LEFT is RIGHT (blogging against The Bush-war) |
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| "Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, more than 190,000 men and women have stepped forward to wear the uniform of the Marine Corps. Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation is serving freedom's cause in distant lands. Like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation faces determined enemies. And like the Marines who have come before them, this new generation is adding its own chapters to the stories of liberty and peace. And years from now, when America looks out on a democratic Middle East growing in freedom and prosperity, Americans will speak of the battles like Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima." George Bush, Nov. 10, 2006 |
I'm not sure who is more insulted by this comment: Marines who fought at Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, or the thousands of Fallujah civilians slaughtered at the hand of Bush's raging lunacy. (h/t to lefti on the news)
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Best Veteran's Day Ever!
Buyer has
tried to redefine who is a veteran... Shortly after winning the chair at
HVAC Buyer said, “Some of the veterans service organizations, they are having
this belief that everyone should have open access to the VA system, when in fact
I believe that the VA system should follow its core constituency and the intent
of Congress when we laid out our priorities, and that was in fact to take care
of our disabled and indigent veterans first.” So, what is happening here? Buyer
is trying to redefine “veteran” and in so-doing reshape benefit programs to meet
his new definition. In short, this means fewer benefits for fewer veterans. The
two keys here are Buyer’s references to “intent of Congress” and “core
constituency.” By rejecting the “intent of Congress” when they passed
legislation defining benefits and eligibility Buyer is telling us Congress was
wrong and he is going to change it. By referring to the VA’s “core constituency”
as “disabled and indigent veterans” he is eliminating veterans who do not fall
into those categories.
Buyer has
tried to lockout the veterans' service organizations (VSO's) from the VA's
budget process... Buyer is known in the Republican Party as a team-player
who does not stray from the Party line. In the veterans’ community, Buyer is
known as a hard-liner who tenaciously resists any effort to fully fund VA health
care. Last Tuesday (Nov. 8, 2005), in a press release, Buyer announced he would
now be holding hearings on the VA budget in February instead of March. The
hearings would be before the HCVA only, not the traditional House and Senate
venue. Buyer said he was doing this to “ensure that veterans have greater input
in the [VA’s budget] process.” (Buyer’s press flack, Jeff Phillips, wrote this
and he’s a master at making the really bad sound really good.) For almost two
days this seemingly “little” news story went unnoticed. Then the firestorm
struck. VSOs realized that Rep. Buyer was trying to pull a “fast one” with their annual VA budget testimony. For 55 years the VSOs have come to Capitol Hill in March to testify before a joint session of the HCVA and Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (SCVA). Now, Rep. Buyer will limit VSO testimony to just the HCVA, thus eliminating access to the Senators who are directly involved in the VA budget process. But, there is a political side to Rep. Buyer’s decision. By
moving the testimony from March back to February, VSOs come to the table with
only part of the information they need to adequately make recommendations on the
VA budget. During the Joint Committee hearings held in March, VSOs have had the
VA’s budget request AND the White House’s response to that request (generally a
lower dollar amount). And, there would be enough time to analyze both sets of
figures and give testimony in the best interest of veterans. With the single
committee hearing moved to February, the VSOs would have to outline their VA
budget priorities at the SAME TIME the White House figures are released. There
wouldn’t be time to go through the White House’s VA budget numbers and come up
with a response. The VSOs dismissed Rep. Buyer’s contention that the February
hearings would give them greater influence on the VA’s budget. They claim Buyer
is seeking to avoid the public relations nightmare of having angry veterans’
groups blasting the White House. “Some people don’t want to be criticized for
being deficient,” said Richard Fuller, legislative director for the Paralyzed
Veterans of America. This move is Rep. Buyer’s way of paying back the White
House for his Chair on the HCVA. With February hearings, VSOs would not be able
to criticize the low dollar figure offered by the White House for the VA budget.
Rep Buyer is doing his job by protecting the White House from criticism by VSOs
who have become increasingly vocal about the Bush Administration’s underfunding
of the VA.
Buyer has used third-party slurs to push his anti-veteran agenda...
One of Rep. Buyer’s third-party, anti-veteran slurs came earlier this year when
he referred to veterans as “whiny” because they complained about proposed cuts
in Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) benefits. When questioned about his use
of the word “whiny,” Buyer said that “others” have called veterans “whiny.” When
the reporter asked who actually used the word “whiny,” Buyer refused to answer.
So, Rep. Buyer got out his message that veterans are “whiny” when confronted
with losing VA benefits and he was able to disassociate himself from the
statement by saying someone else said it... VA Secretary Jim Nicholson had just
announced the cancellation of the VA’s review of 72,000 Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) claims that had already been awarded at 100 per cent disability.
The VA had looked to lower or deny PTSD benefits based on faulty record-keeping
on their part. Praise for the VA’s decision to cancel the review came from both
sides of the political aisle. Rep. Buyer had not opposed the review of the PTSD
claims and his press release was mean-spirited and misleading. Buyer said,
“Today the [VA] announced their decision to conclude the review of 72,000 [PTSD]
cases…Very few claims were found to be fraudulent.” This statement would lead
people to believe that veterans had been committing fraud to receive benefits
for PTSD.
