The last straw?

Just when you think you’ve heard the worst thing this administration can do, something comes out that makes you realize they’re not even close.

Journalist Ron Suskind has a new book coming out and in it he describes how the Bush White house ordered the CIA to forge a backdated, handwritten letter that would tie Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks.

According to Suskind, the letter was commissioned “from the highest reaches of the White House and occurred in the fall of 2003 when the White House ordered CIA Director George Tenet to forge a “fake letter from Habbush to Saddam, backdated to July 1, 2001.” Writes Suskind; “It said that 9/11 ringleader Mohammad Atta had actually trained for his mission in Iraq.”

While this isn’t totally surprising, it should enrage you… for two reasons.

First, while many of us knew, or at the least now know, that Bush lied us into war, we now seem to have some kind of concrete and traceable proof that Bush knew before he invaded Iraq that there were no WMD’s… and yet he continued to lie to the American public and to Congress.

Second, after the fact it now looks as though Bush & Cheney ordered the CIA to forge a letter to justify the invasion; “The White House had concocted a fake letter from Habbush to Saddam, backdated to July 1, 2001. It said that 9/11 ringleader Mohammed Atta had actually trained for his mission in Iraq — thus showing, finally, that there was an operation link between Saddam and al-Qaeda, something the Vice President's office had been pressing CIA to prove since 9/11 as a justification to invade. […] A handwritten letter, with Habbush's name on it, would be fashioned by CIA and then hand-carried by a CIA agent to Baghdad for dissemination.”

CIA officers Rob Richer (former head of the CIA’s Near East Division) and John Maguire (who oversaw the Iraq Operations Group) are both on the record in Suskind’s book confirming the existence of this letter…
Suskind goes on to not only describe how this is an impeachable offense, but also delves into details about how and why it’s illegal for the President of the United States to use the CIA in this manner.

Yes, it’s also immoral, but if the last seven years have shown us anything, it’s that Bush has no moral code to guide him.

When you add this to the recent New York Daily News article about the Anthrax attacks that revealed the fact that “White House officials repeatedly pressed FBI Director Robert Mueller to prove it [the anthrax attack] was a second-wave assault by Al Qaeda” you start to clearly see that the lengths by which this administration would go to in order to get what they wanted.

It’s a given that the conservative Beltway intelligentsia won’t give Suskind’s revelations a second thought… (it’s not a blow job in the Oval Office mind you, so why should they?) but maybe, just maybe enough Democrats will see revelations like this and they’ll be convinced that the only way to prevent future crimes against the American people will be to impeach Bush…

Stay tuned, though I wouldn’t hold my breath.

The Weekly Rewind

You know why you’re here, so let’s just get right to it.

Heckle: to $4.109. That was the average price of a gallon of gasoline earlier this week, setting a new record. According to AAA, gas prices have risen 40 percent in the last year. We just keep getting screwed deeper and deeper, but at least the pace is slowed from a sprint to a stroll……it still hurts like hell.

Applaud: to avoiding a knee jerk reaction. The Congress voted to override President Bush’s veto of a Medicare bill aimed at forestalling an 11 percent cut in payments to doctors taking care of Medicare patients. The House voted 383 to 41 to override the veto, while the Senate voted 70 to 26. We need a long term solution to what will become a bigger problem and we need serious thoughts and discussions NOW.

Heckle: to lives cut down due to misguided thinking. Nine American soldiers died last Sunday , in the worst violence against Americans in Afghanistan in three years. The killings illustrated the growing threat of Taliban militants and their associates, who in recent months have made Afghanistan a far deadlier war zone for American-led forces than Iraq. Which once again points to the fact that our beef is with the Taliban, (which knows no country) and not the country of Iraq who we conveniently invaded. Our focus should not be on Iraq or even Afghanistan, but on the Taliban.

Applaud: to our troops bravery and determination. It was reported that the Taliban insurgents who attacked a remote American-run outpost near the Pakistan border on Sunday outnumbered allied forces almost three to one and some breached the NATO compound in a coordinated assault that took the defenders by surprise. The attackers were eventually “driven back in a pitched four-hour battle.” Once again, our focus should be on fighting the Taliban. Ours troops should be commended for their grit and determination in fighting back this overwhelming force.

Applaud: to waking up. On Wednesday, Pentagon leaders announced that a surge in forces in Afghanistan will occur “sooner rather than later.” The moves are expected to happen within weeks, as officials prepare to lower troop levels in Iraq. And I am sure for our troops already in Afghanistan, this cannot happen soon enough!

Heckle: to the fact we cannot be this blind. In Afghanistan, “the killing of civilians in foreign military airstrikes is shattering Afghans’ support for keeping international troops in their troubled land and driving angry young men into the arms of the Taliban.” A spokesperson for NATO explained, “There is a perception problem.” You think? We seem to have a big problem in this area of the world with people’s perceptions. Could it be that we truly suck in communicating our intentions and our purpose? And maybe the fact that we don’t seem to give a crap about the people who actually live there and are just trying to live their lives and take care of their families? Yeah it’s a possibility. This administration is not known for its communicative skills.

Heckle: to combining the church and state. The Bush administration is seeking to require “all recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control.” The proposed rule would force hospitals, clinics and medical schools to sign “written certifications” as a prerequisite to getting federal funds. I’m sorry is the country being run by Americans or by the Vatican?

Heckle: to “remain calm, all is well”, yeah sure it is. Earlier this week, President Bush tried to calm consumers troubled by the economy, but his words had little effect. By the end of the day on Tuesday, the Dow had closed at its lowest level in two years, and the government reported that prices had jumped at their sharpest pace in 27 years. Sorry Mr. Bush, too little, way too late. Remember Kevin Bacon at the parade panic near the end of Animal House?

Heckle: to just plain criminal. According to internal Army documents, “shoddy electrical work” by private contractors at “American military facilities” in Iraq is causing more “deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged.” There were 283 fires between August 2006 through January 2007. What a surprise, the Pentagon not being honest and upfront about something as serious as this. Not only do our troops have to live with the fact that every time they go out on patrol they may not come back. They also have to worry that they may die taking a shower, or sleeping, or just relaxing back at base camp. There is no excuse for this and the companies responsible should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Be good, stay informed….later.

