The Week Ahead

A few things to pay attention to as the new week gets underway. Take 'em as you will, but keep 'em in mind.

• Not so much as something to keep an eye on, but we at TBWA haven’t mentioned him in a while, so I thought this story was a good one to pass on. Remember former FEMA Chief Michael Brown? Him of the ever-famous ‘Heckuva job Brownie.’ He was on CNN last week, and mentioned that just before he resigned in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, he got an email from a Senior White House staffer that said, among other things, “I did hear of one reference to you, at the Cabinet meeting yesterday. I wasn't there, but I heard someone commented that the press was sure beating up on Mike Brown, to which the president replied; ‘I'd rather they beat up on him than me or Chertoff.’ Congratulations on doing a great job of diverting hostile fire away from the leader.” Well… at least he did something useful…
• Keep an eye and ear as this week a federal district court in Detroit will hear lawyers for the ACLU arguing that the NSA’s wiretapping programs violate the U.S. Constitution and the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and will be asking that the program be halted. Attorneys for the Justice Department have asked the judge to dismiss the suit because it would (supposedly) reveal state secrets. Don’t let this one get out of your sight, lest the NSA spin it right by us.
• Keep an eye on Guantanamo Bay after the suicides of three detainees over the weekend. Add to that the fact that there was a delay in discovering the three, the whole situation has raised questions whether or not regulations for supervision of prisoners were, and are being, followed. This problem was exacerbated when U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Colleen Graffy described the suicides as a “good PR move to draw attention.” Now, the European Union is calling for the prison to be closed. Brilliant. Some people should never, ever open their mouths lest they make a fool of themselves)
• Keep an eye on the Democrats. Seems that they are closing the fundraising gap with the Republicans. Experts say that a surge in small, individual contributions is helping to lift Democratic campaigns and eliminating the Republican fundraising advantage that had been seen for years and years. (That’s all fine and good, but out-raising the GOP doesn’t do a damn thing unless it can be backed-up with a victory in November. Keep the real victory and goal in site people…)
• We at TBWA have urged everyone to keep a close eye (and ear) on Iran and it’s nuclear/uranium enrichment plans, and this past Sunday, Iran said that is has accepted portions of an offer from the West (and rejected others) that had an aim of getting Tehran to drop its nuclear program. In the statement, Iran also said that some of the points of the offer were “unclear,” (Somewhat good news indeed, but if I were you, I wouldn’t take my eyes off Iran for a second. They’re quick and shifty and, if possible for an entire country, acting with more than a few bi-polar tendencies)
• If you or someone you care about has Medicaid, here’s a little something to keep in mind and keep an eye on in the weeks to come. Apparently, since the Bush administration couldn’t fix Medicare, it’s now allowing states to try their hand and improving Medicaid (which is the nation’s largest public health insurance program that covers 55 million poor and disabled Americans) With the okay from the administration, states are now highly motivated and moving quickly to transform Medicaid by adding fees, restricting benefits, and privatization of some portions of the Medicaid program. Yeah, I’m sure this plan will work well…)
• Keep an eye on your own college debt and keep this in mind with your kids (despite their age). The amount of students who are leaving college with some level of “unmanageable debt” (defined as debt that can’t be repaid without significant lifestyle hardship) is intensifying as the average college senior is graduating this year with more than $19,000 of college-related debt. (Makes me glad I was on scholarships throughout college and only have my wife’s college debts to worry about, otherwise… we’d be screwed… and not in a good way)
• Something to keep in mind in the years ahead is the legacy of the Iraq war in the Arab world. Most believe that its legacy will be one of “fear and suspicion over Iraq’s repercussions, a generation that casts the Bush administration’s policy as an unquestioned war on Islam, and a subterranean reserve of men who…declare that the fight against the United States in Iraq is a model for the future.” (Uh, ok, sure. Personally I would have said something more simple like; “We got screwed with our pants on,” but that’s just me…)

The Weekly Rewind

Hmmmm… it seems like the ‘heckles’ vastly outnumber the ‘applauds’ this week. Can only mean one thing... The Weekly Rewind.

It starts... right... now... I said now... son of a bit-, will someone wake up the hamster and get him on the wheel so I can get this computer going... thank you...

IT STARTS... RIGHT NOW!!

Applaud: to the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in Iraq by a “precision airstrike”. About time. We’ll ignore the fact that Bush could have nailed him a LONG time ago but decided not to for reasons that are still unlear to people with an ounce of gray matter in their brains. Naturally, the “President” says it’s “a significant victory in the war on terror.” (Sure it is Georgie boy, just like everything else you’ve declared as being ‘significant’ in this war that turns out to do absoutley nothing… keep up the good work.)

Heckle: to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D-LA) for stating that she would sign a near-total ban on abortion bill when it’s passed in the state legislature, despite the fact that it includes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Blanco said those exceptions “would have ‘been reasonable,’ but she said she wouldn’t reject the bill for that reason.”

Applaud: Call me callous, but I have to applaud this bit of news in hopes that the bastard suffered a little bit…

Heckle: to the news that close to 1,400 Iraqi civilians were killed last month by insurgent attacks. This is the largest number of deaths in one-month span since the U.S.-led invasion three years ago. (What can be said that hasn’t already been said???)

Applaud: to California State Attorney General Bill Lockyear. During the last few weeks he’s been “hauling the CEOs of major oil companies into his office” and demanding, albeit in close-door sessions, that the execs tell him (under oath btw) why gas prices are higher in California than the rest of the nation. (Nice. Too bad other states Attorneys General can’t have that kind of courage and strength…)

Heckle: to Wal-Mart. Part 1. GroupIntel has an article that details the incredibly large amount of customer data that Wal-Mart collects. The data centers have “enough storage capacity to contain twice the amount of all the information available on the Internet.” (Makes you wonder what the hell they’re doing with all that data… doesn’t it?)

Applaud: to the American Bar Association (did I just write that??) and their Board of Governors for unanimously voting to “investigate whether President Bush has exceeded his constitutional authority in reserving the right to ignore more than 750 laws that have been enacted since he took office.” (Exxxxcellllent.)

Heckle: to Wal-Mart. Part 2. Seems the company that cares so much about their employees (sarcasm alert!) is fighting a health care bill with a fake news release that warns people that increased health insurance will create higher gas prices and air fares. (Uh… okay… can you say deflection?)

