Benedict Arnolds!

Ooh, that damned CBS. Just like them, right before the elections to demonstrate that anti-Bush bias and show how our soldiers are getting the short end of the stick and having to use PLYWOOD on their Hummers to try to stay alive in Iraq. Telling everyone in the world that our politicians would rather pay for Lewis and Clark festivities and running tracks than details like body armor, bullets, and radios for the guys dodging RDX and HMX bombs on every open stretch of road. Aid and comfort to the enemy, I say, aid and comfort to the enemy.

Let's see, the annual defense budget, let's call it four hundred billion, just for a round number. And, for ease, let's use two million for the size of our armed forces. That means that the defense budget allows two hundred thousand dollars per capita for every military person in any United States uniform. Shouldn't we expect better?

buffoons for Bush

I am getting really tired of the right-wing spin doctors using the notion that the loss of 377 tons of RDX and HMX, two of the most powerful non-nuclear explosives in the world, is somehow forgiveable because "we've destroyed 400,000 tons of other Iraqi munitions and this is less than one percent of that." By that logic, these same idiots should be explaining to us all that September 11th was no big deal, since Osama's minions only knocked down a few buildings. I mean, look at the thousands of buildings in New York City and Washington, D.C. that were completely untouched!

if you like omens

For the seventeen presidential elections held since 1932, the fate of the Washington Redskins has matched the outcome of the presidential elections. Seventeen elections in a row, if the Washington Redskins won the last game they played before Election Day, the incumbent president won. If the Washington Redskins lost the last game they played before Election Day, the challenger won. The Washington Redskins played the Green Bay Packers today. It's the last game they play before Election Day.

The Washington Redskins just lost to the Green Bay Packers, 28-14.

time for a new deck

It's come to the point in this campaign where the Bush supporters that are left are the real hardcore "base" constituents of this administration's supporters. A lot of them understand that this president has a less-than-perfect record for the last four years, but they frequently seem to have made the leap of faith that Bush's portrayal of the situation, that circumstances and situations just haven't gone his way, that he has done wonderful things but just hasn't had the best of luck while president.

All right, let's accept that as a premise. If that is indeed the way that anybody feels, I have one question. If this president is so unlucky as to have so many things go so badly for him (the September 11th attacks, oil prices, a tanking economy, rising unemployment, being unable to catch Bin Laden, finding none of the purported weapons in Iraq, and all of the other issues that the challenger is running on) then don't you think it's time to find somebody with BETTER LUCK?

what a surprise

Songwriter John Hall, who as a member of the band "Orleans" penned the hit song "Still the One" in 1976, yesterday asked the Bush campaign to refrain from using his COPYRIGHTED tune as part of their campaign source music. The campaign was said to have agreed to no longer use the song in accord with the wishes of Mr. Hall, who has previously been a Democratic legislator in his home state of New York. Today, at a Bush rally, little w. and his Prozac-glazed wife Laura, walked on stage to the familiar strains of "Still the One." These people have no shame. They appropriate somebody else's intellectual property for partisan use without asking permission, they agree to not use it any more after being politely contacted, and they turn around and use it anyway.

Sue them, John. Regardless of the outcome of the election, sue them.

serious stuff

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/10/27_lakoff.shtml

This article explains the single biggest problem that "liberals," "progressives," "hippies," "tree-huggers," whatever pejorative term the people who want to further enrich the rich, to curtail essential freedoms, to govern in accord with their personal religious feelings, to let huge corporations set policy, and to turn this country into their own exclusive country club want to use for those of us who think this country is teetering on the edge of disaster, face in the continuing battle. It is some deep reading, but it explains WHY, in this day of a plethora of resources to find accurate information about world events, an astonishingly high percentage of people believe that Saddam and Osama were working together, that Saddam had nukes, and all of the FOX news baloney that flies around us every day. THIS is the battle that we have to learn how to fight, the battle of what almost is subliminal programming, terms that one side develops that semantically place them at an advantage, terms like "pro-life," "partial-birth abortion," "tax relief," and so many others. When you set terms like that in play that fall into general use, you establish a positive-negative premise that predisposes people to favor one side over the other. Let's face it, many people do not use facts and logic to make decisions with in favor of "instinct" and "gut feelings" and the people who control the right-wing agenda in this country have been perfecting this linguistic sleight-of-hand for thirty years now. We have a lot of catching up to do, but if you want to help stave off disaster, this article will arm you with the best weapon you will ever find to be able to turn the tide.

well blow me down!

I'm stunned. Tuckie Carlson has predicted a win for John Kerry in the Washington Post, saying that Kerry will beat Bush by 51.5%-48% in the popular vote, and by 278-260 in the Electoral College vote. Tuckie, I still think you're an over-compensating closeted size queen, but that's certainly a brave prediction, and obviously an honest one. I hope you have noticed that intellectual integrity isn't as hard as you might have thought, and actually feels good. If you regularly start displaying that quality, people other than hard-right nut cases might even start to grant you some journalistic credibility, an area in which you may have heard some criticism on lately.

guess I'm not the only one

I'm still chuckling at Richard Belzer's description of Ann Coulter, aka Fugly Twunt, as a "fascist party doll." I'm not any kind of a fan of Belzer's work, but his social commentary certainly strikes a responsive chord in me much of the time. Yes, Richard, she IS repugnant, and I'm glad you made that point even though Bill Maher was sincerely trying to be a good host and not permit anybody to be beaten up, because she deserved at least that much of a quick verbal slap for her odious opinions and reprehensible comments.

macho, macho man...

If anybody is still foolish enough to believe that our chickenhawk president is more chicken than anything else, all you have to do is watch the video clip of the confetti cannon going off prematurely at his campaign rally today. The abject look of terrified, weak-in-the-knees panic on his face expressed more in a couple of seconds than even the seven-minute "pet goat" moment. Now you know why he got daddy to help him stay out of Viet Nam. Commander in Chief, indeed. Honestly, look at him, the boy nearly wet himself. Of course, what else would you expect from a cheerleader pretending he's a cowboy?

a head-scratcher, for sure

On "Countdown" tonight, Raghida Dergham, Arab culture expert, translator, and MSNBC analyst, observed that it seemed to her the content and framing of the Bin Laden tape indicated that the tape was actually prepared for the September 11th anniversary this year, and wondered why it would have taken until now to be released.

