The Weekly Rewind

Whoo-hoo! It’s the end of another week. Sure, I’m happy about the weekend, but I’m more happy about The Weekly Rewind…

Applaud: to prooving that not all high school students don’t pay attention to the world around them. Earlier this week “President” Bush was given a letter that was signed by 50 high school seniors from the Presidential Scholars program. The letter urged a halt to “violations of the human rights” of terror suspects held by the US. (Nice going kids… keep it up)

Heckle: to yet another deadly week in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Applaud: A new poll finds that “liberal ideas” are gaining with young Americans, who are “more likely than the general public to favor a government-run universal health care insurance system, an open-door policy on immigration and the legalization of gay marriage.”

Heckle: to the staggeringly high number of recess appointments used by “President” Bush; 105… To give you some comparison, at the same point in his presidency President Clinton used his recess appointment powers to install a scant 42 people. (But then again… Clinton was for the people, Bush is for himself…)

Applaud: to the news that the American bald eagle was officially declared safe from extinction in the lower 48 states and has been removed from the Endangered Species list… now let’s hope we don’t push it to the brink of extinction again…

Heckle: to News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch… I could just say on general principles alone, but I’d rather throwdown with the fact that his “vast media holdings” give him a “gamut of tools” that he could use to enhance his financial and political interests to attack “adversaries, sometimes viciously.”

Applaud: to the U.S. Conference of Mayors who endorsed, albeit narrowly, a resolution that calls for the Bush(whacked) administration to “begin planning for the swift withdrawal of troops from Iraq” because the war, in their words, is reducing federal funds for “needed domestic investments in education, health care, public safety, homeland security and more.” (Nice move by the mayors that endorsed it…too bad it, like everything else, will fall on deaf ears at the White House)

Heckle: to the number of bills (239 to be precise) the House of Representatives has passed and sent to the Senate only to see them get held up by conservatives who are “objecting to just about every major piece of legislation” brought up by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)… insert your own snarky, smart-ass comment here.

Applaud: to telling it like it is. Earlier this week, U.S. attorney John McKay, one of the attorneys thrown out in AttorneyGate, spoke out. Turns out he initially supported the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to AG and even told some of his “lawyer friends” (who knew lawyers had friends…) that “Yyu’re gonna like this guy — he’s humble, he’s honest, he’s hard-working, and he’s smart.” Mr. McKay followed that up by saying that Gonzales’ “proved me wrong.” (Wow, who knew attorneys had feelings…)

Heckle: to this bit of news. The U.S. commander of a new offensive north of Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, said earlier this week that Iraqi forces “may be too weak to hold onto the gains.” (Well, duh) He went on to say that the Iraqi military doesn’t even have enough ammunition and that they’re “not quite up to the job yet.” (Well, duh again… especially when you take into account the findings of a bipartisan congressional investigation released earlier this week. The report showed that the US has invested $19 billion to train and equip nearly 350,000 Iraqi soldiers and police since toppling Saddam Hussein, but added that the “ability of those forces to provide security remains in doubt.” Kind of makes you doubt our troops will ever come home…)

Applaud: to the House for passing voter deception legislation. The bill aims to increase punishments for those who “knowingly convey false information with the intent to keep others from voting.” (Great news indeed… but it still has to gain approval elsewhere… and that might directly contradict their voting strategies…)

Heckle: to Hallicheneyburton. A federal audit found that KBR, a former Halliburton subsidiary, didn’t “keep accurate records of gasoline distribution, put its employees in living spaces that may be larger than warranted, and served meals that appeared to cost $4.5 million more than necessary under a contract to perform work in Iraq.” (And this surprises you… how?)

Half-hearted Applaud: to the Bush(whacked) administration for (finally!!) “exploring ways of offering Congress a compromise deal on Iraq policy.” Even though they’re looking into purely to avoid some harsh battles in the coming months, the fact that they are even discussing something like the advocation of a “sharply decentralized Iraq” is a step in the right direction… let’s just hope it’s not a rope-a-dope

Heckle: to ending something that most people realize should have ended years ago. The U.N. Security Council voted 14-0, with Russia abstaining for reasons passing my understanding, to “immediately shut down the U.N. bodies key to monitoring Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs under Saddam Hussein.” (Well… I guess it’s “official” now, huh… idiots…)

