Is Rudy Giuliani really this dense?

I mentioned in this morning’s “‘BushWhack’ing” about Rudy Giuliani’s incredibly inane comments from yesterday;

“I was at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers. ... I was there working with them. I was exposed to exactly the same things they were exposed to. So in that sense, I'm one of them.”

I also told you of the Head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association in New York, Battalion Chief John McDonnell, and his response;

“"I have a real problem with that statement. I think he's really grasping and trying to justify his previous attempts to portray himself as the hero of 9-11.”

A little less than a day later and the anti-Rudy comments are flooding in.

Queens paramedic Marvin Bethea, who suffered a stroke, posttraumatic stress disorder and breathing problems after responding to the attacks wasn’t happy with Giuliani’s statement, saying;

“His statement rang false to "I personally find that very, very insulting. […] Standing there doing a photo-op and telling the men, 'You're doing a good job,' I don't consider that to be working.”

And how about Ironworker Jonathan Sferazo, 52, who said he spent a month at the site and is now disabled, he called Giuliani's comments "severely" out of line, adding;

“He's not one of us. He never has been and he never will be. He never served in a capacity where he was a responder.”

Or how about this from the head of the Detectives Endowment Association, the union of NYPD detectives, Michael Palladino;

“As a result of their hard work, many are sick and injured. The mayor, although he did a fine job with 9-11, I don't think he rises to the level of being an equal with those men and women who were involved in the rescue, recovery and cleanup.”

Everyone with a brain knows that Rudy Giuliani was not down on his hands and knees helping… he was not risking his health… he was not offering support to the men and women doing the work… No, he wasn’t doing any of that… he was trying to put off the mayoral election so he could stay in office longer… and when his term was up, he decided to capitalize on 9/11 by charging hundreds of thousands of dollars on the lecture circuit…

And now?

Now he’s the frontrunner for the gop presidential nomination.

If that doesn’t speak to the republican party’s ideals… I don’t know what does.

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

It's Friday, hav a short 'BushWhack'ing...

• "President” Bush has rejected outright the suggestion of a gasoline tax increase aimed at repairing thousands of structurally deficient bridges… just like the one that collapsed in Minneapolis last week.
• The Democratic presidential candidates appeared at a gay-rights forum last night, and it really didn’t go well for many of them… Bill Richardson stuck his foot in his mouth (again)… Hillary Clinton threw her husband under the bus in response to a charge from singer Melissa Etheridge that Bill threw gays under the bus during his administration…and John Edwards and Barack Obama got nailed for not supporting gay marriage. The only candidate who was embraced was Dennis Kucinich who is the only candidate to support gay marriage. (Kucinich? Really?)
• It seems as though Vice President Dick “President” Cheney is still pushing for confronting Iran. Website McClatchy reports that behind the scenes “the president’s top aides have been engaged in an intensive internal debate over how to respond” to Iran and that several weeks ago, Cheney “proposed launching airstrikes” at Iraqi locations that are suspected to be terrorist training camps run by the Quds force, which is a special unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. (God, someone impeach the man before he gets us into another unneeded and disasterous war…)
• And have we mentioned? That former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani just doesn’t get it… he said yesterday; “I was at ground zero as often, if not more, than most of the workers. […] I was exposed to exactly the same things they were exposed to. So in that sense, I’m one of them.” (Way to antagonize people there Rudy… let’s see what someone else has to say about your statement) The head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association in New York, Battalion Chief John McDonnell, didn’t respond well; “I think he’s really grasping and trying to justify his previous attempts to portray himself as the hero of 9/11.” (Ouch…)

Primary Wars

The insanity continues as South Carolina republicans have “officially” bumped their primary up to Jan. 19.

As I said in this morning’s ‘BushWhack’ing, it means the nation is also very, very close to seeing a December caucus in Iowa.

Let’s review something quickly… Nevada is slated to have their Democratic straw poll on Jan. 19, the same day South Carolina wants to have their republican primary… so South Carolina will compete with a contest that was made to give people outside the East Coast some say in their nominee.

