Dumbest thing ever written?

I saw this on Crooks and Liars and have to agree.

This could very well be the dumbest thing I have ever seen written. I mean, think about it… what kind of columnist would cite the Nazis as an example to show that the U.S. could deport twelve million people easily?

”Not only will it work, but one can easily estimate how long it would take. If it took the Germans less than four years to rid themselves of 6 million Jews, many of whom spoke German and were fully integrated into German society, it couldn't possibly take more than eight years to deport 12 million illegal aliens, many of whom don't speak English and are not integrated into American society.”

I understand using historical events to prove a point... but the Nazis?? When you start going that far to prove a point... you've lost something...

It’s just wrong....

The Week Ahead

A few things to keep an eye on and keep in mind as the new week gets underway...

• Keep a sharp eye on the “President” and his ever-falling approval numbers. 31%, 29%, it looks as though they will get lower and lower… and ignore what the First Lady said when she remarked recently that she doesn’t “really believe those polls.” Yeah, I bet she would if they were… say… 60% approval rather than 29%… keep it to yourself ‘Lady Macbeth’… Oh, and Karl Rove thinks the war in Iraq is responsible for Dubya’s hilariously-low approval numbers… well, duh.
• Keep an eye on Venezuela and Libya… why? Well, the US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela due to terrorism concerns, but is dropping sanctions against Libya. I’m sorry… when did I arrive in Bizarro-world??
• Pay attention as immigration reform steps back into the spotlight. Tonight, Dubya will address the nation that will announce the calling-up of thousands of National Guard troops that will then be deployed along the southern border as a temporary solution to the influx of illegal immigrants. Yeah… that doesn’t sound like a good idea… maybe Bush shouldn’t have cut those 10,000 border patrols jobs in his budget last year after all...
• Keep an eye on Rep. Duke Cunningham’s blood pressure. Federal prosecutors are trying to interview a few more current and/or former staffers on the House Intelligence, Appropriations and Armed Services committees so they can widen their probe into the bribery scheme that he’s already up to his neck in...
• Keep an eye on all those fair-weather-friends and colleagues (and by ‘weather’ I mean ‘approval ratings’. Seemingly in fear of their own political futures, House and Senate Republicans are becoming increasingly “divided and disloyal”in regards to their relationship with Dubya; they don’t agree with his policies (NSA surveillance for one), his nominations (General Hayden) or his announcements (the impending immigration announcement), and now it’s starting to show… poor little President… no one wants him to come out and play with them...
• As the week, and months, go on, we should all pay attention to what happens in the NSA/phone database news cycle. 53% think the program goes too far, 51% dissaprove of the program period… let’s see how the administration spins this… should be entertaining to say the least… and insulting to millions at the most.
• Lawsuit alert. Bruce Afran, an attorney from New Jersey filed suit against Verizon last week on claims that the company violated privacy laws by turning over calling records to the National Security Agency. The attorney is now saying that customers of AT&T and BellSouth want to join the lawsuit, which would make it the largest class-action lawsuit ever filed.
• Keep an eye on Karl Rove this week. While he wasn’t indicted on Friday like many outlets reported (or on Saturday as XX reported, word on the Beltway is that he will be indicted in the coming weeks, or even days, ahead. Stay tuned...
• The Democratic party needs to be watched like a group of children this week… lest we have another temper-tantrum like we had last week when DNC Chair Howard Dean and DCCC mid-term election leader Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL) got into a spat about the party and its money strategy. Then Paul Begala had to get into the fray and insult thousands of party-members with some moronic comments. Here’s some free and simple advice to all of them: shut the hell up and show a united front. We keep acting like this, and people are going to start mistaking us for Republicans… and I don’t think any of us want that...
• Keep an eye on two political females this week. Though they are on different sides of the team, they both have a tendency to put their foots into their mouths. First, we have Katherine Harris (R-FL)… her of the pathetic Senate campaign in Florida. What can be said that hasn’t already been said… granted, it’s been a while since she said anything idiotic, but knowing her it’s only a matter of time. It’s also only a matter of time until Hillary Rodham-Clinton (D-NY) says something else moronic as she did this past week when she disparaged young people and their work ethic… which was quickly followed by an apology to her own daughter, who is a member of the crowd that she just insulted. Brilliant people skills there Senator. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… if she is the nominee in ’08, we should all just kill ourselves. Here’s some free advice to the two of you; keep… your mouths… shut. On second thought, Rep. Harris, you can continue to talk, cause it will only help us in November.
• Keep an eye on another Democrat acting like a Republican as the Washington Post is reporting that Rep. Allan Mollahan (D-WV) “set up a network of nonprofit organizations to administer the millions of dollars he directed to such public endeavors as high-tech research and historic preservation.” It should also be noted that Mollahan’s assets grew from $565,000 to at least $6.3 million from 2000 to 2004… that’s normal… right?? Rep. Mollahan… do the party a favor… stop impersonating a Republican, it’s only going to confuse people.
• Keep an eye on Al Gore… after this past weekend, I think it’s safe to say he’s up to something...

