Huckabee: ‘I Don’t Know’ If People Are ‘Born’ Gay, But It’s A ‘Choice’ To Act Gay
On NBC’s Meet The Press this morning, host Tim Russert asked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee if he believed “people are born gay or choose to be gay?” “I don’t know whether people are born that way,” responded Huckabee, “but one thing I know, that the behavior one practices is a choice.
This is the best the Republicans can do? Hahahahahahahahaha.
G W Bu$h, selected president by a corrupt Supreme Court in 2000 and re-selected in 2004 by hackable, GOP sponsored voting machines in Ohio and Florida, has damaged our country immensly. This New York Times editorial only touches on some of the dammage, but is an excellent summary of some of Bu$h's worst offenses.
There are too many moments these days when we cannot recognize our country. Sunday was one of them, as we read the account in The Times of how men in some of the most trusted posts in the nation plotted to cover up the torture of prisoners by Central Intelligence Agency interrogators by destroying videotapes of their sickening behavior. It was impossible to see the founding principles of the greatest democracy in the contempt these men and their bosses showed for the Constitution, the rule of law and human decency.
It was not the first time in recent years we’ve felt this horror, this sorrowful sense of estrangement, not nearly. This sort of lawless behavior has become standard practice since Sept. 11, 2001.
The country and much of the world was rightly and profoundly frightened by the single-minded hatred and ingenuity displayed by this new enemy. But there is no excuse for how President Bush and his advisers panicked — how they forgot that it is their responsibility to protect American lives and American ideals, that there really is no safety for Americans or their country when those ideals are sacrificed.
Out of panic and ideology, President Bush squandered America’s position of moral and political leadership, swept aside international institutions and treaties, sullied America’s global image, and trampled on the constitutional pillars that have supported our democracy through the most terrifying and challenging times. These policies have fed the world’s anger and alienation and have not made any of us safer.
In the years since 9/11, we have seen American soldiers abuse, sexually humiliate, torment and murder prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq. A few have been punished, but their leaders have never been called to account. We have seen mercenaries gun down Iraqi civilians with no fear of prosecution. We have seen the president, sworn to defend the Constitution, turn his powers on his own citizens, authorizing the intelligence agencies to spy on Americans, wiretapping phones and intercepting international e-mail messages without a warrant.
How could this have happened to our democracy? I believe it began with the mainstream media, browbeaten from decades of abuse by rightwing radicals screaming about "liberal bias" and the fear of being called unpatriotic. Many in the media have now recovered. Let's hope 2008 is the year America recovers from its 8 year sickness.
Puleese! The neo Con Artist who has been wrong about virtually everything of importance in the Bu$h years of American decline is now being paid to write a column for the Times. Boffo, Times! Does this now mean there are no sane or respectable conservative writers from which to choose? i guess so Get a load of this:
Not so exciting is watching an institution known for integrity and maturity look so untethered from its moorings. Yes, I'm talking about the New York Times' hiring of neocon William Kristol as a weekly op-ed columnist. It seems a scared, defensive move in a world where an aggressive Rupert Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal and has vowed to take on the Times. So they got one of Murdoch's boys, it's true. Or they sort of got him, because it looks like he'll keep his gigs at Murdoch's Weekly Standard and Fox News. So they're sharing him? I don't get it.
I'll leave it to Crooks and Liars to document Kristol's sad history of being wrong on everything (about the likelihood Sunni and Shi'a in Iraq could all get along, on the urgency of a strike against Iran's probably non-existent nuclear program, about the Times itself deserving prosecution for its" totally gratuitous revealing of an ongoing secret classified program that is part of the war on terror.") Hey, we're all wrong sometimes. But Kristol has been consistently, spectacularly wrong for a living. He bears a special responsibility for selling the Iraq war using any means necessary, and for savaging war opponents to this day as traitors who don't care about national security. And I can't help but think in the long run that he hurts the paper. The main thing the Times has, as a brand -- and believe me, it's a lot -- is its association with and dedication to the truth. Kristol is anti-truth.
How typical. The GOP once again Cheneys up the economy, makes a mess of world affairs and then passes the mess off onto the Democrats to repair. Then they [Dems] get slammed for raising taxes to repair the damage. At least Bu$h 1 got stuck holding the bag for some of RayGun's disasters. Cold comfort. Vanity Fair has a good article laying out the basics. Here's a snip:
When we look back someday at the catastrophe that was the Bush administration, we will think of many things: the tragedy of the Iraq war, the shame of Guantánamo and Abu Ghraib, the erosion of civil liberties. The damage done to the American economy does not make front-page headlines every day, but the repercussions will be felt beyond the lifetime of anyone reading this page.
