The Weekly Rewind

It’s that time of the week again… time for the Weekly Rewind.

Applaud: to the Senate for voting to expand the hate crimes law to include crimes motivated by gender, sexual orientation, or disability of the victims, retaining the 60 votes needed in order to prevent a filibuster. Heckle within to opponents of the measure who naturally predicted that the legislation would “fail either in negotiations with the House or by presidential veto.” (Good to know we have such caring people in the Senate that care about everyone… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form. And for all you irony lovers out there - Sen. Larry Craig is back in the Senate and his first official act was to vote against this bill…this bill that protects homosexuals… sometimes the irony is too rich for its own good…)

Heckle: to the four gop presidential candidate “front-runners” skipping this past week’s debate that focused on issues related to people of color. As I said in my earlier post, their non-attendance elicited some outrage from others in the field that DID attend… mind-boggling, absolutely mind-boggling…

Applaud: to the State Department for declaring earlier this week that “the first American oil contract in Iraq,” between the Hunt Oil Company and the Kurdistan Regional Government, is counterproductive towards the U.S. goals and does more for the company than the region… if your immediate thought was they must be friends with the Bush’s… you’d be right…

Heckle: to Vice President Dick “President” Cheney. Back in 1992, Cheney predictied the mess that occupying Iraq would create, saying; “If you get into the business of committing U.S. forces on the ground in Iraq, to occupy the place, my guess is I’d probably still have people there today instead of having been able to bring them home…The bottom line question for me was: How many additional American lives is Saddam Hussein worth? The answer: not very damn many.” (Sigh…how soon they forget…)

Applaud: to the death-knell for a gop power-grab in California as the group that wanted to apportion California’s electoral votes has run out of money. The LA Times is reporting that the proposal, which looked to change the winner-take-all electoral vote allocation to one by congressional district, is “virtually dead” and the group has seen the resignation of many supporters, internal disputes and a lack of funds… awwww, poor baby…

Heckle: to news that a classified Pentagon program attempted to “bait” Iraqi insurgents by planting items such as detonation cords, plastic explosives and ammunition.. and when an Iraqi picked them up… they were killed. What the hell is this, an episode of Tom and Jerry?? Give me a break… what happens exactly if a curious civilian picks up the items?

Applaud: to Columbia University President Lee Bollinger, who introduced Iranian president Ahmadinejad by verbally nuking him from orbit and calling him “dangerously uneducated” and “a petty and cruel dictator”… (Nice…)

Heckle: to the most insulting and obvious use of 9/11 for political gain… and you probably know which of the candidates it is. At a fundraiser earlier this week for Rudy Giuliani, the cost for guests is.. you guessed it; $9.11. The event has angered the International Association of Fire Fighters, which argues the 9/11 terrorist attacks are being exploited by Giuliani and stated; “$9.11 for Rudy” theme is an abuse of the image and symbols of the 2001 attacks. It is nothing short of disrespectful to the legacy of the thousands of civilians and 343 brave firefighters who died at ground zero.” (Sad and pathetic…)

Applaud: to one sentence that sums up the Bush(whacked) Administration succinctly; President Bush will leave office having presided over one of the fastest accumulations of government debt in the history of the United States. (’Nuff said…)

Heckle: to even more adversity in Iraq. Besides living under the constant threat of attacks, now comes word that more than 2,000 people in Iraq are suffering from cholera, and it’s spreading across the country being accelerated by chlorine restrictions imposed on Iraq due to security concerns. (But the Iraqi people are better off now, right?)

Applaud: to a great quote. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) on Bush’s decision to skip the U.N. meeting and his destructive global warming policies. “Kennedy got us to the moon, George Bush’s energy policy wouldn’t get us to Cleveland.” (Niiiiiiice)

Heckle: to news that the GAO is reporting that wounded veterans are still getting shoddy treatment. In response to a February 2007 series by Washington Post scribes Dana Priest and Anne Hull, the Bush(whacked) Administration, Congress and the military promised to fix the problems… but a new GAO report concludes that “wounded warriors are still getting the runaround from the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs.” Such as delays for disability payments still average 177 days, 6 months, with no indication that any improvement is in the wings. (Again, sad and pathetic, which seems to be the mantra for this administration. These brave men and women gave themselves for a unjust war, and the very LEAST we could do would be to ensure that they get the best treatment possible… as fast as possible… anything else is 100% unacceptable…)

Applaud: to former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. In his memoir, The Age of Turbulence, Mr. Greenspan writes that he is “saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil.” (Well duhhhhhh)

Heckle: to “President” Bush. Usually it’s on general principles alone, but this week we’ll give special mention to him skipping out on U.N. talks on global warming and opting to organize his own meeting on the topic later in the week in DC… yeah, cuz I’m sure that meeting will contain honest and forthcoming opinions about global warming…

Applaud: to being yesterday’s news. Before this year, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was a prize catch on the Sunday talkers… but that’s no longer the case, as she has been turned down by both CBS and NBC recently as they find her too aloof for their tastes… (As I said in a “BushWhack’ing” this week; yet another victim of Bush’s midas-opposite effect. Everything he touches turns to shit… even politicians…)

Heckle: to a US Senate proposal that calls for the partitioning of Iraq, a proposal that drew an irate response from Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Said al-Maliki; “Iraqis are eager for Iraq’s unity. […] Dividing Iraq is a problem and a decision like that would be a catastrophe.”

Applaud: to the withdrawing of John Rizzo as CIA General Counsel, whose nomination had elicited a fury of outrage from senators and human rights and advocacy groups, all stemming from his refusal to disavow his approval of a 2002 memo that stretched the definition of torture. (Score one for deceny…)

Heckle: to “President” Bush’s veto guarantee of SCHIP… someone HAS to take his crayon away before he vetoes again…

Applaud: to a federal judge for ruling that two provisions of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional, all because they allowed federal surveillance and searches of Americans without demonstrating probable cause. (Wow, I guess the Constitution does have some power behind it still…)

Applaud: to the news that one of the “Jena 6”, Mychal Bell, has been released on bail, with the Jena district attorney announcing that “he would not seek to maintain adult charges against the teenager.”

And a first for TBWA…we have a gop Tool of the Week Trifecta.

The first one is awarded to Bill “Want to see my microphone” O’Reilly, who said earlier this week on his radio show that he was surprised that the service at Sylvia’s was like that of “any other restaurant…even though it’s run by blacks.” (Stupid is as stupid does Bill. You really are a mental midget)

The second goes to right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh (ya sense a theme here?) who said this week that troops who support withdrawal from Iraq are “phony soldiers.” (This is an insult… pure and simple. And the silence from groups who were up in arms about MoveOn’s General Petraues ad is deafening…)

And finally, the last award goes to four gop presidential candidates… all of whom are considered so-called front runners and who all refused to participate in a debate targeting issues that effect ‘people of color.’ This is a trend with the four, as they also refused to participate in debates on gay issues and on issues effecting Hispanics… (To skip this debate is mind-boggling… I mean, COME ON… even Newt Gingrich is chastasing them… how much lower can you get??)

What were they thinking?

There was a gop presidential debate last night… but four of the so-called ‘front-runners’ weren’t in attendance.

Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul, Sam Brownback, Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter and Alan Keyes participated, but Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain and Mitt Romney didn’t…

Did I mention that the debate was specific to issues facing/effecting minorities in general and “people of color” specifically? And that the quartets refusal to attend drew a harsh response from moderator Tavis Smiley in his opening remarks, when he said; “Finally, some of the campaigns who declined our invitation to join us tonight have suggested publicly that this audience would be hostile and unreceptive. Since we’re live on PBS right now, I can’t tell you what I really think of these kinds of comments.”

