The Resistance

Damn

2007-07-19T23:05:00.000-05:00

That's all I've got to say at the moment.

These Guys All Suck

2006-10-25T10:53:00.000-05:00

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

They Write Letters

2006-03-07T15:30:00.000-06:00

This was a letter to the editor printed by the Strib

Plenty to be scared of

Katherine Kersten asks, "Why are DFLers scared of voting on same-sex union?"

I don't represent the DFL; I can only answer for myself. But I am scared of living where we vote on whether members of a minority get privileges automatically granted the rest of us. I am scared of elections where winners are likely to be chosen by their commitment to discrimination. I am scared of politicians who speak of "tradition" just like those who once outlawed interracial marriages. I am scared of bigotry.

I am scared of being governed by the same superficial interpretations of scripture that once justified slavery. I am scared of polluting my religion with "principles" of hateful behavior. I am scared of a government that lets fanatics control its agenda. I am scared of theocracies.

I am scared of people who claim children are damaged because they disapprove of their family's makeup. I am scared of people who struggle to freeze society in some design they prefer, but accuse their opponents of social tinkering. I am scared of hypocrites.

I am scared of people who don't care who gets hurt as long as their side wins. I am scared of writers who bury our consciences in heaps of argument. I am scared of Katherine Kersten.

I am, and always have been, scared that when you've finished with the least (or least powerful) of these my brethren, you will do the same to me.

Well Said

2005-08-25T21:58:00.000-05:00

Digby:

I have never been much of a revolutionary. Even when I was young I tended to cringe at any kind of earnest, "to the barricades" kind of thinking. I tend to think in smaller strategic and tactical terms rather than large sweeping movements. However, I have come to realize that this is one of those times when something has to happen from the ground up. Washington has become a kind of aristocrisy, with all the attendant inbred, insular, corruption that eventually befalls a ruling elite.

The biggest sickness in our politics is this top down, elitist mentality in which people are fed a diet of information, entertainment, products and ideas that are focus grouped, soulless and commercial --- and which are then filtered through a ruling media class that is so psychologically cramped, so emotionally sterile, so stuck in their own feedback loop that they are presenting a totally distorted version of reality. It's important that we look elsewhere for wisdom and leadership.

Separation of Church and State

2005-08-09T16:35:00.000-05:00

In case you are too ignorant to understand why keeping the government out of the religous sphere (and vice-versa) is not only important for the protection of religious freedom but also crucial for a functioning democracy, Digby explains.

Government Defies an Order to Release Iraq Abuse Photos

2005-07-25T21:34:00.000-05:00

NYTimes: "Lawyers for the Defense Department are refusing to cooperate with a federal judge's order to release secret photographs and videotapes related to the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal." Read article here.

It is amazing how much damage can be done during these stalling techniques by the Administration. For example, the Bush Administration's lawyers argued to have the investigation of the Plame/CIA outing incident completed after the election. As a result, Bush remains president. There is no way he would have won if this Rove trickery had come out before the election. Now, we have the release of more Abu Ghraib photos being delayed. How many more people will die in Iraq as this evidence is stalled?

Just so We're Clear

2005-07-22T22:30:00.000-05:00

These guys are fucking crazy.

Note the source, it's not moveon.org.

This Is What We're Dealing With

2005-07-09T17:59:00.000-05:00

A recent Zogby Poll shows"
"42% of voters, and 25% of Republicans, say Bush should be impeached "if" he lied about reasons for Iraq war"

Only 25% of Republicans think he should be removed even if it is a GIVEN that the bastard lied!! I don't understand. What kind of society is this? Freedom and justice just don't seem to be a concern for these people. What do they care about? Tax cuts? Pushing Christianity on the rest of us...the world? Thousands of people have been killed in our name, for supposed noble purposes, and you take away those reasons and it makes no difference to these people?! Other human lives mean nothing to them as long as their SUV is juiced up?! I can see how Hitler got to where he did through democratic processes, now.
My outrage is becoming such a constant emotion, it's now mundane. I'm actually numb from the never-ending, day-to-day, incessantly appalling way my fellow Americans have twisted their thinking to appease their selfishness.

Pack of Lies

2005-07-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

If your computer has the capability, I highly recommend looking at the flash presentations this guy puts together. His latest one is great, you can see it here. He does a really good job of documenting the outright lies that Bush and his administration have told us over the years.

We're Lucky to Have Him!

2005-07-08T21:18:00.000-05:00

President Bush:

I was most impressed by the resolve of all the leaders in the room. Their resolve is as strong as my resolve

Can there be any question that this guy is the most arrogant motherfucker on the face of the planet?

A Call To Breed

2005-06-27T20:11:00.000-05:00

What is the Supreme Court Doing?!

2005-06-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

I am baffled by what the Supreme Court did last week. Apparently, they OK'd the use by local governments of eminent domain to take land from private entities for PRIVATE use. This tool has been used forever for PUBLIC-use projects, such as building roads. But, now they're saying that the local city counci may seize people's homes and businesses, even against their will, for PRIVATE economic development.