Buyer wants a VA run by political appointees instead of healthcare
professionals... House Vets' Chair wants to get rid of VA professionals and
replace them with political appointees - Says agency must be run like a business
- And, wants vets to pay for their healthcare with enrollment fees, deductibles
and co-pays.
Now onto Senator Larry Craig. Besides the accusations of him being part of the republi-con gay agenda , I could take up pages detailing the harm this small-minded man has done to Veterans and the VA system.
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I'm takin' it easy Friday, so here's a day-early selection that will whittle away at least 15 minutes of your boredom:
- McDonald's drive-thru order a la song
- Paper cutouts as art
- Flying coach can mean insufficient headroom (video... takes a minute to download)
- New Math is back
- Corporate press conferences sure seem different lately
- Amazing... can't really describe this site. Just start clicking away.
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- I understand that the U.S. economy is going to tank within the next 12 months or so, but this scenario seems a bit outrageous.
- Never, ever, in my wildest imagination did I ever think I'd see this
- Buy greeting cards (for the upcoming holidays) made by union workers
- Want to see the future of American politics? Look no further than this week's California election results.
- Australia to Santa: "We's like some of the wet stuff this year."
- Acetaminophen May Be a Leading Cause of Acute Liver Failure (note: subscr. req.)
- Union of Concerned Scientists implore FDA to not use new effective (to humans) antibiotics on cattle
- Dems start "sweeping" corruption from government
- Here is a terrific site that is monitoring voter suppression actions going on right now, plus info for voters on whom to contact for voting problems.
- LA Times just exhaled its last breath of life
- Olbermann explains Republican RoboCalls
- After today's election, Bush-war will still have the reins to our debacle in Iraq. Here's a new blog that delves deeply into analysis of U.S. foreign policy.
- So, I wonder how the rich are faring...
- Here's one group of the animal kingdom that can't get enough global warming
- If you've been asleep since Friday, then you've been missing the latest, greatest, unethical Republican campaign tactic
- Campaign commercials a la Mark Fiore
- If students and their parents are so incredibly stupid to fall for this recruitment tactic, then maybe they deserve the consequences? I mean, we're supposed to protect the hungry, the poor the homeless, etc., but are we also required to protect the stupid? Just a question....
- "Please leave," military begs Rumsfeld
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| What Went Wrong on Election Day Richard Engle, President NFRA [National Federation of Republican Assemblies] To put it plainly, nothing went wrong. The American voter made his collective decision deliberately. He had his reasons and he had the right to make his decisions in accordance with those reasons. The voter cannot be blamed. Did he make a good decision to overturn both houses of Congress? I don’t think so but I deny the premise that he made his decision for reasons that are wrong or insignificant. I also deny that he failed to become educated on the issues. He understood the issues regarding the candidates that were running. He saw commercials with handsome families and caring people in loving communities talking about just about nothing. He heard radio commercials doing the same thing. He got loads of junk mail doing the same thing. The Democrats almost admitted that they have no answer to how to conduct ourselves in the war, that they have no specific answers regarding any of the real or imagined problems caused by the GOP. They did a very good job complaining about how much the GOP is spending and a better job calling the Republicans hypocrites. They offered no answers but neither did the Republicans. Republican candidates wimped out and said they stood strong for local values and would fight to represent them but largely did so without any specifics. Oh yes, they are against bad things and very courageously favor good things but surprise, surprise so were the Democrats. For the first time in a very long time the Democrats could not be nailed down as liberal because they (those that were running against incumbent Republicans) had very little in the way of records to run against. Some would openly call themselves Christians and would even give lip service to being pro-life. The voter who bought the line of the Democrat shared the frustration over the problems, didn’t like the excessive spending, and was not afraid of the lip service to social issues because he hasn’t been impressed with the GOP on those matters. If there is a dimes worth of difference the voter only saw that one side had no agenda and admitted it, but complained as well as anyone could. The other side said they had a plan but did little to prove it. Yes, there are exceptions to these generalities. In Connecticut, Senator Joe won reelection despite being denied his party’s nomination because he was willing to have a broad based agenda including one issue in which he was contrary to very many of the voters. Strong positive standards without apology win. Oh yes, the Senator in Missouri stood his ground on an issue that he assumed his state would agree with him on but failed to communicate how and why he stood as he did. The voter made a decision that he could make. He chose from two candidates (in most states) who looked like high end used car salesmen. He could not pick someone who would not run or could not get the nomination. He wanted to make a decision on issues but the information presented to him made it a race based on “pink, puff and piffle” where content was skin deep and personality mattered more than truth. |
Man, do they sound confused! On top of that, Engle insults used car salespeople. And of course, in the eyes of Republicans, Lieberman is the shining Democratic exception. And finally, notice the sexist slant in the writing style: the words "she" and "her" are nowhere to be found.
