The Monday ‘BushWhacking’

Another start of another week, can you stand the excitement?

• Sen. Clinton delivered a poignant, declarative speech on Saturday that HAD to be tough to deliver. In the speech she asked for party unity, praised her supporters, praised Sen. Obama and asked for her supporters to throw themselves behind Obama. Let’s hope it works…
• “President” Bush is heading out for a six-nation trip to Europe to highlight improved US relations… (What relations are improved is what I want to know… US relations won’t be improved until, at the earliest, January 20, 2009)
• Both Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain’s campaigns have rejected an offer from NYC Mayor Bloomberg to host a town-hall meeting that would have aired solely on ABC. While both Obama and McCain are anxious to debate, both of the campaigns said any Town Hall meetings or debates would have to be available for broadcast on ALL networks and news outlets, so stay tuned.
• On Bloomberg TV this past weekend, one of McCain’s policy advisers, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, tried to brushback attempts that McCain is running to continue Bush’s policies by claiming (are you sitting down?) that Obama would be like President Bush and that Obama is “dedicated to the recent Bush tradition of spending money on everything.” (Wait… he’s trying to say that Obama will be a continuation of Bush’s policies? Are you kidding me? Hell, even conservative putz stalwart Bob Novak says that Eakin’s claim is “the silliest thing I have ever heard!” And if you’ve lost Novak, you’ve lost a lot… what the hell was Eakin thinking? Bringing this up will only keep the McCain as Bush talk in the public’s eyes more… is Eakin taking lessons from Mark Penn???)
• Sen. McCain is on a fundraising tour of Virginia and Washington D.C. while Sen. Obama is poised to start a 2-week tour entitled “Change That Works For You”, starting today at the North Carolina State fairgrounds. Game on…
• 78% of those questioned in a new CNN/Opinion Research poll rate current US economic conditions as poor, up from 75% in March. What’s even more telling is that a scant 22% rate the economic conditions in the country as good… (and one has to wonder what the HELL those 22% are smoking…)
• White House lawyers are worried that Scott McClellan’s book will reignite the Valerie Plame story and will cause lawmakers to again ask questions about the CIA leak scandal. (Good. I still think the wrong person got nailed for that. And if Scott’s book does reignite interest and illicit hearings, that’s a good thing. Stay tuned)
• And have we mentioned? That despite anything “President” Bush does now, he is still likely to end up as the worst president ever? In an informal poll of scholars this past Spring, only two out of 109 historians said Bush would be judged a success while the majority of those questions deemed him the “worst president ever.” (Ouch. How does one combat that? You really can’t. If people of this time view him as the worst ever, it would take an absolutely astounding event to alter enough minds to vindicate him. And I don’t think that’s possible)

The Weekly Rewind: The Return

It’s back and better than ever… TBWA’s Weekly Rewind. After a brief hiatus, it’s back with a vengeance… doling out snark, criticism, prognostication and opinion on all that is in the world of politics. Let’s get busy…

Applaud: to the incredible shrinking approval numbers. A new CBS News poll shows that “President” Bush’s approval rating has plummeted to 25%, an “all-time low for him and among the lowest approval ratings ever recorded for a President.” And before you Bush apologists cry about this disapproval numbers don’t indicate the same, the same poll pegs those at 67%. Only Richard Nixon and Harry Truman have had lower approval ratings than Bush with 24% and 22%, respectively… (history is not being kind to George, and I doubt that that will change over the next 5, 10, 25, 75, 100 years. Worst. President. Ever.)

Heckle: to idiotic housing arrangements. The Army is assigning soldiers with PTSD at Fort Benning to housing that is located 200 yards away from firing ranges… Complaints to medical personnel and officers have brought no relief despite the fact that the sounds of rifles and machine guns make these wounded soldiers “cringe” and “stay awake and on edge,” and recently sent one soldier to the emergency room with an anxiety attack… (How stupid is this? Are you honestly telling me that the Army doesn’t see anything wrong with this tactic? Scary… absolutely scary…)

Applaud: to Sen. Hillary Clinton for an impressive campaign. After winning one of the final 2 primaries this past week, she endorsed Sen. Obama today and ended her 17-month campaign for the White House. The two of them met this week in private and word is that the discussions went well and she will do everything she can to help Obama win the White House in November… just as I said she would all along. Yes, she was committed to winning and was doing what politicians do, sling mud, accusations, etc. But, and this was the harder part to get across to people, she is also dedicated to the Democratic party and wants to see a Dem get elected in November… prepare for the juggernaught.