The Weekly Rewind.

Ok so we now know it is going to be Obama vs McCain. I am not going to rehash what has been all over the networks and cable channels this week. No that would be boring. Howe about some stuff that flew under the radar? Here we go with this weeks Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to being consistently clueless. It seems that despite fierce opposition by Iraqis to his call for a long-term occupation of Iraq, ‘President’ Bush this week expressed confidence that a status of forces agreement would pass. Bush said that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki “appreciates our presence there” and suggested much of the opposition “is based on inaccurate media reports and misunderstandings.” Hmmm, okay let’s see where these ‘inaccurate media reports’ and ‘misunderstandings’ are occurring….stay together, now follow me….As reported at ThinkProgress and various news agencies…

• Top Iraqi officials are objecting publicly to the United States’ effort to establish permanent bases in the country. “The Americans are making demands that would lead to the colonization of Iraq,” said Sami al-Askari, a senior Shiite politician close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. “If we can’t reach a fair agreement, many people think we should say, ‘Goodbye, U.S. troops. We don’t need you here anymore.’”

• Iraqi lawmakers say that the Bush administration is “demanding 58 bases as part of a proposed ’status of forces’ agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely.” Jalal al Din al Saghir, a leading lawmaker from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, called the deal “more abominable than the occupation.”

• Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is saying that “talks with the United States on a longterm security agreement have reached a ‘dead end’” because the U.S. proposals “do not take into consideration Iraq’s sovereignty.”

Well it seems that either our ‘President’ has no clue of what he is talking about, or Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has an evil clone that runs around saying the exact opposite of everything he does……hmmmmm I’m betting on the first scenario… which takes us directly into the next point…

Heckle: to not only being clueless but not having a conscience either. In an interview with the UK Times, President Bush said he regrets his legacy in making the world believe he was a “guy really anxious for war” in Iraq. But today, he added that “he had no regrets about the decision to invade Iraq.” Amazing, you gotta wonder what it's like to be that clueless!

Applaud: to the effort. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) said he’s not going to let his effort to impeach President Bush die a quiet death in committee. He said Wednesday that he’ll bring his resolution “back in 30 days if the Judiciary Committee…doesn’t act on it.” “In 30 days, I’ll be joined by many more” members, he said. With the short amount of time left, we doubt it will go anywhere, however we heartily applaud the effort Dennis.

Applaud: to…..wait for it. President Bush is increasingly drawing on selected events of the past to argue that history will vindicate him. Unfortunately for the president, many historians have already reached a conclusion. In an informal survey of scholars this spring, just two out of 109 historians said Bush would be judged a success; a majority deemed him the “worst president ever.” See I told you to wait for it….

Applaud: to more people seeing the light. In a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey out this week, 78 percent of respondents rate the economic conditions in this country as poor. That’s up from 75 percent in March. Only 22 percent rate the economic conditions in the country as good. Give it time and a few more of the 22 percent will wake up.

Applaud: for the effort , but you still gotta laugh at the image. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has bought a new, fuel-efficient Vespa. According to the DC Examiner, “Mr. Macho recently stopped by the Vespa dealership in Glover Park and took home a LXV 150 scooter, which can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.” When asked about his purchase, Rumsfeld reported cackled, “Ha ha ha ha, I’ll get you and your little dog too!” Okay not really, but can’t you just picture it?

Applaud: to not keeping silent. This week the scientific academies of the G8 countries and of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa “urged the world to act more forcefully to limit the threat posed by human-driven global warming.” They called on the industrialized countries to lead a “transition to a low-carbon society” and aggressively move to limit impacts from changes in climate that are already under way and impossible to stop. Ok, talk is nice, however all these countries need to put some actions behind their words or it’s just rhetoric.

Heckle: to once again pulling the rug out from under the average American. With soaring oil prices, Americans are increasingly turning to Amtrak, which saw record numbers in May when ridership rose a healthy 12.3 percent from a year earlier. The Bush administration, however, is of course threatening to veto legislation that would fund the passenger railroad for the next five years. What a surprise, one of our few pieces of infrastructure that could actually help is being threatened with being shut-down. Just another example of the ‘Bush-Whacking’ of America.

Heckle: to being once again being manipulated. As ‘President’ Bush travels across Europe to gain support for possible new sanctions against Iran, Israeli leaders have been working to lay the psychological foundation for a possible military strike if diplomacy falters. Reportedly in public threats and private briefings with American decision-makers, Israeli officials have been making the case that a military strike may be the only way to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Nice, here we go again. We screwed up in Iraq, so let’s try it again with Iran and this time let’s try the spin using a different ally. I can see Bush starting something near the end of his lame duck term and then running out the door to leave it to the next POTUS to deal with.

Heckle: to shortsightedness. Now the financial credit crisis is squeezing student loan programs that offer breaks to borrowers who enter critical fields such as nursing and teaching, as state-backed lenders in at least six states “have dropped or scaled back programs.” Ok so in about 10- 15 years when our kids are failing even worse than they are now, and when a large part of the population is in need of medical care we can slap the speculators and Administration officials who thought it wasn’t important to be pro-active. That is if we can find them.

And this weeks tool of the week is....... FEMA, for once again letting their stupidity show. A CNN investigation has found “FEMA gave away about $85 million in household goods meant for Hurricane Katrina victims.” A FEMA spokesperson said, “We determined that they were excess to FEMA’s needs; therefore, they are being excessed from FEMA’s inventory.” But Martha Kegel, the head of a New Orleans nonprofit agency, responded, “These are the very things that we are seeking right now.” I’m sorry can we just scrap FEMA and just start over with FEMA 2?

Finally, on a Sad note, Tim Russert of NBC died suddenly Friday at the studio in Washington doing what he loved. This was a man of great integrity who was respected and admired by both sides of the aisle. I spent many, many Sunday mornings watching him on 'Meet the Press' and considered him to be one of the fairest people in the arena of political reporting. I looked forward to his perspective on the issues. I will miss his wit, wisdom and insight as we enter this historic general election. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. God bless you Tim, you set a standard that will be hard for others to acheive.