For a group who want minorities to help elect them to the most powerful seat in the land, ignoring this, along with the previously-ignored Hispanic debate, is not only reprehensible… but incomprehensible. Here they had a chance to speak to these large segments of the population about issues facing them, and they didn’t… sure they had excuses, but they were just that; excuses.

And their decision to ignore the debate even led to some outrage from some of the others attending, with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee saying he was “embarrassed,” that they didn’t attend and Sen. Sam Brownback (r-KS) saying that their absence was a “disgrace.”

Here’s a nickels worth of free advice to the so-called frontrunners; if you expect to lead a nation, you have to lead the entire nation, not just particular parts of it… as George Bush is now finding out…

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

Have a short whacking…

• The Bush(whacked) Administration acted yesterday Move could allow 14 "high-value" terrorism suspects at Guantanamo to join other detainees in challenging status as enemy combatants in court.
• Ignoring a veto threat by “President” Bush’s crayon, the Senate approved a $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) yesterday. With a 67-29 vote – with 18 republicans voting for the program – the Senate has strongly voiced their support for this plan… and if Bush vetoes it, expect his approval ratings to sink even more…
• WaPo headline: “With Legacy in Mind, Bush Reassesses His Agenda.” (Not gonna help Mr. Bush… not. Gonna. Help.)
• And have we mentioned? That the republican presidential candidates held a debate last night… and four of them were no-shows as Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson and John McCain all declined the invitation… Oh, did I mention that it was a debate aimed at issues faced by minorities? The audience heard, from those that DID show up, from Gov. Mike Huckabee, who said he was “embarrassed” for his party, and from Senator Sam Brownback, who said the absence of the leading Republican candidates was a “disgrace.” (For a party that is desperately trying to get minorities into the fold – this was quite possibly the dumbest thing any of their campaigns could have done… and yet; hardly any mention in the so-called main-stream media. So let’s get the word out…)

Even more proof

As if we needed more proof about the unjustification for invading Iraq, here comes more from Spain…

The Spanish newspaper El Pais (The Country) published a transcript in today’s edition that details a discussion between President Bush and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in February 2003. In the discussion, Bush told Aznar that the U.S. would go to war with Iraq to disarm Saddam Hussein with or without a UN resolution, saying; “We must take him right now. We have shown an incredible degree of patience until now. There are two weeks left. In two weeks we will be militarily ready.”

Aznar reportedly asked Bush to “have a little patience,” avowing that it would be “very important to have a [UN] resolution.” But Bush, ever the egotist, wouldn’t hear of it, and told Aznar; “We will be in Baghdad by the end of March.”

Days later, on March 6, 2003, in an address to the American public, Bush said; “: “I’ve not made up our mind about military action. Hopefully, this can be done peacefully.”

Two days after that, Bush lied through his teeth spun it again, saying; “We are doing everything we can to avoid war in Iraq. But if Saddam Hussein does not disarm peacefully, he will be disarmed by force.”

I think we all know what Bush did after that… he ignored internatioanl outcry… he ignored the UN… he ignored the incredible lack of WMD’s… and he ignored the American people and invaded Iraq…

Even to this day, Bush continues to lie through his teeth assert that the U.S. “did not choose war — the choice was Saddam Hussein’s.”

I doubt it George…the choice was yours and yours alone. And once again we see proof that your mind was made up about invading Iraq well before the UN got involved.

Whatever the reason for invading was, whether it be to atone for his father’s mistakes with Hussein… an attempt to outdo his father… his own personal wet dream… or simply a quest to become a new Charlamange… Bush pushed the U.S. into an unjust and unneccesary war.

And yet, some lemmings conservatives still think the war was justified…

The Wednesday Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

I know Wednesday is around here somewhere… oh, well; here’s Thursday’s...

• Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has asked Congress to approve an additional $42.3 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan (yeah, right… I’m sure some of it will go towards that ‘forgotten war’). With this amount, the 2008 war funding request has hit $190 billion… (Mind-boggling, isn’t it?)
• A federal judge has ruled that portions of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional… Bush(whacked) Administration fear-mongering to start in 5…4…3… there we go…
• The Democratic presidential candidates held another debate last night… and this time all attacks were focused primarily on so-called “frontrunner” Hillary Clinton (D-NY). Though former Sen. Gravel (D-AK) had the most inane statement of the night, saying that he thinks the other candidates who are members of Congress should suspend their campaigns, go to Washington and demand daily votes to end the war in Iraq… (Wouldn’t that be convenient? And getting rid of his competition STILL wouldn’t help his campaign…)
• Just when you thought the story died… Sen. Craig brings it back… almost as if he wants his name in the spotlight…
• Burmese police are attacking monks and Burmese bloggers are using the internet to get around the governments censorship of the attacking…
• And have we mentioned? That, as he was bragging about the success of his centerpiece education initiative, “President” Bush mangled the English-language once again? (I know, you’re shocked). Said Bush; “As yesterday's positive report card shows, childrens do learn when standards are high and results are measured.” (Well, I guess he finally answered his infamous campaign question of “Is our children learning”…)

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

• Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia University yesterday and said –, ah who cares…
• California is looking to enact sets of rules that would cut global warming pollution from new motor vehicles by nearly 30% by 2016, but they need a waiver from the EPA to do that. Oddly enough the request has been “pending” for over 2 years…and now documents obtained by House Oversight show that the Bush(whacked) Administration has conducted an intensive, behind-the-scenes lobbying campaign to try to generate opposition to the plan. (Nice… trying to undercut the dealings of a state government… but wait, aren’t republicans supposed to be all about localized politics?)
• Sen. Charles Grassley (r-IA) is accusing “President” Bush of holding the expansion of SCHIP hostage in order to get more money funneled to insurance companies… (well duhhhhh. Apparently Mr. Grassley just had an epiphany that thousands already knew…)
• WaPo headline” “Giuliani's Rhetoric on Terror Contrasts With His Record” (Well, duhhhhhhhh….)
• And have we mentioned? That WaPo columnist Howard Kurtz says that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is no longer a “prize catch” for the Sunday talkers? Seems the network’s Sunday shows don’t want to have her on because she’s no longer a “key player” in the administration and that she’s a “frustrating” guest because she plays things so close to the vest… (And again, being a member of this administration hurts the credibility and political sway of someone who once was viewed as a political heavyweight. Ms. Rice, you can take your place behind Mr. Powell and Mr. Rumsfeld…)

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

It's Monday, here's a short BushWhack to start your week...

• The New York Times (new motto: We fold like origami), has admitted that they violated their own policy when it published the MoveOn ad that slighted General Petraeus when they charged the group $65,000 when it should have charged them $142,000 for the ad. (This is all find and good. As I’ve said before – I can take or leave MoveOn… but I wonder what a review of Fox “News” ad revenues would show if they were audited…)
• Apparently the Washington Post is surprised that presidential candidates Hillary Clinton (D-NY) appeared on a multitude of the Sunday talk shows and didn’t say much of anything… and that Rudy Giuliani is pandering to his audience… apparently politicians have never done anything like this before…
• And have we mentioned? That there is at least one congressman who doesn’t like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s annual list of the “most corrupt members of Congress?” Never mind that the congressman in question is currently under federal investigation. Rep. John Doolittle (r-CA) Doolittle is now calling the group “underhanded and vile” and said that there is “nothing responsible or ethical” about the work they do… (Hmmmm, I think the representative doth protest to much…)

The Weekly Rewind

Well here it is the end of another week. What kind of week? Interesting always seems to describe the weekly goings on in the debacle that is the “Bush”-Whacked Administration. So let’s get right to this weeks version of The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: Shhhh, we have a list ! The UK Sunday Telegraph reports that the Pentagon is “taking steps to place America on the path to war with Iran,” developing a list of up to 2,000 bombing targets in that country. Not a surprise at all to anyone with even half a brain. Now if you think about it, the Pentagon probably has lists of bombing targets for just about every country on earth.

