is okay so I can laugh my ass off. Doesn't Cheney have something better to do other than going around shooting innocent quail? And what a lame game quail hunting is anyway. Big, slow bird. Shot gun pellets everywhere. What a pussy.

I think Dick should go wrestle a bear or something. I'm sure someone can set that up for him.

Technorati Tags: Dick Cheney, Hunting, shooting

Laura Bush Is No Hillary Clinton

2006-02-11T15:47:00.000-05:00

Why do reporters keep asking Laura Bush to respond to Hillary Clinton?

ABC:

Laura Bush said Saturday that Hillary Rodham Clinton's criticism of her husband's administration was "out of bounds," arguing that the former first lady should show some empathy for the current White House occupants.

First of all the bitch is a liar. I remember distinctly how easily she dismissed the attacks on John Kerry's military service. She didn't think that shit was "out of bounds". She didn't think the crap said about John McCain in 2000 was "out of bounds". So, suck on these.

Secondly, these jackass reporters are clearly trying to dredge up some kind of cat-fight between these women. And in doing so they minimize Senator Clinton. It is good to see that Clinton's people don't engage Laura Bush's comments. Laura don't know shit about nothing anyway. lol. She may be the most insignificant First Lady ever. I mean what exactly does she do with herself all day?

Technorati Tags: Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush

Question for John McCain: Does Chris Matthews Swallow?

2006-02-07T19:05:00.000-05:00

Chris Matthews sure does love sucking on Republican meat. John McCain made an utter ass of himself yesterday and went ran to Chrissy Matthews for his weekly booty-call.
Think Progress has all the good stuff.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama, Chris Matthews, Head, John McCain

5 Presidents and Laura Bush

2006-02-07T16:30:00.000-05:00

4 Presidents and a future President at the funeral ceremony for Mrs. Scott King.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Bush, Clinton, Democrats, Hillary Clinton

NSA Declassified Photo!

2006-02-07T11:20:00.000-05:00

via Atrios

Technorati Tags: Domestic Spying

Hypocrite McCain Attacks Obama on Lobbying Ethics

2006-02-06T20:06:00.000-05:00

Isn't this rich?

ABC News:

Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday accused his Democratic colleague Barack Obama of "partisan posturing" on the issue of lobbying ethics reform, the latest sign of trouble as the two parties try to come up legislation governing relations with lobbyists.

John McCain accusing someone of posturing? Give me a fucking break, dude. Were you or were you not that guy stuck up George Bush's ass in the summer of 2004?

John McCain is the only Republican who benefits from all the Abramoff sleaze.

Technorati Tags: Abramoff Scandal, John McCain, politics, Barack Obama

Spying only on Al Qaeda??

2006-02-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

The Bush sycophants keep saying that the NSA is only spying on international communications with AQ and or AQ's terrorist associates. That's nice, but how am I suppose to know? How do we know that they aren't spying on Democrats? How do we know they aren't spying on anyone? That is the most important question in this entire thing. There is no way to know. "Trust" is not and should not be enough. It just amazes me that so many Republicans are so willing to take the 'word' of the executive and defend it til they are red in the face.

I don't know what goes on in those "closed sessions", but I hope someone states this obvious question. I hope they get more instructive answers. These public hearings are a complete waste of time and money.

Reuters.com:

The Bush administration defended a domestic spying program on Sunday, saying it was tightly targeted only at people suspected of having ties to al Qaeda, but a Republican senator who is to lead hearings on it said he believes the White House acted outside the law.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Domestic Spying, Republicans

Bush Calls For Record Defense Spending

2006-02-06T19:48:00.000-05:00

Count me among the Democrats that does not mind spending money on Defense. I would just like to know that the money is being spent wisely, strategically. I want our soldiers to have the best possible equipment. I want the soldiers to be paid more (2.2% is not enough). I want to invest in new technologies. It is interesting to see the 20 year plan posits a potential conflict with China. And, of course, the numbers do not include the spending for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democrats, of course, should and will vote for this without a fuss.

Reuters.com:

President Bush on Monday proposed a record $439.3 billion defense budget for 2007 aimed at fighting both unconventional terrorism and major conflicts with other nations if necessary.

The Pentagon budget sent to Congress represents a major increase over current defense spending of $410.8 billion as the White House seeks cuts in domestic spending. It does not include tens of billions of dollars in proposed new financing for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Technorati Tags: Bush, politics, Defense Budget

G.O.P. Chair"man" Attacks Hillary

2006-02-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

Oh, here is the story from the New York Times covering close-case Ken Mehlman's attack on Hillary. Just as an FYI

Technorati Tags: 2008, Clinton, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Republicans

Sen. McCain Seeks Boycott of Meeting in Russia

2006-02-06T19:35:00.000-05:00

The self-loving Senator from Arizona is trying to pick a fight with Russia.

New York Times:

Senator McCain, Republican of Arizona, said it was time to take President Vladimir V. Putin to task over his human rights record and his moves against press freedom and against nonprofit organizations.

"I seriously question whether the G-8 leaders should attend the St. Petersburg summit," Senator McCain said at the gathering.

Sergei Ivanov, Russia's deputy prime minister and defense minister, who was also at the meeting, said, "He has always made such statements," adding that it was Senator McCain, not Russia, who was living in the cold war era.

I can't stand McCain. He is such a phony. I'm sure this has more to do with some internal presidential polling than anything else. Yet, Russia is clearly a mess. Putin is a freak. So, already McCain has a leg up on Bushie.

Technorati Tags: John McCain, Russia, Republicans

Sen. Clinton Hits Back

2006-02-06T19:24:00.000-05:00

Senator Clinton knows that every attack must be answered. Closet case Ken Mehlman took it upon himself to attack Senator Clinton this weekend as too "angry" to get elected. Unlike the rest of the weak-kneed Democrats Hillary responded with this aside:

New York Times:

"I would suggest that the Washington Republicans worry about these devastating budget cuts, the confusion and bureaucratic nightmare in the prescription drug benefit — that that's where they should be spending their time and energy, instead of trying to divert attention away from their many failures and shortcomings," Mrs. Clinton said.

I wold also like to know who they have to "rough her up". It is gonna be real interesting to see how the Republicans react to a real politician who knows how to fight back.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Clinton, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, Republicans, Senate

Chris Matthews Has A Hardon for Rudy

2006-02-06T18:40:00.000-05:00

He wishes he could quit him.

Technorati Tags: Chris Matthews, 2008, Rudy Giulani

Progressive Values

2006-02-06T17:44:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already you should check out Garance Franke-Ruta's article in the current issue of The American Prospect magazine (online here). Franke-Ruta covers the work of Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger, called Environics. I will be delving more in to the specifics later. The essences, however, reveals an emerging trend in the spirit and outlook of Americans towards a individuality and sense that we are on our own for survival. Check it out.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, politics

2006-02-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

β Senator Feingold knocks down Presidents claim that previous administrations spied on Americans without warrants.
β AG Gonzales refuses to "tell the truth".
β Senator Graham concerned that President's argument will render Congress irrelevant. duh! That's exactly what they believe.
β Powerline nutjob corners Sen. Durbin with stupid question.

Hey Media! It Ain't Just Democrats Worried About Domestic Spying

2006-02-05T13:03:00.000-05:00

One of the most distressing failings of the media is their inability comprehend simple truths. How many times have we heard them repeat that the Democrats are questioning the legality of the NSA domestic spying issue. It is enough to drive a sane man crazy.

From this mornings MTP via ThinkProgress:

RUSSERT: The administration says that they didn't need to, that they already had authority from Congress when, back in October 2002, Congress voted an authorization to go to war against Iraq. And that is part of that war.