That’s it for this week.

Be good, stay informed….later…

Are you kidding me?

Sen. McCain, in an interview on NBC’s Today Show, told host Matt Lauer about his support for the war in Iraq.

Lauer: “If it’s working, senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?”

McCain: “No, but that’s not too important…”

Are you fucking kidding me??

Having an estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq is “not too important”???

Even though the media continues to give McCain a free pass, a few of his peers in the Senate aren’t…

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) remarks; “McCain’s statement today that withdrawing troops doesn’t matter is a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course -- Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war.”

And Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) added; “I think many of our brave soldiers and their families would disagree that it’s ‘not too important’ when they come home.”
This is the man who wants to run the country?

Give me an effin break

Iraq war architect Douglas Feith appeared on The Daily Show last night to shill his book ‘War and Decision.”

During the interview, he shifted blame for the public’s feelings of being mislead by the Bush(whacked) Administration to us, the public, saying we “misremember(ed) a lot.”

Excuse me??? It’s the administration YOU worked for that gave over 900 false statements leading up to the war... or have you forgotten the CPI study that proved that?

It’s YOUR memory, not ours that’s defective you mental midget…

The Weekly Rewind

Greetings loyal readers. Unless you are living under a rock, you know that we are coming up on two more important primaries this Tuesday. So instead of beating you over the head with anything primary related, lets take a look at some of the other news items you may have missed. Here is a little piece we like to call The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to stirring up the rhetoric to justify another ‘war’. U.S. and Iraqi security forces in Baghdad “have been targeted with 251 improvised bombs this month — nearly double the monthly average — as fighting in and around Sadr City intensified.” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mike Milano said that “some of the attacks involved deadly armor-piercing bombs that the U.S. military has linked to Iran.” Here is an idea, stick to the facts and the truth. If Iran is involved, obtain solid prrof and then we can deal with it. Otherwise stop twisting our troop casualties to fit your warped views.

Heckle: to running unrestrained. With Americans facing record levels of credit card debt, financial institutions have sharply raised rates for credit card customers — even those who pay on time — as they grapple with losses from other bad consumer loans. Banks are also imposing higher fees for late payments and ATM withdrawals to boost profits. Leave it to the financial sector to once again find ways to screw the American public for their own greed. The economy is in bad shape and the faster everyone acknowledges that and pays heed, the better off we will be when the inevitable happens.

Heckle: to another area of the financial sector screwing us. As the Federal Reserve completes work on rules to root out abuses by mortgage lenders, the mortgage industry has begun an intensive campaign to fight back. The industry’s criticism has already prompted the Fed to consider narrowing the scope of the plan so it applies to fewer loans. Once again, the administration shows it’s contempt for the average American, in favor of big business. Does anyone truly think that a McCain administration would be any different?

Heckle: to your own words biting you in the ass. Three years before Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was arguing for a 100 year presence in Iraq, he told MSNBC, “I would hope that we could bring them all home.” “I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence,” McCain said. “[A]s soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be.” Excuse me Senator, would you like a swimsuit to go with those flip-flops?

Heckle: to the continuing erosion of the American dream. “Home foreclosure filings jumped 23 percent in the first quarter…and more than doubled from a year a earlier,” according to new RealtyTrac data. “One of every 194 households received a notice of default, auction sale or bank repossession between January and March, for the seventh straight quarter of rising foreclosure activity.” But remember, we are only in an economic slowdown….

Applaud: to another reason we respect him. In remarks made in Kansas City, former Secretary of State Colin Powell said that “the military was being stretched and a lot was being asked of the all-volunteer force at a time when the entire country isn’t committed to war,” the AP reports. “I think it would be hard to respond to another crisis if it was like these two,” Powell said. Thank you Mr. Secretary for saying what more people with influence need to say.

Applaud: to putting the info out for all to see. A report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq predicts that “Iraq’s oil revenue will top a record $70 billion this year, adding fuel to a congressional push to force the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for rebuilding the country.” “The cost of a barrel of Iraqi oil has increased by 250% since 2003.” You know I wish I would have thought of this before….oh wait a minute I did. Let’s stop footing the bill and keep some of our tax dollars back here in this country where they are needed.

Applaud: to taking some of the wind out of the sails of a litigious society. The Supreme Court’s recent rulings upholding Indiana’s voter ID law and Kentucky’s use of lethal injections exemplify a shift in the court’s approach to deciding constitutional questions. By rejecting broad legal challenges, the court is sending the message that legal advocates need to “produce evidence that a law has actually violated someone’s rights” rather than asserting that rights could be violated. Maybe now we can stop making laws to ‘protect the stupid’ just because they ‘might’ do something dumb….stupid should hurt.

Heckle: to a possible employment related ‘ponzi’ scheme. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Federal, state and local governments are hiring new workers at the fastest pace in six years, helping offset job losses in the private sector,” adding “76,800 jobs in the first three months of 2008.” By contrast, “private companies collectively shed 286,000 workers in the first three months of 2008″ leading “many economists to declare the country is in a recession.” Do we really need that many more people on the government payrolls? Hmmmm, could it be that the administration is actively working to ‘artificially’ lower the unemployment rate? Something to think about..

Heckle: to saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Though he’s promised to not raise taxes, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) campaign acknowledged yesterday “that the health plan he outlined this week would” effectively increase tax payments for some workers, primarily those with high incomes and expensive health plans.” The campaign will not yet say “how many taxpayers might see their taxes go up.” I am sure they are hoping this will go away quietly.

Heckle: to a steaming pile. This week marked the fifth anniversary of President Bush’s infamous “Mission Accomplished” moment aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. Editor and Publisher takes a look at the back at the media coverage on May 1, 2003, when reporters rushed to report that the Bush administration was “planning to withdraw most United States combat forces from Iraq over the next several months.” And now that the American people are asking why we are still there fighting after 5 years the WH is trying to say that the banner was only meant for the troops on the ship…..Bull**it….sorry I had to cough.

