Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Psst… buddy. Hey… do you know what today is?

It’s Wednesday, which can only mean one thing… Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon… spread the word.

Timelines? We don’t need no stinkin’ timelines. Ya know, for a person who dislikes timelines, he uses them effectively. ‘President’ Bush vowed for the first time yesterday to turn over most of Iraq to newly trained Iraqi troops by the end of 2006 as he kicked off yet another meager attempt to reassure Americans about the War in Iraq along with the recent burst of sectarian violence. Dubya, who until now has shown a strong disdain for any sort of Iraq War timeline (even after it had lagged on longer than he, or anyone else in the administration, had expected) spoke of the target date earlier this week. (Brilliant… about friggin time. The only thing many people, including myself, wanted was a timeline of US troop withdrawal… now we have it and now it becomes a waiting game to see if Dubya was telling the truth or if this is a pitiable attempt to calm fears amid drastically falling polling numbers… stay tuned)

Snnnyyyxxxx…. Many of the president's top aides have been by his side for more than five years (that’s not including the first campaign, the [cough-cough] “recount” and transition) According to insiders, the people inside the White House are physically drained, emotionally exhausted and mentally spent (that was a short trip) after being battered by scandal and drained by political setbacks. All I can say is… ‘Karma, baby!’

When stamina falls, bring in fresh blood. A move is stirring among friends and confidantes of President Bush to persuade him to bring in (at least) one seasoned Republican veteran (or an “adult” as others have called for) to help his struggling staff. Clinton did it, Regan did it, but so far Bush is ignoring it. (This reminds me of the plot device that TV shows use when they bring in new kids when the other kids start getting too old… ya know, like The Cosby Show did. I can see it now… Bush, in an attempt to make his administration look younger and refreshed will bring in either Dan Quayle for that youthful, boyish feel or Bob Dole for that old coot, forgetful feel)

Traipsing across the country. Once again, President Bush is canvassing the nation in a feeble attempt to promote his Medicare Prescription plan. Yesterday, Bush and his entourage traveled to a western New York town to kick off a two-day administration effort to promote the new benefit that saw Bush urging senior citizens to enroll and stating the plan was ‘a good deal.’ Never mind the widespread confusion o date, 26 million senior citizens have signed up for the benefit. Not only has the benefit reduced drug costs for most enrollees, but federal costs for the plan are also running 20 percent lower than projected, he said.

What kind of an idiot is this attorney? A judge has barred a key government witnesses from testifying at the death penalty trial of Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. In a ruling handed down yesterday, the judge stated that the misconduct of a federal lawyer had so tainted the proceedings that all evidence concerning aviation security must be stricken from the records. Turns out the attorney, after numerous orders not to coach any witnesses… coached the witnesses. What an idiot… now the entire case against the one person who can be held accountable for 9/11 is in danger of being erased. Stupid is, as stupid does.

A call for censure. Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) has called for a formal censure of President Bush for (according to some) clearly violating a federal statute regulating domestic surveillance. I’ve posted about this issue already this week, and still am not sure of Feingold’s motives… but I stand by what I said earlier this week; it’s time for the Democrats to unite and strike a single voice and a single message as, once again, opportunity is knocking and we’re all acting like it’s a traveling salesman at the door rather than a golden chance to DO something.

Liars, liars pants on fire? The Dubai-owned company based out of the UAE, remember them, the ones who had promised to surrender its U.S. port operations, has no immediate plans to sell its U.S. subsidiary's interests at Miami's seaport. Sigh… just when you think this story is done, it comes back…

President rants, General recants. Earlier this week, the President suggested in a speech that Iran was involved in making roadside bombs (otherwise known as improvised explosive devices or IED’s) that are being used in Iraq. This came after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accused Iran of sending members of its Revolutionary Guard to conduct operations in Iraq. Yesterday, General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he has no evidence that the Iranian government has been sending military equipment and personnel into neighboring Iraq. And now the White House is defending the President’s claim… (I’ve heard of not allowing the right hand know what the left hand is doing… but come on now… shouldn’t the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the President be on the same damn page??? Here’s a brilliant concept guys; communication)

Statistically speaking he’s in Nixon-Land. In the latest round of polling, President Bush’s approval ratings… hee hee hee, are still… hee hee hee, falling faster than xx with a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll showing his favorables at 36% (for those of you with acalculia, that means 64% disapprove of his job performance) All I can say to that is, ‘Karma, baby!’ What goes around, comes around… and it’s coming faster than shotgun pellets shot from Dick Cheney’s gun.

Here we go again… Another former White House aide was arrested on a theft charge after he admitted to a store investigator that he fraudulently returned merchandise that he didn't buy. Police allege that Claude Allen, a former domestic policy adviser to the “President”, made fraudulent returns worth at least $5,000 at various stores (including Target) in the Washington suburbs on 25 different occasions. Nice… the hits just keep on coming don’t they…

Watch for the windowless vans. An FBI agent stationed in Pittsburgh took pictures of various members of an antiwar activist group back in 2002. At least that's what documents released by the American Civil Liberties Union (again, a group that I am not a big fan of). The ACLU stated that this disclosure is just the latest incident in which the FBI has monitored left-leaning groups. With my dislike for the ACLU, I urge you all to make up your own minds on this story...

