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October 3, 2007 - Wednesday 

Category: News and Politics
President Bush's "Coalition" of the willing is on the verge of getting a little smaller...
 
Andy Cobb created this great video in celebration of the end of Iceland's involvement in Operation Iraqi Liberation and the withdrawal of its troop:
 
 
Apparently after watching the video, Britain's resolve weakened.  They announced  yesterday that they will be reducing their Iraqi forces by  twenty percent.  That is certainly doing to embolden a high number of those emboldenable bunch of terrorists.  Today, the White House responded by saying that "...British forces have performed poorly in Basra," and expressing "concern" about Prime Minister Brown.  Quite mature, guys.  Quite mature.
 
Australia, as usual, is quick to follow the path that Britain makes...With two-thirds of Australians opposing their involvement in the Iraq War (About 900 soldiers) and an election around the corner, the Labor Party is making withdrawal a central pillar of its campaign. 
 
The coalition of the willing will soon consist of just the American military and Blackwater.
 
10:52 PM 
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October 2, 2007 - Tuesday 

Category: News and Politics
The requirements to impress GOP voters seems to be exceptionally low this go-around.  This can easily be demonstrated by the feigned "excitement" surrounding Fred Thompson's campaign.  I think it's seldom that such an unimpressive candidate gains so much national attention. 
 
The most obvious indication that he is a less than stellar candidate is his apparent ignorance of the world around him. 
 
Last week, when he was asked about his position about drilling for oil in the Everglades, his response was "Gosh, no one has told me that there's any major reserves in the Everglades, but maybe that's one of the things I need to learn while I'm down here." I can understand if many people are unaware of the controversy in Florida over the possibility of drilling in the Everglades.  It's an issue that hasn't received much national attention since 2002, when President Bush helped out his brother Governor Bush by purchasing privately held drilling rights near the Everglades. Where was Fred Thompson hiding in 2002, where such a perfect complement to the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan would go completely unnoticed by him?  In the United States Senate, of course!  How's he supposed to know what he's voting for? 
 
If that was his only foolish remark, it might be dismissed as simply an off day.  Regrettably, it hasn't just been once.  Remember how the a cornerstone of his original Senate was his support for the death penalty?  He apparently hasn't even been keeping up on an issue that is allegedly important to him, as he was completely surprised that a judge ruled that the way his home state performs lethal injections is unconstitutional.  He also had no clue that Supreme Court had agreed to hear a case about the constitutionality of the lethal injection.
 
Fred Thompson had also never heard of the Jena Six...Doesn't know enough about the Terri Schiavo case to have an opinion. Didn't that show Law & Order do a show based on that case? That man should watch more television. 
 
No longer content to limit his ignorance to domestic issues, Thompson has now started to dabble in international affairs.  In a bizarre speech earlier today he seemed to indicate that he does believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and treated it as mere inconvenience that we did not find them.  A bit more surprising was his belief that had we not gone into Iraq, Saddam Hussein would be the leader of the entire Middle East:
 
"Saddam Hussein, today, had we not gone in, would be sitting on this power keg and be in control of the whole thing.  He would have been the new dictator of that entire region in my estimation. He is–was–a dangerous irrational man who, by this time, would have been well on his way to having the nuclear capability himself."
 
Fred Thompson has gone off the deep end.  I think Saddam did enough in his life that you don't need to exaggerate in order to make him look bad.  A belief that Saddam would have somehow dominated Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel or Iran makes it sound like he's been reading a few too many State of the Union addresses, and not enough newspapers.
 
And his fundraising, despite what his campaign is claiming, is certainly lackluster.  In his first quarter of being in the race, Mitt Romney raised 21.2 million.  Rudy Giuliani raised 16.6 million.  John McCain raised 13 million.  Fred Thompson's first quarter?  About 8 million.  That puts him in the same ballpark as Bill Richardson, who is clearly not a first tier candiate.  And this is the GOP's greatest hope?
 
