Dissento's (Culture) War Journal

2007-02-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

Fair and Balanced, Waa-Waa-WaaRegarding the Walter Reed story:"I'm not sure it was an accurate representation," Lt. Gen. Kevin C. Kiley, chief of the Army Medical Command, told reporters during a news conference. "It was a one-sided representation."And...Asked to elaborate on his comments after the news conference at the facility, Kiley said he does not dispute the facts in the Post stories. "

2007-02-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

"Some Democrats"Exhibit A of what's wrong with political reporting. "There are some Democrats that wonder if either one can win," political analyst Stu Rothenberg said.I want names, beeotch.

2007-02-09T16:29:00.000-05:00

....BEEP.....BEEP....BEEP...."I'm picking up signs of life..."

2005-03-10T14:40:00.000-05:00

A Bi-Partisan StinkerThe MBNA Uber-Alles Bankruptcy Bill is such a stinker even right-wing blogger are lining up against it. This is not a left v. right issue -- it's about Power v. the Powerless. Here's the blogger coalition site for more info.

2005-03-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

Successful Socialized Medicine ... In AmericaIn Timothy Noah's excellent Slate article he discusses the New England Journal of Medicine's study that compares fee-for-service hospitals with VA hospitals. The federally run VA hospitals were superior in every category.This actually surprised me a bit, because I assumed the VA administration was underfunded, but Noah explains some of the obvious

2005-02-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

Some Things to Be Optimistic AboutAlthough we've been awash in bad news for, oh, 4+ years now, there are some things to be happy about this week.Jeff Gannon has re-launched his website. The laughs keep on rolling.Spring Training!While Bush is in Europe, he can do less damage here.This whole social security thing ain't going nowhere.Chris Rock will no doubt piss off the FCC this Sunday.Clinton is

2005-02-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

So where was I?In case you've stumbled on to this long dormant blog, probably from Daily Kos's blogger list or something similar, I thought I'd check in. I think I stopped blogging in August because the campaign was getting too intense and I wasn't saying anything that 1000 other people were saying better. And, of course, there was the post 11/2 depression that we not discuss. The few words I was

2004-08-25T12:37:00.000-04:00

Elevating the Debate Intellectual Rebuttal to Anti-War Protesters:

2004-08-19T15:25:00.000-04:00

Republican Debate Strategy Alternate Title: Mr. Farley called; he wants his shirt back. This is a picture of a compassionate conservative Bush supporter assaulting a high school student at a Portland, OR rally.

2004-08-05T13:39:00.000-04:00

Picture of the Week

2004-07-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

Bumper Sticker of the Year Seen Elseweb: "2004: The End of an Error"

2004-07-12T14:54:00.000-04:00

Senator Orrin Hatch, Simpleton From this article on the senate debate on gay marriage: Hatch then accused Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) of holding inconsistent positions on marriage. "This is the grand flip-flop, one of the grandest of all times," he said. "A person's head starts to spin trying to undo the logical mess." I'll try to speak slow for you,

2004-07-08T16:10:00.000-04:00

Left Behind! The Musical I was playing a game on Readerville.com where we were asked to adapt a book into a musical -- and one that you'd normally not expect. The game was inspired by the announcement of "Spamalot," the musical adaptation of Monty Python's The Holy Grail. Anyway, here's my entry, with suggested song titles: Left Behind! The Musical Rapture/Overture "Theme from Left Behind"

2004-07-02T12:50:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to Me! It was one year ago yesterday that I made my very first blog entry. Surprisingly, I am not yet rich and famous beyond all reckoning.