It also means that New Hampshire will move their primary up to January 8th.

Why so early?One word: arrogance.

New Hampshire’s Secretary of State Bill Gardner, the man who sets the New Hampshire primary date, has said many, many times in the past that he will set the New Hampshire primary date early enough in order to “preserve” the New Hampshire tradition under the state law that requires the primary be held at least seven days before any “similar election.” Upon hearing about South Carolina’s move, he re-emphasized yesterday, that the tradition is Iowa and then New Hampshire and not Iowa-Nevada-New Hampshire or Iowa-South Carolina/Nevada, then New Hampshire….

Can you see the arrogance… the arrogance being disguised as “tradition?”

This is a “tradition” that serves to give a couple of states an advantage over the other 48 states… and you may justify it in New Hampshire and Iowa, but the rest of the 48 states are sick and tired of it.

My thought, as well as Scott's, is that it’s time to eschew different primaries and conduct all primary elections (for both Democrats and republicans)… on the same day.

I’ll pause to give all of you time to either sharpen your troll-skills or hone your laudatory emails.

Yes, as it stands now, we do have a de facto national primary on February 5th as a plethora of states (click HERE to see who) have their primaries on that date… but it’s not an honest to goodness national primary where the decision is made by every state at the same exact time.

Let’s face facts… allowing a select group of Americans to decide whom our presidential candidates will be is not only undemocratic, it’s unfair and it’s wrong.

The U.S. was founded on the principles of choice… and it’s something that has brought a large and diverse group of people to our shores… and in allowing two states that, quite frankly, don’t have the best cross-section of the country, isn’t living up to the ideals of Democracy.

A Democracy is defined as “a government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.”

In the past few months we’ve seen state after state move their primary dates up in an attempt to jockey for position and gain more control over who gets the presidential nomination.

As it stands now, Iowa and New Hampshire controllwho our nominees are going to be as candidates spend weeks, sometimes even months, campaigning in these two States while ignoring the rest of the country… we’re a nation of over 300 million people, and to allow a scant amount of them, approximately 4.5 million, the ability to decide who will run for President is… for lack of a better word; dumb.

Sure… a lot of people will agree that there is something wrong with the current system but disagree about having all the primaries on the same day because, among other things, it could allow the candidate that raises the most money initially to run TV ads in more places in order to boost their numbers for the larger states.

Bull. Shit.

Having a national primary day is the most democratic thing to do… and it would ensure that every person in the United States that votes would have an equal say in who would get that party’s nomination.

The flamewar starts below…

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

And now for something completely different; and by different I mean 'same':

• As if we needed more examples besides a plethora of debates already being in the books, the presidential race is getting even earlier as the gop in South Carolina has become the latest to move their primary up to January 19th… which almost guarantees that two certain states will move theirs up earlier… possibly to sometime in 2007… (I would say something about a national primary day – but I don’t want to incur the wrath of any Iowans or New Hampshirans – New Hampshirites? – who seem to think they lead the country and whine like children when someone dares suggest their primaries don’t have to be the first in the nation…)
• According to figures released by the Census Bureau, whites are now in the minority in nearly one in 10 U.S. counties…
• In yet another example of “President” Bush kissing big-business’ ass, his administration is considering a plan to slash tax rates for U.S. corporations… in the same conversation he also warned China not to start a trade war and placed blame on the Minneapolis bridge collapse on Congress for not doing more to shore up infrastructure… (never mind that this bridge had been in needs for repairs for many, many years. And as far as China goes, I suggest telling them to stop using lead paint on children’s toys or we’ll respond by sending Paris, Lindsay and Brittany over there to live…that'll teach 'em)
• Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) sent a letter to White House Counsel Fred Fielding that sets a new date of August 20th for subpoenas served to the executive branch in June. (All fine and good, but I have a feeling Leahy knows – like anyone with a brain – that they won’t be there…)
• And have we mentioned? That “President” Bush is traveling to Kennebunkport, Maine today for a weekend wedding before going on to his Crawford ranch. But it’s not a vacation according to the White House… it’s a “recess.” (Much like the “recess” tha the Iraqi “government” is taking this month. Has any president ever taken this much time off??)