Applaud or Heckle:It’s all in how you look at it. The Iraqi Interior Ministry is pulling the license of Blackwater USA, an American security firm, after the company was “allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of civilians during an attack on a U.S. State Department motorcade.” “We have canceled the license of Blackwater and prevented them from working all over Iraqi territory,” Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul-Karim Khalaf said. Honestly, I am torn on this one. Doesn’t the State Department have it’s own security details? On the other hand, if you attack military personel or U.S. Government representatives, prepare to kiss your ass goodbye.

Heckle: To bold (yet stupid) statements in response to token moves. Senate conservatives’ successful effort to obstruct the Webb amendment this week marked the “the eighth time this year” that Senate Republicans…blocked a Democratic move to challenge U.S. policy in Iraq. This follwoeed on the heels of Sen. John Warner (R-VA) comments earlier in the week that he was considering pulling his support for Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-VA) measure to give the overstretched armed forces more rest. Interestingly, Warner voted for the measure last July, but he now claims to be appeased by the administration’s token withdrawal. And yes the administrations move is nothing more than a ‘token’. Call your Senators and demand their support for Webb’s pro-troop amendment. It’s never too late to reconsider this action in support of our troops and their families. Let’s keep up the pressure and use the deliberate blockage of a change in U.S. policy in Iraq when it is time to go to the polls in November 2008.

Heckle: 89.6 million: The number of Americans under the age of 65 who “had no health insurance for some or all of 2006 and 2007, according to a study released Thursday by Families USA, an advocacy group for the uninsured. The number is “almost double the number of uninsured reported by the Census Bureau for 2006.” Say it isn’t so, don’t tell me that the administration underreported a critical social number that is a sad check on our national priorities.

Heckle: 29: President Bush’s approval rating in the latest Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday, which is below his worst Zogby poll mark of 30 percent in March. I’m sorry it appears the ‘President’ may be confusing a opinion poll with a Limbo Pole, the idea here is not ‘how low can you go’…..

Heckle: What happened to paying your own way? Mary Matalin, a former Cheney aide, is working to pay the legal bills of her old co-worker, “Scooter” Libby, who the President granted clemency to earlier this year. “Make no mistake, Scooter’s battle is not yet over,” Matalin wrote in a recent fundraising letter. He “still has hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding legal bills from his trial” that “need to be paid immediately.” As if Kemp and I did not see this one coming from 10 miles away. Never mind that Scooter did wrong, he shouldn’t be held responsible for payment of his own bills….

Just the facts…..In a protest march in Jena, LA, this week that “filled streets, spilled onto sidewalks and stretched for miles,” it was reported that more than 10,000 demonstrators rallied to protest the treatment of six black teenagers arrested in the beating of a white schoolmate last year. Support the Jena 6 here. This story is ongoing and is far from over. It appears that all sides can share in the blame, but the main issue that cannot be lost sight of is that the administration of justice needs to be balanced, blind and fairly dealt. It wouldn’t hurt for Jessie Jackson to remove himself from the issue and stop ‘stirring the pot’.

Heckle: Whos’ bright idea was this? The appointment of Donald Rumsfeld as a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution is drawing fierce protests from faculty members and students at Stanford University. Some 2,100 professors, staff members, students and alumni have signed a petition protesting his appointment. Applaud to those protesting his appointment! Better idea, appointment to the ‘Lemming Institute’…..

Applaud: It’s about time. Earlier this week, Republicans reacted angrily to Bush’s pledge to veto increased funding for children’s health insurance. I’m disappointed by the president’s comments,” said Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA). “I’m very, very disappointed,” echoed Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR). Ok fella’s we like where your heads at, however how about kicking up the rhetoric a little….

Heckle: Talk about being out of touch with reality. This week, Rudy Giuliani was “on the trans-Atlantic campaign trail…bragging about his international credentials. ‘I’m probably one of the four or five best known Americans in the world,’ Giuliani told a small group of reporters at a posh London hotel as onlookers gathered in the lobby to gawk at actor Dustin Hoffman, who was on a separate visit. Nothing like getting kicked down a few pegs after inserting your foot into your mouth.

And finally, our candidate for Tool of the Week .... Fox, Fox "News" and/or Michelle Malkin...

Since actress Sally Field won an Emmy and spoke out against the Iraq war in her acceptance speech, the right wing has been on the attack. In addition to Fox censoring her speech, conservatives continue to criticize Field for speaking out.
Taking the slander to a very personal level, right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin attacked Field’s parenting skills with a column in the National Review entitled “Sally Field Does Not Speak For Me.” In it, she writes:

• Sally Field is the mom who looks the other way when the brat on the elementary-school slide pushes your son to the ground or throws dirt in your daughter’s face.
  
• She’s the mom who holds her tongue at the mall when thugs spew profanities and make crude gestures in front of her brood.
  
• She’s the mom who tells her child never to point out when a teacher gets her facts wrong.
  
• She’s the mom who buys her teenager beer, condoms, and a hotel room on prom night, because she’d rather give in than assert her parental authority and do battle.
  

Fox and Friends hosted Malkin this morning to promote her hate-filled column. On the show, Malkin — a mother herself — posited her theory of parenting: “motherhood should bring a ferocity, and dare I say, make us more violent.”

Fox was overjoyed to have Malkin on the air. Co-host Gretchen Carlson said Malkin’s “best line in the article” was about the condoms and beer. Malkin responded, “as a Mom, I know, I’ve dealt with moms like [Fields], who look the other way.”

After a few more exchanges of laughter and contempt, co-host Steve Doocy closed the segment stating, “Hollywood probably thinks you are dangerous and offensive.” So do many others.

That’s it for this week. Let’s see what Commander Coo-koo Bananas and the Fruit Basket that is his administration can come up with next week. Till then…..

Be good, stay informed….later.

Thinks that make you go ‘ewwwwww’

After the 2007 State of the Union address, Rep. Michele Bachmann (r-MN) grabbed “President” Bush’s shoulder until he gave her “a kiss and an embrace.”

During a radio interview yesterday, Bachmann retold the story that during the the recent bridge collapse, Bush tried to “embrace” and “kiss” her once again… saying;

“The President and I enjoy a great relationship. When he and I were back visiting the collapsed bridge, he reached over because he wanted to give me a kiss when we were down at the site, and I had pulled back and he said, “What? You don’t want to embrace?” And I said, “The people of Minnesota love you Mr. President, but I think one kiss was enough.”

Ew.

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Friday… thank God…

• I’m not an opponent or a proponent of MoveOn… I can take them or leave them. But the furor over their ad for General Petraeus is not going to blow over any time soon, and yet they don’t seem to care. (Perhaps if Senate Democrats had that attitude, Congress’ approval rating wouldn’t be lower than “President” Bush’s… I’m just sayin’…)


• Sen. Ted “It’s the Tubes” Stevens’ troubles are getting deeper and deeper… now there’s a audiotape!


