Wednesday, August 31, 2005

denying women contraception

FDA Official Quits Over Contraception Delay
Agency Postponed Approval of 'Plan B' Pill

WASHINGTON (Aug. 31) - A high-ranking Food and Drug Administration official resigned Wednesday in protest of the agency's refusal to allow over-the-counter sales of emergency contraception.
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The FDA on Friday postponed indefinitely its decision on whether to allow the morning-after pill, called Plan B, to sell without a prescription. The agency said it was safe for adults to use without a doctor's guidance but that young teenagers still needed a prescription and it couldn't determine how to enforce an age limit - a decision contrary to the advice of its own scientific advisers.

"I can no longer serve as staff when scientific and clinical evidence, fully evaluated and recommended for approval by the professional staff here, has been overruled," wrote Wood, who also was assistant commissioner for women's health. "The recent decision announced by the Commissioner about emergency contraception, which continues to limit women's access to a product that would reduce unintended pregnancies and reduce abortions, is contrary to my core commitment to improving and advancing women's health."


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You would think that people would want to decrease abortions by giving women access to contraception! I guess they would rather force women to have unwanted pregnancies! The stupidity is astounding!

religious sickos

Seeing messages in the clouds
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Carpetbagger reports on religious freaks saying that Katrina was caused by abortion!
These so-called people are literally out of their minds!

horrific

Iraq stampede kills 'up to 1,000'
As many as 1,000 people may have died in a stampede of Shia pilgrims in northern Baghdad, Iraqi health officials have said.

The incident happened on a river bridge as about a million Shias marched to a shrine for a religious festival.

Witnesses said panic spread over rumours of suicide bombers.
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Earlier, mortar rounds had been fired into the crowd, killing at least seven people.


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So awful.

still seeing commies everywhere!

Inside the Mind of John Tierney
Another red-baiting chickenhawk. You'd think that modern conservatives would come up with a few new tricks. I guess they're too stupid.

Tierney, of the Institute of World Politics, identified five groups: ANSWER, Not in Our Name, Code Pink, United for Peace and Justice, and MoveOn.org. He said these groups "come from the Workers World Party" and are an "umbrella" for smaller groups, such as the "Communist Party of Kansas City" and the "Socialist Revolutionary Movement of the Upper Mississippi." Of the last two, he said, "I'm just making these up."

Tierney singled out Sheehan, whose son died in Iraq and who camped out at President Bush's ranch this month to protest the war. "I've never heard of a woman protesting a war in front of a leader's home in my life," he said. "I've never heard of anything quite so outrageous."

Tierney must have led a rather sheltered life.

Looks like Operation Yellow Elephant has a new target: Young Tierney!:

The author said he has "grave, grave problems with the conduct of the operation in Iraq" and wouldn't want to see his 20-year-old son go there. But he said it is "automatic" that anybody who joins a protest by one of the offending groups is supporting communists.


(Atrios)
Supporting communists by protesting a war based on lies that has had disasterous consequences for us, Iraq and the world! These people's views are so skewed that it is impossible for a rational person to understand where they are coming from!
And regardless of the fact that his son shouldn't go there, he thinks that if other people's sons don't go to die there, then they are communist sympathizers!
Whew!

people starting to notice how little bush cares

Americablog:

New Storm Warning: Brewing Anger Over Bush's Indifference To This Disaster
An Arizona columnist shakes his head in wonder that Bush visited his state the day the worst natural disaster in US history was wrecking havoc. And the New York Times lead editorial levels criticism at Bush while saying now is not the time to level criticism at Bush:

But this seems like the wrong moment to dwell on fault-finding, or even to point out that it took what may become the worst natural disaster in American history to pry President Bush out of his vacation. All the focus now must be on rescuing the survivors.

Katrina

See Americablog for a comprehensive review of Katrina coverage, including bush's failures in coordinating help and his budget cuts for relief efforts for these areas, as well as the fact that work cannot be done in a timely manner because of the fact that so many of the National Guard is in Iraq!
Top it off with the fact that bush continued on his record-breaking vacation while all this death and destruction was taking place and while the media announced that he was "cutting his vacation short", they didn't mention that he was cutting it by ONE DAY, and that was several days AFTER the hurricane hit! Almost as bad as the fact that the media would constantly refer to his 5 week vacation as a "month-long" break. Damn that "liberal media"!

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

this week's Top Ten Conservative Idiots

From Democratic Underground
Wouldn't it be nice to have a country where your president wasn't considered an idiot? I realize that no president can make everyone happy, but the fact that the majority of americans think this clown is on the wrong track shows just what a clown bush is. what a freakin' embarassment...

support your president

Catch shows the repug version of supporting the president and supporting the troops.
Wonder what it is like to spend every single day as a complete and total hypocrite?

more conservative "compassion"

What a sick f'k:
Katrina leaves 55 dead and counting and an estimated $26 billion in damages but it's all one big joke to the B-movie obsessed Doughy Pantload.

ATTN: SUPERDOME RESIDENTS [Jonah Goldberg]I think it's time to face facts. That place is going to be a Mad Max/thunderdome Waterworld/Lord of the Flies horror show within the next few hours. My advice is to prepare yourself now. Hoard weapons, grow gills and learn to communicate with serpents. While you're working on that, find the biggest guy you can and when he's not expecting it beat him senseless. Gather young fighters around you and tell the womenfolk you will feed and protect any female who agrees to participate without question in your plans to repopulate the earth with a race of gilled-supermen. It's never too soon to be prepared.

(From First Draft)

in defense of yellow elephants!

Defense of Montgomery County Young Republicans!
I guess my post here at Operation Yellow Elephant started something. Blinq's got a few responses highlighted on his site, and I especially like this one from The City Troll (Man, they are rathioning logic around those Young Republicans, aren't they?):

"I find it amusing that the so called free thinking Liberals are starting a public campaign to harass people who have a different point of view than yourselves. The same old stupid cries over and over. If your going to support the countries military actions you can't speak about it unless you serve. Do you know how pathetic and silly that makes you all sound? The so called supporters of free speech and minority rights have created a campaign to attack others that don't think as they do.Your actions are the same as giving prizes to people for putting up posters to harass Blacks, Gays, Women, etc.. The only difference is that your replacing one of those groups with conservatives. What would your reaction be if a campaign that plastered posters ostracizing any whites for supporting Civil Rights? and prizes would be given to the best poster."

Does the poor troll feel attacked, or what? Now he's hiding metaphorically behind African Americans and gays? Last I heard, the descrimination against those groups was because of who they are, not because of their opinions. Who they are did not cause a war where tens of thousands of people died, and the existence of African Americans and gays and women did not support and perpetuate such war. Yes, you are a troll. I just wish you weren't in my city. And an ignorant troll at that, given the title of your rant:

The left is using HATE SPEACH TACTICS to haras College Conseratives

Still, the Army is recruiting High School Dropouts, so this City Troll can still enlist if he wishes, in order to serve in Operation Noble Cause, or whatever the latest PR designation is that they are using now.


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Ignorance and illogic never fails to amaze me!

bush & poverty

From Think Progress:

As Poverty Rises, Bush Seeks Tax Cut For Paris Hilton
The United States is the wealthiest country in the world. But new data from the Census Bureau shows that more people are struggling just to make ends meet. AP reports:

The nation’s poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population last year, the fourth consecutive annual increase, the Census Bureau said Tuesday…Overall, there were 37 million people living in poverty [in 2004], up 1.1 million people from 2003…The last decline in overall poverty was in 2000, when 31.1 million people lived under the threshold — 11.3 percent of the population.

Sounds like the perfect time for a tax break for Paris Hilton.

more racism

TBogg exposes another racist blogger using their lack of logic - as usual - to promote their hare-brained schemes..

conservatives see death & destruction and are moved to childish name calling

Messing With Mother Nature (by Katrina Venden Heuvel)
Like all Americans, I have been horrified watching the destruction wrought on New Orleans by this natural disaster. And I suppose like others who share the name Katrina, it has been eerie hearing and reading my name all over the news. But when Fox News started calling the hurricane Killer Katrina, I started praying some right-wing idiot wouldn't stoop so low as to personalize or politicize this human suffering.