What others say...

Last week the Democrats in Congress folded like origami and approved the White House-backed version of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that gives the Bush(whacked) Administration expansive spying authority to do what they please and ignore the word of the Constitution and the law.

In the days that have followed, a few newspapers across the country have come out in favor of the plan, but they were conservative-minded piles of claptrap like the Chicago Tribune and WSJ, who apparently are readying themselves to kiss new owner Rupert Murdoch’s ass…

But for every one or so that comes down in favor of the bill, four or five come out against it…

USA Today: “A skittish Congress allowed itself to be stampeded last week into granting the president unfettered surveillance power. When it returns to Washington, it should do what it can to make sure that the sun goes down on this flawed measure.”

WaPo: “To call this legislation ill-considered is to give it too much credit: It was scarcely considered at all. Instead, it was strong-armed through both chambers by an administration that seized the opportunity to write its warrantless wiretapping program into law — or, more precisely, to write it out from under any real legal restrictions.”

NY Times: “While serving little purpose, the new law has real dangers. It would allow the government to intercept, without a warrant, every communication into or out of any country, including the United States. Instead of explaining all this to American voters — the minimal benefits and the enormous risks — the Democrats have allowed Mr. Bush and his fear-mongering to dominate all discussions on terrorism and national security.”

Boston Globe: “The administration maintains that technological changes have created problems with the 1978 law. But never has Bush demonstrated why the terms of that law, which permitted officials to get warrant approvals up to 72 hours after they started a wiretap, are no longer workable. This and other questions could have been answered if Congress had demanded an open debate on the administration’s bill. Its failure to do so is a shameful abdication of its own responsibility. It’s difficult to maintain a system of checks and balances when one branch simply checks out.”

LA Times: “You know something’s wrong with this Congress when a Democratic champion of privacy rights feels compelled to vote for Republican legislation that compromises those rights. That’s what California Sen. Dianne Feinstein did last week when she joined a stampede to approve a temporary “fix” sought by the Bush administration in a law governing electronic surveillance.”

Why is it that Bush and his White House full of cronies can’t see what the majority of the country sees???

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Middle of the week, you know what that means? We’re one step closer to the weekend.

• State and local emergency officials are pissed by the Bush(whacked) Administration’s decision to rewrite, in secret mind you, the nation's emergency response blueprint. They’re angry and worried that they’re repeating mistakes that contributed to their half-assed response to Hurricane Katrina almost two years ago. (And it what done in secret; isn’t that special?)
• The Democratic presidential candidates held yet another debate – this time in forum form – last night in Chicago. The event was hosted by the AFL-CIO and moderated by Keith Olberman. While most of the candidates performed well, Clinton and Obama continued sniping at each other like children and Joe Biden may have very well killed his campaign by essentially blowing-off a question from a widow… but the most stirring moment came from a member of the audience. An out-of-work steel worker from Indiana who rose to ask a question with tears in his eyes and his voice wavering… if you watch it and it doesn’t effect you, check your heart – you might be a republican.
• The republican Iowa straw poll is this Saturday an— ah, who cares…
• Just when you thought the gop presidential field couldn’t get any crazier – batshiat crazy Alan Keyes is considering jumping into the fray.
• And have we mentioned? That former House Speaker, and republican, Newt Gingrich is straying from the gop playbook? He said last week that this Administration was waging a “phony war” on terrorism and that the republicans have failed to govern successfully the last six years… (Sounds like a Democratic campaign commercial to me, but we’ll take it)

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Wait a minute, no one move… I’ve lost The Weekly Rewind.