2004-07-01T16:37:00.000-04:00

Spider-Man for VP The burning question, to me at least, is how will the web-slinger be voting the November? Will he stay home? Will he help "get out the vote?" Will he write in "Bruce Wayne" as a prank? I want to take a look at Spidey's politics. A google search ("Spider-Man's politics") doesn't yield much. I think he is a liberal democrat in the Chuck Schumer mold. Here's what we know: <>

2004-07-01T09:57:00.000-04:00

Katholics for Kerry Slate can be so uneven at times it's maddening. Today, there is an article on Kerry's religion which seems to imply that he's not projecting enough fake religiosity. It also claims that while Kennedy had a problem with Protestants, Kerry has a problem with Catholics. This is not true. Where do Catholics live? Here are the top 10 states (Catholics as a percentage of

2004-06-28T12:49:00.000-04:00

Quick Exit You'd think Paul Bremer might stick around for a day or two, y'know, to answer questions and stuff, but no. He was out of there like bat out of hell. I don't blame him, really -- He's been a walking bullseye for insurgents. But perhaps he had some other reasons to bolt: 1) He left the sole working indoor toilet in Iraq clogged 2) Ordered 18 CDs from Iraqi Columbia house; did not

2004-06-19T14:16:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Fink at the Daily Kos for reminding us that today is the 20th anniversary of the great collaboration between Iraq and our Sec'y of Defense:

2004-06-19T13:58:00.000-04:00

Still Trying to 'Kick Around' Clinton Despite refusing to air a MoveOn ad during the last Super Bowl, CBS will be airing an attack ad on Bill Clinton during his 60 Minutes interview this Sunday. It almost goes without saying this is shockingly blatant hypocricy on the network's part. But I'm just as amazed that there are still groups looking to spend their money on kicking dirt on the Clinton

2004-06-11T12:32:00.000-04:00

Morality Does Not Register with Bush On the torure subject here's a Q&A with Bush from yesterday: Q Mr. President, I wanted to return to the question of torture. What we've learned from these memos this week is that the Department of Justice lawyers and the Pentagon lawyers have essentially worked out a way that U.S. officials can torture detainees without running afoul of the law. So when you

2004-06-10T12:44:00.000-04:00

"Good Job, Now Get Back To Work" That's what Bill Clinton said in a recent Kerry campaign e-mail, and this article made me think about it: National Poll Gives Kerry Solid Lead - LA Times Of course, it's all about the electoral college (hey, thanks for all that post-2000 election reform congress!) but the trend is positive. Let's keep up the good work. (I still think there will be a small

2004-06-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

The Gipper Continues to Vex, Even From Hell NYSE to Close on Friday, June 11 to Observe National Day of Mourning for President Ronald Reagan NEW YORK, June 7, 2004 -- The New York Stock Exchange will be closed on Friday, June 11 in observance of the national day of mourning for President Ronald Reagan. "President Reagan was a great champion of free people and free markets," said NYSE CEO John A

2004-06-07T16:58:00.000-04:00

Reagan Remembered Here's one of the best reflections on Reagan, by Greg Palast. I can remember the 1980 race, just barely. I was 8. My mother always voted for democrats, and my dad for republicans. I was rooting for Carter only because I liked my mother more at that point. In 1984, I wanted to Mondale to win. I had recently seen The Day After and it scared the shit out of me. I only knew

2004-06-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

Tenet Resigns, A "slam-dunk" for Al Gore At a recent Moveon speech, Al Gore called for the resignations of six Bush officials. Here's what the list looks like today: Donald Rumsfeld Paul Wolfowitz Douglas Feith Stephen Cambone Condoleeza Rice George Tenet Next?

2004-05-13T15:09:00.000-04:00

The Case for Bush's Brain In the interest of fairness, I thought I'd let some of the president's staunchest supporters defend his intellect: Richard Perle, foreign policy adviser: "The first time I met Bush 43 … two things became clear. One, he didn't know very much. The other was that he had the confidence to ask questions that revealed he didn't know very much." David Frum, former

2004-05-04T11:59:00.000-04:00

Magic Bus George don't ride the bus. I guess 60 miles is just way to far for even a symbolic gesture: "The bus tour, about 60 miles through western Ohio, actually includes two airplane flights — one from Detroit to Toledo and another from Toledo to Dayton." With apologies to The Who: Every day I have some fun (Too much, Magic Bus) When I take a ride on Air Force One (Too much, Magic Bus) I'm

2004-05-01T00:28:00.000-04:00

NewsCentral = Shitty Program I actually got to see both Nightline and the Sinclair broadcast tonight. I get two ABC stations -- one from Hartford, CT and one from Springfield, MA. The Sinclair show did try to be balanced (equal number of on the street interviews with people who disagreed with them and shouting match between two congress on opposite sides). But in the end, it was, of course,

