They're All the Same

Ahh, the GOP.

The Grand Old Perverts.

The apple never falls far from the tree - does it?

Seen one - seen them all.

None of them deserve to hold office again.
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Joe – Just Go!

Simply amazing! Profoundly baffling! Astoundingly incomprehensible! Why is it so difficult for Joe Lieberman to understand that that the Democratic voters in his state have decided to support another candidate for the US Senate? Joe, maybe you need to go back and take some remedial courses in a subject you seem unfamiliar with 'The Democratic Process – How it Works.' It boils down to this – candidate campaigns for office – tries to get as many votes as possible. Those with the most votes win, those with less – lose. Joe, you lost.

Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman is willing to forgive but not forget Chris Dodd and others who abandoned him after he lost the Democratic primary to Ned Lamont and became a petitioning candidate.

In an online interview this week with PajamasMedia, conducted by novelist and screenwriter Roger L. Simon, Lieberman was asked about the break with his old allies.

"I'm talking specifically about Chris Dodd, Al Gore, Ted Kennedy, people like that, none of whom are supporting your campaign," Simon asked. "How do you feel about that? And will you be able to forgive them?

"Oh, I'll forgive them. I probably won't forget, to tell you the truth," Lieberman replied. "And, you know, this is politics. And it's been disappointing."

The real disappointment is watching this pitiful display of self grandeur. Connecticut deserves – and will get much better.
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Falling Like Ancient Rome

Those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Is America on the same path of destruction as the Roman Empire?

IN the autumn of 68 B.C. the world’s only military superpower was dealt a profound psychological blow by a daring terrorist attack on its very heart. Rome’s port at Ostia was set on fire, the consular war fleet destroyed, and two prominent senators, together with their bodyguards and staff, kidnapped......in the panicky aftermath of the attack, the Roman people made decisions that set them on the path to the destruction of their Constitution, their democracy and their liberty.

The perpetrators of this spectacular assault were not in the pay of any foreign power..... They were, rather, the disaffected of the earth: “The ruined men of all nations,” in the words of the great 19th-century German historian Theodor Mommsen, “a piratical state with a peculiar esprit de corps.”

Over the preceding centuries, the Constitution of ancient Rome had developed an intricate series of checks and balances intended to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of a single individual...... Ordinary citizens were accustomed to a remarkable degree of liberty: the cry of “Civis Romanus sum” — “I am a Roman citizen” — was a guarantee of safety throughout the world.

But such was the panic that ensued after Ostia that the people were willing to compromise these rights. By the oldest trick in the political book — the whipping up of a panic, in which any dissenting voice could be dismissed as “soft” or even “traitorous” — powers had been ceded by the people that would never be returned.

Many would dismiss these worries – but liberties hard fought for are easily lost without constant vigilance. Don't let America pass into the dustbin of history.
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Sword of God

“If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator.”
George Bush
~ CNN.com, December 18, 2000
Image from Austin Cline
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Definitions

Stupid Jerk = Sen. Trent Lott

Trent Lott told reporters today that George Bush and GOP Senators barely mentioned Iraq when they met this morning and that they don’t obsess over the war.

When asked if the war was discussed, Lott told reporters that “You're the only ones who obsess on that. We don't and the real people out in the real world don't for the most part."

On the sectarian violence in Iraq, Lott said: “Why do they hate each other? Why do Sunnis kill Shiites? How do they tell the difference? They all look the same to me.”

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Christian Right America #1

Image from Austin Cline
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Real Testicles

Is Hillary Clinton the only Democrat with balls?

Apparently so.

Is she the only defender of American ideals?
Apparently so.

"George Washington understood that how you treat enemy combatants could reverberate around the world. We must convict and punish the guilty in a way that reinforces their guilt before the world and does not undermine our constitutional values.

Now these values – George Washington’s values, the values of our founding – are at stake. We are debating far-reaching legislation that would fundamentally alter our nation's conduct in the world and the rights of Americans here at home. And we are debating it too hastily in a debate too steeped in electoral politics.