Gee, Mr. Rove, care to field that one?

RED ALERT!

In the next day or so, the administration will place the entire country at Red Alert. And, they've been planning this for a while. Why do I say that? As soon as the Osama Bin Laden tape appeared today, government officials showed no surprise and said they were already "aware of the content." I submit that they intercepted the contents of this tape not long ago and have not released their knowledge of it so that they could pretend to be shocked by its appearance just days before the elections, be prepared with neocon fear-inducing talking points, make covert administrative preparations for high alert status, and point to it as a foolproof sign that we are at an extremely high risk for a new attack. I'll bet they even throw the word "nukular" into the mix for added effect.

It's going to be a nail-biting few more days...

Bush is finally uniting us!

I've been watching election coverage and interviews all day today, and I have noticed an amazing trend. Without any exceptions, every single Republican operative I've seen has been in defensive mode, on the run, and grasping at straws. They try to portray themselves as rational, moderated, calm, and in control, but they all have panic in their eyes and quavers in their voices. Best of all, reporters, while they aren't very good at it yet, are starting to act almost like real journalists and actually challenging them on their bull and asking harder questions. I honestly think we have the momentum and we just need to maintain it the next few days and get people out to vote. The biggest single fear the Bush campaign has is a high voter turnout. The more people who go to the polls, the better Kerry's chances are. Spread the word, be a pest to everyone you know, they need to understand that this is the big time. There has never been as much at stake in this country as there is now. Let's take this land of ours back from these dishonest and self-serving scoundrels, and on Tuesday send them packing with their tails between their legs!

Fahrenheit 911 ON-LINE FOR FREE

Small screen size, but who cares:

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/video1035.htm

no hesitation

Jon Stewart had John Zogby on "The Daily Show" for the interview segment tonight. Stewart's first question was "who is going to win Tuesday?"

Zogby's answer? One word, short, sweet and to the point.

"Kerry."

No hesitation, no equivocation, no fallback position, just "Kerry."


We might actually have it.

a personal opinion

As someone, who among other things, has been a performing rock musician for thirty-five years, I have been around a lot of substance abuse, and when I see Bush, I see all of the cokeheads that I've encountered in my life. Cokeheads will say anything to get what they want out of people, they will put on the most elaborate and passionate displays to convince others that they are on the up-and-up, and they get mad when you part the tissue of lies they surround themselves with. They show many different personalities, the way that little w. did in the presidential debates, and they blame all of their problems on circumstances and other people. I worry that the American public may be Bush's co-dependents, and that they will give him the "one more chance" that every cocaine addict is always asking for.

could you afford this much justice?

Bill O'Reilly has managed to avoid being humilated in the full view of the public, the very people that he constantly "opines" deserve to know the truth. In a confidential agreement, he settled Andrea Mackris's sexual harassment lawsuit out of court today. Isn't this a great country? At least if you're white, powerful, and wealthy?

what's a meta for?

I think an important point is being overlooked in the matter of the PhotoShopped picture of troops featured in the "Whatever It Takes" Bush advertisement. All of the commentary I've seen is focused on the fakery of the photograph, the cloning and transplanting of a couple of small groups of soldiers to make a stronger visual statement. That, in and of itself, is no big deal. We are bombarded every day by faked marketing images that are simply designed to be more evocative than reality, we are fairly inured to it, and most people are aware that reality and advertising are not the same thing. Restaurant advertisements feature images of food that is either completely fake or has been so altered to look good as to be inedible to the point of being poisonous, and nobody has any real problem with that, and the food industry is very open about the practice.

No, the problem is not the "enhanced" image of the crowd of soldiers. The problem is the Bush team's reaction to the exposure of the fakery, which they should have realized was inevitable. The campaign has passed the buck to an anonymous "editor" who they say just went a little too far in doing his job. If that is the case, why did the official(s) in the campaign who run this sort of stuff APPROVE the use of the photo? Would they have us believe that in the last week of the most hotly contested election in many years that they weren't paying any attention to an important campaign advertisement, one of their "closer" ads? Once again, these scoundrels have proven that they are incapable of accepting responsibility for their actions and they have demonstrated how contemptuous they are of the voters, and how stupid they obviously think the people of this country are.

I hope they are wrong.

is there something we should know?

First, CARE's Margaret Hassan is kidnapped and held hostage in Iraq, with her captors echoing a demand made after a previous kidnapping to release all of the female prisoners held by the American and associated forces and today, a Polish woman has been kidnapped and made a hostage in Iraq, with the same demand to release all female prisoners. This is three times in the last couple of weeks that the specific demand to release all female prisoners of the occupying forces has been made, and so far the Bush administration has insisted that there are no longer any Iraqi female prisoners being held anywhere. This makes no sense. The Zarqawi group and other groups involved in these kidnappings aren't stupid and it seems clear at this point that there is a clear purpose behind the demands to release females, even to the possibility that they know of and want the release of a specific woman or group of women that are being held incommunicado. With the record of secrecy and falsehood that the Bush crowd has, while I want to believe my own government, I'm having a hard time reconciling the glaring discrepancies inherent in this developing story.

Note to John Kerry - be careful what you wish for. If you win, you are going to be in for the most challenging task of your life.

uh-oh

In the last twelve hours, we have seen Yasser Arafat's reported condition go from "very critical" with him at one point being said to be "unconscious" which was later revised to suffering "periods of unconsciousness," to this morning's report of him being prepared to be taken to Paris for urgently-needed medical treatment, to the most recent report which has him in "very stable condition" and "refusing" to leave his compound for treatment. Call me a skeptic, but if he was experiencing such major difficulties last night, can he be that feisty and stable less than a day later? I suspect that Mr. Arafat has passed away in the night, and that careful consideration is being given as to how and when to release the information with the knowledge that his death could be the match that ignites a huge powder keg of violence from both sides.