Take them as you will…

You make vague statements, we respond with data

Is the UAE a so-called ‘breeding ground’ for terrorists? I guess that depends on your definition of a breeding ground. But what I can do is present information and let you make your own decision.

• Viktor Bout- aka: The Merchant of Death. A former KGB General, turned Arms Dealer. He has his own fleet of aircraft and ran Irbis Air out of the UAE. The UAE recently (and hesitantly) shut down the flight operations of Irbis Air. The UN and many nations have been calling for Irbiss Air to be grounded due to flight operations of arms to terrorists and terrorist supporting organizations. However Viktor supposedly had ties to one of the ruling princes of the UAE and that tie was enough to allow him to continue his work until recently. Viktor was a long time supplier of weapons to the Taliban, who in turn supplied weapons to al Qaeda. Nicholas Cage character in the movie Lord of War is said to be somewhat based on Viktor. For more info and an interview with Viktor, click here.
  
• The UAE had official diplomatic relations with the Taliban, which they did not cut until AFTER 9/11/2001.
  
• The Wisconsin Project, an anti-proliferation group reports on a New York Times article, that in the mid-1990’s UAE officials allowed technology to be shipped through Dubai to Iran. What was this technology? It is not clear, but was is clear is that the senders were representatives of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan’s nuclear program. They also report that in 2003 UAE officials allowed switches (used in nuclear weapons) to be sent to a Pakistani man.
  
• A 2004 report by the Iraq Survey Group listed 20 UAE firms suspected of having acted as intermediaries for Iraq (under Saddam Hussein) and that the UAE was a throughway for items such as rocket fuel ingredients.
  
• According to the CIA Factbook, “The UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to Southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering"
  
• The UAE also has ties to the PLO.

These are but a few quick tidbits of information. Click the links, read the sites, and finally do your own research.

The UAE may not be 'breeding terrorists' but they seem to be good at looking the other way when terrorist supportive activities occur.

And the good news just keeps on coming...

More polling data releases equals more news that President George W. Bush's approval rating are dropping faster than a Bush staffer’s job security and stamina.

Public confidence in Bush’s handling of the Iraq war is quickly eroding, with a new USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll showing, when asked about the war in Iraq, 57% saying that sending US troops was a mistake (that’s up from 55 % two weeks ago) and 67% believing the president and the administration lack “a clear plan for handling the situation in Iraq,”

(In the interest of fairness, a comparable percentage don’t believe the Democrats have a clear plan either… you can color me ‘not surprised’ at that news…)

Regarding the “President’s” approvals, 36% of those surveyed said they “approve” of Bush's performance (which is down from 37% in November 2005)

The new poll also shows that Bush's GOP allies face a significant threat from their Democratic rivals in the November mid-term elections. Democrats scored 55 percent to 39 percent for the Republicans when respondents were asked which party they would support.

A recent CBS News Poll showed similar results with 47% responding that success in Iraq is not very likely and 34% approving of Bush’s job performance (for those of you with acalculia, that means 57% disapprove of Dubya’s job performance)

The poll results come as Bush is launching yet another feeble public relations campaign meant to convince Americans that Iraq is not about to plunge into a full-blown civil war

Add to that that the GOP is experiencing some in-fighting in regards to the budget (House and Senate Republicans will be looking to increase spending on homeland security and defense, health care, Medicare and education this week in what will certainly be a spat with Republican leaders that are incessantly trying to get back the mantle of fiscal discipline) and you have a party in disarray…

Again, as we at TBWA have asked many, many times recently: is anyone at the DCCC or the DNC listening?

You speak, we hear loud and clear

Well folks it has been two weeks and it is time to 1) review the results of the poll just ended, and 2) introduce the new poll question.

Two weeks ago we asked a very timely question , Are people making too big a deal of the UAE ports deal?

How did you respond? Let’s take a look.

70% of respondents took the position of No, the UAE has an uncertain history of breeding terrorists/terrorism. Which for anyone that has followed middle eastern events of the later half of the 20th century is a no brainer. We applaud you for keeping up with what is going on outside your 3 foot zone of personal space.

11% of you said that you need more information before making an informed decision. Hallelujah ! We would like to give each one of you a gold star. Instead of jumping to a conclusion, or following an ideology like lemmings you are helping to restore our faith that logic and independent thought has not gone the way of the dinosaur.

Now for the remaining 19%.

16% said National Security will not be at risk and the deal should go through., and the remaining 3% said that it won’t effect them, why should they care.

Alright let’s get just get down to brass tacks. Almost 1/5 of those voting are not living in the real world with the rest of us. How can you think that allowing a company owned by a middle eastern country (and yes Dubai Ports World is owned by the government of the UAE) would not have any effect on you or not compromise the safety at U.S. shipping ports?