The Senate, under the authority of the Republican Majority and with the blessing and encouragement of the Bush-Cheney Administration, is doing a great disservice to our history, our principles, our citizens, and our soldiers. The deliberative process is being broken under the pressure of partisanship and the policy that results is a travesty,"

Where are the other Democrat voices rising up against this vile betrayal of our heritage? Why do any of the silent deserve our vote if they cannot stand and fight for this country?
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The Rapture is Coming

For many Christian believers, anticipating the Rapture is like going to the biggest prom dance in the universe with the best looking guy or gal. Ahh, it's like (pardon the pun) pure heaven. Now people really need to be prepared for this momentous event for this is the moment when Jesus comes back to Earth and people just suddenly disappear. You see, Jesus is supposedly to remove from the earth all people who are spiritually ready – along with raising all of the long dead who believed in Him.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words"
(1 Thes 4:16-18).

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality"
(1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

Now that is something worth seeing.

My view of the Rapture is just a little different. Jesus will not be coming back, but a hugely momentous event will occur – one that will change the future beyond comprehension. Where there once was despair – there will be hope, where there once was darkness – there will be light, where there once was crookedness and corruption – there will be honesty and compassion, where there once was divisiveness and war – there will be unity and peace.

This date is set in stone and unlike previous Christian Rapture dates which always seem to get postponed, this Rapture will come to fruition.

When is this history changing mega-event? January 20th, 2009. George Bush leaves office and a Democrat replaces him. Mark it down.
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Elder Tolerance

I'm not a person who disrespects his elders, but there comes a period in every persons life when time just leapfrogs past them. Those, with their faculties, can begrudgingly recognize it and move into a different life phase. Those, still living their lives as if 20 years prior, are doomed to suffer the quiet and patient understanding of others around them. Not able to see reality, they increasingly fail to realize how far their slide has progressed and how rapidly it is escalating. Such is the case with David Broder.

You see, Broder is mad:

Bush was elected twice, over Democrats Al Gore and John Kerry, whose know-it-all arrogance rankled Midwesterners such as myself......

Now, however, you can see the independence party forming -- on both sides of the aisle. They are mobilizing to resist not only Bush but also the extremist elements in American society -- the vituperative, foul-mouthed bloggers on the left and the doctrinaire religious extremists on the right.....

David, what really seems to rankle you is that 'bloggers' have a voice, one that marginalizes yours. Your apparent 'know it all' self image is being bruised by bloggers and it hurts. As my father always told me - the only constant in life is change, so get used used to it. Sorry, but the train has left the station – and you're just not on it.
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There's No Question

The Democratic primary for US Senate was held in CT and it was won by Ned Lamont. Joe Lieberman lost the support of the voters – his constituents – the people he works for – the people he is supposed to represent. They want a change, this is what 'democracy' is all about. Now, Lieberman feels he owns his office, it's his for life. He pursues a run as an 'independent democrat' and this act is a grievous affront to the democratic process Lieberman professes to uphold. His self induced delusions of importance and being 'owed the right' to retain office are a true reflection of the low regard he has for his CT constituents – his employers.

Add to this the wishy washy positions of his fellow Democratic Senators who will not come out and show principled leadership regarding the issue of stripping Lieberman's seniority from any committees on which he served.

The issue of Lieberman’s seniority would arise most dramatically if Lieberman wins re-election and Democrats recapture control of the chamber. That would slot Lieberman to take over as chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the panel primarily responsible for investigating the executive branch.

Democrats think their chances of taking back the Senate are growing more and more likely. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week said he was more confident that Democrats would pick up at least five Senate seats.

Allowing Lieberman to retain his seniority could put the senator now running as an independent in charge of the Senate’s chief investigative committee. If Democrats took control of either chamber they would likely launch investigations of the White House’s handling of the war in Iraq and homeland security.

Why is this something people should be wasting time wondering about? Lieberman simply cannot be allowed to disrespect the Democratic voters in CT and saunter around the US Senate. At least this person has the right view:

“Lieberman’s tone and message has shocked a lot of people,” said a second senior Democratic aide who has discussed the issue with other Senate Democrats. “He’s way off message for us and right in line with the White House.”

“At this point Lieberman cannot expect to just keep his seniority,” said the aide. “He can’t run against a Democrat and expect to waltz back to the caucus with the same seniority as before. It would give the view that the Senate is a country club rather than representative of a political party and political movement.”

The aide said that it would make no sense to keep Lieberman in a position where he might take over the Governmental Affairs Committee.