Applaud: to a plan that U.S. commanders took their sweet ol’ time to arrive at… namely their plan for a summer of “stepped-up offensives against Al Qaeda in Iraq.” Granted, they’re doing it to “tailor their strategy” because they expect that “Congress soon will impose a timeline” of troop withdrawal…

Heckle: to just not getting it. The immigraton debate is done George, let it go… get over it…

Applaud: to a bipartisan group of 145 members of the House that sent a letter to “President” Bush that urges him to close Guantanamo Bay and transfer the detainees to military prisons in the US. The letter, in part, stated:”The global war on terror cannot be won through military might alone. It is a war of ideas and philosophies. A liability of our own creation, the existence of the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay is defeating our effort to ensure that the principles of freedom, justice and human rights are spread throughout the world. We look forward to working with you on what we hope is a shared objective to close the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay.” (Nicely put everyone, keep the pressure on him… hopefully he’ll get the hint someday)

Applaud: to approval numbers that only a mother could love… and she’s getting more and more distant. A new Fox “News” poll shows Bush’s approval rating at a paltry (or scant if you prefer) 31%… which is a new low from the previous low of 33%.. awwwww, poor Georgie…

Applaud: to Rep. Rahm Immanuel (D-IL) for pushing an amendment to defund Vice President Dick “President” Cheney’s office since, as Dick said earlier this week, he’s not a part of the Executive Branch… nicely played Rahm… too bad it didn’t work.

All I have, take 'em as you will.

The Weekly Rewind

Woot! It’s Saturday! What more has to be said other than it’s time for The Weekly Rewind.

Applaud: in case you hadn’t heard, former White House aide Scooter Libby was sentenced earlier this week. Thirty months in prison and fined $250,000. Bush has said he won’t get involved but I sincerely doubt that… so stay tuned.

Heckle: to Arkansas State Party Chairman Dennis Milligan. Earlier this week he said in an interview; “At the end of the day, I believe fully the president is doing the right thing, and I think all we need is some attacks on American soil like we had on [Sept. 11, 2001], and the naysayers will come around very quickly to appreciate not only the commitment for President Bush, but the sacrifice that has been made by men and women to protect this country.” (Mo. Ron. Essentially his prescription for what America needs most right now is more terrorism and mass civilian casualties… he’s openly advocating a terrorist attack on U.S. citizens… What a fucking tool)

Applaud: to the US legal system. Sure, it has a lot of problems, and while I hate mentioning her name on this blog, I have to give it up for the judicial system this week. First they took the wheels off of Scotter and sentenced him to 30 months in prison for obstructing justice. Then righting a wrong by the County Sheriff, Judge Sauer threw Paris Hilton’s ass back in jail. (There are times that I truly believe that Common Sense is making a comeback in this country… and then it quickly vanishes

Heckle: to the G8 countries that kowotowed to Bush and backed down from their strong global warming stance and embraced the Bush(whacked) Administration’s proposal that would move towards unspecified “substantial cuts” in carbon emissions and that the G-8 countries will “seriously” consider cutting emissions in half by 2050, but, like the administration’s Iraq policy, sets np benchmarks or true timelines. (Way to be indecisive and meandering everyone! Way to go!! Yes Virginia, that was sarcasm…)

Applaud: to the House oversight committee. It seems they’re expanding their investigation into ties between jailed gop lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House. They’ve gone so far as to have contacted several Abramoff associates about testifying to Congress… (Heh. Heh. Heh. Here comes the justice…)

Heckle: to “nagging worries about gasoline prices” that are dragging consumer confidence down to a 10-month low. (Great… just great…)

Applaud: to a few “Senior House Democrats” that are threatening the issuance of subpoenas in order to “obtain secret legal opinions” and other DOJ documents related to the NSA’s warrantless domestic surveillance program. Granted, this is the most aggressive action by Congress in its oversight of this program, but let’s not get TOO excited yet. Let’t first see if this is a true threat or mere posturing…

Heckle: to “President” Bush. Apparently he has a phobia of timelines and benchmarks as he refused to have the US agree to targets and timetables for cutting greenhouse gases at this week’s G-8 summit. The President’s science adviser (Wow, if that isn’t an oxymoron I don’t know what is…) said; “At this point in time we are not prepared to adopt that proposal.” (Timelinaphobia? Benchaphobia?)