2004-04-30T13:09:00.000-04:00

Doubleplus Bad Timing Oh boy. Look at this. The president isn't doing himself any favors by not reading news papers. Here's what he said TODAY in defense of his aircraft carrier speech last year: "A year ago I did give the speech from the carrier saying we had achieved an important objective, accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein," Bush said. "As a result, there

2004-04-29T15:38:00.000-04:00

Where's Nightline? Atrios explains how tomorrow Nightline is being pulled from several markets because it is going to feature all of the soldiers who have died in combat in Iraq. This includes my local affiliate, in Springfield Mass. I've left an angry, but civil, message on the voicemail of the Head of Programming there, and it felt real nice. If you're in the area, I encourage you to do the

2004-04-26T16:25:00.000-04:00

Trinkets It's going to be a loooong election season if all we can talk about it is Kerry's medals. I guess the good news is that this is a pretty lame attack. Who? Cares? Really?

2004-04-23T12:07:00.000-04:00

Finding New and Exciting Ways to Screw Workers Republicans remain innovators at finding ways to kick the common laborer around. The lastest travesty is a ruling that lets employers cut retirees health benefits. Yea for capitalism! Yipee! Take note: The commission voted 3 to 1 for the proposed rule, with three Republicans in favor and one Democrat opposing it.

2004-04-22T13:33:00.000-04:00

26 Just twenty-six days until gay marriage becomes a reality in Massachusetts. Have YOU found your gay spouse yet? Don't make me pick one for you!

2004-04-22T13:27:00.000-04:00

Donnie Darko Hey, this good news: Donnie Darko is being re-released. Go check it out -- it's one of my favorites of the past five years. Think of it as a pomo version of The Breakfast Club or Better Off Dead. Obligatory 'Jacko is Whacko' Comment: While we're on the culture topic, my only comment about Michael Jackson's case is that I wish it would just go away. I'm not a fan, nor a

2004-04-22T13:20:00.000-04:00

Ooooh, Good Comeback Sometimes the back-and-forth between campaigns gets a little silly. Regarding Kerry's service records, Terry McAulifffe had this to say: "Simply put, Kerry has a proud record of sacrifice and service whereas Bush has a record of cashed-in connections and evasion," The republican reply from spokeswoman Christine Iverson: "Like so many of Terry McAuliffe's comments, this

2004-04-22T13:14:00.000-04:00

God Doesn't Love George Bush Anymore Church leaders challenge Bush on his environmental record. Seeing stuff like this gives me a little smile.

2004-04-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Wonderful World of Cokie Roberts Logic So I'm listening to NPR this morning, and perfectly good car ride was ruined by the presence of Cokie Roberts on my radio. She did a completely meaningless segment on John Kerry and his Catholicism and voters which Bob Edwards quickly rebutted. Then she went on to other, various demographics that at play in the 2000 race and the two concluded with

2004-04-15T13:01:00.000-04:00

Help the President! Hey, don't let it be said that we won't help the president when he's in need. The Center for American Progress provides a way for you to lend the Prez and hand. Gosh, it's tough to only pick one!

2004-04-13T22:32:00.000-04:00

The Press Conference Even after three years, I can still be astounded by how we put such empty-headed, morally vacant, lightweight into the White House. Ho-lee-shit. I thought he was going to black out while trying to concoct a "mistake" in his head. You could practically see the little hamster spinning like crazy: "OK, think of a mistake, but nothing too big...umm...no, that won't work...

2004-04-13T15:40:00.000-04:00

Deconstructing Condi Slate carries this brilliant letter on Dr. Rice (scroll down to Thursday. This is as good an analysis of the the testimony as you'll find anywhere: BeverlyMann Date: Fri Apr 9 1229h One clear inference can be drawn from Condoleezza Rice's testimony before the 9/11 commission this morning: She has been a bad national security adviser—passive, sluggish, and either

2004-04-13T11:27:00.000-04:00

Robot Wars! Technology is good thing. A robot was blown up in Iraq instead of a soldier. Rest in peace, Packbot!

2004-04-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

Makes Sense to Me A Strategy for Iraq by John Kerry.