Now if the rest of the Senate's Democrat's can't see this basic principle of democracy – why do they deserve our votes?
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Can't do Anything Right

When Sen. Bill 'video diagnosis' Frist, threatened to invoke the nuclear option and overturn 200 years of Senate rules to allow filibusters to be ended by simple majority vote, he not only displayed a stunningly shallow intellect regarding the workings of US government – he also displayed arrogant betrayal of America's citizens. Foaming at the mouth that Bush's extremist judicial nominees deserved up or down votes, and that the will of the minority should not obstruct the majority, he played ugly partisan politics in order to win. Why don't people understand that filibusters are evil and should be more easily ended? America needs this rules change!

Well, well – times have certainly changed.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist signaled yesterday that he and other White House allies will filibuster a bill dealing with the interrogation and prosecution of detainees if they cannot persuade a rival group of Republicans to rewrite key provisions opposed by President Bush.

Pathetic hypocrisy. And people wonder why politicians are held in such low regard.
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True Colors Sliming Thru

This is the best example around that highlights the bankruptcy and corruption endemic within the Republican Congress. If Democrats fail to take both the Senate and House in 2006, they sure will in 2008. The definition of political sleaze – Sen. Mitch McConnell.

That someone with McConnell’s political style stands to assume what is arguably the third-most-powerful elected post in the federal government speaks volumes about the state of the contemporary Republican Party—and about Washington in general. McConnell is a staunch conservative and a master of procedure, but no piece of landmark legislation bears his name.

Indeed, McConnell’s political persona—with its focus on bare-knuckled partisanship and support for a money-driven legislative system—embodies the very qualities that have helped reverse Republican political fortunes so dramatically over the last year and a half, and have led directly to a series of government scandals and slipups. In uniting around Mitch McConnell, Republicans are, in effect, doubling down on the governing style that got them, and us, into this mess in the first place.

The Senate’s shift toward increased party discipline has been accompanied by a growing willingness to use the legislative process to benefit the Republican Party’s financial backers.

Since arriving in Washington, McConnell has used two major tactics to get to the top. He has ensured himself a steady flow of campaign dollars by going all out on behalf of the Republican Party’s financial backers—and has then used these contributions to build his own, and his party’s, political power.

A leader hoping to get legislation passed would probably respond by being more conciliatory toward the minority—but Republicans didn’t pick McConnell because of his talent for conciliation. “I think he’ll be more likely to pick a fight,” says the Heritage Foundation’s Darling. With a confrontational Republican leader, a narrow Senate majority, and an unpopular, lame duck president, the next two years don’t figure to see much landmark legislation passed. Instead, if the past is any guide, Majority Leader McConnell will focus only on measures that support Republican power or drive a wedge between Democrats, and will do everything possible to keep campaign dollars flowing to the GOP.

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What Was Not Said

From Bush's address at the UN today:

“To the people of Iraq, nearly 12 million of you braved the car bombers and assassins last December to vote in free elections. The world saw you hold up purple ink-stained fingers, and your courage filled us with admiration. You've stood firm in the face of horrendous acts of terror and sectarian violence, and we will not abandon you in your struggle to build a free nation. America and our coalition partners will continue to stand with the democratic government you elected.” (But don't forget, we actually picked your Prime Minister – Nuri al-Malicki after we threw out the Prime Minister Adel Abdud Mahdi - who you elected because you didn't elect the man we wanted – CIA favorite, Ayad Allawi).

"We will continue to help you secure the international assistance and investment you need to create jobs and opportunity, working with the United Nations and through the International Compact with Iraq, endorsed here in New York yesterday." (And to help you rebuild, we will continue to send war profiteers, crooked businessmen, and incompetent political hacks who will fail at every turn.)

"We will continue to train those of you who step forward to fight the enemies of freedom." (With more unqualified Americans like Bernie Kerik.)

"We will not yield the future of your country to terrorists and extremists." (But we will try to control every aspect of your economy so that our political friends can fatten their wallets.)

"Working together, we will help your democracy succeed, so it can become a beacon of hope for millions in the Muslim world." (We want to continue the gravy train our business friends have enjoyed since Afghanistan – after all one man's pain is our fiscal gain!)