Shout Out

A different type of mother's day card... HAPPY MOTHER's DAY to all the mothers of the world... even if you are Republican.

The Weekly Rewind

It’s the end of the week and you know what that means….no not partying all weekend, although in itself not a bad idea. No it’s time for The Weekly Rewind. This is the time of the week where we like to take a look back at some of the newsworthy items that you may have overlooked in your striving to stay one step ahead of “The Man“.

Heckle: to what else would you expect from this administration? The Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility has closed its investigation into the Bush administration’s warrantless domestic surveillance program because investigators were “denied the security clearances needed to conduct a probe.” Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) called the denial of clearances “hard to believe.” However anyone who has read this blog or kept up on current events should not be surprised at all.

Applaud: to The Washington Post editorial board (did I just write that??) for taking HUD Secretary Jackson to task over his “anecdotal” story about issuing contracts based on political views: “Either Mr. Jackson broke the law and then lied about it, or he lied that he had broken the law. Which of those actions makes him fit to be secretary of housing and urban development?” Couldn’t have said it any better fellas… good job, keep it up.

Heckle: to another black eye for the republicans. (my sarcastic side calls it an applaud) “Federal prosecutors have begun an investigation” into powerful House Appropriations Committee chair Jerry Lewis (R-CA). The probe is focusing on Lewis’ (no this is not Frances favorite comedian.) connections to “longtime friend” and lobbyist Bill Lowery. “As chairman of the Appropriations panel, Lewis has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts for many of Lowery’s clients.”

Applaud: to 29… as in 29%. Bush’s latest approval ratings from a new Wall Street Journal/Harris poll. Hee hee hee…

Heckle: to the US Army for using a year-old and little-known Army Reserve policy. Due to this policy, groups of reservists are suing to have it overturn. The policy bars officers from resigning “unless they fulfill various conditions: They have to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan, work in much-needed specialties, or have serious family issues.”

Applaud: to telling it like it is. A new Center for American Progress report finds that household debt is not rising because people “are using credit cards to buy plasma TVs and premium coffee drinks at Starbucks.” “The real culprits…are the rising costs of housing, health care and education.”

Heckle: this being an administration that begs for things like this. Sportsbook.com is “offering odds” on whether President Bush’s approval rating will be over or under 35.5 percent on his birthday, July 6th. Bettors can also gamble on the answer to the question: “Will Donald Rumsfeld be U.S. Secretary of Defense on December 31, 2006?”

Applaud: to taking a step forward for what’s right. More than 1.9 million U.S. workers earned the federal minimum wage ($5.15) or less last year. States are taking action by “using legislation and ballot initiatives to do what Congress has not done since 1997, when it last increased the federal minimum wage.” How many of you reading this could live on 40 hours a week at minimum wage?

Heckle: to a bigger Big Brother. As reported earlier this week by every news organization and blog across the country, the National Security Agency has been “secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth.” The goal of the program, created shortly after 9/11, is “to create a database of every call ever made” within the nation’s borders. “Among the big telecommunications companies, only Qwest has refused to help the NSA.”

Applaud: to we told you so. The Washington Post reports that Karl Rove “talked with White House colleagues about the political importance of defending the prewar intelligence and countering Plame’s husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV.” Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald is expected to decide whether or not to indict Rove for making false statements as soon as this month. I wonder what the odds at sportsbook.com are on this one?

Heckle: to another clueless congressmen. House conservatives gave Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), who is better known as “Representative #1” in the Abramoff court pleadings, “a standing ovation after he told them yesterday that he has no plans to resign and will vigorously fend off a likely federal indictment.”

I could go on and on…..

Be good, stay informed…later.

'Toon Rewind

New feature here at TBWA, a weekly recap of some of our favorite political cartoons from the past week, to be followed later tonight with The Weekly Rewins. Click on 'em, and enjoy.








The Cartoonists: Vince O'Farrell - The Illawarra Mercury - Australia, Jeff Parker - Florida Today, RJ Matson - Roll Call, RJ Matson - Roll Call, Mike Keefe - Denver Post, Tom Toles - Washington Post

Let's get united

Apparently the leaders of the Democratic Party are ignoring me, and just about every other Democratic/Liberal blogger out there.

Rather than creating a united front and a united agenda, they are starting to act like Republicans by arguing amongst themselves…

Stop it!!

The chairman of the Democratic Party and the leader of the D-Triple C (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) are not seeing eye to eye these days on how best to use the party’s funds.

DNC Chairman Howard Dean (D-VT), and many state party chairmen, believe that the party needs restructuring from the ground up while DCCC leader, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), is leading the effort to regain the party's majority in the House this November and he feels that Dean's DNC is spending their money too freely and too early in the election cycle.

According to The Washington Post, quoting sources, this disagreement reportedly led to an angry exchange recently, that points to a long-standing tension between congressional leaders and the leaders of the party.

There’s no denying that Dean is a proven and effective fundraiser as the DNC has raised $74 million since the start of this election cycle in 2005, all the while with Dean maintaining that the party cannot strengthen itself over the long haul unless it competes everywhere… even in areas that have been heavily Republican the last few years.