Right or wrong, and as stated before, it will be very interesting to see how this unscripted October Surprise plays out in these last few pre-election days.

credit where credit is due

I detest rap. I can easily demonstrate that by definition, rap is not music. I also think that the rap culture is assisting in the deterioration of America. However, I would like to thank Marshall "eminem" Mathers for his new video, "Mosh," which makes a vivid case for deposing our unelected president next week. It is good to know that he is willing to use his power and financial assets to connect with his audience to effect positive change in the country. This recording is going to reach an audience that the challengers could not convincingly address and may be the real lever that motivates youth to wake up and realize that their country and their future are being sold down the river by those currently in charge. George, you and your partners in treason are hereby (not herby) warned, if anything bad happens to this young man in the near future, we will be examining your actions because we know you will be involved.

twugly funt

In another ironic double-play, pie-ducking fugly twunt Ann Coulter's evil twin, Katherine Harris, had to dodge a silver Cadillac that was being piloted straight at her by an American citizen who was disgruntled by her role in the great election theft of 2000. I hope the driver was drunk. At least then he has a good excuse for MISSING.

a portent?

One can only hope that there will be ANOTHER big win for Massachusetts in a few days. I'm not a sports fan, but I am a fan of people that make their dream happen - congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, and may your luck rub off on the United States of America next week!

speaking of which

It strikes me as extremely telling that family members of both Reagan and JFK have now objected to little w. comparing himself to their presidential relatives strongly enough to have actually gone before the press to openly say that they didn't appreciate his appropriation of their memories and to request that he not do it any more. It must really sting somebody as arrogant as Georgie to be publicly chastised for having the audacity to ride on the coat-tails of the dead and pretend that he is anywhere near the league that they were in.

file under d for "duh"

In an exchange with Ron Reagan on Hardball, Chris Matthews made the observation that if people in this country are voting for Bush on the basis of understanding that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and a direct connection between Saddam Hussein, Bin Laden, and September 11th, "then we in the news business have not done the job with half the country."

Let's see, six days until the election, and you're just figuring this out, Chris?

this is getting old

I can't help but laugh out loud over the outrage the Republican party is displaying at the allegations that there are more voters registered than there are potential voters in Ohio. Yet, when there were a million and a half more voter registrations in Afghanistan than there are potential voters there, they bragged that it was an indication of how robustly democracy was working there.

al Qaqaa

Isn't the name of the arsenal that the 380 tons of high-explosive putatively disappeared from the perfect metaphor for the Bush administration and presidential campaign?

All Ca-Ca.

a confession

I have loved Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg as long as I can remember. After hearing her politely and succinctly chastise little w. for invoking her honored father, JFK the First, and clearly request that he refrain from using his memory any more, I love her all the more. You are indeed the true princess of Camelot, Caroline, and I am yours forever.

Ba-Da Bing, Ba-Ba Booie!!!

What a news day this is! If you haven't seen or heard it yet, find a copy of the surprise interview Michael Powell had to try to survive with Howard Stern today when Howard phoned in and cornered him while Powell was appearing on another program.

Freedom isn't dead, it just smells funny right now because it's been locked up for so long!

a Palestinian monkey wrench

After months of gossip and speculation, it appears that Yasser Arafat's health has deteriorated dramatically, to the extent that it has been reported (not verified) that he has lapsed into unconsciousness and may be near death. One curious report claims he is suffering from a bad case of the flu. If that actually is the case, one can only wonder if he was also a Chiron customer. No matter what the health issue is, it will be interesting to see how this plays into our presidential election over this final week.

please tell me he isn't serious

The guy who really puts the "vice" in vice-president, the appropriately named Dick Cheney, thinks that our invasion of Iraq has been a "remarkable success story."

Don't federal employees have to take drug tests? What substance is this man ON, anyway?

that's the best you can do?

So, the ever pugnacious and duel-seeking Zell Miller is stumping for little w. Good, George can have the embarrassing old reprobate, I'd prefer not to see John Kerry associated with insane people. Besides, when that vein on his forehead finally blows out from the pressure, it's going to be really, really messy. You have to wonder if pathetic old Zell is blind or stupid, though. Doesn't he recall how the Bush junta distanced themselves from him after they used him the last time?

The money's on the dresser babe, thanks.

who's your daddy...

I have long maintained that you can tell a lot about people by observing their children. With that in mind, take a look at George Bush's children and at John Kerry's children. In the first case, we have a couple of habitual law-breaking, semi-literate party girls, a female Beavis and Butthead duo, and in the second case we have intelligent, poised, genteel young women with an almost Kennedy-esque air of noblesse oblige. How do you think the differences between the two came to be? Simple, children learn how to act by watching how their parents act.

JFK the second? It seems quite possible to me.

this is just too easy

"For a political candidate to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your commander in chief." - George W. Bush, 10-27-04


I couldn't have said it better, Georgie. Nice of you to campaign for John Kerry.

Ashlee reflux... er, uh, redux.

Ashlee, hon, I finally got to hear your performance at the awards show Monday night, your chance to redeem yourself from the Saturday Night Live fiasco.

Go back to using your "guide" tracks.

Please.

close, but no cigar

I finally got to see Coulter's "terrorist attack." How delicious. The look of utter, all-encompassing fear on her donkey face as her life flashed before her eyes - this creature was sure she was about to be murdered, and knew that it would be a well-deserved fate. I'd almost say that her heart was in her throat, but that would necessitate having one. I sincerely hope that sudden flash of overwhelming terror dogs that bigoted fugly twunt the rest of her misbegotten life.

Yes-man

Happy 60th birthday, Jon Anderson.

a pundit accidentally tells the truth

"Well, I disagree with you on that. The people ARE pretty dumb."