Here is an exercise for you to try. From now on, before you go to sleep and lock your doors, hang your house keys on a big key ring on a hook outside of your house next to the front door. Oh yeah, make sure the porch light is on so that anyone driving or walking by can see the keys. Now tell me how safe would you feel in your own house?

Sound ridiculous? Of course it does, and so is giving a foreign government the ‘keys’ to the major ports, or ‘doors’ of our country. Now you may say that the Coast Guard protects and is responsible for security at our ports. Well, you are half right. The coast guard only has authority on the water. Once a ship or container reaches the dock the Coast Guard is out of the picture. And once those containers hit our shores only 5% of them are inspected.

Thankfully Dubai Ports World decided to transfer the operations of U.S. ports to an as yet to be named U.S. entity. Although we have to wonder what kind of back-door deal was hammered out to make them voluntarily give up a deal valued at around $6.8 billion ? And we are curious as to who the U.S. entity is and whom in the administration they may have ties to? (Come on you knew that was coming didn’t you?)

So, in conclusion, a vast majority of you had the good sense to know this deal was bad any way you look at it, or at least wanted to be able to make an informed decision (thank god for dare I say, a common sense type of approach to the issue?) The rest of you, you are still scaring the rest of us, but thankfully you are in the minority and will hopefully come to your senses in the near future.

Before I wrap up, please take a minute to look at the new poll at the top of the page. For the next two weeks we will be asking what you think of the Presidents low (all time low..) approval ratings. Let us know your thoughts.

Until next time,

Be good, stay informed…later

Son of a bi***...

This story just makes my head hurt…

Here you have a defendant who is accused of planning and assisting in the 9-11 attacks (the only one to ever be held, btw)

You have international media criticizing every move you make.

You argued that this person must receive the death penalty for intentionally misleading the government so the attacks could go forward.

You're the government seeking atonement for the deaths of thousands of its citizens.

You have a defendant who, at best, would be called unsympathetic

You have an emotional jury case.

And now… it’s possible you just blew it.

The federal judge presiding over the case of "20th highjacker" Zaccarias Moussaoui is deliberating right now whether to take the death penalty off the table. Prosecutorial misconduct today possibly pulled the death penalty off the table--and jeopardized the entire case:

Federal judge Leonie Brinkema abruptly adjourned the sentencing trial of al Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui today and is now considering whether to do one of two things; declare a mistrial or drop the death penalty as an option.

The government is doing their usual bang-up job with this one. Rather than stick to the rules, they decided to nosh the rules and do things the way they want to do them… and now, because of that, the judge in the case may throw the case out… brilliant… absolutely 'effin brilliant.

Can we get someone… anyone… with at least half a brain to run this government? The mental and intelligent lapses by this administration and it’s departments are screwing us all with our pants on while at the same time making our country look like a bunch of morons…

Stay tuned…

A Case for Censuring?

Is it a wish to rectify a disastrous policy or a blatant attempt to put oneself into a position of power for a possible Presidential run in 2008?

Whatever you may believe it to be, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) is poised to make history as he is proposing a censuring of President Bush due to the authorization of the domestic eavesdropping program on the basis that the White House misled Americans about the legality of the program.

A censure resolution (which is akin to a slap on the wrist) would simply scold the president for wrongdoing (btw, it’s been used one other time in our nation’s history — against Andrew Jackson in 1834)

The resolution (which is scheduled to be introduced today) argues that the “President” violated the law when he set up the eavesdropping program (supposedly all on his own… good boy) within the NSA a few months after the 9/11 attacks (Bushie claims that his authority as commander in chief, in addition to congressional authorization to use force in the fight against terrorism) gave him the power to authorize the surveillance. Additionally, the resolution says the president “repeatedly misled the public” before the disclosure of the program last December.

Needless to say, Republican’s are coming out against the plan with Senator Bill “I’m not in as much trouble as DeLay” Frist (R-TN) stating that the plan would diminish the President and the country’s strength in the war on terrorism (imagine that, a Republican somehow connecting the dots to terrorism…)

Now… I have to say that the President’s strength is already pretty damn low considering his astronomically low approval ratings, the Ports deal collapse and yada, yada, yada…

Having said that, I honestly don’t know what to make of this yet… part of me thinks it’s an honest attempt to alter a civil liberties nightmare… another part of me thinks it’s an opportunity for Feingold to get his name out there… but whatever the case may be we should all pay attention as this latest salvo from the Democrat’s comes at a time when the White House is facing more and more problems including (but certainly not limited to) word that some of the President’s senior staff is wearing down (which isn’t surprising considering the fact they have all those ethics classes to attend…), the arrest of a former Bush aide (again… not a real surprise giving the past actions of this administration), and Jack Abramoff (do we really need to tell anyone about him?)

I know we’re beating a dead horse on this site by saying this; but I’m going to say it until someone hears it and heeds to it… it’s time for the Democrats to unite and strike a single voice and a single message… Chairman Dean? Are you listening???? As my esteemed colleague asked, ‘do you hear that sound? It’s opportunity knocking’… answer it!!!!!!