That’s all fine and good… and Mr. Dean needs to keep it up on his end, as does Rep. Emmanuel… but what we don’t need is for the Democrats to start acting like a bunch of whiny kids and yell and scream to get what they want… we could listen to the Republicans if we wanted that.

Here’s a novel concept Democratic leaders; let’s all take advantage of the piss-poor approval numbers, the desctruction of our civil liberties, the ineptitude of the administration and others in the GOP and get on one page. Let’s set one universal agenda… allign one united message… get behind each other and get out there and beat the damn Republicans into submission this November and beyond.

‘Nuff said.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

It’s Wednesday, and we all know what that means. So here we go…

Wavering. After making excuse after excuse, the White House is going to be releasing visitor logs that document “when (uber-lobbyist Jack) Abramoff was at the White House, how long he was there, and who signed him in for the visit.” (And we are supposed to believe these documents are authentic and not altered… why??)

Looming. The May 15th deadline is approaching… approximately 7 million eligible Medicare members (roughly half of whom did not have any drug coverage before) still have not signed up and yet “President” Bush has once again “rejected renewed pleas for an extension” of the deadline. (He really does cares about seniors… doesn’t he?? By the way, that was sarcasm there, in case you missed it)

Raising. Back in March, President Bush signed a bill that raised the national debt ceiling to a record $9 trillion… well, it’s not a record anymore as that apparently, wasn’t enough. Signalling the fifth such increase under Dubya, “A $2.7 trillion budget plan pending before the House would raise the federal debt ceiling to nearly $10 trillion.” (Let’s see… first he mortgaged off our civil liberties with wiretapping, then he mortgaged off our military by sending them off to a senseless war that has no end in sight, and now he’s mortgaging off our economic stability. “Please mommy, make it stop…”)

Holding. Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is holding up an extension of the 1965 Voting Rights Act as he is insisting that the House strip away the bilingual assistance provision that is required at certain polling places. In April, King said of the people who need the assistance “either they are naturalized citizens who did not meet the required language proficiency or they grew up in an ethnic enclave without benefit of learning English. If that’s the case, it’s high time they learned it.” (Good to focus on the important things in life there Stevey. Let’s instead focus on the fact that, somewhere along the way, the system itself failed if people were able to become naturalized citizens without meeting the language proficiency. Maybe we should look at that instead, ya think?)

Giving. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan personally donated $500,000 to the U.N.-led relief efforts in Darfur in order to “highlight, and help alleviate, the severe lack of donations.” (Very nice Mr. Annan… we’ll look past the fact that the U.N. ignored the situation in Sudan for so long that so much money is now needed and if the U.N. had stepped in earlier, things would have gotten better a whole helluva lot sooner)

Flailing. It’s not a good year to be Katherine “Captain Oblivious” Harris. Her colleagues in the Republican Party made it crystal clear that they are ready to work for a candidate they believe can actually… you know, win… against incumbent Bill Nelson (D-FL). Right now, with the filing deadline of Friday fast approaching, many are pointing to State Rep. Allan Bense, currently finishing his term as speaker of the state House, as the man who should run… but he won’t be. It should be mentioned that one of those coming out against Harris’ campaign is the state’s GOP leader, Gov. Jeb “At least I’m not my brother George” Bush, who stated: “I just don't believe she can win.” (What can be said about this train-wreck of a campaign that hasn’t already been said but two words; ‘unmitigated disaster’)

Urging. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) is urging his fellow Democrats to show some gumption or backbone in challenging President Bush on his Iraq policy. (About fuc**** time!)

Gratuitous-ing. Op-ed plug of the week. The Washington Post’s Cass Sunstein’s “It's Only $300 Billion” (which speaks out in favor of adopting the Kyoto Protocol) and The Chicago Tribune’s Jonathan Turley’s “Gen. Hayden earns his `bones' and a nomination” and a “brilliant!” smackdown called An Open Letter to Richard Cohen by William Rivers Pitt, this is a must-read.

Emailing. There have been 900 more pages of emails belonging to Michael Brown released, with one showing an exchange at 9:53 am on the day Katrina made landfall. It shows that Brown received a warning that “a levee breach occurred along the industrial canal.” Less than three hours later, Brown wrote, “I’m being told here water over not a breach.” (Huh?)

Karma-ing! Rev. James Dobson ran into some trouble on the Senate subway yesterday as Roll Call is reporting that just as Dobson entered one of the cars, the doors closed on him, right across the midsection, and smaked him down by hitting his ribs and his butt. An unnamed Senate staffer remarked. (I guess he never learned the Bible strategy of.. turning the other cheek. All I can say to that is, Karma, baby!!)