This is a quote from Robert Novak on today's "Crossfire." This is Novak's stated opinion of the citizens of the United States. That would be most of you who read this, and who watch and read Novak, thereby permitting him to keep his extremely well-paid job.

Break another hip, Novak.

prove it

Our presidential Mini-Me, George the Second, has finally explained what the mysterious lump in his jacket during the Kerry-Bush debates was. "It was my spine" said little w. Well, okay, it seems to me that's easy enough to prove, especially for a muscular, he-man cowboy who should be proud to demonstrate his veracity.

Take off your shirt, George.

being two-dimensional is handy

I just saw the report of my favorite fugly twunt Ann Coulter dodging deadly terrorist cream pies. I did some careful research and I managed to discover how horseface Coulter managed to evade the attack.

She turned sideways and disappeared.

it's about time

Give Lawrence O'Donnell Scarborough's time slot! It's refreshing to have somebody call a lying sack of shit like John O'Neil a LIAR to his face and make him tremble in fear. If "journalists" won't tell the truth, put Lawrence on and let him show these preening idiots how to do their jobs.

BRAVO LAWRENCE O'DONNELL!

Let's be clear about one thing, too. I've read comments berating O'Donnell's lack of manners. Well, too bad. When somebody is as big a liar (proven time and time again) as that shitbag O'Neil always has been and continues to be, there comes a time when you don't have to be polite and put up with their lying any more. There comes a time when the truth must be shouted from the rooftops.

BRAVO LAWRENCE O'DONNELL!

singing a different tune

In a hilarious distraction from the political and international scene right now, Ashlee Simpson appeared on Saturday Night Live. A delightful demonstration of reality occurred when the audio staff fed the wrong pre-recorded track to the stage and audience for her second "performance" of the evening. It was the same song she had "performed" earlier, which apparently left her no options other than abashedly exiting the stage and later blaming the incident on her band, telling the audience they had started "playing the wrong song." Well, somebody had a musical problem, but not the band. Ashlee, hon, this is what happens sometimes when you are only pretending to have talent. Remember "Milli Vanilli?" You see, real musicians at your age are few and very far between. It takes years for a real musician to create and develop their musical identity. In your case, it took a famous sibling, a stylist, a greedy entertainment industry, and a cadre of uninformed youth easily manipulated to covet slickly packaged products and a uniform willingness to grovel before the next big fad. Ashlee, perhaps if you start practicing at being a musician, sometime down the road you may not have to worry about reality intruding into your performances, because your performances will be the reality.

you've got to be kidding me!

I just saw this superliminal George-Bush-as-Jesus "Ashley" advertisement. How unbelievable! Is it just me, or are they really trying to portray little w. as a virtually divine being? Little Ashley is supernaturally transformed by a hug from George? People know just by looking for him that he's the guy? Exactly how vapid is the target demographic this ad was created for? How low will these people stoop, how overtly will they try to manipulate the citizens of this country? How long do we have to put up with this shit?

out of the mainstream

The Bush team is always referring to how "out of the mainstream" John Kerry is. This from the people that brought you the guy that says "internets?"

"as you know"

Ken Mehlman is slick. We should all marvel at how slick he and his fellow propagandists are. Mr. Subliminal has nothing on these guys. It is truly amazing how powerful three little words can be.

"As you know."

I've noticed this trick before, but never really consciously connected the dots to see how perfect a ploy it is.

This time, it went like this. While talking to Leslie Blitzer on CNN about various and sundry reasons why George Bush deserved election, the topic of Kerry's support for expanding funding on embryonic stem-cell research came up. Before hitting his talking points, Ken took a moment to drop an almost imperceptible line of viral code into Leslie's operating system. "As you know, Wolf, George Bush was the first president to fund stem-cell research." Rather than pointing out the obvious, that the reason that Bush was the first president to fund it was that there had been developments in research techniques in the past few years during his presidency that made it an issue on his watch for the first time, Leslie liked the tacit statement that he knew something and he quickly agreed, saying something knowing like "yes, of course he did, but..." and dropped that line of discussion to continue on another tangent. Instead of being called on his omission of an important factor, Mehlman managed to make the covert assertion that George was prescient enough to pull up this esoteric subject for review and approval because of his governance skills simply by using a three-word introduction to a sentence, distracting an obviously intelligent person with the most subtle appeal to his basic vanity. And Leslie Blitzer? He lighted up with the implicit flattery of the words "as you know, Wolf" and apparently got his cognitive processes short-circuited or detoured with ease.

Later on in the day, different guest, the topic came up of medical research, and Leslie Blitzer himself made a reference to the "as you know" fact that little w. was the first president to fund stem-cell research.

Like Pavlov and the pups, only faster and with greater ease, three little words programmed an allegedly world-class journalist into repeating a simple Republican talking point pretty much verbatim as though it were a relevant fact in and of itself, all the while beaming smugly secure in the knowledge that he will continue to be perceived as one who knows.

"As you know."

it's a Leslie trifecta!

One more Blitzer moment. Interviewing Ken Mehlman about a multitude of topics, the subject of embryonic stem-cell research came up, due to Schwarzenegger's support of it, and the same old Republican talking point came up:

"As you know, Wolf, George Bush is the first president in history to provide government funds for stem-cell research."

Duh. That's like saying FDR was the first president to provide government funds for nuclear weapon development. Stem-cell research didn't really exist before a few years ago. No other president had encountered the issue.