So, basically, local governments can bulldoze a few houses in a prime "retail" strip because Wal-mart's consultants show the location would provide the most foot traffic. Doesn't this just open up our system for total fraud and corruption? I mean I can hear the bribes to the local city council people by the big corporations being put in envelopes now!

So, in my disgust, I assume this decision is the work of Scalia and the other conservative judges, but to my dismay, it's the LIBERAL judges that led this decision! I can't believe it! I thought we were the party of the little guy? Someone explain this to me, please!

Story here.

F*ck the Geneva Conventions

2005-06-26T12:25:00.000-05:00

Italian judge orders arrest of 13 CIA agents for smuggling prisoners to torture destinations. Maybe Rush Limbaugh will help the Conservatives explain this one away, like he did with the Abu Garib tortures....just call them fraternity pranks.
Story here.

Let There Be Nudity

2005-06-26T12:18:00.000-05:00

Now that John Ashcroft is gone as Attorney General, the two statues in the Justice Department, Spirit of Justice and Majesty of Justice, are free to expose themselves again, as nature intended. In case you hadn't heard, he had them covered with velvet, because he didn't like being photographed by the press with statues of nude women in the background. Story here.
Too bad he left, but his paranoid, evangelical, totalitarian ideas and policies have remained.

Holy Spin

2005-06-24T22:44:00.000-05:00

An Honset Conversation

2005-06-22T21:48:00.000-05:00

Steve Gillard:

What I want people to do is be honest.

If you will not serve in Iraq, and no one you know will serve, stop expecting someone else to do what you will not.

Therefore, it is time to stop calling for more troops, or the US to make Iraq safe. We cannot do this and even Americans are refusing to join the fight. It is time to look at your actions and realize, that despite your ideals, you oppose continuing this war. In practical terms, you have decided that this war is not worth your life or anyone you know. And million of Americans have joined you in this decision.

So, with this fact evident, it is time to call for US troops to withdraw from Iraq. Not save it, not add more boots on the ground. You have already voted by your actions. It is time that you match it with your words.

Do You Feel A Draft?

2005-06-20T19:19:00.000-05:00

George Orwell was right. In order to consolidate power and oppress the people, one must control the language of the war. Why are we attacking Iraq? Because they won't let inspectors in? Because they aren't complying with U.N. regulations? Becuase they have WMD's? For regime change? For freedom and democracy?

And no one seems to notice the moving target. All the sheeple on Animal Farm play right along, and regurgitate whatever the Neo-cons' talking points are this week - their memory as maleable as silly putty.

The latest game of stealth semantics swapping is taking place regarding the length of the U.S.'s commitment in Iraq. Before the war began, anti-war advocates warned of the financial and human costs a lengthy occupation would incur. They called it a "quagmire" which would likely bog down our military for years and years. These people were attacked viciously, and told their Vietnam comparisons were ridiculous. Rumsfeld and his buddies suggested the operation would be a quick, shock-and-awe victory, and we'd be out quick and easy. Well, the language is changing...

Condoleeza Rice was recently on Fox News Sunday, and was asked if the Bush administration fairly [can] be criticized for failing to level with the American people about how long and difficult this commitment will be?�

Rice responded: "The administration, I think, has said to the American people that it is a generational commitment to Iraq." (see the video here: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/06/19.html#a3526)

A GENERATIONAL committment?! That's not what they sold us! Do you feel that draft? They've already instituted a stealth draft by lengthening tours of duty. When the mandatory draft comes, it certainly won't be called a "draft." Look for something along the lines of "Patriotic Freedom Fighter Opportunity."

Question of The Day

2005-06-16T19:42:00.000-05:00

Is there any idea how long a last throe lasts?

Check out the whole exchange. Hilarious.

I'm a Bad Blogger

2005-06-08T08:58:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting much lately, mainly because watching as our Democracy is dismantled and our country's moral standing demolished by our government (mainly the Republicans but the aquiesence of many of our Democratic elected officials is also quite disheartening) has left me too depressed for words. The other reason is that there are many more eloquent voices out there saying all the things I think, only better. One of them is The Poor Man, so if you read nothing else today, read this.

Truth and Deceit: the Media's choice

2005-06-03T09:32:00.000-05:00

This quote is from Pat Tillman's mother....Pat Tillman is the former NFL player who was killed by our own forces, an event which was covered up by a military establishment that is exercising absolute control over the media. Read the whole editorial from Bob Herbert editorial in the New York Times.

"'The military let him down. The administration let him down. It was a sign of disrespect. The fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. The fact that they lied about it afterward is disgusting.'"

Will the outing of Deep Throat give the media the balls to recover their sense of obligation to the American people and the truth? Or is it too late?