Oh well, have a Daily BushWhack:

• Politics as usual in DC as the House has suspended it’s investigation into William “Cold Hard Cash” Jefferson (D-LA) because they don’t want to, as they say, impede the criminal case against him after his indictment this past summer on 16 corruption charges… (Ethics reform? What’s that?? This is just sad and smacks of partisanship. He was indicted… they found money in his freezer… but you’re gonna cancel your investigation so you don’t mar the criminal case?? If that’s the case, then maybe Jefferson should resign rather than drag the party down to the level of the gop…)
• And speaking of ethics reform… after 8 months of kicking and screaming bickering, the House and Senate passed ethics rules recently that promise to change how lawmakers raise money, travel and party. But now, they’re having trouble coming up with a way to enforce them… (Well... not suspending investigations would be one way…)
• The Democratic-controlled House approved legislation written by “President” Bush’s intelligence advisers that enhance their ability to intercept the electronic communications of foreigners without a court order… (and the Constitution sits in the corner and cries…)
• Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) has introduced 2 censure resolutions in the House, that mirror earlier offerings by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI). The resolutions condemn the president, vice president and the attorney general for “misconduct regarding our military involvement in Iraq and for their repeated assaults on the rule of law at home.” (All fine and good… but how far can it possible go?)
• The 2008 Presidential Race continues… I would say more, but whenever I bring it up, I start hearing this incessant droning in my ears…
• And have we mentioned? That Bush no longer has a willing lapdog in Great Britain? It seems that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is pursuing a tougher line with the U.S. than his predecessor as he has called for the Bush(whacke) Administration to release five British residents held at Guantanamo Bay. (Awwwww… poor Georgie. How long until he takes his proverbial ball and goes home?)

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Here it comes, rock it like a hurricane...

• Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone touched by the Minnesota bridge collapse
• Ignoring a threat by “President” Bush to veto the bill, the House approved legislation that greatly expands a federal health insurance program aimed at helping children of the working poor… (Word is Bush already has his favorite veto crayon out and it waiting…)
• Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is talking tough on the campaign trail, saying that if he were elected president, he would be ready to send U.S. troops into Pakistan if it failed to act on its own against Islamic extremists… (Verrrrry interesting…)
• Working at the Food and Drug Administration sounds like a pretty sweet gig…a former chief of regulatory affairs has collected more than $178,000 in cash bonuses in addition to her yearly $159,840 salary. Why such large bonuses? FDA officials argue that the bonuses should be close to the salaries of those employed by companies she regulates… wait, what?
• The Bush(whacked) Administration continues to thumb its collective noses at the law as they formally directed senior adviser Karl “President” Rove to NOT cooperate with a Senate probe into AttorneyGate. This came at the same time that Attorney General Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales declined to alter his earlier testimony that was, shall we say; a bold-faced lie misleading… (And yet, they continue to get away with ignoring the laws of the land… wonderful examples they’re setting, isn’t it?)
• And have we mentioned? That the FBI has lowered its expectations? The Bureau now says that it will not automatically reject applicants who experimented with marijuana in the past… mmmmm, federally approved munchies…

Quick, check Hell...

Wow... someone call Hell to see if it’s frozen over... look outside for flying pigs... check to see if angels are dancing on pinheads...

Brace yourself, are you sitting down?

Good.

Someone in the Bush(whacked) Administration has admitted they were wrong...

I’ll pause a moment to allow that to sink in.

...

You read right, a person in the Bush(whacked) Administration has admitted they were wrong.

In an interview with CNN’s Larry “Like my suspenders” King, Vice President Dick “President” Cheney admitted he was wrong when he declared that the Iraq insurgency was in its “last throes” and virtually over in 2005, saying;

“That clearly didn't happen. […] I think the insurgency turned out to be more robust.”

(Ya think!!??)

Could this be the beginning of a new benevolence in the Bush White House?

Or is Cheney simply talking smack in order to appease the masses?

My vote is for the latter…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Halfway there...