Heckle: to even more depressing economic news. Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest retirement plan administrator, shows that the number of people making hardship withdrawals rose 17% last year as more and more Americans raid their retirement savings in order to make their mortgage payments, pay medical bills, and cope with rising food and fuel costs… (have no fear, the stimulus checks will be here soon and that will solve all the problems… what’s that? A lot of people have already received them and, as a majority of polls suggested, used them to pay down debt or buy essentials like food and gas which doesn’t help the economy? Wow, who would have thunk it… oh wait, everyone NOT in the Bush White House… where’s your economic messiah now?)

Applaud: to the American people who are waking up to see what’s going on in the world. A new poll from Public Agenda shows that 50% of those following the situation in Iran say “the one” best way to deal with Iran is through the use of diplomacy to “establish better relations” with a scant 7% favoring military action… but, as we know of this administration, they don’t care what the American people think, they’ll do whatever the hell they want and ignore the repercussions…

Heckle: to being the laughingstock of the G-8. Unlike all the other G8 nations, the US will not be able to meet large cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 despite the EU’s pledge to cut emissions by 30% by that year. Said the US’s chief climate negotiator (with this administration that has to be one heckuva easy job) told Reuters, “It’s frankly not do-able for us.” (Sad… just sad and pathetic…)

Applaud: to the NY Times (I know, I know – bear with me) for having the guts to say what many of us are saying of the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman, that it’s “time for Michael Mukasey, the attorney general, to stand up for justice by enforcing Congress’s subpoenas. […] If he will not do that, Congress must ensure that its investigative authority is not thwarted. Mr. Rove seems willing to talk about this case everywhere except where he is required to.” (Bam!)

Heckle: to sad and pathetic news. Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) declared yesterday that cost overruns for Pentagon weapons had “reached crisis proportions” and because of that he proposed an independent office at the Defense Department that would attempt to ensure the accuracy of cost estimates used in defense contracts… (and the actions of this administration continues to screw this country more and more… sad and pathetic)

Applaud: to pulling the rug our from under one of the most inanely conservative members of the Senate, Kit Bond (r-MO). The Bush(whacked) Administration is bypassing Bond, the top republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and is talking directly with Democrats about re-writing the nation’s surveillance laws. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), “bond, he’s just complicating things.” (Ouch, being snubbed by the leader of your own party – that’s gotta hoit… and is EXTREMELY funny…)

Heckle: to VA psychologist Norma Perez, who wrote an e-mail discouraging diagnosing veterans with post-trauamtic stress disorder… naturally she says it wasn’t a suggestion brought up because of financial concerns… considering the VA’s track record under this administration, I have no problem believing that the email was written because of the money… who agrees with me?

Applaud: to savory disagreements. Among all the people in the world that think Sen. McCain’s gas tax holiday is a bad idea, you can add Vice President Dick Cheney to that list as Cheney also believes that McCain’s gax tax holiday is a bad idea, saying; “I think it’s a false notion, in the sense that you’re not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas.” (Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah)

Heckle: to the same shit, same as the old shit… opponents of teaching evolution in schools have adopted a new strategy that wants the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution taught instead of pushing for the so-called “intelligent design” curriculum. (Give me a break… the phrase may sound innocent but it’s still an attempt to undermine the teaching of evolution… and that’s just wrong>)

Applaud: to the Senate Intelligence Committee. They will release the last in a series of reports on the Bush(whacked) Administration’s use of false intelligence ahead of the Iraq invasion which “reinvigorates a longstanding debate over whether the intelligence failures in the lead-up to the Iraq war were largely because of faulty intelligence or because of policy makers’ faulty use of intelligence.” (And which they’re doing again for Iran…)

Heckle: to the 70’s repeating themselves. Many economists are saying that “[p]rices have been soaring long enough and fast enough” and the US is at danger of a “self-reinforcing cycle of inflation like that experienced in the 1970s.” (Could be worse… disco could be making a comeback)

Applaud: to a new report by NASA’s inspector general that concludes (not at all surprisingly) that the Bush(whacked) Administration’s “distortion and suppression of climate science” is “‘inconsistent’” with the law that established the space program 50 years ago and found a “sustained pattern of activities, largely supervised by senior political appointees, that included muting or withholding news releases on global warming” and blocking scientists from the media. (Wow… color me, NOT surprised. The glaciers could be melting all over his Crawford Ranch and Bush would STILL deny global warming… what a putz)

