The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Mid-week is here…

• Following on the heels of a book that described the inner-workings of the Bush White House, another book has come out that describes Vice President Dick “President” Cheney’s attempts to expand the powers of the executive branch while also impeding attempts to obtain congressional approval for anti-terrorism policies… because he worried that a republican majority might even say no. (And this comes as a surprise to who exactly??)
• The saga of Sen. Larry Craig (r-ID) isn’t going away as he is now re-considering retiring… stay tuned…
• It seems as though Oprah Winfrey might be putting her empire behind Barack Obama’s presidential bid. (If she does, all bets are off…)
• Military officials in Iraq are condemning the GAO’s Iraq report calling it “factually incorrect.” (It doesn’t matter what any report says. Not the NIE, not the GAO, not Petraeus the White House’s – Bush will keep with the surge regardless of what is said. He’s already proven many times before that he doesn’t care what anyone else but himself and his cronies believe. Does anyone – anyone – truly believe that even if next week’s report said to immediately withdraw our troops from Iraq that he would??? If you do, I have a bridge to sell you in Florida…)
• Did we really need an article in the Washington Post to tell us that the US Supreme Court was moving too far to the right? (I didn’t think so…)
• And have we mentioned? That a recent poll in the land down under found that 52% of Australians think “President” Bush is the worst U.S. president ever… ‘nuff said…

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hope you had a nice Labor Day weekend… let’s get back to it.

• In the past, Labor Day marked the “unofficial” start of the presidential campaign… this year; not so much.
• A new book has “uncovered” dissent within the Bush(whacked) Administration… rather sad that some people needed a book to discover that. Journalist Robert Draper’s book, Dead Certain: The Presidency of George Bush paints a picture that not only did Karl Rove object to Bush picking Cheney as his VP, he also expressed concerns about Bush’s choice of Harriet Miers as a SCOTUS nominee. (Rather refreshing – if it’s true – that Rove had enough insight to not trust Cheney and doubt Miers’ abilities. Wonder how things would be different if Bush listened to him…)
• New York Times reporter Helene Cooper wrote that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is trying hard to “rewrite her legacy” so it includes something other and something more than Iraq… and on Iraq, Rice’s friends and colleagues all say that Rice has accepted the fact that Iraq is a “stain” that she probably won’t be able to remove before she leaves office… (Wow… more refreshing insight coming from someone within the Bush(whacked) Administration…)
• “President” Bush made a surprise visit to Iraq over the long weekend and, not surprisingly, spun his surge and said that if the “continued gains” in Iraq could allow for a reduction of U.S. troops… (Riiiight… I, personally, think he’s spewing rhetoric in order to appease the masses… though I doubt most believe a single word he’s saying…)
• And have we mentioned? That a new book by Jeffrey Toobin says that Justice David Souter nearly resigned in the wake of Bush v Gore because he was so distraught over the decision that effectively ended the Florida recount and installed Bush as president. (Interesting… I imagine – and this is only my opinion mind you – that one reason he DIDN’T resign was because he knew Bush would have nominated his successor and Souter didn’t want to push the court back ever further than it already was with it’s disasterous decision in Bush v. Gore…)

The Weekly Rewind

Another month is coming to a close, and we start this week’s rewind off with three resignation-laden ‘applauds’…

Applaud: that today, Friday, is Karl “President” Rove’s last day at the White House… (woot, woot!)

Applaud: to Attorney General Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales resigning Monday. His last day is scheduled to be September 17th… now we have to see which Crony Bush nominates to replace him…

Applaud: to the news that White House Press Secretary Tony “Job” Snow will resign September 14th and will be replaced by White House Deputy Press Whiner Secretary Dana Perino… (as I’ve said here many, many times before; will the last Bush Administration employee leaving please turn out the lights…)

Heckle: to Rep. Jon Porter (r-NV). He recently returned from a visit to Iraq where someone, he wouldn’t say who, said that an Iraq withdrawal would cause gas prices to rise to $9/gallon. Said Porter; “To a person, they said there would be genocide, gas prices in the U.S. would rise to eight or nine dollars a gallon, al-Qaida would continue its expansion, and Iran would take over that portion of the world if we leave.” (And this is based on what exactly?)

Applaud: to the family, specifically the “wife”, of Sen. Larry Craig (r-ID). Whatever her relationship is to him, she has to be going through absolute hell.