• Judging by his past rulings (pun intended), Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey seems to be a judge that is insistent on doing what he felt the law compelled…(Wow, what a concept! A judge that rules according to... the law)


• Democrats are vowing to not let up in their bi-partisan drive to bring our troops home from Iraq… (at least until Bush threatens them, then they’ll cower in the corner like usual…)


• And have we mentioned? That Bush’s fellow republicans, upon hearing his pledge to veto increased funding for children’s health insurance. reacted angrily to the news. Sen. Charles Grassley (r-IA) remarked; “I’m disappointed by the president’s comments” while Sen. Gordon Smith (r-OR) said “I’m very, very disappointed.” (And once again, Bush ignores his own party, and does what he thinks is right… the man is a tool, and his standing in his own party is getting lower and lower by the minute…)

Bush grades himself, and still manages to get it wrong

A reporter asked “President” Bush this morning whether there was a "risk of a recession."
Bush, as always, refused to answer the question and instead, as always, made a flippant remark that he wouldn't know because he's never been very good at Economics.

Reporter: Do you think there’s a risk of a recession? How do you rate that?

BUSH: You know, you need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101. I got an A, however, in keeping taxes low and being fiscally responsible with the people’s money.

Excuse me?? Who says he deserves an 'A' for being “fiscally responsible” with other people's money??? I certainly don't, and I doubt many others think that as well…

In the last few days people have been talking to economists... including one of the most well-known, intelligent and influential economists; former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan.

Greenspan is on record of saying that the odds of a recession remain "somewhat more" than one in three. And yet Bush continues to spin his record on fiscal responsibility, never mind the fact that his tax cuts helped create some of the most substantial budget deficits we've had in many, many years.

And how about this from Yale University economist Robert Shiller, an “economist who has long predicted this decade’s housing market bubble would deflate said the residential real estate downturn could spiral into ‘the most severe since the Great Depression’ and could lead to a recession."

And don't even get me started on his grades... I would wager that Bush failed "Alphabet 101" too.

Bush even made light of his grades during another presser today, pointing out that while Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice may have a PhD, she’s still not President of the United States. Instead, Bush, who was a “C student,” is. Said Bush;

"I remind people that, like when I’m with, Condi, I say she’s the Ph.D. and I’m the C student and just look at who’s the president and who’s the adviser."

Ladies and gentlemen, this is indeed a "Presidency of Mediocrity"®

Sigh...

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Been out sick last few days, lot to catch up on so let’s get to it…

• A proposal to lengthen troops’ home leaves from Iraq, a bill that was sponsored by Sens. Webb (D-VA) and Hagel (r-NE) failed with a 56 to 44 vote… 60 votes were needed to get it passed. Sources say that a “last-minute” campaign by the Defense Department and the White House aimed at killing the measure convinced Sen. John Warner (r-VA) to switch sides… (This is amazing… simply amazing. And yet, the Democrats are always demonized as not caring for the military… I think anyone with a brain knows better. And if you don’t, you’re a lemming. )
• At the same time, Senate republicans blocked a bid to restore rights of federal detainees…
• Trying to show that not all republicans are idiots (how’s that working out for ya?); a few ‘key’ republican leaders are encouraging their party's presidential candidates to get their heads out of their asses rethink their decision to skip debates that focus on issues important to minorities… (We have comprehension! Not going to debates aimed at specific ethnic groups is only going to create a backlash that could further erode relationships with those groups…. So on second thought republicans, continue ignoring them; it can only help us in November)
• Moderate republicans are finding themselves in a difficult position… do they remain loyal with Bush or face up to the reality of politics in America? Namely that the majority of Americans want us to get the hell out of Iraq. (Bush’s approval numbers are stagnant… they aren’t going up or down – so that should give them some clue as to what to do. But then again, they are republicans…)
• This should come as no surprise- Senate Democrats are already abandoning they’re push to bring US troops home from Iraq by next spring. (Apparently they’re all to busy looking for their balls)
• We’ll have a chance to see just how ballsy the Democrats are with the confirmation hearings for AG nominee Michael Mukasey scheduled to begin shortly…
• And have we mentioned? That a new Zogby poll shows “President” Bush’s approval ratings to be a scant 29%… which, by the by, is below his “worst Zogby poll mark of 30% in March” (‘Nuff said…)

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Monday… oh boy...

• “President” Bush has selected his newest crony… but, at first blush, he doesn’t look to be a crony like early favorite Theodore Olson… Bush has instead named retired federal judge Michael Mukasey as his attorney general nominee… Democrats are pleased with the choice, some republicans aren’t, but considering how little political influence Bush has right now, he couldn’t go too far right or the confirmation hearing would have been a flame-throwing riot… stay tuned…
• There’s a war being waged about correct and proper information on the 2008 presidential candidates… and the battleground is Wikipedia… it’s not news; it’s the Washington Post…
• Help Wanted: warehouse workers to work ten hours a day, six days a week, including holidays in a tropical locale with a chance to meet interesting people… call Call 1-800-555-BDAD.
• In his new book, The Age of Turbulence, former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan states; “I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows. The Iraq war is largely about oil.” (For someone of Greenspan’s stature and knowledge to say this is uplifting… it’s just to bad he didn’t say so earlier when he was in a position that saw time stop when he opened his mouth…)
• The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Ryan “What a bunch of” Crocker, sent a memo to the State Department as he wants to expedite the Iraqi refugee process. As it stands now, it could take up to two years for an Iraqi refugee that was referred by the U.N. to gain refuge in the US. Not surprisingly, Bush(whacked) Administration officials immediately dispute Crocker’s claims…
• And have we mentioned? That one of the largest private security firms working in Iraq is about to lose their license? Days after employees of Blackwater USA were involved in a gun fight that killed 8 Iraqi civilians, Iraq’s Interior Ministry has withdrawn the license of the firm and plans to prosecute the individuals involved.

The Weekly Rewind

It’s Friday, time for The Weekly Rewind

Applaud: to the memories of those that lost their lives on September 11, 2001. You will never be forgotten…

Heckle: to just not getting it… six years after 9/11, a new CBS/New York Times poll reveals that 1 in 3 Americans believe that ‘Saddam Hussein was personally involved in” the attacks… despite so-many things being released that show otherwise… (Give me a break; get a brain of your own and realize that Hussein and Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11…

Applaud: to the memory and actions of Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance Gray. Back in August, they were part of a group of seven active duty soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division that wrote an op-ed in The New York Times called “The War As We Saw It” which expressed skepticism about “recent press coverage portraying the conflict as increasingly manageable.” This past Monday, Mora and Gray died in a vehicle accident in Western Baghdad. The courage they showed on the battlefield was as strong as the courage they showed in the media… let’s not forget their message…

Heckle: to political apathy run amok. A new poll shows that a pathetic 15% of Americans can name the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court (John Roberts btw)… but 66% can name “at least one of the judges on the Fox television show American Idol.” (I don’t even know where to begin with this one other to say it’s sad, but unfortunately not at all surprising…)

Applaud: to today being the last day for Alberto Gonzales…

Heckle: to the National Review magazine. Back on May 9, 2005, the magazine ran a cover story proclaiming, “We’re Winning,” in Iraq (how’s that working out for ya there NR?). Said the article; “It is time to say it unequivocally: We are winning in Iraq.” (Riiiiiiight) Now, two years after declaring a “win” the National Review believes the war can still be won, saying in it’s Sept. 24 issue: “This war can still be won, but only if we have the nerve and the patience to see it through. Recent events on the ground, strategic interest, and morality all point to only one imperative: Stay.” (Ok, let me see if I understand this correctly… we won, but we didn’t win… so now we should keep a permanent presence in Iraq and stay there to make sure we win… Wow, with logic like that, the editors of the magazine could be members of the Bush(whacked) Administration…)