Applaud: to Armed Forces Radio for considering, due to suggestions from a radio consulting firm, eliminating all political talk shows from their airwaves, meaning no more Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. (Heh heh heh)

Heckle: to incredibly fuc***-up priorities. While the Senate debates on gay marriage the “Paris Hilton Tax” repeal, Congress still has done nothing to approve funds for spending that includes funding for both Iraq and the Gulf Coast despite the bill going up in February. (Let’s see, that’s… 1,2… four months later and still nothing. Nice. While both parties try to reclaim support by pandering to their party’s base, the people who really need help are getting screwed with their pants on. Keep up the ‘good’ work guys…)

Applaud: to buh-byes. Senator Tom DeLay (R-TX) officially resigns today, Friday. (Don’t le the door hit your ass on the way out Senator… on second thought; DO let the door hit your ass on the way out)

Heckle: It’s been quite a few years since Americans gained federal protection for their private medical information (HIPAA, baby!) and the Bush administration has received thousands of complaints that allege various violations of those laws. But, and this should come as a surprise to NO ONE, not one civil fine has been imposed and only two case have been prosecuted. (I wish I could say I was surprised… but I can’t… cause I’m not)

Applaud: to being entertaining for all, good news for Democrats, and bad news for Republicans. Who am I talking about? Katherine Harris of course. Not only did she lose her fourth – yes, you read that right, fourth - Chief of Staff this week, her campaign is “inspiring dread among many in her party.” Some say it’s her incredibly bad job of fundraising, some say it’s the polling numbers that make Bush’s seem high, some say it’s the disarray of her campaign staff or her strange behavior. Regardless of the reason, her party sees trouble… (while I see opportunity and entertainment. Keep it up Katherine!)

Heckle: to idling and doing nothig. There has been virtually no progress in battling HIV/AIDS in the United States since the epidemic first began 25 years ago, and new discoveries have “slowed to a crawl” with no new treatments being discovered ‘for almost 10 years. (Not sure who to aim this to, but more needs to be done)

Applaud: to testing the waters. Former Senator Tom Daschle (D-SD) is in, or is scheduled to visit, various towns in New Hampshire and Iowa in an attempt to gauge what the response would be like were he to run for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 Presidential Campaign. I like Daschle, and he would be head and shoulders above Hillary and Kerry…

Heckle: to the Pentagon for deciding to omit a key tenet of the Geneva Convention in new detainee policies. This would be a tenet that explicitly bans ‘humiliating and degrading treatment.’ The State Department “fiercely opposes” the decision but has so-far been rebuked in its efforts to get the Pentagon and White House to reconsider. (Again, like many times this week, considering where the decision is coming from and who is making these desicisons, this doesn’t surprise me at all…)

That's all I have for the day… what are YOU applauding and heckling this week???

Who really cares?

Yesterday we learned that Iraqi al-Qeada leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in an airstrike on a safe house that he was reportedly hiding in. Good news right? I mean we are all glad to hear that another of the big terror leaders has bit the dust. At this point it should be the end of the story, we tracked the guy down, we killed him, he's dead. END OF STORY, let's move on now......

But no, today I was watching video of a news conference where CNN reporter Barbara Starr was asking Maj. Gen. William Caldwell if he had "any information that Zarqawi intitally survived the airstrike, that he was alive at any point in the hands of either Iraqi or U.S. forces, and can you tell us if one of the women was indentified as one of Zaqawi's wives or someone related to him."

Ok, I am not a formally trained journalist, but the first thought I had upon hearing her line of questioning was 'who cares?' Even if he was barely alive he was not going to tell anyone and I mean ANYONE anything of use. The General said that Zarqawi reportedly mumbled something uninteligible before dying. (It was probably a curse on the U.S.)

I mean does anyone in this country really give a shit if this guy was alive for 30 or 60 seconds after U.S. and Iraqi forces stormed the bombed area? and does it matter if one of the women in the house that was also killed was related to him in any way??? Why not ask what kind of hair care products may have been found amid the rubble? Did the occupants use hair spray or styling gel?

Come on Barbara if you're going to ask questions, ask some that really matter. Something along the lines of "now that Zarqawi is dead does that raise hopes that his followers will succomb to infighting and give us more opportunites to find them and arrest or elimiate them as well?" or something else that is ACTUALLY important and relates to what our troops are fighting against in Iraq. You're the journalist, you figure it out. Leave the stupid questions to the Enquirer....

Or am I oversimplifying this too much?

Poll Position (Finally)

Being such a hot-button topic, we were asked by quite a few people to leave our latest poll up in order to try and get a more-accurate reading of our regular viwers and their perception on the issue of immigration.

Well, it’s been up for quite a while now, so Scott and I have decided to (finally) take it down.

What a response this poll elicited, with close to 400 offering their varied thoughts on the matter.

To remind everyone, the question asked was “What would you like to see congress and the administration do regarding the issue of illegal aliens in the U.S.?”

The clear winner, with 32% of the vote, was to fine them, make them go through background checks and then make them wait six years to attain their citizenship. (Seems a tad harsh to me, but I can see where the people are coming from...)

The runner-up with 25% thought that since the immigrants are already here, and thus already ensconced in society, to just go ahead, give them amnesty and make them citizens outright. (Would probably be the easiest, but would most likely cause a LOT of problems)

Coming in next with a ‘respectable’ 19% were those who believe that all illegal immigrants should be rounded up and sent home (how exactly would that be accomplished would be my first question) with 18% agreeing with that sentiment, but going one step farther and erecting a big fence around the border (uh... the Germans tried that and it didn't work all that well...)

Interestingly enough, the sentiment of rounding them up and shipping them home and digging a wide canal around the border (similar in concept and idealism) got only 5% of the vote.

Where is the remaining 1%? Belonging to the respondents who don’t know and don’t care about the immigration issue. To them, Scott and I say; ‘Get a life. Open a book. Read a newspaper or online news service and try to get some intelligence into that narrow, unknowing mind of yours. Schmucks.” This issue does effect everyone, whether they know it or not, and to not have an opinion, even when it’s that small of a sample size, is pathetic and shows a true lack of emotion, knowledge and awareness.

And that’s all we’re going to say on the matter.

What do you think? Do you agree with the numbers? Disagree? Whatever your thoughts, let us know by leaving us a comment.