Heckle: to the fact that none of the 115 “critical priority projects” that NOLA city official’s have identified have been completed. Close to $34 billion had been earmarked for the projects and “less than half” have made its way to municipal projects. (And Bush had the audacity to say earlier this week down there that the Administration will never stop rebuilding… ya may want to check things out before you speak ya putz…)

Applaud: to Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD)… he made his first public appearance since he underwent emergency brain surgery last December saying simply; “I am back.” (Good news Senator, welcome back! And the news that you expect to return to work on Sept. 5 is good news as well.)

Heckle: to $50 billion in additional funding for the war in Iraq that “President” Bush plans to ask Congress for… and the request is being prepared now because the White House believes that Congress will fall into place about Iraq after hearing the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. And more heckles to the Democratic leadership for not even bothering to wait for the White House report on the alleged progress in Iraq before kowtowing to Bush and giving him his money. As I said this morning, the Dems are scared… and need to get what they can.. but blindly giving Bush his funds before the report, as spun as I’m sure it will be, is both sad and pathetic…)

Applaud: to someone at Fox “News”… I know, it looked strange when I typed it. Fox’s Brit Hume said earlier this week about Alberto Gonzales that: “Gonzales was a man almost without fans in Washington at the end, because he was never much appreciated or accepted by the conservative base of the Republican party and the conservative activists in Washington. […] He was simply a crony.” (Well how about that?? Someone finally saw Gonzo for what he was… too bad it didn’t happen until he was halfway out the door…)

Heckle: to placing blame at the wrong feet. Sen. Larry Craig (r-ID) blamed the media earlier this week for his guilty plea of disorderly conduct (how a newspaper can do that is anyone’s guess) He went on to say that he has been “relentlessly and viciously harassed by the Idaho Statesman. […] The Statesman has engaged in this witchhunt. In pleading guilty, I overreacted in Minneapolis because of the stress the Idaho Statesman investigation and the rumors it has fueled all around Idaho.” (Give. Me. A. Break)

Applaud: to Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA). She made a visit to Iraq recently and has not stopped pounding away at the republicans who also made recent visits and are saying that the surge is working. First she blames a Green Zone “XXX” and then she added her name to the (very) long list of analysts, pundits and lawmakers who are raising concerns about Gen. David Petraeus’s “conflicting loyalty” between his “desire to please the president” (ewww) and to report the truth about Bush’s strategy… (Way to go Rep. Tauscher… keep it up!)

Heckle: to more fear-mongering from the man in the oval office. In a speech to the American Legion earlier this week, “President” Bush warned that allowing Iran to pursue nuclear technology would put the region “under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust.” (Hmmmm, this sounds remarkable like his fear-mongering lead-up to invading Iraq and his pre-war claims that the US couldn’t wait for actual proof of WMD’s because the “smoking gun could be a mushroom cloud.” What. A. Tool.)

Applaud: to a new UPI/Zogby poll that shows 49% of voters believe the troop surge is not working.

Heckle: to incredibly stupid ideas. The crime rate in New Orleans has increased, and instead of focusing on how best to address the piss-poor conditions that face some of the region’s residents, right-wing pundit moron Glenn Beck offered an alternative solution… give them guns. Said Beck; “There’s not enough guns in New Orleans” so he suggested an “exchange program” where willing donors pay for guns for poor people in New Orleans… (Wow… that could very well be THE most inane, idiotic statement he’s ever made. And considering the source – that’s saying A LOT)

Applaud: to Sen. John Warner (r-VA). Sure, he’s incredibly late to the party, but he suggested this past Sunday that he might support Democratic legislation ordering a withdrawal. Said Warner; “I’m going to have to evaluate it. I don’t say that as a threat, but I say that is an option we all have to consider.” (Excellent… now if we could only get other republicans to see it that way…)

Heckle: to mixed-signals and crossed-wires. First the White House confirmed that they would write Gen. Petraeus’ September report… but earlier this week he said’ “the White House won’t write my September report.” (So which is it everyone? Will the September report on Iraq actually be “written by the White House” or are Petraeus’ assurances to lawmakers that he won’t let the White House interfere with his analysis the truth… I honestly don’t think the administration knows anymore…)

Applaud: to the White House’s front group on Iraq escalation, Freedom’s Watch, meeting with some difficulties in getting its pro-war ad campaign in gear as CNBC and MSNBC have refused to air the group’s ads. (And I’m sure they won’t be the only problems the group encounters…)