Partial Applaud: to at least showing some gumption, even though it’s way too little way too late. At a White House meeting earlier this week, “President” Bush spoke with Democratic leaders and said he planned to “start doing some redeployment.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) immediately interupted and said; “No you’re not, Mr. President. […] You’re just going back to the presurge level.” (Nice… way to go Ms. Pelosi. Too bad it seems to be all talk and no action; again…)

Heckle: to scary, scary thoughts. Gen. David Petraeus is interested in running for president. (God help us…)

Applaud: to the opinions of those that know. An ABC/BBC/NHK poll released earlier this week shows, since the escalation began, that Iraqi opinion has drastically turned against the U.S. occupation with many Iraqis seeing “deepening dissatisfaction with conditions in Iraq, lower ratings for the national government and growing rejection of the U.S. role with 65 to 70% of Iraqis saying the escalation has “worsened rather than improved security” while 78% say “things are going badly for the country overall,” which is an increase of 13 points since last winter… (and yet the administration says things are getting better. Maybe the administration should, I don’t know, listen to what the people of Iraq are saying instead of relying on others who aren’t living under the same conditions as the Iraqi people are; just a thought)

Heckle: to some incredibly bad economic and business news coming out this past week. First, consumer confidence dropped from 89.3 in August to 71.1 in September, the “lowest point in nearly 1 1/2 years” thanks in large part to an incredibly deep housing slump that is, needless to say, making some people worried not only about their own economic health, but also that of the country… this came to light soon after an economic forecast by UCLA predicted that “the nation’s economy will be so sluggish” next year that “any major hiccup could tip it into recession”, giving a gloomier outlook for jobs and the housing market. And have we mentioned that the cost of health insurance climbed nearly twice as fast as wages in the first half of 2007? (With news like this, who needs enemas… or enemies… or anemones…)

Applaud: to not letting a good program die without a fight. 46 senators, including six republicans, called on “President” Bush earlier this week to “rescind new administrative restrictions that will make it harder for states to expand their popular State Children’s Health Insurance Program.” (Way to go guys… too bad it will be crushed under Bush’s obliviousness…)

Heckle: to disturbing polling data. According to a poll of Pakistanis, Osama bin Laden is more popular in Pakistan than Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, with bin Laden having a 46% approval rating to Musharraf 38%… (The only thing I can think of that would be worse for Musharraf would be to have a lower rating than Bush… though I don’t ever see that happening…)

Applaud: to more appealing polling data that shows 60% of Americans believe that the US should “set a timetable to withdraw forces” from Iraq and “stick to that timetable” regardless of what is going on in the country… (one has to believe that the 40 or so other percent that don’t think a timetable should be set have to either be members of this administration or, at the least, married to members of this administration… there can’t be any other explanation…

Heckle: to Russian President Vladimir Putin s

Applaud: to a great quote from someone who has been putting his foot into his mouth a lot lately. Democratic Presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson commented on the New England Patriots’ “spying” incident, saying; “The President has been allowed to spy on Americans without a warrant, and our U.S. Senate is letting it continue. You know something is wrong when the New England Patriots face stiffer penalties for spying on innocent Americans than Dick Cheney and George Bush.” (Very well said Bill… very well said)

Heckle: to former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld calling Afghanistan a “big success.” (He’s been out of the Bush White House for a few months and yet he still has his rose-colored glasses on. While he gets heckled for this, he does get a…)

Mini-Applaud: to Rumsfeld’s incredibly candid response when a reporter asked him if he misses George Bush; “Um, no.” (Harsh… really harsh… with comments like that, Rummy won’t find himself invited to Bush’s next BFF sleepover…)

Applaud: to CENTCOM Chief, and General Petraues’ boss, Admiral William Fallon who doesn't think too highly of Petraues and, after meeting him the first time, described him as a “sycophant” and an “ass-kissing little chickenshit”… (Nice… couldn’t have said it any better myself Admiral…)

Applaud: to a new study that found “liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives?” That’s right… and it’s all because of how our brains work, reported the study; “Liberals were 4.9 times as likely as conservatives to show activity in the brain circuits that deal with conflicts.” (And my snark about ‘using our own brains’ and not being ‘lemmings’ becomes more and more apt. Conservative whining about Liberal-educators to start in 5,4,3…)

And finally…

Applaud: to the return of our “gop Tool(s) of the Week” award but with a new, improved name that pays homage to “President” Bush; the ‘Cuckoo-Bananas Award’

This week it goes to House Minority Leader John Boehner (r-OH). He was interviewed on CNN earlier this week and when he was asked by Wolf Blitzer about “the Americans who are killed every month” in Iraq and “how much longer” the “military commitment is going to require” he replied that “The investment that we’re making today will be a small price if we’re able to stop al Qaeda here.” (Congratulations John, you’re this weeks; Cuckoo-Bananas winner)

Runner-up goes to the man himself, Commander Cuckoo-Bananas. In a speech that lasted a shade under 18 minutes, he mentioned al Qaeda 12 times even though a recent Congressional Research Service concluded that attacks from al Qaeda are only a small percentage of the violence in Iraq… so that helps explain the pathetic fact that 1 in 3 Americans believe that ‘Saddam Hussein and Iraq was personally involved in 9/11 attacks… because Bush apparently does as well

One last 'Snow' job?

In his address to the nation Thursday night, “President” Bush told us that he would endorse a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq, saying;

“At the same time, they understand that [Iraq’s] success will require U.S. political, economic and security engagement that extends beyond my Presidency. These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America. And we are ready to begin building that relationship.”

Uh-huh…

This morning, outgoing White House Press Secretary Tony Snow was interviewed on CNN;

Q: How long are we going to be in Iraq? Because the President last night was setting the stage for a long-term relationship with the Iraqis, which would include a U.S. military presence there.

SNOW: Yeah, well, the Iraqis want that.

Ummmmmmm.. not so fast there Tony… I think you may be wrong about that.

An ABC News/BBC/NHK survey of Iraqis released earlier this week showed that 79% of Iraqis oppose a U.S. presence and 57% approve of the insurgent attacks on U.S. troops…

But the Iraq people want our troops to stay…

Let me ask you a question Tony, was the lobotomy expensive or were you and the rest of the Bush-cronies able to get a group rate?

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

FRIDAY!!!!!

• “President” Bush addressed the nation last night and said that he will begin rolling back the ‘surge’ of troops out of Iraq… I’ll believe it when I see it., and I’m not the only one saying that as the Democrats and even some republicans are taking a wait and see approach. So stay tuned…
• Today is the last day for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales… do I need to say more?? Okay I will; don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out…
• Petraeus and Bush both said this week that security and politics are improving in Iraq… but other recent reports, and the death of Pro-American Sunni Sheik Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, suggest otherwise… makes you wonder what war the two of them are watching. My guess is ‘Star Wars’…
• Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei spoke to worshippers and said that Bush will be tried in court for his involvement in Iraq. (Ok, I’m gonna have to come down on the side of Bush here – hear me out please – and say that the Ayatollah needs to have some milk and cookies and go to bed as it will never happen. I’m not saying that Bush should or shouldn’t be tried, but when we start taking cues from ayatollah’s in Iran; something’s wrong…)
• And have we mentioned? That Bush referenced al Qaeda in his Iraq speech last night 12 times… 12 times in a speech that lasted just under 18 minutes… 12 times, even though a recent Congressional Research Service report came to the conclusion that attacks from al Qaeda are only a small percentage of the violence in Iraq… (This can NOT surprise anyone… this is a man and an adminstration that is still making connections to Iraq, Sadam Hussein and 9/11…)

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Reminder: “President” Bush speaks tonight… here’s a preview of what he’ll say;

....