I can hear an irritated counterthrust already. The president has not driven the United States into a recession during his almost seven years in office. Unemployment stands at a respectable 4.6 percent. Well, fine. But the other side of the ledger groans with distress: a tax code that has become hideously biased in favor of the rich; a national debt that will probably have grown 70 percent by the time this president leaves Washington; a swelling cascade of mortgage defaults; a record near-$850 billion trade deficit; oil prices that are higher than they have ever been; and a dollar so weak that for an American to buy a cup of coffee in London or Paris—or even the Yukon—becomes a venture in high finance.
Our C-J Rag Finally Reports Honestly On Ditch Mitch
Crikey! It took long enough, but our Stockholm Syndrome rag [C-J] finally did a bit of fact checking on our Senior Senator [Ditch Mitch] and found him lacking. What a world! Hacks, such as David Hawpe, who claim that money equals free speech in Mitch's defense are utterly bankrupt. Have a look at this editorial that honestly deals with Mitch's actual record:
The Leader used obstructionist tactics not just to kill bills but to serve the interests of George W. Bush and their party's campaign-giver base. The Washington Post reported, "McConnell nearly brought down a major ethics and lobbying bill over GOP demands for a vote on granting the President virtual line-item veto authority. Later, he and other Republicans forced Democrats to accept tax breaks for small businesses as a condition for passing the minimum-wage bill."
Just a short while back, before Democrats took control, Sen. McConnell was outraged by procedural sandbagging. He threatened the "nuclear option" (changing the rule that allows a minority to block Senate action, unless the majority can come up with 60 votes) when Democrats would not confirm a few Bush judicial nominees.
President Bush was a full partner in this year's obstruction. He went more than six years without vetoing a bill, but once Democrats gained control of Congress he joined the McConnell wrecking crew. As of a few days ago, he had threatened to veto 86 bills and actually had vetoed six. He let a GOP Congress do his dirty work for years, but now he openly threatens to kill bills that would punish hate crimes, stop price-gouging at the gas pump and give millions more children health insurance under SCHIP.
Not a winning formula to run on for re-election. What an ass Ditch Mitch is.!
Lunsford, Fischer Make Ill-Considered Bids For Senate
PageOneKentucky is in the know about KY politics, having worked with many local /State candidates. IMHO, Lunsford and Fischer wouldn't stand a chance in HELL of running for dog catcher. Here's a snip from Page One:
One thing is certain: having a hundred in-the-know politicos and elected officials tell Fischer he shouldn’t run did nothing to bring his ego down to earth.
So. Two guys wasting untold millions in a Democratic primary for senate. First Bruce and now Greg? Couldn’t make it any more fun if we tried. Mitch McConnell is probably eating this crap up. Literally licking his chops.
What’s unfortunate for both Bruce Lunsford and Greg Fischer, though, is that Andrew Horne [my bold] is already pulling in endorsements and has been elevated by organizations like ActBlue and national veterans groups. With Lunsford and Fischer inches away, labor will jump on the Horne boat quite soon. And the dirt will begin to fly.
The '08 elections will absolutely be about change. The current system is BROKEN. Hacks like Lunsford and Fischer are delusional if they think their tired old ways of doing business will have any traction.
Under strong pressure from the U.S. military, the investigating judge closed the case and imposed a gag order. This was requested principally because the U.S. military was concerned about unfavorable media coverage. The Pentagon media strategy involves leaking information as it finds convenient to “friendly new media” (this I take to be wingnut bloggers), but restricting the flow of information to traditional media. The Iraqi judge is fully cooperating with his gag order.
• The U.S. military has assigned a team of five to act effectively as prosecutors in the case. The team is headed by a JAG Captain named Kelvey (or perhaps Calvey). (Says the source: “We recognize, of course, that the U.S. has no authority to prosecute a case in an Iraqi court. That’s one of the reasons that a gag order was essential.”)
• The Iraqi judge is also allowing the U.S. military to present evidence by witnesses through remote television hook-ups from undisclosed locations. This is done particularly to be sure that Bilal Hussein would not be able to cross-examine any witnesses.
• The Pentagon was particularly concerned about the prospect of Bilal Hussein getting effective defense from his lawyer, former federal prosecutor Paul Gardephe. The judge was told to refuse to allow Bilal Hussein’s U.S. lawyer to participate in the case. The judge accepted this advice. Consequently, the U.S. military has a five-man team to press its case, but Bilal Hussein’s lawyer is silenced and not permitted to participate–and all of this has occurred as a result of U.S. Government intervention with the court. The irony of course is that under Iraqi law, the U.S. military has no authority or right to appear and prosecute, but Bilal Hussein’s chosen counsel has an absolute right.
