Highly Illogical.

Senator Barack Obama has caught some interestingly illogical heat from "conservative" reds for saying "I understand that President Musharraf has his own challenges. But let me make this clear. There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. It was a terrible mistake to fail to act when we had a chance to take out anal Qaeda leadership meeting in 2005. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will." So let me get this straight. Senator Obama wants to hunt down the terrorists where they train, where it is believed bin laden lives, and in a country that is providing safe haven by, at the very least, turning a blind eye. One of the reasons the pundits for bush and his war of choice in Iraq are using is "Pakistan has weapons of mass destruction" that could take the form of a "mushroom cloud". Do they not even realize how their logic is so blatantly wrapped around partisanship? But why should their logic follow through on foreign policy?

Imagine if President William Jefferson Clinton evoked his executive privilege when he was asked under oath about an extra marital affair? When the then red lead congress subpoenaed his aides about the extra marital affair or the real estate deal from when the President was the Governor of Arkansas, did Clinton evoke executive privilege? What would those who back the failure-in-chief's use of executive privilege to keep documents and testimony of his legal counsel, his chief political advisor and his former chief of staff, pertaining to the politicization of the Justice Department and the Federal Judiciary, from the US Congress and the American People have said if Clinton had? Here's a taste of that hypocrisy. But again why am I surprised that the logic coming from the "pro-life"/pro death penalty clan (pun intended) doesn't follow from one issue to another?

The "clown" in Our White House is number two (pun intended) in the race to become the most disliked president in history, and still most reds in congress are afraid to confront him. Speaking of Congress, did you know they refused to take their raise until they got a huge number of Americans their first raise in a decade? And another twisted truth concerning congress is their poll numbers. Congress's low poll numbers are not a good sign for republicans in congress, as some may spin it. It is a statement from the American Public to Congress that says "You are not moving quickly or strongly enough! Stand up to this president! Change the direction that he and those before you have placed Us in, and get us the Hell out of Iraq!"

The inconsistencies seem too numerous to mention.

Fiscal "conservatives" voted for a biggest increase in non-defense spending since OD (original dick). Those against "big government" are for the warrant less wiretapping of American citizens. The ones that say a government run universal health care system will make it so you can't go to whatever doctor you want to, do so without saying that the current private sector run system does that already. They warn against the bureaucracy in a government run health care system that guarantees the entire US population without acknowledging the bureaucracy that already exists in the bottom line, profit deal system where no one is guaranteed coverage.

The workers of this Country are told that they have a strong work ethic and that's why they work at least forty hours a week, have multiple jobs, get maybe two weeks vacation, and are worried about their retirement. While the unions, built to protect worker rights (40 hour work week, overtime, etc.), are demonized, major corporations are given the same benefits as "small business owners". Companies are being allowed, without the slightest penalty, to move their factories and jobs to foreign lands where there are no labor laws at all. Not to mention major corporations getting away with not paying taxes for years.

The same people who are coming down on NY Governor Spitzer for his aides using state police for political reasons have little or nothing to say about the top law enforcement official in the Country committing perjury to hide his being a political tool (pun intended).

I've heard people, dismayed by rupert murdoch's purchase of the wall street journal, talk about how they can't wait to go out and fund it by seeing the Simpsons movie. Oh wait, maybe I should scratch that one.

When it comes down to it, the "news" media has been reduced to sellers of soap. A well informed and/or educated citizenry is not as important to them as Nielsen ratings, advertising revenue, and their bottom line. The president's top political advisor has been subpoenaed, baghdad is getting one hour of electricity a day, the war of choice in Iraq may cost One Trillion ($1,000,000,000,000.00) and what's everyone talking about? They're talking about rich drunk blonds and overpaid baseball players. The "greatest nation in the world" kept in the dark and reduced to a mere consumer herd striving only for money and the material things that prove its existence.

It doesn't have to be like this. But we're going to have to stand up to change it.

Here's a snippet of Senator Dennis Kucinich questioning rummy:
"Was there a Department of Defense press strategy with respect to the war?" the Ohio Senator asked.

