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 Weekly Rewind

In this corner, weighing in at a staggering debt load of over $8 trillion, and bloated with two-faced beaurocrats, in the black trunks, the Bush Administration. And in this corner, in the White Trunks, two guys who are not quite so much in debt, and are out to open the eyes of the willing everywhere, the “Bush”-Whacked Administration. Now let’s get ready to Rewinnnnnnnnnnnnnnd!!

Sorry folks just felt a little bit of an attitude coming on.

Heckle: We’ll send you there, but once you’re there, you’re on your own. U.S. Embassy employees in Iraq are growing increasingly angry over what they say are inadequate security precautions in the heavily fortified Green Zone. Most staff members still sleep in trailers that one described as ‘tin cans’ that offer virtually no protection from rocket and mortar fire. The government has “refused to harden the roofs because of the cost”, one employee said. When will the various agencies in our government get treatment for their Cranial-Rectal Inversion and start to take care of our people serving overseas?

Heckle: to opening mouth and inserting foot….or, just another day in the life of a conservative. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) yesterday defended the decision to place scandal-plagued Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) on the Appropriations Committee. “Where do you draw the line?” Boehner asked. “We do not want a blanket allegation to rise to the level of credibility where we are basing our decisions on it. It’s unfair.” Hmmmm, I think we draw the line at appointing corrupt or possibly corrupt officials in positions of authority…..just a thought….

Heckle: to President Bush on principles alone.

Heckle: to once again proving that this administration acts before it thinks, and then has to back track and look stupid. The White House confirmed yesterday that the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad is likely to meet in the next several weeks with Iranian officials about stabilizing Iraq, as the administration embraces a tactic outsiders have long recommended as essential to reducing sectarian violence in Iraq. Ok, we didn’t do the job right to begin with, we know you are causing trouble for us and are a main supporter of violence against us and we should do something about it, but we have lost face in the world, other countries laugh at our sabre rattling, but we want to talk and make nice…. we still hate you, but we acknowledge the power that you have in the region…..do I need to continue?

Heckle: to the sheer stupidity of a statement. Afghanistan now produces 92 percent of the worlds opium. Bush administration officials acknowledge that until recently, “fighting drugs was considered a distraction from fighting terrorists.” The problem has become so severe that American officials now “hope that Afghanistan’s drug problem will someday be only as bad as that of Colombia.” And remind me again how our ‘War on Drugs’ against Columbia is oh so succesfull ……

Heckle: to diverting funds from our deserving troops. Nearly two dozen officials who received hefty performance bonuses last year at the Veterans Affairs Department sat on the boards charged with recommending the payments. Remember all those stories about how well things are at Walter Reed, and how the VA is on the cutting edge of Technology and taking care of our troops…..I’ll continue while you keep thinking…

Heckle: to Alberto Gonzales, on principles alone, and this week also due to the allegations of former Deputy AG James Comey.

Applaud: to Bill Maher. As we’ve said before on this site, it’s not often we applaud him, but sometimes he nails it. Case in point:

New Rule: You can’t send the National Guard to Iraq and then claim it’s still here. The helicopters, the Humvees, the men…Like Dorothy and Toto, they’re not in Kansas anymore. Sorry Mr. President, but the last documented case of a National Guardsman able to be in two place at one time…was you.”

Well said Bill….

Heckle: to the continued raping and pillaging of the average American. “Households are spending about $1,000 more per year for gasoline than they were just five years ago, an 85 percent increase” according to consumer groups’ analysis prepared for the House Judiciary Committee. “In the past five years the oil industry has picked consumers pockets for 200 billion in excess profits,” said the Consumer Federation of America. Next time you fill up remember that it’s too expensive to build a new refinery, or that many Oil Company CEO’s are taking home $100 million + a year….remember that as the pump passes $50 or $75 while you are filling up….

Applaud: to not quietly taking what bones the administration is willing to throw. The Justice Department on Wednesday told an angry Senate Judiciary Committee chairman it does not have documents described in a subpoena that demands all materials relating to Karl Rove’s possible involvement in the U.S. attorney firings. Instead, it said, “ Rove’s lawyer must have them.” And if there is nothing to hide, why haven’t they been turned over….??

Applaud: to more from Gore…. Al Gore will release his new book The Assault on Reason next week. Gore tells Time that he began questioning why “our democracy hasn’t responded” to both the climate crisis and the Iraq war. “So I started thinking, What’s going on here? … Our democracy was pushed around by false impressions and wasn’t able to hold its focus,” he says. “That’s the common denominator. Once I’d thought through all of that, I couldn’t not write this book.” Does anyone else think that the contry may be better served with Mr. Gore in a Whistle Blower, serving the public interest kind of way? In that capacity he is beholden to no one….

Heckle: to more of the same old stuff. Several senators have urged President Bush to withdraw his nomination of Michael Baroody — a corporate lobbyist picked to lead the Consumer Product Safety Commission — saying the candidate was “unqualified and the appointment posed insurmountable conflicts of interest.” Am I the only one that sees this as the Fox guarding the Hen House?

This one does not qualify for either an Applaud or a Heckle. Earlier this week the Senate passed a bi-partisan bill that would make the estimated 12 million plus illegal immigrants currently in the United States eligible for legal status. Some of the main provisions are that they would have to pay a fine, wait a certain period of time, and return first to their country of origin, to then enter the country legally. The bill also contained a provision to allow ‘new’ U.S. citizens to sponsor relatives for immigration using a complicated point system that rewards points based on certain competencies. Among these are if someone is a skilled/educated worker, as well as the ability to speak English. The better you are the more points you get. Right away people on both sides of this issue are crying foul. Liberals are complaining about the fines, Conservatives are complaining about this bill granting ‘amnesty’ to illegals. This story is far from over….

Well there you have it. Not too many applauds (of course), but enough heckles to go around. Don’t worry we will have more heckles next week. Until then…

Be good, stay informed…..later.