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Lie #2

From Bush's address at the UN today:

“To the people of Lebanon, last year you inspired the world when you came out into the streets to demand your independence from Syrian dominance. You drove Syrian forces from your country and you reestablished democracy. Since then, you have been tested by the fighting that began with Hezbollah's unprovoked attacks on Israel. Many of you have seen your homes and your communities caught in crossfire....”

The reality:

The Israeli military extensively used US-made cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon, which is a war crime. The bombs frequently do not detonate, so now south Lebanon is littered with deadly fist-size bomblets that will inevitably kill and disfigure children and other civilians.

The US State Department will investigate whether Israeli deployment of these weapons in civilian areas violated secret agreements under which Washington supplied them to Israel.

Nothing will come of the investigation, given the clout of the Israel lobby in Washington, but someday the relative of an innocent maimed Lebanese may decide to take revenge on the country that supplied the cluster bombs. And the American public will ask in astonishment why anyone should hate us.

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Lie #1

From Bush's address at the UN today:

“To the people of Iran, the United States respects you. We respect your country. We admire your rich history, your vibrant culture and your many contributions to civilization. You deserve an opportunity to determine your own future, an economy that rewards your intelligence and your talents, and a society that allows you to fulfill your tremendous potential. The greatest obstacle to this future is that your rulers have chosen to deny you liberty and to use your nation's resources to fund terrorism and fuel extremism and pursue nuclear weapons......Despite what the regime tells you, we have no objection to Iran's pursuit of a truly peaceful nuclear power program. We're working toward a diplomatic solution to this crisis.”

The reality:

Just now on CNN, Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner (Ret.) said, “We are conducting military operations inside Iran right now. The evidence is overwhelming.” Gardiner, who taught at the U.S. Army’s National War College, has previously suggested that U.S. forces were already on the ground in Iran.

He also added - “We have learned from Time magazine today that some U.S. naval forces had been alerted for deployment. That is a major step.”

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Ready the Plot

Few know that there is a cemetery reserved just for despots, tyrants, sadists, and assorted other twisted individuals that temporarily walk amongst us. This cemetery is just for amoral – empty souls who inhabit the twilight, murky, indistinct zones of our world. Totally devoid of empathy, compassion, and anything remotely resembling concern for their fellow man, these horrific vassals of the Devil will be be buried alongside too many other murderous creatures in history's abyss of darkness.

Currently being reserved in that cemetery is a plot for one named William Kristol. Smarmy, illogical, and ruthlessly devoid of any humanity, Kristol - a loud public advocate of torture is proudly wearing a mantle once held by others such as Jack Kevorkian, Idi Amin, Rudolph Hess, Count Dracula, Pol Pot, and on..... Kristol was a founding member of the 'neocon' PNAC group, he forcefully boosted the Iraq War, he trumpets the daily lies and falsehoods coming from Rove and the other Bushies, and he seems to walk through life blithely unconcerned about the injury, maiming, and death of others while he sits upon his fat arse in a dank office. He's quite a brave little man as long as someone else does the dying.

Welcome to the neighborhood Bill.
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Joe -Please Go!

To say that the Lieberman campaign is a lot of fun to watch understates the comedy his career has become. Just full of pratfalls, gaffes, mis-statements, lies, distortions, gotchas, and hilarity, the Senator and his hapless staff seem to have their pants down all day. They've fallen and can't get up.

Lieberman, increasingly viewed comically, commands very little regard within his state – as this editorial from the Journal Inquirer makes clear:

Almost 50 years ago, a reporter asked President Dwight Eisenhower what major contributions his vice president, Richard M. Nixon, had made to the Eisenhower administration. Ike's response was telling and hilarious. He said, "If you give me a week, I might think of one."

Well, a few days ago, our incumbent junior senator, Joe Lieberman, a former candidate for president and vice president of the United States, told reporters that he needed a few more days to formulate, and properly articulate, his position on the war in Iraq. He wouldn't be talking about it with them until then.

Say what?

This man has been in the U.S. Senate for 18 years and he doesn't know what he thinks, or how to express what he thinks, on the war in Iraq?

Like a kid who is flunking an exam because he doesn't know what to write, Lieberman said he needed "more time." He's had 20 years in politics, but give him another week.
.......