The new poll question is: “Do you think the death of Al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi will help stem the tide of insurgent attacks in Iraq?”

That's gonna leave a mark...

U.S. officials made an official announcement this morning that Al-Qaida leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has been killed in Iraq by a U.S.-led airstrike that dropped two 500-pound bombs on a house in which al-Zarqawi was meeting with other insurgent leaders.

The good news (yes, I believe it’s good news) about Zarqawi’s death comes as news of more violence is being reported, including two bombs striking a market and a police patrol in Baghdad, with the bombs killing (at least) 19 people and wounding “more than 40.”

Getting back to al-Zarqawi, various reports from U.S. military officials seem to indicate that Zarqawi may have been exposed by a group of individuals that were close to him, with some believing that this suggests an internal power struggle among Al-Qaida with the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, General George Casey, stating that, “Tips and intelligence from Iraqi senior leaders from his network led forces to al-Zarqawi and some of his associates who were conducting a meeting… when the air strike was launched.”

Granted, we’ve all been told that al-Zarqawi has been killed before, but this time it seems to be accurate, with various individuals and organizations verifying his death.

Will this end the insurgency in Iraq? Absolutley not.

Will it ebb the insurgent attacks in Iraq? Possibly.

Is it a ‘victory’ for the Bush Administration? Doubtful... but one never knows.

Stay tuned...

The Weekly Rewind

Greetings and salutations to you all. As Kemp mentioned the other day, he is out of town for some well deserved R&R, so once agian this week I will be informing you on the happenings of the past week. Some of these things may have been covered in the news and some may have been conveniently overlooked. In any case....away we go!

Heckle: to what the hell are you thinking. The Internal Revenue Service this week announced that in 2007 taxpayers will have the option of dividing their tax refund in up to three diferent banking/financial accounts. Oh yeah, taxpayers who elect this option will have to fill out yet another form! (You saw that one coming didn't you?) And just what is the reasoning behind this new ability to split your refund? “Split refunds should encourage saving, and we hope it will dampen demand for refund anticipation loans,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. Sorry Mark, but I don't see this leading to more people saving or lessoning a demand for refund loans. Remember we live in an instant world that demands instant gratification. Nice try though. How about making sure that people with six kids claim them on their W-4 and have the correct amounts withheld during the year instead of using the US Treasury as a 'christmas club' that pays them each spring?

Heckle: to another nice try, but we ain't buying it. Outgoing Treasury Secretary John Snow is still spouting off as one of the Bush brain-washed. Speaking about the just released May employement report, Snow stated “Today’s report is good news for American families. It shows that our economy is on solid footing and that we are heading in the right direction, giving Americans a renewed sense of optimism.” He went on to add, “I am pleased to note that virtually everywhere one looks there is good economic news."

I am more inclined to side with Bernard Baumohl of the Economic Outlook Group. His take on the numbers were more gloomy, “Today’s weak employment report represents one of the more concrete signs that we are about to enter a sustained economic slowdown in the second half.” Well said Mr. Baumohl.

Applaud: to others catching up to us. “President George W. Bush has been named the worst president in the last 61 years by American voters — with nearly twice the negative rating of Richard Nixon — in a new poll by Quinnipiac University.”

Heckle: to the real flip-flopper. The Bush administration’s “world-class flip-flop” on Iran goes unnoticed. It would be nice is other people noticed this besides us.

Applaud: to division in the ranks. House republicans have grown more and more combative. Seems that folks are getting nervous about holding onto their majority with the midterm elections looming in the distance. This should get even more interesting as we get closer to November. I see them losing the majority hold on congress, but then stranger things have happened. So all of you fellow left wingers don't think we have November in the bag just yet, we have a long 5 months to go.

Heckle: to the administration has itself to blame. The three-month probe of the reported massacre in Haditha, expected to be released next week, will likely conclude not only that “some officers gave false information to their superiors,” but that “senior Marine commanders were derelict in their duty to monitor the actions of subordinates.” Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell, who led the probe, “declined to say whether he would characterize it as a ‘coverup.’”

Applaud: to grass roots activism. “The South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families announced Tuesday that it had secured more than twice the number of signatures it needed to refer the abortion ban passed by the 2006 Legislature to a vote of the people this fall.” The group gathered 37,846 signatures - “more than double the 16,728 they needed to get.”

Heckle: to still looking lame the second time around. Vice President Cheney “was dead set against” yesterday’s decision to offer the prospect of direct talks with Iran, one former Bush official said, but in the end “it came down to convincing Cheney and others that if we are going to confront Iran, we first have to check off the box” of trying talks.

Applaud: to once again showing that the scientist is indeed smarter than the politician. “Climate researchers at Purdue University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology separately reported new evidence yesterday supporting the idea that global warming is causing stronger hurricanes.” I'm not a scientist but even I could see the science behind this one.

That's all for this week. I know there are things that you are going to say I missed from the week, but hey, you're an adult, chime in, share your thoughts, what are you applauding or heckling?

Be good, stay informed...later.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

I’m going to be out of town for a few days, so I’m leaving all of you in the capable hands of my esteemed colleague Scott. But before I go, allow me to give you this week’s Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon… enjoy.

Out of touch. White House Press Secretary Tony “I wish Scott hadn’t upped and quit” Snow has stated that “President” Bush only learned of the reported Haditha massacre after Time magazine reported the events back in March, which was almost four months after the events in question took place to begin with. (Nice… way to stay in touch Mr. President. You too ‘main stream’ media… way to go.)