• After months of finagling… the House passed, 411-8, legislation aimed at ethics reform. (Note to self; keep an eye on the 8 that voted against the bill. Something tells me they may be up to something) The bill would, among other things, require lawmakers to disclose small campaign contributions that are “bundled” into larger lobbyist packages, would require lobbyists to detail their own campaign contributions, including but not limited to payments to presidential libraries and inaugural committees and would also put new disclosure requirements on a politician’s pet project… something that has long been a staple in Washington. (That’s all fine and good… but will it be enforced? And if it is, who will dole out the punishment?)
• AG Gonzales’ problems, along with AttorneyGate, just won’t go away… though the director of national intelligence, Mike McConnell, tried yesterday… and instead opened up a whole new can of worms about NSA spying. (At times, watching this administration is like watching a combination of The Three Stooges and the Keystone Kops…)
• Admiral Michael Mullen, the nominee to lead the Joint Chiefs, told a Senate panel yesterday that the Iraq war is having a significantly adverse effect on the military and stressed the need to “plan for an eventual drawdown” of troops… thereby going against what “President” Bush has been saying… (Word of his name being pulled from nomination in five, four, three—)
• Interesting article in the Washington Post (did I just write that? I feel so dirty…) about the head of security for Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. Not really political in nature, but still an interesting read…
• Remember how a couple of weeks ago, word started to spread that Vice President Dick “President” Cheney had more of a hand in the administration’s energy policy that we had been originally led to believe? Well… now it’s Cheney’s role in environmental policy, more specifically a water policy for the Klamath River Basin in California and Oregon, that’s being “explored.” (Why is this coming as a surprise to anyone? Since Cheney was announced as Bush’s VP candidate people have been saying that Bush will be nothing more than Cheney’s puppet…)
• And have we mentioned? That the fourth estate has just been set back a few decades with the sale of Dow Jones, Co – publishers of the Wall Street Journal among other things – to News Corp… owned by conservative tool Rupert “I don’t want gay people to marry but will allow them to cavort on a reality show on my TV network as long as it makes me more money” Murdoch. (Journalistic integrity, already a rare commodity in this day and age, is all but gone…)

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Late morning… but here ya go;

• The Feds are going forward into their investigation of Sen. Ted “Tubes” Stevens (r-AK) and they ARE using the whole fist…
• Vice President Dick “President” Cheney gave an interview to CBS Radio yesterday where he gave his support to AG Gonzales (big surprise right) while arguing that Gonzales’ credibility is not damaged and also said that he disagreed with the jury's verdict in the Scooter Libby trial… Libby was Cheney’s former ass-kisser COS. (So tell me Dick… what color is the sky in your world?)
• The people that said new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown won’t be a Bush-lapdog like Tony Blair may have been mistaken as the two, in their first meeting, strove to keep a unified front over Iraq… (no word if Brown slobbered all over Bush like Blair ever did…)
• No Child Left Behind is up for renewal… if you want more on it, go to the Cato Daily Commentary HERE. Yes… I’m pointing you to an op-ed by the Cato Institute…
• Is a split among Democrats in the House about Iraq war strategy a possibility if Gen. David Petraeus gives a good report in September? House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) believes so… and he wants his fellow Dems to tread lightly until the report is delivered… (Hmmmm… part of me thinks that he could be right, part of me thinks that he’s been brainwashed by Lieberman…)
• And have we mentioned? That more people under the age of 30, 65%, are “paying at least some attention” to the incredibly-early 2008 presidential campaign. ” The numbers, according to a New York Times/CBS News poll, are up dramatically from July 2003, when a scant 36% of those under age 30 were paying attention. (That’s all fine and good, but my question is this; can it sustain all the way to the election. We’re 15 months away from the election, and the campaigning has started earlier this year than ever before. Will people, not just under 30 mind you, get tired of the campaign and tune out? It’s possible, so stay tuned…)