Heckle: to another indicator of a faltering economy. Auto loan delinquency in the United States “hit a 17-year high in the fourth quarter of 2007, according to the American Bankers Association. Some 3.13 percent of car loans were “overdue 30 days or more.” Edmunds.com, which provides automotive information, estimates that nearly a fourth of borrowers are ‘upside down‘ in their car loans, meaning the car is worth less than the loan balance. Sounds very similar to…..anyone…..yes that’s right, the real estate market. Watch, the next story will be about the large increase in the number of automobile repossessions. Which also sounds very similar to …..anyone….yes, that’s right the real estate market. But remember, we are only in an economic slowdown…

And Finally, at his final White House correspondents’ dinner on Saturday, President Bush poked fun at his potential successors. Explaining why none had attended the dinner, the ‘President’ said Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “probably wanted to distance himself from me,” adding that “Hillary Clinton couldn’t get in because of sniper fire and Senator Obama’s at church.” Sorry, I think they all wanted to distance themselves from you. Kind of like Southern Methodist University does by voting to prevent your future Presidential Library from being built on their campus. Wow, when the Methodists don’t want to have anything to do with you….

That’s it folks.

Be good, stay informed….later.

Five years on

On March 19, 2003, “President” Bush announced; “My fellow citizens, at this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.”

Each year on the anniversary of the US-led invasion, Bush has given a speech full of rhetoric and spin, this year was no exception (HT to Daily Kos):

Year One: “There are still violent thugs and murderers in Iraq, and we're dealing with them.” U.S. Fatalities: 583

Year Two: “Iraq's progress toward political freedom has opened a new phase of our work there.” U.S. Fatalities: 1,522

Year Three: “We are implementing a strategy that will lead to victory in Iraq.” U.S. Fatalities: 2,319

Year Four: “There's been good progress.” U.S. Fatalities: 3,224

Today, Year Five: “No one would argue that this war has not come at a high cost in lives and treasure ­ but those costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq .” U.S. Fatalities: 3,990 U.S. Casualties: 40,229

Over the course of five years, Bush has changed his goal of saving the world from (nonexistent) dangers of Iraqi WMD's to a desire to not losing...

Remember; when the war started, the administration predicted that it would cost $50 billion to $60 billion to oust Saddam Hussein, restore order and install a new government. Five years on, the cost of the war is “roughly $600 billion and counting” per the Pentagon, with economist Joseph Stiglitz putting the “long-term cost at more than $4 trillion” an estimate he says is “excessively conservative.”

And that’s not the only things that supporters of the war have gotten wrong… consider these disastrous quotes:

“Facing clear evidence of peril, we cannot wait for the final proof---the smoking gun that could come in the form of a mushroom cloud.” - President Bush, 10/7/02 (hard to create mushroom clouds without WMD’s, isn’t it?)

“We will, in fact, be greeted as liberators.” - Vice President Dick Cheney, 3/16/03 (Yeah, not so much… and now we’re like the house guests that couldn’t get the hint to leave)

"The only people who think this wasn't a victory are Upper Westside liberals.” - Charles Krauthammer, 4/19/03 (or people that AREN’T lemmings and can use their own brains…)

“[Liberals] can't deny that President Bush has won his two wars, and won them resoundingly.” - Paul Mirengoff, Powerline, 4/26/03 (wanna bet we can’t deny it? The Taliban and al Qaeda are back in force in Afghanistan, and the insurgent violence in Iraq is increasing again…)

And the best ones come from ‘The Decider’’ himself; “I believe that the success will be fairly easy.” - 9/24/02 (I guess that depends on what your definition of ‘fairly easy’ is…)

“We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” 1/22/03 (I refuse to snark this as a means to honor all families that have lost loved ones in this misguided war)

And then there’s this March 24, 2003 quote from the man who vows to continue Bush’s wayward ways in Iraq; Sen. John McCain: “[T]here’s no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators.”

If McCain gets elected, we probably will be in Iraq for 100 more years… if it’s Clinton or Obama, we will start pulling troops out within six months of them taking office… we all know that a complete pullout would do more harm than good, but it’s time to start reigning in the amount of troops we have over there.

Not only would that protect our soldiers, it would also force the Iraqi’s to act and move forward. I think, and this is merely my opinion, that the Iraqi government has been slow in making any progress because they know the US-led coalition is there to prop them up.

We shouldn’t be… not anymore.

The Weekly Rewind

After setting up a new home network at my finacee's house I am able to access the world wide web and sum up some of the things that are going on in this country and maybe one or two things that affect the world.



Applaud: to keeping things clean on our side of the fence. In response to a campaign mailer from the Clinton camp, Senator and Obama backer Ted Kennedy spoke out against the ad saying that the tactics are ones of "distortion, misrepresentation," and "fear-mongering." The Senator further stated that this type of ad is divisive and "I think it does a great disservice to all of us who are interested in universal comprehensive healthcare." Thank you Senator! The Democrats can and should point out differences in the others platforms, however those differences nust not be used as openings for the right side of the aisle to distort for political advantage come November.



Heckle: to changing the rules mid stream. As everyone knows the DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates as punishment for moving up their primaries. Now, in an act of desperation the Clinton campaign is trying to rally support behind their call to include those states delegates at the nominating convention. Whaaa, Whaaa, whats that sound? Yeah the Clinton staffers crying like babies.

Heckle: to speaking out of both sides of your mouth. For as much as Bill Clinton states that he wants to take a back seat in a Hillary Clinton campaign and administration, he sure keeps popping up and grabbing headlines. As a huge supporter of the former President, it pains me to say this...Mr. President it would be better for everyone if you took one or two steps back from your wifes campaign.

Heckle: to continuing distortion. In resposne to ad's criticizing the Obama camp for not agreeing to a Wisconsin debate, the Obama camp let loose with a new ad critical of Hillary Clinton for essentially being part of the machine politics that the Senator Obama is trying to change. After 18 debates, that's right....18 debates do we really need more? What is there left to say? Senator Clinton you need to focus on some real issues......