New evidence. “Climate researchers at Purdue University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology separately reported new evidence yesterday supporting the idea that global warming is causing stronger hurricanes.” (Yet this administration still ignores the evidenve… what’s it gonna take… mutant Poison Ivy or something?? Oh wait, that’s right, that’s already happenning. Apparently, as carbon dioxide levels increase, Poison Ivy grows “faster and bigger” and makes more and itchier poison ivy. Lovely…)

Pork-stuffed entrée. Interesting scene in the Taiwanese parliament yesterday as parliamentary deputies tried to prevent a female colleague from destroying a document. Seems she snatched a document on opening direct transport links with China and then tried to eat the proposal in a desperate attempt to prevent the issue from coming to a vote. (What I would pay to see the same thing happen in our congress. Can you imagine a cat-fight between Congresswoman XX and Katherine Harris (R-FL)? Talk about a battle royale…)

Let’s do lunch. The US is now willing to meet with Iran and other nations for talks on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Of course, that’s only if they give up uranium enrichment (which I don’t see happening) and if Russia and China agree to UN sanctions “if it (Iran) remains defiant.” (This should be interesting. Again, I really need to get to work on that bomb shelter…)

Fall-out boy. The fall-out from Jack Abramoff continues as the former Chief of Staff to Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), Neil Volz, testified earlier this week that “Ney was a champion on Capitol Hill for Jack Abramoff and his clients before the lobbyist was disgraced.” Volz also admitted that he conspired with Ney in order to underreport costs of a golfing trip to Scotland back in 2002. (And the hits just keep on coming…)

Sad. The Pentagon released their quarterly status report on Iraq. Not surprisingly, it reports an increase in the overall average number of attacks; from fewer than 500 per week in this quarter of 2005, to more than 600 per week in the most recent quarter. “On average, nearly 80 Iraqis were killed or wounded every day…up from the previous quarter’s 60 per day.” (What else can be said?)

Gratuitous Op-Ed plugs of the week. Lou Cannon’s The Art of the Smear and Fareed Zakaria’s A Political Path Out of Iraq, both from the online edition of The Washington Post. Read… and enjoy.

An obvious outcome. the theft of millions of pieces of veteran’s data has lead to a surfeit of firings at Veterans Affairs, including the idiotic senior career data analyst who took the data home and had it promptly stolen… and the head of the department said more firings are likely. (Firing should be the least of the analyst’s worries as this was an incredibly reckless act and something else needs to be done. First, to ensure that this doesn’t happen again, and second, to make sure the analyst knows the severity of what they’ve done…)

Hide and seek. The Justice Department is enthusiastically defending their raid on the offices of William Jefferson (D-LA) and have released documents that state the Congressman tried to hide papers from the investigators. (My thought, Mr. Jefferson needs to resign… and he needs to do it now… no one is above the law regardless of their party affiliation.)

Switch-aroo. Former Kansas Republican Party Chairman Mark Parkinson switched his party affiliation to Democrat earlier this week. (Always a good thing when we can greet a reformed-lemming)

Goodbye Sen. Bentsen. there was a memorial service at First Presbyterian Church in Houston for former Senator, Treasury Secretary and VP candidate Lloyd Bentsen earlier this week after a private graveside service for his family. Former President Bill Clinton was in attendance as was Senators Hilary Clinton, John Kerry, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, Representatives Jim Wright and Tom DeLay, former Secretaries of State James Baker, Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros, former Senator and Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, former President George H.W. Bush, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan; former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson and former Texas Gov. Ann Richards. Whew… (Nice bi-partisan mix that really exemplifies the type of politician and person Bentsen was…)

Take ‘em as you will...

The Weekly Rewind....

It's Friday and you know what that means...yep it's time for The Weekly Rewind. Our review of news stories and events of the past weeks political and sometimes not so political happenings. I have a feeling that the Heckle's will take the lead once again this week, so let's get started...

Heckle: to same old, same old. This morning the Senate confirmed General Michael Hayden, a four-star general and career Air Force man, to head the CIA. He will take over the agency from Porter Goss, whom the administration has referred to as essentially a transitional director. As head of the NSA from 1999 to 2005, Gen. Hayden has come under fire for Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program. Many in Washington were concerned that he would be tied to tightly to the pentagon to lead the CIA independently. No one connected to the administration does anything ‘independently’, what we are more worried about is what other invasions of our privacy will this ‘spy-master’ now oversee.

Applaud: it couldn’t happen to two more deserving guys. On Thursday, jurors returned guilty verdicts in the trial of former Enron executives Kenneth Lay and Jeffery Skilling. In a statement on the courthouse steps, Lay said that he was "surprised, and it's probably more accurate to say we're shocked." (I find it hard to believe that he is that clueless, although he could be that delusional)

Heckle: to what else can I say but, DUH! In a televised press conference last night Britain's PM Tony Blair and Bush admitted to a number of errors in dealing with Iraq and making statements that have hurt the US image abroad. No f***ing kidding George! It only took poll numbers that are stuck in the basement to get you to eat some humble pie. By the way, it's too little too late. You only have 969 days left in office, do us a favor and take another vacation.

Applaud: to continuing to spout off and dig yourself deeper. In interviews following the verdicts, jurors said that the executives own testimony helped cement their fate. Lay’s demeanor of being frustrated at not being in control of the courtroom, and Skilling’s being able to spend days explaining the most minute financial details of the company were a direct contrast to his claims of not being aware of the illegal business maneuvering done under his watch.

Heckle: to spinning the wheels. Also on Thursday, the Senate passed an Immigration reform measure that they proclaimed would dramatically overhaul the current system. Among other things, the legislation would strengthen border security, establishes a guest worker program, and provide the way for millions of illegals to remain in the country and eventually become citizens. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) called the measure "a bad bill" that "puts more emphasis on amnesty than on border security." This bill is in sharp contrast to the House bill passed in December which emphasized border and workplace enforcement. So what did this really get us? Nothing except the Senate can go home and say that they did something to address the issue, but not really since now the huge differences between the House and Senate versions must be dealt with…..which will take many more months.

Heckle: to more double talk. Despite Condoleezza Rice’s insistence that “No one would like to shut down Guantanamo more than this administration,” Bloomberg reports, “They’re settling in for the long haul at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.” Work is almost complete on a new $30 million state-of-the-art detention facility.

Applaud: to doing the right thing. In response to the recent events surrounding Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) , House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca) sent Jefferson a simple letter calling on him to resign his seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. Members of the CBC were all over Pelosi and were ready to revolt until they emerged from a meeting with her on Wednesday. Ok, Jefferson was caught on video accepting $100,000 in cash from an FBI wired informant. We don't need democratic congressmen acting like republicans and soiling what the party stands for. We stand behind Ms. Pelosi, well done.

Heckle: to the more things change the more they stay the same. Despite Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff’s assertion that the U.S. is “much more prepared as a nation than we have ever been to confront a major hurricane,” problems remain as hurricane season approaches. “Hundreds of thousands of displaced victims from last year’s hurricanes [are] still living in more than 100,000 trailers,” efforts to effectively track supplies are “uncoordinated,” and “FEMA’s hurricane operations plan is unfinished.” Wow Mike, what a surprise! Who are you going to blame this one on?