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Years ago when I worked at a big bank, one of the hot issues was that many customers didn’t trust our new-fangled ATM machines. Amazingly, this fear had almost nothing to do with the fact that I worked in the ATM department. Indeed, my suggestion to include a paper shredder hole right next to the deposit hole was barely even considered. In the end, ATMs rarely stole anyone’s money and kept it for long. Now most people trust ATMs. I think about the history of ATMs when I hear all the nervous Nellies wetting their pants over electronic voting machines. I believe those worries are totally misplaced. Now don’t get me wrong – there’s a 100% chance that the voting machines will get hacked and all future elections will be rigged. But that doesn’t mean we’ll get a worse government. It probably means that the choice of the next American president will be taken out of the hands of deep-pocket, autofellating, corporate shitbags and put it into the hands of some teenager in Finland. How is that not an improvement? Statistically speaking, any hacker who is skilled enough to rig the elections will also be smart enough to select politicians that believe in . . . oh, let’s say for example, science. Compare that to the current method where big money interests buy political ads that confuse snake-dancing simpletons until they vote for the guy who scares them the least. Then during the period between the election and the impending Rapture, that traditionally elected President will get busy protecting the lives of stem cells while finding creative ways to blow the living crap out of anything that has the audacity to grow up and turn brownish. The important thing with democracy – and this has always been the case – is that the citizens a) Believe the election result is based on the common sense and voting rights of the citizens, and b) Have enough handguns to wax any politicians who gets too seriously out of line (also known as a “check and balance”). And here the definition of “seriously out of line” would not include humping interns and stealing from taxpayers. Those things should be allowed, even encouraged, so we can attract the most capable candidates from private industry. Call me an optimist, but electronic voting machines make me feel good about my country. Is it too late to start selling bumper stickers that say “I think I voted”? |
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Wow. Unbelievable. The Dems won the Senate. Rumsfeld is gone. Please don't wake me up yet. I'm enoying it more than a wet dream.
And now we will have a female Progressive running the House? Unbefuckinglievable.
Hmmmm....... if there is any way Cheney, with his underused yet fragile heart, could take Bush on a hunting trip..... Pelosi could then be measuring for curtains in the Oval Office. Wait! Wait! It's part of my dream, dammit!
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The Miraculous Appearance Of An Agenda by georgia10 Wed Nov 08, 2006 at 09:46:20 AM PST Notice anything about the media's post-election coverage? The Republican battle cry echoed by the press prior to the election was that Democrats have no plan. That Democrats are short on ideas. That Democrats were basically passive mutes. That Democratic candidates were basically blank-eyed dolts that dutifully kept their mouths shut as the GOP imploded. In reporting on GOP talking points that "Democrats will raise your taxes," the press did not temper their parroting of these talking points with fact check (hey voters, remember, the President has the last word on taxes via his veto power). In reporting on outrageous ads, they failed to mention the lies contained therein, choosing instead to salivate on the shallow and gush over graphics. The Democrats' 100-hour-plan was barely a blip on the radar screen. Hours of so-called "analysis" was focused on what those subpoena-hungry liberals would do to "embarrass" the president. Republican talking point after Republican talking point was fed into the noise machine and irresponsible members of the Xerox media spat the distortions out without analysis. They did not balance lies with truth as a responsible press should have done; rather, they chose to air the Republican hysteria without rebuttal. Only now, after most races have been called and it's clear that the Democrats will take power, only now do they report on that which they had suppressed throughout the campaign. Now we get articles detailing the Democrat's tax plan. Now we get articles on the minimum wage and the effect of a Democratic house on industry. Now we get articles about how Democrats stand for a balanced budget. Now the talking heads report breathlessly on the 100 hour agenda, on how Democrats will affect the middle class, and how Democrats will try to fix healthcare. Now the press chooses to report on the Democrats' agenda. Now they're laying out the difference for voters, only after they've cast their ballots. Only now have members of the press suddenly seen the Democratic plan materialize before them like some Lady of Lourdes in all her glory. Only after the votes are counted do they report that Democrat control means that D.C. will be bathed in the light of change. But, as we know, throughout the campaign, the plan was always there. The ideas were always apparent. The difference between the parties was always crystal clear. The Democrats didn't win because of the press. They won in spite of it, in spite of a press that gave wall-to-wall coverage of Kerry's blunder and call-me ads, in spite of a press that chose feigned scandal over true substance. In the face of such a hostile media environment, the Democrats still won. And that, my friends, is a true miracle. |
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Continued Vigilance Needed!
| This is only one small step towards the restoration of our country and its defining values, not a magic bullet. There is much work to be done, accountability to be imposed, facts to be uncovered, radicalism to be reversed, damage to be undone, and the rule of law to be re-established. And none of that will be easy.Even Democratic control of both the House and Senate is no guarantee that the abuses will end. Quite the contrary. It is worth recalling that the central premise of this President is the Irrelevance of Congress and of everything else other than his will and his power. Takeover of the houses of Congress and the end of one-party rule is but one weapon to be used in the ongoing fight. It is not the end of the fight. Far, far from it.But if nothing else, yesterday's results should galvanize everyone who recognizes the danger this country has been placed in by the radical, hate-mongering, deeply corrupt authoritarians who have been controlling (and destroying) it. That movement has been severely wounded, but not yet killed. |
Remember people, this is only one election, we have to continue our vigilance. Basically, as long as Rove is out there and the Republi-con Attack Machine is operating, our work as citizens is not over! We must continue the struggle!