2004-04-11T16:11:00.000-04:00

Casting Dick Clarke's Movie According to CNN, Clarke's Book Is Optioned by Sony. How about some casting suggestions? Here's mine: Dick Clarke = Brian Dennehy Tom Kean = Gary Shandling Bob Kerry = George Clooney Condi Rice = Angela Bassett George Tenet = Paul Dooley Richard Ben-Veniste = Eugene Levy Jamie Gorelick = Jamie Lee Curtis James R. Thompson = Peter Boyle George Bush and Dick Cheney =

2004-03-31T10:39:00.000-05:00

Here's something I thought I'd never see on CNN: A look at Bush's reversals. It's a very short, odd piece, but it's better than nothing. It's so short, I'll just share the first two: <> He argued a federal Department of Homeland Security wasn't needed, then devised a plan to create one. <> He resisted a commission to investigate Iraq intelligence failures, but then relented. You get

2004-03-24T17:06:00.000-05:00

A New National Hero: Richard Clarke Just when I thought I had achieved 100% cynicism, someone (a Bush Sr. appointee) goes and does the right thing. His apology to the victims' families put a lump in my throat. Maybe there's hope for the human race after all. CNN Whoring: The headline on CNN.com at the moment says, "Panel member challenges Clarke's credibility" My e-mail to them: What are

2004-03-17T12:32:00.000-05:00

Slate Good stuff and bad stuff over at Slate these days. First Timothy Noah explains why Bush is worse than Reagan -- a terrific article. And yet, Slate continues to pay Mickey Kaus for his non-sensical ramblings. Who actually likes him? When I can figure out what he's talking about, it appears he likes to project his own opinions onto others, and he doesn't do it well. Yes, Mickey, we

2004-03-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

March Madness It's going to be a big year for the Big East. My final four is Pitt, UConn, Texas, and Kentucky. Then it's UConn over UK. My SHU Pirates got the shaft with their seeding, but they're going to beat Arizona. Also, look for BC and Providence to do some damage.

2004-03-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

Naming Names Did you notice the tactic around the "foreign leaders" flap? The Bush attack dogs (you know, those croked liars) try out the argument over the weekend, and now that the press decide to manufacture a story from it, Bush himself demands name. Now that it's safe for him to do so. But anyway, I think it was dumb that Kerry mentioned it, but c'mon, everyone knows it true. If given

2004-03-12T16:21:00.000-05:00

Who Do Liberals Find Funny? An unscientific poll at the Daily Kos asks the Kossacks who their favorite funny person is: Who tops your list of funny people? · Chris Rock 5% · Jon Stewart 46% · Will Farrell 8% · Ellen DeGeneres 5% · Leno 0% · Letterman 1% · Bill Maher 2% · The Queer Eye Guys 2% · Dave Chappelle 8% · Bill Murray 8% · Jim Carrey 0% · Lewis Black 10% What?

2004-03-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Big John versus the Crooked Liars We've all see or heard the "crooked liars" quote the John Kerry 'accidently' uttered into the live mic. He's standing by it. The encouraging thing about this is that it proves this isn't just about about power for Big John. He really doesn't like these guys and he wants to beat them -- hard. I think this help rally some of the dems that have been lukewarm to

2004-03-10T13:02:00.000-05:00

Blockbuster Story Well, here it is. Pentagon official, Karen Kwiatkowski, breaks ranks and tells the whole ugly neocon truth at Salon. Spread it far and wide friends. Some excerpts: From May 2002 until February 2003, I observed firsthand the formation of the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans and watched the latter stages of the neoconservative capture of the policy-intelligence nexus in

2004-03-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

Ship...Sinking...Rats...Fleeing I have no idea who Bob Miller is, but more of this from Republicans, please: FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Author and Gospel singer Bob Miller ( www.bobmillerwrites.com ), a registered Republican shocked his fellow song writers at their annual conference this week with his most unexpected political opinions. Miller said, "With the backbone of the