Later in the day, on another topic, Leslie Blitzer was quick to point out Bush was the first president to do fund stem-cell research. He knew the facts. Which brings us to our next post...

at least it isn't Clinton

Leslie Blitzer was a gold mine of "liberal press bias" today. Tommy Thompson was permitted to deflect the failure of the Bush administration to ensure the vaccine system we have in place in this country worked properly. Thompson claimed that this year's problem started "ten years ago" when people like John Kerry (the only person he named) voted against legislation that would have prevented this vaccine fiasco we are currently in. So, if he knew that the problem started ten years ago, and that Kerry was such a big part of the problem, why didn't he fix it four years ago when it became his responsibility?

it must be the monoxide fumes

Nascar driver Darryl Waltrip was interviewed by Leslie Blitzer today for at least ten minutes on CNN, and proved himself to be quite the believer. He repeatedly proclaimed that Bush was "the honest" candidate, the one you could believe, the strong-and-true good old boy that was going to fix all of the problems in this country. How does he know? Well, in his own words, "I'm not a huge issues guy." He knows because he's able to look into George's close-set eyes and just tell that he is a great guy who couldn't possibly be as incompetent as recent history says. He repeatedly maligned Kerry's honesty, and then said that he wasn't there to talk badly of him. Gee, nice save. Mr. Leslie Blitzer, somewhat to his credit, timidly pointed out where some of Waltrip's factual errors were after which he finally retreated to his real position that facts didn't matter, as long as his gut told him George was the true hope of the nation. What on earth are idiots like these being trundled forth on NEWS programs for? By his own admission, the man knows nothing of the issues, yet he is given valuable TV time to provide a free campaign commercial that has no relation to the facts. Journalism is defined how again?

add injury to injury

While everybody is hammering on Sinclair's advertisers, why not contact Sinclair directly and insist that they publicly apologize and reinstate Jonathon Leiberman, fired for speaking truth to stupidity and telling the Smiths and their lackeys that they had no business airing the slanderous "documentary" about John Kerry. Whatever happened to honor in this country?

now I see

After today, I understand why Little-Lord-Fauntleroyesque, bowtie-wearing-thirty-five-year-old closet-queen Tuckie Carlson supports George Bush. He has the same kind of bravery-from-a-distance that George does. Tuckie went on record today saying how "ridiculous" Jon Stewart looked on Friday's "Crossfire." I don't know what tape Tuckie watched, but Jon verbally sodomized him. Exactly like our man George, talking big and tough about John Kerry AFTER being eviscerated three straight times in the debates. So, that explains why Tuckie is such a "throne-sniffer" and "butt buddy" for little w. Of course, I'll wager the codpiece in George's flight suit is what made him swoon first...

'round and 'round she goes!

A New Jersey town has figured out a way to make health care fun and exciting. The great Flu Shot Lottery has started, and this winter we will all get to see natural selection in action with only lucky people getting an improved chance to continue living. Think somebody should make a reality show out of it?

how's that again?

While giving his free campaign commercial today, Bush said that Kerry, despite the fact that he has said many times (including at least once while George was standing a few feet away from him) that he will never give up America's right to strike first if necessary, thinks America shouldn't "respond until after we have been hit."

Please send monkey-boy a dictionary, with somebody to read it to him. It isn't a response if you do it first...

instant replay

George has done it again. He has managed to dupe our legally blind media into covering yet another one of his campaign stops by announcing that it would be a "major policy address." Yet another example of how incredibly incompetent our press is - at least I hope it's incompetent instead of the only other alternative, malevolent.

in a nutshell

I think I've finally figured out the essential difference.

Republicans want to win - any way.
Democrats want to win - fairly.

"putin" is Russian for "bush"

Today, Vladimir Putin echoed the Republican claim that the "insurgents" in Iraq want Kerry to be elected president. This comes from the man that has taken Russia almost all the way back to totalitarianism. George must be comforted to know that such a paragon of freedom and civil liberties supports him instead of that scoundrel, the non-former alcoholic, life-long civil servant, non draft-dodging Viet Nam combat veteran, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Heart coward, John F. Kerry.

better late than never? (part 2)

George Bush just approved legislation providing thirty-three billion dollars for "Homeland Security." Thanks, George. However, it really looks like the only time this president actually does anything to serve the country is when he can't avoid it any longer, after which he usually gets credit for doing it instead of blame for dragging his feet.

better late than never?

Seems the British have aggressively stepped up efforts to bring Al-Zarqawi hostage Kenneth Bigley home...

...now that he's dead.


I bet that's some real consolation to the family.

up the "auntie"

If the reports in the New York Times Magazine are indeed true, George Bush recently told an elite Republican gathering that if re-elected, he will work on, among other things, "privatizing Social Security." Something tells me if that quote is true, our functionally literate president will have a big problem at the polls in states with large senior populations - say, Florida, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania.

George, we'll see your "lesbian" and raise you several million pissed-off AARP members.

an innocent question

To all of the people who think that we need to put religion into government instead of having religious and government matters separated, a simple question: we have had four years of unprecedented merging of church and state under George Bush. If that is a formula that guarantees the greatness of our country, why is it that we find ourselves in the worst circumstances this land has seen in a long time? If Bush really is being guided by some all-powerful supernatural being, perhaps we should find a different superstition than christianity to look to because if this is the best the purported christian god can do that doesn't say much for its' omnipotence.

Bye Bye Billie

Watch the O'Reilly show while you can, because by the end of the year he won't be on the trash network any more. Rupert Murdoch is going to cover his ass, protect his assets, and cut Bill O'Reilly off like the ugly little wart that he is. Anybody that thinks Rupert and his crowd are going to stand strong behind O'Reilly after this case gets rolling and those indubitably tape-recorded calls start appearing is soft in the head from voting Republican for too long.

fiscal responsibility

It seems our appointed president has finally run the national debt up to the limit. The government has restricted itself to a debt limit just a bit less than seven-and-a-half trillion dollars, and we have now reached that limit. The administration's solution? Simple. Raise the limit.

Like a kid with a MasterCard and no sense of self-control, this administration has maxed out its credit, and thinks the solution is to ask the card issuer to raise the credit limit. Oh, and guess who pays the bill when they default. Yes, that's right, you and all the other responsible people who will shoulder the extra interest and fees the company will charge to recover the money it lost on a bad risk.

Four more years!