SPECTER: I believe that contention is very strained and unrealistic. The authorization for the use of force doesn't say anything about electronic surveillance.

The issue was never raised with the Congress. And there is a specific statute on the books, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which says flatly that you can't undertake that kind of surveillance without a court order.

Uhhh,,,,isn't a REPUBLICAN???? And doesn't that make this a bi-partisan concern? Yes, jackasses. And the good folks at ThinkProgress has even put together a list for you of other Republicans who have raised doubts. Check it out here. So, when we call you idiots or hapless tools of the right just know that there is ample reason.

Here's a hint: If you get a talking point from the Republicans perhaps, just maybe, you should check it out before repeating it as fact in your reporting.

Or do they teach you something differently in journalism school?

Dumb fucks!

Technorati Tags: Domestic Spying, Media, politics, Traditional Media

Valerie Plame Was Still Covert

2006-02-05T12:18:00.000-05:00

Oh snap!

Newsweek:

...special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald found that Plame had indeed done "covert work overseas" on counterproliferation matters in the past five years, and the CIA "was making specific efforts to conceal" her identity, according to newly released portions of a judge's opinion.

Of course, the right will still find some way to wiggle around this. Perhaps they will claim Fitzgerald is some sort of hack. They have denied reality in the past and they will continue to deny this reality going forward. The truth does not matter to them. Until we finally grasp that we will continue to lose. These people are pathological psychopaths and the truth is not going to be enough to beat them.
We need to take this issue and force feed it out of every Democrat's mouth. This is our unique opening on the question of national security. For once, we can point to something that the American people can understand at first glance: the Republicans chose politics (going after Joe Wilson's wife) over national security (revealing an undercover CIA agent) and are still protecting the culprits.
We need to take a play out of Rove's playbook at go directly at them where they think they are strongest. National Security and their manipulation of the issue for partisan political gains. Put these bastards in a corner. Make them choose between the Republican party and America...and watch them choose the Republican party every time.

ThinkProgress

Technorati Tags: Bush, Democrats, Republicans, Treason, Valerie Plame

Danish & Norwegian Embassies Torched

2006-02-04T22:37:00.000-05:00

The Middle East has erupted over an unflattering cartoon portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed.

Story:

Thousands of Syrians enraged by caricatures of Islam's revered prophet torched the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Damascus on Saturday...
...
In Gaza, Palestinians marched through the streets, storming European buildings and burning German and Danish flags. Protesters smashed the windows of the German cultural center and threw stones at the European Commission building, police said.
...
Iraqis rallying by the hundreds demanded an apology from the European Union, and the leader of the Palestinian group Hamas called the cartoons "an unforgivable insult" that merited punishment by death.
...
..even Europeans took to the streets in Denmark and Britain to voice their anger.

WTF? All of this over a fucking cartoon?

At the heart of the protest: 12 caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad first published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September and reprinted in European media in the past week. One depicted the prophet wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse. The paper said it had asked cartoonists to draw the pictures because the media was practicing self-censorship when it came to Muslim issues.

The drawings have touched a raw nerve in part because Islamic law is interpreted to forbid any depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

This is insanity. Yes, the depictions are disgusting and outrageous, but is it really worth all this? We know that most Europeans and Americans are anti-Muslim, right? And, yes, the freedom of the press argument is a good one. Welcome to freedom folks. No figure should be above the ridicule of the press. Grow up, people. You don't burn down embassies because you are offended by a frickin' cartoon.

Technorati Tags: Muslim Cartoon, Syria, United Nations

Teresa Heinz Bankrolling Hillary Clinton

2006-02-04T21:55:00.000-05:00

Even more proof that John Kerry may be the only person who still believes there is a President Kerry in our future. It seems that Teresa Heinz Kerry donated

Story:

It's not clear whether Mrs. Heinz's $2,100 maximum donation signals a rift within the Kerry household. But while Sen. Kerry has made his 2008 intentions apparent, his wife has been more circumspect of late.

Gossip maven Tina Brown recently wrote in Britain's Spectator magazine that Kerry insiders are counting on a new Bill Clinton scandal to sink Hillary's presidential prospects.

Isn't that cute? Kerry is banking on another Clinton scandal to sink Hillary. My money is on Teresa.

Technorati Tags: Clinton, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, politics, John Kerry

Think Progress Debunks Rights Dellinger Myth

2006-02-04T20:10:00.000-05:00

Think Progress knocks down yet another GOP argument in defense of Bush's domestic spying program. Be sure to check it out. It is important to set the record straight on these things, but it will all be for naught if we allow the frame of "Clinton did it too" to permeate the media. We need to make sure that every Democrat who is called upon to speak on the domestic spying issue knows these facts and does not let these suggestions slip through.

In addition to the factual knock-down, I'd like to know why it would matter if "Clinton did it too"? So the fuck what? Wrong is wrong isn't it?

Technorati Tags: Bush, Domestic Spying, politics, Clinton

You say NSA, I say Google

2006-02-03T13:50:00.000-05:00

Here's the thing...the domestic spying story is going nowhere fast. Why? The American people could give a shit and it is not yet clear why they should. Most people rightfully do not believe the government would have a need/reason to spy on them. It doesn't impact them directly. All the noise coming out of Washington about domestic spying goes right over their head because, frankly, most people have *real* things to worry about. They have to think about working and paying their bills and taking care of their children or their aging parents, etc.

I have been thinking that there must be some way to explain this disconnect between Progressives and the American people. Thomas Frank's What's The Matter With Kansas rang hollow for me. People aren't stupid. They vote against their economic interests and side with people who couldn't care less about them because they are the cultural issues are a more determining factor for them. The American Prospect Magazine some interesting data that speaks to my thinking:

TAPPED:

In the great debate about how Democrats can stage a comeback (beyond simply waiting for the coming Republican implosion that never seems to arrive), American Environics (Ted Nordhaus & Michael Shellenberger) rejected some of the more popular recommendations out there. Rather than focusing on reframing the Democratic message, as Berkeley linguistics and cognitive science professor George Lakoff has recommended, or on redoubling Democratic efforts to persuade Americans to become economic populists, as another school of thought suggests, the American Environics team argued that the way to move voters on progressive issues is to sometimes set aside policies in favor of values. By focusing on “bridge values,” they say, progressives can reach out to constituents of opportunity who share certain fundamental beliefs, even if the targeted parties don’t necessarily share progressives’ every last goal. In that assessment, Shellenberger and Nordhaus are representative of an increasingly influential school of thought within the Democratic Party.
...
American Environics' extensive plumbing of Americans' attitudes laid out a darker, more nuanced vision of what the nation actually believes.
...
Where Democracy Corps found voters unable to hear economic appeals through the noise of cultural ones, Environics' research suggested an even more profound interrelationship between materialist concerns and a community's broader beliefs. They found economic changes driving changes in social values, and those, in turn, driving political preferences. Using data from Environics' in-home consumer survey in the United States, Nordhaus and Shellenberger were able to tease apart changes in the thinking of voters since 1992 on 117 different "social values trends."
...
Looking at the data from 1992 to 2004, Shellenberger and Nordhaus found a country whose citizens are increasingly authoritarian while at the same time feeling evermore adrift, isolated, and nihilistic. They found a society at once more libertine and more puritanical than in the past, a society where solidarity among citizens was deteriorating, and, most worrisomely to them, a progressive clock that seemed to be unwinding backward on broad questions of social equity. Between 1992 and 2004, for example, the percentage of people who said they agree that "the father of the family must be the master in his own house" increased ten points, from 42 to 52 percent, in the 2,500-person Environics survey. The percentage agreeing that "men are naturally superior to women" increased from 30 percent to 40 percent. Meanwhile, the fraction that said they discussed local problems with people they knew plummeted from 66 percent to 39 percent. Survey respondents were also increasingly accepting of the value that "violence is a normal part of life" -- and that figure had doubled even before the al-Qaeda terrorist attacks

There is the rub. The people have changed. We are more disconnected than ever. Most people are not reading political blogs or following the details of policy debates every day. Democrats need to adjust our understanding accordingly. Now, I'm a guy who likes numbers to back up my opinions so this argument fits right in with my world view. It rings true in my dealings with most people are aren't political junkies. We can see it in our culture almost everyday. Every man/woman for himself/herself.