2004-03-07T20:46:00.000-05:00

The Bush Flip Flops We've all seen Bush's "clever" little comment in front of the easily amused governors. "TK" from The Daily Kos starts a list for Georgie. Here is a bit: Bush is against campaign finance reform; then he's for it. Bush is against a Homeland Security Department; then he's for it. Bush is against a 9/11 commission; then he's for it. Bush is against an Iraq WMD investigation

2004-03-03T11:45:00.000-05:00

Something to talk about between now and November I think Edwards has to be the VP pick. I have concerns about his experience but none of the other top picks appeal: Bob Graham - Might deliver Florida, but he's a little strange for my tastes Sam Nunn - Wouldn't even deliver his home state. Dick Gephardt - Might help with MO and OH, but that would be a real insider ticket. Wesley Clark - I'd

2004-03-02T22:06:00.000-05:00

A One Game Win Streak For the first time in a long time, I cast a vote for a winner. I've backed such a string of losers, I'm going to enjoy this. OK, OK maybe Clark was my first choice, and maybe my vote in the Mass. primary wasn't exactly a tiebracker, but still tonight I voted for Kerry, and he won. I could get use this. A one game winning streak. 100% success so far this year. And you

2004-02-27T22:09:00.000-05:00

A TJ Moment "But I know, also, that laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times." --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816.

2004-02-25T14:37:00.000-05:00

E-Patriots Check out the fancy button on the right -- the DNC needs your cheddar!

2004-02-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

If the Teachers Get a Pay Raise, the Terrorists Will Have Won" Code Orange: With all the "shooting in the foot" the Repubs have been doing, I'm amazed they have any toes left. Sec'y of Education Rod Paiges proclaims that the NEA is a terrorist organization. Hooo-boy! Maybe that's where all the WMDs went. Please, people. Let's end the madness. Fire these people.

2004-02-23T12:44:00.000-05:00

It Depends on What the Definition of "Volunteer" Is. I nearly drove my car of a bridge today, when I heard Mark Racicot tell Juan Williams that Bushed "volunteered" for Vietnam and was turned down. As Josh Marshall puts it: Let's set aside the fact that pulling strings to get into the Air National Guard in 1968 is, on its face, quite the opposite of volunteering to go to Vietnam. When the

2004-02-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

Can We Get Some Love for a Georgia Dem? Check out Doug Haines whose running for congress in GA. He answering questions from all directly on his blog -- no filter. Pretty impressive.

2004-02-20T11:48:00.000-05:00

Hold the Mayo and Good Blue Collar Wages Short Order Cooking the Books: With this white house, when facts are inconvenient, just redefine the terms. It's been true in environmental policy and now it's true with jobs. The Economic Report of the President is suggesting that fast foods jobs should be re-classified from service sector to manufacturing. This is another godsend for Democrats . We

2004-02-18T14:36:00.000-05:00

National Barometer I think that Chandler's victory over Kerr is a going to be a seminal moment in the politics of the web. I think the next true test of blog-paigning* is whether we can raise an unknown dem to office over a repub. Chandler already had a lot of name recognition going for him. * I may have made up a word. No hits for "blog-paigning" or "blogpaigning" on Google. Take note

2004-02-18T14:28:00.000-05:00

Al Gore Strikes Again One of Mark Morford's best columns ever is right here. Tortured Logic Dept.: Does anyone else find the disconnect between Kerry's primary success and opinions about him on the blogosphere to be really interesting? The only conclusion I can draw is that Kerry-haters control the web...Kerry-haters are mostly Deaniacs...Dean was endorsed by Al Gore -- Oh my god, AL GORE DID

2004-02-15T14:14:00.000-05:00

Ed Gillespie is a HUGE Pussy Blah3 reports that Gillespie chickened out on Meet The Press this morning because he's afraid of Charlie Rangel (with good reason!), by demanding his own segment. Man, if the RNC chief is truly this big a baby, we may win this thing.