The more hopes are placed with Thompson, the better the future looks for Democrats.
 
6:49 AM 
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October 1, 2007 - Monday 

Category: News and Politics

As this quarter ends, Mitt Romney's biggest campaign contributor has been revealed!

Mitt Romney.

For every $4 his campaign received, $1 came from Romney himself. 

This is apparently a result of a sharp drop in the number of contributors that he has experienced this quarter. Not showing up to the debate last week probably didn't do very much to improve that situation, either.  Senator Larry Craig's resignation from his campaign was likely another little bump that brought some undesired attention to the Mighty Mitt.

Something else that probably didn't impress anyone is his silence over the Blackwater incident.  Perhaps his silence alone wouldn't be such an issue, but that coupled with the fact that "The top counterterrorism and national security adviser to Romney's presidential campaign is Cofer Black, vice chairman of Blackwater USA."

Below is an excellent ad made for the Romney campaign...Five Brothers.

 

3:13 AM 
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September 28, 2007 - Friday 

Category: News and Politics
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives voted to condemn the 10 day old MoveOn advertisement that ran in the New York Times.  They, along with the Senate, believed that their role is "to strongly condemn any effort to attack the honor and integrity of General Petraeus and all the members of the United States Armed Forces."  Well, yesterday, Rush Limbaugh directly attacked the "honor and integrity" of the members of the Armed Forces who disagree with the Iraq War. 
 
LIMBAUGH: "Save the — keep the troops safe" or whatever. I — it's not possible, intellectually, to follow these people.

CALLER: No, it's not, and what's really funny is, they never talk to real soldiers. They like to pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and talk to the media.

LIMBAUGH: The phony soldiers.

CALLER: The phony soldiers. If you talk to a real soldier, they are proud to serve. They want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they're willing to sacrifice for their country.

LIMBAUGH: They joined to be in Iraq.

Limbaugh appears to be asserting that soldiers who either disagree with the war or vocalize their disagreement with the war aren't true soldiers.  That's just as ridiculous as me declaring that soldiers who agree with the war aren't true soldiers.  Soldiers are defined by their service to this nation, not their political beliefs. 
 
Representative Frank Pallone, on the floor of the House of Representatives today said "...I wonder if Republicans who showed so much outrage towards MoveOn.org yesterday will hold Rush Limbaugh to the same standard — and I wouldn't hold your breath."  A one minute video of his speech is below:


 
Rep. Jan Schakowsky also brought up the Republican lack of outrage over Limbaugh on the floor today: "General Oden says that until the US withdraws from Iraq, and admits a strategic error, no such coalition can be formed, thus those who fear leaving a mess are helping make things worse while preventing a new strategic approach with some promise of success. Does Rush Limbaugh really want to look General Oden in the eye and call him a phony? … And while we're at it, let's pay attention to the 72% of american troops serving in iraq who also think the US should exit the country within the next year and more than one in four who say the troops should leave immediately according to the Zogby poll. I guess they're all a bunch of phonies according to Rush Limbaugh."  A four minute clip of her video is below:
 
 
It seems that Former President Bill Clinton hit the nail right on the head when he described the Republican reaction to the MoveOn ad as nothing more than "feigned outrage."
 
 
Rush Limbaugh is a joke, and isn't the story here.  Republicans "feigned outrage" over the MoveOn ad and complete silence over Limbaugh's assault on the truth is most revealing about their priorities.  They continue to hide behind a curtain of patriotism of convenience in order to distract from the actual issues.  MoveOn.Org cited independent reports saying that the surge strategy isn't working?  Let's attack them for hating the troops!  Rush Limbaugh declares all troops who disagree with his views as "phony soldiers"?  Let's talk about last week when MoveOn used "Betray Us?" in a newspaper ad!
 