Sweating. Jeb Bush (R-FL) has repeatedly said he will not run for president in 2008 when his brother leaves office (thank God!!!!) But, that hasn't stopped both his father and brother from feeding into the idea and suggesting that Jeb should run for President in 2008. (Okay… just stop right now before I start having nightmares about President Bush III… great, now I’ve broken out in a cold sweat…)

Frightening. This does not bode well… a sanitation worker in Washington, D.C. found a thick stack of papers yesterday, nothing unusual about that, right? Well, this stack of papers contained almost every detail of Dubya’s Florida trip, offering up to anyone who found them the exact arrival and departure time for Air Force One, Marine One and the back up choppers, every passenger on board each aircraft and the order of vehicles in the Presidential motorcade. ( Regardless of the president’s party affiliation and his complete ineptitude at governing, and the fact that this incident exemplifies the incompetence of the Bush administration, for someone to allow this to happen is alarming… and I only hope that they can find whichever careless dolt lost, or threw away, their copy of his private schedule and fire them on the spot.)

Falling. Pssssttt… the President’s approval ratings are in free-fall. Pass the word and say hallelujah!

Criticizing A former director of the NSA, Bobby Ray Inman, has criticized the Commander Cuckoo-Bananas’ warrantless domestic wiretapping program, making Inman, “one of the highest-ranking former intelligence officials to criticize the program in public.” Inman was quoted as saying “This activity is not authorized,” and that the administration, “need(s) to get away from the idea that they can continue doing it.” (Brilliant!)

Take ‘em as you will…

31

Yes… you read that right… 31.

As in 31%... as in President Bush’s latest approval ratings... as in his lowest ratings ever... as in pathetic... as in funny as hell...

A new USA Today/Gallup poll (taken Friday through Sunday and surveying 1,013 adults) shows Dubya’s approval ratings have nose-dived to a new low, 31% (that’s a drop of three percentage points in a single week for those of you scoring at home… or even if you’re alone… [rimshot] Thank you I’m here all week)

Tracey Schmitt, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee stated, “It is a challenging political environment...” (Well, thanks for clearing that up Ms. Schmitt... great political insight there... my four year olds could have figured that out...)

Ms. Schmitt continued to blather on about how they are “confident” that, come November, the American votes would be duped aga—, I mean that voters “will recognize that a Democrat Congress would simply not be equipped to ensure either economic or national security for our nation.” (Yeah, cuz the Republicans have done such a bang-up job… and don’t mention the fact that there has not been an attack on U.S. soil, keeping us secure is bigger than that only and you know it)

And it’s not just liberals and Democrats who are disappointed in Bush. Moderates gave him an approval rating of 28% and liberals gave him 7% (I would really like to meet the 7% of liberals who give him passing marks, just because one really has to worry about their sanity)

Only 52% of conservatives and 68% of Republicans approve of the job he is doing, both being record-lows among those particular groups.

How much more evidence do people need to back-up opinions that Bush is failing as a President?

His VP is questioning his political clout, his core group of supporters are slowly oozing away from him, his various political nominees are being denounced by both parties, policy initiatives are falling by the wayside, he’s being degraded by foreign leaders, the economy is starting to tank under his ineptness, he has become the focus of jokesters around the country, and our nation is losing it’s standing in the world because no one believes what he, or anyone else in the administration, is saying.

We have two more years of this… and I can safely say that I now know how Dante Alighieri felt on his way to hell.

In case you’re interested, there have only been four other presidents in the nation’s history that have scored lower approval ratings since the Gallup Poll began in the mid-1940s: Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and the first George Bush.

What’s even better news is that after Nixon, Carter and the elder Bush sank below 35%, they never registered above 40% again... never... never, ever...

Worst. President. Ever.

The Week Ahead

It’s Monday... we all know what that means...

Random Polit—, wait, no… that’s Wednesday’s feature... The Weekly Rew—, no... that’s on Fridays...

Ah… that’s right, it’s The Week Ahead, a short compilation of things we should all keep an eye on as this new week gets underway.

Read about ‘em, keep an eye on ‘em...