2004-02-15T13:47:00.000-05:00

Ugliness Ahead This is likely to be the ugliest presidential campaign in my life. The surrogates for these guys are ready to pull all the stops. I expect that Lee Atwater will be smiling up at the "Republican Smear Machine" from Hell. And the Democrats, who are not exactly angels in these things, have already been getting their hands dirty. I just wonder how much this stuff matters to the

2004-02-14T09:07:00.000-05:00

Congratulations! Congrats to all the San Franciscan couples getting hitched. I hope this is truly a special day for you. Some of the pictures I've seen have been truly heartwarming. All the best in the world to you! But... The SF marriages do worry me a bit for two reasons. First, I'm afraid these marriages are going to voided once due process takes it's course. I assume these couples

2004-02-14T08:51:00.000-05:00

Peeping John What's in your records, John? This is, of course, utterly despicable. But I might be somewhat mollified if John Ashcroft's entire medical file, as well as those of every Sr. white official, and every congressman who voted for "All Your Uterus Belong To Us Act" where made completely available to the public. Maybe.

2004-02-13T13:19:00.000-05:00

The Path of Lees Resistance It looks like my despicable State Senator Brian Lees has taken up the discrimination banner and is leading the fight against marriage for gays in the state legislator. Here's a guy who I suppose is fairly popular around these parts (I'm not sure anyone ran against him in the last election), so what can a lowly blogger do to make this schmuck's life miserable (within

2004-02-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Down and Out in the White House There's been too much good news this week to adequately blog about it all. I hope we're not burning through all our karma. Ten recent reasons to feel good about being a liberal. -- Gay weddings in Mass. coming in May -- Kay: "We we're all wrong" -- Press Corps to Scott McLennan: "It was a straightforward question; How about a straight answer?" -- Plame

2004-02-11T10:06:00.000-05:00

Thank You, General Clark was the first candidate I've ever given money to or lent my time to. In fact, his campaign is what made me finally register as a dem (I've been "unenrolled" as they say in Mass.). So clearly I'm dissappointed, but I knew this day could come. I hope he stays committed to politics and finds a way to continue to serve the nation (Wes - we need men like you in government,

2004-02-03T13:25:00.000-05:00

Scorched Earth Dean-ocrats I've seen something worrisome this past week in the blogosphere, which may or may not be worth worrying about. There seems to be a sentiment from many Dean supporters that if their guy doesn't get the nomination, they're staying home in November or writing in The Doctor. This seems especially true if Kerry wins the nominations. I've seen these Dean fans call Kerry a

2004-01-28T11:01:00.000-05:00

Kerry's Big Win Although there's 98% of delegates left to be won, it's hard to formulate a scenario where anyone else can win. Clark (my guy) has no "joe-mentum" at all anymore and has shown to be not all that good at answering questions on TV (I think he's great in the informal town hall settings, though). Dean's got the crazy guy rap now, and the media ain't going to let it go. Unfair, but

2004-01-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

Lies, Damn Lies, and Polls Yesterday's headlines: "Kerry Pulling Away" Today's headlines: "Dean Nearly Pulls Even" I give up.

2004-01-25T13:32:00.000-05:00

Just Desertions Lieberman is on Wolf Blitzer right now and they're still going on about the Mike Moore statement. Lieber-ican says it was it morally wrong to say that and "wrong on the facts." Huh? What don't I know? Is there some strict definition of 'deserter' that I'm unaware of. What is the defense from Bush apologists on this issue? Someone help me out.

2004-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

New Hampshire Mayhem Just a couple days out and it's anyone's race. Kerry and Dean are back to neck-and-neck and Clark's picked up a couple points too. I guess the Michael Moore didn't hurt him that much. Here's my prediction: Kerry 28% Dean 25% Clark 21% Edwards 18% Lieberman 8% That reminds me, Edwards was fantastic on Bill Maher last night. I hope takes the VP nom, because he'll make a

2004-01-21T17:04:00.000-05:00

Rupert Murdoch: Right Wing Shill or Enemy of the Sanctity of Marriage (or both!)? So, who's side is Rupert on in this culture war anyway. Yes, I know he's bucks behind Faux News, but is there a bigger threat to the sanctity of marriage than this guy? Look at his recent assualts: My Big Fat Fiance - This marriage is all a big practical joke on my family to win some quick $$$ Temptation Island

2004-01-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

SOTU-Related Program Activity I only watched bits and pieces of the SOTU last night; I could only handle it in 5 minute increments. Is there anything lamer than this phrase: “weapons of mass destruction-related program activity?” I think that may have been just the right moment for Democrats to abandon decorum and just laugh out loud. The marriage stuff was pretty scary too. It looks like

2004-01-14T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hiatus As you've no doubt noticed this blog has been moribund of late. It began with the fact that my family came to stay over the holidays and then I was wracked with the worst flu I've ever had. I'm just starting to get some energy back, but it's slow going. However, I hope to get back on track pretty soon. In the meantime, get a flu shot and take care!

