your life for 3 songs?

Army recruiting through iTunes
Yes-it's that bad. Join up and get 3 free downloads. I kid you not.

(Crooks and Liars)
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Wow! THREE songs?!?! Damn, that is so f'k'd up......

DeLay imagines conspiracies!

DeLay Will Prove His Conspiracy Theories “When It’s Timely”
Tom DeLay says he has “very good evidence” of a massive conspiracy between Ronnie Earle, Nancy Pelosi and other liberals. He just can’t release that information yet, can’t explain why he can’t and can’t say when he will be able to do so

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Read the article for his hilarious non-reasoning!
These repugs are amazing! They can literally just make up any absurd shit that they want to and people will report it!
If the liberals' actual facts got reported on half as much as the repugs' fantasies then we wouldn't be in the situation we are now!

more DeLay lies

DeLay Lawyer: My Client is a Liar
This is hilarious:
The day after U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay's grand jury indictment, his lawyer and the jury foreman on Thursday appeared to contradict the Texas politician's assertions that he was not given a chance to speak before the jury. The foreman, William M. Gibson Jr., a retired state insurance investigator, said the Travis County grand jury waited until Wednesday, the final day of its term, to indict him because it was hoping he would accept jurors' invitation to testify.

DeLay said in interviews that the grand jury never asked him to testify....

"I have not testified before the grand jury to present my side of the case, and they indicted me," said DeLay, according to the Associated Press.

Dick DeGuerin, the attorney representing DeLay, said Thursday that DeLay actually was invited to appear before the grand jury, where he would have been under oath. The Houston attorney was not yet on the legal team when DeLay was asked to appear, but he said other attorneys advised him not to testify — a decision DeGuerin supports.

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Man, these repugs are shameless in their lies! They just keep hoping that people will hear their lies and not the truth - i guess mainly because the "liberal media" is so hesitant to report on the constant lies.

Friday Beagle Blogging!

what YOU looking at?!

i KNOW what I'M looking at!

evade answers, regurgitate talking points!

First Draft, once again, reports on today's gaggle
I don't know how anyone can listen to the absolute nonsense that McClellan spouts and believe that this administration is even thinking about doing anything for the American people. All they want to do is evade any serious discussion and lie and repeat their absurd talking points ad nauseum!
A pretty accurate depiction of our prez:

Q Does that answer suggest the President just puts his hands over his eyes and over his ears and doesn't pay attention to what is going on in this town?

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have we done anything right in Iraq?!

Moving backwards in Iraq
The number of Iraqi security battalions able to fight without help from American forces has shrunk, senior U.S. generals said on Thursday [...]

But just one of the 120 U.S.-trained Iraqi army and police battalions was able to operate without U.S. forces, Casey and Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, told senators.

The Pentagon said in July the number was three. (Reuters)

Where before it looked like we were training one battalion a year, the truth is now revealed that we are training one battalion every three years.

(The Next Left)
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How can the greatest country in the world be this incredibly incompetant?! It must be all of that "hard work"!

hurricane response comparison

By Nitpicker:

Damn.
I hadn't remembered this. The first two paragraphs of Richard Clarke's new essay in the November Atlantic Monthly, "Things Left Undone":

Imagine if, in advance of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of trucks had been waiting with water and ice and medicine and other supplies. Imagine if 4,000 National Guardsmen and an equal number of emergency aid workers from around the country had been moved into place, and five million meals had been ready to serve. Imagine if scores of mobile satellite-communications stations had been prepared to move in instantly, ensuring that rescuers could talk to one another. Imagine if all this had been managed by a federal-and-state task force that not only directed the government response but also helped coordinate the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and other outside groups.

Actually, this requires no imagination: it is exactly what the Bush administration did a year ago when Florida braced for Hurricane Frances. Of course the circumstances then were very special: it was two months before the presidential election, and Florida's twenty-seven electoral votes were hanging in the balance. It is hardly surprising that Washington ensured the success of "the largest response to a natural disaster we've ever had in this country." The president himself passed out water bottles to Floridians driven from their homes.

Again, damn.

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Of course, bush wasn't on vacation until 3 days after the hurricane hit in that instance, either!

why ther are conspiracy theories

James Poling lists 20 reasons why voting in America is so screwed up!

who cares about the environment?

Certainly not the repugs!

House Repubs. to gut enviro laws as response to Katrina

Every sane and thinking person in the world is worried that our desecration of the environment exacerbated the hurricanes through global warming and loss of wetlands. However, no one ever accused the House GOP of being sane or thoughtful:

House Republicans on Wednesday will launch a rapid-fire assault against environmental protections on the pretext of helping the U.S. oil and gas industry recover from hurricane damage, environmental groups charge.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Resources Committee are holding separate meetings to finalize legislation on Wednesday, with the aim of combining them into a single energy bill for the full House to debate next week.

The resources panel, led by Richard Pombo of California, wants to lift a ban on Florida offshore drilling, promote oil shale and sell a dozen national parks for energy development.

(Americablog)

scandals, scandals and more scandals!

As reported by Americablog:

The indictment sent a shock wave through the GOP establishment, which is already reeling from a swath of criminal and ethics investigations. Three individuals, eight corporations and two political action committees connected to DeLay have been indicted as a result of the probe. In addition, the government's top procurement official, David Safavian, was arrested in September for obstructing a criminal investigation into über-lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a close DeLay ally. Abramoff himself is under criminal investigation for defrauding Indian tribes and was indicted for wire fraud in Florida in a separate case. Top White House aides, including Karl Rove and Scooter Libby, have been targeted by a special prosecutor investigating the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame. Representative Duke Cunningham announced he would not run for re-election after overselling his house for $700,000 to a military industry lobbyist; he too has been indicted. FDA chief Lester Crawford resigned unexpectedly after just two months on the job, possibly because of failure to report his wife's sizable pharmaceutical-industry holdings. And DeLay's Senate counterpart, Bill Frist, is battling possible insider-trading charges for dumping millions in HCA stock, a company founded by his father and run by his brother, weeks before it plunged in value. The U.S. Attorney in Manhattan and the Securities and Exchange Commission opened an investigation into Frist and HCA in September.

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Seriously, is there a single repug that is not involved in illegal activity?!

imaginative little critters, aren't they?

Normally I don't even bother to mention the weirdness of the way-out-there wrong-wing wackos, but this one (reported by Sadly, No!) takes the cake!

The liberal media gets to take advantage of the fact that we have a President who will not endanger national security by divulging the success we have had in the war on terror. There is no doubt that many attacks have been prevented and that intelligence attained in Iraq has prevented tragedy here in the United States.

Yeesh! 2 little sentences and almost unlimited amount of delusional wackiness! The "liberal media" (hahahahaha) taking advantage (hahahaha) of bush who will not talk about successes (hahahaha) for reasons of "national security"! Whoooo! Does anyone seriously think for one nano-second that bush would not be blathering on 24/7 about anything even remotely resembling a "success"?!
And the fact that there has been no more attacks in the US is due to bush, though the fact that Iraq is a disaster and that there have been attacks in other countries has nothing to do with him or his policies!
Man, I know that repugs don't have to bother with facts these days, but the imagination to twist reality like they do is certainly a skill!

LOTS on DeLay (from Think Progress)

The Truth About Ronnie Earle
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DeLay Hysterics: Indictment Among the Most Baseless “in American History”

This is one of the weakest, most baseless indictments in American history.

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Wow! In American history?!
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BREAKING: After Indictment, DeLay Grossly Distorts Role With TRMPAC
---
DeLay Helps Earle Establish Motive
---
VIDEO: Tom DeLay Exercises His Right To Incriminate Himself
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Great job, as usual, from Think Progress!
---

DeLay on (other people's) ethics

DeLay on the law

Tom DeLay:
... I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law.

Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.

Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country.