Heckle: to the forgotten war and its subsequent results… a U.N. report released this week finds that Afghanistan “produced record levels of opium” in 2007 for the second straight year” and that the gains were “led by a staggering 45% increase” in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand Province… (way to go George… the country where bin Laden, and al-Qaeda actually were has fallen back into chaos… the Taliban, who gave bin Laden sanctuary, are increasing in power and are making millions of dollars by growing opium, and yet you continue on your tunnel-visioned quest of Iraq. What a dumbass)

Applaud: to a scant 28% of Americans approving of “President” Bush’s handling of Iraq. A new Harris Interactive poll shows that the number is down from the May report of 30%. And it should also be mentioned that 61% of those surveyed said Mr. Bush had been “too eager to go to war in Iraq.” (I guess that’s a nice way of saying it…)

Heckle: to the search to replace Gonoz. There are five people being thrown around as possible candidates to take over as Attoreny General: former Solicitor General Ted Olson, former DAG George Terwilliger, Sen. Orrin Hatch (r-UT), another former DAG Larry Thompson, and Solicitor General Paul Clement. (I doubt any of them are the actual names being considered. I think the White House released these in order to divert attention from other like-minded possibilities. But that’s just my opinion…)

Applaud: to another foreign leader not falling into line behind George Bush. French President Nicholas Sarkozy has called for a timetable to withdraw foreign troops from Iraq, saying; “The Iraq tragedy cannot leave us indifferent. France was, thanks to Jacques Chirac, and remains hostile to this war.” (Uh-oh, better be careful Nick, or someone might revert the Congressional cafeteria to put “freedom fries” back on the menu… cuz it did oh-so-much the first time…)

We started with three ‘applauds’, we end with three ‘heckles’…

Heckle: to the sobering statistics that the number of Americans without health insurance rose last year from 44.8 million to 47 million and the number of uninsured children rose more than 600,000… and despite that, the Bush(whacked) Administration continues to limit the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. (Wake up George, stop worrying so much about Iraq and see what’s happening to YOUR country…)

Heckle: to the fact that it seems as though the Democrats are falling under the republican spell and are having a difficult time agreeing on anything. They couldn’t create a single message on Iraq, they allowed the administration to get their way with warrantless wiretapping, and are kowtowing to every White House request… things they promised to NOT do if elected… (This is NOT good. Scott and I both said before last November’s midterms that it would be all find and good if the Dems won control of Congress, but that it wouldn’t mean anything if they didn’t unite as one and maintain a single goal and strategy… not it looks as though they’re falling apart and arguing among themselves. Way to fuck up control of Congress guys! Get your collective heads out of your asses, pry some lips away from Bush’s ass and GET TO WORK!!!! Or you will find yourselves losing the majority and the country falling further into the abyss…)

Uber-Heckle: to the embarassing steps being taken by the Pentagon when Congressional delegations with individuals who don’t support the war visit Baghdad. The Washington Post reported Friday morning on a story on how lawmakers are being “slimed in the Green Zone” when they travel to Iraq for congressional delegation trips. Reps. James Moran (D-VA), Jon Porter (r-NV), and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) recently returned from such a trip andwhile there, Tauscher and Moran noticed sheets of paper that “seemed to be everywhere” in the Green Zone. The papers were distributed to Iraqi officials, U.S. officials and uniformed military of no particular rank and contained short, thumbnail biographies of the lawmakers. Rather than being given the official bios readily available on congressional websites, the U.S. troops were given new ones that “cherry-pick” the representatives’ “most incendiary” statements about the war. (This has to be one of the most disturbing things I have ever heard, and someone needs to launch an investigation into this. For the Pentagon to be doing this is not only disturbing, it’s also incedibly pathetic and shows just how far this administration will go to win an argument… sad)

Take ‘em as you will...

GAO & NIE Agree

Another document has been released that shows Iraq is failing to meet a majority, if not indeed all, of the US-set benchmarks.

The latest is a GAO report that was leaked to the Washington Post, that states; “Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House last month adequately reflected the range of views the GAO found within the administration. […] The strikingly negative GAO draft, which will be delivered to Congress in final form on Tuesday, comes as the White House prepares to deliver its own new benchmark report in the second week of September, along with congressional testimony from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker. They are expected to describe significant security improvements and offer at least some promise for political reconciliation in Iraq.”