The RNC is spiraling out of control, and it seems like they are completely unaware of it.  President Bush sent out a mass e-mail today requesting donations be made to the RNC because "Winning the 2008 elections will be the toughest test our Party has faced since we won the White House and added to our numbers in both houses of Congress in 2004."  What?!  2004?!  Gaining seats in 2004 was a tougher test than losing seats in 2006?!  I can't help but feel that the President and the Republicans don't quite grasp the depth of their internal party problems if all they can find to compare their situation to is 2004.
2:41 AM 
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September 24, 2007 - Monday 

Category: News and Politics
In that exceptionally long "Value Voters" Presidential Debate last week, the warm-up show engaged in a pretty significant bout of America-bashing.  At first, I just thought it was stupid, but the more I thought about it, the more frustrated I became.
  
First, I felt the reaction of many people to the MoveOn.Org advertisement in the New York Times was completely overblown.  It's an anti-war organization criticizing the man that President Bush made the face of the Iraq War to deflect criticism from himself.  President Bush gave up his "Decider" role and assigned it to General Petraeus.  Thus, making Petraeus the face of the surge, and the man responsible for defending it.  Bush assigned this position to somebody else for that sole purpose. 
 
On top of that, I think the ad was very reasonable.  (The complete ad can be seen here.)  The ad criticized him as a "man constantly at war with the facts," and then proceeds to lay out the case.  It points out the ridiculousness of Petraeus' methods for claiming that violence has been reduced:  Car bombs don't count, and assassinations didn't count when the wound was received in the front of the head.  It then refers the reader to the independent accounts of the success of the surge that are in direct contradiction with Petraeus' optimism.  Those independent reports can be read here:
 

 
This ad cast legitimate doubt on where the General's ability to provide an accurate assessment of conditions on the ground in Iraq.  Petraeus has become a politician.
 
All that bugged me.  But what really started bothering me was the opening sequence to the Republican Presidential debate last week.  The opening choir sang the tune of "God Bless America," but had changed the words to mean quite the opposite.  The video is below, and can also be accessed here.  The lyrics are at the bottom of the blog.



If, instead of launching campaign ads criticizing a man who is incapable of disagreeing with his boss, MoveOn.Org had composed this song, the right would be in hysterics.  Were they to play this song as the introduction to a Democratic Presidential Debate, I can't even imagine!  Republicans launched an attack on DailyKos because of comments made by the readers.  Republicans launched an attack on MoveOn for a newspaper ad that is true.  And yet Republicans have the audacity to change the words of one of America's most nationalistic songs, play it at their presidential debate, and then question the integrity of MoveOn?  You've got to bloody be kidding me. 
 
Change the words of the song.  I don't care.  Hate America.  I don't care.  But then accusing Democrats of not loving America enough for attacking somebody's record?!  Some consistency, please.
 
The lyrics to the Republican Song below:
 
Why should God bless America?
She's forgotten he exists
And has turned her back
On everything that made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sin and heal our land

The courts ruled prayer out of our schools
In June of '62
Told the children "you are your own God now
So you can make the rules"
O say can you see what that choice
Has cost us to this day
America, one nation under God, has gone astray

Why should God bless America?
Shes's forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our land

In '73 the Courts said we
Could take the unborn lives
The choice is yours don't worry now
It's not a wrong, it's your right

But just because they made it law
Does not change God's command
The most that we can hope for is
God's mercy on our land

Why should God bless America?
She's forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she is

Why should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our land

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land

God have mercy on America forgive her sins and heal our land
7:18 AM 
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September 23, 2007 - Sunday 

Category: News and Politics

From Salon.com:

7:13 AM 
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September 19, 2007 - Wednesday 