But wouldn't you know, the biggest dittohead on the block, Rush Limbaugh, is calling the storm Hurricane Katrina vanden Heuvel and warning that the left is going to use this tragedy against the right. Jonah Goldberg, who has never seen a bad joke bandwagon he could resist jumping on with both feet, blogged, and I quote, "It would be pretty cool if Fox played to caricature and repeatedly referred to the hurricane as Katrina vanden Heuvel." Not satisfied, he went on to imagine the headlines, "The destruction from Katrina vanden Heuvel is expected to be massive...The poor and disabled are particularly likely to suffer from the effects of Katrina vanden Heuvel."

What can one say to such heartlessness? Americans are dying, and this is their idea of respect for the dead. At least Limbaugh has the excuse that drug abuse tends to stunt emotional development. What Jonah's problem is nobody has yet discovered.

Natural disasters should be above politics. (President Bush's decision to send his father and President Clinton to organize aide for the tsunami was one of his very few international PR successes since 9/11.)

It's so very easy and childish to personalize tragedy. (Did you hear the one about OxyContin's new tagline: 'What a Rush!'?) It is so cheap to politicize a natural disaster. (Did you see the headline about Louisiana's National Guard watching the destruction of their homeland from Iraq?) But let's try to empathize with those who are suffering through no fault of their own and think about how we can help them.


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Just when ya think that they couldn't possibly sink any lower, then they do!

(First seen at Crooks and Liars)

never-ending bush hypocrisy (oil, this time)

From Americablog:

Bush might tap strategic petroleum reserve to help oil industry

He's going to do it to help the oil industry:

The White House said Monday it was willing to use the government's emergency oil stockpile to help refiners hurt by Hurricane Katrina's rampage through the Gulf of Mexico, but that it was too early to decide if or how much crude should be released.

Oh, how times have changed.

You may recall that in fall of 2000, the Bush campaign brutally attacked the Clinton administration for considering doing the same thing in order to lower what were then skyrocketing oil prices in order to help average Americans:

Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush's campaign criticized Gore's proposal, calling it an "election year political ploy" that could threaten national security.

Bush's communications director Karen Hughes told reporters in New York: "That reserve is intended for strategic and national security purposes, not for election year political purposes."

Amazing, but not surprising they can find a way to help the oil industry during a national crisis. And what a convenient way to address the truly skyrocketing oil prices which are damaging Bush and the GOP. Yeah, that's not politics.

UPDATE: AP reports that the oil industry didn't suffer serious damages:

Oil refiners said damage to their equipment in the Gulf region appeared to be minimal, and oil prices dropped back from the day's highs above $70 a barrel. But the refiners were still assessing the damage, and the Bush administration said it would consider releasing oil from the nation's emergency stockpile if necessary.

Let's see how Team Bush handles this.

yet more GOP corruption

Kentucky governor to pardon himself?

Republicans are corrupt and all that, but could KY Gov. Ernie Fletcher really be this stupid?

Governor Ernie Fletcher has called a news conference for a major announcement regarding the merit hiring investigation. The conference is scheduled for 6 p.m. (EDT) tonight.

Reports from the media are inconsistent, but there is a consensus emerging that Fletcher is issuing pardons -- some say nine of them. Mark Hebert (WHAS-11 Louisville) and Bill Bryant (WKYT-27 Lexington) are both reporting online. Sources inside the investigation have told BluegrassReport.org that they expect Fletcher will pardon himself as well.

Local news reports will lead with Katrina, making this the most opportune time for Fletcher to pull this sort of gambit. But he pulls the trigger, and he may be facing impeachment proceedings.

Update: Here's the latest:
Fletcher Issues Blanket Pardons To All Involved (Except Himself) In Press Conference With Cheering Political Staff (Merit Employees Not Invited) Akin To Political Rally And Implies He Will Take The 5th Tomorrow Before The Grand Jury.

Just minutes ago, Governor Ernie Fletcher, in one of the more audacious displays of political grandstanding, in a setting full of cheering and clapping political supporters, announced that he was thumbing his nose at the Kentucky criminal justice system, announced he was issuing "blanket" pardons (calling it amnesty, but Section 77 of the state constitution does not contain the term 'amnesty', only 'pardon') to anyone who "might have violated" state's Merit System laws. Yes, he left it that open and vague.

(Daily Kos)

katrina not unique thanks to bush

Brace for more Katrinas, say experts
PARIS (AFP) - For all its numbing ferocity, Hurricane Katrina will not be a unique event, say scientists, who say that global warming appears to be pumping up the power of big Atlantic storms.

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Thanks to bush and his followers ignoring the science of global warming, more people will die. How much blood will this scumbag have on his hands?! If there is a hell, there is a special place for this subhuman.

Monday, August 29, 2005

best Iraq analogy i've heard yet!

From Skippy:

let's say I get disturbed by a spider crawling up the garage wall. i slam the car into it at 50 miles an hour, destroying the car and causing a few thousand dollars in damage to the garage. when my wife objects, I say:

"i have to infer from that statement that you would be happier if that spider were still crawling up the wall." no, schmuck, she says, I'd be happier if we still had a car and didn't have to fork out ten thousand dollars to fix the garage.

"the stupidest thing i have ever read"

Atrios:
ID
This Washington Post column is, perhaps, the stupidest thing I have *ever* read.

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The Talent Show:
God Loves Jocks More Than You
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Really, this is beyonf the beyond in idiocy. What has become of editors?!?! It seems that anyone can write anything these days, no matter how ridiculous!

despicable bs from the conservatives

Jonah Goldberg: Sheehan’s Message “Resonates” With Nazis
Jonah Goldberg just posted this on the National Review’s blog, the Corner:

GOOD FOR CINDY! She’s rallied the Nazis to her cause (obviously unintentionally, but it’s interesting how her message resonates in such quarters nonetheless).

Sheehan is a mother who lost her son in Iraq who has a principled, anti-war message. It’s not “interesting” that this message is being manipulated by neo-Nazis to advance their cause of white supremacy. It’s despicable.

Goldberg’s use of the phrase “obviously unintentionally” doesn’t absolve him of anything. He asserts without qualification that “her message” — and not a perversion thereof – appeals to Nazis.

This is the guy NPR chose to fill in for Daniel Shorr.


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Jonah Goldberg Is Bad At Apologizing
Jonah Goldberg has written an “apology” for being “too glib” earlier post about Cindy Sheehan and Nazis. Here’s an excerpt:

I don’t think agreeing with Sheehan on the need to pull out of Iraq makes you akin to Nazis or racists in any meaningful or significant way.

That’s reassuring. Goldberg goes on to make further comparisons between Sheehan and white supremacists:

But, I think Sheehan’s PR operation — including her water-carriers in the liberal press — should no [sic] be surprised that they’re attracting a broad Popular Front which includes a lot of disreputable and unpleasent elements. If you leave yourself no room, rhetorically speaking, between yourself and the crazies don’t be surprised if the crazies respond to your rhetoric.

So Goldberg’s argument is that Sheehan isn’t like the Nazis, she just uses the exact same rhetoric. Nice. In a subsequent post, Goldberg reprints a letter from a fan who says Goldberg is being too “defensive about your original reference to Cindy.” Goldberg includes a link to an article on David Horowitz’s website which notes “Cindy Sheehan’s newfound, seemingly mutual love for anti-Semitic, racist, and neo-Nazi
extremists.”

Goldberg’s strategy is to feign an apology to insulate himself from criticism. At the same time, he continues to advance his smear against Sheehan.


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Goldberg’s Double Standard
Jonah Goldberg of the National Review’s the Corner went after Cindy Sheehan, stating that, “She’s rallied the Nazis to her cause (obviously unintentionally, but it’s interesting how her message resonates in such quarters nonetheless).” And his so-called apology for the statement still likened her rhetoric to that of white supremacists.