Seven of Six
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While co-blogger Seven of Six is partying big time with his wife in Arizona, I'm sitting here in California befuddled at the inability of this state's voters to get over Groperzenegger, but oh so thankful that my prediction was oh so wrong. Could there really be something to this grassroots/netroots political movement?
Democrats must now take the determination they used to get back the House and redirect it into getting our butts out of Iraq a.s.a.p. There is absolutely nothing more important that our federal government can do right now.
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I ran upstairs, the wife jumped off the bed and she jump into my arms! The moment we had waited for, a Democratic House , was here! The feeling of elation was overwhelming! To realize, that finally, we are taking our country back from bu$h and the neo-cons is un-fucking-believable!
Next stop, finish off the Senate victories in Montana and Virginia and a Democratic Congress is in our control! There is hope for this country after all!!
Yes, J.D. Hayworth is questioning the results in AZ-5th, I'm sure there will be plenty of whining from the 'right', now that the shoe is on the other foot. I wanted Jay Fawcett to pull it off in CO-5th but it held it's place in history as a continued bastion of knuckle dragging.
Anybody else have a story they want to share?
Seven of Six
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| "It's true you can't win with 51% of the vote anymore. So just get over it. The regime's sneak attack via vote suppression will only net them 4.5 million votes, about 5% of the total. You should be able to beat that blindfolded. If you can't get 55%, then you're just a bunch of crybaby pussycats who don't deserve to win back America." |
So funny and oh so true.
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BradBlog
TPM Muckraker
DailyKos
FireDogLake
Voters Unite
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| "The fact is that solid Democratic candidates will lose today across the country in close races due to voter intimidation, egregious voter ID requirements that are aimed at suppressing Democratic voters, robo-calls and push-polling, inadequate machinery and poll worker training, and failing that, outright fraud by election machinery vendors who are GOP campaign contributors working hand-in-hand with GOP registrars and secretaries of state. "Democrats will not lose today because of inadequate candidates, being wrong on the issues, or even inadequate levels of money. They will lose because in many cases the party went to sleep while the GOP took over the machinery of voting, and didn’t stay engaged on the issue right after the 2004 election. Democrats will be more competitive than ever before due to Howard Dean’s 50-state strategy, and because Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer recruited good candidates across the country and raised boatloads of money for them, yet we acted as if the GOP would play by the rules this time. "The GOP never plays by the rules, and we need to start assuming the worst in the GOP and deal with them accordingly." - - - Steve Soto |
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109 Reasons To Dump The 109th Congress: We need a new Congress -- here's why: 1. Congress set a record for the fewest number of days worked -- 218 between the House and Senate combined. [Link] 2. The Senate voted down a measure that urged the administration to start a phased redeployment of U.S. forces out of Iraq by the end of 2006. [Link] 3. Congress failed to raise the minimum wage, leaving it at its lowest inflation-adjusted level since 1955. [Link] 4. Congress gave itself a two percent pay raise. [Link] 5. There were 15,832 earmarks totaling $71 billion in 2006. (In 1994, there were 4,155 earmarks totaling $29 billion.) [Link] 6. Congress turned the tragic Terri Schiavo affair into a national spectacle because, according to one memo, it was "a great political issue" that got "the pro-life base...excited." [Link] 7. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works thinks global warming is the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people." [Link] 8. The House leadership held open a vote for 50 minutes to twist arms and pass a bill that helped line the pockets of energy company executives. [Link] 9. Congress fired the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the lone effective federal watchdog for Iraq spending, effective Oct. 1, 2007. [Link] 10. The Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee thinks the Internet is "a series of tubes." [Link] 11. Congress established the pay-to-play K Street corruption system which rewarded lobbyists who made campaign contributions in return for political favors doled out by conservatives. [Link] 12. The lobbying reform bill Congress passed was a total sham. [Link] 13. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) shamefully attacked Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) on the House floor, telling him that "cowards cut and run, Marines never do." [Link] 14. Congress passed budgets that resulted in deficits of $318 billion and $250 billion. [Link] 15. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said Donald Rumsfeld "is the best thing that's happened to the Pentagon in 25 years." [Link] 16. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) baselessly announced that "we have found the WMD in Iraq." [Link] 17. Congress passed a special-interest, corporate-friendly Central American trade deal (CAFTA) after holding the vote open for one hour and 45 minutes to switch the vote of Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC). [Link] 18. Senate conservatives threatened to use the "nuclear option" to block members of the Senate from filibustering President Bush's judicial nominees. [Link] 19. Congress stuck in $750 million in appropriations bills "for projects championed by lobbyists whose relatives were involved in writing the spending bills." [Link] 20. The typical Congressional work week is late Tuesday to noon on Thursday. [Link] 21. Congress has issued zero subpoenas to the Bush administration. [Link] 22. Congress eliminated the Perkins college loan program and cut Pell Grants by $4.6 billion. [Link] 23. Rep. Don Sherwood (R-PA) paid $500,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging that he strangled his 29-year-old mistress. [Link] 24. Congress decreased the number of cops on the streets by cutting nearly $300 million in funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. [Link] 25. In a debate last year over the reauthorization of the Patriot Act, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee abruptly cut off the microphones when Democrats began discussing the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. [Link] 26. Just two out of 11 spending bills have made it out of Congress this year. [Link] 27. 