Of course, he was talking about a blow job here. Much, much more important than conspiracy and a Republican culture of corruption that has earned the Hammer three reprimands by the House ethics committee and the first-ever indictment of a member of the U.S. House leadership.

(Daily Kos)

wtf?

Museum Dropped From WTC Site for Now
NEW YORK -- Bowing to pressure from Sept. 11 families, Gov. George Pataki on Wednesday removed a proposed freedom center from the space reserved for it near the planned World Trade Center memorial, saying the museum project had aroused "too much opposition, too much controversy."

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Just bizarre - a museum dedicated to the concept of freedom is too controversial? Only in America!

is every single repug totally corrupt?!

DeLay replacement has ties with indicted consultant

Blunt is actually the second option since Dreier didn't quite work out but this is amazing. Is it not possible to shake a stick within the GOP leadership and not touch someone who is tainted?

The political committee of Rep. Roy Blunt who is temporarily replacing Rep. Tom DeLay as House majority leader, has paid roughly $88,000 in fees since 2003 to a consultant under indictment in Texas with DeLay, according to federal records.

Records on file with the Federal Election Commission show the fund linked to Blunt retains Ellis' firm, J.W. Ellis Co., and has made periodic payments for services. Political Money Line, a nonpartisan Internet tracking service, places the total at about $88,000.

Ellis is one of three political associates of DeLay, R-Texas, who have been indicted in an alleged scheme to use corporate political donations illegally to support candidates in state elections. Ellis also runs DeLay's national political action committee, Americans for a Republican Majority.

(Americablog)

and still more on the horror that is Iraq

Iraq disintegrating...but fear not, Bush will give a speech

The situation in Iraq is getting worse by the day. The concern is growing stronger among our allies:

The administration has come under growing pressure at home and abroad over the past two weeks, with dire warnings from Arab allies and a prominent international group about the looming disintegration of Iraq. In an unusual public rebuke of U.S. policy, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister called a news conference in Washington last week to predict Iraq's dissolution. He said there is no leadership or momentum to pull Iraq's Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds back together and prevent a civil war. Other countries have expressed similar concerns in private, according to U.S. and Arab diplomats.

Dire warnings. No leadership or momentum. That's so frightening. So what's the Bush plan? Another public relations offensive:

In a push to boost public support for his Iraq policy, Bush will give a speech on Oct. 6. Vice President Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also will give major foreign policy addresses over the next week.

Yes, they're going to give more speeches. Their incompetence would be pathetic if it wasn't killing so many people.

(Americablog)

Frist investigation

SEC Opens Full Probe Into Frist Stock Sale
WASHINGTON - While insiders at HCA Inc. were selling millions of dollars of their own stock this year, they were also painting a sunny picture of the company's outlook for investors. Federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating the sale of HCA stock by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., whose family founded the company that grew into the nation's largest for-profit health care chain.

The SEC turned its initial inquiry into a formal investigation of the company, HCA announced Thursday. The company said it is cooperating with investigators.

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The amount of corruption in this administration is unreal! But imagine if we could clean up this cesspool! It would take a helluva lot of doing, but at least things are getting started. But, we'll see if anything sticks - these weasels have managed to get away with everything for years, so no reason to think that they won't evade justice yet again.

this seems plenty subjective!

Economy Was in Good Shape Before Hurricanes
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But, of course, this will be the excuse for this term - just like 9/11 was the excuse for everything - little and big - that happened in the first term - the hurricanes will be the excuse for this term being another disaster!

more Iraq flip-flops

Gen.: Troop Withdrawal Hinges on Iraq Vote
WASHINGTON - U.S. troops could begin coming home from Iraq next year, but it depends on conditions during and after the upcoming elections there, the top U.S. commander in Iraq told Congress on Thursday.
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While the Bush administration has refused to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Casey has repeatedly said a "fairly substantial" pullout could begin next spring and summer as long as the political process stayed on track, the insurgency did not expand and the training of Iraqi security forces continued as planned.

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Its obvious that they have no idea what the hell is going on over there and no idea when anything will ever change because they have no plans of any sort!
They certainly have plenty of "ifs"! What do you think the conditions are going to be before and after the elections?! Just as f'k'd up as they are now - or worse! Things won't get any better until they actually make some plans and have some specific metrics for success - and not just a vague "bring democracy to the country"!

more FEMA f'k-ups

FEMA Under Fire for Response
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Even after getting rid of Brown and with all the advance warning and planning for Hurricane Rita, FEMA still has managed to screw up and has left people living in "caveman-like" conditions.
This administration thrives on incompetence, it seems!
More from Americablog

"supporting our troops"

Once again, the repugs prove that that is only a slogan. These scumbags are STILL not providing the armor needed to survive in Iraq. And, most amazingly, in the AOL poll, a vast majority of people did not know that soldiers were buying their own equipment!!! It is incredible how ill-informed people are these days!

Troops Wait for Body Armor Reimbursements
WASHINGTON (Sept. 29) - Nearly a year after Congress demanded action, the Pentagon has still failed to figure out a way to reimburse soldiers for body armor and equipment they purchased to better protect themselves while serving in Iraq.

Soldiers and their parents are still spending hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars for armor they say the military won't provide. One U.S. senator said Wednesday he will try again to force the Pentagon to obey the reimbursement law it opposed from the outset and has so far not implemented.

Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said he will offer amendments to the defense appropriations bill working its way through Congress, to take the funding issue out of the hands of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and give control to military unit commanders in the field.

"Rumsfeld is violating the law," Dodd said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's been sitting on the books for over a year. They were opposed to it. It was insulting to them. I'm sorry that's how they felt."

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As usual, its the Dems who are trying to help and the repugs and the Pentagon are doing everything in their power to oppose them!

the "myth" of global warming

North Polar Ice Cap Continues to Shrink

Scientists said today that 30 percent of the Arctic ice cap has melted since the late 1970s. This year marked the fourth year in a row that Arctic sea ice dropped well below average at the end of the northern summer. At the current rate, the summertime Arctic could be ice-free well before 2100.

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Damn, there is video proof!!! Of course, scientific evidence means nothing to the repugs!

And here's a "no shit" headline from Yahoo:

Arctic Ice Melts Faster As It Gets Warmer

more conservative racism

Bill Bennett: "[Y]ou could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down"
Bill Bennett's Morning in America airs on approximately 115 radio stations with an estimated weekly audience of 1.25 million listeners.
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This is so revolting that it is literally hard to comprehend how someone can say something like this in 2005!
And to be able to say something like this on a radio show and not be fired immediately is insane!
More from James Poling

only in republican-land!

Hastert to pick Closet-Heterosexual David Dreier as Majority Leader
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David Dreier voted to ban gays from adopting kids in Washington, DC
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Dreier is OUT
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So bizarre! Only a repug would hide his sexuality, and now his ambiguity is being used against him!
Why would ANY homosexual be a repug?! Self-hatred is the only logical answer!

repug "compassion"

Bush and congressional GOP are blocking health care coverage for hundreds of thousands of hurricane victims
Oh yeah. A party that truly hates itself.

With Gulf Coast governors pressing for action, Senate Finance Committee members complained Wednesday that the Bush administration is blocking a bipartisan $9 billion health care package for hundreds of thousands of evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

(Americablog)

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more on Frist

Frist Faces Heat as SEC Orders Formal Investigation (Update2)
Sept. 28 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist faces a near-term ordeal unwelcome to anyone, particularly an ambitious politician: an official probe into his personal financial dealings by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

The SEC authorized a formal order of investigation of Frist's sale in June of HCA Inc. shares, people with direct knowledge of the inquiry said yesterday. The order allows the agency's enforcement unit to subpoena documents and compel witnesses to testify, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the order hasn't been made public.

``This turns the flame up under the kettle and keeps the water boiling,'' said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the independent Rothenberg Political Report in Washington. ``It means he's going to continue to be peppered with questions about this stock sale, and no politician wants to be questioned about things like that.''