In the same post, Jonah brings up (and defends) the Minuteman Project, a group that even President Bush labeled as vigilantes. The efforts of the Minuteman Project drew “major interest on White supremacist Web sites and in their chat rooms. An Aryan Nation site [linked] directly to the Minuteman Project home page with the words: ‘A call for action on part of ALL ARYAN SOLDIERS.’” Jonah scolds Sheehan for using “rhetoric [that] is appealing to a wide range of groups who practice similar rhetoric…” and yet claims the Minutemen “have been working hard to weed out the nuts and goons rhetorically and practically.”

He’s talking about the same Minutemen Project that absolutely used rhetoric laced with venom — claiming the nation is being “devoured and plundered by the menace of tens of millions of invading illegal aliens” and predicting “political, economic and social mayhem.”

Now that he’s received some critical email, Goldberg doesn’t want to talk about the issue anymore. This morning he announced that he’s “not going to spend the day discussing this whole thing any more.

Good call.


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All from Think Progress.
If you ever want the answer to the question of how low a person can sink or how vile someone can be, just visit a conservative blog! Bile-inducing!

sickos pretending to be christian

Church: God Punishing GIs Over Gays
SMYRNA, Tenn. - Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.

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I find it incredible that some folks are condemning Cindy Sheehan for speaking out against a war based on lies and yet these anti-American so-called people can spew this revolting nonsense with nary a peep from the "right"-wingers. It is trash like this that makes an argument against free speech!

Iraqi constitution

Thousands Of Sunnis Demonstrate Against Iraq Constitution

It's all part of the process. One leading insurgent group described it as "drafted under the supervision of the occupiers." But the worst slur of all? One organizer of
the protests called it the "Jewish constitution." Oy.

Americablog on Hurricane Katrina

And John in DC gave the MSM about a hundred different ways to talk politics via
Hurricane Katrina with his postings "Will Bush Stay On Vacation While The Hurrican destroys New Orleans?," "Chickenhawk Watch: Bush Still On Vacation While Deadly Hurrican Approaches New Orleans," "Hurricane Updates" and climaxing with a post that tied in Terri Schiavo called "New Orleans Mayor Launches Secret Plan To Get Bush To Stop Vacationing And Fly Back To DC To Help On Hurricane." Dems in DC, here are your talking points. And Daily Show, you've got your lead joke for Monday.

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While New Orleans wakes up to Biblical proportion disaster, Bush is bopping off to AZ and CA on Monday to push his Medicare drug plan

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Hurricane updates

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Bush Vacation Watch Update: Thank God Katrina STILL hasn't ruined Bush's summer vacation


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Unbelievable that this man refuses to interupt his vacation for anything! One of the biggest natural disasters in history and he pretends that all is fine and says "quit bothering me!"
What a scumbag...

bush demotes another for telling the truth

Army Contract Official Critical of Halliburton Pact Is Demoted
A top Army contracting official who criticized a large, noncompetitive contract with the Halliburton Company for work in Iraq was demoted Saturday for what the Army called poor job performance.

The official, Bunnatine H. Greenhouse, has worked in military procurement for 20 years and for the past several years had been the chief overseer of contracts at the Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that has managed much of the reconstruction work in Iraq.

The demotion removes her from the elite Senior Executive Service and reassigns her to a lesser job in the corps' civil works division.

Ms. Greenhouse's lawyer, Michael Kohn, called the action an "obvious reprisal" for
the strong objections she raised in 2003 to a series of corps decisions involving the Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, which has garnered more than $10 billion for work in Iraq.

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Known as a stickler for the rules on competition, Ms. Greenhouse initially received stellar performance ratings, Mr. Kohn said. But her reviews became negative at roughly the time she began objecting to decisions she saw as improperly favoring Kellogg Brown & Root, he said. Often she hand-wrote her concerns on the contract documents, a practice that corps leaders called unprofessional and confusing.


First seen at Americablog:

Bush's Bizarro World: Screw Up And You Get Promoted; Speak The Truth And You Get Demoted Or Shunted Aside

Bush does it again. Whether you're a major player or small fry, Bush rewards incompetence and attacks anyone who tries to stick to reality. Gen Shinseki said we'd need hundreds of thousands of troops to secure Iraq (he was right, obviously) and got pushed aside. Last week, one gov't official refused to hide the facts about racial profiling among cops and was demoted. Now, Bush has finally been able to demote the brave woman (a top Army contract official) who denounced long-term no-bid contracts to Halliburton. Bush has no shame.

Louisiana National Guard in Iraq!

The Louisiana National Guard is in Iraq. Oops

Gee, Bush's deliberate lie in Iraq has consequences. Who knew?


(Americablog)

Friday, August 26, 2005

"not for our kind"

Some of Republicans' best friends are in the military

Terry Neal wrote an interesting piece for Monday's WaPo that I haven't seen quoted anywhere. In it, he looks at class as a predictor for both voting and enlisting. He also links to this great bit from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Staff Sgt. Jason Rivera, 26, a Marine recruiter in Pittsburgh, went to the home of a high school student who had expressed interest in joining the Marine Reserve to talk to his parents.

It was a large home in a well-to-do suburb north of the city. Two American flags adorned the yard. The prospect's mom greeted him wearing an American flag T-shirt.

"I want you to know we support you," she gushed.

Rivera soon reached the limits of her support.

"Military service isn't for our son. It isn't for our kind of people," she told him.

Operation Yellow Elephant loses another one.
(Nitpicker)

never-ending conservative hypocrisy

Sadly, No! points out more absurd hypocrisy:
Thanks For Clearing That Up, Glenn...
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Especially absurd in that in Sheehan's case the entire story is one woman's grief over the son killed for no reason. Her story is true, no lies, no pretense, and that is why an incredible number of people are backing her - emotionally and financially.
Somewhat different than a partisian attack based on nothing but proven lies. But, that is all that the repugs have - truth is definitely not on their side!

the idiocy of anti-envolutionists

Pharyngula explains it all slowly, for those who are not so quick-witted:
Moonbat anti-evolutionist: Deepak Chopra
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I am continually amazed that we are having this conversation in the 21st Century!
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Greg at The Talent Show has some Dumb Questions about this "debate" including my fave:
If people evolved from monkeys, why don't humans sometimes give birth to monkeys? (I was actually asked this question by a creationist)

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WOW! How do these people make it through a day in the real world?

bush vs clinton

The National Review Is Right

Bet you'd never see that headline at dailykos. But who doesn't agree with this:

You have to give Bush credit--he's the absolute opposite of Clinton. Clinton was in favor of small, popular things. Bush apparently likes to be in favor of big, unpopular things.

Yep, Bush likes lunatic wars with substantial American casualties, destroying alliances, building space-based missile shields, quagmires, poor performing economies, tax cuts for the rich, record budget deficits, destroying social security, ignoring the terrorism threat, etc. Yeah, big unpopular ideas like that.

Clinton, on the other hand, believed in war as a last resort, working with allies, no American casualties, building alliances and global goodwill towards America, fighting terrorism as our number 1 national security priority, tax cuts for the poor and tax fairness for the rich, balanced budgets, saving social security first, cops on the streets, etc. Yeah, "small" popular ideas like that. You know, the peace and prosperity thing.

For the life of me, why these Republicans would want to compare Bush to Clinton escapes me. But they do.

more bad news for bush

Via Daily Kos:
New AP Poll: Iraq War Support 37%, Support for Dissent 87%
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In virtually every poll, the majority of Americans NOW realize that bush has f'k'd up everything that he has touched since he started. Good to know that people are waking up, but how much better would this world be if they had come to these realizations 10 months ago?!

more on pat robertson

Good points by Americablog:

About Pat Robertson...