Keep in mind that this GAO report comes a few days after the new NIE was released that reported the very same thing… that Iraq is not meeting their benchmarks… and went even further and questioned some of the leaders in Iraq.

It also comes a few weeks before Gen. Petraues’ the White House’s testimony to Congree about the situation in Iraq.

Is it any wonder then that the public doesn't trust the White House to report honestly on the progress? In fact, the Bush(whacked) Administration is already in top spin mode regarding the “strikingly harsh” GAO report on Iraq.

The precise reason the GAO report was leaked to the Washington Post was because the source feared that the administration would try to “water down” its conclusions… well, and this really shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, the Pentagon is indeed watering-down the report, with Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell saying that after reviewing a draft of the GAO report, Pentagon officials made what he called, “factual corrections” and then offered some “suggestions” on some of the actual grades that the GAO had assigned.



Said Mr. Morrell;

“We have provided the GAO with information which we believe will lead them to conclude that a few of the benchmark grades should be upgraded from ‘not met’ to ‘met,’”

‘Information’… riiiiiiight…

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

FRIDAY!!! Three-day weekend!!! Whoo-hoo!!!

• The DOJ’s Inspector General suggested earlier this week that he is investigating whether or not outgoing-AG Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales gave misleading testimony to Congress… (and here he thought resigning would save him. Odds that Gonzo “suddenly” decides to resign earlier than his Sept. 17th date…)
• The saga of Sen. Larry Craig isn’t going away anytime soon…
• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is open to compromising with republicans over Iraq troop deployment. (Yesterday I said that Democrats need to unify and focus on a single message… it’s clear that an immediate and full withdrawal from Iraq ain’t gonna happen while Commander Cuckoo Bananas is in office, so a compromise may be the only ‘best’ option available. A limiting of troops is better than nothing at this stage of the game…)
• Health and Human Services has toned down their ads pushing breast-feeding. That’s not so much the thing that struck me in the article as were these words that I never thought I would see… “politically powerful infant formula industry.” (Uh… okay…)
• And have we mentioned? That the mortgage crisis is ending? “President” Bush is getting involved now… so everything should be hunky-dory within days… (Sarcasm? You think I’m being sarcastic? Whatever gave you that idea????????)

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Thursday and... yeah I got nothing else...

• The GAO is set to release a report that finds little or no progress from Iraq on US mandated goals (I know, you’re shocked aren’t you?). The report will be delivered to Congress next week a few days before the White House’s own report on progress in Iraq… or lack thereof. (It should be interesting to see how the White House spins this… and what, if any, effect it has on its own report by Gen. Petraeus. I’m guessing none, and that they’re report will be filled with rose-colored glass goodness…)
• The immigration debate is heating up again… and yet no one is really saying anything or suggesting anything, just offering more rhetoric and more “plans for the future”
• Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has publicly ordered his huge militia to "freeze" operations for up to six months, meaning no more insurgent attacks by his forces. (I’ll believe it when I see it…)
• The fall of Sen. Larry Craig continues as his fellow republicans circle the wagons throw him under the bus and are calling for him to resign.
• And have we mentioned? That it seems as though the Democrats are falling under the republican spell and are not only starting to throw away money on “portraits”, but are also having a difficult time agreeing on anything? They couldn’t create a single message on Iraq, they allowed the administration to get their way with warrantless wiretapping, and are kowtowing to every White House request… things they promised to NOT do if elected… (This is NOT good. Scott and I both said before last November’s midterms that it would be all find and good if the Dems won control of Congress, but that it wouldn’t mean anything if they didn’t unite as one and maintain a single goal and strategy… not it looks as though they’re falling apart and arguing among themselves. Way to fuck up control of Congress guys! Get your collective heads out of your asses, pry some lips away from Bush’s ass and GET TO WORK!!!! Or you will find yourselves losing the majority and the country falling further into the abyss…)

A short post on the anniversary of Katrina's landfall

It’s been two since since Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans and the gulf coast of Mississippi… two years, and out of the 115 “critical priority projects” that NOLA city officials identified as such… none, have been completed.

And of the $34 billion that was “earmarked for long-term rebuilding,” less than half of it has made its way to the municipal projects.

While touring the city today, Bush remarked that his administration has a “strong commitment” to rebuild the city.