Heckle: to yet another ‘senior moment’ from Sen. McCain.” Earlier this week he was speaking at a campaign rally in Nashville and said; “If we do everything right — and we can and we will — I will win in January, and I will be the next President of the United States.” (Who wants to tell the elder statesman of the Senate that the election is in November/)

Applaud: to proof that sometimes kids know more than they let on. During the recent National Spelling Bee, a newspaper asked some of the contestants about their thoughts on national politics… their responses show that Bush’s legacy is not going to improve with age. When asked if “President” Bush can spell “constitutional”, Jessica Shakesprere, an 11-year-old from West Virginia, replied that she doesn’t think he could (pretty safe bet)… Raymond Soriano, a 14 year old from Texas, remembered that Bush had misspelled ‘business’ one time and said of that, “That’s embarrassing.” And 11-year-old Vincent Medina from Florida had the best response when he told the paper, “Anyone can out-spell Bush.” (Smackedown by a middle-schooler, that’s gotta hoit…)

And finally…

This week’s conservative TOTW is Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Acting like a spoiled brat earlier this week, he basically shut down the Senate floor week by “forcing the Senate clerk to read aloud the entire 500 page global warming bill.” His reason? He alleges that the Democratic leadership “refused to honor its commitments” and push through a significant number of judicial nominees… stop the work of the government because they didn’t do something you wanted them to do? Sounds rather republican childish to me… and for that pathetic display of immaturity, we give McConnel, our Tool… of the week.
All I have, take ‘em as you will…

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing Blogger Bites It

EDITORS NOTE: Blogger bites it. The post was done, posted, and BAM! SOmething happened and I lost much of it and it looked like this: TBWA apologizes and hopes blogger comes back soon...


Thursday… but you knew that already, didn’t you?

With his nomination all but official, Sen. Obama has hit the campaign trail with a running start. Watch for him in YOUR town…
It’s being reported that Sen. Clinton will bow out of the race and endorse Obama on Saturday. Like I said yesterday, she deserves some time and I knew she would make the prudent decision. To say she ran a tough campaign would be the understatement of the year, and no one, no one can or should ever forget the trail she blazed, as significant a breakthrough for women as Obama is for African-Americans.
The Veep stakes continue…
Former President Jimmy Carter says an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a mistake. I tend to agree with him… what do YOU think?
Sen. McCain wants to face Obama in dueling Town Hall meetings. I’m sorry, with McCain’s wish-washiness and pandering, these should be no contest and Obama should agree to many of them as it would be the best way to get his policies out to the masses.

Why?

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is having a White House meeting today and, according to the Israeli press, Olmert will urge President Bush to prepare an attack on Iran; “Citing sources close to the Israeli prime minister, Yediot Achronot reported on its front page Wednesday that Olmert, who is due to hold closed-door talks with Bush in Washington, will say that “time is running out” on diplomatic efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear program.”

Son of a…

Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but how could diplomatic efforts be running out of time when we haven’t talked to them because that would be appeasement???

This is troubling, especially coming on the heels of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s “unusually sharp” verbal assault against Iran while giving a speech at AIPAC yesterday, this is news that should make conservatives nervous.

When you consider that Olmert himself told the AIPAC audience that “We must stop the Iranian threat by all possible means”… you get the feeling that the decision has already been made and they’re only waiting for a time that will benefit Sen. McCain’s campaign divert attention away from Olmert’s problems at home work from a logistical standpoint.

As Bush’s presidency gets nearer and nearer to the end, the rumors of a military strike on Iran are increasing at an alarming rate, with conservative lemmings like John Bolton and Norman Podhoretz coming out of the woodwork and suggesting an attack is near… and then there was the story last month in the Jerusalem Post that said a senior Bush(whacked) Administration official told Israeli officials to anticipate such an attack.

We’re boned…

The clock is ticking…

Following Sen. Barack Obama's ascension to the needed number of delegates to ensure the Democratic nomination, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), Democratic Governors Association Chairman Joe Manchin and DNC Chairman Howard Dean have issued a statement;

"We have come to the end of an exciting primary and caucus process - the voters have spoken. As the Democratic leaders of the Senate, House of Representatives, the Governors and the Democratic National Committee we commend all of the participants of the 2008 primary process, especially Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, for making this such a transformational election.

Because of the enthusiasm our candidates have inspired, our party has brought record numbers of voters to the polls, gained millions of newly registered Democrats and now has advantages in states many thought were difficult to win. We are grateful to the millions of Independents and Republicans who have crossed over to vote for a Democratic candidate for president.