2003-12-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

Al Qaeda-Trafficked Drugs Are Bad, M'kay The Navy says a boat carrying enough drugs to to incapacitate even Rush Limbaugh is linked to Al Qaeda. U.S. military officials would not describe the evidence leading them to conclude the links to al Qaeda. A written statement said only: "An initial investigation uncovered clear ties between the smuggling operation and al Qaeda." Investigation

2003-12-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

Crazy Actor Arrested in Iraq; Grows Beard Speaking of the pictures, when I saw them this morning, my first thought was "Oh no, what has Nick Nolte done now?"

2003-12-11T09:24:00.000-05:00

Keep the Strange Man Off our Coinage From the recently released Nixon tapes: “Reagan is not one that wears well,” Nixon said. “I know,” Haldeman agreed. “On a personal basis, Rockefeller is a pretty nice guy,” Nixon said. “Reagan on a personal basis, is terrible. He just isn’t pleasant to be around.” “No, he isn’t,” Haldeman said. “Maybe he’s different with others,”

2003-12-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

A Dime's Worth of Difference? Reagan vs. Roosevelt Alleged terror-symp Grover Norquist and his Reagan Legacy project is seeking to boot FDR off the dime and replace him with Reagan. The say Reagan should be there, for well, some reasons... hey, he's really sick and stuff. FDR was put on the dime because: ...the American public in 1945 was clamoring for some memorial to their fallen leader,

2003-12-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

Stop Religious Discrimination! A group is out there trying to destroy the Landover Baptist Church. This type of assault on Christian organization cannot go unanswered. Support the church and tell the foes of religious freedom that this is America and they can't get away with this!

2003-12-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

Bumper Mania '04 Here's a list of potential bumperstickers for the Bush campaign. This was compiled by the Daily Kos community: Bush/Cheney '04: Apocalypse Now! Bush/Cheney '04: Because the truth just isn't good enough. Bush/Cheney '04: Compassionate Colonialism Bush/Cheney '04: Deja-voodoo all over again! Bush/Cheney '04: Four More Wars! Bush/Cheney '04: Leave no billionaire behind Bush/

2003-11-29T21:48:00.000-05:00

This Must Be Fixed I don't if the colleges are at fault here, or the Guard. Regardless, someone needs to fix it ASAP. Our National Guardsmen are being defrauded of their college tuition. This reminds me of those politicians who claim to cut taxes, but then raise "fees."

2003-11-22T22:27:00.000-05:00

Hypocrite of the Week: Orrin Hatch I found this at Eschaton and thought it worth sharing: "In the recent marathon debate on judicial nominations, Sen. Orrin G. Hatch earnestly expressed the view that the Democrats' filibuster against several of President Bush's nominations was unprecedented and even unconstitutional. This led me to dig up some old Congressional Records from April 1980, when

2003-11-22T00:18:00.000-05:00

Integrity Delay'd Once again, Tom Delay asserts is position as leader in finding new and exciting ways to be an asshole: Republican Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). The same man who refuses to allow a vote on the House floor to extend the child tax credit to millions of children living in lower income working families, has established a new "charity" to raise funds in the name of neglected and abused

2003-11-21T23:50:00.000-05:00

Dr. Laura , Our Next UN Ambassador I feel like it's been awhile since we've heard from "Doctor" Laura, and I was beginning to forget what shrillness looked like. Fear not: A caller to her show on Nov. 17 asked whether her 16-year-old daughter should take part in a Catholic High School class field trip to a local mosque. The purpose of the field trip was to have the students in a "moral themes"

2003-11-18T20:59:00.000-05:00

Where's Anne Coulter when you need her? More troubles for Rush: He's under investigation for money laundering. Doesn't Rush know that drug money supports the terrorists? The government told me so on TV. Traitor! Treason! Traitor! Treason!