• With an enrollment deadline fast approaching (May 15th), Commander Cuckoo-Bananas dedicated his Saturday Radio Address to speak to elderly and disabled Americans and told them to review their options and sign up for the government's new prescription drug benefit. All I can say to that is this: it’s May 8th, do YOU know where your Medicare benefits are?
• Among news stories over the weekend that spoke of his best experience as President has been catching a fuc**** fish (though it now looks as though that's a lie as well, because the 7.5 pound perch he claims to have caught, though some speculate he meant bass, would make that a world record for the largest perch ever caught, read about it HERE) and the fact he is already thinking about life after the White House (is “The George W. Bush Presidential Library” an oxymoron? I mean, unless we add; ‘…and Fishing Emporium’ to the end of it… it certainly sounds odd) it was revealed by House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) that Democrats are going to launch a series of investigations of the Bush administration when they take control of Congress in November… it should be noted that they state they are not out to impeach him… bummer. Incidentally, if you want to see how other presidents answered that question, click HERE.
• The Washington Post is reporting that DCOS Karl “I know noth-ing!” Rove “Talked with White House colleagues about the political importance of defending the prewar intelligence and countering Plame’s husband, former ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV.” Fitzgerald is expected to decide whether or not to indict Rove for making false statements as soon as this month, but is weighing Rove's “foggy-memory” defense against evidence he has acquired over nearly 2 1/2 years. Some of which shows Rove was very involved in White House efforts to beat back any and all allegations that Bush altered (‘spun’) U.S. intelligence in order to justify the invasion of Iraq.
• He’s waiting for a US Supreme Court ruling on whether the prisoners might face military tribunals, but Dubya has stated publicly that he would like to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. Rhetoric or truth? Keep an eye on this story… if it’s rhetoric designed to divert attention from something else, you’ll never hear of it again. If it’s an honest idea, this presidency could get interesting… well, okay, not really, but I like how ‘could get interesting’ ends a thought.
• Following up on telling employees of NASA and NOAA what to say, last week employees at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) were stunned when they got White House talking points… not on bird flu or anything that would make sense, but on Iraq (uh…okay…) The “memos” told employees to include lines like “President Bush has a clear strategy for victory in Iraq” (Sure you do Georgie-boy… let’s see it then…) in every speech they give for the department. You can see the talking points received by the USDA HERE.
• Keep an eye on Sudan as things, hopefully, won’t get worse over there before they get better. Though keeping an eye on it may be somewhat difficult, what with the “main stream medias” incrediblly piss-poor reporting on the crisis. But hey! At least we know that Adam Sandler is a father…
• You thought he would have learned from his mistakes the last time… but evidently not. While he didn’t dismiss the idea that there is planning underway for a military strike against Iran, British Prime Minister Tony Blair (who, btw, refuses to speculate on his retirement) did say that any consideration of a nuclear attack against Iran would be “absolutely absurd.”
• More on Iran, which is something we should ALL be keeping an eye on… constantly. The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, wrote a letter to President Bush, that proposed “new solutions for getting out of international problems and the current fragile situation in the world.” The White House isn’t saying if the first solution put forth by Ahmadinejad to Bush was; ‘resign’.
• You can put this in the ‘Color me NOT surprised files’ as Senator Majority Leader Bill “They call me Dr!” Frist (R-TN) and Speaker of the House Dennis “When Photo-Ops Attack” Hastert (R-IL) “plan to extend [tax] breaks that mostly benefit the wealthy and Wall Street at the expense of reductions for middle-income households.” I, personally, am shocked as I thought Republicans were the party of inclusion (warning: sarcasm alert)
• Keep an eye on the relationship between Bush and Dick. Sunday, Vice President Dick “Dead Eye” Cheney appeared to question the political clout of his “boss”, Dubya. When asked to comment on rumors that he may retire following the November mid-terms, thus allowing Dubya to appoint someone who could run on his coattails in 2008, the vice president was skeptical and stated; "Well, I'm not sure it would be an advantage.” Ouch…
• I’m sure this will go smoothly. Following Porter Goss’ sudden resignation last week, Bush officially nominated Air Force General Michael Hayden today to be the new director of the CIA, which is drawing some serious concerns and some heavy criticism on Capital Hill from both sides of the aisle. Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence panels raised some serious concerns about Hayden, calling him “the wrong man at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Ok, forgetting for a second about the new nominee, how do you go from accepting a “surprise” resignation to naming a new head in a matter of days? The administration forced Goss out, pure and simple, and had their eyes on a military replacement a long, long time ago. All of this brings to mind two burning questions; what does Goss know that the White House doesn’t want the American public to know… and is someone from the military the best choice for our spying agency? This is THE ONE to keep an eye and ear on in the weeks ahead.

And one more...

• We should all be keeping an eye on the Sunday talk shows as we inch ever-closer to November’s midterms. But yesterdays “This Week George Stephanopolous” was particularly intriguing. Smilin’ Tom DeLay (R-TX) stated that Howard Dean is “creating a culture of hypocrisy” and criticized the Democrats for playing the “politics of personal destruction” (hello kettle, this is the pot; you’re black). Dean’s response; “I’m not going to get into an argument with a guy who’s on his way out of Congress.” Ouch… one could almost see the wind leaving DeLay’s gut from that punch to the stomach.

The Weekly Rewind

Due to some family emergencies, Scott is unable to post this week’s Rewind, so please welcome our Guest Poster… me.

We have a kinda-sorta off-kilter rewind this week, with more heckles than applauds with a few heckles aimed at Democrats.

Here ya go…The Weekly Rewind starts on TBWA… (bloop)… now! (sputter… choke… choke… sputter….)

Damn, that’s the last time I buy “Fanfare” from E-Bay…

Applaud: to the peace deal signed today in Darfur by all factions involved… let’s hope that the plan sticks and everyone abides by it…

Heckle: to Vice President Dick “Dead Eye” Cheney. Ok Dick, we hardly have any true allies left… why do ya gotta go and piss off the Russians??? Let’s try this strategy for you Dick; shut the hell up. Granted, I think Rossiyskaya Gazeta, the government-run newspaper, is wrong that Cheney’s comments are the birth of a new cold war, but Cheney really needs to learn to watch his mouth from time to time… don’t ya think?

Half-hearted Applaud: to Rep. Charles H. Taylor (R-NC). It’s half-hearted because, rather than doing it because it’s the right thing to do, he has agreed to “drop his effort to block federal funds for a memorial to the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93” because he was “under intense pressure.” (Dick. Head.)