Freudian petticoat

Great footage from a Bush campaign speech today. Free to play cowboy and talk tough with John Kerry safely off-stage somewhere else and not able to spank him publicly as he did in the debates, George played to the base again, leading to this humorous and revealing exchange.

The president looked out over the crowd, putting on his best macho act, grinding his teeth and squinting, and said firmly "we will not have an all-volunteer Army." The usual vigorous applause and cheers began, but rapidly petered out as the actual meaning of the words dawned on the audience members. The president, looked perplexed for a long and uncomfortable pet goat moment, then realized what he had said. He immediately followed up by saying "uh, wait, let me restate that, we will not have a draft!" This time the crowd recognized it for the correct talking point and went wild with cheers as the comfortable old deceptions wrapped them like a plain Republican cloth coat. The Bushies are so rabid, they cheer even when our dunce of a president tells them the opposite of what they are supposed to believe and accidentally exposes the truth.

for crying out loud

Now, it is beginning to be reported that Alan Keyes' daughter Maya is gay. You know, one of those "sinners" and "selfish hedonists" like Mary Cheney? "Family values" indeed. It's about time the party of enforced conformity tried some "reality values." How in the world do these hypocrites continue to have any influence over anybody, even idiots?

and how

Dick Morris wrote "Rewriting History."

Egad, how appropriate.

thank you, Ted Koppel

"Because, not reporting something you know can be just as much of a political statement as reporting it..."

Anybody at CBS watching Nightline these days?

he's baaaack...

Just noticed one of my favorite sanctimonious blowhards, Robert Novak, was back on the small screen this morning.

Break a hip... er... leg, Bob!

we can sleep soundly tonight

Well, we now know for sure that the Bush administration is on the ball. We're all much safer tonight. Earlier today, the government officially declared that Al Zarqawi's new Iraqi Al Qaeda franchisees were terrorists. Didn't even take twenty beheadings to determine that. These guys are good!

does W stand for witless?

Having just seen yet another Republican blowhard try to pretend that Bush's lack of English skills is not indicative of a lack of intelligence, I can only say one thing.

Yes.

It is.

It is EXACTLY indicative of that. His inability to put together clear syntax demonstrates his inability to clearly conceptualize and to articulate a logical series of premises and conclusions. His limited vocabulary means he has a limited selection of concepts. His inability to spell words correctly or to use them properly shows that he does not read very much, which also limits the breadth and depth of his universe of ideas. I could understand if the president had acquired English as his second language, that would only mean that he hadn't caught up to his native tongue in linguistic proficiency, but this man has been sent to some top-shelf educational institutions and he still can't pronounce the simple word "nuclear?" Please, I don't need any more to tell that this president isn't even as bright as a small appliance bulb.

karma

Bill Maher just made the observation that Bush should have to "clean up his own mess." Certainly makes you think. His re-election would truly be his punishment. It would almost make it worthwhile, just to watch him hoist on his own petard.

if I were gay

What a day on television, first Jon Stewart telling Tucker Carlson he's a dick, and now Lawrence O'Donnell telling Pat Buchanon that George Bush should not pray as part of his governance and getting Pat to admit that the Bush war in Iraq was not guided by god. Truly refreshing to see a couple of clear-thinkers and straight-talkers getting over on these hypocrites with some old-fashioned logic. I love both of these guys!

in and out

After once again enjoying today's delightful episode of "Crossfire," it is an inescapable observation that Tucker Carlson is obsessed with gay imagery - "sniffing his throne," "butt buddy" (he liked that one so much he used it twice!)

Let's see, homoerotic images, a deliberately cultivated pouty, little-boy look (particularly the bowtie,) crisp, colorfully flamboyant outfits, delicately manicured hands...

Tell me, Tuckie, are you looking for Mr. Right? Or, at least for Mr. Big?

to all Democratic headquarters

Over the next two and a half weeks, constantly check your campaign literature areas for materials that you did not put there, and those that you find (which you will) you need to destroy (not discard) immediately. Save a couple copies and contact your local media and inform them that somebody planted objectionable material that has been found and removed. Be proactive and put Rove and company out of business by being smart.

Jon Stewart is my hero

Thank you, Jon. One correction, though. Tucker Carlson isn't a big dick. He's a very small one, and that's why he acts the way he does.

tragic

So, according to Lynne Cheney, John Kerry is "not a good man" because he had the temerity to say kind and supportive things about her openly gay daughter, Mary Cheney, comments that Mrs. Cheney called "cheap and tawdry." Of course, Alan Keyes recently said homosexuals were "selfish hedonists" and "sinners," and specifically affirmed that his description applied to Mary Cheney, saying "that goes by definition." Did Dick and Lynne Cheney criticize that blatantly insulting condemnation? Of course not. This simply supports the concept that they secretly agree with Alan Keyes, share his bigotry, and are ashamed of their daughter simply because of her inborn sexual preference.

one for thought

Seems to me that George Bush's lack of recognition of his own words, which Kerry quoted virtually verbatim during the debate when he referred to Bush responding to questions about the whereabouts of bin Laden by saying "I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned" is further evidence of how sheltered from reality this president is. If he watched any news programs with regularity, he would have seen that very clip of himself saying that at least a few times by now, as it has been played repeatedly on many of the news shows. Instead, he snidely called it "one of those ex-agg-er-ations," implying John Kerry made it up. Whether Mr. Bush is ignoring reality or is being carefully shielded from it, he clearly has no idea of what is actually going on in the world.

here's the deal

I'm making another prediction. The polls, even the polls taken the day of the elections, and possibly including exit polls, will prove to be off by at least ten percent. Kerry will win, probably with a 55/45 split of the popular vote, and yet the polls will indicate an even split up until the last minute. Why? Simple. There are a lot of Republicans who will continue answering pollsters that they will vote for Bush, but who will actually vote for Kerry and not talk about it publicly. You heard it here first.

not in the closet, locked in the attic

With their gay daughter being mentioned in both the Edwards-Cheney debate and in tonight's final installment of the presidential face-off, the response of the Cheneys has been telling. Both times, both Dick and Lynne responded to non-critical, polite, and supportive references to their daughter with an air of "how dare you mention her" that makes it appear they deal with her absolutely acceptable personal sexual preference as though it were a handicap or a deformity, as though in simpler times she would have been imprisoned in the home as an article of shame and personal humiliation or perhaps maintained in a discreet private sanitarium somewhere out of town. How very sad.

holy crap

At the end of the debate, Mr. Bush asked himself how he knows people all over the United States are praying for him.