Heckle: to see, what did we tell you! A new study finds New Orleans “is the U.S. city most likely to be struck by hurricane force winds during the 2006 storm season.” Meanwhile, the Army Corps of Engineers has finished repairing the city’s levees, but experts say New Orleans is “still very much at risk… because the level of protection the corps has reached is still not as strong as the city needs,” not even good enough for a Category 3 storm. No shit, I'm not an engineer but even I could have seen that one coming a mile away.

Heckle: to what in the hell are you people smoking? The winner in last weeks New Orleans mayoral election was....Ray Nagin!? That's right 'Mr. I Made Mistakes' before during and after Hurricane Katrina was re-elected to another term leading the city under the bay. This should be interesting folks, the levees are not as stong as they need to be, the city is far from being rebuilt, hurricane season is less than a week away and Ray Nagin is once again in charge. Maybe Mayor Nagin can hire Michael Brown to be the City Disaster Coordinator.

Ok, it's a holiday weekend and we all want to get outside and enjoy the 3 days. So let's cut this week short. Oh, by the way, I was right. Many more heckles this week. It just reminds you that you are living in George Bush's America.

Be good, stay informed....later.

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

I know all of you are jonesing for it... so here it is; this week's Random Political Thoughts. Enjoy.

The waiting game. Despite learning about the theft of electronic data on 26.5 million veterans shortly after it occurred on May 3, Veterans Affairs Department waited two weeks before telling law enforcement agencies and now officials are saying that the investigators in the Justice Department and F.B.I. are complaining that the delay might have cost them clues to the whereabouts of the data (ya think??) stored on computer disks that were stolen in a burglary on May 3 at the home of an agency employee in Maryland. (Okay... let's ignore the obvious question of why the hell the employee took this home, but why wait so long to report it? These are people's lives and they're playing with them like it was a fu***** toy. Speaking as one who has had their identity stolen, someone needs to get into a LOT of trouble for this screw-up... and it shouldn't matter how high-up the food chain they are. Nail the fu***** hides to the wall... and do it now!) (editors note: As a veteran myself, I am not at all happy about this situation. Firing this idiot isn't good enough, but it's a start.- Scott)

You’re approved. Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden won approval (12-3) to head the CIA from the Senate intelligence committee earlier this week, with legislative leaders saying they hope to have the full Senate confirm him by this Thursday. Four Dems voted for Hayden and three voted against, Evan Bayh (D-IN), Russell Feingold (D-WI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). (That’s a shock isn’t it? I mean… who would have ever thought that he would have won the first stage of confirmation this easily?? It’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written word you know…

Here comes the pass. The Senate is expected to approve the most significant and wide-ranging immigration reform legislation in two decades this week. The bill would grant citizenship rights to an estimated 10 million illegal aliens currently in the country (and thus allowing them to collect Social Security benefits for any work they performed while illegally employed in the U.S), would grant amnesty to employers who have drawn the estimated 12 million aliens to the U.S. by illegally providing them with jobs and will allow an estimated 2 million new foreigners to be admitted to the country annually, which would more than double the current immigration flow. (editors note: Social Security eligibility should not begin until 'legally' employed. Anything else is a slap in the face to the citizens of this country- Scott)

How to kowtow. The FCC will not investigate whether a spy agency has access to millions of Americans' telephone records, citing the secrecy of the National Security Agency and due to the fact that the FCC “cannot obtain classified material". The decision has elicited calls for a congressional hearing from the Democratic congressman who had requested a probe, Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA). (Hmmmm, that’s convenient… isn’t it??)

The comeback. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the Senate… it returns… Former Senate majority leader Senator Trent Lott has never stopped keeping tabs on his fellow senators, which could come in handy now since he is eying a return to a Republican leadership position after the November elections. Lott is considering running for whip, but he isn’t ruling out a bid for the top spot if Republicans lose so many seats in November that the caucus demands leadership changes and resists promoting McConnell.

Let’s talk about the weather. Homeland Security Secretary Michael “Don’t blame me, I didn’t do it” Chertoff is assertive in his announcement that the U.S. is “much more prepared as a nation than we have ever been to confront a major hurricane.” Despite those words of wisdom, many people have serious doubts about the program. “Hundreds of thousands of displaced victims from last year’s hurricanes [are] still living in more than 100,000 trailers,” efforts to effectively track supplies are “uncoordinated,” and “FEMA’s hurricane operations plan is unfinished.”

Now that’s irony. The ACLU (a group I am not all that fond of…) has been a longtime champion of free speech, which makes this bit of news all the more ironic and troubling. The group is weighing new standards that would prohibit a director from criticizing A.C.L.U. board or staff, but would allow “a director (to) publicly disagree with an A.C.L.U. policy position.” (Uh… okay… am I missing something here??)

Who’s on trial? The trial of David Safavian, the ex-top procurement official for the Bush administration, begins today. Safavian “is charged in a five-count indictment with making false statements to Senate and GSA investigators” that were looking into his relationship with uber-lobbyist Jack Abramoff. (It starts… this could be the beginning of a beautiful process… let’s hope.)

Deflection! Prominent conservative fundraiser Richard Viguerie wrote an article in last weekend’s Washington Post, that criticized “Bush’s base betrayal.” The White House’s response was not unique in Viguerie’s view as they responded by emailing around previous quotes of Viguerie’s criticisms of Ronald Reagan. Viguerie response was that this is, “standard operating procedure for this White House: Put the spotlight on the president’s critic, rather than respond to the critic’s arguments.” (in other words; deflection. Deflect the criticism back onto the the person doing the criticizing… it’s a brilliant strategum if it works but should be done cautiously by this White House as it seems that people are starting to wake up about this administration)

Gratuitous Op-Ed Plug of the Week. This article HERE from CNN’s Lou Dobbs is a must-read (did I just write that?) as he says that Bush & Congress are “telling working folk to go to hell.” Well said, Mr. Dobbs… very well said.

The label maker. Once again, the “President” has put a label on another political milestone in Iraq as the crucial “turning point.,” stating; “We can expect the violence to continue, but something fundamental changed this weekend” Well, thanks…that clears eveything up nicely and ties-up all loose ends…

Common sense. The Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature recommended that “Oregon legislators and staff members should not be drunk while performing their official duties.” (Kind of sad that that doesn’t go without saying… isn’t it?)