Democrats must now turn our full attention to the general election. To that end, we are urging all remaining uncommitted super delegates to make their decisions known by Friday of this week so that our party can stand united and begin our march toward reversing the eight years of failed Bush/McCain policies that have weakened our country.

We once again congratulate all of the candidates for their leadership and dedication to providing this country with a new direction. We look forward to working with them and with all Democrats to win the White House, congressional seats and state capitals so we can deliver the change the American people deserve and demand.”

There you have it… if you’re a super-delegate, you have until Friday.

Otherwise the DNC will be sending Vito and Bruno over to ‘help’ you make your decision…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day, let’s get a humpin’…

• It begins…
• While Sen. Clinton won the South Dakota primary and Sen. Obama won Montana’s primary, the real story of the night was Obama passing the needed delegate threshold, making him the presumptive nominee.
• “The Giant Slayer”… seriously?
• Clinton’s speech was not a ceding to Obama, nor did she even congratulate him… listening to the pundits last night, you could feel the hostility towards her for not making a play to heal the party last night. I’m not a Clinton apologist, but I say give her a day or two to think things out in her head before she makes the right decision and accepts the realization that Obama won…
• Even Sen. McCain recognized that Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee as he made a point to slam Obama in his speech last night in New Orleans with him rejecting Democratic strategy that ties him to “President” Bush by noting his opposition to Bush's initial policies in Iraq, his energy policy and his climate change policy… (I can sum up McCain’s attempt to distance himself from Bush in 2 words; Epic. Fail. The 2000, and perhaps 2004, version of McCain opposed Bush’s policies, but in the last four years he’s pandered to the conservative base and embraced Bush’s policies. Get this straight, a vote for McCain is a vote for Bush Episode 3…
• Yes, there are other political going-ons besides the election… The Department of Homeland Security reported yesterday that travelers from England, France, Germany, Japan and two dozen other “Visa Waiver” countries are going to have to register electronically before travelling to the United States… (some experts don’t think the program will do much to prevent ‘unsavory characters’ from entering the country, but the problem is that it’s hard to measure how this works… so for now, I withhold judgment until it’s actually in place…)
• The administration’s beating of war drums towards Iran took another step forward yesterday in a speech by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In a speech at AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) yesterday Rice escalated the administration’s anti-Iran rhetoric and said; “We would be willing to meet with them but not while they continue to inch toward nuclear weapons under the cover of talks. […] The real question isn’t why won’t the Bush administration talk to Iran. The real question is why won’t Iran talk to us.” (Hmmmmmm… interesting question, but I have a feeling that if the US offered talks, Iran might accept. But that would require abandoning the plan to attack, and Bush will have none of that… he’s so focused on attacking Iran, I think it will happen sooner rather than later…)
• Sen. Byrd is still in the hospital…
• “Actress” Gina Gershon is demanding that Vanity Fair magazine issue a retraction after the magazine reported that former President Clinton “has been seen visiting” her in California… (Meh)
• Economists are saying that prices have been “soaring long enough and fast enough” that the US is now at risk of a self-reinforcing cycle of inflation like the 70s… (Lovely…)
• And have we mentioned? That the US is being left in the greenhouse gas emission dust by European G8 nations? While the European Union has made a pledge to cut emissions by 30% by 2020, the chief climate negotiator for the U.S. told Reuters that “It’s frankly not do-able for us.” (Not doable... or unwilling to do? Knowing this administration and this party, I have to go for the latter…)

Please God, make it stop

The Associated Press is reporting that, according to their own tally of convention delegates, Sen. Obama has effectively clinched the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