Real Impeachment

2005-06-03T07:33:00.000-05:00

I don't know if ya'll saw this article by Ralph Nader and Kevin Zeese, but it's certainly worth a read.

"President Clinton was impeached for perjury about his sexual relationships. Comparing Clinton's misbehavior to a destructive and costly war occupation launched in March 2003 under false pretenses in violation of domestic and international law certainly merits introduction of an impeachment resolution."

Hell ya! It's about time someone said this! Full article here.

Mr. Floatie, the environmental champion

2005-05-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Saw this great entry in The Poutine Diaries:

"A man dressed up as a giant piece of faeces has been refused entry to a government meeting in Canada.

James Skwarok arrived as 'Mr Floatie' to represent POOP, People Opposed to Outfall Pollution, reports Canada.com.

But the cross-party meeting in Victoria-Beacon Hill refused him entry.

Skwarok said he wanted to protest against the daily dumping of 120 million litres of raw sewage into the Pacific ocean.

He said he was 'a little bummed out' by the politicians' refusal to meet him and that British Columbia province should look good for the 2010 Olympics if it didn't want to get a 'brown medal'."

I think we need to follow this example of creativity if we want to win the media war.

We Killed Tillman, Not the "Evildoers"

2005-05-16T18:40:00.000-05:00

"Writing in an army report, Brigadier General Gary Jones admits that the official cover-up even included 'the destruction of evidence': the army burned Tillman's Ranger uniform and body armor to hide the fact that he had died in a hail of American bullets, fired by troops who had 'lost situational awareness to the point they had no idea where they were'."

Tell Rall is great! Read his hilarious cartoon 3 times a week, here.
Read above quote in article, here.

Conservatism

2005-05-15T21:05:00.000-05:00

Kevin Drum pretty muchsums it up:

"Among advanced economies, the United States is by far the richest, youngest, and fastest growing country in the world. By far. And yet, we're supposed to believe that an increase in Social Security costs from 4% of GDP to 6% over the next 50 years is cause for panic. We're supposed to believe national healthcare would bankrupt us - never mind that our current dysfunctional system is the most expensive and most unfair on the planet. We're supposed to believe that broader unionization would ruin American industry, home of the highest profits and most highly paid executives in the world. We're supposed to believe that the nation's millionaires, having already had their tax rates slashed by a third over the past two decades, are still being bled to the bone by federal taxes."

The Battle for Jesus

2005-05-12T13:39:00.000-05:00

So I have been wondering how long it would take for some more liberal Christians with actual moral values to stand up to the religious opportunists who have hijacked Christianity in order to advance their economic agenda. So file this under it's about fucking time (via Kos):

The New Catholic Church

2005-05-12T01:17:00.000-05:00

Just a few thoughts about the Catholic Church and its emminant judgement, or lack thereof. Taking a page out of the religious right playbook in the States, they have decided that in the face of a modern, rapidly changing world, the best solution is to bury one’s head as far into the sand as physically possible. Given the complexity of societies, fertility, economics and cultural differences, one solution stands clear: “Let’s not waste any time trying to learn about or comprehend these challenges, instead let’s expect the world to become the simple world we would prefer it to be!” In their power hungry, white male existence, the rulers of the Catholic church have decided to place a ‘Cheney’ in the top position. The religious right here did the same, but given the American history of having a good looking front man, they made sure George was the symbolic ruler for PR reasons. Cardinal Ratzinger is the ‘Cheney’, the previous attack dog for the inflexible, the judgemental and completely out of touch within their organization. No doubt he is good at denying the fact that birth control is here to stay, that no society once given access to reproductive choice will later reject it. No doubt he is good at denying the fact that declining interest in the Catholic church across the world and especially in the home base of Europe stems not from inadequate strictness of doctrine, but from excessive strictness of doctrine. No doubt he is good at denying the harmful effects of denying marriage rites to priests, effects seen across the globe in the form of rampant sexual abuse and lack of future priests entering the church. No doubt he is good at denying the beneficial role played by Liberation Theologists who responded to the needs of Latino Catholics by addressing poverty, an action Cardinal Ratzinger considered too socialist for the Church. The greatest failure, however, in the Church’s decision is the use of fear tactics. Using the tactics of fear to govern can work in America in the hands of religious zealots in the short term. However, Catholics around the world will not let themselves be governed by fear, as intelligent humans around the world have come to the conclusion that no ‘fire and brimstone’ religious threat is ever as real or dangerous as a single-minded, angry ideologue, whether his name be Bin Laden, Cheney, Atta or Rumsfeld.

The State of American Journalism

2005-05-11T08:22:00.000-05:00

Those of us paying attention know that the state of American journalism is not so good. We have a press corps cowed by the government, afraid to ask any hard questions, afraid to criticze the administration for fear of being deemed unpatriotic. This has got to stop. This article adapted from a speech by Molly Bingham, a photojournalist who covered the Iraqi resistance, is a good start.

