Rather long Rewind this week folks, so we’ve split it up into 2 parts… enjoy!
Applaud: to the memory of J. Russell Coffey. Mr. Coffey passed away yesterday at the astonishing age of 109. If you’re wondering what is so special about Mr. Coffey, he was one of only three known
World War I veterans remaining. We at TBWA salute you Mr. Coffey; we salute you…
Cross-pollinated Applaud/Heckle: Minor applaud to Mike Huckabee (r-AK) – don’t revoke my Liberal credentials just yet, hear me out – for calling Bush’s foreign policy, in an interview with Foreign Affairs magazine no less, indicative of an “
arrogant bunker mentality.” (
the man is speaking the truth – probably one of the few times in his life he can claim that). That was the applaud, the heckle goes to presidential opponent Mitt “Mormonism doesn’t define me. Have I mentioned I’m Mormom?” Romney. After
kissing Bush’s ass vociferously defending Bush all week, he told an Iowa crowd this past week that Huckabee sounded like a Democrat and suggested that “we ought to be
saying thank you to the president for keeping us safe these last six years.” (
Um… NO). He went on to say that Huckabee “went over the line” and “owes the President an apology.” (
Awww, poor little Georgie got his feelings hurt and now widdle Mitt is mad too. What is this, a presidential campaign or a grade school??)
Über-heckle: to the first Democratic-led Congress in a dozen years. After sweeping into office in last years mid-terms, they limped out of Washington this past week with an impressive job of getting nothing done regarding core issues that
helped sweep them into power. Let’s hope they get their act together in 2008… or we’ll be faced with more ineptitude and inabilities…
Heckle: to republican tool Joe Lieberman (
I r-CT). I think we all know why…
Applaud: to things that just make you feel good. Ann “Adam’s Apple” Coulter’s latest book, is an unmitigated disaster as it “
hasn’t caught fire” with book buyers as it has undersold her previous book by 136,000 volumes. Brings a smile to my face…
Heckle: to awkwardness. The Senate confirmed Julie Myers as head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement earlier this week. Comes two years after “President” Bush originally nominated her and a few weeks after she awarded “Most Original Costume” to an employee who dressed in an offensive Halloween costume… nice message Senate… besides the fact that she doesn’t really have the qualifications for this post, confirming her so soon after she handled an internal matter very poorly is inept to say the least…
Applaud: to Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey for telling more people what some already knew. In a new interview with Stars and Stripes, General Casey calls the current state of the Army “
out of balance,” because it’s been stretched by the President’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan… (
welcome to the self-evident point that thousands knew months ago…)
Heckle: to republican Rep.Ted Poe (r-TX). He’s speaking out about Halliburton (which is something republicans just don’t do). Earlier this week on CNN, Mr. Poe said that he doesn’t think the
gang rape in Iraq of former Halliburton/KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones was an “
isolated case of assault” and encouraged “other victims” to contact his office. Now his office has been contacted by three additional women claiming that they were also victims of sexual assaults while working for KBR in Iraq. (
Way to go Mr. Poe. Halliburton has always played fast and loose with the law, and it’s refreshing to see a politician go after them; especially a republican politician. Don’t be harangued into letting this go – keep at at)
Applaud: to Sen. Tom Coburn (r-OK) for
threatening to withhold support for legislation making technical corrections to the 2005 highway bill. He says he will withhold support for the bill if it doesn’t require a “full and open” investigation into the “Coconut Road earmark” of fellow-republican Rep. Don Young of Arkansas. (
Isn’t it sad fun when party-members fight amongst themselves? That’s entertainment. The only thing that could make it better would be if they were both in the same Congressional house…)
Heckle: to coming
really late to the party. Senior Bush(whacked) Administration officials now believe that Afghanistan may pose a “
greater longer-term challenge than Iraq.” (
Mr. Obvious, I want you to meet Mr. Noshit Sherlock… dumb-asses...)
Applaud: to Rep. Pete Hoekstra (r-MI), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, for promising to
push forward a probe into the destruction of CIA videotapes of detainee interrogations, thus ignoring a request by the DOJ that congressional inquiries be suspended… (
Way to go Pete… though I am worried that I am applauding yet another republican. I better go see my doctor… I must be sick…)
Heckle: to former Senator Bob Kerrey (D-NE) for speaking out of his ass. Earlier this week on CNN he asserted that Barack Obama had spent time “in a secular madrassa” and tried to play it up as a strength. Problem is, Obama never attended a “secular madrassa” (as proven by CNN earlier this year). Another problem is this brings back an issue that originally was created by conservative pundits to make people question Obama’s loyalties, and now Kerrey has brought it up again. Why? Because Kerrey is an idiot who is turning into a retired version of Joe Lieberman. Here’s some advice Bob; STFU.
Applaud: to Congress. Look everyone, Congress actually accomplished something!! (
Sorry, couldn’t resist). Congress “struck back at the Bush administration’s trend toward secrecy” earlier this week and passed legislation aimed at toughening the Freedom of Information Act while also
increasing penalties on agencies that don’t comply...