It goes downhill from there. Under Bu$h and Rummy, the Pentagon became an absolute enemy to the very idea of Military (or any other) justice and the notion of a fair trial. It is sickening.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said Wednesday that employers could reduce or eliminate health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.
The policy, set forth in a new regulation, allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, with more comprehensive benefits for those under 65 and more limited benefits — or none at all — for those older.
[. . .]
In a preamble to the new regulation, published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the commission said, “The final rule is not intended to encourage employers to eliminate any retiree health benefits they may currently provide.”
But AARP and other advocates for older Americans attacked the rule. “This rule gives employers free rein to use age as a basis for reducing or eliminating health care benefits for retirees 65 and older,” said Christopher G. Mackaronis, a lawyer for AARP, which represents millions of people age 50 or above and which had sued in an effort to block issuance of the final regulation. “Ten million people could be affected — adversely affected — by the rule.”
An attack on a political rally killed the Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto near the capital, Islamabad, Thursday. Witnesses said Ms. Bhutto was fired upon at close range and further injured by the explosion.
I guess that democratic "domino effect" Bu$hies were predicting in the Middle East just took another hit. Heckuvajob, Bu$hies!
Whatever would we do without our best pal Hank? Here's his latest contribution to our *internets* connection at DL Louisville: Merry Christmas!
For weeks we've been exhorting you to spend, spend, spend, but now that the presents have (with any luck) been bought and the preparations are complete, it's time to ponder the deeper meaning of Christmas. We asked our favourite writers to rant, reflect or reminisce on a festive theme. As Ronald Hutton explains, the last thing you should feel at this time of year is guilty, so sit down with a mince pie and enjoy
Earlier this year, the American government lifted its ban on absinthe. The first entrant into the market is Lucid, distributed by New York-based Viridian Spirits and currently enjoying the highest profile. Part of that is due to the man hired to collaborate on the product -- none other than Breaux, who developed Lucid at a distillery in Saumur, France. I've heard snide comments about the bottle design -- a pair of cat's eyes meant to evoke Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen's Le Chat Noir poster art, an homage to a Montmartre cabaret, though it mostly reminds me of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" -- but I haven't heard gripes about the drink. Lucid is a solid absinthe. And so far, a popular one.
"We've sold thousands more cases than expected," says Jared Gurfein, president of Viridian Spirits. "There is a huge interest in absinthe. Unbelievable."
And, Breaux adds, "there is nothing neutered or modified about it. This is the same absinthe they drank 100 years ago."
Just a few weeks ago, Scripps Howard News Service and Ohio University released a little-noticed study showing that one-third of Americans now "believe in a broad smorgasbord of conspiracy theories" revolving around government complicity in everything from the 9/11 attacks to the Kennedy assassination. The same survey last year found that "anger against the federal government is at record levels."
It would be easy to chalk up these troubling findings to the unending propaganda of fear. America has been experiencing the searing blast of politicized terror warnings and breaking news graphics for the better part of six years now, and populations living under such constant government and media shock treatment can go a wee bit berserk.
But while many of these conspiracy theories are offensive and factually unsupported, the underlying paranoia and loathing are not surprising, and the feelings are not motivated merely by a fear of the next bogeyman around the corner. The sentiments are symptoms of a deep crisis of confidence in our public institutions -- a crisis that is a predictable reaction to a government that now all but admits it breaks laws, hides information and disregards the public.
We have seen troops sent to war based on manipulated intelligence. We have discovered phones wiretapped without warrants. Just last week, we found out the CIA destroyed tapes of potentially illegal torture sessions. So many scandals now plague the government, it is hard to remember them all. And they have all happened with almost no consequences for the perpetrators.
Nonetheless, every era has its sensational scandals, and so it is probably the mundane that has heated the public's low-grade disgust into a simmering boil. After all, what we see our government and our representatives quietly do every day tells us far more than even the headline-grabbing controversies.
I don't think politicians such as Ditch Mitch fully appreciate just how enraged the public is about the Bu$h/GOP reign of terror.
Bu$h's press conference today was among the most Orwellian of them all. Get a load of this:
During his White House press conference this morning, George W. Bush was asked what he thought about Hillary Clinton's idea of sending his father and her husband on a "worldwide goodwill mission to restore the country's good name abroad."
The president's response: Been there, done that.
"It's what I do during my presidency," Bush said. "I go around spreading goodwill and talking about the importance of spreading freedom and peace."
Hahahahahahahaha! You really cannot make that s**t UP!
The Department of Justice refused to send a representative to answer questions from Congress today on the investigations into allegations of rape and sexual assault on female American contractors.
"I'm embarrassed that the Department of Justice can't even come forward," said the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, D-Mich.
"This is an absolute disgrace," said Conyers. "The least we could do is have people from the Department of Justice and the Defense over here talking about how we're going to straighten out the system right away."