We need to begin to be able to look again at our government, our leadership and ourselves critically. That is what the Fourth Estate is all about. That's what American journalism can do at its zenith. I also happen to believe that, in fact, that is the highest form of patriotism -- expecting our country to live up to the promises it makes and the values it purports to hold. The role of the media in assisting the public to ensure those values are reflected in reality is undeniably failing today.

Read the whole thing, it is well worth your time.

Clusterfuck Nation

2005-05-09T21:54:00.000-05:00

I was pointed to this blog by James Wolcott and I think he brings up some good points. As I am too lazy to come up with any good stuff on my own:

Everywhere I look I see things that are not going to work in the years ahead, and see people making plans for conditions that will no longer exist. State DOT officials in Texas are planning to build a new statewide super-mega highway network just as the global oil peak forecloses a future of easy motoring. Where I live, at the rural edge of New York's Capital District, suburban housing pods are springing up in every cow pasture in complete faith that supernaturally cheap mortgages and long commutes will continue to be the norm. Municipalities everywhere are investing in multi-million dollar parking structures in the belief that we will be using cars in 2019 exactly the way we do now.

[snip]

I'd go as far to say that a public as complacent and clueless as America's is these days deserves to be played for fools. It's not pretty, but life is tragic. History doesn't care if we sleepwalk into a clusterfuck. Plenty of other societies have before us. The real sin in the real world is the failure to pay attention to the signals that your environment sends you. The signals aimed at us now tell us the following: the oil age is entering an unstable permanent decline; suburbia and all its usufructs is finished; the blue-light special shopping economy is about to end; easy motoring will shortly be a thing of the past; the middle class will be replaced by a new former middle class; and all bets are off as to how violently American politics will shudder when the fog finally lifts.

A little on the harsh side. . .perhaps. . .

Who Would Jesus Bomb?

2005-05-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

"After all, Jesus was a rebel. Jesus was the Original Liberal. Jesus was a devoted pacifist and a badass egalitarian and his best friends were all whores and dissidents and freethinkers and miscreants, artists of every shape and size and haircut and of course, were he walking around today, Jesus would be pretty much loathed and ostracized if not outright hacked to bits by the Christian Right. 'Goddamn hippie liberal tree hugger,' they'd sneer, waving scythes and Bibles."

The rest of Mark Morford's column here

Only half?!

2005-05-01T18:52:00.000-05:00

Gallup: "50% of Americans Now Say Bush Deliberately Misled Them on WMDs"

This headline brings a few questions to mind: What took them so long? What are the other 50% thinking? Why aren't there mass demonstrations demanding Bush be throw out? Am I the only one to whom this seems a better reason for impeachment than oral sex?
Story here

How Far Will the Army Go?

2005-05-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

"McSwane contacted his local army recruiting office in Golden with a scenario he created. He told a recruiter that he was a dropout and didn't have a high school diploma. 'No problem,' the recruiter explained. He suggested that McSwane create a fake diploma from a non-existent school." Keep reading, it gets worse.

Story here

More on the Bankruptcy Law

2005-04-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

Without exaggeration, this is the most corrupt piece of legislation I have EVER seen.

I work in finance, and I can tell you that the credit card companies have pulled a monumental switcheroo on consumers and the poor. And what is so astoundingly insulting to me, is that this Republican party, this party that controls both the legislative branches as well as the executive branch, this party that trumpets the virtues of capitalism and free markets while demonizing Democrats for inhibiting capital flows and supporting "big government," has just imposed the biggest government intrusion into the purest form of Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" (pricing between lender and borrower) this century has ever seen.

For all intents and purposes, the free market was working just fine within the credit card industry. CC companies lent money to borrowers. The risk they placed on these loans was high because, afterall, the laws were such that if a consumer filed Chaper 7, the credit card companies would not get paid anything. Understanding this risk very well, the CC companies priced their loans very high, at roughly 19% or so. Ignorning for now that this rate is in the range of old-time loan sharks whose questionable methods led to the passage of "Usury" laws which limited the percentage interest rate banks could charge on loans, this rate was more than adequate to compensate them for the bankruptcy rate implicit within the loan.

So, with the economy going well, and the bankruptcy rate low, the CC companies printed applications like they were going out of style. They sent them to everyone and everything. Stories of family pets receiving $10,000 credit lines were common. I, personally, received about 3 a day in the mail. They gave credit to anyone and everyone, more than they knew they should, to borrowers with poorer credit than they'd like.

None of this is problematic. The economy, working in cycles as it does, has a solution for this lending recklessness. As the economy turns down, and bad loans to poor credit risks become evident, the lenders that took more risk than they should have get crushed. It's Milton Friedman's wet dream in action. The Republican's should be cheering their beloved free market at work.