Heckle: to a sad state of affairs on the way Americans have to carry themselves abroad: “The official team bus to be used by the United States during the World Cup (of soccer for all you non-World Cup fans out there) in Germany will not bear a U.S. flag for security reasons. The 32 official buses were presented Thursday in Frankfurt and the other 31 buses have large national flags of the teams painted on rear sides.” Sad… just sad.

Applaud: to former CIA analyst Ray McGovern and his challenge to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld lies about Iraq’s WMD program yesterday afternoon in Atlanta. First Harry Taylor… now Ray. Hmmm… is America starting to wake up? One can only hope.

Heckle: to money in the amount of $6.89 billion. Why? Because that was the first quarter profits of Royal Dutch Shell, the world’s third-largest oil company. )That much profit and we’re still paying HOW MUCH FOR GAS!!??? Am I missing something?? Give me a fuc**** break…?)

Applaud: to ever-dropping, lower than a snake’s belly, approval ratings for “President” Bush – 33%. This makes it the lowest ever recorded by an AP-Ipsos poll, with “45% of self-described conservatives saying he sucks… Nice…

Heckle: to stupidity and/or laziness... your call. Erie County, Ohio: an election on the central committee of the Erie County Democratic Party ended in a tie because the incumbent, William Crawford, has two voting age sons… who didn’t bother to vote. One of the sons lives at home, the other in a house across the street. (That’s it, you’re both out of the will!)

Applaud: to not kowtowing to the Bush Administration. The Senate defied and ignored the threat of a veto from Commander Cuckoo-Bananas yesterday and passed (handily, 77 – 21) a $109 billion emergency spending bill. Now we wait to see what happens next… in the meantime, we’ll applaud them for showing some gumption and backbone.

Heckle: to Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI). What is this… a family trait?

Applaud: to the “Alcatraz of the Rockies”

Heckle: to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic… British style. British Prime Minister Tony Blair ‘shook-up’ his administration this week, axing home secretary Charles Clarke and demoting Jack Straw from Foreign Secretary to Commons Leader. This comes amid disastrous results for Blair’s Labour party after they came in third in Thursday's polls and lost about 200 seats to the Tories. (This is what happens when a leader aligns himself with Bush and doesn’t back away when the you-know-what hits the fan. Who wants odds on when Blair is gone?)

Applaud or is it a Heckle: to another exit stage left. It was announced today that Porter Goss has resigned as the Director of the CIA. What this says about the goings on in Washington is anyone’s guess… but one thing for certain, we haven’t seen the last of the heads rolling on the Beltway or beyond.

Heckle: to Rep. William Jefferson (D-NO) for “allegedly” (whatever…) taking bribes in excess of $450,000 from Kentucky businessman Vernon Jackson. Leave this to the Republicans Mr. Jefferson… it doesn’t suit you. Now, all you Dems in the House… you need to publicly call on him to resign… if not, then you will lose ALL credibility when it comes on calling for Republicans to resign amid bribery scandals, which, granted, does happen MUCH more often…

Applaud: to no more Scott “You won’t have me to kick around anymore Helen!” McClellan. He’s wrapping up his last day as Press Secretary pretty much the same way it always has been… spin, spin, and more spin with little, if any, substance. Don’t let the door hit ya on the way out there ‘mouthpiece.’

Heckle: to the French for expecting the US to hand over Zacarias Moussaoui to them so he can serve his prison sentence there. Ok, let us think ab— no! As I said on a brief post yesterday, “How do you say, ‘Go suck it’ in French?”

Applaud: to irony. This was mentioned in this week’s random post, but it’s just too good to pass up. Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff’s former lobbying partner (who has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy) defended his graduate thesis at Johns Hopkins University earlier this week. His thesis’ subject? The House ethics process. Priceless…

Heckle: to big mouthed Federal Reserve Chairmen. Chairman Ben Bernanke learned a harsh lesson this past week that EVERYTHING, and I mean every… little… thing…, that he says makes the news. It doesn’t matter if it’s between him and another person or him speaking to a large group… whatever he says will be heard by the public.

Applaud: to the Judge in the trial of former Illinois Governor George Ryan (R-IL). The former governor was found guilty a few and the judge has found no jury prejudice and has shut down the inquiry requested by the defense.

That's all we got... remember to take our poll up top and check out the countdown clock at the bottom to see how many more days we as a nation have left to be 'BushWhacked.'

You have GOT to be kidding...

You really have to love the French…

Le Monde (and a separate article from Reuters) is reporting that French officials have been in contact with the US with aspirations of transferring 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to France so he can serve his sentence there… I’ll give you all a moment to reflect on that idea…

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According to the article in the French-version of Le Monde (Note: I had to steal the translation from another blog called Captain's Quarters, as there is not a link to this article in the English-language version yet) the French are relying on two bilateral conventions in order to extradite Moussaoui and transfer the al-Qaeda terrorist to French custody (Moussaoui's mother, Aisha el-Wafi, has publicly pleaded with French Prime Minister Jacque Chirac’s government to allow the terrorist to serve his sentence in France rather than in America) so he can serve his sentence in his “homeland.”