"If there was, it obviously wasn't very good," Rumsfeld quipped back.

The Rumsfeld remark drew Kucinich's ire.

"Well you know maybe it was very good because you actually covered up the Tillman case for awhile, you covered up the Jessica Lynch case, you covered upAbu Ghraib, so something was working for you," he said. "So something was working for you."

Rumsfeld angrily denied any cover up "on this matter."

This how you should react to bullsh!t distractions!

John Edwards has this youtube video to combat the bullsh!t hair cut story!

Go see Sicko.

Go See Sicko. Even if you hate Michael Moore, this movie will make you sick about how the only "western" country in the world that does not provide health care for all it's citizens does so because money is more important than it's citizenry's health.

Before you go see Sicko: the Movie, check out Max Blumenthal's video on the chickenhawk generation (AKA college republicans).

More later on Sicko and twisting the truth.

Failure

It has been reported by the Associated Press that an United States intelligence agency has found al qaeda to be at a strength "not seen since before 9/11". What the hell have the people in charge of this Country been doing for the past six years? This colossal failure is another justification of the unnecessary neo-con war in Iraq out the window. Maybe that's why two Senate Republicans have submitted a proposal to reduce US forces in Iraq. As part of that proposal, the Senators have called for a New Authorization Bill because they say "Many of the conditions and motivations that existed when we authorized force almost five years ago no longer exist or are irrelevant to our current situation". The report on al-qaeda states that the "terrorist organization" is "considerably operationally stronger than a year ago". Executive privilege happy king george says that's not true, and adds "we're making progress" in Iraq. Oh the LIES (Caution: it's the Rude One) we're being told. Where have we heard "we're making progress" before? Perhaps the progress to which zero credibility george is referring to can be found in the remains of the 100+ Iraqis killed in one day the weekend after the Fourth of July or the 80 victims of this past weekend's bombings. Maybe it was the 20+ mortar attack on the Green Zone that shed light on the corner were turning this time or Congressional investigators obtaining a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with a made up company. Could security of Iraqi banks, like the one that had $282 Million stolen from it, be part of the next in a long line of different and unclear "missions" Our troops are being given in Iraq.

I do not speak out against george w. bush because he is a republican. I speak out against him, because he is a failure, with failed policies that have lead to gains in America's enemies and loses amongst Our allies. I speak out against lil' george for endangering Our troops in a war we did not have to fight in Iraq. I rail against him for not keeping All Our forces trained and focused on those Actually Responsible for 9/11. I speak out against him for consistently and wrongly equating the attacks of 9/11 with his attack on Iraq. I speak out against the thinking that the president is above the law. I rail against the closed door, secret, and borderline tyrannical government he runs. I speak out against his putting politics before the health of the American People. I rail against this president's appointing of people to positions of power solely based on their political ideas, even when those ideas have nothing to do with the job, and not their experience. I rail against his politicizing the attacks, as well as the victims, of 9/11. I speak out against what he has done and continues to do to My Country. This is not about blue versus red. This is about America.

And another thing while I'm ranting and railing, it takes more than a bumper sticker or magnetic ribbon to support the troops! This administration has extended tours of duty from twelve to fifteen months. Our troops used to get TWO YEARS HOME in between One Year tours of duty. Now, there are soldiers who don't get One year in between their Fifteen month tours. Support the troops? Remember the Walter Reed scandal? There was a magnetic ribbon I saw over this past weekend that I whole heartedly agree with. It read "Support the Troops. Bring Them Home"

Mr. President, for the good of the Country, stop hiding behind executive privilege. Your treatment of Our Troops is a dereliction of duty bordering on treason. Mr. President, Resign and take dick with you.

Lie #___ Who can keep track, at this point?
"The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq are the ones who attacked us on Sept. 11," the failure in chief at Thursday's press conference.

Possible next topics:
The latest in the long line of religious right, self proclaimed moral leader, hypocritical douches who lectured us all on the sanctity of marriage and the importance of fidelity, senator david vitter goes to a paid whore. Hey senator, when your god sends you to hell, make sure you say hello to newt, haggard and mark foley.