The question becomes, given this revised understanding, how do we properly engage the American voters. And, yes, getting votes is really all I care about. It is the bottom line that I care about. After all, what is the good in being right or just if we are stuck in the minority?

Unless someone is able to establish or legitimately claim that this domestic spying program has been used for nefarious political purposes this dog ain't gonna hunt. Here is the Republican/Traditional Media framing:

"I am concerned that some of my Democrat colleagues used this unique public forum to make clear that they believe the gravest threat we face is not Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but rather the president of the United States," Mr. Roberts said. -NYT

Bullshit, I know. They are wrong, we are right. Big fucking deal. Have a cookie. With the help of the media, this will be the frame. We can be right till we are blue in the face. This issue is not going to win us votes. The American people are not in the mood to get upset about something like this unless and until there is a real-life, comprehensible scenario to wrap their heads around. We need something that everyone can understand with a passing glance. A glance is all that most people have.

To be honest, I think the government's request for Google search history has more legs. Everyone has probably searched for something nefarious on Google. That is something that hits them right at their home computer. It is real, not intellectual. Close, not distant. And it doesn't leave us vulnerable on national security.

Does this make sense to anyone else or am I totally off base?

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Domestic Spying, Google, Republicans

Lying Liars' Lies

2006-02-03T02:59:00.000-05:00

Don't believe anything that comes out of Bush mouth:

January, 2003 - A memo of a two-hour meeting between the two leaders at the White House on January 31 2003 - nearly two months before the invasion - reveals that Mr Bush made it clear the US intended to invade whether or not there was a second UN resolution and even if UN inspectors found no evidence of a banned Iraqi weapons programme. "The diplomatic strategy had to be arranged around the military planning", the president told Mr Blair. The prime minister is said to have raised no objection. He is quoted as saying he was "solidly with the president and ready to do whatever it took to disarm Saddam".
March 6th, 2003 - I’ve not made up our mind about military action. Hopefully, this can be done peacefully. - King Bush
March 8th, 2003 - We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force. - King Bush

ThinkProgress, Guardian

Technorati Tags: Bush, Iraq

Next On C-Span2: Arlen Specter's Kabuki Theater

2006-02-03T02:12:00.000-05:00

I was looking forward to the Judiciary Committee hearing on domestic spying. I used to have some faith in Arlen Specter. I think he is probably genuinely troubled by the program. But he proved last week that he is no match for the right-wing of his party. So, when I read that the administration is once again flipping Congress the bird I know I that nothing will really happen and nothing will really be said.
New York Times:

The Bush administration is rebuffing requests from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee for its classified legal opinions on President Bush's domestic spying program, setting up a confrontation in advance of a hearing scheduled for next week, administration and Congressional officials said Wednesday.

The Justice Department is balking at the request so far, administration officials said, arguing that the legal opinions would add little to the public debate because the administration has already laid out its legal defense at length in several public settings.

Setting up a confrontation with whom, exactly? The Democrats? They don't have subpoena power. Without that this administration will not budge. And Arlen Specter proved his lack of mettle with his vote for Alito. So, what we will see is another kabuki theater exercise from the Judiciary Committee. Specter will ask some "tough" questions that Gonzoles will not answer or can only answer in "closed session" out of concern for...NATIONAL SECURITY. Then everyone will nod and say yes and move along. Waste of my fucking tax money and time....because I'm definitely going to watch the retched affair. LOL.

To get an understanding of King George just think about this passage:

The official said the administration's legal arguments had already been aired, most prominently in a 42-page "white paper" issued last month. "Everything that's in those memos was in the white paper," said the official..

Now, what sense does that make? That is some of the most twisted, self-serving logic I've ever come across. I'd want to punch the bastard that said this to me and then ask:

If "everything that's in those memos was in the white paper" then you should have no problem giving me those papers, right jackass?
Shouldn't we, members of the co-equal Senate, actually determine if they are the same?

You see folks, we are at war. George Bush is protecting us. So, don't you worry your pretty little head. Go back to sleep.

Technorati Tags: Democrats, Domestic Spying, Republicans

Shut Up About Domestic Spying, Talk About Google!

2006-02-03T01:44:00.000-05:00

Doesn't it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside that Republicans do not care about holding the President accountable on the domestic spying question?

New York Times:

Senate Democrats on Thursday angrily accused the Bush administration of mounting a public relations campaign to defend the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program while withholding details of the secret eavesdropping from Congressional oversight committees.

But none of the Republicans on the panel joined the Democrats in their criticism. And in a statement issued later, Senator Pat Roberts, the Kansas Republican who is chairman of the committee, accused Mr. Rockefeller and other Democrats of derailing the discussion about security threats with their concerns about the eavesdropping program.

Big surprise, right? But, here is the rub: this is a losing issue in my book. Unless someone is able to establish or legitimately claim that this domestic spying program has been used for nefarious political purposes this dog ain't gonna hunt. Here is the Republican/Traditional Media framing:

"I am concerned that some of my Democrat colleagues used this unique public forum to make clear that they believe the gravest threat we face is not Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, but rather the president of the United States," Mr. Roberts said.

Bullshit, I know. They are wrong, we are right. Big fucking deal. Have a cookie. We can be right till we are blue in the face. This issue is not going to win us votes. Winning votes is all any of us should care about. The American people are not in the mood to get upset about something like this unless and until there is a real-life, comprehensible scenario to wrap their heads around. We need something that everyone can understand with a passing glance. A glance is all that most people have.

To be honest, I think the government's request for Google search history has more legs. Everyone has probably searched for something nefarious on Google. That is something that hits them right at their home computer. It is real, not intellectual. Close, not distant. And it doesn't leave us vulnerable on national security.

All the huffing and puffing about the domestic spying program is going to get us nowhere. The administration will scream "national security", the Republican slaves will say "yes, massah". We saw it happen today. There will be no oversight until we...win elections. Then we should make a fuss about it. Bring all those rat bastards before a Democratically controlled Senate Committee and grab some popcorn.

Technorati Tags: Corruption, Democrats, Domestic Spying, Google, Oversight, politics

Boehner To Be Lipstick For Republican Pig

2006-02-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

How they wish this was the answer to all their woes.
New York Times:

Representative John A. Boehner of Ohio in an upset on Thursday became the new House majority leader as Republicans, worried about a corruption scandal and their own tarnished image, tried to distance themselves from the tenure of Representative Tom DeLay.

Mr. Boehner defeated Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the interim majority leader and a protégé of Mr. DeLay, on a second ballot, 122 to 109, after Mr. Blunt fell six votes short of victory in the initial voting

If they think all they need is a little bit of lipstick they are sadly mistaken. What changes will Boehner implement? Will it just be same 'ol shit in a different suit? Probably.

He presented himself as a reformer, highlighting his opposition to directing taxpayer money to pork barrel projects, but he is no stranger to lobbyists and interest groups.