His answer?
"I just feel it."

I'm supposed to be impressed? Folks, we deserve better and we will get it soon.

fugly twunt

How delightful watching the equine-visaged Ann Coulter being intellectually demolished by Jesse Jackson on the Larry King show. She had exactly the same quivering, deer-in-the-headlights look that Bush did through most of the debate.

Here's to Ann Coulter, wretched queen of slime, bad she-male impersonator, the only woman(?) in the world that can make my ex-wife seem relatively appealing.

the real thing

Bush was literally foaming at the mouth by twenty minutes into the final debate! His eyes seemed glassier than usual, he had the smile of the tipsy or medicated, and behind the quivering smile, the look of one almost ready to burst into tears.

Once again, THIS is the real face of the man who has presided over some of the worst governance this country has ever seen.

just trying to be helpful

Well, Judith Miller isn't alone any more. Reporter Matthew Hogan has also been declared in contempt of court and can be jailed and fined for his refusal to comply with a grand jury's demand that he answer questions they claim are relevant to the investigation into the outing of Valerie Plame, Ambassador Joseph Wilson's CIA-agent wife, in a newspaper column.


Psssssst. Hey, grand jury guys, here's a time-saving hint.
Ask Robert Novak. It was his column.

Republican mathematics

On today's "Crossfire," substitute co-host former football player and sports anchorman and now Congressman from Arizona, J.D. Hayworth, filling in for Robert Novak, was discussing the administration's funding of various educational programs. At one point, he said "now, I know math is something we don't study real well on Capital Hill, but it sounds to me that fifty-seven billion dollars is a lot bigger than forty-two billion. That's an increase of thirteen billion dollars."

Choose a punch line or write your own:


1. Once again, a couple of billion taxpayer dollars are unaccounted for. Better check Halliburton's deposit slips.

2. So much for being the party of education.

3. No wonder the Republicans can't balance the budget.

4. See, jocks really do stay that dumb.

boycott FOX

I fail to understand why progressives, liberals, left-wingers, Democrats, whatever you want to call them, continue to legitimize the Fox "News" Channel by appearing on their programs and permitting them to perpetuate that "fair and balanced" sham. Doesn't anybody understand that is just feeding the beast? Stop going on Fox. Let them just have people with their own narrow viewpoints populating all of their programming. They will not be taken seriously by anyone if they are unable to portray world events with the proper journalistic integrity, and they will be forced out of business. Just try it for a few months and see what happens, okay?

which was it?

Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole and the tragic loss of lives accompanying the attack. With the consideration that such a horrible event occurred immediately before the previous presidential election, I'd like to ask a question of Mark Hyman of Sinclair Broadcasting, who while defending the Sinclair company's plan to broadcast a dishonest ninety-minute program defaming John Kerry just before the coming election recently said that considering the broadcast a contribution to the Bush campaign meant that "every car bomb in Iraq would be an in-kind contribution to John Kerry." If that is the case, then for which candidate was the "in-kind contribution?" of the attack on the U.S.S. Cole? If it was to help Bush become president, that means that the attackers thought he would be an ineffective leader and that they could get away with it. If it was for Al Gore to become president, it didn't work, so why would our foes try that tactic again? Which was it, Mr. Hyman?

say "ah"

With the indications being that crude oil will probably hit $55.00 per barrel in the next day or so, I'm reminded of the president's campaign rhetoric of a few years ago explaining how he would help reduce energy costs by "jawboning" the OPEC nations for lower prices. It's time to start jawboning, Mr. Bush. Open wide and don't forget to work the shaft.

let me get this straight

On today's "Crossfire," during a brief segment debating stem-cell research, Congressman John Shadegg of Arizona asserted that he felt that the president's decision about such research was correct because, much like abortions not being funded by the government as a basic health-care service, "it's about (not) taking taxpayers' money for people who find it immoral."

Mr. Shadegg, I find the war in Iraq immoral. Does that mean you support my position that the government shouldn't fund it using my tax dollars?

the right words

I'm sorry to say I have proof that our president wasn't wired for sound as many people have alleged because of the curious rumples in his coat at both debates. George Bush simply couldn't have anything hidden under his clothes because we already know that he is an empty suit...

Seriously, though, why hasn't anybody noticed that Bush's defenders have stated that the president didn't have a "transmitter" hidden on his person? Isn't it a "RECEIVER" that he is suspected of secretly wearing?

a base similarity

While watching a news broadcast about Al Qu'aeda and being reminded of the rough translation of the organization's name as "the base," it suddenly struck me that the Republican strategists refer to their core constituency as "the base." Is this a hideous coincidence or do all intolerant religious fundamentalists choose the same name for their groups regardless of their language?

thank you and rest in peace

Christopher Reeve - 1952-2004

Farewell, Superman.

wow.