Or maybe we'll talk about health care and the fact that you don't have to pay security insurance for police protection or safety insurance to have the fire department come to your house when it's on fire. So why do we have to pay $400+ a month for a doctor to protect Our health?

Oh and there's an added bonus to the July 23rd Democratic South Carolina debate. You can videotape a question for the candidates.

And here's another great piece from the Rude Pundit.

UPDATE: The new National Intelligence Estimate came out and it's not as rosy as the failure-in-chief would like us to believe. How does a statement like "we assess that its association with AQI (al-qa'ida in Iraq) helps al-Qa’ida to energize the broader Sunni extremist community, raise resources, and to recruit and indoctrinate operatives, including for Homeland attacks." jive with his war of choice in Iraq?

Also, the Senate had an all night session to debate the war in Iraq, with Senator Landrieu making the case for debating and voting on the biggest issue facing Our Nation currently. An issue that has killed over 4,000 of Our Men and Women in uniform, and where $35,000,000.00 is spent per day before breakfast should require debate and a vote, don't you think? The ball-less republican minority doesn't think so. That is why they continue their obstructionist filibuster.

scooter is no Bill Clinton.

I know it's old news, being ten days old and all, but I feel the need to respond to the "Clinton lied too" argument, as well as the "Clinton didn't do time" argument being made in defense of the president's commuting of scooter's sentence for perjury and obstruction of justice. To the latter it seems important to note that Clinton wasn't convicted by a jury of his peers. In the case of a sitting President of the United States that "jury" is the United States Senate. Dick's chief of staff, scooter, was convicted by a jury. In America, you don't do the time, if you're not convicted of a crime. In scooter's case, however, even if you are convicted of a crime, or three, you still don't have to do the time.

The first argument is the one that really gets me riled. In an investigation into real estate dealings that went down when he was Governor of Arkansas, President William Jefferson Clinton was asked under oath (the same oath bushco. continues to refuse to be put under) about extra marital sex. Even though these questions were about as relevent to National Security, Our democracy, or a high crime or misdemeanor as questions would be about how often george and laura have sex, he answered them. He did not invoke executive priviledge like chicken george has. Unfortunately, in an act of uncharacteristic stupidity, clinton lied in his answers. His lie was "I did not have sexual relations with that woman". His lie did not obstruct justice or subvert a federal investigation. He was not lying to protect the vice president or the the president's chief political adviser. He was not obstructing an investigation into the leaking of information classified for NATIONAL SECURITY. He lied about oral sex, not by his wife, that he received while in office.

The criminal, who leaked (whether he was the first or last we may never know) the identity of a covert operative of the CIA, who was working on Iraq at the time, was reprieved of his jail sentence by a man whom he may have been protecting with his lies. His lies ended an investigation into the involvement of the Vice President, the President's chief political adviser and quite possibly the President in the releasing of information, classified for National Security, to discredit evidence gathered to the contrary of this administration's rush to war. His sentence was commuted by the administration he was covering for. Libby was not lying about a crime against the sanctity of his marriage, but a criminal act against Our National Security.

And no i. scooter libby is not a soldier in the war in Iraq. If he was he would be on the active front lines for 15 months at a clip, unrested, perhaps under equipped, in 100+ degree heat, in full body armor, being shot at, and would return to find his benefits cut.

To bastardize the great quote from former vice presidential candidate Lloyd Benson, "Bill Clinton served as President of the United States, I remember Bill Clinton. Scooter, you are no Bill Clinton."

And not that I should have to, but just to clear things up...
I think Clinton is a very smart man and a brilliant politician, but as president I was thought neither his trade nor his environmental policy was at all progressive (or aggressive) enough. I voted for Ralph Nader in 1996.

Oh and in case a pro-crime advocate for libby throws the name mark rich (the most infamous pardon from clinton) at you, ask them who rich's lawyer was. You guessed it. It was i. scooter libby.