(Btw, the conventions mentioned in the article date back to 1983 and 1985, and give specific transfer processes for French citizens convicted in American courts, and vice-versa. Whom the HELL came up with that concept?)

El-Wafi’s lawyer, Patrick Baudouin, has noted that France, unlike the United States, does not rule out reducing life sentences, so it would be possible that after a few years of being held in a French prison, the French government, claiming he had been rehabilitated or served an adequate amount of time for his crimes, would release Moussaoui and we would see and hear him once again laughing at America… taking away the chance for all Americans to ignore the fuc*** and let him “die with a whimper.”

Can you imagine what the French would have done if he bad been given the death penalty???

Now, I would ask you all to flood the French government with emails and letters denouncing the plan, but I would be afraid that they would surrender (cheese eating surrender monkeys) when confronted with that much show of force (sarcasm alert)

How do you say, “Go suck it” in French?

Let him rot

At a formal sentencing hearing this morning U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema formally sentenced convicted al-Qaeda conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui to life in prison without parole.

Although the Judge could have chosen to sentence this 'waste of space' to death. The sentencing followed the jury recommendation handed down yesterday.

When given a chance to speak during the sentencing hearing, Moussaoui chose to do his usual bit of cursing the US and praising bin Laden.

Judge Brinkema ended the session by telling Moussaoui he would "die with a whimper" without ever speaking publicly again.

Moussaoui is a punk and loud mouthed 'waste of space' who should be placed in jail not in solitary, but with a large cellmate named Bubba who will change Moussaoui's name to 'Bitch'.

If I ever get a chance to meet Judge Brinkema the drinks are on me.

Breaking News...

A federal jury handed down their verdict today that spares the life of Zacarias Moussaoui. Rather than be put to death, the avowed al-Qaeda conspirator will be sentenced to life in prison for his role in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Personally, I think we should have killed the fuc***, but who am I to decide that?

More details as they become available.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Hump day… we all know what that means. Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon, or RPTFAWA, for all you acronym-ites out there.

D’oh! Remember last week when Herr Bush said the National Anthem should only be sung in English? Apparently he has forgotten about his past (that damn amnesia… or maybe it’s senility) It seems that during Bush’s first presidential campaign, he would often have singers at the events singing the anthem in Spanish… and it’s possible that Bush sung the national anthem in Spanish himself at one such event. Add to that that after Bush was elected, Cuban exile and pop vocalist Jon Secada also sang the "The Star-Spangled Banner" in both English and Spanish at the 2001 opening ceremony of the presidential inaugural. Hmmmm…. can we say ‘fracaso de tirón’? (Flip flop for all you non Spanish-speakers out there)

Sigh… A poll for National Geographic found that 6 in 10 Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 could not locate Iraq on a map, close to a third couldn’t locate the state of Louisiana, and “fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news.” I… I can’t even think of something to say about that…

The hits just keep on coming. Just when you thought Bush couldn’t see more push-back from his own party, you’re proven wrong. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated earlier this week that the Armed Services subcommittee (of which he is the Chairman) “would reject one of the most controversial aspects of President Bush’s fiscal 2007 defense budget request, a proposal to charge some military retirees more for their health care.” Good work Senator… Bush apparently wants them to risk their lives in a military conflict of which he has no plan of action to exit AND pay more for their healthcare when they retire. The man IS a mental furball…

THE definition of irony. Michael Scanlon, Jack Abramoff’s former lobbying partner (who has already pleaded guilty to conspiracy) defended his graduate thesis at Johns Hopkins University earlier this week. His thesis’ subject? The House ethics process. Some of my random political thoughts just speak for themselves, and don’t need additional comments, don’t they?

Well, duh. Some members of the GOP thought they were being considerate when they crafted the plan to react (just in time… sarcasm alert) to soaring gasoline prices by giving most drivers a $100 rebate (cuz that would help oh, so much) After being inundated with complaints about pandering, the rebate idea has been shelved, although there is also a thought that it wasn’t shelved because it was ridiculed by the public, but because of “torrent of objections from business leaders and their advocates” in the oil and gas industries. Hmmmm… which one seems more likely???

Gratuitous op-ed plug(s) of the week. Not an op-ed piece per se, but rather a new report from the libertarian CATO Institute on the Bush presidency: “The pattern that emerges is one of a ceaseless push for power, unchecked by either the courts or Congress, one in short of disdain for constitutional limits.” (I’m gonna say ‘Ouch’ for the Bush Administration…). The second one is also not an op-ed piece but rather a quote from former Homeland Security inspector general Clark “I’ve heard all the jokes” Kent Ervin from his new memoir:, “Clearly, the Homeland Security Department has served to make us only marginally safer, and in the age of terror, marginally safer is not enough.” (Again, I’m gonna say ‘Ouch’ for the Bush Administration)

Kicking him while he’s down. A scant six months before Republicans try to hold on to control of Congress in the November elections, a new USA Today/Gallup/NO CNN poll shows that the “President’s” approval ratings have fallen to the lowest of his presidency, 34%. Add to that that 54% of respondents plan on voting Democrat in November and you have a bad day… week… year… terms… for Dubya. Tee. Hee.