DHinMI breaks it down:

That’s right, the new ethically pure, reformist, anti-corruption Congressional Republicans will be led by a Republican from Ohio. Boehner is a member of a male-only country club with a $75,000 initiation fee. Maybe that cleaned out his bank account, which is why he had to take almost $14,000 in free trips from the lobbyist-connected Ripon Society. He also has a history as a bag man for the tobacco lobby during his days as a capo for Newt Gingrich, even going so far as to disburse checks from tobacco lobbyists to Republican members on the floor of the United States Congress.

Boehner's association with corrupt majorities isn't limited to being a Republican in the United States Congress, either. It also includes his position as a prominent Republican in the state of Ohio. As you surely know, the Ohio Republican party has so-far made the Abramoff crooks look like a bunch of pikers. There's still time for the Abramoff scandal to morph into something much, much bigger—and it probably will—but what we know in Ohio is that the Ohio Republicans' La Cosa Noe-stra centered around GOP fundraiser Timothy Noe has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Republicans running for both state and federal office, including George W. Bush's Presidential campaign. Noe broke laws in raising money for Bush, and he stole the pension money of Ohio workers by investing it in shady deals with his coin business.

Why should we expect John Boehner to be a sincere advocate of Congressional lobbying reform, when he's done nothing to advocate or implement reform among his fellow Ohio Republicans, possibly the most corrupt bunch of Republicans in the country?

Lipstick on a pig, DH. They just want to fool the public long enough to stop the bleeding. I think it is kind of foolish of them, however, to go with someone from OH. OH is prime real estate for us in 2006 and 2008.

Technorati Tags: Abramoff Scandal, Corruption, Republicans

Meanwhile HIllary is Picking Up New Supporters Every day

2006-02-03T00:12:00.000-05:00

Buffalo News :

In documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, the committee, Friends of Hillary, reported raising $6.04 million during the last three months of the year.

Some 56,899 individual donors gave money to Clinton, D-N.Y., and nearly six out of 10 had never donated to the senator before.

Wowsers! I love it.

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton, politics

Anti-Hillary Don't Wont Hunt

2006-02-03T00:08:00.000-05:00

HA! HA! I got a kick out of this one. It seems the Right's attempt to corner Hillary as the devil isn't generating the cash they hoped. At least not yet.

KRT Wire :

Compared with the $21 million flood of campaign cash the New York Democrat amassed in 2005, contributions to the anti-Hillary group Stop Her Now were like a drip.

The nonprofit committee, founded by archconservative GOP strategist Arthur Finkelstein, reported this week raising just $23,637 since launching in March 2005 with a bold promise to net $10 million from Clinton's detractors.

"There's no doubt that Republican efforts to soften up Hillary Clinton in 2006 for 2008 haven't gone well," said Marist College pollster Lee Miringoff. "Anti-Clinton sentiment isn't raising the money that some had hoped for."

Stop Her Now has spent $68,975 to stay afloat, including $7,500 to conservative media outlet NewsMax.com to try to raise money off its e-mail lists and $13,535 paid to a telemarketer.

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton, politics, Republicans

Black History Museum to Be Built in D.C.

2006-02-02T23:37:00.000-05:00

The nation's capital is finally getting an African American History Museum. About damn time! And it isn't tucked away off on the side somewhere? I'm shocked!

Yahoo! News:

The National Museum of African American History and Culture will be built on the National Mall near the Washington Monument, the Smithsonian Institution said Monday.

The black history museum "is in the mainstream of American history, and this site is in the mainstream of the other museums," said Walter E. Massey, a Smithsonian board member.

Chief Justice John Roberts, who serves as chancellor of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, presided over the voice vote choosing the site.

Smithsonian officials said the five-acre site would likely include a 350,000 square-foot building. That would be comparable in size to the institution's National Museum of the American Indian, also located on the mall.

"It will tell the stories of African-American culture from slavery through civil rights," said Lonnie G. Bunch, the museum's director.

Technorati Tags: politics, African Americans

Will Fear of President Clinton Lead Senate Republicans To Genuine Oversight?

2006-02-02T23:29:00.000-05:00

The framers of the United States intentionally designed a government predicated upon a separation of powers. The three branches of our government are meant to be co-equal powers. Over the years the weight of power has shifted among the branches. President Bush and Vice President Cheney came in to office with the believe that the powers of the Presidency had been diluted over the years (indeed, the backlash of the Watergate scandal shifted more power to the legislative branch).

9/11 was the perfect opportunity for them to regain power for the executive. Through pure fear, paranoia and propaganda they have quieted and minimized the legislative branch. Their disregard for Congress is often astonishing. But, I can almost forgive their ambition. After all they are working in the interest of the executive branch in which they serve. What I do not understand and can not forgive, however, is the fact that the Republican members of Congress have rolled over and taken it. Should not the members of the legislative branch also act in the interest of their branch? Why relinquish power so easily?

It all comes down to politics, I suppose. Surely part of it rests in the notion that they are of the same party and are pursuing similar goals. But that is such a short-sighted appreciation of what is happening. Do they not believe that one day they will have to work with a Democratic President? Will they feel comfortable with a President Hillary Clinton with all this power? I don't think so.

Maybe that fear, coupled with Bush's stank approval ratings, is what will drive the Republicans to action.

CSMonitor.com:

The Senate, especially, is gearing up to make the case that power between the executive and legislative branches is unbalanced.

Next week, the Senate begins the first hearings on the president's authorization of eavesdropping without a warrant.

At the same time, Republicans are divided over whether to extend 16 provisions of the USA Patriot Act that are set to expire this Friday. Four Senate Republicans are joining most Democrats to demand more protections for civil liberties.

Furthermore, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will be before Sen. Spector's Judiciary Committee on February 6th to answer questions about the domestic spying scandal. I'm gonna hold my breath because the Congress has shown time and again that they are afraid of King George. Politics always trumps policy with these people and Bush knows it better than anyone.

The issue is looming so large that the White House devoted a full week in the run-up to this week's State of the Union Address to defuse the issue. Instead of "domestic spying" - the term used most often in the press - the White House described the program as "terrorist surveillance." Recent communication from Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, appeared to reinforce the threat.

"The political outcome of this battle will depend on who succeeds in defining the terms of the debate," says Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"If it's a straight tradeoff between security and privacy or liberty, security wins. If it's framed as a way of monitoring suspicious characters, it wins overwhelmingly," he says. "But if there is any hint of abuse of power or of the president not telling the truth, of scrutinizing citizens with no evidence of suspicious behavior, then it turns into something else."

The media, of course, would like to frame this as the weak Democrats against the strong Republican president. But traditional conservative Republicans (not the Bush sycophants) are concerned as well. And, most importantly, the Republicans see Hillary Clinton (their biggest boogey man!) standing in the wings.

The Judiciary Committee hearing on Feb. 9th should be appointment television.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Democrats, Hillary Clinton, politics, Oversight, Republicans, Senate

Remember those missing 18 minutes?

2006-02-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

One of Josh's readers picked up a nice quote from the Daily News regarding the the Fitzgerald investigation.

Fitzgerald, who is fighting Libby's request, said in a letter to Libby's lawyers that many e-mails from Cheney's office at the
time of the Plame leak in 2003 have been deleted contrary to White House policy.

Technorati tags: Plame, Libby, Bush, Cheney

Cindy Sheehan Arrested at SOTU for T-Shirt.

2006-02-01T11:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not a fan of Cindy Sheehan, but this story of her arrest at the capital before the SOTU address is disgusting.

Bradblog has the run down of the story here.