Heckle: to the Big Easy still being big time messed up. It's been roughly 2 1/2 years since Katrina ripped through New Orleans and the surrounding areas. So why is the lower ninth ward still one of the most depressing areas we can think of?? Because the Bush administration cannot follow through on promises. Once again, January 20, 2009 cannot come soon enough.

Heckle: to 100 years. In defending his statement on having a 100 year troop presence in Iraq, Senator John McCain clarified by stating that it would be no different than our bases in Japan, Germany and South Korea. I'm sorry the big difference is that we had real reasons for being in those countries in the first place.

Heckle: to yet more trouble for Hillary. In a sign of the closeness and varied feelings of this primary race, some super-delegates that were previously committed to Senator Clinton are reevaluating their support. Rep. Davis Scott has already switched his support to Senator Obama and Rep. John Lewis is considering switching. as are others. As we have said before, this is far from over and will continue to be a roller coaster.

Applaud: to winning hearts, minds, and union endorsements. Senator Obama this week picked up the endorsement of the United Food and Commerical Workers Union and the Service Employees InternationalUnion. Two very large and influential unions.

Okay folks that is it for me this week. My esteemed collegue has done an amazing job of gathering and summarizing most issues in his daily posts. I will have to be on my game next time.

Be good, stay informed.....later.

The Weekly Rewind

Good Day and welcome to our review of the weeks political events that we call The Weekly Rewind.

We await the results of today’s Democratic Primary in South Carolina. There has been a lot of speculation that all of the mudslinging back and forth between Senator Clinton and Senator Obama could in fact help the primary chances of Senator Edwards. I personally do not see much of a fall out effect from the debate and can see Senator Obama winning by a very commanding margin.

Okay, I am going to call the parties ticket for the November general election, Senator Obama for President and Edwards as the Vice-Presidential running mate.

Alright, enough of my own speculation, lets get to the rewind.

Heckle: to leaping onto the wagon when it’s moving at full speed. The Federal Reserve, confronted with a global stock sell-off fanned by increased fears of a recession, cut a key interest rate by three-quarters of a percentage point on Tuesday. Funny thing is that it didn’t turn the markets around as they are looking for even more cuts.

Heckle: to waiting until it’s too late to take any action. President Bush’s attempt to revive the world’s biggest economy was greeted with heavy skepticism on Tuesday as markets tumbled across the globe. Markets in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney all fell farther in late trading Tuesday than they had all day on Monday. They continued an up and down pace for the week. Watch your 401k!

Applaud: to a little humor on the campaign trail. In this weeks CNN Democratic presidential candidate debate, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was asked about novelist Toni Morrison’s salute to Bill Clinton as “the first black President.” Obama replied: “I would have to investigate more Bill’s dancing abilities and some of this other stuff before I accurately judged whether he was, in fact, a brother.” I’m sure even the audience was glad for a more humerous moment.

Heckle: to not coming out publically with your opinion. In “private,” Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke “has expressed growing pessimism about the economy,” reportedly saying that “the first six months of this year will be “bad.” He also suggested that “there is better than a 50-50 chance for a recession” and believes the ensuing recovery will be “weak.”

Heckle: to holding justice and truth hostage. The House has postponed votes on “criminal contempt citations against White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers” in order to foster “bipartisan unity” while working on an economic stimulus package. I’m sorry, is anyone surprised by this?

Heckle: to a statistic that is just plain sad. Many of the poorest people in the United States are still struggling to recover from the effects of a recession that ended six years ago, making them very vulnerable as the country stands on the brink of a new downturn. In 2006, 12.3 percent of Americans were living in poverty, compared with 11.7 percent in 2001, the year of the last recession. In this day and age there is no reason for a increase in the number of our citizens living in poverty.

Applaud: to standing up for what is right. “I am a Republican, and at times I’m embarrassed by the lack of cooperation that this president and his appointees have had with the legislative branch,” said Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) in a hearing yesterday. “There is a seething resentment by members of Congress who are Republicans by the fact that this administration has not even cooperated with us.” Now if we can get more house members to stand with Congresswoman Rohrabacher!


Applaud: to keeping up the pressure. Americans United for Change plans to spend $8.5 million in an effort to make sure President Bush’s public approval doesn’t improve as his days in the White House come to an end. The bulk of the money will be spent on advertising that keeps the focus on the Bush administration’s failures. Although I think the administration does a nice job of airing their shortocmings and failures all by themselves!

Applaud: to an ever increasing base. A new Harris Poll finds that Americans are unhappy with the current state of the union, a few days before President Bush gives his own State of the Union address on Monday. Eighty-one percent of Americans believe “the current state of the country is fair or poor” and 66 percent say the Iraq war is “going poorly.” It’s nice to see more and more people coming around to realize the truth surrounding this administration.

Heckle: to once again being perceived as an Ostrich. A group of nearly 200 “climate experts, scientists, and mayors” delivered a “State of Climate” assessment this week , ahead of Bush’s State of the Union speech. In it they stated “[T]oday our nation stands virtually alone in the world community in refusing to accept the need for decisive action,” they report. “We regret to report that the state of the nation’s climate policy is poor.” But what do they know, they are only educated, learned experts ?

Heckle: to the Administration for 79 percent. Which is the percentage of Americans who believe that a recession is likely within the next year, according to a LA Times/Bloomberg poll. Ninety-two percent of people earning more than $100,000 a year “feel safe” financially, “while more than half of those bringing in less than $40,000 a year describe their finances as ’shaky.’” Count me among the 79 percent.

That’s it for now. Back to waiting for primary results.

Be good, stay informed….later.

Number 41*

President number forty-one George H.W. Bush has been busy this week.

Earlier this week he said that there are more Bush family members waiting in the political wings (eep).

He’s followed that up by espousing his son’s decision to invade Iraq.

Not only does he support his son’s invasion, he also goes on the offensive and attacks critics of the Iraq war by saying they are advocating Saddam Hussein’s tyrannical rule…

Excuse me??? Because we don’t support the reasoning for invasion… because we don’t support a war that has cost thousands of American lives… because we don’t think the war on terror went through Iraq we’re supporting Hussein’s rule?That has to be one of the most idiotic, moronic and offensive statements Bush Sr. has ever muttered… and considering the source, that’s saying a lot.