However, just as the economy is about to turn down, and the merciless cleansing of the credit cycle was to wash over these loan sharks in pinstripes, just as a maxed-out Visa and Mastercard were in the hands of every man, woman, child, and Chihuahua, just as traders on Wall Street were about to ass-fuck the shit out of the publically-traded shares of Goldman, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and MBNA...the Republicans stepped in and re-wrote the PRIVATE loan agreement between the CC companies and the borrowers, the American public.

See if you can guess if the contract's new terms were favorable to the large corporations, or America's poor. Can't guess? Here's a hint: Credit card companies gave more money to the political campaigns of Republicans than any other industry in the last election cycle...the nation's poor didn't give much, and their lobbyist aren't funded quite as well.

This change has greatly reduced the risk to the CC companies, but credit card holders are not receiving the correlating decrease in interest rate that is going along with it. The benefit goes wholly to the CC companies.

And is the reality TV-obsessed American public up in arms? Is the media even hinting at the hypocracy of this legislation passed by the supposed stanard-bearers of "small government" and capitalism? No, of course not. Credit card companies spend too much money on advertising on those networks.

The only positive thing I can take away from this legislation is that the Republicans have exposed themselves for the hypocrites they truly are. If ever I come across another right-winger who thrusts the neo-con's Orwellian "freedom" and "free markets" doublespeak in my face again, I will whip out this egregious example of corporate cronyism, and watch in guilty pleasure as he attempts the ideological gymnastics necessary to justify this complete and utter contradiction to his party's very foundation.

W AND THE PRINCE

2005-04-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

A fairy tale of love and oil, Think Progress has the details.

And Atrios is right, this is just wrong.

Excellent cartoon....

2005-04-27T08:02:00.000-05:00

The Reverse Revolution.

Share it with your friends.

natural regional effect or a result of global warming?

2005-04-22T23:47:00.000-05:00

so, here's some good news.....er

Abu Ghraib Officers.....PROMOTED???!

2005-04-22T23:29:00.000-05:00

Not that it was any surprise, but let's start paying attention to what's going on here. A reservist and a few privates get scapegoated, at least 2 are women, while the military beefs up and takes control at the hands of an radical christian hunta. Enemy combatants watch out....you don't even know who you are.

And what exactly does this mean:

"'The thoroughness of the investigative process preserves the rights of all individuals involved while ensuring that the presumption of innocence must be disproved by facts before any allegation is determined to be substantiated,' "

That's how they got off!

I LIKE HARRY REID

2005-04-15T18:44:00.000-05:00

Unlike the New Democrats, he get's it.

Republicans have crossed a line today. America is better than this and Republicans need to remember that. This is a democracy, not a theocracy. We are people of faith, and in many ways are doing God’s work. But we represent all Americans, regardless of religion. Our founding fathers had the superior vision to separate Church and State in our democracy. It is a fundamental principle that has allowed our great, diverse nation to grow and flourish peacefully. Blurring the line between Church and State erodes our Constitution, and our democracy. It is a blatant abuse of power. Participating in something designed to incite divisiveness and encourage contention is unacceptable. I would hope that Sen. Frist will rise above something so beyond the pale

THE RELIGION WARS HAVE BEGUN

2005-04-15T18:36:00.000-05:00

You have to see this to fucking believe it.

WOLCOTT IS FUNNY

2005-04-15T18:35:00.000-05:00

Just read this.

BANKRUPTCY BILL AND "NEW DEMOCRATS"

2005-04-14T09:42:00.000-05:00

Be sure to check out this Atrios post on the statements of Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) regarding the bankruptcy bill. This is a horrendous peice of legislation that will make it hareder for people who are devastaed financially by medical illness (which is the cause of approximately half of all bankruptcy filings) to use bankruptcy to get relief from consumer debt. This is a giveaway to credit card companies and banks who have stongly lobbied for the bill. Apprently, despite steadily increasing profits over the last 5 years, and unable to control themselves from giving credit to anyone, these companies need to make sure that consumers are as screwed as they can possibly be. But I digress. Rep. Tauscher is chair of the New Democrat Coaltion, be sure to check out their website

I am not exactly sure who these 'New Deomcrats' are, but right now I don't like them very much.

P.S. You can read a previous rant I posted on this subject here.

The Rush to War

2005-04-10T22:39:00.000-05:00

Bush & Co.'s case for a justified war is crumbling apart...but, does anyone care?

Iraq war case 'fixed by Americans'

Mar 20 2005

"The head of MI6 told Prime Minister Tony Blair that the case for war against Iraq was being fixed by the Americans to suit the policy, a BBC documentary claims."

Link to article

US relied on 'drunken liar' to justify war

2005-04-09T17:46:00.000-05:00

From the Observer....:

"US relied on 'drunken liar' to justify war "

So let's see....a former drunk driving convict w/ a known history of cocaine abuse justified his war on Iraq by listening to one of his own. Maybe they know each other from rehab.....or not.