A lot of things have annoyed me about the coverage of Pat Robertson's latest unChristian, unAmerican and unbelievable broadside -- this one calling for the assassination of Venezuela's leader. First, as Jon Stewart so nimbly demonstrated, Robertson is an esteemed, beloved figure on the Republican side. They use him to raise money and get votes and generally treat him like a major figure. He is NOT the wacky uncle that everyone ignores. And when Robertson tosses off one of these vicious and wacky comments, Bush and most far right "Christian" groups can't even bring themselves to denounce cold-blooded murder.

But the part that annoyed me the most? Almost none of the coverage made clear that Chavez is the democratically elected leader of his country. Bush encouraged a military coup -- which overthrew Chavez's government -- and then gave the thumbs up to the junta that wanted to replace him. Only a stirring demonstration of people power forced the military to back down (much to Bush's chagrin) and Chavez was put back in place. He's since won reelection under a vote that was less contested than Bush's two paths to glory in 2000 and 2004. How can anyone call Chavez a critic of Bush and then fail to point out that Bush encouraged his overthrow? Especially since this proves Bush is lying when he claims to be spreading democracy. You can't support democracy just when it suits you -- as Bush has done his entire presidency.

And yet even middle of the road USA Today referred to Chavez as a "populist strongman." He is NOT a strongman (whatever you think of his pronouncements or policies). Chavez is the democratically elected leader of Venezuela and sits on one of the world's largest supplies of oil -- and Bush wanted him overthrown. He has every reason to distrust and dislike Bush, as does any Venezuelan who believes in democracy and the sovereign rights of nations to be left alone.

friday beagle blogging!

Harley, the incredible headless dog!


Or the dog with no body!

Thursday, August 25, 2005

wha.....?!?!?

CBS Affiliate Will Not Air Sheehan Ad Because There Is “No Proof” Of Absence Of WMD In Iraq...
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NO PROOF?!?!!? WHA....?!?!?!? Every single person who has looked has said that there are no WMDs and there hadn't been for at least 10 years! What the hell do they need?!?!
F'k'ing "liberal media".......

once again, the lack of logic is astounding!

Catch documents a small protest FOR veteran's rights that causes the ultra-conservative nujobs at freerepublic to villify the protestors! Apparently, in their minds, if someone asks that wounded veterans get the help that they need, then those asking are communists!
So, those who are truly supporting the troops are opposed by those who "support the troops" with little yellow ribbon magnets only.
Bizarro world has nothing on us!

bush thanks gawd for 9/11!

Seriously, what the hell would he be without that?!
First Draft notes (as does anyone with a brain) the endless repetition of the 9/11 mantra that continues to this day. Even though he has never managed to (truthfully) associate it with Iraq, that doesn't stop him from invoking it every time he talks about his war of lies.
Truly revolting...

guess that's why he's a multi-millionaire!

From First Draft:
Via Froomkin...
Bush, who caught no fish on Tuesday, also didn't tip his fishing guide.

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a real "man of the people"!

bolton & the UN

Read John Bolton's Edits To The UN Document...
From The Huffington Post
Basically, bolton is destroying a year's worth of work simply to be contrary!

only on fox!

SINKING EVER LOWER
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A bizarre story - Fox TV announces the address of a supposed "terrorist leader" even though it had been 3 YEARS since he lived there! Thankfully, nothing happened to the family currently occupying the house (update - see the Rude Pundit's post - apparently, they have been harassed), but the excuse was that by announcing the address to millions of people, the police would be aware that a terrorist lived there!
My gawd this world is completely insane....
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More from the Rude Pundit:
La Habra, California - Just Another Stop In Gitmo America:

the pro-bush "crowd"

Pro-Bush camp in Texas has room to grow!

From Lefti on the News
Camp Qualls, the pro-Bush camp in Crawford, Texas.

This picture is straight from the web page of the National Review Online touting the existing of "Camp Qualls", about which we are told: "Granted, the site is much smaller than the anti-Bush crowd, but it's growing each day."

I guess the crowd is still in the process of amassing! For the record, there are three pictures on the web page. None of them shows a single human being!


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Check out the website! Really amazing that their own pictures on their own website does not show a single person contributing! Not exactly PR geniuses, I guess!

the american legion hates america!

The American Legion will take "whatever means necessary" to stop anti-war protesters

Sounds like a terrorist threat to me.

The American Legion members who decided to adopt this new fascist policy ought to be arrested right now under the Patriot Act and sent to Gitmo, along with Pat Robertson, where they can all enjoy two kinds of fruit and the very form of un-Democratic system of totalitarian government they're all now embracing.

So is there a Republican left in our country who doesn't embrace fascism? I mean, what are we fighting for anyway? The right to turn this country into a state where none of the very freedoms the American Legion vets supposedly fought for are any longer respected?

The American Legion ought to be ashamed of itself for embracing the language and policies of the very dictators so much American blood has been spilt trying to fight over the years. And the White House ought to be ashamed of itself for embracing un-American thugs who are no better at their core than the enemy we face abroad.

I'll put my patriotism up against some American Legion Stalinist any day.

"The American Legion will stand against anyone and any group that would demoralize our troops, or worse, endanger their lives by encouraging terrorists to continue their cowardly attacks against freedom-loving peoples," Thomas Cadmus, national commander, told delegates at the group's national convention in Honolulu.

The delegates voted to use whatever means necessary to "ensure the united backing of the American people to support our troops and the global war on terrorism."

Mr. Cadmus' email address: natlcmdr@legion.org

(Americablog)


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This is really getting out of hand! I'm not quite sure how restricting the freedoms of law-abiding Americans is supposed to help our troops but it certainly seems to go against everything that are supposedly fighting for.
More at Crooks and Liars

Sheehan returns to Texas

'Peace Mom' Returns to Texas War Protest
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bush continues to hide in Utah & Idaho!

traitorgate

LA Times has not forgotten (as, apparently, most of the MSM has!). A good overview of the Rove/traitorgate saga.
Still have some hope of something actually coming of this, though that might be a fantasy.

the never-ending saga of the "liberal media"

TIME magazine tried to influence the 2004 election to Bush's favor
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Check out the story. Pretty revolting. Is there any media outlet that is not totally conservative these days?!

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

you would think that they would get tired of being wrong all the time!

InstaPundit: Fast, Loud and Wrong
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Blogoland points out that, yet again, instapundit posts a wild story without checking it and immediately is proven wrong. Of course, he leaves up the misleading headline regardless.

How easy must life be for repugs? You don't have to worry about things like facts or truth or research - your imagination is your only limitation!

bush = saddam?

Malkin Watch notes that a substitute blogger at Malkin's site shows just how much bush & saddam have in common! And he thinks that this is a good thing to do!! MW includes a commentor easily destroying the premise of the original post!
Apparently, for the comments, most of the regular readers think that it's great that bush can so easily be confused with a hated dictator!

more "good christian" conservatives

advocating murder - via Media Matters

robertson's insanity

Chronicled by Norbizness
This "man of god" has nearly created an international incident! How is he not in jail, much less still on tv?!
Oh, and by the way, in case no one noticed, the entire reason for calling for the murder of this man is due to oil!
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By the way, Norbizness has proven to be ultra-cool in quoting BOC's "Career of Evil"!

bu**sh** protector!

Bill Moyer, 73, wears a "Bullshit Protector" flap over his ear while President George W. Bush addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

new Iraqi government - not for women

Outta Here
Woman who once said Bush was her "liberator" decides to get the hell out of Iraq.

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And more, including another disappointed (to say the least) Iraqi woman, who once was a bush symbol.

a good op-ed in USA Today

By DeWayne Wickham

Mother deserves meeting, and apology, from Bush
C'mon George Bush, meet with Cindy Sheehan.

As president and commander in chief, you should find some time during your month-long "working vacation" in Crawford, Texas, to look this mother in the eye and say why you sent her son into harm's way in Iraq.

I know it's got to be harder for you to talk one-on-one with a loved one of the servicemen and women who have been killed in Iraq than it is to meet with a group of grieving relatives. Still, you ought to extend such a small courtesy to Sheehan, whose son gave what Abraham Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion" to his country.