(First seen at the Poor Man)

comparing what FEMA was to what it is today

The Rude Pundit does a compare and contrast:
FEMA's Long-Term "Strategic Plans" - My, How They've Changed
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Can you guess whether Clinton's or bush's version was more effective and organized?!

Harry Reid has a blog!

Give 'Em Hell Harry
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Just one more place to send people who continue to falsely claim that Dems have no plans!
Just because the "liberal media" doesn't report it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist!

brown lies under oath

BREAKING: Brown Falsely Smears Blanco Under Oath
(Think Progress)
how can this person have a job at all anymore, much less continue to work at FEMA?!
Once again, if this was a fictional story, no one would believe it!
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more brown lies:
Brown’s Revisionist History
and more of his blame game:
Brown Blames HorsesAss.org

repug weirdness (the never-ending story)

State Rep. Compares Black Caucus to the KKK, Demands Membership
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Campfield makes a compelling case for his membership on his blog. He notes that “Many of my friends and neighbors are considered minority” and even posts MLK Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
(His comparison of his fight to exclude liberal thought from college campuses to the fight for the 1964 civil rights act probably didn’t help his cause.)

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WTF?! This guy is just a wacko looking for a way to get his name in the paper - what a jackass!

DeLay indicted!!!

DeLay indicted on conspiracy charges
House majority leader's position in jeopardy.

A Travis County grand jury today indicted U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on one count of criminal conspiracy, jeopardizing the Sugar Land Republican's leadership role as the second most powerful Texan in Washington, D.C.

The charge, a state jail felony punishable by up to two years incarceration, stems from his role with his political committee, Texans for a Republican Majority, a now-defunct organization that already had been indicted on charges of illegally using corporate money during the 2002 legislative elections.
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An indictment does not force DeLay to resign as a member of Congress, but the GOP's rules demand that he resign his post as majority leader as he fights the charges. Congressional Republicans earlier tried to drop that requirement, citing Earle's investigation as a political vendetta, but they ultimately maintained the rule after withering criticism.

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Wow! I actually thought that i had read this wrong the first time that i say it! Literally incredible! Still not holding my breath that he will actually receive a sentence, but will people finally start to wake up and see how corrupt these repugs are?!

business as usual

Officer Criticizes Detainee Abuse Inquiry
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 - An Army captain who reported new allegations of detainee abuse in Iraq said Tuesday that Army investigators seemed more concerned about tracking down young soldiers who reported misconduct than in following up the accusations and investigating whether higher-ranking officers knew of the abuses.

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think that there's any chance of this?

DeLay Indictment Watch
Does DeLay get indicted today? Here's the latest from the Austin paper:

U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's leadership post is on the line today as a Travis County grand jury is expected to consider indicting DeLay on conspiracy charges, several lawyers familiar with the investigation said.

The charges would stem from DeLay's role in using corporate money in the 2002 elections. State law generally bans corporate money from campaign activities.

"I wouldn't have expected this a year ago," one Austin criminal defense lawyer said. "It's quite a turnaround if it happens."

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I don't know - i guess it depends on how much power the repugs have lost recently, but i'm not holding my breath. Accountability is not something that is usually associated with this administration!

bush thinks it will get WORSE?!

Bush Warns of Upsurge of Violence in Iraq
WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday warned there will be an upsurge in violence in Iraq before next month's voting, but said the terrorists will fail. "Our troops are ready," he said.

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Man, how much worse could it possibly get?! And "our troops are ready"?! Even though they obviously haven't been ready for the immense amount of violence that there has been lately?
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Iraq's First Female Suicide Bomber Strikes
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A woman strapped with explosives and disguised as a man blew herself up outside an Iraqi army recruiting center in a northern town Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding 30 in the first known attack by a female suicide bomber in the country's bloody insurgency.

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damn "liberal media"!

For the record: Media figures admit they have been easy on Bush White House since 9-11
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Revolting! So, they decided to not do their job because bush failed to keep us safe on september 11th?! Doesn't make much sense, does it?!

check out the scorecard of alQaeda deputies

that we know of so far!
By Sadly, No!
Seems that a certain someone's supply of deputies is pretty much unlimited

just when you thought they couldn't go any lower!

Who You Gonna Believe, Me Or Your Lying Eyes?
Rightwingers' New Line: "MSM" Made Katrina Aftermath Up

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Whew! This actually gets to be hard to follow! The wrong-wingers have been harping on the looting, raping and pillaging alledgedly occurring in NO in the aftermath of the hurricane and when they are proven wrong, then they say that that proves that everything was fine and that the "liberal media" exaggerated the damage that was done!!
Yeah, I know, one has nothing to do with the other, but that's the way their "logic" (and I use the term extremely loosely!) works!
Obviously, the hurricane caused horrific conditions for the people that bush abandoned while he partied, ate cake and played guitar on his vacation. People were subjected to inhumane treatment and downright ignored while living through unimaginable devastation. The fact that the rumors of rape and murder were at least exaggerated does not mitigate what they went through do to government negligence.
Man, they will try anything to blame anyone but themselves!

(See Eschaton, also)

the party of corruption and murder!

Abramoff, the GOP, and gangland killings
Ah yes, I love watching a political party implode.

Fort Lauderdale police have arrested three men on murder and conspiracy charges in the 2001 gangland-style killing of a South Florida businessman who sold a casino cruise line to Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, authorities said today.

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This is getting insane! Is there nothing that this administration is not capable of?!

good question

GOP wants Dems to promise not filibuster Bush's next Supreme Court pick

Why should they promise that? Bush hasn't even told us who it's going to be. Not to mention, Bush and the Republicans in Congress are both at - oh - 38% in the polls. Why should the Dems worry about ticking off 38% of the country?

I have an idea, why don't Dems ask President Bush to "promise" now that he'll appoint someone in the image of Justice O'Connor to fill her slot?

Promises go both ways.

(Americablog)

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I can only hope that no Dem would make such a stupid promise! Like John says, I'm certain that bush is not going to consult the Dems on his choice - as Clinton did!

I used to try to give him the benefit of the doubt....

...but now I'm tempted to think that he truly is a moron. Who could act this dumb 24/7?! Or else it's the booze....Picture from Crooks and Liars
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OK, i guess that this pic is a fake, but what does it say about him that so many people believed it so easily?!

Iraq devastated

Baghdad Neighborhood's Hopes Dimmed by the Trials of War
Some Who Welcomed Americans Now Scorn Them
---
Iraqis who couldn't imagine that life could be worse than it was under Saddam have now realized their mistake.
We have destroyed the lives of countless innocents whose lives were unnaffected by Saddam.
Horrific to think of the devastation that we have caused for no reason...

weird...

A Meth-Driven Life
Remember Ashley Smith, the Atlanta woman and darling of the Religious Right who was taken hostage by Fulton County Courthouse-shooter Brian Nichols who talked him into surrendering after reading the drivelly Purpose-Driven Life?

Turns out the oh so Christain Smith supplied escaped murderer Nichols with Crystal Meth
Nichols asked her for marijuana, she writes, but she had only a small amount of crystal methamphetamine. She thought offering him the drug might curry favor, but she says she refused to take the drug with him.

"I was not going to die tonight and stand before God, having done a bunch of ice up my nose," she writes.

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OK, that's just bizarre....
And I sure would be hesitant to give amphetamines to a criminal that was already this high-strung! Worked out for her, tho!

more anarchy in Iraq

Insurgents seize 5 towns near Syria Militants loyal to al-Zarqawi tell
residents in 'death letters' to abandon their homes
---
"Basically, the insurgents say if they don't leave they will ... behead them," said Alford
---
He estimated that between 300 and 400 insurgents were operating in the area. Most of them, he said, are foreign fighters who have crossed into Iraq through the border with Syria.
"For the time being, they run these towns," Alford said.