[. . .]
"The Department of Justice has not informed Jamie [rape victim] or me [her lawyer] of the status of a criminal investigation against her rapist if any investigation exists," Poe said today. "It is interesting to note that the Department of Justice has thousands of lawyers but not one from the barrage of lawyers is here to tell us what if anything they are doing. Their absence and silence speaks volumes about the hidden crimes in Iraq. Their attitude seems to be one of blissful indifference to American workers in Iraq," said Poe.
Our so called Department of Justice is, sadly, an oxymoron.
Congress was told loud and clear that Mukasey was a Loyal Bu$hie at his confirmation hearings. He refused to denounce torture (any decent human being certainly would have denounced it), and they confirmed him anyway. The Democratic "leadership" is just another word for sellout. They are unworthy of their jobs and responsibilities.
— Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey has signaled in his first weeks on the job that he intends to be a forceful advocate for some of President Bush’s most controversial antiterrorism policies, even if that means angering Congressional leaders who hoped that he would instead focus on repairing the strained relationship between the Justice Department and Capitol Hill.
In what was billed as a major policy speech on Wednesday to a panel of the American Bar Association, Mr. Mukasey suggested that lawmakers who opposed legislation before Congress to broaden eavesdropping powers — and to offer legal protection for telephone utilities that cooperate — were undermining the ability to deal with terrorist threats.
Now they will be SHOCKED, shocked, I tell you that they have another lawless, Constitution busting AG on their hands. Who could have seen that coming? And the phoney terrorism card makes another appearance. Oy.
How perverse is this hacktackular creature? He hearts the disastrous policies of the Worst Preznit Ever? What a phony hack. Do these clowns ever talk to "real folks" or look at the political landscape? I think not. How are those Black Sites working for you, Mitt? The Cheneyed up Iraq and Afghanistan invasions? US and Israel's disaster in Lebanon? You proud of THAT? Shame on you, idiot.
ABC News' John Berman Reports: Standing on the banks of the chilly Mississippi River in Davenport, Iowa, Mitt Romney gave a great big political bear-hug to President Bush. Praising the president's foreign policy, Romney said, "I believe that our president has acted in good faith, and in an effort to protect his country, and do everything in his power to keep America safe."
January: McConnell Called Himself Bush's "Strongest Supporter" On Iraq.
In an interview discussing Iraq and the President's proposed troop escalation, McConnell described himself as "the srongest supporter of the president you could find in the Senate on this effort."
February: McConnell Blocked Senate Escalation Debate, Arguing Many GOPers Don't Want a Debate.
Leading the fight to block a Senate debate on Iraq in February, McConnell said, "let me just say there are many members on my side who would argue that we shouldn't be having this debate this week at all." Headlines across the country accused the McConnell-led Senate Republicans of blocking the essential debate.
March: McConnell Holds Muti-Million Dollar Fundraiser With Bush, While Fighting his Battles in the Senate.
On March 1, the Washington Times ran a headline that said, "McConnell fighting Bush's battles in Senate." The next day, President Bush traveled to Kentucky for a fundraiser with McConnell that raised $2.1 million for McConnell and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
And that's just a few short months of his awfulness. Ditch Mitch. He hurts people.
Tweety likes to think he's some kind of "independant" journalist, but as Media Matters points out in their research, his incredible bias is nothing to brag about Media Matters focused on Hillary and Rudy because they are the front runners. Have a look:
The results demonstrate that Matthews has been particularly friendly to Rudy Giuliani in recent months, and extremely hostile toward Hillary Clinton. Not only is there a qualitative difference between the kinds of praise and criticism he offers these two candidates, but a quantitative difference, as well: Matthews made 10 negative remarks about Clinton for every negative remark he made about Giuliani, and nearly three times as many positive remarks about the former New York City mayor as about Clinton. The ratio of positive to negative remarks was 3.5-to-1 for Giuliani, but 1-to-8.2 for Clinton.
Surprise, surprise! He always shows his pro GOP bias.
The Courier-Journal correctly calls the funding of this boondoggle, Nowhere Road
The Interstate 66 story is both astonishing and outrageous.
Even the power of congressional perquisite and the long history of wasteful congressional self-indulgence does not explain the survival of this misbegotten project.
Somebody should make a movie -- a horror flick called "The Road that Wouldn't Die."
It's tedious to repeat the case against I-66, because the arguments against allocation of any further funding are so obvious and conclusive, as outlined by Courier-Journal investigative reporter R.G. Dunlop:
No other states seem to have any interest in moving forward with a corridor that would stretch some 3,000 miles from east to west.