Applaud: to a bipartisan group of senators (including “several conservative Republicans” who introduced legislation this past week that aims to use the Iraq Study Group’s recommendations “as the foundation for future U.S. policy in Iraq.” The bill also looks to begin withdrawing American forces by early 2008 if “certain benchmarks are met.” (About. Fucking. Time.)

Heckle: to the military panel that recommended earlier this week that Iraq war veteran Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh, who wore his uniform during an anti-war protest, should lose his honorable discharge status, despite his claims (rightfully so) that he was “exercising his right to free speech.” (This is just sad and pathetic. You would have thought that the military learned their lessons regarding this during and after the Vietnam war… but you would be mistaken. Apparently when you leave the armed forces, you no longer have your Constitutional rights…)

Applaud: to more falling approval numbers for “President” Bush. A new Washington Post/ABC News poll puts him at 35% and puts Congress’ approval ratings five points lower than previous polls at 39%, thanks in large part to their inactions towards the Iraq war. (Here’s a bit of advice to Congress; the American people elected you because they were sick of last year’s Do-Nothing Congress and the direction of the Iraq war. Not doing anything is going to make the American people kick all of you out of office in the next election, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a republican. So you better get your asses off the mat and do something. I would give advice to Bush to help his numbers, but it’s much too late for him, he’s boned)

Heckle: to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). They courted controversy this year regarding their pay-for-performance system that denied nearly 17% of its employees cost-of-living increases, but at the same time, 72 senior executives and senior-level employees received bonuses totaling more than $900,000… (It seems the accountability office isn’t being held accountable for anything…)

Applaud: to the news that the FBI is widening the investigation into Sen. Ted “The tubes” Stevens (R-AK), and has asked him to preserve records as part of that widening investigation…(Apparently when he was talking about the tubes he was referring to the place where his political career was headed…)

Heckle: to William Jefferson (D-LA). He was indicted on numerous corruption charges this past week and has, as of now, refused to step down from any committees. And today he pleaded not guilty as maintains his innocence. (Yeah, and the money was in your freezer so you could have cold hard cash… we’ll ignore the fact that Pelosi should have NEVER placed him on any committee and instead rail against the fact that he is sticking around. Mr. Jefferson, do us all a favor and step down now instead of dragging the party down like an Alberto Gonzales albatross…)

Applaud: to ignoring veto threats. A House spending committee approved a homeland security bill earlier this week that includes close to $50 million more for customs and border protection than Bush wanted and $2 billion more than his February request for security preparedness and disaster relief. (the fact that Bush would threaten to veto something that would give more money to disaster relief – his presidency doesn’t count – speaks volumes to his uncaring attitude towards the citizens of this country… what a tool)

Heckle: to the ornately huge US embassy currently being erected in Iraq. As we mentioned earlier this week, it will be as big as Vatican City and will make the foreign embassies dotting the tree-lined streets of Washington, D.C., look like carriage houses. Oh… and they’ve already got plans to expand it... (Hmmmm… almost seems as though someone is planning on being in Iraq for a very, very, very, very, very, very long time

Applaud: to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). She’s approved a proposal that calls for an independent outside panel to decide which ethics complaints merit investigation by the House ethics committee.

Take ‘em as you will…

The Weekly Rewind

I’m back from a nice soothing vacation in Las Vegas. I would tell you all about it but what happens in Vegas… well you know the rest…

Let’s get on with this week’s edition of (patent pending) “The Weekly Rewind.”

Here. We. Go.

Applaud: to the families and friends of those affected by this week’s attacks at Virginia Tech. And while we’re at it, our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to those affected by the Oklahoma City bombing, which occurred 12 years ago yesterday, and the Columbine attacks, which happened eight years ago today. Stay strong…

Heckle: to the Bush(whacked) Administration. Apparently, they keep records of anyone who has ever been prescribed anti-depressants. From ABC News, regarding the VA Tech shooter: “Some news accounts have suggested that Cho had a history of antidepressant use, but senior federal officials tell ABC News that they can find no record of such medication in the government's files. This does not completely rule out prescription drug use, including samples from a physician, drugs obtained through illegal Internet sources, or a gap in the federal database, but the sources say theirs is a reasonably complete search.” (Excuse me? We don't even have a list of gun owners in this country, but we seemingly have a list of every single person who has ever been prescribed anti-depressants…this is troubling…)

Applaud: to a majority of Americans who do NOT consider withdrawal from Iraq as “surrender.” According to a Fox “News” poll (I know, I would have though they would have altered it to fit their opinion also) that asked “Do you think it is accurate to compare withdrawal with surrender?” 61% said no, it’s not the same… so take that!