George W. Bush had his "Dean Scream" moment before the entire world. That clip of Bush shrieking over Charlie Gibson needs to be played every minute of every day until election day. THIS is the real face of the man that sat paralyzed and impotent for seven minutes while this country was under attack.

bad liars

It strikes me that the strongest evidence that the Bush/Cheney team is lying about Iraq is the simple fact that EVERY piece of evidence they are confronted with somehow, to them, supports their case for the invasion of the country and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Nothing in the universe of political decisions has ever been that clear-cut before and never will be. The recent Duelfer report, which for English-speaking people was a condemnation of the rush to war using manipulated intelligence, has actually been contorted by the president and the vice-president to support their decision for the first time in American history to start a war on a country that did not attack or threaten us. It has long been a popularly-accepted axiom that the most effective liars admit to small untruths in order to appear honest and distract watchers from the big lies. Apparently, this group isn't even very good at the thing they do the best, being dishonest.

our naked emperor

Over the last four years, I've heard many people ranging from pundits to acquaintances make the assertion that George Bush could not be as stupid as some people purport him to be and still have made it to the office of the presidency. Since I don't know the man, I won't presume to declare him either a genius or one who is intellectually challenged, but I would like to ask those defenders of the presidential cognitive abilities one question. Why not? Stupid people often rise to the top in other fields of endeavor in life, why should politics be any different?

the "pre-9/11 mindset"

We've all seen it grow in the last few years, the deference to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, a deference so strong that it sometimes seems our government is making all policy decisions based on this single event. Now, I am not trying to minimize the intrinsic and emotional importance of this day of tragedy, but I think it is time to try to bring some reason to the argument. The destruction of the World Trade Center towers and surrounding buildings, the horrible damage done to the Pentagon, and the loss of over 3,000 human lives on the ground and in the four airliners that were hijacked that day, mostly Americans, are historically unprecedented here and will hopefully remain the single greatest calamity to befall this country for a long time. However, does this horrible event justify all of the equally horrible things that are being done as a response? I submit that as dreadful as it was, this unique day in the United States has been elevated beyond all proportion in order to exploit the emotional response that has permitted our government to do uconscionable things. Did you hear people talking about a "pre-McVeigh mindset" in order to justify imprisoning and torturing militia types after the destruction of the Murragh building, wiping out their families with laser-guided munitions fired from supersonic aircraft?

atrocities

Anybody who thinks that Vietnam veterans never committed and never could commit any atrocities just needs to watch one of these Swift Boat Liars advertisements. After he's elected, Kerry should sue them and expose their lack of honor to the entire world.

fair is fair

Since the law of the land is fairness in the amount of time that news media give to each presidential candidate, isn't it equitable that all of the media organizations that gave live coverage of the hour-long "major policy speech" the President gave on October 6th (the speech that turned out to be a transparently political attempt to rebut the points John Kerry made in the first debate without consequence or accountability) provide the Kerry campaign with a free hour-long campaign speech in the same time slot? Think it will happen?

crazy like a fox

There has been much fuss in the media about the failed legislation sponsored by Charles Rangel designed to reinstate the draft for the United States military. If my understanding of the results is correct, the proposal was overwhelmingly voted down, with only two "yes" votes being tallied. The people in power are trumpeting this as proof that the draft will not be brought back, but there are many undeniable signs that the door is still propped open. The brilliance of this legislative effort is that now, if the current administration is not voted out of office, it will be very difficult for them to reverse direction after the presidential election and get support for bringing back the draft, as every politician who is on record as voting against doing exactly that this week will be accountable for their inconsistency if they suddenly reverse their position in the next few months. Sometimes losing is winning.

Brace yourself for $3.00 gasoline!

With the presidential election less than a month away, let me go out on a limb and make a prediction. As I write this, crude oil prices have surpassed $53.00 per barrel after just hitting $40.00 a couple of months ago. Somehow, for the last few months, gasoline prices have remained relatively stable, despite having exhibited wild and rapid fluctuations tied to crude prices over the last year. My prediction is that no matter who wins the presidential election, come November 3rd, gasoline prices will rise rapidly and by the 10th of November, we will see gasoline prices around $2.50 per gallon which will rise to $3.00 per gallon for the travel season between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. So, fill your vehicles and gas cans on November 1st for the last decent deal you'll get on gasoline in this country - you can thank me later.

WMD and the NRA

I just heard some Republican talking points being quoted yet again, statements to the effect that if Saddam Hussein were free today he would still be trying to get his hands on "weapons of mass destruction" (I hate that asinine phrase) which demonstrates what a horrible guy he is. Isn't it ironic that the hawkish conservatives repeating this party line consider that owning weaponry is a fundamental right, but when another country has the same intentions of trying to make themselves feel safe by being well-armed these pro-violence types believe that we have to slap them down fast and hard? If the axiom is "guns don't kill people, people do" isn't the logical extension "weapons of mass destruction don't kill people, people do?" It seems to me that line of reasoning negates the "Bush Doctrine" of pre-emptive war. I guess it's only the ones that support Bush that are supposed to have weapons.

The future is here!

I decided that the best topic for me to start this stream-of-consciousness flowing would be a momentous event that occurred two days ago. The first reuseable, manned, civilian spacecraft, Rutan's SpaceShipOne made a second successful flight, reaching an altitude of nearly seventy miles and claimed the ten million dollar award for doing so. I sincerely believe that the future existence of mankind depends on the colonization of other worlds, whether they are confined to our own Solar System or not, and this is a dramatic first step towards making that possible and finally putting space travel in the lives of ordinary people. The fact that they accomplished this on the anniversary of the first human foray into space, the first Sputnik having been launched on October 4th, 1957, made it all the more symbolic. Sadly, though, the passing of one of the first seven American astronauts from the Mercury program, Gordon Cooper, also marked this anniversary this year which metaphorically really demonstrates that the torch has been passed to the next generation of space explorers. I wish them well, and with any luck, I will make a flight before it is my time to depart this life and fulfill a life-long dream that I was beginning to suspect had no chance of occurring. It will be hard to wait...

Greetings and Felicitations

Testing, testing, one, two, three... ssssibilance, ssssibilance... is this thing on?

Probably trite, probably been done before, don't bother telling me. I'm a rookie at writing and still a newbie at reading blogs, but I hope you will find that I have something to say that is of interest and utility. If you want screaming rants, click to somebody else, that's not who I am. If you want logic and consistent reasoning, I might be your guy. So, welcome, smoke 'em if you got 'em, and let's see where this all goes.