If you can't figure out what to say to ease the pain that's wracked Sheehan since her 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed in Iraq last year, I can help you muster up some words.

Begin by apologizing to her for misleading our nation into believing that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Getting rid of those phantom weapons was the excuse you used to launch the pre-emptive war in Iraq.

Sure, I understand that intelligence failures have been blamed for what you said in your 2003 State of the Union address about Saddam possessing "the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent." But as Harry Truman said in his farewell address, "The buck stops here." You misled us, and you should just flat out admit it.

Mr. President, you should gently caress Sheehan's hands and assure her that her son didn't die in Iraq because you wanted to settle an old score. Tell her the reference you made to Saddam as "the guy who tried to kill my dad" during a 2002 speech, in which you laid out the case for war with Iraq, was a meaningless coincidence.

And tell Sheehan that when you said "bring them on" the following year, as resistance to the American occupation of Iraq began to stiffen, that you didn't mean to taunt insurgents from the safety of the White House while U.S. forces in that country were left to deal with their deadly response.

Just be honest and say you lost it for a moment. I think Sheehan will understand, given the emotional roller coaster she has been on since getting word that her son was killed five days after arriving in Iraq.

Express sorrow If at some point Sheehan gives you a sympathetic look, use this opening to say how sorry you are that more than 90% of the nearly 1,900 U.S. servicemen and women who have been killed in Iraq died after you triumphantly proclaimed an end to "major combat operations" in that nation.

Of course, all of this compassionate talk would be meant to convince Sheehan that her son didn't die in vain. Once you get through this part of your conversation, Mr. President, you can address the larger issue she raises about pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq.

Here's where you need to tread lightly. Sheehan can be expected to press you for an exit strategy and timetable for withdrawal.

Given your often, publicly stated refusal to do this, I suggest you tell Sheehan you didn't mean it when you said during the final 2000 presidential debate that U.S. forces should be deployed abroad only when the mission is "clear," the force is "strong enough so that the mission can be accomplished" and the exit strategy is "well-defined."

Tell Sheehan that was election-year bluster. Tell her that verbal swagger was a hyperbolic appeal to your right-wing base. Say that if many conservatives can give you a pass on your failure to stick to that promise, as the polls suggest they have, that she should be as understanding.

I know it's asking a lot of a tough guy like you to show Sheehan your soft side. Even so, this woman — and the nation — is hurting. Now is the time for you to be presidential.

But if you can't bring yourself to do this, meeting Cindy Sheehan probably isn't such a good idea.
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And even the Sports Page gets into the act!

(Again, first seen at Americablog)

Dowd on bush's ever-changing rationale

From the NY Times:

For political reasons, the president has a history of silence on America's war dead. But he finally mentioned them on Monday because it became politically useful to use them as a rationale for war - now that all the other rationales have gone up in smoke.

"We owe them something," he told veterans in Salt Lake City (even though his administration tried to shortchange the veterans agency by $1.5 billion). "We will finish the task that they gave their lives for."

What twisted logic: with no W.M.D., no link to 9/11 and no democracy, now we have to keep killing people and have our kids killed because so many of our kids have been killed already? Talk about a vicious circle: the killing keeps justifying itself.

bush hates the truth

Profiling Report Leads to a Demotion
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 - The Bush administration is replacing the director of a small but critical branch of the Justice Department, months after he complained that senior political officials at the department were seeking to play down newly compiled data on the aggressive police treatment of black and Hispanic drivers.

The demotion of the official, Lawrence A. Greenfeld, whom President Bush named in 2001 to lead the Bureau of Justice Statistics, caps more than three years of simmering tensions over charges of political interference at the agency. And it has stirred anger and tumult among many Justice Department statisticians, who say their independence in analyzing important law enforcement data has been compromised.
---
Mr. Greenfeld refused to delete the racial references, arguing to his supervisors that the omissions would make the public announcement incomplete and misleading. Instead, the Justice Department opted not to issue a news release on the findings and posted the report online.
---
Congressional opponents of racial profiling, who have criticized what they see as an ambivalent stance on the issue by the Bush administration, said they were frustrated to learn that the Justice Department had completed the Congressionally mandated study without announcing its findings or briefing members of Congress on it. They accused the Justice Department of effectively burying the findings to play down new data that would add grist to the debate over using racial and ethnic data in law enforcement and terrorism investigations.


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Has there ever been any other administration where you can get into more trouble for telling the truth than for lying?!
First seen at Americablog

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

yet another Iraq flip-flop

Changing the story yet again:

Fuzzy Math from Pentagon to your ears, via Fox

Bret Baier on Special Report 8/22/05 had a Fox exclusive with the deputy to the Army's Chief of Staff, General Peter Schoomaker, who said on Friday that we may have to have 100,000+ troops in Iraq for four more years. This assertion flies in the face of the Bush administration's claims of "last throes" and suggestions of troop withdrawals by early next year.

Baier stated that "the General (Lt. General James Lovelace) said that while the Army's recruiting goal will be missed (for the fiscal year), re-enlistment figures now surpass 100% for the Army's active duty and the guard and reserve."

That sure sounds positive for the Army, while reports elsewhere indicate anxiety over the low recruitment numbers.

Comment: I am at a loss as to how they can have over 100% re-enlistment.


(Newshounds)
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Are they purposely putting out conflicting information just to confuse the public? It seems as if every person in the administration is setting timetables and every one of them is different! But despite it all, there still is no plan and no progress! I don't think that they are planning on ever getting out!

Monday, August 22, 2005

this week's top ten conservative idiots

a good christian!

Pat Robertson Calls For Hugo Chavez's Assassination Today
That good Christian Pat Robertson came out on his show today and called for the assassination of Hugo Chavez. And yet there still will be thousands of viewers today who will nod their Christian heads and send off more money to Pat.

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Boggling! No, this is not a joke!

500 people protest bush in Utah!

Including Salt Lake City's mayor!

Protesters Gather at Pioneer Park
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson spoke at today's anti-Bush protest at Pioneer Park.

Anderson took to the podium following President Bush's speech at the Salt Palace. Anderson spoke in front of more than five-hundred people gathered at the park in protest of President Bush's visit to Utah.


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This is growing like crazy now! Pretty wild!

did someone hit a nerve?!

Wow! World O'Crap led me to this article - honest, this is the title:
Why the 'Chickenhawk' argument is un-American: Part I (by) Ben Shapiro
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This is so incredible! This chicken piece of crap has to "defend" himself for not being willing to serve in a war that he constantly champions and that sorely needs soldiers by saying that the Constitution says that he doesn't have to serve and that he has the right to free speech!

As I say repeatedly, I am amazed at the imagination of the conservatives in their "arguments"! Because they cannot actually defend the real premise, they make up something completely unrelated and then defend that! Kind of ingenious in its absurdity, actually!

Since he is unable to explain why he does not want to go to Iraq (basically because, as any fool knows, it is far too dangerous over there and the likelihood of dying is extremely high!) because it would entail proving that he is wrong about everything he says about Iraq, he has to babble about utter nonsense instead!

Methinks he doeth protest too much! Of course, honestly is completely out of the picture - after all, he's a republican!

how far can bush go?!

Bush plummets further

As just about everyone has seen, the new ARG poll has Bush below the 40 percent mark.

American Research Grop.
8/18-21. MoE 3% (July results)
Bush approval ratings
Approve 36 (42)Disapprove 58 (52)

As Think Progress notes, these are lower numbers than Nixon during Watergate.

At this point of his second term, Clinton was at 59 percent. Reagan was at 60 percent. Nixon at 39. (Though to be fair, the Nixon numbers were Gallup, while this poll is ARG.)

So what's causing the downfall? On the domestic front, Bush has had a pretty good last couple of weeks, with passage of the energy and highway bills and CAFTA. So
what's causing the meltdown?

Well, his Republican support is starting to crack (down to 77 percent approval). His favorability on the economy is 33 percent despite the administration's economic triumphalism in the past few weeks (down from 38 percent in July). Seems that the public isn't happy with the kind of jobs that are being created.