Cindy Sheehan responds with her side of the story here.

Technorati Tags: Bush, politics, Cindy Sheehan, SOTU

Shits & Giggles

2006-02-01T03:10:00.000-05:00

Ain't No Stopping Us Now from the album "Boogie Nights Soundtrack" by McFadden & Whitehead
San Diego Union Tribune:

WASHINGTON – Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton raised $21.4 million last year for her re-election campaign in New York and has $17 million in cash on hand, totals driven in part by her front-runner reputation if she decides to pursue the presidency in 2008.
The former first lady collected $6 million from 56,899 donors in the final three months of 2005, bringing her total to more than $21 million for the year, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission.

Clinton's fundraising totals and her poll numbers make her the early favorite among potential Democratic candidates for the White House in 2008, though she repeatedly insists she isn't thinking beyond the Senate race

Technorati Tags: Hillary Clinton, Senate

Tuning Out the SOTU

2006-02-01T02:59:00.000-05:00

I must confess to not watching Bush's address last night. It is the first SOTU that I've missed in over 10 years. I just wasn't in the mood to listen to that jackass. And I was likely to hurl my television out the window if the speech actually happened as the excerpts showed. Why wasn't New Orleans the focus of at least half of this speech? I find that personally infuriating. Maybe George Bush really doesn't like Black people.

I have also grown tired of the post-address routine of a weak Democratic response and a fawning media. If I have to listen to one more round table discussion with 5 Republican ass kissers versus 1 Democrat moderated by 1 or 2 pathetic "journalists" I'm gonna scream. Where is the restart button when you need it?

I did, however, read most of the dumbass President's speech. Wouldn't you know, that is just as annoying as actually listening to him. Most of the media build up, apart from the Alito fiasco, focused on Bush's "daring", "bold" call for America to rethink our dependence on foreign oil. Well if you are me you think something fishy is up. There is no way Bush is gonna talk about reducing our dependence on oil (he said "America is addicted to oil") without their being something shady going on. This is not a man worthy of trust. I wouldn't trust President Clinton with a hot, young, slutty co-ed and I don't trust Bush with my country. Sue me.

I understand oil via the prism of international politics/national security. The countries that supply our dependence on oil are the same precise countries that we have major problems with. They have us by the balls and they know it. Take Iran, for instance.

The New York Times:

Last night Mr. Bush told the people that "the nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons," but he did not explain how that will happen when those same nations are so dependent on Tehran's oil. Iran ranks second in oil reserves only to Saudi Arabia, where members of the elite help finance Osama bin Laden and his ilk, and where the United States finds it has little power to stop them.

Oil is a seller's market, in part because of America's voracious consumption. India and China, with their growing energy needs, have both signed deals with Iran. Rogue states like Sudan are given political cover by their oil customers. The United Nations may wish to do something about genocide in Darfur or nuclear proliferation, but its most powerful members are hamstrung by their oil alliances with some of the worst leaders on the planet.

Even if the war on terror had never begun, Mr. Bush would have an obligation to be serious about the energy issue, given the enormous danger to the nation's economy if we fail to act. His own Energy Department predicts that with the rapid development of India and China, annual global consumption will rise from about 80 million barrels of oil a day to 119 million barrels by 2025. Absent efforts to reduce American consumption, these new demands will lead to soaring oil prices, inflation and a loss of America's trade advantage. It should be a humbling shock to American leaders that Brazil has managed to become energy self-sufficient during a period when the United States was focused on building bigger S.U.V.'s.

So, what is the boy genius planning on doing about it? Well he wants to do more research regarding alternative fuel for automobiles. I'm not a very green person, but even I know that most of that research has already been done. I'm of the mindset that if you accept the premise of a large problem then you need to address that problem head-on and deeply. Playing around with research on alternative fuel sourcing is not paying the proper respect to the problem.

The research has been done. The answer is we need more fuel efficient cars. The car companies are not going to make more efficient cars on their own because the market isn't dictating they should. They will only do it if forced to. That is the heavy lifting end of this logic. We need to prepare the American people for this impending pain. The sooner we do it the less dramatic the less it will hurt.

I'll have more on the SOTU that I missed tomorrow. I'm still in shock that the majority of that speech was not devoted to New Orleans. It just sickens me.

Technorati Tags: Bush, Iran, Iraq, New Orleans, Oil, politics, SOTU

Feingold: Gonzales is Liar!

2006-01-31T23:45:00.000-05:00

Does the President's inherent Constitutional authority extend to the AG? Does it allow the AG to misled/lie to Congress in a time of war?

Washington Post:

In a letter to the attorney general yesterday, Feingold demanded to know why Gonzales dismissed the senator's question about warrantless eavesdropping as a "hypothetical situation" during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2005. At the hearing, Feingold asked Gonzales where the president's authority ends and whether Gonzales believed the president could, for example, act in contravention of existing criminal laws and spy on U.S. citizens without a warrant.

Gonzales said that it was impossible to answer such a hypothetical question but that it was "not the policy or the agenda of this president" to authorize actions that conflict with existing law. He added that he would hope to alert Congress if the president ever chose to authorize warrantless surveillance, according to a transcript of the hearing.

In fact, the president did secretly authorize the National Security Agency to begin warrantless monitoring of calls and e-mails between the United States and other nations soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The program, publicly revealed in media reports last month, was unknown to Feingold and his staff at the time Feingold questioned Gonzales, according to a staff member. Feingold's aides developed the 2005 questions based on privacy advocates' concerns about broad interpretations of executive power.

Gonzales was White House counsel at the time the program began and has since acknowledged his role in affirming the president's authority to launch the surveillance effort. Gonzales is scheduled to testify Monday before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the program's legal rationale.

This should make for an interesting Judiciary Committee hearing on Monday.

Technorati Tags: Domestic Spying, politics, Feingold, Senate

A Great American Life: Coretta Scott King

2006-01-31T15:08:00.000-05:00

We lost another great soldier for civil rights today in the passing of Coretta Scott King.
CNN:

Coretta Scott King, the widow of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., died Monday night in Baja California, Mexico, her sister told CNN.

Mrs. King, 78, suffered a stroke and a mild heart attack last August. As part of her rehabilitation, she was receiving further medical treatment at Hospital Santa Monica, a holistic health center, when she died, her sister Edythe Scott Bagley told CNN.

Even after the death of her husband, MLK, Ms. King continued to fight. She has often lent her voice to the fight for equal rights for Gay Americans and continued to be a leading voice for all of us.
Just a few of her quotes:

Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.
I believe all Americans who believe in freedom, tolerance and human rights have a responsibility to oppose bigotry and prejudice based on sexual orientation.
Segregation was wrong when it was forced by white people, and I believe it is still wrong when it is requested by black people.
Women, if the soul of the nation is to be saved, I believe that you must become its soul.
Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood. This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group.

Be sure to read the wonderful piece in The New York Times.[posted with ecto]

Technorati Tags: Corretta Scott King, Gay Rights

ABC News: ABC News' Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt Show Improvement

2006-01-31T00:10:00.000-05:00

Woodward, Vogt and their families need our prayers for the long recovery ahead. They were there serving us all.

ABC News:
Woodruff was brought out of sedation long enough to open his eyes briefly and respond to stimuli to his hands and feet, said ABC News correspondent Jim Scuitto, reporting from the German hospital where Woodruff and Vogt are being treated.

Woodruff's brother, Dave, said he is optimisic about his brother's recovery. "Having seen him, we think he's going to recover eventually," said Dave Woodruff. "It's gonna be a long road, but he's a strong guy, and he's gonna make it, and he's gonna do well. And I think the care he's gotten has been just world class so far. So with that, we can feel pretty good about him."