1,502 U.S. troops have died in Iraq since Congress convened. [Link] 28. The House Ethics Committee is "broken," according to the Justice Department. [Link] 29. The FBI continues to investigate Rep. Curt Weldon's (R-PA) willingness to trade his political influence for lucrative lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter. [Link] 30. Congress failed to protect 58.5 million acres of roadless areas to logging and road building by repealing the Roadless Rule. [Link] 31. Congress spent weeks debating a repeal of the estate tax (aka the Paris Hilton Tax), which affects a miniscule fraction of the wealthiest Americans. [Link] 32. The percentage of Americans without health insurance hit a record-high, as Congress did nothing to address the health care crisis. [Link] 33. Both the House and Senate voted to open up our coasts to more oil drilling, "by far the slowest, dirtiest, most expensive way to meet our energy needs." [Link] 34. Congress stripped detainees of the right of habeas corpus. [Link] 35. The House fell 51 votes short of overriding President Bush's veto on expanding federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. [Link] 36. Only 16 percent of Americans think Congress is doing a good job. [Link] 37. Congress confirmed far-right activist Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. [Link] 38. Congress spent days debating a constitutional amendment that would criminalize desecration of the U.S. flag, the first time in 214 years that the Bill of Rights would have been restricted by a constitutional amendment. [Link] 39. Congress raised the debt limit by $800 billion, to $9 trillion. [Link] 40. Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) hid bribe money in his freezer. [Link] 41. Congress passed an energy bill that showered $6 billion in subsidies on polluting oil and gas firms while doing little to curb energy demand or invest in renewable energy industries. [Link] 42. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) used his seat on the House Appropriations Committee to steer earmarks towards to one of his closest friends and major campaign contributor. [Link] 43. Congress passed a strict bankruptcy bill making it harder for average people to recover from financial misfortune by declaring bankruptcy, even if they are victims of identity theft, suffering from debilitating illness, or serving in the military. [Link] 44. The House passed a bill through committee that that would "essentially replace" the 1973 Endangered Species Act with something "far friendlier to mining, lumber and other big extraction interests that find the original act annoying." [Link] 45. Congress failed to pass voting integrity and verification legislation to ensure Americans' votes are accurately counted. [Link] 46. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) distributed a memo urging colleagues to exploit 9/11 to defend Bush's Iraq policy. [Link] 47. Congress repeatedly failed to pass port security provisions that would require 100 percent scanning of containers bound for the United States. [Link] 48. Ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) declared an "ongoing victory" in his effort to cut spending, and said "there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget." [Link] 49. Congress allowed Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) stay in Congress for a month after pleading guilty in the Jack Abramoff investigation. [Link] 50. Congress didn't investigate Tom DeLay and let him stay in Congress as long as he wanted. [Link] 51. The Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating the Senate Majority Leader's sale of HCA stock a month before its value fell by nine percent. [Link] 52. Congressional conservatives pressured the Director of National Intelligence to make public documents found in Iraq that included instructions to build a nuclear bomb. [Link] 53. Conservatives repeatedly tried to privatize Social Security, a change that would lead to sharp cuts in guaranteed benefits. [Link] 54. Congress is trying to destroy net neutrality. [Link] 55. Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL) accepted contributions from disgraced lobbyist Mitchell Wade and MZM, Inc., her largest campaign contributor, in return for a defense earmark. [Link] 56. Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-CA) was sentenced to eight years federal prison for taking $2.4 million in bribes in exchange for lucrative defense contracts, among other crimes. [Link] 57. Congress passed a $286 billion highway bill in 2005 stuffed with 6,000 pork projects. [Link] 58. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra (R-MI) abused his power and suspended a Democratic staffer in an act of retribution. [Link] 59. Congress failed to offer legal protections to states that divest from the Sudan. [Link] 60. The Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK) tried to earmark $223 million to build a bridge to nowhere. [Link] 61. Congress spent days debating an anti-gay constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. [Link] 62. Congress isn't doing anything significant to reverse catastrophic climate change. [Link] 63. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) secured a federal earmark to increase the property value of his land and reap at least $1.5 million in profits. [Link] 64. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) used a video tape "diagnosis" to declare that Terri Schiavo, who was later found to be blind, "certainly seems to respond to visual stimuli." [Link] 65. Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) resigned in disgrace after ABC News revealed explicit instant messages exchanges between Foley and former congressional pages. [Link] 66. Half of all Americans believe most members of Congress are corrupt. [Link] 67. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) said that gay marriage "is the most important issue that we face today." [Link] 68. The House voted against issuing a subpoena seeking all reconstruction contract communications between Cheney's office and Halliburton. [Link] 69. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) told a Virginia-based volunteer firefighting team they had done a "piss-poor job" in fighting wildfires in Montana. [Link] 70. The House voted against amendments prohibiting monopoly contracts and requiring congressional notification for Department of Defense contracts worth more than $1 million. [Link] 71. Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration reform. [Link] 72. During a floor debate on embryonic stem cell research, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) held up a picture of an embryo drawn by a 7-year-old girl. Brownback explained that one of the embryos in the picture was asking, "Are you going to kill me?" [Link] 73. Sen. George Allen (R-VA) used the slur "macaca" to describe an opposing campaign staffer of Indian descent, and has been repeatedly accused by former associates of using racial epithets to refer to African-Americans. [Link] 74. Congress refused to swear in oil executives testifying about high prices. [Link] 75. Against congressional rules, ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) accepted expensive foreign trips funded by Jack Abramoff. [Link] 76. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) went on the House floor to unveil a fence that he "designed" for the southern border. King constructed a model of the fence as he said, "We do this with livestock all the time." [Link] 77. Ex-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) threatened the judges who ruled in the Terri Schiavo case, saying the "time will come" for them "to answer for their behavior." [Link] 78. Congressional conservatives wanted to investigate Sandy Berger, but not the Iraq war. [Link] 79. Rolling Stone called the past six years "the most shameful, corrupt and incompetent period in the history of the American legislative branch." [Link] 80. Not a single non-appropriations bill was open to amendment in the second session of the Congress. [Link] 81. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) claimed that supporters of Bush's Iraq policy "show the same steely resolve" as did the passengers on United 93. [Link] 82. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) appeared with prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying opponents of Bush's judicial nominees as "against people of faith." [Link] 83. Under the guise of "tort reform," Congress passed legislation that would "undermine incentives for safety" and make it "harder for some patients with legitimate but difficult claims to find legal representation." [Link] 84. Despite multiple accidents in West Virginia and elsewhere, Congress passed legislation that failed to adequately protect mine workers. [Link] 85. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) said "if you earn $40,000 a year and have a family of two children, you don't pay any taxes," even though it isn't true. [Link] 86. Monthly Medicare Part B premiums have almost doubled since 2000, from $45.50 in 2000 to $88.50 in 2006. [Link] 87. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) inserted a provision in the Defense Appropriations bill that granted vaccine manufactures near-total immunity for injuries or deaths, even in cases of "gross negligence." [Link] 88. Congress appropriated $700 million for a "railroad to nowhere, but just $173 million to stop the genocide in Darfur. [Link] 89. Congress included a $500 million giveaway to defense giant Northup Grumman in a bill that was supposed to provide "emergency" funding for Iraq, even though the Navy opposed the payment. [Link] 90. Ex-Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), who has since pled guilty to talking bribes, was put it charge of briefing new lawmakers "on congressional ethics." [Link] 91. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA) can't tell the difference between the Voting Rights Act and the Stamp Act. [Link] 92. Three days before Veterans Day -- House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-IN) announced that for the first time in at least 55 years, "veterans service organizations will no longer have the opportunity to present testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees." [Link] 93. Members were caught pimping out their offices with $5,700 plasma-screen televisions, $823 ionic air fresheners, $975 window blinds, and $623 popcorn machines. [Link] 94. House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) skipped a vote on Katrina relief to attend a fundraiser. [Link] 95. Congress made toughening horse slaughtering rules the centerpiece of its agenda after returning from summer recess this year. [Link] 96. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) wants to send 20,000 more troops into the middle of a civil war in Iraq. [Link] 97. Katrina victims were forced to take out ad space to plead "with Congress to pay for stronger levees." [Link] 98. Congress passed the REAL ID Act, "a national ID law that will drive immigrants underground, while imposing massive new burdens on everyone else." [Link] 99. Congress extended tax cuts that provided an average of $20 relief but an average of nearly $42,000 to those earning over $1 million a year. [Link] 100. Congress received a "dismal" report card from the 9/11 Commission -- five F's, 12 D's, nine C's, and only one A-minus -- for failing to enact the commission's recommendations. [Link] 101. Congress won't let the government negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs for people on Medicare. [Link] 102. Congress has left America's chemical plants vulnerable to terrorist attack. [Link] 103. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) "threw the senatorial version of a hissy fit" when he threatened to resign unless the Senate approved funding for his bridge to nowhere. [Link] 104. Congress didn't simplify the tax code. [Link] 105. Seventy-five percent of voters can't name one thing Congress has accomplished. [Link] 106. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), has "raised campaign contributions at a rate of about $10,000 a day since February, surpassing the pace set by former Representative Tom DeLay." [Link] 107. Congress failed to ensure Government Accountability Office oversight of Hurricane Katrina relief funds, resulting in high levels of waste, fraud, and abuse. [Link] 108. When a reporter asked Rep. Don Young (R-AK) if he would redirect spending on his bridge projects to Katrina victim housing, Young said, "They can kiss my ear!" [Link] 109. There were just 12 hours of hearings on Abu Ghraib. (There were more than 100 hours of hearings on alleged misuse of the Clinton Christmas card list.) [Link] |
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Republican RoboCalls aside, the pernicious control of vote counting by the Republican Party Corporation, in combination with its countless vote suppression activities of the past few weeks, will override the intentions of Democratic voters in a sufficient number of key races, allowing the Republican Corporation to maintain total control of the Federal government.
If I thought there were gods, I'd be spending the entire day finding out who the god of elections is. Then I'd have FTD deliver her one heckuva flower/candy arrangement along with a request to finally let election fairness and justice prevail for a change, rather than suffering through another gaping hole in the process of achieving civilized and altruistic existence on this planet.