....

....

• Democrat Congressional leaders are looking to make “incremental” proposals that they hope will attract enough moderate republicans so legislation could be passed to change direction in Iraq…(Interesting idea and concept. If done properly it might just work – but I’ll believe it when I see it…)
• A story in the Washington Post says that Iraq is now “Petraeus’ War”… (give me a break. This war never belonged to any of the generals… this war belongs to one man and only one man; George Bush… okay, maybe a little Dick Cheney, but mostly Bush)
• White House mouthpiece Tony “Job” Snow is gone… now we just have to entertain ourselves with the antics of Dana Perino… who at times makes Snow look like a genius…
  In case you hadn’t heard (and judging by WaPo’s number of stories about it you haven’t) Fred Thompson is running for president…
• In response to new ethics rules, the Air Transport Association ruled that giving priority seating to Senators and Representatives would violate the rules – so they’re not doing it any more. (what does this mean? That they now have to fight for seating and stand in line like the rest of us… damn, I wouldn’t wish that upon my worst enemy…)
• And have we mentioned? That in an interview on CNN, anchor Wolf Blitzer asked House Minority Leader John Boehner (r-OH) about “the Americans who are killed every month” in Iraq and “how much longer” the military will have to be there? Boehner’s reponse was a terse; “The investment that we’re making today will be a small price if we’re able to stop al Qaeda here.”

Rummy's Ruminations

This story is a few days old, but I think it speaks volumes about the Bush(whacked) Administration…

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave an extensive interview with GQ magazine recently and had some very interesting and enlightening things to say.

Ignoring for the moment that he said he had no regrets, he said this about the war in Afghanistan;

“Look at Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, 28 million people are free. They have their own president, they have their own parliament. Improved a lot on the streets. […] “It’s been a big success!”

Um… okay… though I guess if you compare the Afghan war to the Iraq war it’s been, in his words, a “big success”.. but is it really?Well, if you decide to do something radical and, I don’t know, look at facts, it’s far from being a success and instead remains an abandoned war on terrorism… consider:

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s president said recently that the level of security in his country has “definitely deteriorated”, but a former national security official called that “a very diplomatic understatement.”
The Taliban has carried out “103 suicide bombings in Afghanistan in the first eight months of 2007”, which is an increase from last year of 69%
For the second straight year Afghanistan has “produced record levels of opium” thanks to a “staggering 45 percent increase in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand Province.”

But ‘it was a success’… though I guess that depends on what your definition of success is… if it’s allowing the Taliban to get back to pre-war strength than, by all means, it’s been a success.

And if you look even deeper, you can find proof that Rummy had a role in the deterioration of the country considening that back in February 2002, then Secretary of State Colin “Wish I never joined Bush’s cabinet” Powell made a proposal that “American troops join the small international peacekeeping force patrolling Kabul and help Karzai extend his influence beyond the capital.”

Rumsfeld blocked his proposal.

While his boasts of success in Afghanistan are good, his best quote came when the interviewer asked him whether he misses President Bush… said Rumsfeld; “Um, no.”

Ouch… that’s gotta hoit…

But he said he still sees Cheney… no word if he plans to go hunting with the him though…

And the most revealing moments came when Rumsfeld admitted that not only did he try to resign three times before he actually left. But that he wrote a memo before the Iraq invasion that contained “at least” two-dozen warnings about what might happen.

Despite everything, Rummy still thinks that Bush will be vindicated someday and, over time, will be appreciated for his strengths and national security accomplishments…

I would write more, but my sides hurt from laughing too much…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Wednesday...

• “President” Bush is drawing some harsh criticism (like this is anything new to him) from both Democrats and republicans because he is backing General Petraeus’s proposal to withdraw only 30,000 troops by next summer, despite a lot of Democrats, some republicans and a majority of the American public that want more dramatic changes… (This should not come as a surprise to anyone… this is the way the Bush White House works; ignore the public, ignore the parties, and do whatever the hell you want to do, regardless of the facts that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 and US casualities continue to climb. January 20, 2009 can NOT come soon enough…)
• Rudy Giuliani can not be a happy camper now that Fred Thompson is in the race, as he’s seen his gop lead reach its lowest point of the year at 28%, down from 37%. Oddly enough, Thompson’s polling is 19%, more than double his previous polling position. (Hmmmmm, I wonder if the two are in any way connected… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form)
• Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) ties to Norman Hsu are not going to go away… at least not if the Fourth Estate has anything to say about it...
• Russian President Vladimir Putin dissolved the Russian government today by dismissing his long-serving prime minister, Mikhail Fradkov, and nominating Cabinet official Victor Zubkov as his replacement… and instantly throwing Zubkov ahead of the pack to replace Putin as president next year (the timing is a little curious on this, and one has to wonder what exactly Putin is up to… stay tuned)
• Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigned today, essentially putting an end to a weak political party that was absolutely crushed in parliamentary elections back in July. No word yet on a replacement, so, like above, stay tuned.
• And have we mentioned? That, according to Newsweek, a separate internal report that’s being prepared by the Pentagon will “differ substantially” from Petraeus’s recommendations and will recommend a “very rapid reduction” in American forces? More specifically the report will call for a drawdown of as much as two-thirds of the existing forces… (The White House’s ignoring of any Pentagon recommendations in five, four, three –)

Remembering 9/11/2001 - A Word from Scott

Six years ago on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, I was on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC with my family. It was the first true vacation trip for my 8 year old son. He loved the beach the first moment he saw it and had tried to spend every waking moment in the sand and surf since we had arrived just 2 days earlier.

Even though most schools had started a week or two earlier, there was still a good amount of people who had chosen the ‘off’ season to bring their families to the beach. Sunday and Monday, children could be seen running back and forth playing in the waves and looking for seashells brought in by the tide and the waves.

The mood on the beach, and in the country for that matter, was as it had always been, relaxed and for the most part carefree. The tragic event that was about to befall us was incomprehensible to most people.

Yes, other parts of the world had suffered acts of terrorism over the years, and even our own embassies and military had tragic losses, but again, those occurred in other parts of the world. We as a nation saw ourselves as basically untouchable on our own soil. How wrong we were.

When I awoke that Tuesday morning, I did what I normally do, I staggered into the kitchen and made a pot of coffee. Being that I was at the beach I decided to go out onto the balcony and take in the sounds and smell of the surf. I noticed the morning walkers out on the beach and a few families that were out early to try and get a pick of the shells that the early morning tide had washed ashore. All in all it was starting out to be a beautiful day.

Then I turned on the TV in living room…

As a habit I turned on the Today Show. Katie Couric and Matt Lauer were talking about reports coming in that a plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. I woke up my wife and told her what was happening. We sat and watched as NBC went to a live shot that was coming in from a helicopter over New York City. When I saw the smoke I thought naively that this must have been some terrible accident.

I was proven wrong not 17 minutes later when on live TV we watched as a second plane flew directly into the other tower.

My son had awoken by this time and was watching TV with his mom and dad. He was 8 years old and started asking dozens of questions. We answered him as best we could. We were transfixed by what we were seeing, and had nearly as many questions as he did.

Over the next hour we watched as reports came in regarding the possibility that other planes could be flying towards other buildings…. other targets.

Those fears were realized with reports of a plan crashing into the Pentagon, and a half-hour later reporting that another plane had crashed into the ground in Pennsylvania.

What was next? The White House? The U.S. Capital? What about other cities across the country? In my home state of Illinois my thought was of all the people in and around the Sears Tower.