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week begins…

• Charlie Rangel (D-NY) is saying what many of us are thinking. Despite the, in his words, “pervasive corruption,” within the White House he wouldn’t want President Bush impeached. Said Rangel; “God forbid! I would vote against impeachment of Bush too because the corruption of the Vice President Cheney would even be worse.” (True… very, very true… and bone-tingling)
• Apparently Alberto Gonzales’ has always had trouble with the truth… (I know… you’re shocked…)
• Just in case you needed more proof that this administration politicizes everything… a 2006 surgeon general's report called on Americans to help tackle global health problems was kept out of the public’s eye by a Bush political appointee, who had absolutely NO background or expertise in medicine or public health, because the report didn’t promote the administration's policies…(I don’t think anything else needs to be said…)
• The FCC is set to rule on the rules for the auctioning of $15 billion of public airwaves, a decision that will drastically alter the nation's cell-phone industry… stay tuned and pay attention…
• And have we mentioned? That republicans are refusing to come to the aid of AG Gonzales… even on conservative-backed Fox “News”? On Sunday, Fox host Chris Wallace revealed that no conservatives would come on the air to defend Gonzales after his second disasterous appearance on Captiol Hill. Hmmmm, he seems to have lost the support of his own party… maybe, just maybe, he should consider stepping down… just a thought.

The Weekly Rewind

Applaud: to the coalition of injured Iraq war veterans that have filed a class action law suit charging outgoing Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson of “breaking the law by denying them disability pay and mental health treatment.” The lawsuit asks the federal court to “order the VA to make immediate improvements” that would, among other things, speed-up the payouts for disability, ensure fairness in the award of disability payouts as well as providing more complete access to mental health care… (Veterans are heroes, and should be treated as such. To make them go through this crap when they’ve already been through so much is both sad and pathetic)

Heckle: to Attorney General Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales. Do I really need to re-hash the reasons??

Applaud: to the Senate for approving antiterrorism legislation stemming from a few of the recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission. (It’s a start… it’s definitely a start…)

Heckle: on so many levels to the US embassy in Iraq. Besides the fact that it “epitomizes to many Iraqis” the worst of the US tenure in Iraq, it might have also been built with slave labor. During testimony before the House Oversight Committee earlier this week, Rory Mayberry, a former subcontract employee of the firm overseeing the construction, said that he thinks that at least 52 Filipino nationals had been kidnapped to work on the embassy project… click HERE to read more via ThinkProgress. (If true, an immediate criminal investigation needs to be launched… though that will do little to change Iraqi’s views of it…)

Applaud: to the plurality of Americans that are finally starting to see the light. According to a new UPI-Zogby poll, 80% of Americans believe that the “Iraq war has hurt the United States’ standing” around the world. (While it’s a heckle that our standing has fallen this dramatically, I have to applaud that more people are finally starting to realize what this administration has done to this country….)

Heckle: to talking out of one’s ass. Earlier this month “President” Bush stated his commitment to his escalation plan, saying “I’m going to remind the people in the audience today that troop levels will be decided by our commanders on the ground, not by political figures in Washington, D.C.” All fine and good, but the DC Examiner made an excellent point earlier this week that “a bunch of arm chair generals in Washington” from the American Enterprise Institute “almost single handedly convinced the White House to change its strategy” on the Iraq war… (so which is it Bush… who’s deciding what happens in this war? The “commanders on the ground” or “political figures in Washington?” Inquiring minds want to know…)

Applaud: to not falling for the spin. A few months ago, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice wrote an op-ed piece about Lebanon… and when she shopped it around for publishing, no one wanted it. The State Department’s director of media affairs Price Floyd, said that the piece was “littered with glowing references” to Bush’s “wise” leadership and that the op-ed “read like a campaign document.” (Nice…way to sticl up for non-politicalization there)

Heckle: to even more republican and White House oppositon. At first a lot of republicans were all for the Farm Bill that would have helped struggling farmers… but then they found out that the Democrats’ proposed legislation would have been paid for by taxing US companies who hide profits in offshore subsidiaries… and then the support quickly vanished not only from House republicans, but the White House as well… and I think we all know why…