Heckle: to the prospect of a 3 mile long concrete wall being constructed in Baghdad. Yes… a wall… a wall designed to “cut off one of the capital’s most restive Sunni Arab districts from the Shiite Muslim neighborhoods” that surround it. Never mind that Iraqi’s have raised concerns about how this will enhance the “further Balkanization of Iraq’s most populous and violent city.” (Nice… cuz that idea worked oh-so-well in Germany…)

Applaud: to telling it like it is. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) suggested to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during his testimony on Capitol Hill that “the best way to put this behind us is your resignation.” Gonzales naturally disagreed, but one has to think that Coburn is absolutely correct and curious as to just how much longer Gonzales can hold on to this job…

Heckle: to the “masked-senator” who has placed an “anonymous hold” on legislation that’s moving through the Senate requiring lawmakers’ campaign finance reports to be electronically filed and thus, made public more quickly. (Nice… nothing like blocking progress. Odds are 3:1 that the ‘anonymous moron’ is Ted Stevens, a republican from Alaska)

Applaud: to the Trials of Alberto Gonzales. At times he struggled to offer a coherent explanation while appearing frustrated, weary and at times combative, all while angering committee members “as he invoked a faulty memory more than 50 times.” Add to that this nice piece of information: 63% of Americans think Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is lying about the Bush(whacked) administration’s prosecutor purge… (It’s things like this that give me some hope that common sense is making a comeback in this country… though our commander in chief was “pleased” with Gonzales’ testimony… give me strength…)

Heckle: to the White House Correspondents Association dinner palnners. Just when you think they couldn’t get any more pathetic by hiring non-insutling Rich “Haven’t Been Popular in Over 20 Years” Little to headline (and thus giving “President” Bush and his administration a pass) they go out and make it more pathetic by inviting American Idol reject Sanjaya Malakar… (If the entire audience is asleep 10 minutes into the show, I’ll be surprised…)

Applaud: to the news that two republican lawmakers found themselves being raided by the Feds this past week for, how should I put this? “Shady dealings.” Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) had his house raided earlier this week due to his and his wife’s connections to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff (Another good thing was that because of that he is temporarily stepping down from his position on the House Appropriations Committee) Add to that the fact the FBI raided a business tied to the family of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) Thursday afternoon as part of an ongoing investigation. (Like Doolittle, Renzi is temporarily stepping down from a committee seat, giving up his spot on the House Intelligence Committee (Don’t you think that after a while they would realize they’re gonna get caught and stop?? Though it does make for some good theater…)

Heckle: to Senate conservatives who, earlier this week, “blocked legislation” that would have allowed the federal government to negotiate Medicare drug prices. (Never mind the fact that 85% of Americans support such negotiations, it’s the right thing to do. Too bad the conservatives in the Senate can’t grasp that concept…)

Applaud: to even more cracks in the conservative foundation. In what can only be described as another signal of just how much republican unease there is with the president’s Iraq policies, another gop senator (that would make three) gave support for pulling U.S. forces out of Iraq under certain conditions. This time is was Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) who announced that she would sponsor a bill that would require American commanders to plan a withdrawal within 120 days of the bill’s enactment, unless the Iraqi government met a few goals. (Seeing republican/gop support for not only this war but also for Bush’s policies erode is rather enjoyable, so let’s keep it up)

Heckle: to the news that, for the 11th straight week, the national average price for gasoline in the U.S. rose. (What more can be said?)

Applaud: to The House for passing the Taxpayer Protection Act earlier this week. The act looks to protect taxpayers against “identity theft, deceptive Web sites and loan sharks” while also making it easier for taxpayers to retrieve property lost as a result of a wrongful IRS levy and additionaly directing the IRS to inform low-income returnees that they qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. (As a rule we at TBWA do NOT criticize the IRS, so we’re not gonna give any smart-ass comments)

Heckle: to, once again, the Bush(whacked) Administration. According to a post in Real Cities.com, for the past six years, the Bush administration, being aided by Justice Department political appointees, has pursued a legal effort to restrict voter turnout in key battleground states in a way that has come down on the side of Republicans (And I can pinpoint when it started… right when the SCOTUS handed the presidency to Bush in 2000. 1/20/09 can NOT come soon enough…)