LETTER TO SENATOR NORM COLEMAN

2005-04-01T17:27:00.000-06:00

Senator Coleman,

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the GOP plan to make judicial nominations immune to the filibuster. I believe such a move would be an assault upon the principles of the Senate and one that the Republican Party will eventually come to regret. I would like to remind you that Mr. Bush had 219 of his 229 judicial nominees approved by the Senate, the most for any first term president if I am not mistaken. For him to re-nominate the 10 that were rejected is nothing more than all-out partisan warfare and simple pandering to the religious right which, as we have recently seen, has no problem trampling on the constitution when it suits their purposes. I will also remind you that during president Clinton's presidency he had numerous judicial nominations blocked by the Republicans who were in the minority using a variety of procedural rules, rules which the GOP have systematically dismantled since becoming the majority. Thus the idea that the blocking of the most controversial nominees is "unprecedented" is false and dishonest.

Senator, Mr. Bush claims to be a uniter, but is actions belie his rhetoric. His absolute refusal to compromise despite having the vast majority of his nominees approved is serving to increase division in this country, solely so Mr. Bush can pander to his political base. If the Senate takes this step it will be a declaration of all-out partisan war, and if you support it you will be complicit in the further polarization of this country. I implore you to take a long look and think about what the people of Minnesota, mostly moderates who want government to work and have a strong distaste for the partisan bitterness of Washington, would want you to do in this situation. Will you stand up for civility and compromise or will you help to inflame the political divisions in our country?

The choice is yours Senator, it will only take a few Republicans to stand up for what is right, I certainly hope you will.

This is the way we avoid our hypocrisy, avoid our hypocrisy, avoid our hypocrisy.....

2005-04-01T09:14:00.000-06:00

Sing it to the tune of "this is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth..." You get the point.

"The pope decided himself not to go to the hospital."

Why? Then they don't have to start the extraordinary steps that might cause them some discomfort when the guy begins to whither like a raisin. They don't have the guts to face the true issue.

Anybody have just a little teeny weeny pang of nostalgia for The Body?

I want a full independent congressional inquiry into the status of the Pope's health & how he got there. Wouldn't a nice, anonymously placed needle that precipitated a fatal heart attack be another convenient way of avoiding their hypocrisy? I know, let's subpoena him. Get him to Brussels or DC or something. Huh? What the F***?

A powerful antidote to lunacy

2005-03-31T08:04:00.000-06:00

This editorial in today's Star Tribune is worth a read. Despite their hiring of Katherine Kersten as a metro reporter, the Star Trib still seems to get it. We all want to know, where are the progressives on these extreme religious issues that are a massive distraction ploy by the administration? Meet Dr. Cranford, of Hennepin County Med. Center. Cranford is standing up on the Terry Schiavo issue, and he needs our support. Check these quotes from an interview he gave on the topics on Scarborough Country on MSNBC (NOT an objective news organization):

[Cranford:] "'Wait a minute. You are not accurate on a lot of things here. You're saying a lot of -- she's not starving to death. Do you understand that? She is dehydrating to death.'

Daniels [MSNBC] asked: 'Well, why do you say that? Tell us how you came to that conclusion?

Cranford responded: 'Can I tell you why? Because I have done this 25 to 50 times. I don't know how many times Joe has done it, but I've done it 25 to 50 times in similar situations. ....'

And so it continued, with both Scarborough and Daniels. At one point Daniels asked if a CAT scan had been done.

Cranford responded: 'The CAT scan is out there. It shows severe atrophy of the brain. The autopsy is going to show severe atrophy of the brain. And you're asking me if a CAT scan was done? How could you possibly be so stupid?'"

Emphasis mine. Emphasis necessary.

The second most important statement above, of course, is this one:

"You are not accurate on a lot of things here."

the next whore.....

2005-03-31T07:54:00.000-06:00

Karl Rove is on his way to Minnesota to be the keynote speaker & "celebrity" at a fundraiser specifically for Gov. Pawlenty's gubernatorial campaign. The article is in the Star Tribune today

"... It may show that he [Rove] is thinking past 2008 himself. He may not want to leave the political scene and he may be looking for the next horse.'"

I was absolutely sure there was a typo in this quote. I could be wrong....maybe it was a Freudian slip. Or maybe they just got the end of the horse wrong. Not sure....

China Give U.S. a "D"

2005-03-28T22:30:00.000-06:00

This is too perfect. Excerpts are at the New York Times and the report, in english, is here, but this has to be one of the best:

"The United States claims to be 'a paragon of democracy,' but American democracy is manipulated by the rich and malpractices are common. Elections in the United States are in fact a contest of money. The presidential and Congressional elections last year cost nearly $4 billion.

Campaign advertisement and political debates were full of distorted facts, false information and lies. "

Al Franken couldn't have said it better himself.

money and politics

2005-03-27T17:36:00.000-06:00

"...Citizens to Save California to 'enlarge our effort' in assisting Schwarzenegger."