Applaud: to more plurality of Americans starting to see the light. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, “public animosity” for Bush has hit an historic high, with 65% of Americans disapproving Bush’s job performance. The fun fact, along with the fact that Bush has “endured bad numbers” longer than any other president besides Harry Truman, is that the only president to “exceeded that level of public animosity,” was Richard Nixon, who hit 66%… four days before resigning. (Too bad George can’t get the hint that a majority of America is trying to tell him…that it’s time to resign)

Heckle: and scary as Hell. The New York Sun published an editorial a few months back called “Cheney’s Chance” that encouragied him to jump into the presidential race (eep) and now that same editor, in his review of Stephen Hayes’ new biography of Cheney, has trotted it back out saying that he believes the Hayes book is part of an effort by Cheney to “drum up support for a potential campaign run.” (Oh good God noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!)

Applaud: to the Senate for passing the “Wounded Warrior” bill that would, besides overhauling military health care, see an increase of troop pay by 3.5%.

Heckle: to elected officials in Alaska apparently not getting it. First you have Sen. Ted Stevens (r-AK) being investigated, now there’s word that Rep. Don Young (r-AK) is embroiled in an “expanding federal criminal investigation involving an Alaska oil company and state elected officials.” (I don’t quite know which way my snark should go on this one. I don’t want to make fun of Alaskans, but good God… two of your elected officials are being investigated for corruption, is there something in the water or are Stevens and Young simply putzes that don’t know any better?)

Applaud: to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). After he read an op-ed in the July 21st edition of the Washington Post called “The Phony Debate,” he decided to write a letter. In the letter, Mr. Reid responded to the paper’s opposition to the Senate’s recent all-night debate on Iraq. Said the letter; “On reading the July 21 editorial ‘The Phony Debate,’ it became clear why The Post’s editorial writers have been such eager cheerleaders for the Bush administration’s flawed Iraq policies — the two share the same disregard for the facts en route to drawing dubious conclusions.” (Well said Mr. Reid… very well said…)

Heckle: to gop presidential candidate Mitt “Rhymes with twit” Romney. It seems that he thinks the upcoming CNN/YouTube debate is too undignified for him to attend. (Uh… yeah… way to knock something obtainable by the masses there Mitt. How ya think missing a debate is going to go over with your supporters?)

Applaud: to Sen. Arlen Specter (r-PA) for not only laying the smackdown on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales earlier this week but also for announcing his plans to review Supreme Court justices’ John Roberts and Samuel Alito’s Senate testimony in order to “determine if their reversal of several long-standing opinions conflicts with promises they made to senators to win confirmation.” (very nice Mr. Specter… though I think I can help you with the latter with my unique brand of answers… YES)

Heckle: to the Department of Agriculture. According to a new GAO report, they sent $1.1 billion in farm payments to more than 170,000 dead people over the course of seven years… and 40% of those payments were to people who had been “dead more than three years.” (Wow… that’s all I can say about that is… wow…)

Applaud: to Defense Secretary Robert Gates for issuing an apology. In yet another letter to Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Gates apologized for Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman’s recent attacks on her. Writes Gates, “I emphatically assure you that [the Defense Department does] not claim, suggest, or otherwise believe that congressional oversight emboldens our enemies, nor do we question anyone’s motives in this regard.” (I still believe that Edelman acted so-far outside the authority of the Pentagon that he should be relieved of his duties. Partisan or not, the letter he sent to Ms. Clinton was wrong… and I applaud Mr. Gates for knowing that it was wrong – or at the least knowing it looked wrong – and attoning for it)

Applaud: to the possible end of nepotism in political campaigns. Under a bill approved by the House this past Monday, members of Congress would no longer be able to put their spouses on their campaign payrolls and would also have to disclose any other immediate family members employed by the campaign. (while I’m sure a lot of them will find ways around it, the fact that they’re trying to outlaw it is rather refreshing…)

And TheHill.com has devised a list of the 50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill… yes, you read that right… I’m not quite sure if that should be applauded or heckled, so I want all of you to click on it and let me know your thoughts…

That’s all I have, take ‘em as you will…

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Friday, ‘nuff said.