Applaud: to the news this past week that the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section is investigating connections between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House… a potential White House problem that is expected to be exacerbated by missing White House emails. (Mr. Rove, please step up to the plate – you’re next)

Applaud: to some thawing (Pun intended) in the public’s views on Global Warming. A new poll shows that a third of Americans say “global warming ranks as the world’s single largest environmental problem” and that seven in 10 Americans want federal action on global warming. This comes as areas in the arctic north have been experiencing some of the worst impacts of global warming with Inuit hunters falling through thinning ice and dying and the fact that there’s not enough snow to build igloos for shelter during hunts… (But ask any republican and they’ll deny it… boggles the mind, doesn’t it?)

This was a hard week to determine this award, what with all the inane and idiotic comments coming from a handful of conservative pundits about the Virginia Tech attack, but I think we found a winner. This week’s gop tool of the week is former republican presidential and U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes. During an appearance on the Caplis & Silverman radio show, Keyes was asked about Senator Barack Obama (D-IL). Said Keyes: “He's an evil man and he needs to be stopped” and then proceeded to compare him to Adolf Hitler… (Besides it being an incredible case of the pot calling the kettle black, keep in mind that Keyes always has been and always will be a danger to common sense, and now he’s crossed the line and passed over to cartoon villainy. Alan Keyes: What. A. Tool.)

And finally…this week’s rundown on the 2008 presidential race.

On the Left: Richardson announced that he’s going to start airing ads in Iowa & has already bought airtime in New Hampshire… Clinton picked-up the endorsement of Hef & is going carbon neutral for a day… Edwards paid his campaign back for some obscenely expensive haircuts & hired a new strategist… Obama was out fundraising & announced that he would attend Rev. Al Sharpton’s NAN conference. The lower tier candidates? Meh…

On the right: McCain tried out for the Beach Boys & got heckled… Giiliani spoke this past week at Pat Robertson’s university & saw his lead in the polls start to shrink… Fred Thompson continues to “dazzle” even though he hasn’t announced his intentions yet… Tommy Tutone Thompson has already put his foot in his mouth and apologized for it… Huckabee had a ‘fun run’ in New Hampshire &… well, that’s really it… Romney flip-flopped on Clinton’s ‘It Takes a Village’ motto & managed to not stick his foot in his mouth for a week…

All I have, take ‘em as you will…

The Weekly Rewind

Ok, it’s that time of the week again. Yep, the time tested, mother approved, patented….ok so it’s not patented….well anyway, it’s time for The Weekly Rewind.

Before we get to this weeks edition regular readers may be asking “Oh my god, it’s Scott! He’s posting again, where has he been?! Well I have had a number of things going on in my life the past 4 to 5 months that have been pretty stressful. I will write about those on my personal blog shortly for anyone who is interested. And while I may not have been writing and posting myself, Kemp and I talk almost daily and I have tried to keep my hands in with thoughts and opinions. To that point I must also say how much I appreciate Kemp having taken over and running everything for the past few months. He understood at the start many of the things I was dealing with and told me to not worry that he would run with things until I was ready to jump back in. He is a good man and a true friend.

Ok, now it’s time to hand out some applauds and heckles, please forgive me if I am a little rusty on the dive back into the fray.

Heckle: Finding someone who will volunteer to be a scapegoat. The White House wants to appoint someone to essentially be a “War Czar”. Good luck with that! I mena, look at the problems this administration is having with it's failing policy in Iraq and they think that someone is going to jumo at the chance to be named as an Assistant to the President, be given the 'power' to make decisions (again it's so hard to express sarcasm in the written form..) and then when things break bad (as if it could get worse) they would be the one that the White House would point to and blame for Georges ineptitude at running a 'war' that has now gone on longer than our countries actual involvement in WWII. Three retired Generals who have reportly been approached have flatly said 'NO'. Hopefully whoever ends up with this job asks for the giant tube of KY to make thier eventual ass reaming a little easier....maybe Scooter Libby wants the job.

Applaud: let’s keep this moving forward. This week the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to none other than Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The subpoena was issued as the committee has grown impatient with the Justice Departments delays in providing information deemed pertinent to the ongoing investigation of the firing of eight U.S. attorneys last year. Those of us who think that Alberto will be totally open and honest with the committee, raise your hands……ok, now for the 70% of you who didn’t raise your hands, lets move on.