Take ‘em as you will…

Political Cartoon of the Day

You know we love Dubya's declining numbers, so we couldn't pass up this gem from Mark Cohen a Freelance journalist from New Jersey.

The (Abbreviated) Week Ahead

A few (just a few) things to pay attention to as we embark on yet another week in the month of May...

Keep one eye ahead of you, and one to the side… lest AG Alberto Gonzales sneak up on you. He made the rounds on the Sunday news shows, at one point suggesting that journalists could be prosecuted for publishing classified information, saying; “There are some statutes on the book which, if you read the language carefully, would seem to indicate that that is a possibility,” – (I’m sorry… did I black out there from boredom?? Every time someone from the administration opens their mouth, it sounds the same…blah, blah, blah…)

Watch Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) this week as he continues his masterful impersonation of a Republican. After authorities searched his DC office this past weekend, news was released that an FBI informant posed as a Virginian businesswoman and succesfully videotaped him accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from the informant. ( Mr. Jefferson, you need to resign.. and right now. We don’t need the likes of you in our party…)

Keep an eye on Iran and the Bush administration this week and in the coming months. It seems the administration is “shunning pressure from allies for direct dialogue with Iran [and] shifting toward a more confrontational stance” (shocked, aren’t ya?) and are also trying to intensify efforts to undercut the country’s ruling clerics. Additionally, four of the biggest European banks have started curbing their activities in Iran,” due to pressure from the US… (that reminds me, I really need to get to work on that bomb shelter…)

Watch the courts this week as yet another WhIte House aid goes on trial.The former top procurement officer in the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), David Safavian, goes on trial this week to face charges, that “he concealed [Jack] Abramoff’s interest in government business when seeking permission to accept airfare for a Scotland golf trip from the lobbyist in 2002.” He is also accused of obstructing inquiries into the matter. (Not surprisingly, he says he’s innocent… prosecutors say there are e-mails that say different…I say don’t bend over for the soap…)

Watch Commander Cuckoo-Bananas this week as he tries to resusitate his pathetic approval numbers by dropping the immigration reform ball and going back to the subject that has become the most pressing issue of his administration: Iraq. First stop; Chicago as Dubya intends to deliver a speech on the "Global War on Terror." His audience? The National Restaurant Association… (uh, okay… global war on terror… restaurateurs… I can see the connection… can’t you??)

Speaking of his Nixonian-level approval numbers, keep an eye on those incredible shrinking numbers as political pundits have stated that there is no precedent for climbing out of the abyss that are his approval numbers. Even some White House strategists have made this realization and have concluded that no level of staff shake-ups are going to change that path. Because of that, the President and his cabal are focusing on the fall midterm elections as the best chance to salvage his presidency. (Call me strange, but I don’t see that happening… I really don’t…)

Keep an eye on the GOP as a whole as the party is starting to see losses “in morale, in fundraising and in early election contests.” (Fantastic news, isn’t it? We can only hope it contines well into November 2006… and November 2008…)

Pay attention to Patrick Fitzgerald and his “Scooter” this week. Seems ‘Fitz’ is trying to prove that Scooter Libby lied based on his knowledge of Valerie Plame’s classified status as a CIA agent when he told (read: lied to) the Grand Jury that he found out from NBC News's Tim Russert that Plame, (who is the wife of former ambassador Joe Wilson) worked for the agency. (Nice… here’s to hoping that Fitz gets his man, or men, this week and in the weeks ahead…)

Keep an eye on the First Stepford Wife as First Lady Laura Bush is using “her popularity” to help boost Republican candidates when her husband can’t. (Uh… okay… sure…)

Watch as two congressmen; Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MI) and Kendrick Meek (D-FL), demand 118 reports from the Department of Homeland Security that are late… really… really late (they were due in 2003… yes, you read that right; 2003) The reports all deal with security plans for mass transit, rail, aviation, ports and borders. (Uh… this is kind of important isn’t it?? Maybe we should, I don’t know, all be putting pressure on the department to get Congress the reports…)

Continue to keep an eye and ear on Al Gore… he’s… en fuego.

Cold, Hard Cash

Proving once again that the left side of the aisle can sometimes be as stupid as the right. We have the case of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.).

It seems that Rep. Jefferson was videotaped accepting $100,000 in $100 bills from a Northern Virginia investor who was wearing an FBI wire, according to a search warrant affidavit released yesterday.

Upon serving the search warrant a few days after accepting the money, investigators found $90,000 in cash wrapped in aluminum foil and placed inside frozen food containers in the congressmans freezer.

In a rebuttal to the allegations the congressman had this to say, "As I have previously stated, I have never, over all the years of my public service, accepted payment from anyone for the performance of any act or duty for which I have been elected."

OK, you are on videotape and audiotape accepting what I am sure was marked bills that were found days later in your freezer.

All I can say is.....yeah, sure, you just go on thinking that. That is why for the first time in history the FBI raided a congressional office (your office) over this past weekend.

ps- Randy 'Duke' Cunningham called, he said to stop copying him.

The Weekly Rewind

The Weekly Rewind starts for the week ending May 19, 2006… right… now…

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I said right… now…

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Oops… forgot to plug it in…

Right now!

Applaud: to this quote. While it’s not related to politics, it’s a great quote that I think more people need to hear. It comes from David Feherty, a former PGA player and current CBS golf commentator who has battled depression: “Tom Cruise says there’s no such thing as depression, that you can get better with physical exercise. Well, maybe he’s right — beating the [bleep] out of Tom Cruise would be physical all right, and it would [bleeping] cheer me up, and a whole lot of other people.” Brilliant quote, Mr. Feherty… absolutely brilliant…

Heckle: to Pat “Overcompensation” Robertson. The “good” Reverand says God has told him that storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year. (Yeah, I can't top that... anyone??) (editors note: God told me that Pat Robertson is an idiot- Scott)

Applaud: to a former senior official in President Bush’s re-election campaign, James Tobin, getting sentenced to 10 months in prison earlier this week for his role in suppressing votes in a New Hampshire Senate race with U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe stating; “It was a direct assault on a free and fair electoral system. We’ll never know if the wrong people are sitting in government because of this effort.” (Be warned… people are starting to wake up… about fuc**** time…)