UPDATE: Here's a PDF link to the censure resolution, it's an interesting read. The Senator will be addressing it on the Senate floor today about 4 PM ET.

A little thing we like to call, The Weekly Rewind

Hello sports fans! March madness is under way! While we are waiting for the final 4, how about a look at our favorite sport…politics. If the week in Washington had been a game there would not be many points on the board for either side, but there would be a lot of tired players from all the back and forth down the court.

So without any further ado, here is your home team…..The “Bush”-Whacked Administration with the Weekly Rewind….

Applaud: DP World announced that they would be voluntarily transferring operations of U.S. ports that were the subject of growing concern to a U.S. Entity.

Heckle: to the fact that it took so long for this action to take place.

Heckle: to being a lame duck... and just plain lame. Following the announcement, in typical clueless fashion, Clueless George commented "I'm concerned about a broader message this issue could send to our friends and allies around the world, particularly in the Middle East". Hey George, how about the broader message that you were sending to your own citizens when you were staunchly supporting an action that completely undermines the Department of Homeland Security, the Patriot Act and all the safeguards that your cronies have forced upon us as necessary to protect us from the evils beyond our shores. Every time he opens his mouth it is evident that he just has no clue of how things work in the real world. Ok, I am done using any form of Clue or Clueless….at least in this paragraph.

Applaud: to the damage to Clueless George's credibility (as if he still had any left). Remember the statement "political capital, and now I intend to spend it" ?? Ah, George the creditor is calling it seems you're badly overdrawn on your political capital account.

Heckle: to talking out of both sides of your mouth. Clueless George signed the renewal of the Patriot Act on Wednesday saying that "The Patriot Act has accomplished exactly what it was designed to do…..It has helped us detect terrorist cells, disrupt terrorist plots and save American lives." Oh, I almost forgot, one of the provisions of the act is designed to strengthen port security. Wouldn’t that have been counter to the Dubai port deal that you were so strongly supportive of??

Heckle: to crossed communications. First, the administration says Iraq Civil War won't happen... now... they have a plan in place for when it does... make up your feeble mind, would ya please? We all know it's gonna happen, they all know it's gonna happen... it the administration that can't make up its mind...

Applaud: to Senate power potential. Democrats have a good chance to take control of the Senate this fall as a number of seats will be up for grabs. Some due to resignations and others due to contested races where the Republican incumbents have fallen out of favor. Man of these seats would appear to be the Democrats to lose, however if they remain focused and avoid the pitfall of infighting….. Howard Dean are you paying attention?

Heckle: to wishful thinking. According to Defense Secretary Donald ‘War Monger’ Rumsfeld, if civil war breaks out in Iraq the U.S. military would depend on Iraq’s own security forces to deal with it “to the extent they are able to”. Yeah, we can see that, after all the Iraq security forces are on top of the current insurgent issue….

Heckle: to CYA legislation. (It’s so hard to convey sarcasm in the written form..) As early as next week House Republican leaders will unveil legislation seeking to guarantee congressional oversight of the purchase or “acquisition of U.S. businesses by foreign buyers“. (The legislation deserves an Applaud, but the timing is what gives it the Heckle) If the Republicans keep backpedaling away from the administration they may be able to regain credibility by the 2016 elections.

Heckle: to the continual eroding of the Constitution by this administration. The federal government gave more than $2.1 billion in grants to religious charities last year (a 7% increase from last year) and the administration is proud that it has made it easier for faith-based groups to obtain taxpayer funds. Three words: Separation. Church. State.

Applaud: to GOP discord. Heh heh heh... gotta love it. Seems that some Republicans are a tad nervous about following Bush in an election year. Mid-term fever... catch it

Heckle: to the 22nd District of Texas. What the hell is wrong with you people? Hopefully these people can get a Sylvan Learning Center opened up soon. The written word (newspapers, news magazines) is a wonderful thing. Until then turn on a radio or watch a TV station that has news from outside of Sugar Land. I am scared to think what else you are oblivious to?

Applaud: to good riddance. Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced that she will resign by the end of March. Among her “resume building” accomplishments (once again…sarcasm) during her tenure, she allowed snowmobiles back into Yellowstone National Park which effectively chased the parks endanger caribou into Canada, fought for increased energy development (translate- oil and gas drilling) on public lands, and failed to reduce the backlog of maintenance (translate - safety and upkeep) in the National Park Service. Her department is also under scrutiny tied to the criminal investigation surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff. I’m sure she won’t have any problem getting a nice cushy job in the energy industry! Hey Gale, let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Heckle: to an Orwellian Society. On Monday, South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds signed into law a bill that effectively bans all abortions in the state. Supporters of the legislation are hoping that this will be thrown up to the SCOTUS and give the court a chance to overturn Roe V Wade. If we are going to start telling people what they can and can't do with thier bodies what's next, forced organ donations? Euthanasia of the Elderly?

Whew, the week may have started off slow, but as we predicted here it definitely picked up after Wednesday. Looks like a 3 pointer from the top of the key !

Politics...what a game...

Be good, stay informed…later.