Too bad he didn’t have a “strong commitment” to protecting the city 2 years ago… too bad he didn’t have a “strong commitment” to installing someone into FEMA who knew what the hell they were doing… too bad he didn’t’ have a “strong commitment” to visit the ravaged areas sooner than he originally did…

Bush’s lack of action 2 years ago and his audacity today does nothing to impede the fact that Katrina continues to stand as Bush’s largest domestic failure…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump Day...

• Sen. Larry Craig says it’s a vast conspiracy brought by the Idaho Statesman newspaper that made him get arrested in a bathroom at the Minnesota airport and made him plead guilty… (yeah, it looks as ridiculous as it sounds…)
• Proving that they don’t really care about their own, Senate republican “leaders”, rather than circling the wagons for Craig, are calling for an inquiry into him. With friends like those, who needs enemas?
• The White House said yesterday that “President” Bush is willing to fight for the right Attorney General candidate, one that agrees with his policies and will not consult the Democrats on the nominee… (Essentially he’s saying he’s going to pick whoever the hell he wants, as long as they are a Bush crony and does and thinks the same way Bush does. I guess that means that it’s entirely possible that we might see our first Chimpanzee as Attorney General…)
• On the 2-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall, the Washington Post has decided to do a profile of Michael Brown. Something about that is unsettling, I just can’t put my finger on it.
• Proving once again that he not only doesn’t care what Congress thinks but doesn’t give a rat’s ass about the people of this country, “President” Bush is planning on asking Congress next month for an additional $50 billion in Iraq war funding… so rather than drawdown troops like a majority of the American people want and a small group of Congress wants, he’s going to, once again, do whatever the hell he pleases. The man is a tool, and January 20, 2009 cannot, repeat CANNOT, come soon enough…
• Soccer moms Security moms Military Moms are the new hotness in political demographics…
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) made his first public appearance yesterday since undergoing emergency brain surgery last December and proudly announced; “I am back.” Johnson expects to return to work on Sept. 5. Welcome back Senator, welcome back…

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Gonzo is gone-o, who’s next to leave from the cavalcade of constitutional ignoring… stay tuned.

• After serving a 2-week tour of duty in the reserves, Sen. Lindsey Graham is now calling for a continuation of the “surge.” (Oddly enough, no one is saying what exactly he did while serving there, other than he was dressed in fatigues and armed with a Beretta. So there you go… take it as you will)
• News is coming out that Sen. Larry Craig (r-ID) was arrested months ago for ‘inappropriate conduct’, a charge he pleaded guilty to… but now he’s denying anything happened. (Uh, okay…) The Idaho Statesman wrote an editorial saying that “Sen. Craig owes Idahoans an explanation. […] This is a painful time made worse by the fact that Craig so far has been less than forthcoming. […] Voters now deserve the full story from their senior senator.” (Yeah, good luck getting that from a republican senator…)
• The Washington Post is reporting that Gen. David Petraeus altered the NIE’s judgments about the violence in Iraq after he was able to review an early draft. (Wow… censoring federal documents, if it was any administration but this one I would be surprised. Since it is this one, I’m only monumentally pissed!)
• In the end, the blind loyalty that “President” Bush had for Gonzales was not enough to keep him around, despite Bush admitting that he “grudgingly” accepted the resignation. Gonzales, as I had written many times before, was an albatross not only around the administration’s neck, but the DOJ’s as well, and it prevented Gonzales from effectively and properly doing the duties of his job. Now comes the dance of nominating a new AG… Chertoff is still the favorite while Paul Clement will act as the interim AG.
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) isnt waiting for the Democrats to win the White House in 2008 as he has suggested that Patrick Fitzgerald, as well as former Deputy AG James Comey, be considered as possible replacements for Gonzales. (Nice… while Durbin acknowledged Fitzgerald would be a ”long shot” for the job, I think a more apt deascription of the possibility would be “snowballs chance in Hell”… but I still like Durbin suggesting it…)

Buh-bye Part 128

The albatross has been removed from around the neck as Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who came to exemplify the Bush(whacked) Administration’s complete disregard for the law, has resigned.

I’ll say it again to make sure it sunk in… and the fact that it feels so damn good to say it…

Alberto Gonzales has resigned, effective September 17th.

The resignation was “grudgingly” accepted by “President” Bush.