It’s AP, so take it with a grain of salt and stay tuned…

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

It’s almost all over but the shouting…

• Our thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) and his family.
• The last two primaries are today… and with it should come the end of the line for at least one of the Democratic campaigns, though I’m not saying whose (cough cough Hillary). Stay tuned…
• On what is probably the beginning of an avalanche of endorsements coming this week, House majority whip Rep. James Clyburn officially came out in support for Sen. Obama today… others will undoubtedly follow, so stay tuned.
• During an interview Tuesday on CNN, retired Adm. William Fallon (he who resigned back in March as leader of the U.S. military's Central Command) not only said that he wasn’t forced out because of his stance against attacking Iraq, but also that “President” Bush doesn’t want war with Iran… (Why am I having a hard time believing him?)
• CNN’s Jack Cafferty asks the question that’s on everyone’s mind; Will Clinton exit the race gracefully… or will she have to be dragged kicking and screaming like a child going for their first hair cut? I, personally, think she will make a quick and graceful exit. Despite all the things she has done in this primary season, she still recognizes the need for her party to win in November, and she will do everything she can to help achieve that goal…
• Vice President Dick “President” Cheney made an off-the-cuff joke the other day that implied inbreeding is common among West Virginians… he has since apologized… though I don’t think he should have been forced to. It’s a joke people, get over it. Perhaps if people in this country weren’t so thin-skinned and could take a joke, we wouldn’t be devolving into a nanny-state… but that’s just my opinion, I could be wrong
• Sen. Kennedy is improving…
• And have we mentioned? That Vice President Cheney even thinks that Sen. McCain’s gas tax holiday is a bad idea? Said Dick; “I think it’s a false notion, in the sense that you’re not going to have much of an impact, given the size of the gasoline tax on the total cost of the gallon of gas.” (I don’t know what’s scarier, that Cheney disagrees with his party’s presumptive nominee, or that I agree with Dick Cheney… my vote is for the latter… agreeing with Cheney… there’s something downright scary about that)

The Monday ‘BushWhack’ing

TGIM… wait, that’s not right…

• Our thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Ted Kenney (D-MA) and his family today as he has surgery to treat his malignant brain tumor.
• There was a decision over the weekend, ruled on by the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, about what to do with Florida and Michigan… it was decided to seat all their delegates and to give those delegates half a vote… which is more than I would have given them. The people in those states have no one to blame but their state legislatures and the ones screaming that the DNC is ignoring them or treating them badly is preposterous. You have an issue, take it up with your state, they’re the ones that decided to shun the rules and ignore the party… and they deserve ALL of the blame.
• There was a primary in Puerto Rico yesterday (won by Sen. Clinton) and 2 more tomorrow…
• The problem with reverends. Sen. Obama resigned from the church where Rev. Jeremiah Wright was a pastor… this comes on the heels of comments made by Catholic priest Michael Pfleger mocked Sen. Clinton… (ya see, the key fact here is that the comments were NOT made by Obama but people who Obama knows… pretty damn stupid to hold people accountable for what others say if you ask me…)
• Sen. McCain said he was wrong to use an image of Gen. David Petraeus in fundraising material, and vowed it “will not happen again.” (Until the next time it happens and he apologizes again…McCain, thy name is pandering)
• The McClellan book fallout continues…
• The number of other troops in Iraq has gotten significantly lower again as all Australian troops have “ended their main combat mission” this past Sunday. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, elected last November, had pledged during his campaign to “end his country’s frontline military role in Iraq” and he did just that… (and the number of foreign military assistance in Iraq grows ever smaller…)
• And have we mentioned? That it’s hard for the president to draw applause… at a gop event? Appearing at the South Carolina state gop convention this past Saturday, “President” Bush was introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (r-SC) and when Graham first mentioned Bush’s name, the gop crowd stayed silent, refusing to applaud the President until Graham prompted a round of applause from the crowd. (Hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah hah… sorry… I tried to stifle my laugh but couldn’t… it’s just so deliciously funny…)