Aint' that a kick in the head

Democrats do not need to come up with a smear campaign to make the administration look bad. The folks centered around and connected to Clueless George are doing a bang up job all by themselves.

To name but a few we have ole Dead Eye Cheney, Scooter Libby, Mikey Chertoff, Mike 'Brownie' Brown, Harriet Miers, Jack Abramoff .... and well, the list could go on and on.

Now we can add to the ever growing list the name Claude Allen.

Who you might ask is Claude Allen, and what has he done to have his name added to the list?

Well up until last month he served as Dubya's Top Domestic Policy Advisor, and this past week he was arrested on a charge of Felony Theft. This charge stems from a scheme to allegedly swindle more than $5,000 in refunds from Target and Hecht's stores.

While this story is unfolding Allen denies the allegations, and the White House can only sit, wait, and hope that more of their so called friends do not hit another 'tripwire' of embarrassment.

Karma Baby!

Like I said the Democrats do not need to try to make the administration look bad, but they do need to act on these opportunities. (Message to Howard Dean- Are you paying attention to current events? Hear that sound?, it is opportunity knocking at the door....)

Later.

Woe is him

Liberals and Democrats have always disliked him.

Ditto for most Independents and Green Party.

Now… Conservatives and Republicans are joining the mix…

Turns out that more and more people, Republicans included, are now disapproving of the “President’s” performance. They are questioning his character and leadership (even when it comes to his leadership against terrorism, which has long-been a cornerstone of his administration)

Now, the ‘President’, according to an AP-Ipsos poll, is facing the “bleakest points of his presidency.”

Four out of five Americans, including 70 percent of Republicans, believe civil war will break out in Iraq, with nearly 70 percent of people saying the U.S. is on the wrong track (it should be noted that that’s a 6-point jump since February)

Republican Party leaders said the survey shows why some Republicans are trying to distance themselves from the President on a plethora of issues (port security, immigration, the budget, domestic eavesdropping, etc)

Not surprisingly, the re-posturing is more intense among Republicans that are facing reelection in November and those that are still considering 2008 presidential campaigns.

While Republican Senators and Congressman run away from Bush, his approval among registered Republicans is falling also as his approvals have plunged from 82% back in February, to 74% now. What makes this troublesome for the GOP (but exhilarating for the Democratic leadership) is that this is a midterm election year and parties are relying on enthusiasm from their most loyal groups.

(Granted, while the numbers worry Republicans, it does not automatically translate into GOP defeats in November, when voters will face a choice between local candidates rather than considering Congress as a whole… so our glee should be measured. Add to that the fact that the Democratic Party has failed to seize full advantage of Republican troubles… so come on already!!! What the hell are we waiting for??)

On the issues, Bush's approval ratings have declined from 39% to 36% for his handling of domestic affairs, 47% to 43% on foreign policy and terrorism and his numbers for dealing with the economy and Iraq held steady around 40%. Add to that that, personally, far fewer Americans consider Bush likable, honest, strong and dependable than they did just after his re-election campaign.

This is welcome news… now if only the Democratic Party could get off their damn laurels and DO something, than I would feel better about our chances in November. As it sits now… I enjoy the implosion of the Republicans, but fret that we Democrats aren’t gonna do anything (or do enough), to take advantage of that.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Well… if it’s Wednesday, then it must be time for Random Political… yada, yada yada….

This has seemed like a slow week so far, so expect things to start bubbling over after today… at least that’s how things usually seem to work.

So… without fuss…here is this week’s Random Political… well, you know the rest. Here we go:

Lies. Damned lies and statistics. An overwhelming majority of the U.S. public believes that fighting between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims in Iraq will eventually lead to a civil war in that country, or so says a Washington Post-ABC News poll (… and common sense) The perceived threat of Civil War is not a partisan issue either, as more than seven in 10 Republicans and eight in 10 Democrats/ believe civil war was likely… now, if only we could get the Bush Administrations to see the damn writing on the wall...
(Now what makes anyone think that Bush could see the wall let alone the writing on it? This is the same guy [and administration] who had a video conference where he was told in advance about what would happen in N.O. after Katrina hit. That was a flashing neon sign on the wall ... Sorry to interrupt folks, Scott)

More power to him, uh-oh. President Bush sent proposed legislation to Congress on Monday that would allow him to veto specific items in larger bills. An attempt by President Clinton to allow this was struck down by the SCOTUS, but since Dubya has stacked the court now, chances are it won’t face any roadblocks… funny isn’t it, he can’t even run his own administration or agenda, but now we’re gonna give him more power… we’re all on Candid Camera aren’t we???

Best. Slogan. Ever. After years of disarray, anarchy and lack of leadership, it seems as though Democrats finally have something going for them: Republicans. In the most recent Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll, 46 percent to 37 percent of those polled said they plan to vote for a Democrat in the upcoming mid-terms. Let’s try a new spin on the classic, ‘lesser of two evils’ campaign strategy. How about: “At least we’re not them.”