And Iraq (not addressed in this poll) obviously isn't doing Bush any favors either.

(Daily Kos)


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Lower than Nixon?! How is that possible and him still be in office?! I hope that people continue to pay attention!

more on the "liberal media"

Mandate My Ass has more on the absurdity of the idea of a "liberal media" and how the media continues to kiss bush's butt like the little lapdogs they are!

ok this is funny!

Blog Like A Conservative Day!
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See here for more!
I just don't have the imagination to do this! I just can't make up unreal, outrageous nonsense off the top of my head like the conservatives do!

what they died for

Draft Constitution Would Fundamentally Change Iraq

Sunni Demands Rejected, Making It Unlikely They Will Accept Proposed Charter

BAGHDAD, Aug. 22 -- Shiites and Kurds were sending a draft constitution to parliament on Monday that would fundamentally change Iraq, transforming the country into a loose federation, with a weak central administration governed by Islamic law, negotiators said.

The draft, slated for action by a Monday deadline, would be a sweeping rejection of the demands of Iraq's disaffected Sunni minority, which has called the proposed federal system the start of the breakup of Iraq. Shiites and Kurds indicated they were in no mood to compromise.
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The draft also stipulates that Iraq is an Islamic state and that no law can contradict the principles of Islam, Shiite and Kurdish negotiators said. Opponents have charged that last provision would subject Iraqis to religious edicts by individual clerics.

The Shiite and Kurdish negotiators also said draft calls for the presence of Islamic clerics on the court that would interpret the constitution. Family matters such as divorce, marriage or inheritance would be decided either by religious law or civil law as an individual chooses -- a condition that opponents say would likely lead to women being forced into unfavorable rulings for them by opponents demanding judgments under Islamic law.


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So, it looks like a theocracy for Iraq - just what the crazed "right"-wingers want for America! Sounds like its really gonna be great for everyone, especially the women!

even repubs are jumping ship re: Iraq!

Hagel: Iraq looking like Vietnam and "We're not winning"

More blunt talk from the Republican Senator from Nebraska:

A leading Republican senator said Sunday the war in Iraq is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.

Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reaffirmed his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq.

"Stay the course is not a policy," said Hagel, a possible White House contender in 2008. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq ... we're not winning."

Another Republican calling for an exit strategy. Clearly Hagel didn't get the talking points. Now, the White House is going to have to develop a smear strategy to deal with Hagel. He's a decorated war veteran, just the kind of target this White House loves.

(Americablog)


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wow! When a repub starts talking like this, you know its getting bad! Of course, Hagel is a vet, so he knows what he's talking about. But, as Americablog says, that is the type of person that the WH loves to smear!

wouldn't it be nice if they no longer let him get away with this?

Newsweek's CW: Bush has gone overboard on 9/11

Newsweek's snarky, weekly column, "CW," which they tell us is "an informal distillation of the ever-changing thinking of Beltway pundits and the chattering classes." Basically, it's the buzz among the MSM and other DC smarty pants. This week, they give Bush a down arrow noting:

His "9/11 link" pro-war offensive is getting offensive. What he's selling, America ain't buying.

Okay, I won't rant about how the MSM has let Bush use 9/11 as a political tool for almost four years now. I will just say, if the MSM is cluing in that Bush is overplaying the 9/11 references, then he is in trouble. Scary thing for the White House is that
they have nothing else...nothing...to justify Iraq, now.

(Americablog)


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I can't even imagine the news media calling bush on this bullshit! Certainly is about time! We'll see if it really happens, though, as bush is promising to continue to caw "9/11! 9/11!" throughout his speechs defending his insane war this week.

repug impeachment!

Ohio Democrats Weigh Governor Impeachment
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio's House Democrats are considering impeachment proceedings against Republican Gov. Bob Taft, who pleaded no contest last week to four ethics violations.

House Minority Leader Chris Redfern said Sunday that Democrats had made no decision yet about whether to seek Taft's ouster — impeachment would be difficult if not impossible with Republicans controlling both houses of the Legislature.


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Of course the fellow repugs will defend taft until their dying breaths, no matter what he has done, so there is not much chance that the impeachment will occur, but its good that the Dems are talking about it! The people need to know that there should be some accounting for the repug crimes! Of course, the repugs care nothing about justice or corruption - as long as they come out on top!

Too cool!



Folk Singer Supports Anti-War Protesters
CRAWFORD, Texas - Joan Baez was against the Vietnam War and she showed it —appearing at marches, once even blocking the entrance of a military induction center.

The folk singer is against the Iraq war, too, and she showed her support Sunday to protesters camping out near President Bush's ranch.

Baez took to the stage for about 500 people on an acre lot offered by a landowner who opposes the war, performing such classic peace anthems as "Song of Peace," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."

Not far way is the camp started by Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq.

"In the first march I went to (opposing Vietnam) there were 10 of us. This is huge," Baez told the relatives of fallen soldiers before performing just up the road from the ranch.


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I think that this is great! It really looks like this is building something solid! Of course, there are still people who are supporting bush, though they have no articulate reason for doing so, but this grass roots movement is pretty amazing after all these years of catatonic apathy!

despite bush's best efforts, states are trying to help the environment!

West Coast States Unite on Car Regulations
Auto Industry Sought to Kill Tough Standards on Emissions

SALEM, Ore. (Aug. 21) - Despite an effort by auto industry lobbyists to kill the move, two Pacific Northwest States -- Oregon and Washington-- are getting ready to adopt California's new vehicle emission standards to reduce greenhouse gases.

When that happens, California's newly implemented emissions standards -- the toughest in the country -- will be in effect along the entire West Coast from Canada to Mexico.
---
"Despite what the Bush folks say, more people are realizing that global warming is a problem that we need to begin to address," he said.
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The auto industry is suing California over its new standards, saying the state lacks authority to implement such regulations and that the rules would eventually add $3,000 to the cost of a new car.


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Thank goodness some states are trying to help the environment, regardless of bush and the car manufacturers. Maybe someday the federal government will once again care about its people!

more horrors in Afghanistan

G.I. Death Toll in Afghanistan Worst Since '01
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But bush is going on to road to tell us how wonderful everything is over there!

bush really thinks that Americans are stupid!

Bush Urges Americans to Stay Course in Iraq
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Will anyone believe anything that he says these days?! I would sure hope not! But when i see something like this, it sure worries me!

Friday, August 19, 2005

as if we needed more proof

As we see Cindy Sheehan attacked and memorials to fallen soldiers desecrated, the Poor Man lists more of the repug's lust for hatred and violence.
I swear, are these people even human? Are we living in a sci-fi movie?

ohmigawd!

Think Progress shows that vileness does run in the family!

Like Mother, Like Son
Why doesn’t President Bush feel obligated to meet with Cindy Sheehan during his vacation?

Remember this statement by his mother, Barbara Bush, on Good Morning America in March 2003:

Why should we hear about body bags, and deaths, and how many, what day it’s gonna happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it’s not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?

The apple hasn’t fallen far from the tree.

Think Progress explains the repug version of "clarity"

Cheney on Iraq: Clarity in its Last Throes

Yesterday, Vice President Dick Cheney was on hand at the National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart to talk about Iraq. The speech was full of the usual pabulum and dishonesty about the conflict, and there were even some bad jokes (“at ease, please,” he jestingly opens his remarks)—strange, coming from a serial draft-dodger.

But Cheney wasn’t there to talk up an imminent victory, or to discuss the last throes of the insurgency. He was there to claim that we have clarity: “Our mission in Iraq is clear,” Cheney tells the crowd. And again, in closing: “We will not relent in this effort, because we have the clearest possible understanding of what is at stake.

Clarity?

Last Month, General George Casey, commander of the Multi-National Force in Iraq, told reporters that large-scale troop withdrawals could start as early as next spring. Then, just last Monday, we learned that a troop increase can be expected in the short term. Three days later, President Bush said no decision had yet been made on whether troop levels would increase or decrease. Just yesterday, we learn that 700 new troops will be dispatched to Iraq.