A White House official, speaking on Gonzales’ decision to resign, said that “the unfair treatment that he's been on the receiving end of has been a distraction for the department.”

Unfair treatment?

In the end, the only support Gonzales had was Bush’s. Sure, some would say that was enough, but it turns out it wasn’t.

And with Gonzo going bye-oh, the rumor mill is agog in DC over who Bush will tap to succeed Gonzo, with the early favorite being current DHS Chief Michael Chertoff..

Chertoff would come into the job with a lot more experience than Gonzales had as Chertoff was a federal judge and an assistant attorney general.

The question than falls to who would replace Chertof, and with that we get to see that the Bush cronyism is alive and well in our nation’s capital as Clay Johnson III, the Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget would likely get the nomination, despite having absolutely NO experience in immigration, air travel security, disaster response, or any other aspect of homeland defense.
So what makes him qualify for this post?

Simple. He’s one of Bush’s oldest friends and attended both prep school and college together before Johnson served as Bush’s gubernatorial chief of staff in Texas and then led the Bush-Cheney transition team.

Out with the old, in with the same ol, same ol.

More later.

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Monday, and rumors suggest it could start off with a bang...

• Rumors are swirling around Washington DC that ‘embattled (and that’s putting it loosely) Attorney General Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales will be resigning today Embattled (and that’s putting it loosely) Attorney General Alberto “Albatross” Gonzales has resigned… press conference later this morning. Allegedly he gave his resignation on Friday but the administration waited until after Gonzo had talked to “President” Bush. (I’ll believe it when I see it and hear it… There was probably a time when US Attorney General was a respected and well sought-after post… now I’m not so sure)
• California is looking to change the way their electoral votes are rewarded… As it stands now, the winner of the state's popular vote takes all electoral votes (makes sense), but the new initiative looks to award one electoral vote for every congressional district a candidate wins, with the statewide winner getting two more electoral votes… (Uh…no. I think we need to keep the system the way it is… or totally eliminate the electoral college altogether…)
• Reports are coming out that former congressman Mark Foley “is unlikely to face criminal charges” for sending sexually explicit e-mails to teenage boys… (Lovely… nice message to send there everyone…)
• As we marvel at yet another rat leaving the sinking ship that is the Bush White House, let’s marvel at yet another republican switching ‘aisles’ on the Iraq war. Originally Sen. John Warner (r-VA) didn’t want Congress to set a timetable, yesterday, he said that he may have to support Democratic legislation that would order a withdrawal, saying “I’m going to have to evaluate it. I don’t say that as a threat, but I say that is an option we all have to consider.” (And another domino falls…)
• And have we mentioned? That “President” Bush is relying on a familiar strategy in his (vain) attempts to bide time for his surge strategy… he’s launched a spin campaign whose aim is to persuade the people to see things his way… (There are so many jokes right there, that I can’t decide on just one…)

The Weekly Rewind

Hello fellow politicos, it’s me Scott, back in the trenches, fighting the good fight. The past few months, ok basically all of 2006 have been interesting for me. I won’t bore you with the details.

“Big Brother” has kept me from having access to the blog and posting. Never the less, be assured I have been here all along in the background, collaborating with my good friend Kemp on many of the various posts and weekly rantings that you all know and love, adding my two cents to the snarky banter that is The “Bush”-Whacked Administration, or as we like to call it TBWA.

I would like to thank Kemp for running with the postings for all these months and for always keeping me in the loop and asking my thoughts on a myriad of issues to include in our postings. He is the best friend a guy could ask for. A tip of the hat to you my friend. Thanks for having my back.

Alright let’s get down to business! We are here to point out the good, the bad, and the ever so present ugly that is the life and times of The “Bush”-Whacked Administration, in what we like to call, The Weekly Rewind.

Heckle: to blowing your military load (aka: Premature Troop Ejacu..err Exhaustion). According to military documents and interviews conducted or reviews Associated Press, military documents and interviews The Army has nearly exhausted its fighting force and its options if the Bush administration decides to extend the Iraq buildup beyond next spring. The Army’s 38 available combat units are already mobilized, leaving no fresh troops to replace five extra brigades that Bush sent to Baghdad this year. Ok, not only did we piss poorly plan this from the inception, obviously no one has had a light bulb moment along the way, what’s next? Somehow I don’t want to know…

Applaud: to at least talking about moving in the right direction. U.S. military officials are narrowing the range of Iraq strategy options and appear to be focusing on reducing the U.S. combat role in 2008 while increasing training of Iraqi forces. Gee could it be due to the fact that we are due to run out of fresh troops ??? It’s so hard to express sarcasm in the written form.