UPDATE: In responding to the above piece, a good friend of mine asked, "Where is the CRY about 'conflict of interest'!!". Bush, in commuting i. criminal libby's sentence, while the appeals process in ongoing, assures that libby will not testify further. He may have testified if enprisoned. The administration was involved in this case. How can they affect it legally? As my comrade put it, "this commutation literally gets bush and cheney off the hook in a big way.. So they should not, in a checks-and-balances democracy, be allowed to TOUCH his sentence!!"

Live Earth

A stage lined with car tires and set with thousands of twinkling LED lights rotated between acts to move the show along quickly and as it did, actors from Leonardo DiCaprio and Alec Baldwin to Cameron Diaz and Zach Braff (who came out correcting acts by telling them they were in New Jersey and not New York) took to the microphone to talk to the crowd about their pledge to combat the climate crisis and how we all should to. The speakers were not all entertainers. Al Gore took the mic several times, garnering huge applause every time. Jane Goodall and Jim Hansen, the man who blew the whistle on bushco.'s editting of climate reports, dropped science on the crowd. And Robert Kennedy Jr. gave a rallying speech calling out "the oil industry and their indentured servants" on Capitol Hill and unlike most of the other speakers went further than just the small, yet significant changes you can make in your daily habits by saying instead "the most important thing you can do is get involved in the political process and get rid of these corporate toadies" "This is treason" Kennedy said with authority "and we need to start treating them like traitors".

Not everyone in attendence was there "for the cause". Some were there for the show, the party. There was a good vibe in the stadium, and I'm not just talking about when Jersey jumped for Jovi. Ludacris, Akon, and Kanye West (who killed!) got the crowd dancin'. I never thought I'd see "Smack That" Live. Melissa Etheridge took on the role of protest singer, and nailed it by playing her pointed political song "Imagine That" chock full of on the money commentary on "what happened to US". Alicia Keyes brought the soul. Smashing Pumpkins brought the volume. The Police sent "out an SOS" (one of the events major coordinators was S.O.S. or Save Our Selves) with help from Kanye and John Maher, and the mighty Roger Waters brought the grand ol' classic rock with screens showing lil' george during "Brain Damage", Eclipse", and "Us and Them".

Before getting on an Acela Train from DC, where he opened the show, to New Jersey, Al Gore called this international concert a "launch event" not a victory party. No one claimed, or thought, that Live Earth would solve the climate crisis. What it did do was rally the troops, and maybe open a few more eyes. Raising money for groups like the Climate Project and SOS so they can continue to lobby Capitol Hill isn't such a bad thing either. From the recycling, garbage and Compost bins that were manned with volunteers to ensure proper separation to the special veggie dogs, shish kabobs, the brown paper wrapping around the food, and the alternative fuel used for the electricity for the show, Live Earth was the most environmentally conscious concert I have ever been to. Even the beer cups were bio-degradable in Giants Stadium. Check out their "green guidelines". The anti's had a plane circling the stadium's air space most of the day demanding "debate". I guess their "debate" pits 1% of the World's scientists against the other 99%. Performers took commercial flights (Were the beastie boys supposed to get to England by boat?), used bio-diesel fueled trucks, and were selected because of their proximity to the event they participated in. Not that I agree with the "changing a light bulb is too inconvenient" anti-crowd, when they pick apart those who believe and/or participate in a cause because they are not perfectly aligned with it in every aspect of their lives. You don't have to be poor to advocate for the poor, and you don't have to have a carbon neutral footprint to be an advocate for reducing greenhouse gases and energy consumption. This concert event was there to say Wake Up! Change is possible! And even small changes can make a difference. A point that was well made and well taken. My only regret was not seeing every bassist in London playing "Big Bottom" with Spinal Tap LIVE! Damn you Al Gore for giving London Tap and the Beasties! But thanks for everything else.

I pledged. Why don't you?