Ah, very clear. Everyone on the same page?


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Or as the Tommyknockers said in the early 90's, "The Clarity Is So Clear":

tbogg reports on a rare repug delicacy!

And James Byrd was "mildly disgruntled" behind a truck...
Ah, the delicacy with which The Artist Formerly Know As The Big Trunk puts this:

Gene Allen is our man on the scene in Crawford this week. Yesterday Gene phoned to report on news regarding the protesters' roadside crosses that had been disturbed by an unsympathetic driver.


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Wow! A lunatic with a pickup truck with a pipe tied behind it trashes a memorial to the troops who died in Iraq (crosses and flags, mind you!) and this slimebag simply says that it was "disturbed by an unsympathetic driver"?!?!?!?! Just imagine if this memorial had been put up by a conservative - not that it should make any difference who put up a memorial to our troops if anyone actually cared about our military!

repug dictionary!

The Poor Man explains what words "really" mean now:
Update your dictionaries!

conservatives getting it wrong AGAIN

Right-Wing Smear of Gorelick Rooted In Ignorance
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Seriously, doesn't this get embarassing?

the not-so-intelligent design

From Balloon Juice :

Renew America has up yet another in their unending series of articles attempting to legitimize intelligent design as ‘science.’ Nothing really noteworthy, other than this picture, which gave me a good giggle:




Heh. I guess the final paragraphs were also worth a chuckle:

Like the theory of evolution, intelligent design science has links to a philosophy, namely the philosophy of Deism and natural law. However, intelligent design science is protected from corruption by its careful adherence to the empirical disciplines of Francis Bacon.

In conclusion, whether one believes in evolution or intelligent design science, one is obliged to consider that at present, the intelligent designers are operating at a higher level of integrity than the evolution establishment.

Not only are those evolutionists wrong, but they don’t have the integrity to admit it!


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Now ID is a science?!?! Wow! How did that happen overnight? god decreed it or something?! And how does ID operate "at a higher level of integrity"?! Making stuff up based on literally nothing shows more integrity than basing your theory on sound, proven science?! Whew!

Friday Beagle Blogging!

Harley says "Jeff Gannon has nothing on me!"
And Harley's politics are much more logical!

Thursday, August 18, 2005

repugs see corruption everywhere except in the mirror!

Pennsylvania Republicans File FEC Complaint Over Newspaper Ad Campaign
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Man, talk about frivolous! The newspaper writes a story saying that a Democrat will run for Senate and the the repugs think that this is illegal!!! These people really do have no touch with reality, do they?! HOw many newspapers were falling all over themselves to promote bush last year and to hide his incredible number of lies from the American public?! This is absurd!

more heartbreak for Sheehan

'Peace Mom' Cindy Sheehan Leaving Camp After Learning Her Mother Has Had
Stroke

CRAWFORD, Texas -- The grieving woman who started an anti-war demonstration near President Bush's ranch nearly two weeks ago left the camp Thursday after learning her mother had had a stroke, but she told supporters the protest would go on.

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How horrific! How much loss can one person take?!
How will the heartless repugs twist this story?

Clinton & bin Laden

OOPS! NY Times Lie Of Omission
This NY Times story, State Dept. Says It Warned About bin Laden in 1996 ends with this:

"The thinking was that he was in Afghanistan, and he was dangerous, but because he was there, we had a better chance to kill him," Mr. Scheuer said. "But at the end of the day, we settled for the worst possibility - he was there and we didn't do anything."

It accidently forgot to include this:

Clinton strikes terrorist bases

THE United States launched cruise missile strikes in Afghanistan and Sudan yesterday against centres allegedly linked with the terrorist bombings of two American embassies.

More here,

With about 75 missiles timed to explode simultaneously in unsuspecting countries on two continents, the operation was the most formidable U.S. military assault ever against a private sponsor of terrorism.
...
Clinton and his national security team linked both sites to Osama bin Laden, the exiled Saudi millionaire tied by U.S. intelligence to the twin bombings on Aug. 7 in Kenya and Tanzania. The bombings killed 12 Americans and nearly 300 Africans.

... The president made no apologies for ordering the strikes without permission from Afghanistan or the Sudan, saying, "Countries that persistently host terrorists have no right to be safe havens."

... Clinton presented several reasons for the decision to act swiftly and forcefully, rather than to punish bin Laden through the means of diplomacy and law. Repeatedly he said bin Laden presented an imminent threat, quoting his pledge this week to wage a war in which Americans were "all targets."

Oops, the Times accidentally left that part out...

Update - Never forget that the Republicans reacted to Clinton attacking bin Laden by accusing him of doing it for political "wag the dog" reasons. (And here.)

(From Seeing the Forest)

Yikes!

Do they really think that this is a good idea?!
Only on Fox: "Kill Social Security!"
(From Media Matters)
Are they that out of touch that they think that people don't want SS?! My gawd, how many people wouldn't survive without this money?! Very scary that they're even talking about this!

more on supporting the troops!

Wow!

Supporting the troops, Texas style:

Former Marine Carl Basham remembers his two tours in Iraq like yesterday.

"Three mortars every single night that were landing within a couple feet of your living area. Pretty scary," he said.

Basham, now home with his parents, wants to start a new life with a quality education.

When he enrolled at Austin's Community College to become a paramedic, they told him he'd have to pay out-of-state tuition, because of his time in the military.


(Eschaton)

more on the anti-military repugs

From TPM Cafe:

Such is the hatred of the far right at the dawn of the 21st Century. And my how the optical worm has turned. Today it is the left invoking faith, flag and family, while the right destroys crosses. Today it is the left that honors the war dead, raises up a Gold Star Mother and publicly prays for our troops, while the right viciously attacks a woman who gave her country everything. Today it is the left that patiently and peacefully respects the Office of the Presidency, while the right diminishes the office by claiming it's more important for the President to go bike-riding with a sports hero than comfort the mother of a war hero.

For the last two presidential elections it has been the Democratic Party whose nominee was a Vietnam War veteran, while the Republicans have sputtered out spurious defenses of their candidate's deceitful draft-dodging.

On Thursday, Dick Cheney, who said he had "other priorities" in the Vietnam era, and so helped himself to five draft deferments, will address the 73rd Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. I do not think he will express remorse for the callousness with which he explained his cowardice. Nor do I expect him to apologize for the shocking, mocking Republicans who, at their New York Convention a year ago, sported Band-Aids with tiny purple hearts to mock the blood shed by John Kerry and so many other heroes in that misbegotten war.

No, Mr. Cheney, surrounded by body guards who would gladly give their life for him, will no doubt wrap himself in the flag. A flag Larry Chad Northern wrapped around his axle on Prairie Chapel Road.


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First seen at Eschaton

more lack of logic on security

From Americablog:

Next US plane hijacked or blown up is Bush and the GOP's fault

You heard it here first.

Bush's apparently Orwellian Transportation Security Agency is now talking about ending the ban on knives, ice picks and razor blades being taken aboard US airplanes. Phew. You know, it's been hell for the past 4 years not having my ice pick to - uh - kill a flight attendant with? (Sorry, couldn't really find another non-lethal use for an ice pick on board a domestic air flight - I'll get back to you when the White House comes up with one.)

But, if this makes you feel better, some of the new looser rules may only apply to airline personnel and, yes you got it, SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS. So, that means we trust Karl Rove so much, after he willfully endangered national security during a time of war, that we're now going to give him special rights when boarding aircraft. Nice.

But let's not forget the other reason why the next hijacking or plane blowing up is Bush's fault: the GOP congress is drastically cutting the number of airport security personnel because we've captured bin Laden and defeated Al Qaeda. Oh wait. That's not it. Um, because we've exacerbated the terrorism problem by invading Iraq based on a lie and helping Al Qaeda recruit? No, that's not it. Well, when the White House comes up with a good reason for us drastically cutting back on airport security, I'll be sure to let you know.

another bush horrendous failure - Afghanistan

Terrorism and drugs hamper efforts to rebuild after fall of the Taleban

NEARLY four years after the defeat of the Taleban, efforts to rebuild Afghanistan face a “real and worrying risk of failure”, the British Government has concluded.