Viagra? Steroids? what is it the Gubernator needs enlarging, and how will it be done? As further indication that money does indeed purchase influence, politicians and, it seems, morality and values, the Gubernator can now raise unlimited funds through "initiative committees" to pursue massive PR blitzes in favor of his agenda. He seems clearly to admit that he's unwilling to engage in the democratic process and face the admittedly democratic legislature to argue his platform.

While the 527's gave progressive causes a boost in the last election, it's clearly just another method by which money and focused interest groups can control politics, usually to the detriment of the majority. This is simply the state version, in a state that already decided that it didn't trust its elected officials and governs by initiative and referendum.

Taken together, these spell a dark day for social justice and a fair society.

it's as simple as this....

2005-03-27T13:36:00.000-06:00

I found this quote, written as a short (to date, unpublished) editorial letter by a very dear friend of mine, simple, concise and dead on point:

As a citizen and as a physician, I am quite concerned about the risk that the selection of our future Supreme Court justices has become politicized. Justices are now being chosen based on whether or not they conform to the extreme religious bias that has gripped our current administration, rather than for their ability to interpret the US Constitution.

The result of this tainted judicial selection process is interference of government in the private lives of citizens. I cite examples such as a woman's right to choose abortion, Terri Shchiavo's right to die, and a homosexual person's right to spousal standing with a same sex partner.

In many countries, religion and government are synonomous. The US Constitution is based on the division of church and state. Supreme Court justices should be chosen based on their ability to recognize the difference.

Don't you just love the hypocrisy of the Right's totally self-serving and fickle position on "individual rights"? Don't even get me started on federalism...that'll have to wait.

$11.1 TRILLION?

2005-03-23T21:24:00.000-06:00

I heard some amazing stuff today on NPR (which, despite it's flaws is still one of the only decent news sources we have left). A story by John Ydstie (that is not how I would have guessed his name is spelled) about the social security report that came out today. He mentions how social security is now projected to have a $4 trillion deficit over the next 75 years. Now it seems to me that economists have a hard enough time projecting things out 6 months much less 75 years, but there it is. He then quotes Treasury Secretary Snow emphasizing a different more 'controversial' number:

The unfunded obligation looking out over the long time horizon on a permanent basis is $11.1 trillion.

Hmmmmm. . .what exactly is the 'long time horizon' and what does 'permanent basis' mean? It turns out, as Ydstie goes on to explain, that the projection which generates that number is the 'infinite future!' And you thought 75 years was a long time! That's nothing, apparently the government can make projections into infinity! But wait, it gets even better. Among the assumptions used to make that projection are that life expectancy increases to 150 years, but the retirement age stays at 67. Whoa! Talk about being born too early! Who knew that we were headed for a utopian world where we all live to be 150 and retirement lasts 83 years! So for our society to endure infinitely with more than half our lives spent in retirement we would only have to pony up $11.1 trillion more? Seems like a hell of a deal, sign me up!

But that wasn't even the most amazing part of the story as we all know that whatever dribbles out of the mouths of the Bushies is going to be bullshit anyway. After pointing out that Medicare is in much worse shape than Social Security, Ydstie says:

So far the Bush administration has not put forward a plan to restore solvency to either the Social Security or Medicare trust funds. The President's proposal for private Social Security accounts would do nothing to improve the solvency of the retirement system.

I had to slap myself to see if I was awake. Did I just hear a reporter say, straight up, that Bush has no plan and private accounts won't fix Social Security?

Like I said, amazing stuff.

EVEN SOME REPUBLICANS. . .

2005-03-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

. . .can see the dangers of what their party is doing:

This Republican Party of Lincoln has become a party of theocracy

--Rep Christopher Shays (R) CT

JUAN COLE -- READ HIM

2005-03-22T08:37:00.000-06:00

Juan Cole, Professor if Middle East History at the University of Michigan, and writer of the excellent Middle East blog Informed Comment, clealry illustrates our slide into theocracy:

The cynical use by the US Republican Party of the Terri Schiavo case repeats, whether deliberately or accidentally, the tactics of Muslim fundamentalists and theocrats in places like Egypt and Pakistan. These tactics involve a disturbing tendency to make private, intimate decisions matters of public interest and then to bring the courts and the legislature to bear on them. President George W. Bush and Republican congressional leaders like Tom Delay have taken us one step closer to theocracy on the Muslim Brotherhood model.

The whole thing is worth a read, and it is not that long, but I will leave you with his conclusion.

Republican Hisba will have the same effect in the United States that it does in the Middle East. It will reduce the rights of the individual in favor of the rights of religious and political elites to control individuals. Ayatollah Delay isn't different from his counterparts in Iran.

Whatever happened to the good old days when conservatives opposed government interference in people's personal lives?