"I am not Different! I am an American" - Melissa Ethridge

UPDATE: Since attending the concert, I have changed the six light bulbs in my apartment to compact fluorescent light bulbs, reducing their electricity usage by 75%. I've declared Monday "No Meat Monday" reducing greenhouse Gas output, through animal farts, (my favorite Live Earth video) produced to feed me. And I'm trying to shut the lights and fans in rooms I'm not in. I'll let you know if my Energy bill drops.

Sorry for the Delay

The suicide bombing in Glasgow, that this administration called "amateur hour", and the explosive cars found in London are frightening foreshadowing for what the future could hold. We live in dangerous, volatile times. Perhaps more than ever before. Why has it gotten so much worse, so fast? John Edwards recently said "Today, as a result of what george bush has done, we have more terrorists and fewer allies," "There was no group called al qaeda in Iraq before this president' war in Iraq." The world had Our back in Afghanistan, even Iran helped. We were on "the hunt" for the group that raised the 19 hijackers (15 of which were Saudi, none were Iraqi) that attacked Us. Then this administration and those that pull its strings trumped up spun "evidence" and pushed Us into a war, insisting and parroting the propaganda that discussion and debate of war was "unpatriotic". Ruining the careers, no matter how classified for National Security, of those who thought differently, or simply wanted to present evidence. Now the criminal in chief has told the court, the judge, and the American people that perjury and obstruction of justice aren't crimes punishable by prison, at least not when the LIES are being used to save their own Asses. I say send "scooter" to guantanamo, abu ghraib, Syria, etc. and torture him until he tells the truth about what he was lying about.

Speaking of Lies, and the Lying Liars that Tell Them, vice president dick tried to pass off another doozy. Dick was thinking about ways he can continue to do whatever he wants (declassifying National Security secrets at will in particular this time) and came up with the idea he was not an “entity within the executive branch” of the US government, even though he gets $4,750,000.00 through its budget. Not to worry though, once a few Democrats in the legislative branch threatened to stop funding the vice president through the executive, the weaselly mr. potter impersonator and his lawyers said just kidding. You see the figure head failure in chief amended and signed an executive order pertaining to the handling of classified national security information, including oversight as to how and why information is declassified. Now that the rubber stamp reds are out of control, the man behind the curtain is being asked, and SUBPOENAED, for info that he holds so close to his barely beating heart. Sorry dick but we all now you run the show, the C-student, failed oil man, cheerleader in chief can't even meet the Pope right, let alone construct the prevailing "Road map" to violence in the near "middle" east. Who else but you and your "Project" could have come up with the war of choice costing the American taxpayer $440,500,000,000.00+ so far? The only project on schedule in Iraq is the largest permanent US base in history on a huge swath of prime real estate in the country we invaded on false, faulty and wrong information that only the neocons, whose strangle hold on this country seems to be waning, thought was actionable by force.

In a country where our government is funding and fighting sunni insurgents, a government that "relies" on the murderers committing genocide in the Sudan, A country where a government hasn't taxed rupert murdoch's newscorp company two of the last four years, and the regular taxed "folks" have to deal with rising gas and food prices as their wages drop. All the while oil companies continue to make record breaking profits. A government that spends tax payer money on building a "gay bomb", spying on its citizens, and bounties for illegal assassinations. It really is past time to take this country back. The majority of the American public think that Iraq was a mistake and we should get out. Even red senators are finally coming out against this administration's failed policies. We can end this. We have to end this. But we have to come together as a people, while holding the criminals who have hijacked the democracy of the United States of America accountable. And I'm not just talking about those who felled the Towers on that day that will forever live in infamy, that day when to make a speech was to be a leader. I'm talking about a rogue administration who have been destroying the power of Federal agencies from the EPA to the Justice Department, an administration who disregards the US Constitution, an administration that has weakened the United States military through over stretching, under resting, and disregarding their benefits when they come home. The president of the United States can't even get through a photo op with teen age presidential scholars without having to answer questions on why he is allowing torture in Our name in Our detention centers and the ones in places like Syria where this administration outsources torture in Our name. This is what Our country and its reputation has been reduced to under these "folks" in the White House. It seems a hell of a lot worse than an extra-marital affair, don't you think? I'm with Keith Olbermann. Mr. President. Mr. Vice President. For the good of the Nation, Resign!

