The Weekly Rewind

Does it really need an introduction? I didn't think so...

Applaud: to former Senator Jesse Helms, who died July 4th at the age of 86… yes, he was a republican that makes Karl Rove look like Al Gore, but he did serve the Senate for eons, and for that we applaud the man, but not his ideals or isms…

Heckle: to ignoring the facts. A former CIA agent maintains that CIA officials “ignored evidence” that showed Iran had suspended their work on a nuclear bomb. The agent was fired in 2004 and filed a motion on Friday, June 27th requesting the government declassify legal documents that describe what he says was a “deliberate suppression of findings on Iran that were contrary to agency views at the time.” (Regardless of what’s discovered, the administration wants to attack Iran and will not let anything stand in their way… facts and evidence be damned…)

Applaud: to saying what everyone, except those that work in the White House, already knows. Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen, responding to the news that June 2008 was the deadliest month of the Afghanistan war and the second straight month that the number of troops killed there surpassed that of Iraq, said he cannot send more troops to Afghanistan until there are further troop reductions in Iraq. (Mullen “resignation” announcement in five, four, three…). Double Applaud to Mr. Mullen for saying something else that everyone outside the White House knows; that an Israeli air strike against Iran would make the Middle East more unstable and would open up a “third front” that would be “extremely stressful for us.” (Why the HELL is no one listening to this man?? He’s the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs for crissakes, shouldn’t we be listening to every word he says???)

Heckle: to an un-Godly upswing in violence where the true war on terror was taking place before it was forgotten by this administration. For the second straight month, militants in Afghanistan killed more U.S. and NATO troops than in Iraq. The uptick underscores the growing strength of the Taliban who the Pentagon forecasted as maintaining or increasing its pace of attacks… (I don’t know what else can be said about Afghanistan… it only falls on deaf ears)

Applaud: to new polling results that show Sen. Joe Lieberman (I r – CT) has dropped below 50% approval ratings for the first time in 14 years… (guess that’s what happens when a Democrat runs as an Independent and wins re-election because of republicans who then endorses a republican for president… pwned!)
Heckle:

Applaud: to trouble in White House paradise. We all know the administration took North Korea off the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism this week after the country declared its nuclear program to the outside world… word is, Vice President Dick Cheney wasn’t happy about the decision and even tried to block the deal… (Wow… Bush did something that Cheney didn’t support? Quick, someone look outside to see if there are pigs flying. I would call Hell to see if its frozen over, but am afraid Cheney might answer the phone)

Heckle: to THIS STORY in the Daily Mail titled; “How war hero John McCain betrayed the Vietnamese peasant who saved his life.” (If true, it says a LOT about McCain’s character… or lack thereof)

Applaud: to empty threats that might actually HELP Sen. Obama. Stephen Baldwin (the Baldwin brother whose recent credits include Celebrity Apprentice and… well, that’s it really) told Fox “News” that he'll leave the country if Obama wins… thank God, otherwise we might be forced with BioDome 2…

Heckle: to abject stupidity. Back in 2004 republicans were asking, nay, demanding full disclosure about Teresa Heinz Kerry's wealth… now, in 2008, republicans are whining because Liberal websites are pointing out that Cindy McCain hasn't given full disclosure about her wealth and has no plans to… (Stupid is as stupid does… how these people can walk upright without falling over all the time is beyond me…)

Applaud: to Rush Limbaugh (I know, I know – bear with me for a moment, the pay off is worth saying his name… though I do feel like I need a shower…). In an interview scheduled to run this Sunday, Limbaugh says of Bill “Want to look at my microphone” O'Reilly; “Somebody's got to say it, the man is Ted Baxter.” (Ouch… for those of you too young to know the reference, click HERE)

Heckle: to inane claims that have already been disproven and yet still percolate amid conservative pundits. Once and for all; China is NOT, repeat NOT drilling for oil off the Florida coast… yes, a Chinese-owned oil company has an agreement with Cuba for an onshore site, ONSHORE as in NOT OFFSHORE, and no actual drilling has taken place… so for all the conservative schmucks out there, drop it – it just makes you look like jackasses… on second thought, keep at it, it can only help us in the long run

Applaud: to the Washington Post (I know, I’m as shocked as you are) for reporting on a story that no one is listening to. They report that “more than 900 cases alleging that government contractors and drugmakers have defrauded taxpayers out of billions of dollars” aren’t being pursued because they’re too busy rotting away in a decade-long backlog (yes, Pres. Clinton then merits some of the blame) because the Justice Department can’t keep pace with the upswing of charges brought on by whistle-blowers. (I don’t suppose the DOJ has ever considered; I don’t know… hiring a few more people to help with the backlash? Or would that be too logical?)