Big recruiters on campus. The Supreme Court ruled the other day against universities that had prohibited military recruiters on campus, unanimously upholding a 1996 federal law that allows the Federal government to withhold funds from universities that deny military recruiters the same access to students that is allowed other potential employers. I tend to agree with this decision… Allowing recruiters on campus doesn’t signify support of the war, nor does it signify support of the current administration… it signifies allowing everyone to have a choice of careers on a college campus… so suck it up.

More Iran posturing. “… the United States is also susceptible to harm and pain. So if that is the path that the U.S. wishes to choose, let the ball roll.” Great… just great. This does not worry me at all, nosireee… that reminds me though; I really need to start working on that bomb shelter.

Nervous Nellies. Iranians have begun to express doubt and nervousness towards the international showdown over their country's nuclear program, yet their country’s leaders continue to forge ahead while ignoring their country’s citizens… hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar…

House vote on PortGate. Despite all efforts by the White House to impede any legislation aimed at challenging the deal for a Dubai-owned company to acquire operations of six major U.S. ports, House leaders (sorry, that should read House Republican leaders) agreed to allow a vote next week that could kill the deal. Nice… as I stated last week, when Republicans start to go against the wishes of their party-leader, a death knell is ringing… and to that I say; about friggin’ time!!

WiretapGate? The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (wow, if that’s not an oxymoron, I don’t know what is…) had a vote earlier this week that (in going along party lines) rejected a Democrat-led proposal to investigate the Bush administration's domestic surveillance program… but it did approve the establishment of (with White House approval) a seven-member panel to oversee the effort. Yeah, that’s almost the same thing… two words: karma, baby.

D'oh! This just makes my head hurt... read it and let me know your thoughts.

D'oh! Part 2. So does this...

What is wrong with Texas? Tom DeLay won the Republican primary in Texas. Now he faces a, very, tough battle in the election against a Democrat who has narrowly lost to him before. I think DeLay won this battle, but I think he’s gonna lose the war. Stay tuned and… (Ok, I gotta ask, what the hell is wrong with these people in Texas, do you not turn on a radio or TV or even read .... anything? Talk about blindly following..... Sorry to interrupt again, Scott)

And one final thought... way to go Fed's, ya finally caught someone..

Take them as you will…

The Weekly Rewind

It’s Friday (whoo-hoo!), and we all know what that means (besides the start of the weekend), it means it’s time for TBWA’s patented (not really, but it sounds good) Weekly Rewind.

It’s been a busy week for all, and a happy week for Liberals with the release of Commander Cuckoo-Bananas incredibly low approval ratings, so without further ado, here we go…

Applaud: to subterranean approval numbers. Various polls have Dubya’s approval ratings at 34% (CBS), 38% (CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll), 38% (LA Times) and so on and so on… his highest ratings come (of course) from Fox “News” (40%). I won’t laugh as it would seem like I am gloating… but let it be known that I am gloating.

Heckle: to the nuclear (it’s pronounced ‘nuklear’) deal with India. I am sure there is no way that this will ever come back to bite us in the ass... right? No… I’m sure it won’t (again, as I’ve said before it’s hard to express sarcasm with the written word…)

Applaud: to disgruntled elephants. GOP dissatisfaction has been building also in the past few months, what with them forcing Bush to sign a measure banning torture of detainees despite his initial veto threat, blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act until their civil liberties concerns were addressed and pressuring the White House into accepting legislation on its secret eavesdropping program (It's gonna get worse before it gets better... mwah-hahahahaha hahahahahahah)

Heckle: to the news that Vice President Dick `Dead Eye' Cheney is considering retirement. Insight magazine (which as I said earlier this week is a magazine aimed at Conservatives... so you know the stories have small words and lots of pictures) released an article that stated Cheney is expected to retire within a year. Why is this a heckle? Because the choice to replace him will be a stronger and more charismatic Republican and will have the advantage in 2008. Be careful what we wish for.

Applaud: to the New York Independence party for starting a website to entice Donald "If only my hair were really the worst thing about me" Trump to run for president. Good God, nooooooooooooo!

Heckle: to rhetoric, spin and lip service, all wrapped up in one nice, little package. Commander Cuckoo Bananas stated in a speech in Afghanistan that Osama bin Laden will be captured. This amounts to him saying (as my esteemed colleague has been known to remark): `watch the shiny red ball in my right hand while ignoring the pile of crap in my left.'

Applaud: to the news that Bush's appeal is waning in some Republican faithful. When Republican's beliefs start to falter on their leader, it's a definate political death-knell. How long until some members of Bush's Cabinet start abandoning ship in order to save their careers?

Heckle: to James Dobson. The way to sum him up in one word? Tool.

Applaud: to ANYTHING that causes bickering within the Republican Party. An immigration bill is threatening to polarize and disrupt the GOP-party unity. Nice.

Heckle: to the reauthorization of the Patriot Act (aka, coming to get your civil liberties act). 10 Senators voted against it… 10! This was a wretched display of the Democrats rolling over for the conservative right… pathetic… absolutely pathetic.

Applaud: to the 10 Senators (9 Democrats & 1 Independent) who did have the balls to vote against it… thank you.