Applaud: to standing up for your principles. The American Psychological Association, the nation’s largest group of psychologists, voted to restrict members from taking part in interrogations at U.S. military prisons that involve “any of more than a dozen specific practices, including sleep deprivation and forced nakedness.” The APA voted against a broader proposal to ban involvement in any interrogations that lack adequate human rights protections. Nice effort guys, but somehow I don’t think the Pentagon is losing any sleep over this…

Heckle: to the never ending story. This past Monday at 2:30 was the deadline for the White House to turn over materials regarding the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping program to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Even though the White House already received an extension from the original July 18 deadline, White House counsel Fred Fielding had stated that the administration will also miss Monday’s date. You know, somehow it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried to delay turning over materials until January 19, 2009!

Heckle: to color me not surprised. Vice President Cheney’s office responded separately from the White House to a Senate subpoena for documents on warrantless wiretapping. The response from the vice president was more surprising, because the White House was believed to have abandoned the argument that Cheney is a hybrid entity with both executive and legislative powers. Not surprising from the ‘Man who would be King’.

Heckle: to distorting the economy and having your own report biting you in the ass. The NY Times reported Americans earned a smaller average income in 2005 than in 2000, the fifth consecutive year that the average income was less than pre-Bush levels. Incomes have been on the rise since 2002, but the growth in total incomes was concentrated among those making more than $1 million while more people were dividing up the national income pie. Wow, imagine that, income rising for the elite and distorting the national picture. Once again, so hard to express sarcasm in the written form..

Heckle: to a crisis that needs to be addressed now. Members of the National Guard are just as likely as active duty soldiers to develop post-traumatic stress after leaving Iraq. Guard members who have had “deployment-linked money trouble,” which affects approximately 26 percent of the soldiers, are six times more likely to have mental-health problems. Ok, Congress and the Pentagon need to put politics aside and petty bickering aside and act now before the situation worsens!

Heckle: This is not a surprise anyone. A White House manual released recently discloses extensive instructions given to White House staffers in the art of “deterring potential protestors” from Bush’s public appearances. The manual demonstrates “that the White House has a policy of excluding and/or attempting to squelch dissenting viewpoints from presidential events,” said ACLU lawyer Jonathan Miller. Wow, imagine the administration teaching people to ‘quash’ opposing viewpoints. I am shocked.. shocked I tell you, to find gambling in this establishment.

Heckle: to President Bush, usually on pirnciples alone. However, as someone who avoided military duty in Vietnam, he is now ready to open a new theme in support of sticking with the battle of Iraq today by warning Iraq critics against committing the errors of Vietnam. Applaud to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who responded that “the fundamental difference” between the conflicts is that Bush generated support for “the invasion of Iraq under false pretenses.” Thanks Senator, I am glad that someone other than the american public is stepping up to the plate and calling out our war ‘dodging’ commander in chief.

Heckle: The Bush administration plans to screen thousands of people who work with charities and nonprofit organizations that receive U.S. Agency for International Development funds to ensure they are not connected with individuals or groups associated with terrorism. But the government does not intend to tell groups deemed unacceptable why they are rejected. Yeah because the the Salvation Army is what… an Army? And terrorists are just itching to get their hands on $2 used Docker shorts which would endanger the supply of donated articles to the general public. What’s next, screening everyone who works at 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts for explosive custard filling? How about putting those dollars to work screening cargo coming into the nations mostly unprotected ports.

At Lastly….. The United States’ largest and costliest embassy, a heavily fortified compound in Baghdad with its own power plant and lighted softball field, is on track to be completed next month, on time and within budget. But remember we do not intend to be an occupying Army, nor have a substantial presence after ‘success is achieved’.

Well that's it for this week folks. It’s good to be back. Till next time…

Be good, stay informed….later.

A grossly misplaced comparison

Ever since “President” Bush compared Iraq to Vietnam earlier this week, I’ve been trying to figure out just what to say about it.

Obviously Bush’s comparison is so-far off the mark, that a plethora of people on all sides of the political spectrum are voicing their disagreement, and it’s not likely to get any better.