This country was founded on the principles of freedom, including the freedom to disagree with our elected leaders. But when you start attacking those that disagree with you while accusing them of supporting a leader who slaughtered thousands, if not millions, of his own citizens… then you have taken a huge step over the line and, in Bush Sr.’s case, seemingly lost your mind.

Consider this; in his book, A World Transformed, Bush Sr. wrote;

“incalculable human and political costs would have resulted from an Iraq invasion in 1991. […] We would have been forced to occupy Baghdad and, in effect rule Iraq. […] Going in and thus unilaterally exceeding the United Nations mandate would have destroyed the precedent of international response to aggression we hoped to establish. […] Had we gone the invasion route, the United States could conceivably still be an occupying power in a bitterly hostile land. It would have been a dramatically different - and perhaps barren - outcome.”

Very interesting…

Also consider that eleven years ago, Bush Sr. wrote about Saddam Hussein and said that “removing [him] from power might well have plunged Iraq into civil war, sucking U.S. forces in to preserve order. Had we elected to march on Baghdad, our forces might still be there.”

That same year he also spoke against going into Baghdad by saying that “our forces could well have bogged down in an urban guerrilla conflict in the streets of Baghdad. […] We would have instantly handed Saddam a victory out of the jaws of a humiliating defeat.”

Again, very interesting… It seems to me that the way in which the war in Iraq has progressed, or regressed, itself validates Bush Sr.’s original concerns about marching into Baghdad… and now, by championing his son’s decision to invade while ridiculing those that think differently, he seems to be grossly undermining his legacy…

God help us if there are indeed more Bush’s in the political wings… lest our country never recover.

Sure they will

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said today that the House will vote on legislation that would spend $50 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as early as Friday… but with a caveat that would require “President” Bush to start bringing troops home.

Riiiight…

The bill would not only set a requirement to make troop withdrawals begin immediately, it would also ensure that Marines and soldiers spend an amount of time at home equal to their time in combat and would set a goal that combat ends by December 2008… even though “major combat operations” ended a long, long time ago… but let’s not nitpick right now…

The aggressive bill would also require the government to rely on the Army field manual when conducting interrogations… which doesn’t mention waterboarding, anywhere.

Uh-huh… seems to me we’ve heard this before… and absolutely nothing came of it… what makes this any more different?

Sure, a new CNN poll finds that support for the war has plunged to 31% with a staggeringly high 68 % opposing it… but why should we believe that the Democrats have suddenly grown a set and are doing something about it?



I’ll believe it when I see it…

The Weekly Rewind

It's the end of the week! What does that mean? Football? sure... drinking to an excess? ok for some of you perhaps.... However for us at The "Bush"-Whacked Administration it means a look back at some of the things that you may have missed this past week, both good and bad. Hence the Applauds (good) and Heckles (bad). Ok, let's get to it.....

Applaud: to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden for a soundbite from this past week’s democratic debate. The bit isn’t nearly getting the amount of airtime it should, but it is a classic. Biden described gop candidate Rudy Giuliani thusly; “There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.” (Nicely said Mr. Biden, well done)

Heckle: to poor campaign practices. Waking potential voters up at 2 in the morning to ask them to vote for you is probably gonna have an opposite effect. Just ask Westchester (NY) County Legislature hopeful Domenic Volpe. A firm his campaign hired, and I would imagine later fired, to dispatch recorded calls asking for their support accidentally was programmed to call voters at 2 a.m. instead of 2 p.m… oops

Applaud: to Dennis Kucinich (did I really just write that?) for saying what many others are surely thinking, that Bush may need his racket restrung.

Heckle: to Vice President Dick “President” Cheney and his Dan Quayle impression this morning. During a speech in Dallas, a reporter asked Cheney about his views on Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Cheney responded that the people of Peru “deserve better” leadership than Chavez… um, okay. Last time I looked, Chavez was the president of Venezuela and the president of Peru was Alan Garcia… but I could be wrong.

Heckle: to avoiding the US like we have a plague. The number of foreign visitors to the United States has plummeted since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington because foreigners don’t feel welcome,” according to tourism professionals. The decline has cost America “94 billion dollars in lost visitor spending, nearly 200,000 jobs and 16 billion dollars in lost tax revenue.” Ok, just for the record, we like visitors, we don’t like illegal immigrants.

Heckle: to knowing that almost everyone saw this coming. While there are pockets of security where life in Baghdad is starting to get back to normal, it’s not normal by most standards. Across the city Sunnis and Shiites live in sectarian enclaves, many walled off. Sunnis fear visiting Shiite areas and vice versa, even if it is just a few blocks away. Trust has broken down so much that a stranger in a neighborhood can arouse enough suspicion to warrant an attack. Nice, someone walking to the market takes a wrong turn and ends up getting killed because they are wearing the wrong scarf…sounds like what….. that’s right, major gang areas in the US. We can’t control them here, so what makes us think we could do it in Iraq?

Heckle: to proving that he needed to go. As Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld wrote 20 to 60 “snowflakes” — his trademark missives for developing policy — each day. In a sampling of them obtained by the Washington Post, Rumsfeld “argued that Muslims avoid ‘physical labor’ and wrote of the need to ‘keep elevating the threat,’ ‘link Iraq to Iran’ and develop ‘bumper sticker statements’ to rally public support. As if we didn’t already know that the administration was burning to expand our real estate holdings in the region…oh and by the way Don, no one takes anything on a bumper sticker seriously.

Heckle: to a sad reality. The number of Americans without health insurance “rose by nearly 8.6 million to 47 million from 2000 to 2006, with children and workers from every income level losing coverage,” according to the Economic Policy Institute. The increase was “driven primarily by the continued erosion in employer-provided health insurance.” I wonder how many of those 47 million voted republican in the last 2 elections. And you hope they will be smart enough to vote democrat next year. Remember the only values that the republicans care about are the values that their corporate handlers tell them to care about.

Applaud: to 67 percent: Which is the number of Americans who “support giving contraceptives to students”, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. About as many - 62 percent - said they believe providing birth control “reduces the number of teenage pregnancies.” Thank you for exhibiting common sense.