Heckle: to more Katrian-related lapses. A video was released this week that directly contradicts everything Bush had said about the impending hurricane, including the classic Bush-line: “I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees.” Actually, everyone did, you just chose to ignore it. Heckle within a heckle to Governor Blanco who was as inane as Bush was about the whole situation. Way to go Governor… and I though Il Gov. Rod Blagojeveich (D-IL) was ill-informed, but you win hands down.

Applaud: to Special Counsel Pat Fitzgerald who stated in a court affidavit yesterday that “Scooter” Libby is not entitled to know everything that government investigators learned about other leaks to reporters regarding Valerie Plame's employment as a covert CIA operative. Nice… now if only the judge agrees, we’ll have something going…

Heckle: to both sides of the aisle for rejecting an independent lobbying overseer office. Brilliant. A chance to make things a little better from a PR standpoint and both parties reject it. Is there any wonder why some people think ALL politicians are crooks? This is a perfect embodiment of that. Dumbasses…

Heckle: to the melting of the Antarctic Ice Sheet This can’t be good.

All I have. What are you applauding and heckling this week?

Somthing wicked this way comes...

Ah crap.

Seems like the US Senate passed the Patriot Act Reauthorization earlier today (though you certainly wouldn’t know it by viewing the “Liberal Media” who has hardly reported on it at all…)

In the last few days, we have seen Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) oppose the bill (essentially on his own) as the compromises of the Sununu amendment were not adequate enough to protect civil liberties in his opinion.

If only the Democrats could have spoken as one voice and did what Feingold try to do on his own… maybe the vote wouldn’t have been so one-sided.

Daniel Akaka (D-HI),Tom Harkin (D-IA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Carl Levin (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Patty Murray (D-WA), Robert Byrd (D-WV) and James Jeffords (I-VT).

So… all in all, 10 Democrats and 1 Independent voted against the reauthorization while everyone else voted for it.

Ten Senators… yes, you read that right, 10… and only 10, joined Feingold in voting against the reauthorization.

In light of the current doubts about the NSA's activities, I don't see how we can trust the Bush(Whacked) administration to execute the Patriot Act with any good faith or credibility.

Along the NSA/domestic wiretapping lines, Senator Byrd offered a resolution calling for an independent commission to investigate the NSA's illegal domestic spying program.

I'm surprised that people aren't going ape-shit over this. This is the Reauth that creates ‘Special National Security events’ (whatever those are) and has the now-expanded Secret Service Uniformed Division to arrest people who commit “crimes against the United States”…whatever that happens to mean.

I am seriously worried about the future of our country…

Say it ain’t so Bill, say it ain’t so

I am, quite frankly, a little bummed about this story.

Turns out, according to a story in today’s Financial Times, that former President Bill Clinton (D-AK) has advised Dubai’s leaders on how to deal with the PortGate controversy (the controversy is over the purchase by a Dubai-owned company of terminal facilities at six major U.S. ports)

The story states that the idea for Dubai Ports World to propose a 45-day delay (so a more intensive investigation could be done) was advised to them by President Clinton, who earlier this week called the United Arab Emirates a “good ally to America.”

(It should be noted that an official at the Treasury Department informed the Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee that the company has yet to file its paperwork for the delay)

The news of the former President’s involvement comes as Clinton’s wife, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has been very critical of the purchase, the process the Bush administration used to review the plan, and has now proposed legislation to block the deal while arguing that the US could not afford to “surrender our port operations to foreign governments.”

What’s even more satirical about this sordid little story, is that Clinton’s 1996 presidential opponent, former Senator Bob Dole, is representing Dubai Ports World in DC as it tries to salvage the deal. Add to this that Dole’s wife, Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) is a ranking-member of the aforementioned Senate Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs Committee that, today, is talking to Bush administration officials on the deal.

Ya add all of these together and you have yourself a good ol-fashioned political, bi-partisan, orgy going on.

Granted, it seems as though the advice he gave is the same advice that anyone in his position would have given to any company that would have called and asked advice for the best way to prevent a potentially bad deal from getting worse, but, I still have to say that if this Clinton business is true, then I’ve lost a lot of respect for him… though I am willing to hear what he may have to say about the situation.

Don’t say that we and many thousands of others didn’t warn you!

Who would’ve thunk it? What are the odds that once Samuel Alito was comfirmed and seated on the Supreme Court, that an abortion case would make it’s way so quickly to the step of the SCOTUS? (I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!)

What is even more of a surprise is that a sitting Justice would send a letter of thanks to the head of a special interest group. Justice Alito sent a personal note of thanks to James Dobson (or should we say Herr Dobson…) founder of the ultra-conservative group, Focus on the Family. James read the note on his radio show, here is the text:

Dear Dr. Dobson:

This is just a short note to express my heartfelt thanks to you and the entire staff of Focus on the Family for your help and support during the past few challenging months.

I would also greatly appreciate it if you would convey my appreciation to the good people from all parts of the country who wrote to tell me that they were praying for me and for my family during this period.