The Friday Presidential Race ‘BushWhack’ing

Another week down... there are 22 weeks left til we head to the booths…

• Read my “Plea to Democrats” while it’s still a moral imperative
• Sen. McCain wants to slash the US’ nuclear arsenal… which drew a rebuke from Sen. Obama’s campaign that McCain hasn't led on nonproliferation issues in the past and is using this in order to draw parallels between him and Pres. Reagan…
• There should be a deal between the DNC and the brat-like states of Michigan and Florida this weekend. (as I said earlier this week, the two states clearly disobeyed the rules and were held accountable by not having their primaries count. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with disenfranchising voters and EVERYTHING to do with being held accountable for your actions. Giving in, even a little bit, is a horrible example to be passing on and will set a dangerous precedent for the future…)
• McCain’s campaign scaled back two fundraisers this week that were to have an appearance by “President” Bush because, according to the Phoenix Business Journal, the “event was not selling enough tickets” to fill the Convention Center space… (Hard to not laugh my ass off at that tidbit… but I’ll try)
• McCain criticized Obama for not visiting Iraq and refusing to join him on a trip over there… and now Obama seems to be pandering to McCain as he announced yesterday (Thursday) that he may travel to Iraq in the next few weeks…
• The three candidates signed a joint statement on Darfur this past week…
• Obama campaign staffer David Axelrod is apparently taking cues from Mark Penn and said earlier this week that his candidate is about to clinch victory… (the man is a putz for saying that before the final primary… much like CNN political pundit Roland Martin who tried to rouse some rabbles earlier this week by saying there is ‘no graceful bow-out’ for Sen. Clinton…
• Obama used former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle in his arsenal to help himself with blue-collar voters…
• We already knew this, but in case you didn’t, McCain i’s out of touch on housing woes facing average Americans…
• McCain tried to explain his opposition to the 21st Century GI Bill… it’s STILL not working…
• Obama is not ready to cede the Western US to McCain yet as he traverses the region as he tries to play up the dissatisfaction with Bush and population changes out there that have put the West in play… stay tuned.
• McCain got some bad news when the Libertarian Party picked former Georgia republican Rep. Bob Barr as its presidential candidate. Yes, Barr is on record saying he has “no intention of being a spoiler,” but has also let his disdain for McCain be known in the past, and if he plays the “true conservative” card, he could bleed many votes away from McCain in November… which is exactly what I want to see happen…
• And have we mentioned? That a CQ analysis of Senate votes shows that McCain is more in line with “President” Bush than he lets on? The analysis shows that McCain, on issues where Bush expressed “an explicit, stated opinion,” voted with Bush 100% of the time in 2008 and 95% of the time in 2007… more proof that a vote for McCain in November would be a vote for a third Bush term… and God knows we don’t want that.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Once again, our current commander in chief acts totally un-presidential.

January 20, 2009 can NOT come soon enough... it's like having a man-boy in the Oval Office.

The Thursday ‘BushWhack’ing

Another day closer to the weekend…

• Scott McClellan book fallout continues… though I am thrilled to see the Bush White House scramble to cover their collective asses while saying their “puzzled” by the book…
• Sen. McCain is criticizing Sen. Obama for not visiting Iraq in more than two years while also criticizing him for turning down his suggestion that the two make a joint trip to the country. (Obama’s lack of Iraq visits is indeed strange and I believe he should make a trek over there… but NOT with McCain. McCain’s offer is nothing but a political ploy and Obama was right to refuse to go…)
• “President” Bush’s uncanny ability to say things that make the least smart person in a room take notice has occurred again. Talking to the 2008 US Air Force Academy graduating class yesterday said that the “only way America could lose the war on terror is if we defeat ourselves” (all fine and good) but then he compared the Iraq war to World War II… (sigh… does anyone want to take the time to explain it to him? I would, but I don’t have 2 weeks to spare…)
• New York Gov. David Paterson (D) has “directed all state agencies to begin to revise their policies and regulations” in order for them to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions, like Massachusetts, California and Canada, calling it “a strong step toward marriage equality.” (conservative outrage in five, four, three—there it is…)
• While still speaking at the Air Force Academy commencement, Bush acknowledged that his administration is “learning as we go” in Iraq and even offered a “nod to realities”that have made the Iraq and Afghanistan wars more protracted than his administration had thought… (acknowledgement of a mis-step? Is this a reaction to the McClellan book?)
• That didn’t take long… Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) wants Scott McClellan to testify under oath before the House Judiciary Committee about the “earth-shattering” allegations contained in his book (I knew it was only a matter of time before someone brought up this scenario. Now we’ll have a chance to see what McClellan is peddling. If he’s serious about cleansing his soul, he’ll appear and testify under oath. If he’s only out to sell his book and make money, he’ll have some convenient excuse to NOT testify. Stay tuned…)
• Two members of the DNC rules committee said yesterday that the Democratic Party is likely to meet rule-breaking Florida and Michigan halfway when it comes to seating their delegates at the national convention, a move that might help Sen. Clinton close the delegate gap with Sen. Obama. (It would help her count, but in no way would overtake his numbers. MI and FL disobeyed the rules and were held accountable… it has NOTHING to do with disenfranchising voters but EVERYTHING to do with being held accountable for your actions. Giving in, even a little bit, is a horrible example to be passing on and will set a dangerous precedent for the future…)
• he top U.S. Navy official in the Persian Gulf, Vice Adm. Kevin Cosgriff, warned that war with Iran would be “pretty disastrous,” with “echoes and aftershocks” reverberating throughout the region, adding that “we have years” to deal with Iran’s nuclear program… (Yes, but the Bush(whacked) Administration only has months, and that’s the number that scares the hell out of me…)
• And have we mentioned? That a possible scourge of the earth has been denied? Yep… conservative blogger Michelle Malkin made a fuss about a Dunkin’ Donuts commercial that featured cooking personality Rachael Ray because of complaints that she was promoting terrorism… (wait, it gets dumber). In the ad, Ray wears a scarf that looks like a keffiyeh, a traditional headdress worn by Arab men… because of the fuss, Dunkin Donuts has yanked the commercial. Malkin was pleased with the response and said; “It’s refreshing to see an American company show sensitivity to the concerns of Americans opposed to Islamic jihad and its apologists.” (Are you fucking kidding me?? Does Malkin not have better things to do with her time than worry about a scarf in a commercial??? Give. Me. A. Break.)