---
Wow!
I'm sure these residents are glad to know that freedom is on the march!
Have we done anything for these innocents, or just to them?
(First seen at Eschaton)

Cindy Sheehan arrested

Police arrested Cindy and 370 others
---
As people have noted, this is about the same number of people as those who appeared at the pathetic pro-war rally over the weekend!
The "liberal media" can't keep pretending that this is a small movement - this is massive and growing!

England convicted!

England to Be Sentenced for Detainee Abuse
FORT HOOD, Texas - Lynndie England's case moves to the sentencing phase today. She was convicted yesterday of taking part in abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. She faces up to nine years in prison.

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Thank goodness someone is taking this serious! But, we'll see what happens in the sentencing phase.
Of course, some people will say that once she is convicted, then we can forget all about this. Unfortunately, it looks like the problem is far more wide spread that we had hoped.

more of the feds' "blame game"

Considering that the feds were the ones who coined the phrase "the blame game" as a defense for their obviously atrocious handling of the Katrina disaster, they sure do engage in the game all too often!
Ex-FEMA Chief Michael Brown Defends Post-Katrina Conduct, Blames La. Governor, New Orleans Mayor
---
Utterly vile!
And believe it or not:

CBS News says Michael Brown rehired as FEMA consultant
CBS News' Bob Schieffer just announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has rehired ex-FEMA chief Michael Brown-- as a consultant to evaluate the agency's response to the disaster!

So, he is going to evaluate his own work! That's sure to be objective!

Brown had been shopping his resume in Washington. Wrote U.S. News' Washington Whispers last week: "Ex-FEMA Administrator Michael Brown seems to be doing for his career what he did for the beleaguered agency. Less than a week after FEMA's dismal Hurricane Katrina response forced Brown out of the agency, he has been shopping his resume to headhunters and Washington PR firms. And it's not working. "He's radioactive," said one exec. An ally of Brownie in the PR world said he should have waited a month before starting his job hunt. "It's just a bad play."

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Is he surprised that he's having a hard time getting a new job? Does he think that people don't know that he f'k'd up majorly and that people died because of it?!
Damn, everyone associated with bush thinks that they can do no wrong - or at least that it doesn't matter how much wrong they do!
---
And an interesting aside regarding this from Eschaton:

And now I will leave you to guess where this bit of gossip came from, because I promised not to tell. But one of the above-mentioned folks called me this afternoon to say that according to sources within the Enquirer itself, the source for Bush's drinking story is -- an incredibly pissed-off, recently scapegoated head of a federal agency who thinks that BushCo. done him wrong.

---

this week's top ten conservative idiots

From Democratic Underground
Check out the pix of the anti-war rallies and the sad little pro-war rally!
This is good:

So how long will it be before these people wake up and realize that they're the radicals? Hundreds of thousands showed up on Saturday to support the troops and protest the man who put them in harm's way; on Sunday, dozens showed up to support the troops by trashing a woman who lost her son in Iraq. Talk about "out of the mainstream."

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how did we get a president who cannot speak?

First Draft reports

damn, i'm getting old

Don Adams of 'Get Smart' Dies at 82
First Bob Denver and now Don Adams....sad.....

"support" except with money or actions

The Talent Show reports that:
War Supporters Are Cheap Bastards

wha....?!

TBogg reports on conservatives blaming the administration's incompentance regarding Katrina on....get this....the MEDIA! I guess that the media made everyone in the administration stay on vacation while the storm destroyed the gulf coast!

more repug nazi remarks

Man, they never get tired of comparing everyone - especially Democrats - to Nazis, do they?!
Musement Park reports
Sickening...

LOTS more repug corruption

CREW looks "Beyond DeLay"
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) took a look at the most corrupt members of Congress -- after Tom DeLay. And it's ugly what they find:

The 13 members of Congress recommended for investigation by the watchdog group are:

• Sen. Bill Frist: The report accuses him of violating federal campaign finance laws in how he disclosed a campaign loan. It also calls for an inquiry over his recent sale of stock in HCA Inc., his family's hospital corporation. The sale has raised questions about possible insider dealing. Frist aides confirmed Friday that the SEC was investigating. They have denied claims of campaign finance violations.

• Rep. Roy Blunt: The report criticizes him for trying to insert provisions into bills that would have benefited, in one case, a client of his lobbyist son and in another case, the employer of his lobbyist girlfriend, now his wife.

• Sen. Conrad Burns: The report says that questions arose over $3 million in appropriations he earmarked for an Indian tribe in Michigan that was a client of lobbyist Abramoff. The senator received substantial campaign contributions from Abramoff and various clients. "Sen. Burns did nothing wrong, and any accusation to the contrary is pure politics," said James Pendleton, his director of communications. He said Burns had earmarked the appropriation at the request of the Michigan congressional delegation.

• Rep. Bob Ney: The report says the chairman of the House Administration Committee went on a golf outing to Scotland in 2002, arranged by Abramoff, at a time when the congressman was trying to insert a provision into legislation to benefit one of Abramoff's tribal clients. Ney reported to the House that the trip was paid for entirely by the National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, which denied paying any of the costs. Ney has said he had been duped by Abramoff.

• Rep. Tom Feeney: The report says he incorrectly reported that a golf trip to Scotland with Abramoff in 2003 was paid for by the National Center for Public Policy Research, which denied it. A Feeney aide said the congressman had been misled. Questions also have arisen about two other privately funded trips.

• Rep. Richard W. Pombo: He paid his wife and brother $357,325 in campaign funds in the last four years, the report says. He also supported the wind-power industry before the Department of Interior without disclosing that his parents received hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties from wind-power turbines on their ranch.Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for Pombo, said that "each of the charges is baseless." He called the watchdog group "a Democratic attack group, and all of their charges should be taken with a grain of salt."

• Rep. Maxine Waters: The report cites a December 2004 Los Angeles Times investigation disclosing how members of the congresswoman's family have made more than $1 million in the last eight years by doing business with companies, candidates and causes that Waters has helped. Before publication of the Times investigation last year, Waters declined to be interviewed, but said of her family members: "They do their business, and I do mine."

• Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.): The report says he encountered controversy over disclosures that Pennsylvania taxpayers paid for his children's schooling while they lived in Virginia. Santorum maintained he did nothing wrong, and has pulled his children out of the school, according to reports.

• Reps. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and William J. Jefferson: Both congressional veterans are under federal investigation. Cunningham, who has announced that he will not run for reelection, faces questions over his dealings with a defense contractor who allegedly overpaid him when he purchased Cunningham's house. Jefferson is under scrutiny for his role in an overseas business deal. Normally the House ethics committee does not hold inquiries while criminal investigations are underway.

• Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-N.C.): The report says that questions have been raised about his private business interests, including a savings and loan in Asheville, N.C., and personal business interests in Russia.

• Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave (R-Colo.) and Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.): Both second-term House members encountered criticisms tied to campaign activities, the report says. Musgrave was accused of misusing her congressional office for campaign purposes. Renzi was accused of financing portions of his 2002 campaign with improper loans.

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WOW!

horrible

US Soldiers: Beating Iraqi Prisoners Was "Routine"

More proof that the beating and torture of prisoners held by the US was routine, widespread and condoned from above.

Three former members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division say soldiers in their battalion in Iraq routinely beat and abused prisoners in 2003 and 2004 to help gather intelligence on the insurgency and to amuse themselves....

The abuses reportedly took place between September 2003 and April 2004, before and during the investigations into the notorious misconduct at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. Senior Pentagon officials initially sought to characterize the scandal there as the work of a rogue group of military police soldiers on the prison's night shift. Since then, the Army has opened more than 400 inquiries into detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, and punished 230 enlisted soldiers and officers.

Shameful. Thanks, President Bush for subverting everything America represented to the world.

(Americablog)
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What has become of this country?! This is not the country that I was brought up to believe in.

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More from Hullabaloo

more discrimination

"Christian" School expels student for having two moms

Is this what Jesus would do?
A 14-year-old student was expelled from a Christian school because her parents are lesbians, the school's superintendent said in a letter.Shay Clark was expelled from Ontario Christian School on Thursday.