MORE THEOCRACY: ON TERRY SCHAIVO

2005-03-21T10:30:00.000-06:00

I won't start this post with "I wasn't going to blog about the Schaivo case" because every post I read about it starts that way. I will only say that what the Republicans in congress are doing defies imagination and I cannot find words to describe my disgust and anger in this case. Other, more talented, bloggers and writers do have some words though, so I will point you to them:

To read about the absolute hypocrisy of the GOP check out Digby.

Check out how Senate Republicans consider this a great political issue.

Read about Bill Frist's mendacity here.

Ed Kilgore has good thoughts here and here.

If a profanity-laden rant is what you are looking for, look no further.

On the positive side polls are showing broad disapproval of congress' intervention by the American Public.

[UPDATE] Dahlia Lithwick, who is, in my opinion, one of the best political wirters around (and THE BEST writer on legal issues), has a must read article on the case.

We're worried about a theocracy in Iraq????

2005-03-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

Hendrick Hertzberg quotes Antonin Scalia in the March 14th print issue of the New Yorker:

it [is] a "fact" that "government derives its authority from God."

This is in addition to Scalia's "angry denunciation of his brother and sister Justices for removing the United States from the short list of countries (the others include Iran and China) in which the execution of minors is legally sanctioned."

Scalia is Bush's judicial idol. Who are we kidding?

JUST TO PROVE WE'RE NOT PARTISAN

2005-03-17T08:57:00.000-06:00

Democrats can do things that need to be resisted as well. Here is MN DFL State Senator Sandy Pappas talking about her proposed legislation to make it illegal for kids to buy adult-rated video games (not illegal for stores to sell them, but for kids to buy them:

Who says children have First Amendment rights?

I guess she's right, after all we all know that children are to be seen and not heard, right? I mean who says children have any rights at all? They are property of their parents and, failing that, the state I guess (Hat tip: MN Politics Guru)

Unbelievable

UPDATE: Who says children have first ammendment rights? Apparently the United States Supreme Court, which held in Erznoznik v. Jacksonville in 1975 that:

Speech that is neither obscene as to youths nor subject to some other legitimate proscription cannot be suppressed solely to protect the young from ideas or images that a legislative body thinks unsuitable for them. In most circumstances, the values protected by the First Amendment are no less applicable when government seeks to control the flow of information to minors.

So, not to trample on your first ammendment rights Senator Pappas, but I think you need to shut up unless you know what you are talking about.

CORRUPTION ABOUND

2005-03-16T13:54:00.000-06:00

A picture is worth a thousand words:

For further info on the absolute corruption among the Republican leadership I give you the excellent daily Delay.

how much is enough??

2005-03-13T20:56:00.000-06:00

According to the MN DFL,

That’s right, the following Senators voted for their own $28,500 pay increase over the last five years, yet voted against increasing the minimun wage above $5.15 per hour.

Lamar Alexander (R) TennesseeWayne Allard (R) ColoradoGeorge Allen (R) VirginiaRobert Bennett (R) UtahChristopher Bond (R) MissouriSam Brownback (R) KansasJim Bunning(R) KentuckyConrad Burns(R) MontanaRichard Burr (R) N.C.Saxby Chambliss (R) GeorgiaTom Coburn (R) OklahomaThad Cochran (R) MississippiSusan Collins (R) MaineJohn Cornyn (R) TexasLarry Craig (R) IdahoMichael Crapo (R) IdahoJim DeMint (R) S.C.Elizabeth Dole (R) N.C.Michael Enzi (R) WyomingBill Frist (R) TennesseeLindsey Graham (R) S.C.Chuck Grassley (R) IowaJudd Gregg (R) N.H.Chuck Hagel (R) NebraskaOrin Hatch (R) UtahKay Bailey Hutchison (R) TexasJim Inhofe (R) OklahomaJohnny Isakson (R) GeorgiaJon Kyl (R) Ariz.Trent Lott (R) MississippiRichard Lugar (R) IndianaMel Martinez (R) FloridaJohn McCain (R) ArizonaMitch McConnell (R) KentuckyLisa Murkowski (R) AlaskaPat Roberts (R) KansasRick Santorum (R) PennsylvaniaJeff Sessions (R) AlabamaRichard Shelby (R) AlabamaGordon Smith (R) OregonOlympia Snowe (R) MaineTed Stevens (R) AlaskaJohn Sununu (R) N.H.James Talent (R) MissouriCraig Thomas (R) WyomingJohn Thune (R) S.D.David Vitter (R) LouisianaGeorge Voinovich (R) OhioJohn Warner (R) Virginia.

A person earning Minimum Wage earns $10,712.00 if they work a 40 hour week for 1 full year.

Hope....

2005-03-12T14:50:00.000-06:00

This article is about people we know doing things that really matter.

Resist our country's ignorance of and disinterest in the world.

resistance is NOT futile

Optimism

2005-03-12T14:43:00.000-06:00

Optimism....in the face of U.S. nationalism.

resistance is NOT futile

Welcome

2005-03-07T14:52:00.000-06:00

Resistance is NOT futile