Heckle: to One in eight: Which is the number of veterans under the age of 65 who are uninsured, a finding that contradicts the assumption many have that all vets qualify for free health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Approximately 1.8 million veterans overall lack health coverage, a jump of 290,000 since 2000. This is unacceptable. These men and women risked life and limb for this nation and this nation owes them a debt of gratitude, which includes the health care promised to them.

Heckle: to being just so damned hippocritical. Lawmakers have increasingly steered federal funds to overtly religious organizations — many of which claim proselytizing or religious conversions as their primary function — using earmarks. For instance, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) tried to earmark $100,000 for a creationist organization. Since when do we get to pick and choose when church and state are separate.

Heckle: to Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Who, according to a new book on Blair’s tenure, “turned down a last-minute offer from President George Bush for Britain to stay out of the Iraq war because he thought it would look ‘pathetic,’. Well Tony, now your position looks as pathetic as ours. Nicely played.

And finally-

Applaud: to a financial wizardseeing the light. Warren Buffett this week told CNBC that he believes there is a “fairly significant” chance that the United States is headed toward a recession. Maybe Warren should take over for Bernake for a while.

Ok, all these heckles have left me tired and depressed. That’s it for this week.

Be good, stay informed….later.

The Weekly Rewind

Well folks, here it is, your heaping helping of a tasty dish we like to call The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to doing only half the job. The Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday voted 13-2 to approve a bill tightening rules on government wiretapping. The legislation would also contains a “highly controversial” grant of legal immunity for telecoms, a provision demanded by the White House. Once again, a voice of common sense, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said he was not prepared to grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies for their participation in the warrantless wiretapping program. “I certainly would not give them immunity retroactively on programs that we don’t know what they are,” he said. Thank you Senator! I, and many other Americans are getting tired of half-assed legislation.

Heckle: A new report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction states that U.S. attempts at political reconciliation, economic growth, and building an effective police force in Iraq “have failed to show significant progress in nearly every one of the nation’s provincial regions and the capital.” And this surprises anyone?

Heckle: 136: Number of people who were killed by a suicide bomber in Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday. Thousands turned out for the return of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. What is is about freedom and democracy that threatens people in the middle east and surrounding areas?

Heckle: Oil prices have soared to “another record high,” hitting $90.07. Can $100 be far away? Who would have ever thought….

Applaud: Our favorite conservative, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) won second place in the annual D.C.’s Funniest Celebrity contest, beating out Wonkette founder Ana Marie Cox and Grover Norquist. Specter joked that Bob Dole once told him, “Arlen, you know [Viagra] costs $10 a pill?” “Bob, how in the hell would I know about that?,” Specter replied. “And then Elizabeth said to him in anger…’Bob, you can afford $40 a year!’” Watch it here. Nice! He’ll be here all week folks, be sure to tip your waiter…..

Heckle: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is still under the microscope from the Kentucky press over his office’s involvement in smearing Graeme Frost. In an editorial entitled “McConnell versus truth,” The Courier-Journal writes, “It’s clear what Mitch McConnell knew and when he knew it. It’s clear he deceived the public.” The Herald-Leader also weighs in. And the Georgetown News-Graphic. What do you expect when you pick the wrong side of an issue and you pick on a kid.

Applaud: to finally getting your head out of your ass. Under pressure to help override President Bush’s veto, at least five of the eight House Democrats who voted initially against expanding a popular children’s health insurance program now say they’ll switch sides.”

Heckle: to 24 percent. What is it? It’s President Bush’s approval rating in a new Reuters/Zogby poll, which sets yet another record low for the President. Can he get to the teens? He has a little over 15 months left to continue his downhill slide.

Heckle: During his townhall meeting in Arkansas yesterday, “not a single questioner criticized” President Bush. With polls showing Bush’s disapproval at record highs (see above), the White House is staging “let-Bush-be-Bush events” in front of “friendly audiences” with “increasing frequency.” Sorry guys, no one is buying it, go peddle your crazy somewhere else….

Applaud: to seeing the writing on the wall. This week, Rep. David Hobson (R-OH) announced that he will retire at the end of his term. Hobson is the 11th Republican House member to announce retirement ahead of the 2008 election.

And Finally- Colbert throws his hat in the ring. On the Daily Show this week, comedian Stephen Colbert “made a surprise appearance” to officially announce he was considering a run for president. About 20 minutes later on his own show, Colbert announced “Yes, I’m doing it!” He then welcomed CBS political analyst Jeff Greenfield to analyze his impact on the race “in the past three minutes. Could he do worse than we currently have? I doubt it…

There you go.

Be good, stay informed…..later

More realizations...

Over the weekend we were treated to another former US General slamming the Iraq war and the Bush(whacked) Administration’s strategy (a term I use very, very loosely…)

Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the former top American commander, gave a speech in which he offered up an extensive condemnation of the four-years the U.S. has been in Iraq.

Not only did he say that that administration’s war plan was “catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic”, he also said that the Bush(whacked) Administration’s handling of the war was incompetent. He then denounced the current “surge” strategy as a “desperate” move that will not achieve long-term stability before saying that the US was “living a nightmare with no end in sight.”

Well, duh…

The number of people who are starting to see this for the first time is staggering, but not surprising. It was only a matter of time before people’s minds caught up with their eyes and they saw what a true mess the Iraq war is.



And following hot on the heels of Gen. Sanchez’ comments that the Iraq war is a “nightmare with no end in sight”, 12 former Army captains have come out declaring that “five years on, Iraq is in shambles,” and that “short” of a military draft, “our best option is to leave Iraq immediately.”

So much for the Bush(whacked) Administration’s claims that all in the military support the war… but the 12 soldiers weren’t done… they went on to say;

“As Army captains who served in Baghdad and beyond, we’ve seen the corruption and the sectarian division. We understand what it’s like to be stretched too thin. And we know when it’s time to get out. […] To continue an operation of this intensity and duration, we would have to abandon our volunteer military for compulsory service. Short of that, our best option is to leave Iraq immediately. A scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war, and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition. America, it has been five years. It’s time to make a choice.”