Category: News and Politics
The GOP came out in full force today in opposition to granting habeas corpus to criminal suspects.  They once again forgot their attacks against Democrats from the 109th and refused to allow an up or down vote on allowing our detainees to have an opportunity to challenge their imprisonment.  Their love of the up or down vote is contigent upon whether or not they have a majority.  Bill Frist no longer argues that the Senate process should be "We investigate, we debate, and then we decide."  Instead, he is doing precisely what he criticized the Democrats of doing in his Op-Ed for USA Today in 2005.  But are the Republicans doing the same thing?  McClatchy Newspapers created this chart showing the history of cloture votes over the last 40 years:
 
 
The Democrats of the 109th used the threat of filibuster in the same fashion it has been used over the last twenty years.  Republicans are on pace to nearly triple the previous record of 58 cloture votes.  We have now found the other side of John Stuart Mill's "tyranny of the majority."  The Republican members of Congress, like they did with Civil Rights, are once again throwing an epic tantrum.  The 110th Congress is a prime example of tyranny of the minority.
 
They furthered that tyranny earlier today by refusing to allow a vote to restore habeas corpus to our detainees.  Patrick Leahy noted "The truth is that casting aside the time-honored protection of habeas corpus makes us more vulnerable as a nation because it leads us away from our core American values. It calls into question our historic roll as a defender of human rights around the world."  Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe, Chuck Hagel, Richard Lugar, John Sununu, and Gordon Smith all felt the Constitution was more important than the GOP charter and voted with Democrats.  Senator Joseph "I want to go to Iran" Lieberman voted with the GOP to block a vote.
 
In other GOP failures, McCain, Thompson, Giuliani and Romney have all declined an invitation to a debate "focusing on issues important to minorities."  They all cited scheduling conflicts, but that isn't fooling anybody.  Even Newt Gingrich said "I see no excuse -- this thing has been planned for months, these candidates have known about it for months. It's just fundamentally wrong. Any of them who give you that scheduling-conflict answer are disingenuous. That's baloney."  1996 GOP vice-presidential candidate Jack Kemp was also ashamed by the apparent disinterest by the leading Republican candidates:  "What are we going to do -- meet in a country club in the suburbs one day?  If we're going to be competitive with people of color, we've got to ask them for their vote."  Ken Mehlman also requested that the candidates "reconsider this opportunity."  This comes on the heels of Republicans refusing to debate on Univision, which, according to The Washington Post, is "the most-watched Hispanic television network in the United States."
 
Republicans are in bad shape.
 
 
-Jason-
10:19 PM 
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September 19, 2007 - Wednesday 

Category: News and Politics
The Republicans had another of their debates last night, and the big four just couldn't make it.  McCain, Giuliani, Romney and Thompson all had scheduling conflicts that prevented them from going to the lovely "Values Voter Presidential Debate."  You would think that at least Fred Thompson would find the time to drop by, as his "pace has kept him on a jumbo air-conditioned bus far more often than he is actually campaigning."  But alas, the four Republicans who appear to have the most trouble with religion simply weren't able to find the time.
 
This debate wasn't particularly interesting, and was exceptionally long.  One thing that particularly bothered me was hearing Janet Folger of Faith2Action start her question with something like "What will you do to make our laws consistent with our science..."  She's asking this question with the belief that a human being exists beginning at conception.  That's her belief, and I think it's diffcult to convince anybody of anything in regards to that topic.  However, for Janet Folger to make this argument, a woman who blatantly ignores science when she tries to convince others that human beings and dinosaurs co-existed, is ridiculous on its face.  You can't trust science because the monkeys in the zoo "never turn into human beings no matter how long they've been there."  This is also from the woman who won't vote for Tommy Thompson because she thinks RFID chips are the "mark of the devil" foretold in Revelations.
 
The religious right, and increasingly the right in general, has been progressively adopting a more and more hostile stance towards science.  Earth is about 5 billion years old, not 6,000.  Earth was not created before the sun.  Dinosaurs were not Jesus-horses.  The world is warmer today than it was five years ago.  Good Republicans and good Christians now reflexively seem to have a problem with any mainstream view of science.  No where better can that be witnessed than on today's episode of The View.  After stating that she doesn't believe in evolution, she is asked whether or not she believes the Earth is flat.  Her response?  She's never really thought about it.  You can watch it here.
 