Sorry for the Delay

The suicide bombing in Glasgow, that this administration called "amateur hour", and the explosive cars found in London are frightening foreshadowing for what the future could hold. We live in dangerous, volatile times. Perhaps more than ever before. Why has it gotten so much worse, so fast? John Edwards recently said "Today, as a result of what george bush has done, we have more terrorists and fewer allies," "There was no group called al qaeda in Iraq before this president' war in Iraq." The world had Our back in Afghanistan, even Iran helped. We were on "the hunt" for the group that raised the 19 hijackers (15 of which were Saudi, none were Iraqi) that attacked Us. Then this administration and those that pull its strings trumped up spun "evidence" and pushed Us into a war, insisting and parroting the propaganda that discussion and debate of war was "unpatriotic". Ruining the careers, no matter how classified for National Security, of those who thought differently, or simply wanted to present evidence. Now the criminal in chief has told the court, the judge, and the American people that perjury and obstruction of justice aren't crimes punishable by prison, at least not when the LIES are being used to save their own Asses. I say send "scooter" to guantanamo, abu ghraib, Syria, etc. and torture him until he tells the truth about what he was lying about.

Speaking of Lies, and the Lying Liars that Tell Them, vice president dick tried to pass off another doozy. Dick was thinking about ways he can continue to do whatever he wants (declassifying National Security secrets at will in particular this time) and came up with the idea he was not an “entity within the executive branch” of the US government, even though he gets $4,750,000.00 through its budget. Not to worry though, once a few Democrats in the legislative branch threatened to stop funding the vice president through the executive, the weaselly mr. potter impersonator and his lawyers said just kidding. You see the figure head failure in chief amended and signed an executive order pertaining to the handling of classified national security information, including oversight as to how and why information is declassified. Now that the rubber stamp reds are out of control, the man behind the curtain is being asked, and SUBPOENAED, for info that he holds so close to his barely beating heart. Sorry dick but we all now you run the show, the C-student, failed oil man, cheerleader in chief can't even meet the Pope right, let alone construct the prevailing "Road map" to violence in the near "middle" east. Who else but you and your "Project" could have come up with the war of choice costing the American taxpayer $440,500,000,000.00+ so far? The only project on schedule in Iraq is the largest permanent US base in history on a huge swath of prime real estate in the country we invaded on false, faulty and wrong information that only the neocons, whose strangle hold on this country seems to be waning, thought was actionable by force.

In a country where our government is funding and fighting sunni insurgents, a government that "relies" on the murderers committing genocide in the Sudan, A country where a government hasn't taxed rupert murdoch's newscorp company two of the last four years, and the regular taxed "folks" have to deal with rising gas and food prices as their wages drop. All the while oil companies continue to make record breaking profits. A government that spends tax payer money on building a "gay bomb", spying on its citizens, and bounties for illegal assassinations. It really is past time to take this country back. The majority of the American public think that Iraq was a mistake and we should get out. Even red senators are finally coming out against this administration's failed policies. We can end this. We have to end this. But we have to come together as a people, while holding the criminals who have hijacked the democracy of the United States of America accountable. And I'm not just talking about those who felled the Towers on that day that will forever live in infamy, that day when to make a speech was to be a leader. I'm talking about a rogue administration who have been destroying the power of Federal agencies from the EPA to the Justice Department, an administration who disregards the US Constitution, an administration that has weakened the United States military through over stretching, under resting, and disregarding their benefits when they come home. The president of the United States can't even get through a photo op with teen age presidential scholars without having to answer questions on why he is allowing torture in Our name in Our detention centers and the ones in places like Syria where this administration outsources torture in Our name. This is what Our country and its reputation has been reduced to under these "folks" in the White House. It seems a hell of a lot worse than an extra-marital affair, don't you think? I'm with Keith Olbermann. Mr. President. Mr. Vice President. For the good of the Nation, Resign!