As the hours passed my wife and I decided that we needed to do something in order to distract ourselves and our son from the horrific scenes that were on literally every TV channel. As adults we were dealing with a multitude of emotions at the loss of so many innocent lives. But for our young son, the images were only of un-imaginable destruction and the only emotions were confusion and anger.

Everywhere we went that afternoon, we ran into other families who were obviously out with their children trying to do the same thing. Children not old enough to grasp the gravity of the mornings events, were instead able to read the concern on their parents faces. And there was a somber calm at ever turn.

We understood what our children could not, that the world as we knew it had taken a drastic change and that nothing would be the same. Six years later, things are still changed.

Restrictions and heightened conditions surround us. The world that we grew up in may never again exist for our children and our grandchildren. My son, now 14 is still afraid to fly. He still has occasional questions but can now follow them up with statements of ideas of retribution for those who backed the cowardly 19. I think we have all had similar thoughts.

Are we as a nation doing everything right? Are we doing absolutely everything we can to protect ourselves, and still not infringe upon individual liberties? Have we gone over the top? I don’t have the answer. However, we have not had another attack on our soil since that fateful day.

Let’s take a moment to remember not only the national tragedy that occurred, but the thousands of personal tragedies that occurred. Today is a day to remember those friends and family members who were lost on this day. Some helping others, others just trying to live their lives.

Let us never forget.

cross-posted @ Scott's Rant Spot

Remembering 9/11/2001 - A Word from Kemp

I have twin daughters who, thankfully, were not yet born when our nation was attacked six years ago.

Six years… it hardly seems like it’s been that long, but it has…

Six years ago last night, a nation went to bed… not knowing the horror we would face the next day.

Every generation has an event that changes their perspectives and their lives… JFK’s assassination, the Challenger explosion, the Oklahoma City bombing…

But unfortunately, we had one that, for lack of a better word, trumped them all…

On September 11, 2001, millions of Americans watched in abject horror as those who were threatened by our freedom and our way of life savagely attacked our country.

Almost everyone can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they first heard about the attacks.

But life went on… like it should. As a whole, we were able to heal, but we will not, and should not, ever forget that day when our happiness, our freedom, our safety and our resilience seemed lost amid a sea of hopelessness, pain, remorse and newly-found vulnerability…

We got them back… we found our resilience, we rediscovered our freedom and our happiness, and while at times our safety is brought into question, we haven’t had an attack on our soil since that fateful day six years ago… we, as a nation, were able to move forward after the attacks, albeit sometimes slowly.

Although six years have passed since the events of 9/11, the spirits of those who lost their lives, the heroes and innocent people lost during that day, are still very much alive.

There will be ceremonies and services across the nation today to commemorate the horrific events of six years ago… a day that touched everyone in this country in some way.

But for some, 9/11 was much more than just a national tragedy, it was a personal one as well…

Family, friends, colleagues and neighbors were lost that day… and immeasurable lives around them were forever changed.

Let’s take moments today to remember them all and remember that the lesson to be learned from this horrific event is that the American spirit will prevail after being struck down and we will emerge stronger, and more confident, after a fall.



cross-posted @ Kemp’s Blog

September 11, 2001

We will never forget… ever

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week begins...

• Today is the day… today Gen. David Petraeus gives his the White House’s report on the status of “President” Bush’s surge and already the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Joe Biden (D-DE) is finding fault with the General’s assessment. More rhetoric from the Democrats… all debate and NO ACTION… (Though it’s a good bet that 98% of the American population know what Petraeus is going to say, his testimony – or whatever you wish to call it – should still make for some interesting theater…)
• As Karl “President” Rove gets ready to pack his bags and flee the ship, his replacement, Barry Jackson – former COS to Rep. John Boehner (r-OH) – is already getting started.
• New Hampshirians (New Hampshirites? Hampshires?) are not happy with Fred Thompson…
• The Democratic presidential candidates took part in the first-ever presidential forum in Spanish yesterday, and it wasn’t all lovey-dovey as Dodd (D-CT), Clinton (D-NY) and Obama (D-IL) got shellacked for their vote on building a great wall fence on the US-Mexico border. (Nice… good to know they didn’t kowtow just because they were Democrats. Makes me wish the republican candidates weren’t scared shitless to partake in a debate like this…)
• 60% of Americans say the US “should set a timetable to withdraw forces” and then “stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq.” (Everyone else is seeing this? Why can’t the White House?)
• And have we mentioned? That a new study has found that “liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives?” That’s right… and it’s all because of how our brains work, reported the study; “Liberals were 4.9 times as likely as conservatives to show activity in the brain circuits that deal with conflicts.” (And my snark about ‘using our own brains’ and not being ‘lemmings’ becomes more and more apt…)

The Weekly Rewind

Hello fans of the gridiron. It is the opening week of the NFL. Time to tailgate, have a beverage, and enjoy this weeks version of The Weekly Rewind. Let’s get to it ….

Heckle: to Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (r-CA) for saying somrthing incredibly inane. Earlier this week, "President" Bush met with China's President Hu Jintao at the APEC summit, this meeting provoked Rohrabacher to say; "If this were 1936, would President Bush be anxious to sit next to Adolf ? […] One bit of advice, Mr. President, I wouldn't be so anxious to use the toothpaste in your hotel room."

Heckle:to the White House seemingly not knowing what week it is. Earlier this week, Bush issued a statement wishing "greetings" to those " celebrating Rosh Hashanah"… I guess we're supposed to ignore the fact that Rosh Hashanah doesn't start until next week… more specifically at sunset on Sept. 12 th. (Nicely done guys… way to pay attention!)

Applaud:to knowing that the rest of world feels the same way. Bush’s arrival in Sydney was marked by protests. An established anti-war group called the Stop Bush Coalition called a small ‘unwelcoming ceremony’ in Sydney to kick off a series of protests culminating in a march by up to 20,000 people on Saturday. Authorities have locked down the city in the biggest security operation in Australian history. To our friends ‘down under’, thanks for the support, way to go! Just remember less than 500 days remain in the ‘WORST’ administration in history.

Applaud: to taking a step forward in the right (make that, Left ) direction. Just before leaving for its August recess, the House of Representatives approved a little-noticed amendment to its energy bill “that would allow members of Congress to lease only environmentally friendly cars.” The House energy bill would require all federal agencies to buy only low greenhouse-gas emitting vehicles for their fleets. Do you hear that? It is the sound of Al Gore applauding.

Heckle: to another example of the lies that mark this White House. An exchange of letters from 2003, released yesterday by former Iraq envoy Paul Bremer, reveal that Bush was told in advance of a plan to “dissolve Saddam’s military and intelligence structures.” The letters contradict claims by Bush “that American policy had been ‘to keep the army intact’ but that it ‘didn’t happen.’” Let’s see what kind of spin the administration tries to put on this one.

Heckle: OK, this is not a surprise to anyone who is concious. President Bush’s success rating in the Democratic-controlled House has fallen this year to a half-century low, and he prevailed on only 14 percent of the 76 roll call votes on which he took a clear position. The previous low for any president was in 1995, when Bill Clinton won just 26 percent of the time during the first year after Republicans took control of the House. I don’t care what anyone says, you will never take the ‘partisan’ out of politics.

Applaud: to thinking for themselves. Intelligence analysts dispute the Bush administration’s claims that sectarian violence has dropped in Iraq, noting the selective way the military categorizes deaths. “If a bullet went through the back of the head, it’s sectarian,” a senior intelligence official said. “If it went through the front, it’s criminal.” Wow, can the military be any more obviously stupid?