Even rambling, onto the debate...
 
One interesting segment is the Roe v. Wade portion of the debate, posted below:
 

 
Newcomer Alan Keyes said he would "issue an executive order immediately granting the full protection of the presidency and every element of the executive branch to the life in the womb."  Duncan Hunter would show a picture of a fetus to any potential judges and they would only be appointed if they see "a viable human life."  Ron Paul has delivered over 4,000 babies.  Sam Brownback wants one more oak on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.  Unknown John Cox expressed happiness that he wasn't aborted as a fetus.  Tom Tancredo declared there be a litmus test.  Huckabee relished in the absence of the Big Four, and then proceeded to make an exceptionally odd analogy about "looking for six coal miners in the womb of a coal mine in Huntington, Utah." 
 
Mike Huckabee seemed to have been the winner, however, and his most impressive line may have been in his closing statement when he said of the other candidates that "many of them will come to you. I come from you."  His closing remarks can be viewed at this link.  The straw poll conducted at the end of the debate had Mitt Romney as the only candidate to have received zero votes. 
 
12:46 AM 
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September 18, 2007 - Tuesday 

Category: News and Politics
Mitt "Hair Is Too Perfect" Romney's campaign continues to stumble at every available opportunity. 
 
A couple weeks ago, the Washington Post discovered that an anti-Fred Thompson website, PhoneyFred.org, was masterminded by the chief consultant to the Romney campaign in South Carolina.  The website, which has since been taken down, gave Thompson a variety of nicknames, including  "Senator Fancy Fred, Five O'clock Fred, Flip-Flop Fred, McCain Fred, Moron Fred, Playboy Fred, Pro-Choice Fred, Son-of-a-Fred and Trial Lawyer Fred."
 
The website attacked everything from Fred's effectiveness in Washington by asking "You can't get the theme to Law & Order out of your head, but can you name one thing Fred did during his eight years in the United States Senate?," and also had headlines such as "Once a Pro-Choice Skirt Chaser, Now Standard Bearer of the Religious Right?"  Perhaps a reference to Thompson comparing himself to George Washington, the below picture served as the header:
 
 
In addition to the Thompson attack site, a flyer surfaced this week from Romney's 2002 governor campaign:
 
 
"All citizens deserve equal rights, regardless of their sexual preference."  I have a feeling that isn't going to play to well with the Republican base whose new 'Axis of Evil' consists of Muslims, gays and immigrants.
1:57 AM 
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September 14, 2007 - Friday 

Category: News and Politics

When I went on vacation, it seems that the world of politics went into overdrive...

Gonzo is gone-o.

Fred Thompson, after announcing he's going to announce, announced.  He's even come to within a few percentage points of the current frontrunner, Giuliani.  Thompson seems to be well on his way to moseying towards the GOP nomination.  For always complaining about liberal Hollywood, Republicans sure don't seem to mind it when election day rolls around.

Petraeus, much to everyone's surprise, applauded the success of the "surge."  He then proceeded to announce to the terrorists that we will withdraw some troops next summer.  You know, the same reason Republicans have cited when criticizing Democratic withdrawal plans. 

This evening, President Bush spoke before the nation and lavished praise on Petraeus, the only non-partisan man in the history of America who wants to run for President.  (One man not likely to vote for Petraeus is his superior, Admiral Fallon, who allegedly called him an "ass-kissing little chickensh*t.")  The President's speech, parts of which Speaker of the House Pelosi has been kind enough to correct for us, seemed to leave out the fact the 30,000 troops were expected to return to the United Stated by mid-July, anyway.  President Bush's address to the nation, instead of being a 15 minute infomercial for his Iraq War, could have been as simple as "Absolutely nothing has changed."

-Jason-

8:05 AM 
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Last Updated: 7/31/2007

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