But the senator has offered his own context. He has said previously that there are two reasons we should send him back to the Senate. One is that he is a trans-partisan. He belongs to all parties and to no party. He attends the Democratic caucus and accepts the support of Jack Kemp. He's running on his own party line. The other is his vast experience. He knows the ropes.

Well, if he knows the ropes, why can't Lieberman come up with a coherent position on Iraq?
........

Any ordinary citizen who has thought about the war in Iraq and done a little reading on the subject could tell you what he thinks about Iraq - on the spot, unrehearsed, in about three minutes.

Any politician worth his salt should know what he thinks about Iraq, off the top of his head. And he should be willing and able to articulate it.

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Sadness

Watching the controversy about torture and secret trials that is currently on display in Washington, DC I am filled with a mix of admiration – but mostly sadness. I admire and fully support the efforts of Senators John Warner, John McCain, Susan Collins, and Lindsey Graham as theirs is a lonely struggle for what is right and important to America and subsequent generations. Do not bend, stand firm.

My level of sadness is much more powerful however. Why is it that in America, my America, the land of the free and brave, the land my father fought for – there are only (4) Republican Senators standing tall and lonely?

Does that mean the others actually support torture? Senators Snowe, Chafee, Domenici, Gregg, Grassley, Hagel, Lugar, Martinez, Shelby, Sununu, Voinovich – are you all supporters of torture? Are you all supporters of secret trials with secret evidence that strips the accused of all rights to their defense? Are you all willing to hand this nation's future to the forces of darkness and fascism currently swirling within it?

Or are you willing to stand alongside the lonely ones?
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Defining His Own Fate

Public statements by Bush:

June 26, 2003
Today, on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States declares its strong solidarity with torture victims across the world. Torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere. We are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right. The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, ratified by the United States and more than 130 other countries since 1984, forbids governments from deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental pain or suffering on those within their custody or control. Yet torture continues to be practiced around the world by rogue regimes whose cruel methods match their determination to crush the human spirit. … The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example. I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment. I call on all nations to speak out against torture in all its forms and to make ending torture an essential part of their diplomacy.

March 24, 2004
(Speaking about US soldiers captured by the Iraqi government.) “I expect them to be treated, the POWs, I expect to be treated humanely, just like we’re treating the prisoners that we have captured humanely. If not, the people who mistreat the prisoners will be treated as war criminals.”

See you in jail.
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Will it Come to This?

Image from http://billmon.org/archives/trial.html

Fictional adaptation from The Nuremeberg Trials:

The near future-

No trial provides a better current day basis for understanding the nature and causes of evil than do the Second Nuremberg trials from 2008 to 2012. Those who came to the trials expecting to find sadistic monsters were generally disappointed. What was shocking again about Nuremberg was the ordinariness of the defendants: men who may be good fathers, kind to animals, even unassuming--yet who committed unspeakable crimes. Years later, reporting on the trial of George Bush, historians wrote of "the banality of evil." Like Bush, most Nuremberg defendants never aspired to be villains. Rather, they over-identified with an ideological cause and suffered from a lack of imagination or empathy: they couldn't fully appreciate the human consequences of their career-motivated decisions.

The trial began with the reading of the indictments, which were composed of four counts. All defendants were indicted on at least two of the counts; several were indicted on all four. Count One, "conspiracy to wage aggressive war," addressed crimes committed before the war began. Count Two, "waging an aggressive war (or "crimes against peace"), addressed the undertaking of war in violation of international treaties and assurances. Count Three, "war crimes," addressed more traditional violations of the laws of war such as the killing or mistreatment of prisoners of war and the use of outlawed weapons. Count Four, "crimes against humanity," addressed crimes committed against Iraqis, ethnic minorities, civilians in occupied countries, and other persons.

The prosecution began introducing evidence to establish the criminality of the Bush Administration, the CIA, the Department of Defense, the NSA, the CPA, the civilian mercenaries, media spokespeople, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Some of the evidence brought cries and gasps from spectators. A German prosecutor, seeking to establish the criminality of the CIA, read an affidavit from a doctor of medicine who participated in experiments on inmates at Abu Ghraib internment camp. The affidavit described techniques used by interrogators to obtain testimony from Iraqi captives. Interrogators ordered inmates stripped naked and then thrown into tanks of freezing water. Chunks of ice were added, as workers repeatedly thrust thermometers into the rectums of unconscious inmates to see if they were sufficiently chilled. Then the inmates were pulled out of the tanks to see which of four methods of warming might work best. Experimenters dropped most inmates into either tanks of hot water, warm water, or tepid water. One quarter of the inmates were placed next to the bodies of naked female inmates. (Rapid warming with hot water was determined to be most effective.) The doctor stated in his affidavit that many of the inmates that were questioned lapsed into convulsions and died.