"Your family does not meet the policies of admission," Superintendent Leonard Stob wrote to Tina Clark, the girl's biological mother.

Boy, you really showed them, Superintendent Stob. You should be very proud. What a bastard. Those right wingers just love bashing gays...and apparently, their kids, too.

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That certainly is a christian attitude, isn't it?

anti-war rallies a wild success!

Passions High at War-Related Rallies
WASHINGTON - Spirits were high during weekend rallies in the nation's capital, but that's where the similarities ended, as one demonstration supported and the other opposed the war in Iraq.

The anti-war rally, held Saturday at the western edge of the National Mall, drew a crowd of 100,000 or more. Lasting a marathon 12 hours, it featured folk singer Joan Baez and Cindy Sheehan, the California mother whose 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed in Iraq last year.

Protesters also marched past the White House, the first time demonstrators have been allowed to do so since the 1995 Oklahoma City bombings.
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On Sunday, a rally supporting the war drew roughly 500 participants, far below the 20,000 expected by event organizers. Held on the eastern edge of the Mall, the rally was over in about three hours.
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"I would like to say to Cindy Sheehan and her supporters don't be a group of unthinking lemmings. It's not pretty," said Mitzy Kenny of Ridgeley, W.Va., whose husband died in Iraq last year. The anti-war demonstrations "can affect the war in a really negative way. It gives the enemy hope."

Kevin Pannell, a soldier who lost his legs from the knees down in Iraq, told the crowd he was amazed that Saturday's demonstrators were taking for granted their right to free speech.

"I would challenge those guys to go to Baghdad and say that," he said.

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All reports show that the anti-war rally in DC drew far more than the 100,000 expected - some reports as high as 300,000! There was another rally in LA that drew at least 15,000, as well as other rallies in other cities, including London, all of which drew in the thousands.
The pro-war rally, on the other hand, drew much less than the 500 that is reported in this article, according to several other sources. (See Americablog article below which says only 100 showed up!)
I do find it funny that a quote from the pro-war folks are "don't be unthinking lemmings" and then they spout the most common repug talking points: "can affect the war in a negative way", and "gives the enemy hope"! Wow! Talk about unthinking! Could this war possibly move in a more negative way?! Hardly seems possible!
And who was taking their right to free speech for granted?! I think the anti-war folks are championing the right to free-speech, while the pro-war folks were doing their best to suppress it! And, did the comment about going "to Baghdad and say that" actually make any sense whatsoever?! If we are bringing democracy to Iraq then the protestors should be able to do that and if they cannot, then it shows what a failure our war has been!
These rallies point out the obvious - that the pro-war people are by far in the minority!

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Much more from Americablog:

DC is actually an exciting place today

It was a HUGE Crowd in DC today

WaPo Front Page: An electrified protest in DC

100 show up for Pro-War Rally thing
Can you call it a rally if no one shows up? This is the early report from AP:

About 100 people had gathered before a stage set up on the eastern portion of the mall as the noon rally began. A large photo of an American flag served as a backdrop for the stage, and country music blared from speakers while other banners and signs proclaiming support for U.S. troops waved in the breeze.

The Freepers were expecting 20,000.

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more people want to dumb down our students

'Intelligent Design' Court Battle Begins
HARRISBURG, Pa. - "Intelligent design" is a religious theory that was inserted in a school district's curriculum with no concern for whether it had scientific underpinnings, a lawyer told a federal judge Monday as a landmark trial got under way.
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Intelligent design supporters "seem to have shifted virtually entirely to political and rhetorical efforts to sway the general public," Scott said. "The bitter truth is that there is no argument going on in the scientific community about whether evolution took place."

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It is incredible how this absurdity has gotten to the courts!
Why can't religion stay in church and we simply keep science in science classes?

kind of ironic!

Faulty Body Armor May Have Endangered Bush
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Of course, there was never any threat to bush, so this is only important in that it highlights that fact that our troops, military personnel and police have been under-protected.

sounds like Fox TV!

China Wants Only 'Healthy' News on Web
BEIJING - China said Sunday it is imposing new regulations to control content on its news Web sites and will allow the posting of only "healthy and civilized" news.

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Very scary! Sounds like what the administration would like to do in this country! All too close to what fox is like already!

all men are suspect (British edition)

Suspicious behaviour on the tube
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Scary story of a Frenchman living in England who was arrested for wearing a raincoat while trying to catch a train!
Wonder how many similar stories have happened in the US?

Whoa!

Wacko weathermen
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Orcinus reports on a wacko wingnut weatherman who claims that hurricane Katrina was caused by the Japanese Yakuza!
Well, maybe that actually makes more sense than it being god's punishment for condoning gays and drinking!

more on buses

The Truth About the Buses
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Think Progress explains who was really at fault in the "controversy" about the buses that were not used in NO.
(hint: its initials are FEMA!)

peace march in DC this weekend

Peace Activists Plan Major Protest in Washington
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I'm sure that this demonstration will be downplayed as much as possible - especially with Rita hitting the gulf coast - but thank goodness that people are getting organized and doing something! Of course, bush will ignore the wishes of the people, as usual, but let's hope that the "liberal media" does not blow this off completely.

its ok if you've got oil!

Bush Gives Saudi Sex Slaves the A-Okay
Associated Press, 9/21/05:

President Bush decided Wednesday to waive any financial sanctions on Saudi Arabia…for failing to do enough to stop the modern-day slave trade in prostitutes, child sex workers and forced laborers.

Just a year ago, we were told things would be different. President Bush, 7/16/04:

Human trafficking is one of the worst offenses against human dignity. Our nation is determined to fight that crime abroad and at home.

(Think Progress)

Friday Beagle Blogging!

Harley says "relax, but always keep you eyes on your Kong!"

more fed incompetence

Eschaton reports on the incompetence of the bus company with a $100 million contract for disaster transportation and how they were rewarded!
Sick....

hurricanes and global warming

Super hurricanes the result of global warming according to leading UK scientist

What will it take for the American Taliban to accept that there is a problem?

The growing violence of storms such as Katrina, which wrecked New Orleans, and Rita, now threatening Texas, is very probably caused by climate change, said Sir John Lawton, chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. Hurricanes were getting more intense, just as computer models predicted they would, because of the rising temperature of the sea, he said. "The increased intensity of these kinds of extreme storms is very likely to be due to global warming."

Referring to the arrival of Hurricane Rita he said: "If this makes the climate loonies in the States realise we've got a problem, some good will come out of a truly awful situation."

Asked what conclusion the Bush administration should draw from two hurricanes of such high intensity hitting the US in quick succession, Sir John said: "If what looks like is going to be a horrible mess causes the extreme sceptics about climate change in the US to reconsider their opinion, that would be an extremely valuable outcome."

"I'd liken them to the people who denied that smoking causes lung cancer."

Sir John's comments follow and support recent research, much of it from America itself, showing that hurricanes are getting more violent and suggesting climate change is the cause.

(Americablog)

more on the Iraq disaster

Even Saudi Prince Warning US about Iraq

This isn't good:
Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said Thursday that he had been warning the Bush administration in recent days that Iraq was hurtling toward disintegration, a development that he said could drag the region into war.

"There is no dynamic now pulling the nation together," he said in a meeting with reporters at the Saudi Embassy here. "All the dynamics are pulling the country apart." He said he was so concerned that he was carrying this message "to everyone who will listen" in the Bush administration.

Good luck trying to get one of the Bush people to listen to reality. It's bad if they
aren't even hearing it from their best pals in Saudi Arabia.

How much uglier can Iraq get?

(Americablog)

house says religious discrimination is ok

House Votes to Let Head Start Preschool Centers Consider Religion When Hiring Workers
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Isn't there already a law saying that employers cannot discriminate on the basis of religion?
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More from Americablog

Fox: its not a joke unless the punchline calls for people dying!