Heckle: Stupid is as stupid does. A half-hour before his Saturday news conference announcing his plans to resign, Sen. Larry Craig left a voice mail — at a number he apparently didn’t intend to dial — stating his intent to possibly rethink the decision.” Listen to the audio here. No more debate, I don’t care if his ‘conviction’ does get overturned. The audiotape and circumstances are more than enough, it’s time for this guy to go.

Applaud: to not so subtle reminders. The ‘Americans Against Escalation in Iraq’ have released a new ad calling out Bush’s suggestion that he will reduce troop levels. “Do they really mean it this time?” Watch the ad here. Hey guys, keep up the good work!

Heckle: to once again having your actions cloud your words. The nation’s Medicaid directors yesterday told the Bush administration that its new restrictions on the federally funded State Children’s Health Insurance Program will limit the number of children covered. In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, the National Association of State Medicaid Directors “said the new standards reduce flexibility, making it difficult for states to expand coverage.” Nice, once again what happened to compassion? That’s right this administration has none.

Applaud: to fighting the good fight. Al Gore is working on a new environmental book titled ‘The Path to Survival’, a sequel to ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ that offers a blueprint on what can be done to fight global warming. The book will be released on Earth Day, April 22, 2008. Thanks Al ! Keep on leading and many more will follow.

Heckle: to a damn shame. Global warming “is already affecting the nation’s parks, forests, marine sanctuaries and monuments” and the federal government needs to do a “better job” addressing the issue, according to a new Government Accountability Office report to be released today. Ok, let’s not forget, if it is happening here, it’s also happening around the globe. It is time to take action and force the profit greedy corporations that are proven to have contributed to this problem to shell out the money and fix the problems that they themselves have created.

That’s it for ths week folks.

Be good, stay informed…..later.

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Friday and the end of a short work-week is almost done… have a quick ‘BushWhack’

• Army General David Petraeus has indicated that he might be willing to consider a drawdown of 3,500 to 4,500 U.S. troops early next year… but only if the “recent success” on the ground continues. (All fine and good; but I’ll believe it when I see it… must be my ‘defeatist’ attitude…)
• Seems to be like a lot of attention is being paid to a Democratic fundraiser, Norman Hsu, being wanted in connection with a 15-year old felony theft charge. From the way some media are reporting it, you would have thought that Hsu was responsible for the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, the insurgents in Iraq and everything else that is wrong with the world. Here’s a question; if he was a republican fundraiser, would we be hearing so much about him? I doubt it…
• In case you hadn’t heard, Fred Thompson is running for president…
• On October 1st, the Bush(whacked) Administration had planned on expanding the use of satellite and aircraft spy technology by local and federal law enforcement agencies… but a few Democratic House leaders asked the administration to delay the expansion and the legality of the plan. (Wow… are we seeing some cajones from the Democrats? Or are they simply blowing sunshine up our collective skirts?)
• And have we mentioned? That there’s a reason some world leaders roll their eyes when they have to meet our nation’s president? Yesterday during the APEC summit, he thanked Australia for hosting the OPEC summit and then brought up the “Austrian troops in Iraq,”… despite being in A-U-S-T-R-A-L-I-A… (What was it that the British newspaper asked after Bush was re-elected? How could 50,000,000 people be so dumb? Looking at our fearless leader, I think we may know why…)

The GAO vs the gop

We know that there has been little to no progress in Iraq… we know that the Bush(whacked) Administration is ‘cooking the books’ on the amount of violence… we know that republicans are starting to get desperate… so it should come as NO surprise that a republican would attack the GAO’s Iraq report…

This time it’s Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (r-FL) claiming that the GAO isn’t qualified to pass judgement.

Earlier this week at a House International Relations Committee hearing, ranking member Ros-Lehtinen tried to claim that the GAO was unqualified to render a judgment on the situation in Iraq and described the process of accountability as “unsettling,” saying; “I just feel uncomfortable listening to a report by the Government Accountability Office about a war effort.”

The accusations drew a critical response from GAO Comptroller General David Walker, who responded by defending the agency’s experience in such matters explaining that the work the GAO does is based on “looking at hard data, interviewing qualified individuals, and appropriate parties have an opportunity to review and comment on our work.” So in other words, they do the exact opposite of the Bush White House.

Walker continued by arguing that military experience is not a necessary requirement to offer a qualified opinion; “The President and the Vice President have no military or foreign policy experience. Does that mean I don’t respect their opinion? I do. They’ve got a lot of people who work for them that do. So I think it’s a false claim to say you know we’re not qualified to do this work. We’re eminently qualified to do this work. […] For the record, It’s my understanding that Secretary of Defense Gates does not have any military experience either. So frankly, I think we need to stick with the facts.”

(Facts? Facts? We don’t need no stinkin’ facts… just give us propaganda, thank you very much…)

As it stands now, Bush is desperately trying to keep republicans behind the surge and Ros-Lehtinen has drank the kool-aid while wearing the official Bush rose-colored glasses and has fallen in line, going as far as criticizing the GAO.

It seems to me that the gop could and would be better served by sticking to their old tenets of smaller government and fiscal responsibility rather than drinking the Kool-Aid of Bush and his merry band of cronies.

After all, Bush, like Tony Soprano, is the opposite of Midas – everything he touches turns to shit...

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

• Goodbye Mr. Pavarotti – you will be missed…
• Thoughts and condolences to the friends and family of Rep. Paul Gillmor (r-OH), who was found dead in his DC apartment yesterday…
• A commission of retired senior U.S. military officers prepared a report that shows Iraq's army will not be able to take over internal security from US forces within the next 12 to 18 months (big shock isn’t it?) Oh… and they “cannot yet meaningfully contribute to denying terrorists safe haven.” (Bush(whacked) Administration backpedaling on benchmarks in 5, 4, 3, and there we go…)
• The saga of Larry Craig – aww who cares anymore…
• Perusing the NIE report I came across what has to be the best quote from it; “If a bullet went through the back of the head, it’s sectarian. If it went through the front, it’s criminal.” (Nice…)
• It’s officially official: Fred Thompson is running for president. (And his announcement was met with mass indifference as everyone who wasn’t living in a bubble already knew this. While his campaign was electric months ago, its leveled off dramatically in the last few weeks and he isn’t viewed as a gop savior anymore, so it should be interesting to see what effect, if any, his entrance has into the race; stay tuned)
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Edward Kennedy cast his 15,000th vote in early August? This is something that has only been done twice before by Senators Strom “Methuselah” Thurmond and Robert “Methuselah Lite” Byrd… it’s not news; it’s the Washington Post…

Rove’s Ridiculous Rhetoric

Outgoing White House adviser Karl “Presdident” Rove wrote an op-ed in the National Review recently that extolled Bush’s greatness and predicted that “history will provide a more clear-eyed verdict on this president’s leadership than the anger of current critics would suggest.”

Uh-huh… anything more to say on the subject Karl?

“President Bush will be viewed as a far-sighted leader who confronted the key test of the 21st century. […] He will be judged as a man of moral clarity who put America on wartime footing in the dangerous struggle against radical Islamic terrorism. […] President Bush will be seen as a compassionate leader who used America’s power for good. […] I have come to understand true leadership leans into the wind. It tackles big challenges with uncertain outcomes rather than taking on simple, sure tasks. It does what is right, regardless of what the latest poll or focus group says. History demands much of America and its leaders and I am confident it will judge the 43rd president as a man more than worthy of the great office the American people twice entrusted to him.”

Uh… okay…I suppose anything is possible…