Heckle: to sitting on one’s laurels and thusly allowing a “big catch” to get away. Sure, after 16 months of doing absolutely nothing, the House ethics committee will finally start bribery investigations into Reps. Bob Ney (R-OH) and William Jefferson (D-LA), but Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) will escape unscathed because he’s leaving office next month. (Nice inaction there everyone… I’m sure this wasn’t done on purpose just to save DeLay… it’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written word…)

Applaud: to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia (did I just write that???) for telling his fellow Conservatives to mind their own beeswax. Nicely put Mr. Justice… well done. (and I can almost guarantee this is the last time you’ll see him applauded on this blog… though you never know…)

Heckle: to the bad news coming from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Earlier this week he said, “[T]he risks to inflation are perhaps the most significant at the moment” with consumer prices rising by 0.6% in April. Higher prices are cutting into consumers’ purchasing power and diminishing the outlook for economic growth and has fueled concerns that the Fed might push interest rates up in order to push back inflation. (Yet again, another of the things that had been a strength of the Bush Administration is faltering. As I’ve said already in this post… people are starting to wake up… and Bush and his cronies better start paying attention.)

Applaud: to the Justice Department. They are accusing Abbott Laboratories of inflating prices of its drugs as “…part of a fraudulent billing scheme alleged to have cost government health programs more than $175 million over 10 years.” (Well, duh. About time they made that realization… maybe now some changes will be made… though I highly doubt it)

Heckle: to BellSouth. The telecommunications company is seeking a retraction to the USA Today story under pretenses that the paper gave “false and unsubstantiated statements” in their story about NSA phone logs and the phone companies, all but Quest. (Whatever…) THIS STORY on Think Progress gives a reason why the companies may be suggesting the story is falsified… (Makes one really wonder where this country is headed… doesn’t it?)

Applaud: to newly-minted Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi for acknowledging the real impact of the Iraq war and speaking his mind rather than fall into line with Bush and Tony Blair: “We consider the war and occupation in Iraq a grave error that hasn’t solved - but has complicated - the problem of security. … Terrorism has found a new base and new excuses for internal and external terrorist action.” (I couldn’t have said it better myself Mr. Prodi, grazie)

Heckle: to temper tantrums, Senate style. It was a pathetic display by both Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), earlier this week during debate on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. (Grow up guys, isn’t that a strategy that we all learned doesn’t work when we were like seven or eight?)

Applaud: to Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) who, earlier this week, demanded the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launch an investigation into phone and telecommunications companies that provided millions of customers' phone records to the National Security Agency OR explain how the program is lawful. (Sounds good, but I have a feeling the “demand” was only made in order to appease others and that nothing will be done or investigated, making this entry a “Heckle”)

Heckle: to fencing… “President” Bush has suggested building a fence along the US border with Mexico in order to help keep illegal immigrants out, saying in a speech in Arizona; “It makes sense to use fencing along the border in key locations in order to do our job.” (I have to ask.. isnt this a concept that was pretty much declared useless by Steve McQueen in “The Great Escape”?) At the same time, the Senate passed immigration amendments that would require all native-born and immigrants workers to “submit their names to two huge federal databases to verify their legal status before taking any new job.” (Okay… that part makes sense…)

Applaud: to the House of Representative for voting in favor of repealing $7 billion in subsidies for oil companies that drill in publicly owned waters. The vote was approved 252 to 165, over the “surprising” objections of many Republican leaders.” It now goes to the Senate where it’s expected to also pass… again by a slim margin. The House also voted 279 to 141 to reject a provision that would have lifted a 25-year ban on oil drilling in coastal areas outside the western Gulf of Mexico.” (Wow, that had to really piss of the oil companies… kinda makes you feel warm inside, doesn’t it?)

Heckle: to the news that, in the past two days, as many as 105 people were reportedly killed in Afghanistan, in what can be described as the “deadliest violence since the Taliban was driven from power in late 2001.” (Do you get the feeling that the Bush administration has forgotten about Afghanistan? Sure seems like it. I haven’t seen such a pathetic and transparent attempt to find someone since OJ’s declaration that he wouldn’t rest until he found the “real killers.” How’s that goin’ Juice?) There was also “Heavy fighting involving several hundred Taliban fighters and Afghan and coalition forces in southern Afghanistan” that also resulted in a slew of deaths. Good thing we took care of Afghanistan before we got knee-deep in Ira—, wait, that’s right… we didn’t take care of Afghanistan… morons)

Applaud: to ever-falling approval numbers. Nothing new to report this week as Bush’s numbers are still falling faster than Tom Cruise’s popularity and don’t seem destined to rebound any time soon… did you just hear a collective belly-laugh coming from the left??

Heckle: to this (not really surprising or shocking) news from The Travel Industry Association of America. Earlier this week the group said that high gas prices will add “$30 and $50 to the gasoline cost of a typical trip this summer,” adding that prices “will limit travel growth this summer to less than 1%.” (Wow, tell me something that I, along with 98% of the population, didn’t already know…)

Applaud: to the news that the atrocious $2.7 trillion that passed in the House, will most likely falter when it reaches the Senate. (Good news indeed… if it comes to fruition)

Heckle: to talking out one’s ass. Remember a few months ago when all the talk was of a 30,000 troop drawdown coming in the months ahead? Well, turns out they were lying. Earlier this week Defense Secretary Donald “Generals love me” Rumsfeld stated that he “…cannot guarantee that there will be substantial withdrawals of U.S. troops from Iraq this year.” (Nice… get the hopes up of military families and U.S. citizens and then yank the rug out from under them all… what a tool)

That’s all I got… what are you applauding and heckling this week?

Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Without further ado… here’s today’s Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon…

Hmmmm… The White House has flipped-flopped (wow, imagine that… what are the odds) and reversed its position and has now agreed to “brief all members of the House and Senate intelligence committees” on the warrantless domestic spying program. Hmmm… something fishy is going on here, don’t ya think?