Terrorism remains an ever-present threat. Opium production is spreading. Large parts of the country’s infrastructure are in tatters and United Nations targets for improving basic services such as education and water will not be met.


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Is there one single thing that this administration has done right?!

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

bush ratings continue to fall

From Democratic Underground:

President Bush’s job approval has dropped to 41% nationwide, according to the
results of 50 separate but concurrent, statewide public opinion polls conducted
by SurveyUSA. Bush’s aproval rating ranges from a high of 59% in Idaho to a low
of 29% in Rhode Island.

* Bush is above 50% in 7 states.

* Bush is at 50% in 2 states.

* Bush is below 50% in 41 states.

Compared to last month's poll, Bush's approval numbers dropped 5 or more points in 10 states. The single largest drop was in Minnesota, where it fell 10 points. Bush also fell 9 points in New Mexico.


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Someone is going to cause something to happen soon to prop up these numbers! But maybe the people won't be taken for a ride for a change!
Man, have things changed in 9 months!

i know that rush limbaugh is nuts but....

....he really seems to be going over the deep end.
Obviously, ala coulter and o'reilly, this is all theater, but how can a sane mind come up with this drek? (From Media Matters)
I mean, he says that bush should deport everyone who doesn't agree with him, he says that Cindy Sheehan has made up her whole story (!!!! I guess someone should tell her son that he's not really dead!), blames a congressman for gas prices, denies science (global warming this time), and actually says every abortion that doesn't happen, pro-choice people believe to be a "setback to the cause"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whew!
I think his "doctor" has upped the doseage of his drugs!!!

like father, like son

From Eschaton :

Privilege
Father and son
.
How could President Bush be cavorting around on a long vacation with American troops struggling with a spiraling crisis in Iraq?

Wasn't he worried that his vacation activities might send a frivolous signal at a time when he had put so many young Americans in harm's way?"I'm determined that life goes on," Mr. Bush said stubbornly.

That wasn't the son, believe it or not. It was the father - 15 years ago. I was in Kennebunkport then to cover the first President Bush's frenetic attempts to relax while reporters were pressing him about how he could be taking a month to play around when he had started sending American troops to the Persian Gulf only three days before....

"I just don't like taking questions on serious matters on my vacation," the usually good-natured Bush senior barked at reporters on the golf course. "So I hope you'll understand if I, when I'm recreating, will recreate." His hot-tempered oldest son, who was golfing with his father that day, was even more irritated. "Hey! Hey!" W. snapped at reporters asking questions on the first tee. "Can't you wait until we finish hitting, at least?"

Junior always had his priorities straight.

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What a couple of scumbags!

some decency in Texas

Antiwar protester Sheehan to move campsite
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, is moving her camp closer to President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.

The piece of private property was offered by a relative of a man who had a fired shotgun in frustration over the protests, a source in the Sheehan camp said. The property owner is also a veteran.

"A neighbour of President Bush's has offered us his land," the source said. "It's got plenty of acreage for us, it's private land, we would have legal permission to be on it, it's much closer to the ranch -- in fact it's across the street from his (Bush's) church."

"We have taken him up on his offer," the source added.
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The source said Fred Mattlage made the offer saying "I'm a veteran, I support what you all are doing and I want to offer you my land."


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Good to know that everyone there isn't violently insane!

violent chaos in Iraq

At Least 43 Killed in Baghdad Bombings
Series of Back-to-Back Attacks Mark Bloodiest Day in Weeks

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I just wish that there were some signs of any kind of real (as opposed to bush's fantasy) progress there. This is just heartbreaking...

even more on Roberts

Did White House steal Roberts records from Reagan library?
How could anyone suggest such a thing?

It's not as if the White House is full of liars who can't be trusted with our national security.

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Yes, there could be a legitimate explanation for this, but certainly is suspicious! How bad are the things that they are trying to hide?!

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

more (yes, more!) repug hypocrisy!

Daily Kos reports on the "right's" indignation in regards to a completely fictional story about Hillary, and yet they fall over themselves defending bush when he actually does what Hillary did not!
fuckers....

malkin's slimy flip-flops

Put together by Greg at the Talent Show
As if there was any doubt that she is completely full of shit and doesn't really mean anything that she says.

a little late - study on diebold voting machines

$7.5M Awarded to Study Electronic Voting
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Again, not holding my breath to see if anything actually comes of this, but at least someone is trying to stop the fraud!

more on Roberts

Roberts Once Wrote of 'Abortion Tragedy'
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Yeah, I'm sure that this guy would be a fair voice on the Supreme Court! He thinks that abortion is a "tragedy", he thinks that not allowing prayer in public school is "indefensible", he doesn't believe that there is a right to privacy, he's been lying about ultra-conservative groups that he belongs to, bush won't allow his writings to be made available because he's afraid of what we will find.....
Not that anyone thought that bush would nominate anyone who wasn't a nutjob!
But what is it with these scumbags? Why won't they allow us to live our lives without government interference? Why do they insist on controlling every portion of everyone's lives? Is it simply a power play?
Any sane person knows that a woman's right to choose cannot possibly affect anyone other than the woman and possibly her lover. Giving gays the same rights as heteros could not possibly adversely affect anyone at all. Forcing religion on people of other faiths - or of no faith at all - is not a good thing for anyone, except those bullies who want to prove that they are more powerful than others. Taking away Social Security is such an obvious horror story that I can't believe that there is a discussion about it.
The repugs just want to flaunt their power by subjugating others. They do not want to help anyone or help our country. They have proven time & again that they care nothing for our military personnel. They have proven they care nothing for our national security. They care nothing for the right of a free press. They just want their power no matter what.
I don't believe that our country has ever been in such a sad state.....
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Apparently, Roberts is also against equal pay for women! As Americablog says, if this is the information that the White House is actually releasing, imagine what they must be holding back!!!!
But Dems continue to be wimps...Do they like being the underdog?!

more anti-military conservatives

A Bad Week For Protesting Mom
(CBS/AP) Cindy Sheehan — the mother who's camped out near Crawford, Texas, demanding to speak with President Bush about her GI son who died in Iraq — is continuing her vigil but the makeshift memorial erected at her campsite has taken a hit.

The campsite has close to a thousand white crosses, each representing GIs who, like Sheehan's son Casey, were killed in Iraq.

While Sheehan has gotten a lot of support in her vigil, and has been joined by dozens of sympathizers, she's also sparked some opposition.

Monday night, a pickup truck tore through the rows of white crosses.

The crosses stretched along the road at the Crawford, Texas, camp, bore the names of fallen U.S. soldiers. No one was hurt.


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Man, these scumbags are indescribably sick and twisted! How can someone hate the military so much?

Monday, August 15, 2005

the "right" on grieving mother Cindy Sheehan

Put her in stocks!
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Seriously, this is one of the most vile, sickest, disgusting things I have ever read in my life. I don't think this writer is even human! I can't imagine anyone having such intense hatred for a mother who is simply asking why her son died. I am at a loss for adjectives to describe this sickness....

and the writer refuses to allow anyone with a dissenting view to comment! I actually thought that this had to be a parody blog at first, but apparently not. there really are people who are this twisted!

these are the people who are happy with the direction our country is going and who hate everything that America is supposed to stand for - freedom, tolerance, equality, compassion, etc.

nothing going right in Iraq

Eschaton:
Senior Administration Officials: Damn We Were Fucking Stupid
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Too bad we didn't have any real planning for this abomination....

the anti-military "right"

Hullabaloo talks about the "right"-wing hatred of our military.

at least we have the possibility of justice

Career Lawyer, not Skull and Bones Pal, to head Plame Case
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I'l still not holding my breath for anything to happen, but how can they NOT prosecute when there is so much evidence?!