Heckle: Happy anniversary, now get out. On the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad and the toppling of Saddam’s statue, up to one million Iraqi Shias summoned by Moqtada al-Sadr “have gathered in the holy city of Najaf for a mass demonstration calling for US-led troops to leave Iraq. If you were looking for a sign, this would appear to be a big one.

Heckle: Straight from the horses mouth. The Washington Post interviews a man who helped sledgehammer Saddam’s statue: “We got rid of a tyrant and tyranny. But we were surprised that after one thief had left, another 40 replaced him. Now, we regret that Saddam Hussein is gone, no matter how much we hated him. I think this guy needs to do the Sunday morning talk show circuit.

Heckle: Say what? In a speech on Wednesday, perpetual Presidential Candidate John McCain (R-AZ) defended the ‘war’ in Iraq and stated that history will side with the President and the conflicts supporters. Nevermind that two-thirds of the country totally disagree with this viewpoint, and I have a feeling that number will grow before this is over. He also stated that the ‘war’ is “necessary and just”. I'm sorry, 'necessary'??

Heckle: Just when you thought the attack on civil liberties had taken a break. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell has circulated a draft bill that would expand the government’s surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, liberalizing how that law can be used. The court-approved surveillance could include planting listening devices and hidden cameras, searching luggage and breaking into homes to make copies of computer hard drives. You know those e-mails of recipies from your aunt or the chain e-mails for good luck could actually harbor evil thoughts.

Applaud: We need more of this. Former Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca lambastes the Bush administration in his new book. “Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening?” Iacocca writes. “Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. … But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, ‘Stay the course.’ Ok, where are Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and the other new age ‘captains of industy’?

Heckle: more jobs lost. This week the financial services behemouth Citigroup announced it would cut 17,000 jobs and transfer 9,500 jobs to cheaper locations around the world. Now while 17,000 jobs being cut out a total worldwide workforce of 327,000 (operating in over 100 countries) doesn’t seem like much, nearly half (43 percent) of the positions being cut will be right here in the good ole U.S. of A. And if you think about it, the 9,500 transfers can also be counted as job cuts as those jobs will be moved oversees and will result in 9,500 less jobs here in our country. (Next time you hear the administration talk about how many jobs were created, you also need to remember and offset it with how many jobs were lost. But you never hear the administration make that comparison as it wouldn’t look that good now would it?)

Applaud: The continual awakening of the American public. A new Bloomberg/LA Times poll finds that six in 10 Americans expect a recession within a year and disapprove of President George W. Bush’s handling of the economy even though the unemployment rate is at a five-year low.

Applaud: Standing up to the bully. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have rebuffed an invitation to meet at the White House with the President to discuss congressional funding bills for the ‘war’ in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stating that since Bush has set ‘preconditions’ for any discussions (meaning it’s my way or the highway) any meeting would be an exercise in futility. In case you have been living under a rock recently, Congress wants to pass funding bills with timetables for troop withdrawls, while Bush states that any timetable will force him to veto the bills. Each side says they support the troops, but as we have pointed out before they have very different ways of showing support.

Applaud: Just say no to Fox News Channel. Sens. John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton are not taking part in the Fox News presidential debate cosponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. Why participate in an event where you know what the outcome is going to be before it even starts. Fair and Balanced my ass.

Heckle: What a surprise. President Bush has threatened to veto a Senate intelligence bill that’s inudated with provisions that would force the White House and spy agencies to be more responsive to Congress. Wow, what a concept, holding governmental actions to a standard of responsibility!

And finally this week’s Wingnut Tool(s) of the Week. Karl “If I were the King of the Forest” Rove. Who this week, through his attorney, on the topic of deleting e-mails from a Republican-sponsored computer system stated that his understanding “was that those e-mails were being archived” in accordance with the law. Nevermind the fact that these e-mails may be pertinent to the ongoing investigation into the firing of US attorney last year due to questions of administration loyalty. It was also disclosed that the Justice Department (co-tools) took political activism and membership in a conservative law group into account when evaluating our nations federal prosecutors. I guess it’s not enough to do your job and do it well, you gotta suck up and suck hard….

Well that’s it for this week. As I said, it’s my first time back in the saddle in a while, it feel good to be back, but if you will give me a week or two to get back into the swing of things, I am sure I will be back in true form.

Be good, stay informed, later…..