Doublespeak… congressional style. Sure, to the constiuents and anyone who’ll listen they spew anti-lobbyist rhetoric like a volcano, but lawmakers are still asking lobbyists for money. Case in point; House Speaker Dennis “XX” Hastert (R-IL) once stated to one lobbyist that “ we need to minimize our contact with lobbyists, implying something is not right,” The lobbyist received a fundraiser invitation from Hastert this past week where the “suggested minimum contribution” was $2,500. (Talk about wanting to have your cake and eat it to…)

69 That the percentage of American’s who believe the nation is on the wrong track., with 66% disapproving of Dumbya’s handling of Iraq and 33% (a record-low for this poll) approving of his job. All this according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll. (Every week comes a new poll and a new record-low… I don’t think anything more needs to be said…)

That’s gotta hoit. And the hits just keep on coming as public confidence in the governance of the GOP has dropped to the lowest levels of the Bush presidency. A new poll says that Americans, by a wide margin, now trust Democrats more than Republicans… on everything; Iraq, the economy, immigration everything... (I’ve always been told to not kick someone while they’re down, so I refrain from saying anything like: ‘Karma, baby!!!’… oops)

The Taxman cometh. The “President” plans to sign a bill today that will extend $70 billion in tax cuts. “It is the latest — and perhaps finest — example of the perpetual motion machine that passes for tax policy in Congress and the Bush administration: making the tax code ever more complex and easier for those with squadrons of tax lawyers to exploit.” (… and this surprises you… how???)

Screw the deadline. The Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Charles Grassley (R-IA) said earlier this week that he would get the Senate to waive the penalty for all elderly adults and Americans with disabilities who missed the May 15th deadline to sign up for the Medicare prescription drug benefit. It should also be noted that the “President” has come out against this measure… but Senator Grassley doesn’t care about that. (Another week, another Republican who would rather tell Bush to shove-it then accept his policies… you can color me… not surprised.)

’What? Me worry?’ Friends and colleagues of White House DCOS Karl Rove told NEWSWEEK that the senior Bush aide has struggled to remain upbeat about his plethora of legal troubles in the last few weeks, even going as far to say that he’s appeared distracted when they’ve talked with him. (And we should be empathetic… why?)

Hide and seek… actually, just hide. Almost four years after the detention center in Cuba opened, the Bush administration has (finally) given the Associated Press the first list of everyone who is being/has been held at Guantanamo Bay. The list contained 201 names that had never been disclosed before, yet the AP reports that “none of the most notorious terrorist suspects were included, raising questions about where America’s most dangerous prisoners are being held.” (Sounds as though there is something rotten in the state of Denmark…and it’s not the cheese)

Terrorist Detention Center: Spin classes now forming. The Pentagon is launching a public relations/spin campaign aiming to “offset the negative publicity about its terrorist detention center.” Why? Well, it could be because the International Committee of the Red Cross has said the dentention center houses “an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture.” (Spin that boys… I dare ya…)

The Doctor is OUT. An article explains that soldiers that show any signs of psychological distress are being kept on duty, even though there’s a congressional order that the military has to assess the mental health of all troops being deployed. What’s more is “fewer than 1 in 300 (are) being able to see a mental health professional before shipping out,” which, according to the article, increases the risk of suicide.

The answer is none of the above. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s created a set of flashcards that were designed to help applicants for U.S. citizenship learn basic civics. Problem is, the flashcards fail to mention the First Amendment. The Director of the office of citizenship Alfonso Aguilar, tried to wave it off by stating “The person who developed the test was not necessarily a civics or constitutional scholar.” (Again, and this should surprise us… how?? It’s the Bush Administration, of course they’re going to ignore the First Amendment… and btw, maybe the person who develops constitutional tests should be a constitutional scholar… or at the least have some knowledge of the Constitution… I’m just sayin’…)

There’s no business like ‘Snow’ business. New White House Press Secretary Tony Snow had his first official briefing the other day… it wasn’t pretty… on any level.

Gratuitous Op-Ed Plug. Not really an Op-Ed piece, but a good read nonetheless from the Washington Post. Another plug, this one from a diary by DarkSyde on Daily Kos. You can read it HERE…trust me, it’s definitely worth a look.

Sure, I believe them… don’t you? Earlier this week, BellSouth officially denied that it helped the NSA compile a phone records database. Verizon quickly followed suit and also claimed they did not give the government records of millions of phone calls. Ok, fine, but THIS STORY on Think Progress gives a possible reason why the companies may be saying this… (read it and get chills and fear where our country is headed…)

As the campaign turns… This week, in the saga that is the Katherine Harris for Senate campaign: it was the end of a candidate forum that had featured the two Democratic hopefuls for Florida Governor that was hosted by the nonpartisan Forum Club of the Palm Beaches. After that forum ended, club President Dennis Gallon got up and announced next month's attendee: U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris. The crowd’s response? A resoundingly excruciating, "Uuuuhhhhhh.” (Who needs late-night comedy when you have the Katherine Harris campaign?)

Take 'em as you will...

Hmmmm...

Following up on the "President" and his sleep-inducing address towards immigration last night comes this tasty tidbit via Daily Kos, via CQ:

It's December 2005, and Bill "I hate Keith Olberman" O'Reilly of Fox "News" was speaking with Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff and offered up his own stop-gap measure for the immigration issue: "Why don't you put the National Guard on the border to back up the border patrol and stop the bleeding, and then start to increase the Border Patrol, the high-tech and all of that?"

Michael Chertoff didn't like this idea and dismissed it without hesitation, stating; "Well, the National Guard is really, first of all, not trained for that mission. I mean, the fact of the matter is the border is a special place. There are special challenges that are faced there."

Really?? Interesting...

(Ignoring for a moment the fact that this plan has a lot of holes and a LOT of opposition, especially from the President's own party; let's ponder on that a little: special challenges... no proper training... methinks that this does not bode well)

Chertoff went on to add that he thinks: "... it would be a horribly over-expensive and very difficult way to manage this problem. Unless you would be prepared to leave those people in the National Guard day and night for month after month after month, you would eventually have to come to grips with the challenge in a more comprehensive way."

Really?? Interesting...

This was Michael Chertoff today in an interview with MSNBC Anchor Randy Meier (transcript found at the Washington Post: "Well, Randy, there are about 450,0000 total members of the National Guard. And all that would be serving at any one time, at most, would be 6,000. So the National Guard's comfortable that this is not going to interfere with the other important missions that the guardsmen do."

Really? Interesting...

Apparently the administration and the department could not find a way to combat the problem that was comprehensive enough for them... I wonder what changed??

Oh, that's right.... approval ratings that are absolutely Nixonian in their levels.

This administration is making flip-flopping an art form...