Now we have a republican senator who has been one of the most outspoken supporters of the war, John Warner (r-VA), is calling for a pullout of US troops by this winter.

Surely Bush has to see that support is crumbling faster than Nicole Richie’s jail sentence.

Add that to (outgoing) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Peter Pace, who, according to an as-yet unpublished report, wants to urge Bush to cut US troops in Iraq, saying that keeping "more than 100,000 troops in Iraq through next year would severely strain the military.” (ya think????)

Now we know why Bush didn’t’ nominate Pace for a second term as chairman… Pace apparently likes to use his own brain.

The liberation of Iraq… begetting the establishing of Democracy for Iraq… begetting the “surge” for stability....

Well, with all this ‘begetting’, no wonder Bush is getting desperate and throwing out the Vietnam card.

The problem is… the comparison doesn’t work.

As Jim Hoagland says in his Washington Post op-ed, “Bush's Vietnam Blunder”, his invoking of ‘Nam doesn’t create a rationale for continuing our military presence in Iraq, but rather invites “examination of the mounting damage that his approaches to the war in Iraq, and to national security in general are doing to U. S. institutions.”

Having said all this, keep in mind that there are some parallels to Vietnam and the Iraq war. First, both are quagmires with little chance, if any, of success. Both wars were based on spurious reasoning and both wars are highly unpopular at home.

And now he’s going to compare the two and hope for a favorable response?

How stupid is this man?

The Friday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s Friday… ‘nuff said.

• Sen. John Warner (r-VA) is calling for an immediate pullout of U.S troops from Iraq… (cause no one has ever suggested that before. What’s that, he’s a republican… meh)
• Wan Kim, the head of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is resigning at the end of August… (I know I’ve said this many times before, but will the last Bush appointee in DC turn off the lights?)
• An updated National Intelligence Estimate was released yesterday and it gives what can best be described as a mixed picture of the situation in Iraq, but at the same time warned that any drawdown of troops would “erode security gains achieved thus far.” (Never mind that most people don’t know what ‘security gains’ they’re speaking of, but I think we just saw a preview of Petraeus’ the White House’s September report)
  The fallout from Bush’s comparing Iraq to Vietnam continues…
• And have we mentioned? That the outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, wants to urge “President” Bush to cut U.S. troop levels in Iraq next year? (And now we know why he is the ‘outgoing’ Chairman…)
  

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Late again… how about we blame the bad weather in Chicago this time…

• “President” Bush is getting desperate. Despite arguing, as recently as 2004, that Iraq was nothing like Vietnam, he’s now comparing the two, saying that a withdraw of U.S. troops would lead to widespread death and suffering… just like it did in ‘Nam. (Now, I am not a veteran… but if I was called to serve, I would. Having said that, someone who dodged military service in Vietnam shouldn’t be bringing it up. Also, the amount of military experts that are calling Bush out for this should make the White House consider backing off the statement, as it could very well come back to bite him in the ass. I’ll have more on this later today I imagine… so stay tuned)
• Apparently the NRCC either doesn’t know when elections are held or are unable to count…
• Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki isn’t happy with the US, and he’s not holding his feelings in as he has “strongly” rebuked American politicians for threatening to withdraw support from his government. He then went on to suggest that if he were to be abandoned by the US, he could easily “find friends elsewhere.” This came days after very public calls to oust him were made by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Bush… who first distanced himself from him than immediately ran back to his warm embrace. (This makes me chuckle but it also infuriates me. Who the hell does al-Maliki think he is? I, personally, find the “find friends elsewhere” comment a veiled threat towards insurgents and such… and if he thinks we are his lapdog, things need to be done to make sure he knows which side his bread is buttered on. An immediate withdrawal of US troops would get that point across nicely…)
• The White House is declaring yet another office above the law as they are saying in court papers that the White House Office of Administration is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act… (give me a break. Will someone, Dem or republican, in DC grow some balls and call them on it????? Someone?? Anyone???)
• And have we mentioned? That there’s a “Lobbying War” brewing? And we don’t mean lobbying reform. In an attempt to negate organized labor’s ‘Americans United for Change’, the republicans have unleashed ‘Freedom’s Watch’ (wasn’t that a lobbying group in the TV show The West Wing?) to lobby people to support the Iraq war. (And with Ari Fleischer on the board, how can it fail… it’s so hard to express sarcasm and snark in the written form)