• The Alberto Gonzales Affair (aka; AttorneyGate) is not going away as FBI director Robert Mueller told Congress yesterday that the surveillance program was subject of debate within the Bush(whacked) administration, which directly contradicted Gonzales’ earlier testimony. (The fact that Bush continues to stand behind Gonzales shows just how little regard he has not only for the law, but for Congress and, in a broader spectrum; the country. As I’ve said before; Gonzo needs to go-zo. The sooner, the better)
• Forcing White House COS Josh Bolten and former counsel Harriet Miers to talk may be more difficult than Congress expected…but then again, maybe not… but then again, it may be… but then again… well, you get the idea. This isn’t going to be resolved quickly, so stay tuned…
• It seems like the Democrat presidential campaign has officially started as Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) have started arguing about a fleeting debate question… that has so-far culminated in Mr. Obama saying that Ms. Clinton’s position on meeting with the leaders of hostile states is like that of “President” Bush and “Vice” President Cheney… (So in other words, they’re sniping at each other rather than sniping at the republican candidates. Though comparing her to the Bush-Dicks has to hurt…)
• Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is still trying to appease Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) after Pentagon policy chief Eric Edelman harshly criticized Ms. Clinton’s after she wrote a letter asking Mr. Gates for a briefing of troop withdrawal plans and Edelman sent a letter accusing her of reinforcing "enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies" by discussing a timetable for withdrawal. In his attempts to spin he has said that he is personally engaged in the development of drawdown plans… he then went on to say that those efforts constitute a "priority" for the Pentagon… (My question is; did anyone tell the White House that this was a priority? Cuz it sounds as if they’re planning on keeping an eternal presence in Iraq…)
• And have we mentioned? That republicans in the beltway are scared shitless worried (as they should be) that their political fortunes haven't changed one iota since last years mid-terms and that they could lose “even more seats” as well as the White House… (Wow… it’s hard to stifle my Emperor Palpatine laugh on this one… but we must exercise caution… lest we screw ourselves out of these opportunities that I think are highly possible… and likely…)

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

The week is drawing to a close…

• The Alberto Gonzales train of treachery continues…and now Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is pondering a perjury investigation… (ponder no more Senator… just do it. It’s a moral imperative). This comes on the heels of an AP report that a four-page memo sent by then-National Intelligence Director John Negroponte in May 2006 confirms that a March 2004 White House intelligence briefing for top congressional leaders was on “the Terrorist Surveillance Program” even though Albatross said earlier this week that the White house briefing was about “other intelligence activities.” (And the lies continue to grow. Why is this man still the AG??)
• Are the Democrats starting to grow some balls gain some courage? Democratic leaders in Congress want to raise Congress's rock-bottom approval ratings and at the same time drive an “ideological wedge” through the republican Party on domestic issues… here comes the legislation…
• There have been recommendations to simplify the military’s convoluted health-care bureaucracy and overhaul the veterans disability system as well. The recommendations came from a presidential commission (that included, among others, former gop Sen. Bob Dole and President Clinton’s Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala) that was looking into the care given to wounded U.S. service members. “President” Bush is on record as saying that his administration will “look at every one of these recommendations” and will “implement them.” (I’ll believe it when I see it…)
• And have we mentioned? That “President” Bush has his veto crayon out again? This time over a multiyear farm bill that the Dems had (surprise, surprise) locked in with a tax increase that almost instantly drew not only the veto threat from the White House but the departure of a handful of republican supporters… (Is it just me, or is this Congress starting to behave like the previous ‘do-nothing Congress’?? Someone needs to get their ass in gear and start governing… lest we allow the White House to do everything and fall further into the abyss…)