2003-11-13T00:15:00.000-05:00

Chuck! Chuck! Chuck! Chuck Schumer is the early hero of this hot-air-athon. He's the only one taking questions from the other side. The GOP has repeatedly wimped out and denied questions. Boxer did well too, by repeatedly calling them whiners. Honorable memtion goes to the Democratic Chart Maker. Great Charts!

2003-11-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

Legislative Survivor I love this: Senate Readies Self for Judges Talkathon . Now, this make politics interesting. I think the GOP making a goof though. Nobody cares about these four judges, and this Daschle line is a winner: "The Republicans are consumed by those four jobs and ignore the 3 million jobs that we've lost over the course of the last three years under this administration's

2003-11-07T21:07:00.000-05:00

Stonewalling on 9/11 Who is the enemy here? What could possibly justify the runaround in the investigation? If there ever a thing to drop your guard and and accept some unbiased criticism and suggestion it's this. I don't even think this is a political deal. Merely a bunch of people being chicken shit. Appalling. The Real Jessica Story: When the Pentagon actually does release information,

2003-11-01T22:21:00.000-05:00

In Summation... Molly Ivins is a bush hater. 'Nuff said.

2003-10-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

Absentee Ballots, Part II Dear Military Folk, As we approach the 2004 election, I ask each of you to reconsider exactly who in the government is looking out for you and yours. The administration that has sent you to the middle east kill-zone for an open ended amount of time on skimpy or made up justifications? Or the party that wants to increase your pay! Sure, it may be pandering, but hell,

2003-10-28T22:40:00.000-05:00

Don't Count Your Absentee Ballots Before They Hatch, George The president helped alienate some of his best supporters by blaming the crewmen of his infamous aircraft carrier for the "mission accomplished" banner. Smooth move, Georgie. Back in July, I talked about Shrub's inability to admit an error and it's obvious he has not changed his ways. Just look at this week: 1. "The more progress

2003-10-21T23:47:00.000-04:00

See No Evil What you can't see, can't hurt you, right? I suppose that's what dubya thinks about letting us see our fallen soldiers: News coverage banned on homecoming bases for dead soldiers homeconings. And nothing exemplifies this presidency better than this: A White House spokesman said Bush has not attended any memorials or funerals for soldiers killed in action during his presidency as

2003-10-21T12:42:00.000-04:00

Barbara's Beautiful Mind Quote of the week: Barbara Bush to Diane Sawyer, on the question of Iraqi war casualties: "Why should we hear about body bags and deaths and how many, what day it's going to happen, and how many this or what do you suppose? Oh, I mean, it's, not relevant. So why should I waste my beautiful mind on something like that?" What a bitch!

2003-10-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

Monday Morning Quarterbacking By now, you know Greg Easterbrook of TNR and ESPN has apologized for his anti-semetic remarks and was fired from ESPN (do people get "fired" from on-line journalism?). First, I'd like to say that I do accept his apology. I don't think he really meant what he said. On the other hand, I do not let him off the hook. I suppose anyone could slip up, myself included,

2003-10-20T22:06:00.000-04:00

Our Democracy Is F--cked! Here's a story that's only getting press in the blogosphere and the UK. Basically, the companies that make and administer the new electronic voting machines are owned by Republicans. Recent elections involving these machines have been highly suspicious; most notably Max Cleland's loss when he was nine points up in the polls. Check this scary shit on

2003-10-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

Bush Tries to Plug Leaks; Ignored Completely by Senior Staff Who says Republicans don't have a sense of humor? This will make your month, courtesy of the Philly Inquirer: Concerned about the appearance of disarray and feuding within his administration as well as growing resistance to his policies in Iraq, President Bush - living up to his recent declaration that he is in charge - told his top

2003-10-15T12:57:00.000-04:00

Faith Based Intelligence The Bush Administration has ruined a good man. Colin Powell's former aid basically called him a big fat liar. Here's some of the quotes: . “…I think my conclusion [about Powell’s speech] now is that it’s probably one of the low points in his long distinguished service to the nation." . “…The main problem was that the senior administration officials have what I call