Money maker or soul cleanser?

One of “President” Bush’s Texas lapdogs is attempting to throw him under the bus… and it could actually work.

Former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan spent a majority of his time in that position defending the Bush(whacked) Administration’s stance on the Iraq war… but now he’s concluded, either due to guilt or dollar signs, that his employer misled the nation into an unjust war.

Well duhhhhhhhhhh….

McClellan’s book What Happened: Washington's Culture of Deception will be released next Monday and it contains some interesting writings like;

“History appears poised to confirm what most Americans today have decided -- that the decision to invade Iraq was a serious strategic blunder.” […] No one, including me, can know with absolute certainty how the war will be viewed decades from now when we can more fully understand its impact. […] What I do know is that war should only be waged when necessary, and the Iraq war was not necessary.”

McClellan also says that Bush is “plenty smart enough to be president” and Bush is “an instinctive leader more than an intellectual leader” and chooses what to do “based on his gut and his most deeply held convictions.”

Well… that’s just what we want from a president isn’t it? Screw debate… screw learning the facts… my gut says we invade, so we’re invading…

Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

Liberal pundits and Liberal bloggers have been saying forever that Bush ignores what other people say about a subject and does whatever the hell he wants… McClellan’s book supports that.

Bush doesn’t want or seek widespread counsel and critique in his decision-making, he decides himself using his instincts.

Ignoring for a moment the question of how the hell our nation has not collapsed with this putz in the White house, let’s instead concentrate on McClellan’s sudden discovery of a soul.

It’s been more than two years since he left the White House and seemingly all it took for him to find religion was a lucrative book deal.

Sure, the book gives credence to those of us who said that Bush wasn’t “open and forthright on Iraq” and that he used propaganda to sell the war, and that the “White House press corps was too easy on the administration during the run-up to the war”… but we already knew that…

At least those of us who can use their own mind and haven’t partaken of the Bush Kool-Aid knew that and have been saying it for years… and now we, seemingly, have proof.

Another question is whether or not the MSM reports the story and, thus indicts themselves into the wool being collectively pulled over the eyes of the American public regarding the Iraq war?I don’t see it happening…

And what to make of McClellan’s sudden decision to come clean… for three years he willingly distorted and lied for this administration… he lied about Iraq, domestic spying, secret prisons and the true role that the White House played in the outing of Valerie Plame.

McClellan could have said all this before now, but he didn’t… probably because he knew he could make big money by putting pen to paper and throwing the administration under the bus in a tell-all book.

In the book McClellan claims he was lied to but was he?

I have to say yes… and that can be supported to some extent with the zeal that conservative pundits are jumping up and down on him.

We have Karl Rove on Fox “News” saying that McClellan sounded more like “a left-wing blogger” than himself… we have former Homeland Security adviser Frances Townsend appearing on CNN calling McClellan “self-serving” and “disingenuous”… and then we have the ever famous “former colleague” who says of McClellan; “It looks like a fairly pathetic attempt to restore his reputation by junking the only positive attribute people saw in him — loyalty.”

Why pounce on someone that quickly if the story isn’t true… why not just issue a blanket denial and be done with it?

Simple… because there must be some truth in it and issuing a blanket denial would imperil them in court.

I don’t forgive McClellan’s role in the Bush White House… let’s face it, he had more than enough time from his resignation and the book’s launch to make his claims known, but he waited until he could make money off of it… but perhaps we should view him a little differently now and wait for him to be summoned to Capitol Hill before we condemn or commend him.