No traffic studies support the argument of its chief supporter, Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers, R-5th District, that this road is needed, even in the parts of Southern Kentucky through which it would pass.
The only serious economic analysis showed only marginal return on investment for drivers on this road.
It concludes by saying, "The only thing likely to stop I-66 in Kentucky is the departure of Mr. Rogers from Congress." Hal has got to go.
Andrew Horne, a Louisville lawyer and Iraq war veteran who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2006, has announced that he'll seek the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Andrew_horne Horne made his announcement early this morning with a video message first shown by the Democratic blogs, Page One and Bluegrassroots. Horne also started a campaign Web site, www.andrewhorne.org.
In his statement he said he wanted a chance to take on Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, whom Horne said "is the problem.
"It is time for Kentuckians to take our government and country back. We should not be told to take a backseat to the wealthy and powerful," Horne's statement said. “Mitch McConnell, the Republican Leader, symbolizes everything wrong with Washington. He bows to big business, practices the worst kind of politics, and doesn’t take a stand when faced with tough issues. Simply put: Mitch McConnell carries George Bush’s water on Iraq; I carried a rifle in Iraq.”
Sen. Chris Dodd placed a hold on the GOP sponsored (S. 2248) electronic surveillance (warrantless wiretapping) bill which would grant telecoms retroactive immunity for illegally spying on US citizens. Senator Reid did not honor his hold. Unbelievable! Glenn Greenwald at Salon has much more here
Isn't it just amazing? Reid is using every power he has, including some which run directly contrary to how the Senate has traditionally operated (and how it still operates when it comes to GOP prerogatives), to ensure that one of the most glaring scandals involving Bush lawbreaking -- warrantless surveillance on U.S. citizens -- is never investigated and there is never any accountability for it. And the methods he is using to accomplish that are as corrupt as the results themselves.
We'll use this thread for ongoing commentary on today's events in the Senate involving the FISA "debate" and the Dodd filibuster, including whether there are any sightings of (or comments from) the Leadership-endowed (and thus far rather mute) presidential candidates on any of these matters.
UPDATE: It seems that anyone -- other than a Democratic Senator attempting to bring about accountability for the Bush administration -- is free to use "holds" in Harry Reid's Senate.
Damn! The bill just now passed 76-10, but Dodd and Kennedy added an amendment to strip telecom immunity. I am outraged! A vote for immunity grants Bu$h the power to continue lawbreaking with Congress' blessing. UPDATE Harry Reid just pulled the telecom bill. The Senate will take it up again after the first of the year, but for now there will be no retroactive telecom immunity. It needs to stay that way. Seriously.
Yikes! The allegations against Huckabee's son and suggestions of a coverup by the Governor are horrifying. You can read the Newsweek article here:
As Mike Huckabee gains in the polls, the former Arkansas governor is finding that his record in office is getting more scrutiny. One issue likely to get attention is his handling of a sensitive family matter: allegations that one of his sons was involved in the hanging of a stray dog at a Boy Scout camp in 1998. The incident led to the dismissal of David Huckabee, then 17, from his job as a counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Ark. It also prompted the local prosecuting attorney— bombarded with complaints generated by a national animal-rights group—to write a letter to the Arkansas state police seeking help investigating whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws. The state police never granted the request, and no charges were ever filed. But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request. Bailey, a career officer who had been appointed chief by Huckabee's Democratic predecessor, said he viewed the lawyer's intervention as improper and terminated the conversation. Seven months later, he was called into Huckabee's office and fired. "I've lost confidence in your ability to do your job," Bailey says Huckabee told him. One reason Huckabee cited was "I couldn't get you to help me with my son when I had that problem," according to Bailey. "Without question, [Huckabee] was making a conscious attempt to keep the state police from investigating his son," says I. C. Smith, the former FBI chief in Little Rock, who worked closely with Bailey and called him a "courageous" and "very solid" professional.
First Mitt Romney and now this. WTH is wrong with these people?
Deer Santa,
I wud like a kool toy space ranjur fer Xmas. I'v ben a gud boy all
yeer.
Yer Friend, Billy
Dear Billy,
Nice spelling. You're on your way to a career in lawncare. How about
I send you a book so you can learn to read and spell? I'm giving your
older brother the space ranger. At least HE can spell.
Santa
Sweet baby Jeepers! The Bu$h maladministration, with a strong assist from corporate telecoms, have been spying on US citizens long before 9/11. Not that that event made it legal or excusable. This NYTimes article has my head exploding. Corporate sellout Dems such as Dianne Feinstein, Jane Harman and Jay Rockefeller deserve to be driven out of office for their embrace of Bu$h administration illegalities. They all serve on Judiciary committees, for crying out loud! They are NOT serving in the public interest.
Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey echoed that theme in an op-ed article of his own in The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, saying private companies would be reluctant to provide their “full-hearted help” if they were not given legal protections.
The government’s dependence on the phone industry, driven by the changes in technology and the Bush administration’s desire to expand surveillance capabilities inside the United States, has grown significantly since the Sept. 11 attacks. The N.S.A., though, wanted to extend its reach even earlier. In December 2000, agency officials wrote a transition report to the incoming Bush administration, saying the agency must become a “powerful, permanent presence” on the commercial communications network, a goal that they acknowledged would raise legal and privacy issues.
While the N.S.A. operates under restrictions on domestic spying, the companies have broader concerns — customers’ demands for privacy and shareholders’ worries about bad publicity.
Also, note the revolving door of supposed "public servants" (hahahahaha) like McConnell enriching themselves after working in government, then cashing in--BIG TIME-- in corporate America and moving smoothly back into government. Sweet!
Blockbuster First Day for WexlerWantsHearings.com (WASHINGTON, DC) December 15th, 2007. In only the first 24 hours, more than 30,000 people have signed up online to join Congressman Robert Wexler's (D-FL) call for impeachment hearings for Vice President Richard Cheney. On Friday, December 14, Wexler launched www.WexlerWantsHearings.com and asked Americans to join his efforts to convince Congress to hold impeachment hearings. As of 2:30 PM on Saturday 36,000 people...
After the impeachment of Clinton over personal misconduct, the MSM and Democrats ignore REAL Presidential/Vice lawbreaking and Constitution shredding as though it were a "partisan" issue. Damn them all for allowing our country to sink into Banana Republic status. We've got to get rid of the old guard and prop up those like Wexler who give a rip about accountability.
John Yarmuth rocks! Check out his IRS link to find out if the Government owes you money. Mr. Dear Leader and I have discovered unclaimed money there before. Good Luck! Here is what Rep. Yarmuth says:
I believe people in our community work too hard to have their tax refunds denied because of a government loophole. That is why the IRS' list of Louisvillians with unclaimed refunds can now be found here, on my website. If you find your name on the list, you can also find simple instructions on how to claim the refund.
Sincerely,
John Yarmuth
[awesome] Member of Congress
If you're not angry at what Bu$h and the GOP has done to our country you don't deserve to be taken seriously. Thanks to Hank for this Bill Moyers link
In his conversation with Bill Moyers on this week’s JOURNAL, MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann addressed critics who liken his brand of editorializing to that of the conservative commentators he decries:
"It's the most vulnerable point because it bothers me, too. The one criticism that I think is absolutely fair [is that] we're doing the same thing. It becomes a nation of screechers. It's never a good thing. But emergency rules do apply... I think the stuff that I'm talking about is so obvious and will be viewed in such terms of certainty by history... I think only under these circumstances would I go this far out on a limb and be this vociferous about it."
What do you think?
There is just no comparison between Olberman and the right wing screamers. For starters, Olberman is grounded in factual information. You can't say that of any of the wingnut blowhards.
Congress Confirmed Another "Loyal Bu$hie" At Justice
OMG. Here we go again! The latest hack Congress confirmed as Attorney General is already up to his eyeballs in obstruction and stonewalling. He is threatening Congress not to "meddle" in the Justice Department's "investigation" into the CIA's destruction of torture tapes. And once again that paragon of Senate oversight, Pat Leahy, writes a spineless letter to the AG and will probably stamp his little feet and hold his breath if the AG doesn't co-operate with congressional subpoenas. Does ANYONE in Congress give a rip about the Constitution or the laws of the land???
The Justice Department asked the House Intelligence Committee on Friday to postpone its investigation into the destruction of videotapes by the Central Intelligence Agency in 2005, saying the Congressional inquiry presented “significant risks” to its own preliminary investigation into the matter.
The department is taking an even harder line with other Congressional committees looking into the matter, and is refusing to provide information about any role it might have played in the destruction of the videotapes. The recordings covered hundreds of hours of interrogations of two operatives of Al Qaeda.
The Justice Department and the C.I.A.’s inspector general have begun a preliminary inquiry into the destruction of the tapes, and Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said the department would not comply with Congressional requests for information now because of “our interest in avoiding any perception that our law enforcement decisions are subject to political influence.”
Political influence? Hahahahahahahahaha! That has GOT to be the most Orwellian excuse ever. Thanks, Chucklehead Schummer. Heckuvajob.
Woo Hoo! McConnell's lock-step support of every disastrous Bu$h policy ought to be enough to drive him out of office on the face of it. But we all know he is a dirty, viscous politician with plenty of money to wage his attacks.