Heckle: to Southern Baptist scholar Bruce Ware, who apparently still lives in the 1950’s. He says that one reason men abuse their wives is because women rebel against their husband’s God-given authority: “And husbands on their parts, because they’re sinners, now respond to that threat to their authority either by being abusive, which is of course one of the ways men can respond when their authority is challenged - -or, more commonly, to become passive, acquiescent, and simply not asserting the leadership they ought to as men in their homes and in churches.” (I’d like to amend my statement about him living in the 1950’s… apparently he still lives in cavemen times and acts as such… what a fucking tool)

Applaud: to Sen. Ted Kennedy and his plans to try again on another attempt to provide universal healthcare, with people saying that he “intends to work vigorously to build bipartisan support for a major healthcare initiative when he returns to Washington in the fall.” (Nicely done sir… conservative blowhards bringing up his recent medical treatments as reasons to oppose national healthcare in five, four, three…)

Heckle: to the news that the Pentagon is refusing orders from the EPA to clean-up military bases where chemicals that had been dumped are posing “imminent and substantial” danger to public health and the environment… (way to support the military there guys… idiots…)

Applaud: to the Office of Special Counsel. Granted, they were spurred into action because of a report last week by the Justice Department’s inspector general, but they’re opening a “new examination into political hiring practices” at the department and the OSC will work to “determine whether disciplinary action is warranted” for “those who considered political affiliation in making decisions” and “those who let them do that.” (This should be entertaining… stay tuned)

Heckle: to brainless polls that have absolutely no bearing on anything… An AP/Yahoo poll shows that voters would rather barbecue with Sen. Obama than with Sen. McCain… (Great, now that we’ve finally put that pressing issue to rest, we can focus on the smaller things like FISA, the economy and the Iraq war…)

Applaud: to federal judge Vaughn Walker, for ruling earlier this week that FISA was the “exclusive” means for “President” Bush to eavesdrop on Americans” while also rejecting the government’s claims that the president’s constitutional authority as commander in chief trumped that law…. (smackdown…. Too bad the administration will ignore the rule of law, as they’ve been doing for the last eight years…)

Heckle: to the White House for, again, trying to intervene in EPA business… specifically the agency’s attempt to publish a document that could become the “legal roadmap for regulating greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S.” The White House wants the report to show that the Clean Air Act “is flawed” and that regulations should be developed under new legislation rather than show what it really showed; outlines on how the government can regulate emissions under the Clean Air Act. (this Administration has never tried to hide its disdain for the environment, and this is just another salvo in these attacks. Eventually the EPA is going to have to grow a pair and tell the administration to STFU… but I wouldn’t hold my breath)

Applaud: to all the players in the presidential race… Obama, McCain and the Bush(whacked) Administration. Since it’s a different world that previous presidential transitions, the administration and the campaigns are setting off on what is being called an “unprecedented attempt” of unity aimed at preventing the transfer of power in January from disrupting defense and counterterrorism efforts. Part of that plan is having the Obama and McCain campaigns compiling lists of potential nominees for counterterrorism positions so they “can be vetted and confirmed as quickly as possible.” (brilliant idea… absolutely brilliant… let’s hope it works)

Applaud: to a good point from someone I can’t stand. Sen. Lieberman spoke on CBS news last Sunday and made an excellent point (must be his Democratic tendencies peeking out from his republican wolf-skin) when he said; “Our enemies will test the new president early. […] Remember that the truck bombing of the World Trade Center happened in the first year of the Clinton administration. 9/11 happened in the first year of the Bush administration.” (all good and valid points, which make the applaud directly above even more vital. But this time, let’s hope Joe is wrong… since becoming a de facto republican, he has plenty of experience in that department…)

Heckle: to the Bush(whacked) Administration for awarding a no-bid contract to an oil consulting firm that will encourage Iraq to offer no-bid contracts to American oil companies…

Applaud: to the falling of another White House domino… it was announced earlier this week that Deputy COS Joe Hagin will resign his job at the end of the month to “take a private sector job.” (somewhat refreshing as he didn’t give the routine reason of ‘more time with the family’…)

Heckle: to news that is sad but not entirely surprising. The Army released a study last Sunday that found [in early 2003] that U.S.-based commanders prematurely believed their goals in Iraq had been reached and did not send enough troops to handle the occupation”… a view that was reinforced by “President” Bush’s May 1, 2003 declaration of “Mission Accomplished.” (Who was behind strategy during the war’s build-up?? How one of the mightiest militaries in the world could so grossly underestimate a war is mind-boggling and downright scary…)