Doctors at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in western Germany said the two had shown signs of improvement and remained in serious but stable condition following surgery at a U.S. military hospital in Iraq. They were flown to the medical facility in Germany to recover from injuries suffered when their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in Iraq on Sunday.

The two journalists and an Iraqi soldier were seriously injured near Taji, Iraq, about 12 miles north of Baghdad. Woodruff and Vogt suffered shrapnel wounds and underwent surgery at the U.S. military hospital in Balad.

Doctors say the immediate treatment Woodruff and Vogt received in Iraq, and the fact that both were wearing body armor, were crucial in their survival.

Dave Woodruff says he believes his brother will want to get back to journalism as soon as he can. "We want to see them recover and return to what he loves to do," he said. "Maybe not back to Iraq, but certainly I know he'll want to get back to what he's always wanted to do."

Technorati tags: ABC News, Bob Woodward, Iraqi, Doug Voght

Clinton remains strong for re-election

2006-01-30T12:53:00.000-05:00

Newsday.com:

The poll from Siena College's Research Institute found Clinton leading the current front-runner for the Republican nomination, former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, 58 percent to 31 percent. A November poll from Siena had Clinton leading Spencer 59 percent to 27 percent.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Hillary Clinton, Senate

ABC News: Bob Woodward Seriously Injured

2006-01-29T11:11:00.000-05:00

ABC News:
"World News Tonight" anchor, Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured and are in serious condition after their convoy was hit by an improvised explosive device in Taji, Iraq, today.

Woodruff and Vogt are undergoing surgery at the U.S. military hospital in Balad. Both men suffered head injuries. Woodruff sustained shrapnel wounds and Vogt was hit by shrapnel in the head and suffered a broken shoulder.

Woodruff, Vogt and their four-man team were traveling in a convoy with Iraqi security forces. They had been embedded with the 4th Infantry Division and were in a mechanized vehicle when the explosive went off. The exposion was followed by small arms fire.

"This is very common over there now," said White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, who also covered the Pentagon for years and has had entensive experience in Iraq, on "This Week With George Stephanopoulos" this morning. "These attacks are planned, and this [the small arms attack] is a secondary attack. Sometimes when the medical personnel come in, they have small arms fire following up on that."

Technorati Tags: ABC News, Iraq, Television

Video Test

2006-01-29T02:26:00.000-05:00

Let's see how the Google Video thing works. They say we should be able to put the video code directly in to the post.

Here goes nothing:

Senate Watch (Montana): Jon Tester New Internet Ad

2006-01-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

Article:

Using the Internet, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Tester turned up the heat Friday against Republican Sen. Conrad Burns for his ties to former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, now a confessed felon.

Tester, president of the Montana Senate, launched an Internet advertisement that disputed Burns' own statements on a television spot this week in which Burns sought to distance himself from Abramoff. Tester, a Big Sandy farmer, has this Web site: www.testerforsenate.com.

“It's a Web-based ad that hopefully we'll run on the air,” said Tester's spokesman, Bill Lombardi.

Check out the ad here.

Technorati Tags: Politics, Conrad Burns, puppy, Senate

Non-partisan Analysis: Jack Abramoff is a Republican problem

2006-01-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

Our media blows chunks. Really. They seem incapable of unbiased logic. The Republicans have been so successful in shaming them with their "liberal media" label that they go out of their way to draw comparisons between dirty Republicans and Democrats. They are afraid to call a spade a spade. TAP has done an excellent analysis of the Jack Abramoff scandal:

TAP:

A new and extensive analysis of campaign donations from all of Jack Abramoff’s tribal clients, done by a nonpartisan research firm, shows that a great majority of contributions made by those clients went to Republicans. The analysis undercuts the claim that Abramoff directed sums to Democrats at anywhere near the same rate.

Although Abramoff hasn’t personally given to any Democrats, Republicans, including officials with the GOP campaign to hold on to the Senate, have seized on the donations of his tribal clients as proof that the saga is a bipartisan scandal. And the controversy recently spread to the media when the ombudsman for The Washington Post, Deborah Howell, ignited a firestorm by wrongly asserting that Abramoff had given to both. She eventually amended her assessment, writing that Abramoff “directed his client Indian tribes to make campaign contributions to members of Congress from both parties.”

But the Morris and Associates analysis, which was done exclusively for The Prospect, clearly shows that it’s highly misleading to suggest that the tribes's giving to Dems was in any way comparable to their giving to the GOP. The analysis shows that when Abramoff took on his tribal clients, the majority of them dramatically ratcheted up donations to Republicans. Meanwhile, donations to Democrats from the same clients either dropped, remained largely static or, in two cases, rose by a far smaller percentage than the ones to Republicans did. This pattern suggests that whatever money went to Democrats, rather than having been steered by Abramoff, may have largely been money the tribes would have given anyway.

Will the traditional media finally get this story right? I doubt it. They will continue to try to portray this as a problem equally impacting Republicans and Democrats.

Wake up people. These Republicans are the scum of the earth and they are playing like fiddles. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Return your degrees because you are not putting them to good use. And you wonder why everyone has such disdain for you.

The analysis shows:

•in total, the donations of Abramoff’s tribal clients to Democrats dropped by nine percent after they hired him, while their donations to Republicans more than doubled, increasing by 135 percent after they signed him up;

• five out of seven of Abramoff’s tribal clients vastly favored Republican candidates over Democratic ones;

• four of the seven began giving substantially more to Republicans than Democrats after he took them on;

• Abramoff’s clients gave well over twice as much to Republicans than Democrats, while tribes not affiliated with Abramoff gave well over twice as much to Democrats than the GOP -- exactly the reverse pattern.

“It’s very hard to see the donations of Abramoff’s clients as a bipartisan greasing of the wheels,” Morris, the firm’s founder and a former investigations editor at the Los Angeles Times, told The Prospect.

Bloomberg News published a similar, more limited analysis last month, which relied on a small amount of data also from Morris’ firm.” But that analysis didn't look at all of Abramoff's tribal clients, and didn't provide a detailed year-by-year analysis of their donations or a detailed comparison to other tribal giving. Since then, some observers, such as blogger Kevin Drum, have argued that a comprehensive look at the donations of all of Abramoff’s tribal clients would help shed light on the scandal.

Senate: 3 Democrats for Alito

2006-01-27T11:41:00.000-05:00

Three Senate Democrats, so far, will vote to approve Sam Alito for the Supreme Court. There will probably be a couple more.

Reuters:

Sens. Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Tim Johnson of South Dakota, joined Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who had earlier declared his support.

With the chances slim for any procedural roadblock to halt the nomination, the 55-year-old nominee appears certain to soon be confirmed by the 100-member Republican-led Senate, likely early next week.

That makes plenty of sense. Many Democratic activists will be livid. They want a filibuster even if only for show. Even the New York Times is pounding the pavement for a filibuster:

NYTimes Editorial

It is hard to imagine a moment when it would be more appropriate for senators to fight for a principle. Even a losing battle would draw the public's attention to the import of this nomination.

But portraying the Alito nomination as just another volley in the culture wars vastly underestimates its significance. The judge's record strongly suggests that he is an eager lieutenant in the ranks of the conservative theorists who ignore our system of checks and balances, elevating the presidency over everything else. He has expressed little enthusiasm for restrictions on presidential power and has espoused the peculiar argument that a president's intent in signing a bill is just as important as the intent of Congress in writing it. This would be worrisome at any time, but it takes on far more significance now, when the Bush administration seems determined to use the cover of the "war on terror" and presidential privilege to ignore every restraint, from the Constitution to Congressional demands for information.