When will this administration see this for themselves??

The Weekly Rewind

Good day sports fans. As a Chicago fan when someone is in the playoffs you’ve gotta root for them. This year it’s the Cubs. They are down 2 games in the best of 5 playoffs and tonight they either live to play another day or go down swinging… we will see what happens.

While we are waiting let’s kick back and enjoy what we like to call The Weekly Rewind.

Applaud: 70 percent: Americans who want funding for the war to be reduced. Bush’s approval rating stands at 33 percent. Just 29 percent approve of the job Congress is doing, although the public rates congressional Republicans (29 percent) lower than congressional Democrats (38 percent). Once again we yell and wave our arms, but no one in Washington seems to care.

Heckle: The Anti-Defamation League is calling on Senator McCain to “reconsider and withdraw” his comment over the weekend that the Constitution established America as a “Christian nation.” I’m sorry, I may not agree with the Senator, but I do believe that while not expressly written, that the founding fathers did have in mind a Christian nation at our founding.

Applaud: Congress is pushing legislation to give Inspectors General “greater budgetary independence.” The measure would also make it harder for the administration to fire the the watchdogs. The White House is threatening to veto the bill. Of course they are, why would they want to be held accountable for their actions this late in the game?

Heckle: The State Department launched its own blog last week, called “Dipnote.” People have already complained “that the white print on a black background makes it hard to read” Finally, “unbiased news directly from the federal government, a news source long noted for truthful, unbiased reporting,” the Washington Post’s Al Kamen mockingly writes. Nicely done Al, I couldn’t have said it better.

A sad state of affairs: There were 317,000 applications for unemployment benefits last week, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week, and the biggest jump in four months. Analysts believe the increase could be a further sign that the labor market is slowing under the impact of the worst slump in housing in 16 years. A Heckle to the administration for continually trying to tell us that the economy is great. Any working American can tell you that they are not better off then they were 6 ½ years ago.

Applaud: Bush’s veto of SCHIP has divided conservatives. Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) said yesterday, “We’ve got to do what we can to try to override” the veto. “If we’re truly compassionate, it seems to me, we’d want to endorse this program,” added Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). A big thank you to the Senators for seeing what is painfully obvious to most Americans. Let's spread some of that to you fellow 'compassionate'conservatives.

Heckle: Over and over, President Bush confidently promised to ‘solve problems, not pass them on to future presidents and future generations.’ As the clock runs out on his eight-year presidency, a tall stack of troubles remain and Bush’s words ring hollow. And we were not going to be an ‘occupying army’ in Iraq. Anyone remember that??

Applaud: With bipartisan support, the House is expected today to take up legislation that would make it clear that U.S. laws apply to all armed private contractors hired for overseas missions.” The Bush administration opposes the bill, warning it would have ‘unintended and intolerable consequences’ for national security. Why is it that every time something goes against the administration it will always be bad for National Security? It’s gotten to the point of Chicken Little….

Applaud: Final score: Boxer 3, Inhofe 0. Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) has repeatedly challenged Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) authority over the Senate environmental committee. During one hearing, she had to inform him, “You don’t make the rules anymore.” Yesterday, Boxer slammed down Inhofe’s assertion that she couldn’t invite sitting senators to the hearings, pointing out that in Sept. 2006, he invited Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). “I don’t mind if we have disagreements, but…let’s get the facts right,” she admonished him. You get ‘em Senator!

Applaud: Some business leaders are drifting away from conservatives “because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don’t share.” Some business people want bolder action on global warming as well, leaving the “core business vote” up for grabs. It’s about time!

And finally, This weeks “Tool of the Week” is the Department of Defense. Why? Well, besides being tool of the Bush Administration they are also busy thinking of ways to screw our troops. How, well consider the 2,600 members of the Minnesota National Guard, who when they came home from Iraq, had been deployed longer than any other ground combat unit. The tour lasted 22 months and had been extended as part of President Bush's surge.1st Lt. Jon Anderson said he never expected to come home to this: A government refusing to pay education benefits he says he should have earned under the GI bill. "It's pretty much a slap in the face," Anderson said. "I think it was a scheme to save money, personally. I think it was a leadership failure by the senior Washington leadership... once again failing the soldiers." Anderson's orders, and the orders of 1,161 other Minnesota guard members, were written for 729 days. Had they been written for 730 days, just one day more, the soldiers would receive those benefits to pay for school. "Which would be allowing the soldiers an extra $500 to $800 a month," Anderson said.

What's the next step?

As mentioned briefly in this morning’s ‘”BushWhack’ing,” a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that a majority of Americans want to see funding for the Iraq war cut, with 70% opining that the allocated money be slashed and a scant 25% supporting the $190 billion war funding request.

And despite the best attempts by the traditional media to paint the picture that only the “far left, anti-war wing,” of the Democratic party wants Congress to cut funding for Iraq… look closer at the poll results that shows close to seven in 10 Independents want Congress to cut back funds, nine in 10 Democrats and 46% of republicans… yes, 46% of republicans want Congress to cut back funds.

Sure, the chances of seeing the money reduced are about as good as the chances that Brittany will be voted Mother of the Year… but surely the Democrats can manage to remove their collective heads from their collective asses long enough to grasp the concept that the American public, the public, wants some bold moves to end the war and thus wouldn’t mind an antagonistic stance when it comes to the allocation of funds.

To that end, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee David Obey is playing like he might do just that… saying in a press conference this morning that he has “no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo.”

What does that mean exactly? That he won’t, for the time being at least, allow a blank check to leave his committee’s hands…

The poll also shows that there is deep dissatisfaction with both “President” Bush and Congress (though I don’t think we actually needed a poll to tell us that) partly because of the Iraq policy stalemate between the White House and Congressional Democrats… which, again, is not at all surprising.

The Senate has already passed the defense policy bill that authorizes another $150 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the final tally being 92-3… though the Senate bill doesn't guarantee that the money will be spent; only a separate appropriations bill will manage that.

So what we're looking at is an impasse in the House Appropriations Committee, and the question comes down to this; will Obey shut it down, or will he just… obey?

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 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.

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 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.