Bill O'Reilly Jokes, But Bette Middler Can't?
Too Funny! Fox gets bent outta shape about an obvious Midler joke (at the expense of the prez) but defends o'reilly saying that everyone at the UN should die! Boy, that's a knee-slapper!

today's gaggle

from First Draft
Not nearly tough enough, but at least the press is starting to ask questions. Oh course, the guitar photo op was AFTER the hurricane hit, not before or even during.
The Bianca thing is funny - check out Blondsense for a transcript.

repugs version of "supporting the troops"

Apparently, the little magnetic ribbons are as far as they will go:

To Support the Rich, GOP Cuts From Our Troops
From Sirota:

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, President Bush and Republicans in Congress have refused to consider rolling back the $336 billion in new tax cuts that the richest 1 percent are slated to get over the next five years. They say we need to pay for reconstruction not by asking the wealthiest to sacrifice just a little bit, but by massive cuts to spending. And now we see what that means: The Navy Times today reports that those cuts "include trimming military quality-of-life programs, including health care" . . . This, while troops are fighting and dying for our country in Iraq.

. . . The specifics are ugly. They are, for instance, asking troops to "accept reduced health care benefits for their families." Additionally, "the stateside system of elementary and secondary schools for military family members could be closed." In the past, this idea "has faced strong opposition from parents of children attending the schools because public schools [in and around bases] are seen as offering lower-quality education."

None of this, I suppose, is all that surprising. In the past, we've seen tax cuts put before making sure troops have adequate body armor heading into war - a tax/budget decision that very likely increased U.S. casualties. We've also seen Republicans vote down efforts to reduce tax cuts for the very wealthy in order to restore cuts to military family housing. And we've seen tax cuts come as the White House has refused to adequately fund a variety of other programs for troops. The truth is, the GOP has in moments of candor admitted that they care about cutting taxes for the wealthy far more than they care about the troops.

As you may recall, it was Tom DeLay who said before the Iraq invasion "Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes." Apparently, nothing is more important in the face of a war AND massive destruction to the homefront than tax cuts either.

(Daily Kos)

bush is a pariah!

CA-Gov: Arnold keeping Bush away

Bush is going to sing Schwarzenegger, and Arnold knows it.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Tuesday he wants President Bush to delay a planned October fundraising visit to California because the governor fears it will siphon off donations he needs to help his Nov. 8 special election measures [...]

Schwarzenegger spoke glowingly of the president at last year's GOP national convention and campaigned for Bush in Ohio just days before the 2004 election, but more recently, the relationship seems to have been strained.

The governor turned down an invitation to ride with Bush on Air Force One during the president's August visit to California -- and now, some national Republicans suggest he appears to be distancing himself from the president at a time Bush needs the former Hollywood actor's star power.

The governor did not appear with the president during Bush's two-day visit to the
Golden State. Schwarzenegger insisted there were no hard feelings.

"We talked about it ... there was no urgency about it," he said. "For (Bush), it was a quick trip. For me, I was busy. So we were both very fine and talked about it, not to have anyone feel uncomfortable about not seeing each other."

Both Bush and Schwarzenegger are in the low 30s approval ratings in California.

(Daily Kos)

how far up will this go before it is scuttled?

Abramoff probe starts scaring GOoPers
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Read the article - lots of people involved - right on up to Rove (again!)! When will the repugs manage to stop this investigation? We can't actually hold people responsible, can we?!

what a pathetic scumbag

Bush Compares Responses to Hurricane, Terrorism
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He is really reaching here! Who says that he doesn't pay any attention to polls? Of course he is trying to boost his sagging numbers and for some weird reason, people think that he has actually done something about terrorism, despite the evidence of their own eyes. Hopefully, the sleeping sheep are starting to wake up and will no longer be fooled by this bs.
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And here's the Rude Pundit's take on it
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I haven't read the whole transcript so i didn't see all of the 9/11 references before reading the Rude one's post! There is no depth that bush cannot sink to!

This Modern World - is he on to something?

Check it out

bush's economy

Can I just say...

If we hadn't invaded Iraq with no plan and for a lie, we'd have $300bn extra to pay for all these hurricanes. But noooooo.... President Spend-a-Lot decided to blow all of our massive budget surplus on tax cuts and unnecessary wars. So now we don't have a penny. And anybody who says "no, this is all because of 9/11," bullshit. Bush's tax cuts cost us more money in 2004 than we even need to pay for Katrina - they're costing us $300bn in 2004 alone.

The three rounds of tax-cut legislation (in 2001, 2002, and 2003) account for a substantial share of the nation’s current deficit.

* The tax cuts would reduce revenues by $276 billion in 2004, according to Joint Committee on Taxation estimates. Further, the interest costs associated with the enacted tax cuts would equal $20 billion, using Congressional Budget Office assumptions. The total cost would therefore be $297 billion, or 2.6 percent of the economy (or GDP).

Yes, Congress' own numbers say that Bush's tax cuts cost us almost $300bn in 2004. We need $200bn or so for the hurricane. You do the math. Iraq cost us $300bn. You do the math. It is ridiculous what this man has done to our country.As my friend Brett diResta now says, Bush is a "credit card Republican." The Dems ought to be all over this issue.

(Americablog)
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And they laughed at Kerry saying that one way to help balance the budget was to take away the tax cuts to the wealthy!
F*ckers....

bush "focused" on hurricane Rita

First Draft reports on the gaggle and McClellan telling us that bush is now paying attention to the new hurricane since he basically ignored the last one until it was far too late.
The PR aspect is so funny - he has to continually use the day's talking point just to get it across - kind of impressive how he manages to do so - in a disgusting sort of way. Today's is that the prez is "focused".

a good overview on Able Danger

From the Left Coaster:

Why Did Rummy Shut Down Senate's Inquiry Into Able Danger Today?
We’ve commented on Curt Weldon’s pursuit of the Able Danger story previously. For those of you who may not remember, GOP representative Curt Weldon has made claims in the past about the gathering threat from Iran, and has taken the usual “Blame Clinton” approach when making his points about Bin Laden, Al Qaeda, and Iran. Recently, Weldon claimed that a secret Pentagon unit, Able Danger, was tracking Mohammad Atta and the other three members of his domestic Al Qaeda cell here for at least a year before 9/11, but those findings for some reason weren’t reported by the Pentagon to the 9/11 Commission. The Pentagon said that they would investigate why Able Danger’s work wasn’t provided to the 9/11 Commission, but like all other Bush Administration claims of cooperation, nothing came of this.

The Senate decided it wanted answers from the administration on what the Pentagon has found out, after 9/11 Commission chair Tom Kean said he wanted to know also why the commissioners weren’t told about Able Danger. Initially, it was thought that Weldon and the Pentagon would try and spin this as another “Blame Clinton” story, by trying to show that Able Danger’s work was not acted upon at the end of the Clinton Administration. Yet it has been discovered since that for some reason Southern Command never forwarded Able Danger’s findings up the chain into the national security hierarchy. Southern Command was the home to one Tommy Franks. And it has also been determined that Richard Clarke was never told about Able Danger.

Recently, the Able Danger staff revealed that it was the Bush Administration that actually pulled the plug on Able Danger in February 2001, right around the time that Sandy Berger tried to brief one Condi Rice about the dangers posed by Al Qaeda, and right about the time that the new Bush Administration pulled the FBI off of pursuing the Bin Laden family for their role in supporting terrorism.

So imagine my surprise this morning in finding out that the Pentagon prevented all Department of Defense staff from participating in the Senate hearing today, pissing off Arlen Specter among other GOP senators. Now that it appears that Able Danger will actually become a black eye for the Bush Administration, and not the Clinton Administration, what is Rummy hiding?

Kudos to the fine work of Kos diarists topdog04 and Sherlock Google.

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Once again, trying to blame Clinton for the repugs' own failings. No wonder they are trying to squash it yet again!