Senate Democrats, who presented a united front against the nomination of Judge Alito in the Judiciary Committee, seem unwilling to risk the public criticism that might come with a filibuster Â particularly since there is very little chance it would work. Judge Alito's supporters would almost certainly be able to muster the 60 senators necessary to put the nomination to a final vote.

A filibuster is a radical tool. It's easy to see why Democrats are frightened of it. But from our perspective, there are some things far more frightening. One of them is Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court.

Hogwash! This is some of the most absurd reasoning I've ever seen. Look, the bottomline is that the man will be confirmed. Why risk alienating the public when we are so well positioned for the upcoming 2006 elections? Especially when we consider that he will ultimately be confirmed? Just to draw attention to a radical Justice? Well, the American people voted for that and we will pay the price in the short-run. In the long-run, however, we shall prevail. Americans are not ready for Alito's radical vision of America. They will not "get it", however, until they are forced to live in that America.

Senate Democrats need to keep their eyes on the long-term battle ahead. It is more important to make gains in November than it is to put on apoliticall show today.

The new reality is that barring some scandal every nominated Justice to the Supreme Court will be confirmed. The entire process has evolved in to demonstrations of the absurd. The White House assures there are no skeletons in the closet. The nominee goes before the committee and says absolutely nothing. Why do we even have hearings if we don't expect the potential Justice to answer any questions? It makes no sense to me. We should either allow them to answer questions or not hold hearings at all.

However, anyone who proclaims to be pro-choice and votes for this jackass needs to get special attention in upcoming elections. I can't wait for an abortion issue to get to the Court. I look forward to the backlash when these men start telling women what to do with their bodies. Talk about a permanent Democratic majority! Bring it own, people! Go Alito! Just Do It!

Outrage: Oprah and James Frey!

2006-01-26T17:49:00.000-05:00

Say what you will about Oprah, but the woman is genius. I blogged a earlier about the flap over James Frey's memoir/novel, A Million Little Pieces. I read Frey's manuscript in consideration for the film version. Well, I just watched Oprah revisit the issue on her show. Superficially, I think this whole flap is about embarrassing Oprah. There would have been a Smoking Gun investigation if Oprah had not given the book her seal of approval. This was about putting a kink in her armor. There are a few things going to my head about this now.

Firstly, Oprah did a great job of tackling the controversy head on. Shen invited James Frey and his publisher back to her show to confront him and brought along a few legit reporters to pile on. She made a mistake and took responsibility for defending Frey on Larry King Live! Bravo for her. Only Oprah could turn such an embarrassing incident in to TV gold.

Secondly, journalists are the scum of the earth. These "journalists" are jumping all over Frey, Oprah and Doubleday for not digging deeper in to Frey's story. Someone should ask them how deeply they dig in to the shit fed to them by George W. Bush. Journalists are in no position to criticize anyone about the almighty 'truth'.

Thirdly, What the fuck is up with Doubleday? How could they let something like this happen? The question is, of course, rhetorical because we know it is all about the benjamins. But, they are fools. The minute they got a call from Oprah about featuring the book on her Book Club they should have said "hell to the no". If Oprah's people didn't figure out their lie than surely someone out there looking to make Oprah look bad would figure it out. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Finally, is this whole thing really about a deteriorating appreciation for truth? Surely, that deterioration is a reality, but why all the fuss about a damn book? If anything this man's lies were helping people. Ultimately, that is a good thing. Yes, it would be nice for all the books in the library and at the bookstore to be properly categorized. But, where is all this outrage regarding truth in government. Are our standards for books in the Oprah Book Club higher than our standards for policy making? for war?

Give me a break and spare me the outrage!

Johnny Come Lately

2006-01-23T16:38:00.000-05:00

Remember when the Bush's first got to Washington? It seemed their knee-jerk reaction was do everything exactly the opposite of the Clinton Administration and everything for industry. Of course, those favors to industry eventually come home to roost:

The Bush administration is reviewing safety equipment used in the nation's mines after previously scrapping similar initiatives started by the Clinton administration.

The agency that oversees coal mine safety is seeking public input on how to better supply miners and rescuers with equipment such as breathing apparatus and communications devices, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

In recent years, the Mine Safety and Health Administration pulled Clinton-era initiatives examining safety equipment and mine rescue operations off its regulatory agenda, a semiannual document that outlines what agencies are working on.

Key among the items withdrawn were those dealing with oxygen packs that miners carry and the ability of mine rescue teams do their jobs.

I know that Republicans are bred to hate regulation. I know they think that regulation hinders business by artificially restricting the market. Well, guess what, jackasses? Some things are more important than making money and efficient markets: life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness for all Americans. Our government is suppose to act on behalf of the American people, not business interests. If we all understand that business' primary objective is and should be increasing profits, and we know that sometimes that interest is not consistent with a given community or society, how do we go about protecting that acommunity or society when the interests of industry are determining policy?

It makes no sense.

Bush, Miner Safety, Regulation, Clinton, Politics

Economic Shifts

2006-01-23T13:35:00.000-05:00

Link:

Ford Motor Co., the nation's second-largest automaker, said Monday that it will cut 25,000 to 30,000 jobs and idle 14 facilities by 2012 as part of a restructuring designed to reverse a $1.6 billion loss last year in its North American operations.

The cuts represent 20 percent to 25 percent of Ford's North American work force of 122,000 people. Ford has approximately 87,000 hourly workers and 35,000 salaried workers in the region.

Ford shares rose 60 cents, or 7.6 percent, to $8.50 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

How could anyone be surprised when we consider this:

Earlier Monday, Ford reported earnings of $2 billion in 2005, down 42 percent from last year's profit of $3.5 billion. It was the third straight year the automaker has reported a profit, but gains in Europe, Asia and elsewhere were offset by a loss of $1.6 billion in North American operations.

Times are changing, folks. Globalization is real is it is a good thing (especially in the long run). We need to have patience when considering how Americann companies respond to these realities. Which isn't to say we turn a blind eye in anyway.

It is also good to see that it isn't only factory workers:

Ford also said it was reducing the company's officer ranks by 12 percent by the end of the first quarter. The company previously said it was cutting the equivalent of 4,000 salaried positions by the end of the quarter.

Something is hampering innovation over there. Those huge factories are probably outdated. The pension costs are out of control. And everyone knows that the nation's healthcare system is about to collapse. Somehow I don't think that slashing jobs will be enough.

BTW, I know many Democrats would like to use this announcement to reflect poorly upon the overal natioal economy. That will be a mistake. The overall economy is average to acceptable. We can always do better. But, the problems over at Ford, I believe, are more industry specific, not to mention, generational complications.

One thing we should all do: Buy American. At least the first car.

Ford, Economy, Economics, Pensions

Original Intent: Harlem

2006-01-22T23:58:00.000-05:00

Interesting and lengthy piece in the Times on the original intent for Harlem:

...because Harlem is a fluke. Those grand avenues give away what the neighborhood was intended to be, a hundred years ago: a wealthy, white suburb for the city growing explosively just to the south. But because of a combination of overspeculation, racism and pure chance, Harlem became something very different, the capital of black America, the locus of countless dreams - and a prison of sorts.

The swampy village that was Harlem had been intended as a home for the white elite, who had been retreating up Manhattan before one immigrant wave after another for most of the 19th century. Moving up the island almost simultaneously were New York's African-Americans, living together as a segregated community since the terrible lynchings of the Civil War draft riots. They were pushed on from one neighborhood to the next by assaults from the police, and by the same, white ethnic hordes that so frightened the nobs.