Let's hope Andrew can take down our senior senator and bring some respectability back to our state and country. We need to Ditch Mitch NOW! Visit his web site here for details
This kind of dirty pool is what we've come to expect from the trash dwelling GOP. That anyone in the extremely controlled Clinton campaign resorted to this kind of false mud slinging without Clinton's approval is not only unbelievable, it's disgraceful. They know what's up. Add this to Bill Clinton's ridiculous claim that he was against invading Iraq "from the beginning" (Google that BS) and we have a good picture of where Hillary and hubby would "lead" the nation.
comments made by Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of her national and New Hampshire campaigns and one of the most experienced pols in the country. He told The Washington Post that Republicans could make hay of Mr. Obama’s admission in his book that he had used marijuana and cocaine as a young man.
“There are so many openings for dirty tricks,” Mr. Shaheen said, proving the point by unspooling one right then and there.
He went on to say that the Republicans would ask questions like, “Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?”
His comments drew a huge outpouring of anger toward the Clinton campaign in the blogosphere, particularly by and on behalf of African-Americans, who perceived a racial insinuation that blacks deal drugs.
Ya think? This below the belt crap is unworthy of a "contender."
Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) says he's hatched a plan that will secure health care for children, help to restore America's reputation around the world, and empower the the Democratic party to rediscover the courage of its convictions. He calls it "impeachment hearings."
It should be noted that 55% currently favor impeachment.
Ditch Mitch has been spinning the true nature of the GOP agenda for so long that he appears to be buying his own BS. Click this link to read the Times article It will make your head explode. Here's a snip:
Mr. McConnell and his fellow Republicans are playing such tight defense, blocking nearly every bill proposed by the slim Democratic majority that they are increasingly able to dictate what they want, much to the dismay of the majority leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, and frustrated Democrats in the House.
In fact, the Senate Republicans are so accustomed to blocking measures that when the Democrats finally agreed last week to their demands on a bill to repair the alternative minimum tax, the Republicans still objected, briefly blocking the version of the bill that they wanted before scrambling to approve it later.
[. . .]
Mr. McConnell, of course, said it was up to the Democrats to work things out, whether on spending or any other measure, in a way that Republicans would accept.
“They are in the majority,” he said. “But in the Senate, to do most things, it requires 60. That has been the case for a long time, and it will require working out our differences. So we’re prepared to work with them to finish up the session. But the bills will not be written exclusively by Democrats.”
Wrong! It does NOT require 60 votes. That applies only to a filibuster. The GOP is blocking the very measures the public most wants, like getting us out of Iraq and energy independence. I loathe McConnell and his ilk.
Just wanted to share this hilarious email DLer Lucy sent me. This is one BAD Santa! Thanks, Lucy!
Dear Santa,
I have been a good girl all year, and the only thing I ask for is
peace and joy in the world for everybody!
Love, Sarah
Dear Sarah,
Your parents smoked pot when they had you, didn't they
Santa
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ****
Dear Santa,
I don't know if you can do this, but for Christmas, I'd like for my
mommy and daddy to get back t ogether. Please see what you can do.
Love, Teddy
Dear Teddy,
Look, your dad's banging the babysitter like a screen door in a
hurricane. Do you think he's gonna give that up to come back to your
frigid mom, who rides his ass constantly? It's time to give up that
dream. Let me send you some Legos instead.
Santa
************ ********* ********* ********* ********* ****
My close personal friend, Al Gore, wrote me this nice letter:
Dear vicki,
In less than forty-eight hours, I will step onstage at the UN Climate Conference in Bali. With me I will bring hundreds of thousands of messages demanding that a visionary global treaty be completed and brought into effect by 2010.
If we want to solve the climate crisis, together we need to demonstrate the broad public support for action. That's why it's vital that you sign our petition right now by visiting:
http://climateprotect.org/standwithal
Over the past few months we've taken many positive steps towards uniting governments worldwide around the goal of solving the climate crisis. Just over a week ago on December 3rd, Australia's new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was sworn in. His first formal act in office was to ratify the Kyoto Treaty. This was a clear demonstration of Australia's priorities.
And from what reporters and insiders alike are sharing with Page One it sounds like Governor Steve Beshear is a very gracious man. He’s yet to turn down any photo or interview requests, something that can’t be said of former governors on inauguration day. He’s thanking everyone in his path.
The #5 story on Monday’s Countdown delivered a bombshell - John Kiriakou, a former CIA agent who actually led the team of agents who appeared on the destroyed torture tapes has come forward in an interview with ABC to confirm the tapes DID show waterboarding and that while he believes the technique was effective, he now believes it is torture and is wrong. It’s becoming more and more difficult for President Bush to convince the world that he hasn’t committed war crimes. [my bold]
Keith spoke with Richard Wolffe and Jonathan Turley about this revelation and the enormous damage it does to the CIA’s claim that the tapes were destroyed purely to protect the identities of the agents involved. They also give hell to Senator Jay Rockefeller and other Democratic leaders who knew that Bush was illegally torturing as far back as 2002, but did not speak out against it.