Carlson vs Maher

Crooks and Liars posts a video of Tucker Carlson and Bill Maher on Katrina. Carlson uses the time to say that Bill Clinton makes him sick (!) while Maher says that Clinton would have actually responded to this disaster.
Maher sticks to facts and Carlson goes off on a wild tangent for no apparent reason. Business as usual, i guess!

porn priority

Porn is a top priority for the Bush Department of Justice.

The Bush Administration is obsessed with sex. Now, the FBI is building a porn squad:

The FBI is joining the Bush administration's War on Porn. And it's looking for a few good agents.

Early last month, the bureau's Washington Field Office began recruiting for a new anti-obscenity squad. Attached to the job posting was a July 29 Electronic Communication from FBI headquarters to all 56 field offices, describing the initiative as "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and, by extension, of "the Director." That would be FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III.

Hey, it's not like they have anything else to do. And, this isn't about child porn or anything that's illegal. They are talking about "the kind that depicts, and is marketed to, consenting adults." So all you Red State guys need to know: The Bush team wants your porn.

(Americablog)
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These repugs are so sex-obsessed that they think that it should take priority over our country's safety!
And here is porn-obsessed conservative writer Ben Shapiro's take on the seriousness of this matter:

Plainly it is not governmental inefficiency these agents are worried about. They find the anti-pornography crowd disturbing because they believe that policing pornography violates fundamental rights. This has become the dominant view in our society: As long as what I do doesn't harm you personally, I have a right to do it. It's a silly view and a view rejected by law enforcement policies all over the country. Were we to truly recognize such a philosophy, we would have to legalize prostitution, drugs and suicide -- as well as the murder of homeless drifters with no family or friends. After all, if someone kills a homeless drifter, how does that affect anyone else? Consent should make no difference here -- that's an imposition of your values. Just because a murderer offends your moral sensibilities doesn't give you an excuse to impose your subjective values on a society.

Such logic means destroying human communities. It is uncivilized, in the purest sense of the word. It makes us each selfish actors. The effects of our actions on others are irrelevant. No, you can't punch me in the nose, but if you choose to perpetrate genocide, and if none of my friends or family members is thrown into a mass grave, what business of mine is it? When everyone is an island, no one is safe. Actions cease to have consequences.

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Wow! That is some leap of logic!!! Because people (logically) believe that it is silly to wage a war on porn that is between consenting adults, then this will lead to murdering homeless people (I wouldn't say that that was between consenting adults!) and genocide!!!!
It is just me or is the main difference between "liberal" and "conservative" writers and commentators that the libs make sense and the conservatives babble complete nonsense based on nothing? Sure seems that way!

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And Sadly No! takes a shot at this, too!

o'reilly's version of an apology!

O'Reilly lambasted "creepy, little, left-wing outfit" Media Matters for reporting his U.N. death wish
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This is just bizarre! After he says that he wished that everyone at the UN died in a hurricane, he not only refuses to apologize, but he repeatedly insults Media Matters simply for reporting his vile remarks and also the president of the UN Foundation for having the audacity to ask for an apology!
Man, this is a sick and twisted country that we are living in!

Frist corruption

Fristed
Sounds like an SEC investigation is in order:

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a potential presidential candidate in 2008, sold all his stock in his family's hospital corporation about two weeks before it issued a disappointing earnings report and the price fell nearly 15 percent.

Frist held an undisclosed amount of stock in Hospital Corporation of America, based in Nashville, the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain. On June 13, he instructed the trustee managing the assets to sell his HCA shares and those of his wife and children, said Amy Call, a spokeswoman for Frist.

Frist's shares were sold by July 1 and those of his wife and children by July 8, Call said. The trustee decided when to sell the shares, and the Tennessee Republican had no control over the exact time they were sold, she said.

(Eschaton)

wackos worried that Roberts will not put religion over the law

Of course, to do that would be against the laws of the land, but i suppose that doesn't really matter to the religious "right".

Religious right worried that John Roberts isn't a member of the Taliban

Gee, so Mr. Roberts may not believe that the Bible is the supreme law of the land. What a surprise (actually, it is a bit of a surprise, coming from a Bush court appointee).Of course, the religious right is rumbling about Roberts' not-very-Biblical answer:

While many pro-family supporters are singing the praises of Judge Roberts' performance during the hearings last week, not everyone is joining in the song. For example, when the topic of the nominee's personal faith -- and its potential influence on his judicial decisions -- was brought to the table by California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, Roberts said: "There is nothing in my personal views, based on faith or other sources, that would prevent me from applying the precedents of the court faithfully." He added that when it comes to judging, he looks to law books for guidance -- not to the Bible or other religious sources. (See related story)

Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council says that while he believes Roberts has convinced most observers that he is a conservative and has a conservative judicial philosophy, he admits he was not comfortable with that response. "I am very bothered by the statement that Judge Roberts made when he said that the Bible and his faith do not factor into his judgments on the court," Schenck says.

The National Clergy Council spokesman acknowledges that Roberts may have been saying what he needed to in order to be confirmed -- but the nominee was under oath, and Schenck finds that worrisome.

That's right, and you should be worried. Because either Roberts isn't some nutjob who thinks America should become a fundamentalist religious state where the Bible is the law of the land (I can't wait for the stonings, and don't even get me started on those impure women and their periods), or John Roberts DOES believe all that crap and he perjured himself.So, which is going to be, religious right? Is John Roberts actually NOT one of your boys, or did he commit a crime under oath (not to mention, I'd love to know if it was under oath on a Bible).

(Americablog)
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Kind of amazing how un-American these religious zealots are! Our country is based on freedom of religion for ALL, and is certainly not supposed to be controlled by one religion and our laws are certainly not based on one bible.
These people really want to turn America into it's opposite. Sad and scary....

Iraq anarchy

Chaos In Iraq

More on the story behind that photo of a British soldier in flames that John posted below. If you didn't see that image and only read the NYT, you'd believe this: British soldiers working under cover were arrested by Iraqi police. When officials refused to hand them over to the coalition forces, the soldiers were "freed as a British armored vehicle blasted through the wall of their jail." Sounds sketchy and not good -- but wait until you read the Independent's far more explosive version:

British troops were struggling to maintain control in Basra last night after the city exploded into bloody violence following the alleged killing of an Iraqi policeman by a British soldier.Two British servicemen, dressed in civilian clothes, were held at Basra's main police station after the incident. Outside, rioting began as the city threatened to descend into anarchy.

Last night, British forces used up to 10 tanks - supported by helicopters - to smash through the walls of the jail and free the two British servicemen. John Reid, the Defence Secretary, later confirmed they were back with UK forces.

Around 150 prisoners were said to have escaped during the assault, which was condemned as "barbaric, savage and irresponsible" by Mohammed al-Waili, the provincial governor. But the Ministry of Defence disputed the claim, saying that the release of the soldiers had been "negotiated".

British troops using massive force to free soldiers being held by their allies? Sparking a riot in a major city and freeing dozens of Iraqi prisoners in the process? This is a tipping point for the UK's commitment to Iraq. Another word for it? Chaos.

(Americablog)
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Is anyone doing anything to try to pull this country together and get things even slightly under control? There seems to be no plans of any sort from anyone and every day seems to get worse and worse. What a sickening disaster.

o'reily lies to bash Clinton

Surprise surprise!
Newshounds respond

Once again, i know that they cannot use the truth when bashing Dems because they would have no ammunition, but wouldn't it be refreshing to hear SOMETHING truthful coming out of their vile mouths?!

John Kerry on Katrina

The Talent Show reports
As usual, Kerry says what needs to be said. Can you imagine a responsible president?!

repugs lie to try to smear Pres. Clinton (STILL!)