As I've mentioned previously on this site, unless the Republicans shoot themselves in the foot and "blow" their plans today, I will no longer blog here. I've spent the past 4 years trying to make a difference, however small, in bringing attention to the raw evil wrought by those currently in power in Washington D.C. That means I'm 4 years closer to dying, and if I can't make a difference with blogging, then its time to search for a more effective use of my remaining life, trying somehow to make a difference in the lives of the oppressed.
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Because they do.
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| Things You Have To Believe To Be A Republican Today: Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's military record is none of our business. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery. You support states' rights, but the Attorney General can tell states what local voter initiatives they have the right to adopt. What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what Bush did in the 80's is irrelevant. |
This wasn't meant to be funny, by the way.
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| "....Prepare to Bomb Iran. Make no mistake, President Bush will need to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities before leaving office. It is all but inconceivable that Iran will accept any peaceful inducements to abandon its drive for the bomb. Its rulers are religio-ideological fanatics who will not trade what they believe is their birthright to great power status for a mess of pottage. Even if things in Iraq get better, a nuclear-armed Iran will negate any progress there. Nothing will embolden terrorists and jihadists more than a nuclear-armed Iran. The global thunder against Bush when he pulls the trigger will be deafening, and it will have many echoes at home. It will be an injection of steroids for organizations such as MoveOn.org. We need to pave the way intellectually now and be prepared to defend the action when it comes. In particular, we need to help people envision what the world would look like with a nuclear-armed Iran. Apart from the dangers of a direct attack on Israel or a suitcase bomb in Washington, it would mean the end of the global nonproliferation regime and the beginning of Iranian dominance in the Middle East. This defense should be global in scope. There is a crying need in today’s ideological wars for something akin to the Congress for Cultural Freedom of the Cold War, a global circle of intellectuals and public figures who share a devotion to democracy. The leaders of this movement might include Tony Blair, Vaclav Havel, and Anwar Ibrahim. Recruit Joe Lieberman for 2008. Twice in the last quarter-century we had the good fortune to see presidents elected who were sympathetic to our understanding of the world. In 2008, we will have a lot on the line. The policies that we have championed will remain unfinished. The war on terror will still have a long way to go. The Democrats have already shown that they are incurably addicted to appeasement, while the “realists” among the GOP are hoping to undo the legacy of George W. Bush. Sen. John McCain and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani both look like the kind of leaders who could prosecute the war on terror vigorously and with the kind of innovative thought that realists hate and our country needs. As for vice presidential candidates, how about Condoleezza Rice or even Joe Lieberman? Lieberman says he’s still a Democrat. But there is no place for him in that party. Like every one of us, he is a refugee. He’s already endured the rigors of running for the White House. In 2008, he deserves another chance—this time with a worthier running mate than Al Gore. |
Hello? That's a wake-up call, folks.
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You support a group that despises the poor and embraces only wealthy corporations and individuals by passing laws and legislation in such fashion. You support a group that unequivocally and actively hates all homosexuals and non-caucasians. You support a group that will not hesitate to ship your teenager to a corporate-sponsored war with inadequate training or protection, and yet will spend as little as possible to care for them when they return home sick or injured.
No one else might know that you voted Republican, but you will live with the knowledge for the rest of your life. If that knowledge is going to haunt you, which it should, then now is the time to embrace altruism and do what is good for humanity. If you are a christian, then do what your jesus icon would do: help the poor, not the wealthy.
If it doesn't bother you in the least when voting Republican, then by all means, go for it because you are just one of them and will deserve all the terrible consequences. We will all suffer from your actions, but only you will deserve it.
Better yet, why don't you just do us all a favor and stay the fuck home.
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- Good riddance to another knuckle-scraping Congressman.
- I still can't figure out how Keith Olbermann gets away with this, but thank god he can.
- Coming to a precinct near you on November 7th. Goodbye, democracy, who we once loved. It was great while it lasted. Long live the truly evil people of this once great nation.
- NBA bans Republican heckler from league (broken link fixed)
- Why gasoline prices have dropped so much right before the November election
- Incredible research may result in restoring sight to victims of degenerative blindness.
- If Halloween doesn't scare you, maybe THIS will. Or, if you're from my state of California, maybe THIS.
- No one does sleazy and unethical campaign commercials as well as Republicans
- The theft of the 2006 election has begun
- For all you polls/elections addicts out there, this site should keep you occupied for a while
- Apparently the First Lady is off her meds again
- Downsizing the EPA
- What Dems should expect if they win the House
- Hmmm, I know I put that gun somewhere....
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- See which word Bush used most often in his state-of-the-union speeches. It's not even close.
- Commercial-free TV shows online
- Maze Frenzy (game)
- Hundreds of free downloadable MP3s of spoken stories at American Storyteller
- Box Game
- Sell your old cell phone
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HBO!
9:00 p.m.
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[click for larger image]
If you only vote once in your life, go vote next Tuesday and help save yourself, your family, your neighbors, your country and the rest of the world from the immoral criminals who are currently lying (about their opponents), cheating (accepting corrupt campaign contributions) and planning to steal (the voting) in order to save their sick, power-driven, soft, white asses from getting justifiably kicked out of office. In two years it will be too late. If you don't believe me, then you are not nearly as smart as your kids think you are. It's time to act like a responsible adult and do the right thing.