Was that the sound of a bombshell being dropped? And will our spineless Congress do a thing about it but talk?
Taser International has taken the classic marketing of fear, wrapped it up in the joyful colours of Christmas, and made Santa its salesman.
For the latest push of its civilian- and female-aimed Taser product, the compact C2 – about the size of a TV remote and available in pink – the catch line is: "What does Santa bring you when you have been good but the world is getting bad?"
Cleveland Rocks for giving us Dennis Kucinish! From Salon:
He may be eating the front-runners' dust in the polls, but among deep green voters, Dennis Kucinich is considered a trailblazer. A Democratic U.S. representative from Cleveland, Kucinich is calling for a radical overhaul of the U.S. government and economy -- one that would infuse every agency in the executive branch with a sustainability agenda, phase out coal and nuclear power entirely, and call on every American to ratchet down their resource consumption and participate in a national conservation program.
Hahahahahahaha! How awesome is this? DLer Judy (from Louisville Peace) sent me this Hillbilly Report video for your holiday (war on Christmas!) viewing pleasure. Judy is in the second row to your LEFT
Uh oh -- looks like GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell has got a problem on his hands. Check out what he said about the death of American troops in Iraq in a meeting with constituents this week, according to Kentucky's Grayson County News-Gazette:
“Unfortunately, most of our friends on the other isle are having a hard time admitting things are getting better; some days I almost think the critics of this war don't want us to win. Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers."
Oh! I get it! They asked for it. What a prick. His "critics of the war don't want us to win" slime is typical of his contempt for the truth and for the intelligence of 70% of Joe Q Public.
Military And Their Families Say Iraq "Not Worth It"
So much for the spin that the military supports Bu$h, Republicans and the "war" in Iraq. Have a look at this:
Last week, at the debate for Republican presidential candidates, Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) made the ridiculous claim that U.S. troops and their families are, by their very nature, conservative. “[M]ost Americans, most kids who leave that — that breakfast table and go and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family — most of them are conservatives.”
Even on its face, it was an absurd argument, but the evidence to disprove Hunter’s claim keeps piling up.
Families with ties to the military, long a reliable source of support for wartime presidents, disapprove of President Bush and his handling of the war in Iraq, with a majority concluding the invasion was not worth it, a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll has found.
The views of the military community, which includes active-duty service members, veterans and their family members, mirror those of the overall adult population, a sign that the strong military endorsement that the administration often pointed to has dwindled in the war’s fifth year.
Specifically, nearly 60% of military families disapprove of the president’s performance and his handling of the war in Iraq. Among those families with members serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, six in 10 say the war has not been worth the cost. In both instances, the opinions of military families are in line with those of the U.S. civilian population.
Looks like Bu$h and his neocon supporters scared off another demographic. LOL!
It is not plausable that a mid-level CIA officer would defy a WH and Congressional order not to destroy tapes showing agency officials torturing detainees. There is no way. And BTW, when reporting on this story, it would be helpful to use quote marks like these when describing the CIA's use of "severe interrogation techniques." It's torture, damnit.
White House and Justice Department officials, along with senior members of Congress, advised the Central Intelligence Agency in 2003 against a plan to destroy hundreds of hours of videotapes showing the interrogations of two operatives of Al Qaeda, government officials said Friday.
The chief of the agency’s clandestine service nevertheless ordered their destruction in November 2005, taking the step without notifying even the C.I.A.’s own top lawyer, John A. Rizzo, who was angry at the decision, the officials said.
The disclosures provide new details about what Gen. Michael V. Hayden, the C.I.A. director, has said was a decision “made within C.I.A. itself” to destroy the videotapes. In interviews, members of Congress and former intelligence officials also questioned some aspects of the account General Hayden provided Thursday about when Congress was notified that the tapes had been destroyed.
A whole lot of people have a lot of esplainin' to do.
Hahahahahaha! Someone stop him before he attacks thin air again. From Crooks and Liars The video is a "scream!" Here's a snip:
Ah…good ol’ Bill O’Reilly. Colbert couldn’t have channeled Papa Bear more perfectly than the way the man himself embraces the truthiness of his Talking Points Memo. For despite the fact that the NIE has contradicted the assertions made by Bush and Cheney, it’s the pesky far left who are the problem for Falafel Boy. After all, we’re so busy being happy that Bush was wrong that we’re ignoring the threat that Iran continues to be with their nuclear enrichment program.
Professional Bullshitters beware! The public is coming out of its hibernation.