Michael Reagan’s Attempted Smear Disastrously Misinformed

Last night on Fox News, right-wing talking head Michael Reagan tried to smear President Clinton’s disaster relief efforts:

Michael Reagan: First of all, I don’t think the president had anything to apologize for. FEMA was at Katrina quicker than they were at Andrew or Floyd or any one of the hurricanes you can name before that, when Bill Clinton was President of the United States. Nobody was calling for [Clinton FEMA director James Lee] Witt to be taken down. Nobody was calling on Bill Clinton to be thrown out of office because of it.

FACT: Hurricane Andrew happened under President George Herbert Walker Bush’s watch. The Hurricane hit in August 1992, months before Clinton was elected.

FACT: On September 14, 1999, two days before Hurricane Floyd hit, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette outlined FEMA’s preparations for the coming storm:

FEMA officials “said they were ready to roll and could have supplies into an affected area within hours after Floyd’s passage. FEMA emergency response centers have been activated in Atlanta and Washington, and it has representatives at state emergency centers from Florida to North Carolina…Meanwhile, FEMA has positioned ice, water, plastic sheeting, cots, tents, and emergency food and medial supplies in Atlanta, where they can be delivered within hours wherever Floyd hits land.

(Think Progress)
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I know that they count on no one checking their story (because no one does call them on it at the time and only the people who read blogs like Think Progress will know the truth) but damn, their claims would hold a little more water if they were TRUE! Absolutely pathetic.
Damn "liberal media"!!

jeb bush is insane!

Jeb Bush Reveals His “Mystical Warrior” Friend

Last week, after “more than an hour of solemn ceremony” swearing in Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL) as House speaker, Gov. Jeb Bush stepped to the podium to tell “a short story about ‘unleashing Chang,’ his ‘mystical warrior’ friend.”

Below, courtesy of the Gainesville Sun, are Bush’s words, “spoken before hundreds of lawmakers and politicians”:

“Chang is a mystical warrior. Chang is somebody who believes in conservative principles, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism, believes in moral values that underpin a free society.

“I rely on Chang with great regularity in my public life. He has been by my side and sometimes I let him down. But Chang, this mystical warrior, has never let me down.”

Bush then unsheathed a golden sword and gave it to Rubio as a gift.

‘’I'm going to bestow to you the sword of a great conservative warrior,'’ he said, as the crowd roared.

To find out more about Jeb’s condition, click here.

(Think Progress)
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George admits to talking to God and Jeb has an imaginary friend - no wonder their kids are so screwed up! This whole family is certifiable! Anyone else with these conditions would be put away for their own good and the good of society. But the bushes are made our leaders! May the FSM help us all!

the generosity of repugs!

“Chief Porker” Don Young Refuses To Share Bacon With Katrina Victims
Rep. Don Young (R-AK) is a self-proclaimed “little oinker” and aspires to be the “chief porker.” Your tax dollars make his dream possible. Thanks to you, Alaskans receive $6.60 back for every $1 they pay in at-the-pump gas taxes.

Young is chairman of Congress’s Transportation and Infrastructure Commitee and has ensured that the six-year $295 billion transportation bill is “stuffed like a turkey” with $721 million in projects for Alaska. Projects include:

$223 million for a bridge larger than the Brooklyn Bridge and almost as long as the Golden Gate, to connect a town with 8,900 people to a town with 50 people.

$200 million for another “bridge to nowhere,” which will connect Anchorage to a town with one tenant and a handful of homes.

Meanwhile, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has raised the idea of “charitable pork” — lawmakers giving up pet projects to help Hurricane Katrina victims — and Montana is considering giving up the $4 million it received in a federal bill for a downtown parking garage.

Young’s response to his state giving up some money?

“They can kiss my ear!…That is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard….I raised enough money to give back to them voluntarily and that’s it!”

So much for unity and sacrifice.

(Think Progress)

interview with the prophet of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Touched by His Noodly Appendage
An interview with the Prophet Bobby Henderson, the voice of Flying Spaghetti Monsterism.

corruption in Iraq

Um, American Press Want to Touch This?

First the Independent and now the Guardian:
Iraqi authorities are preparing an arrest warrant for the country's former defence minister in connection with a massive fraud case involving the "disappearance" of more than $1bn from ministry coffers.

Judge Raid al-Radhi, who is head of Iraq's commission on public integrity, said yesterday that he had given Iraq's central criminal court a dossier of evidence against Hazim Shaalan, who was minister of defence under the former government of Ayed Allawi.

"What Shaalan and his ministry were responsible for is possibly the largest robbery in the world. Our estimates begin at $1.3bn [£720m] and go up to $2.3bn," Judge Radhi, who is Iraq's senior anti-corruption official, told Reuters.

The "robbery" is believed to include the signing of multimillion-dollar deals with companies to supply equipment that was sometimes inappropriate for the new army or was years out of date. It is also alleged that the ministry paid huge premiums for some military hardware.

(Eschaton)

feds & Katrina

Katrina: How The Sick And Elderly Were Abandoned

Is it time for the blame game yet?
The 827 people inside [one hospital] - 137 of them patients - stayed relatively calm until Wednesday, when food and water ran short and the heat reached 110 degrees. "You get a feeling of, Does anybody know we're here?" Ms. McCall said.

She was told by top officials at Universal Health Services, the company that runs the hospital, that they had rented two trucks with food, water and diesel fuel and sent them on, "but they were confiscated by federal authorities," she said. The company also hired two helicopters, but officials refused to let them fly, she said.

(Americablog)
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I have read and heard numerous stories of the feds stopping supplies and rescuers from entering New Orleans. But the repugs want to cover up the f'k ups that caused an untold number of deaths.
Gawd help us if there is another attack! By the looks of things, nothing whatsoever has been done to improve - or even maintain - security over the last 4 years.

this week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots

From Democratic Underground

conservative writer says that bush should be assassinated!

Sadly No! reports.
Actual quote:

You do not benefit by war. You could lose either your life or your children's lives in a war. Only when the leaders fear they will be killed will they ever even attempt to stop a war. Any leader anywhere who starts a war should be assassinated.

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I don't know where the people at Sadly No! have the time and energy to dig up these utter lunatics! It is amusing but also ultra-scary since it seems that they are serious!

more falling polls

BREAKING: Bush’s Ratings Drop After Speech
This just in from Rasmussen Reports:
Thirty-five percent (35%) of Americans now say that President Bush has done a good or excellent job responding to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. That’s down from 39% before his speech from New Orleans.

The latest Rasmussen Reports survey shows that 41% give the President poor marks for handling the crisis, that’s up from 37% before the speech.

(Think Progress)

how long can they use Clinton as a scapegoat? Forever, it seems

Livingston: The Deficit is All Clinton’s Fault
Forget the trillions in tax cuts, $200 billion for the war in Iraq and pork-laden spending bills. America’s budget problems are all President Clinton’s fault. Former Rep. Bob Livingston explains:

Watch in Quick Time Streaming.

Livingston makes a couple of points, both of which are completely ridiculous:

[U]nfortunately, you know, we had a tremendous amount of burden that was handed to us by the Clinton administration with the growth of the government scandals…

I’m not familiar with the “growth of government scandals.” I do know that under Clinton the federal workforce was cut by 377,000 to it’s lowest level since 1960. During the Clinton years, government grew slower than any time since the Eisenhower Administration. The size of government actually shrank relative to the size of the economy.

On to point #2:
[T]hen we got hit by 9/11, terrorist action which was due to the growth of the very radical Muslim element and led by Osama Bin Laden which we could have taken out in the last decade.

Interesting point Congressman. So when Clinton attacked al-Qaeda terrorist sites in Afghanistan in an effort to kill Bin Laden you must have been all for it, right? Here’s Livingston on those efforts in the Associated Press on 9/20/98:

To invert a phrase, life often imitates art and ‘”Wag the Dog” was a popular movie six months ago.

The “blame Clinton” defense appears to be in its last throes.

(Think Progress)
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Truly amazing! And they count on people not actually remembering the past, because the truth is their worst enemy. Hell, they're already reinventing their response to Katrina!