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The Best Veteran Website!
Some of the better sites are Pen and Sword and Democratic Veteran. Another favorite is Main and Central. I had the pleasure of meeting Main and Central's primary contributor, Lurch, on his stop through Phoenix early this summer, we had a barbeque and drank some beers. He loved my wife's salsa, he certainly knew who to complement. Excellent conversationalist and a very mellow dude. All the sites have their few loyal Veteran commentators.
However, there is one Veteran blogsite that is in my opinion the best. It has, by far, the most Veteran information, updates, downloads, and latest news. Larry Scott's, VA Watchdog dot Org. is by far the best! Here is some background information on Larry:
"Larry Scott (former E-5) served four-plus years in the U.S. Army with overseas tours as a Broadcast Journalist at AFKN HQ, Seoul, Korea and AFN, Lajes Field, The Azores, Portugal and a stateside tour as a Broadcast Journalism Instructor at the Defense Information School (DINFOS). Larry was decorated four times including the Joint Service Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was awarded DOD's First Place Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence in Journalism. After the Army, Larry was a news anchor on WNBC Radio in New York City. He receives VA compensation for a service-connected disability. Today, Larry resides in Southwest Washington and operates the website VA Watchdog dot Org."
With Larry, the Veteran comes first! He doesn't pull any punches on what his mission statement is:
"The mission of VA Watchdog dot Org is quite simple. We provide the latest information about the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) and other topics of interest to veterans and their families. This information is provided free as a public service. You are encouraged to pass it on to others who will find it useful. All information is carefully documented and links to sources are provided. VA Watchdog dot Org is not a VA "hate site." There are plenty of those if that is what you seek. We believe the VA provides excellent healthcare to qualified veterans. However, the VA is plagued by chronic under funding caused by politicians who, every year, do not provide adequate monies to support the healthcare needs of veterans. We also believe that the political appointees who run the VA interfere with the professional and dedicated workers of the VA who do not hold politically-appointed positions. Veterans' healthcare is NOT a political matter and should not be entrusted to those who owe allegiance to any political party. We also support legislative efforts to take VA healthcare out of the discretionary federal budget and make it mandatory. Such a move would guarantee healthcare for veterans and take the politics out of the funding apparatus. Along the political line...VA Watchdog dot Org does not endorse political candidates. We will, however, point out those politicians who, by their deeds and not just their words, truly support veterans. And, we will point out those who do not support veterans, again, judged by their deeds. VA Watchdog dot Org is not an organization. There are no memberships, fees or dues. We are a privately-owned web site (owners are Larry Scott and Marie Scott) with a simple goal of helping veterans by providing free information. Please use VA Watchdog dot Org to its fullest. Feedback is appreciated."
So if you know of a Veteran who needs any information, help, forms to downloads, or just the latest news, recommend Larry's site! It's the best!
Seven of Six
crossposted at Low and Left
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| "Beyond the incompetence, the bungled policies and the lies (which are plenty bad enough), where the country finds itself is a situation in which the leadership of the country either can't see, or won't see, or most likely wants to pretend not to see what a growing majority of the country clearly can see. "It's most clear, most visible in Iraq. Though there's a bit less consensus on whether it was a mistake from the outset, there's an overwhelming consensus among Americans today that Iraq has become a disaster for the United States and that it's not going to get better on the course we're now on. "But the president just says, No. Sure, there are a few bumps along the way. But fundamentally it was a good idea, we're doing the right thing and we're on the right track. No matter what however many people tell him, that's what his gut tells him so it's full speed ahead. He's going to stay the course right over the cliff. "In America, political action in Washington usually tracks fairly closely with public opinion, even though the voters only get a real bite at the apple every two years. But it doesn't have to be that way. The people in charge can pretty much ignore what people think and say. For the two years between elections, they're close to invulnerable. "And that's the closer in this election. How do you think Iraq has gone? How do you think Congress is doing its job? How did you think Katrina was handled? Different people are going to have different hot button issues. But across the board I think what we're seeing in the country is that sense of disconnect -- things are seriously off course but the folks in charge won't admit it and don't know what to do about it. "So to voters I think the pitch is, think back over the last two years. You only have one chance to go on record with your verdict. Thumbs up or thumbs down. One chance before you have to go back and sit in the stands again for another two years. "Are you on board with what's happening? Or do you want to go on record saying things have to change? One chance. "And if you give the thumbs up, how will you feel when you wake up on November 8th?" --- Josh Marshall |
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| Well the weight of the world is FALLING And on my back I've been CRAWLING The state of affairs is APPALLING And the 6 o'clock news keeps CALLING Well I've been trying to see the world through their eyes Where black is white and day is night Left is Right Left is Right Left is Right, For me Well negotiations keep STALLING The United Nations keeps CALLING The Skeletons you're HAULING Won't hold when you're FALLING Put your head in the sand and you'll never know What's waiting for you in the depths below (below) Don't believe everything that you read Take what you want and keep what you need TWISTED NIXON |