As I said when I spoke at my formal investiture at the White House last week, the prayers of so many people from around the country were a palpable and powerful force.

As long as I serve on the Supreme Court I will keep in mind the trust that has been placed in me.

I hope that we'll have the opportunity to meet personally at some point in the future.

In the meantime my entire family and I hope that you and the Focus on the Family staff know how we appreciate all that you have done.

Sincerely yours,
Samuel Alito

Nice, why not put a post script that says 'by the way; go ahead and start sending the abortion cases, let’s overturn Roe V Wade, and let me know if there is anything else that die hard conservatives would like overturned'.

I remember when Bush first announced he was running for the presidency in 2000, I said to co-workers, friends and family at that time “If he does to America what he did to the state of Texas we are all screwed”

Like I said before folks, don’t say I, and many others, didn’t warn you.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Date: Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: Illinois, USA
Subject: Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

34. The latest CBS News poll finds the “President” has approval ratings that have fallen to an all-time low of 34%. 34%… 34%… 34%… 34%… 34%… sorry, got sidetracked there for a moment writing 34% [contented sigh] Add to that that disapproval of the war in Iraq is at an all-time high and the fact that most Americans (and 7 out of 10 registered Republicans) oppose the UAE port-deal, and the Veep has approval ratings of 18%, you have the makings of one incredibly disastrous Presidency and Administration. (Must contain glee, must contain glee…)

Bush’s blunders bury backers: Republican governors are fretting that the Bush administration's latest stumbles are taking an election-year toll on the party back home, and they aren’t keeping it to themselves. The governors acknowledge that the series of gaffes threatens to undermine public confidence in President Bush's ability to provide security and will filter down to all mid-term races. (To that I say: WHOO-HOO!!! Bring ‘em on! Karma baby!! Time to create a new iPod playlist called Whoop-Ass!)

Karl Rove's obsession, a new fragrance by GOP. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY), in reacting to a new book that quotes Bush strategist Karl “I Heart Hillary” Rove as saying she will be the 2008 Democratic nominee for president, said earlier this week that he “spends a lot of time obsessing about me” and that the GOP is using her to divert attention from Republican problems as the 2006 congressional elections approach. Makes sense to me…though it should be painfully clear to the GOP that nothing is going to attract attention from all the GOP’s ‘issues, no matter who they shoot, infuriate, empower or lie to, nothing will divert attention from their problems… (I, along with other Liberals and other liberal blogs, like Daily Kos, will make damn sure of that…)

Disgruntled elephants. GOP discontent has been building in the past few months, what with them forcing Bush to sign a measure banning torture of detainees despite his initial veto threat, blocking renewal of the USA Patriot Act until their civil liberties concerns were addressed and pressured the White House into accepting legislation on its secret eavesdropping program.

Heimlich! This gives new meaning to the term ‘choke artist.’ Senator John Giannetti (D-MD) is being hailed today after saving Jim Rosapepe from choking on Monday night. What makes this interesting is the fact that Rosapepe just happens to be Giannetti’s largest threat for his Senate seat. Giannetti, sitting in the bar of an Italian restaurant in Annapolis, jumped into action when Rosapepe stumbled in from the dining room, and then doubled over choking. No smart-ass comment here, just a hearty cheer to Senator Giannetti for being in the right place, at the right time.

Raising Fees. We all know, mainly because he won’t let the American people forget it, that the “President” is against any sort of tax increase. What you may not know is that he is (very) comfortable with imposing billions and billions (thank you Mr. Sagan) of dollars in new government fees. Just ask the airline, commodities and shipping industries. Bush's 2007 budget proposal would raise more than $47 billion over the next five years by imposing, raising or extending fees on everything from airline tickets to commodity transactions to ships passing through various seaways.

Politics 1 - Science 0. Not much to say on this, just a suggestion to read this Op-Ed piece from The Washington Post… it’ll make you think.

Cheney: Exit stage left. Hearing rumors that Vice President Dick “Dead Eye” Cheney may be stepping down soon are as widespread as rumors about Barry Bonds retiring. I approach both with 2 thoughts; ‘Who cares,’ and ‘About time.’ In the last five years, we've heard numerous rounds of Cheney resignation rumors… now though, Insight magazine (a magazine aimed at Conservatives… so you know the stories have small words and lots of pictures… sorry, that was too easy) released an article that states “Vice President Dick Cheney is expected to retire within a year.” (All I can say to that is: be cautious of these wishes liberals, if Dick steps down as Veep, a stronger Republican will take his place and be in a position of advantage in 2008)

Presidential Protest. Despite having better ratings in the country than he does at home (which isn’t hard to do when your domestic approval ratings are 34%… 34%… 34– sorry), thousands of people protested Dubya’s visit to India today… (no, tomorrow… yesterday… whenever, damn international date line) It should also be noted that Bush remains more popular in India than in any other country, including his own. (Hmmmm? Maybe we could convince him to step down here and run for President in India… hey, one can dream can’t he?)

Nine word maximum. Anna Nicole Smith… United States Supreme Court… ‘nuff said.

Take them as you will…