Deprived of their anticipated upper class, the landlords of Harlem turned to black tenants, knowing they could be charged double the standard rents for working-class New Yorkers because they had no place else to go. The result was New York's first real ghetto.

Harlem, African Americans, History

Osama Hearts Bush

2006-01-22T23:36:00.000-05:00

No Surprise Here:

DAMADOLA, Pakistan - Sympathy for al-Qaida has surged after a U.S. airstrike devastated this remote mountain hamlet in a region sometimes as hostile toward the Pakistani government as it is to the United States.

But, at least we knocked off a few bad guys, right?

A week after the attack, villagers insist no members of the terror network were anywhere near the border village when it was hit. But thousands of protesters flooded a nearby town chanting, "Long live Osama bin Laden!"

Well, the Pakistanis are one of our most important allies in the War On Terror!

"This attack has increased our hatred for Americans because they are killing innocent women and children," said Zakir Ullah, one of 5,000 demonstrators in Inayat Qala, a market town about three miles from Damadola.

"We support jihad (holy war). Jihad is the duty of every Muslim," he said.

Bottom line: George Bush is a fuck up. We had the chance to get Osama in Tora Bora and chose to forget about him. Big frickin mistake. And we wasted the pass three years setting up Iraq for Iranian control. I'll say it again, George Bush is Osama Bin Laden's best friend.

Osama, 9/11, Bush, Tora Bora, Pakistan

Mutiny!

2006-01-22T21:48:00.000-05:00

Link:

Some passengers on the Queen Mary 2 cruise ship are threatening not to get off the ship at its next port of call to protest a last-minute change in the itinerary, the vessel's operator said Sunday.

The ship, the world's largest and most expensive ocean liner, had to cut three stops out of its Latin American tour because of a problem with one of its four propulsion motors, said Eric Flounders, a Cunard lines spokesman.

Mutiny, Queen Mary

Ben Roethlisberger Leads Steelers to Superbowl

2006-01-22T20:57:00.000-05:00

Sweet! Steelers take down the Broncos in glorious fashion, 34-17.

Ben Roethlisberger had a brilliant afternoon, throwing for 275 yards and two scores, and Jerome Bettis extended his career one more game, lifting the Steelers to a dominating 34-17 victory in the AFC title game Sunday.

Pittsburgh, Steelers, Roethlisberger, Broncos, NFL, Superbowl

Bush Campaigning to Spy On All Of US

2006-01-22T20:09:00.000-05:00

There he goes again. There is one thing most of us can agree upon that Bush does well: cheerlead. Yes, he's been a cheerleader since his days at Andover. He is a heck of a campaigner. He is shit at actually governing mind you.

So, now that his illegal NSA spy operation has been revealed he is back in campaign mode. Funny thing is I'm not sure the American people are buying what he's selling anymore. Remember his poll numbers are shit. And remember how he was gonna spend his "political capital" on dismantling the Social Security program. But, I digress.

Forbes:

The Bush administration is opening a campaign to push back against criticism of its domestic spying program, ahead of congressional hearings into whether President Bush has the legal authority to eavesdrop on Americans.

President Bush will visit the ultra-secret National Security Agency on Wednesday, underscoring his claim that he has the constitutional authority to let intelligence officials listen in on international phone calls of Americans with suspected ties to terrorists.

"We are stepping up our efforts to educate the American people," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said about Bush's trip to the NSA, based at Fort Meade in Maryland.

Cute, right? King George has the Constitutional authority to do whatever he wants. The question of the legality of the NSA program will ultimately be determined by the Courts. Until then we all have to endure more blustering cheerleading by Bush on the war path destroying our civil liberties in order to "save" us. What a joke.

Bush, NSA, National Security, Domestic Spying

Senate Watch: Conrad Burns (MT)

2006-01-22T18:33:00.000-05:00

Votes for sale! How much do you think it would cost you to get a fine upstanding U.S. Senator to switch a vote? I suppose it would be depend on the Senator. Sen. Conrad Burns, it turns outs, commands at least $5,000. Hey, that ain't so bad.

Downright Cheap:

HELENA - U.S. Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., met with a Marianas official who had close ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff in the weeks before Burns received an Abramoff-related $5,000 contribution from the Marianas and reversed his earlier position on a bill about the islands.

Burns voted against a bill in May 2001 that would have strengthened U.S. oversight over the commonwealth's labor and immigration laws. A little more than a year before Burns had not opposed an identical measure.

Burns has said the $5,000 donation from an Abramoff client had nothing to do with his 2001 change in stance on the bill. Rather, the senator told Lee Newspapers this month he was persuaded to vote against the measure after reading two government reports about the islands and meeting with Fitial, who was then speaker of the Marianas House of Representatives.

Initially, Burns said he didn't know why he changed his position on the bill.

Shame!

Senate, Abramoff, Republicans, Montana

George & Jack Sitting in A Tree

2006-01-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

The truth always comes out eventually. Especially if there are photos.

Time:

The President's memory may soon be unhappily refreshed. TIME has seen five photographs of Abramoff and the President that suggest a level of contact between them that Bush's aides have downplayed. While TIME's source refused to provide the pictures for publication, they are likely to see the light of day eventually because celebrity tabloids are on the prowl for them. And that has been a fear of the Bush team's for the past several months: that a picture of the President with the admitted felon could become the iconic image of direct presidential involvement in a burgeoning corruption scandal like the shots of President Bill Clinton at White House coffees for campaign contributors in the mid-1990s.

Bush, Abramoff

Super Bowl: Steelers up at half-time

2006-01-22T16:55:00.000-05:00

My dream of the Bears in the Super Bowl being dashed, I'm rooting for the Steelers. They were up 10 - 0 at half-time.

Go Steelers!

Senate Watch: Democrats Senate Majority Dreams in Trouble?

2006-01-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

I hate to say it, but I tend to agree with this assessment of the Democrats chances of taking over the Senate this year.

National Ledger:

In addition to holding all of their own seats, Democrats must come close to running the table on the most competitive GOP-held seats. That would mean defeating Senators Rick Santorum (PA), Lincoln Chafee (RI) -- or his primary challenger Steve Laffey -- Mike DeWine (OH), Conrad Burns (MT), and Jim Talent (MO). Then Democrats would need to defeat either Jon Kyl (AZ) or win the open seat in Tennessee, two challenges that are considerably more difficult than knocking off Santorum or DeWine.

Overall, of the ten most competitive Senate seats in the country, Democrats must win nine of them. The feat is possible, since frequently one party seems to win all of the close contests. But the Democrats' task got a bit more difficult with Lott's decision.

Senator Lott is taking one for the team. I hope they take good care of him next year. Majority Leader perhaps? Regardless, the Republicans will be in a much weaker position. And we are set up pretty nicely to take the White House and the Senate in 2008!

Senate Watch (FL): Katherine Harris here to stay

2006-01-22T16:27:00.000-05:00

Nice! The GOP tried everything they could to keep Katherine Harris out of the FL Senate race. But, she would not take no for an answer. And the Republican nutjobs demand thier criminals seek higher office.

AP:

The campaign hasn't been easy for Harris since August when she announced her bid to challenge incumbent Democrat Bill Nelson. GOP leaders in Washington searched for another candidate, convinced that voters were polarized by her role as Florida's secretary of state in the 2000 presidential election recount and that she could not win.

Fundraising has also gone slower than she expected and she acknowledged Saturday that she gave her campaign $250,000 during the final quarter of last year. She said, however, that she raised more than $1 million in other cash contributions — double the amount she raised in her first quarter of fundraising.