Heckle: to the FCC for trying to bring back the concept of monopolies. They’re pushing ahead to pass a rule today that would allow more consolidation of local media ownership, essentially allowing one person/group own as many media companies as they want. (
Personally, I think FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin is pushing the rule through without listening to public opposition, which is very high. Not surprising, just one more example of how this administration does whatever the hell it wants; public opinion be damned…)
Applaud: to Saudi Arabian King Abdullah for pardoning a teenage gang-rape victim. She had been sentenced to 200 lashes and a six-month jail term for
being alone with a man unrelated to her.
Heckle: to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Speaking at Chapman University earlier this week he revealed that he doesn’t even really “
like” being a Supreme Court justice, saying; “There’s not much that entices about the job. […] There’s no money in it, no privacy, no big houses, and from an ego standpoint, it does nothing for me.” (
then quit ya useless putz… seriously, can’t we get him removed for this crap??)
Applaud: to Senator, and Democratic presidential candidate, Chris Dodd (D-CT) for showing some balls and threatening to filibuster Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and his decision to bring legislation to the Senate floor that would
provide retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the Bush(whacked) Administration’s illegal spying efforts. Dodd won a victory,
albeit temporary, after his filibuster threats forced the Dem leadership to push back consideration of the measure. Naturally, Reid tried to cover his ass and appease his republican cohorts (as so many Democrats have done this year) by saying the threat of a Dodd filibuster had nothing to do with the decision to table the vote. (
Bull. Shit. Dodd was doing what the majority of Americans want to do, not allow retroactive immunity. Reid, like fellow majority leader Pelosi, have done little this year except kowtow to republicans and to a lame-duck president that has approval numbers lower than Lynn Spear’s mothering abilities… way to show something there Mr. Dodd…)
Heckle: to the EPA for doing the administration’s bidding. EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson denied California’s long-standing
request for a waiver from federal law so they could implement their own regulations to slash greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The Agency said it didn’t find that separate California standards were needed to “
meet compelling and extraordinary conditions.” (
Idiots… pure, unadulterated idiots…)
Applaud: to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (r-CA). He’s planning on suing the federal government over the above decision to not allow California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is citing the administration’s “
failure” to treat global warming seriously… (
that’s some mighty fine political work there Lou…)
Applaud: to a recently-released USA Today/Gallup Poll that showed Americans giving the president, congressional Democrats, and congressional Republicans unfavorable ratings “
by more than 2-to-1 margins.” (
As was said in one of my favorite movies “Blazing Saddles”; ‘…and they be right’)
Heckle: to the rumor (
though it certainly sounds like something he would do) that Vice President Dick “President” Cheney met with executives of the auto industry before the White House killed the California emission law… EPA staffers told the LA Times that EPA administrator Stephen Johnson “
made his decision” only after Cheney met with the executives… (
Once again, an agency makes a decision because of influence from the White House… something they’ve made into an art form…)
Applaud: to making the snark just too damn easy… “President” Bush held a year-end press conference this morning and talked about “
the good, bad and the unfinished”… damn joke overload…
Heckle: to the fact that Sen. Ted Stevens (r-AK) is still in the Senate and is still as corrupt as he’s ever been. He’s been under investigation by the FBI for his relationship with Alaska energy company Veco and his
use of earmarks to reward his friends. This past summer, Stevens’ home in Alaska was
raided by FBI agents in Alaska. Despite this, he hasn’t changed his behavior as he
added $88 million in “earmarks and directed spending” to this year’s omnibus bill, some of those
earmarks include: $113,000 for “rodent control”, $975,000 for berry research and $825,000 for “alternative salmon products”
Applaud: to Maj. Gen. Doug Stone, who oversees detainees for the US-led force, for asking what many are wondering. He has been “wondering aloud” lately asking and wondering if
holding all these detainees is breeding a ‘micro-insurgency’ (
short answer; yes)
Heckle: to Bush’s idea on what makes a good president, from a
Bush press conference earlier this week; “And secondly I would say, how do you intend to get advice from people you surround yourself -- who are you going to surround yourself, and what process will you have in place to ensure that you get the unvarnished opinion of advisors?” (
People like Karl Rove? Alberto Gonzales? Scooter Libby? Harriet Miers? Like I asked recently, what color is the sky in your world George?)
Applaud: to GAO Comptroller General David Walker, speaking to the National Press Club earlier this week,
said; “If the federal government was a private corporation and the same report came out this morning, our stock would be dropping and some people would be talking about whether the company’s management directors needed a major shake-up.” The report he was talking about was a
financial report that revealed the federal government’s
total liabilities and unfunded commitments for future payments, as it relates to Social Security and Medicare, are now estimated at $53 trillion… another day older and deeper in debt should be the financial motto for this administration…
Heckle: to 37%. That’s the percentage of Americans that (Amazingly? Obdurately? Stupidly?) believe that “victory remains possible” in Iraq,
down from 40% in November…
Applaud: to 57%. That’s the percentage of Americans that think the “most responsible” U.S. course is to pull most troops out of Iraq by the beginning of 2009…
Applaud: to the House for passing the Veterans Guaranteed Bonus Act earlier this week. The Act ensures that future soldiers who are discharged as a result of combat-related wounds
receive the full compensation to which they are entitled by the DOD. The bill was a result of Iraq war vet Jordan Fox, who revealed last month hat some wounded soldiers were being asked by the Pentagon to return the bonus they received for enlisting. (
it was the right thing to do… to bad it even had to come up. The mere fact that the DOD did this in the first place is both sad and pathetic… but what should we expect from this administration??
Take ‘em as you will…
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