Open mouth, insert foot. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is quickly learning that what he says carries a LOT of weight with the country’s financial markets… even if it’s in a ‘social situation.’ Bernanke told CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo at the White House Correspondents Association dinner that her investors were wrong in thinking he's done lifting interest rates. Financial markets were blindsided after Stocks surrendered gains, bonds fell and the dollar jumped after she reported the conversation. (Personal advice to Mr. Bernanke: like the old “EF Hutton”commercials… when you speak, people listen. Remember that… learn it, live it, love it.)

From the ‘it’s funny when it happens to them’ files Rep. Tom DeLay's (R-TX) legal defense fund spent $312,000 in expenses in the first quarter of this year, after paying out fees to four different law firms that, in some way or another, represent him on two different legal fronts. Combine that $110,000 that he paid out of his campaign committee to a firm in January and you have him paying more than $400,000 in the first three months of the year on legal fees. In the last two years, DeLay has paid out $1.3 million in legal fees. (I’m gonna say ‘ouch’ for Sen. DeLay…)

Let the odds-making begin. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) said earlier this week that he is weighing whether “I have a chance in 2008,” during a trip to Iowa. This is seen as some to be his strongest statement yet as to whether or not he is considering a run for the presidency. Hmmmm, I could think of WORSE people to have as a GOP candidate (Jeb Bush, Neil Bush… any of the Bush family), but, ignoring his party-affiliation, I’m just not sure I can see Giuliani as President.

They came, they saw, they marched. In the aftermath of Monday's ill-themed “Day Without Immigrants,” the question now is how to translate the passion of the streets into long-serving political gains. In the months ahead, immigrant rights groups plan to shift their energy into making a difference at the polls by way of registering voters, helping legal immigrants become citizens, and getting out the vote in primary elections across the country. They better make sure they are loud, as Monday’s rallies did little to influence Congress one way or the other.

Have gun, will travel.Vice President Dick “Dead Eye” Cheney has an upcoming, six-day “Freedom Agenda” trip aimed to “nurture democracy” and advance U.S. interests abroad. Stands to reason that there are some pretty good chances that, with Cheney doing the talking, after the six days are over, our standing in the world will be less than it is right now and even more countries will be pissed at us.

Awwww, crap. Four words: Medicare broke by 2018. ‘Nuff said. Ok, I’ll say more… According to a government forecast, the financial woes of the Medicare system have deepened the past year, and that it will be unable to cover all its bills in twelve years, this would be 12 years sooner than what had been anticipated when Dubya first took office. Great… just great. Instead of fixing Medicare, Bush is… is… doing absolutely nothing. Think about it, what is Bush doing right now? Not just regarding Medicare, but about anything… is he trying to fix anything in this country or just biding his time until his term is up in a couple of years? We’ve said it here before, and others have also said it, but I’ll say it again… screw the trolls who will accuse us of harboring animosity against Bush. He is, simply and non-originally out, the worst. President. Ever.

The plot thickens… Remember how some in the Bush Administration and the GOP said that the leaking of former undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame’s name did nothing to hinder her CIA work? Well, turns out they were either lying or were wrong (my vote is for lying). Ms. Plame was doing something rather important when her cover was blown. What was she doing you ask? Nothing much, just tracking the proliferation of nuclear material in Iran and that her ‘outing’ is said to have “damaged” the administration’s ability to track Iran’s nuclear ambitions.. (Well, there ya go, it seems that whichever White House employee leaked her name is to partially blame for the current mess in Iran. I wonder how the administration will spin this story?)

Take ‘em as you will…

"Mission Accomplished"... NOT!

Three years ago today (May 1, 2003) Dubya stood on a US Aircraft carrier, perched underneath a banner that read “Mission Accomplished” and made an announcement that sent cheers across the country. That annoucement was that “Major combat operations have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

He was wrong.

Borrowed from Think Progress, here’s a handy by-the-numbers chart that looks at Iraq then... and now...

U.S. Troops Wounded: May 1, 2003: 542 / May 1, 2006: 17,469

U.S. Troops Killed: May1, 2003: 139 / May 1, 2006: 2,400

Size of U.S. Forces: May 1, 2003: 150,000 / May 1, 2006: 132,000

Size of Iraqi Security Forces: May 1, 2003: 7,000-9000 / May 1, 2006: 250,500

Number of Insurgents: May 1, 2003: 5,000 / May 1, 2006: 15,000-20,000

Insurgent Attacks Per Day: May 1, 2003: 8 / May 1, 2006: 75

Cost to U.S. Taxpayers: May 1, 2003: $79 billion / May 1, 2006: $320 billion

Approval of Bush’s Handling of Iraq: May 1, 2003: 75% / May 1, 2006: 37%

Percentage of Americans who Believe The Iraq War Was “Worth Fighting”:
May 1, 2003: 70% / May 1, 2006: 41%

Bush’s Overall Job Approval: May 1, 2003: 71% / May 1, 2006: 38%

Startling... isn't it?