Stay tuned…

The Wednesday ‘BushWhack’ing

Hump day, and I’m finding it hard to get back into it after being away since last Thursday…

• Former Bush lapdog Press Secretary Scott McClellan has released his book about his time as PS. Bottom line: Bush lied to him, he lied to the media, the media lied to us… but it’s all good because he was only following orders. (Wow… now the question is how much play will the MSM give this? Or will they quietly sweep it under the rug? I'll probably have more on this later today...)
• Senators Obama, Clinton and McCain signed a joint statement on Darfur yesterday that accuses the Sudanese government of “atrocities against civilians in Darfur.” (I’m sure this letter will turn the Sudanese government right around and they’ll stop immediately…)
• Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod says his candidate is about to clinch victory… after next week’s primaries. (Ok, I realize it’s political posturing and rhetoric, but come on, saying he’s about to clinch and meaning sometimes next week is just dumb. It’s NEXT week… wait until Monday David and then say he’s “about to clinch”, not five days before. What, have you been taking advice from Mark Penn???)
• CNN political pundit Roland Martin is trying to rouse some rabbles by saying in his weekly online column that there is ‘no graceful bow-out’ for Sen. Clinton… (way to stir things up Roland… and way to be wrong. There is absolutely a way for Ms. Clinton to leave with grace and dignity. After accepting defeat after next week’s primaries, she could quietly acquiesce that Obama won and urge her supporters to fall in line behind him and then campaign for him… showing her supporters that she is behind her party’s official nominee…
• Sen. Obama continues to woo blue-collar voters and is using former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle as part of that plan. Daschle is still well-respected across the country and should help Obama a little. Stay tuned…
• McCain’s out of touch on housing woes? (Nooo, I can’t accept that… who would have thought that someone with 423 homes would be out of touch, I am shocked… shocked I say! Next thing you know people would be saying that Bush is more of a liability to McCain then an asset… and we all know how ridiculous that thought is. Sorry, was the sarcasm too over the top there?)
• The DNC should make a decision about Florida and Michigan this weekend amid protests by Obama and Clinton supporters… stay tuned.
• And have we mentioned? That the Supreme Court ruled in favor of employees versus employers yesterday? You read that right… the justices ruled that employees are protected from retaliation when they complain about discrimination in the workplace. The ruling not only adopts a broad interpretation of workers’ rights under two federal civil rights laws but also hints at, in the words of the NY Times, “new tone and direction” on SCOTUS. (Uh-huh… I’ll believe it when I see it)

The Tuesday ‘BushWhack’ing

We’re back and better than ever before…

• The VP race is on!
• Seeing that he’s getting raked over the coals for his opposition to Sen. Webb’s GI Bill, Sen. McCain is hastily trying to explain his opposition. It’s not working… and he’s now resorted to calling Sen. Obama’s criticism of his (McCain’s) opposition as a ‘campaign pledge’… never mind the fact that that is exactly what McCain is doing in trying to explain himself…
• President Bush lauded U.S. troops yesterday as an “awesome bunch of people” while lamenting that some of them have had to die in defense of freedom… (That’s how a president is going to carry himself at the Tomb of the Unknowns? By saying they’re ‘awesome’ people? His language abilities – or lack thereof – continue to amaze me…)
• The Libertarian Party picked former Georgia republican Rep. Bob Barr as its presidential candidate this past Sunday. While Barr is on record that he has “no intention of being a spoiler,” his disdain for John McCain is well-documented and he could bleed votes away from him in November. (and with that, the Democrats chances of getting the White House back have increased significantly… stay tuned)
• Cindy McCain is proving to be Sen. McCain’s Sugar Mama, having earned a whopping $6 million dollars in 2006…
• Sen. Tom Coburn (r-OK) is saying what most of us already know… that “republicans are in denial.” Coburn wrote an Op-Ed in today’s WSJ and says that “much is being written about the supposed soul-searching in the Republican Party. A more accurate description of our state is paralysis and denial.” (True… very, very true… and good news for Democrats)
• “The American people are fed up…. we’ve lost the House and Senate, and everybody hates George Bush.” Who said it? Sen. Obama? Sen. Clinton? Gov. Dean? Nope… Texas republican congressman Pete Sessions… ouch. Think that’s bad? Well…
• And have we mentioned? That Sen. McCain wants to keep his distance from “President” Bush? The pair are hosting a joint fund-raiser in Phoenix tomorrow and will mark the first time in three months that the two will share the spotlight and be seen together… problem is, McCain’s campaign is trying its damndest to make sure cameras don’t capture the two of them together… (when the head of your party has historic disapproval ratings and your nominee for the White House doesn’t want to be seen with him, you’ve got problems. Bigger problems than the Democrats do… to bad the MSM isn’t talking about it…)