......

As in the first Nuremberg trials , there was the question of whether Nuremberg mattered. No one could deny that the trials served to provide thorough documentation of Bush's crimes. For over a century, the images and testimony that came out of both Nuremberg trials have not lost their capacity to shock. The trials also helped expose many of the defendants for the criminals they were, thus denying them a martyrdom in the eyes of the American public that they might otherwise have achieved. There are no statues commemorating these American 'Global War on Terror' heroes. The revelations of Nuremberg also contributed to a solid rebuilding of democracy in America.

Alas, as for the First Nuremberg trials, the Second Nuremberg trials did not fulfill the grandest dreams of those who advocated them. They have not succeeded in ending wars of aggression. They have not put an end to genocide. Crimes against humanity are with us still.

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Another Travesty

Along with having to bear the heavy shame that an American President and his minions are proponents of torture, our country has another horrendous blow to it's once leading image in the world. Senator Lindsey Graham had a question for Miss Condie:

In a letter sent Friday to Condoleeza Rice, the secretary of state, Mr. Graham also took issue with a provision of the administration’s approach that would allow the use of secret evidence in trials of terrorism suspects.

"Where in American jurisprudence do you find support for the concept that a person accused can be tried and convicted on evidence which that person has no opportunity to see, confront or rebut?” Mr. Graham wrote.

And from The Washington Post:

Another dispute centers on trials for terrorism suspects, who in the Bush proposal could under some circumstances be barred from the proceedings and not allowed to view classified evidence against them.

What Bush and his trolls want to do is essentially say someone is a bad guy, send him to jail, and that's all there is to it. We don't like you – goodbye forever. Oh, you want to be present at your trial – sorry fella. What kind of American justice is that?

Senator John Warner has analyzed this sordid mess correctly:

As Mr. Warner left his Senate office on Friday afternoon, he carried a briefcase of material to prepare for a potential legislative showdown in the coming days. At stake, he said, was more than the fate of “these 20-odd individuals,” a reference to the high-level terrorism suspects awaiting possible trial at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

“It’s how America’s going to be perceived in the world, how we’re going to continue the war against terror,” Mr. Warner said.

Then he showed off the motto on his necktie: “Democracy is not a spectator sport.”

Contrary to Chimpie's breathless little desires, this is not a dictatorship.
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What a Plan!

Well, you've got to hand it to SecDef Don Rumsfeld. For years he has promised to transform the military into a new, flexible, rapid response force that could act decisively towards a threat anywhere in the world. We finally are on the precipice of that transformation - Don has done it! The new US military is now embracing fighting strategies from the year 627. Wait, that's the medieval ages isn't it? Can this be what he really intended?

Let's look at what's happening in Iraq. Unable to stem the continuing violence in Baghdad, the Iraqi Interior Ministry is embarking upon a plan to dig trenches around the city.

Inspired by Islamic history, the plan for a ditch around Baghdad is the newest twist in what has so far been a losing battle to prevent suicide car bombs and other weapons from being smuggled into the capital.

"Trenches will be dug around Baghdad in the coming weeks," the Interior Ministry spokesman, Brig. Abdul-Kareem Khalaf, told The Associated Press. "They will surround Baghdad."

He provided no details of what distance the trenches would cover, nor how deep or wide they would be. It is about 100 kilometres around the edge of the city.

He said the plan was inspired by the Battle of Khandaq, Arabic for Battle of the Trench, in 627, during which Prophet Muhammad protected the city of Medina from an army by digging trenches.

Khalaf said that except for the trenches, vehicle and pedestrian traffic would be restricted to just 28 entry points with manned checkpoints. "We will leave only 28 inlets to Baghdad while all other inlets will be blocked. Supports will be added to the trenches to hinder the movements of people and vehicles. The trenches will be under our watch," he said.

Now since the Iraqi defense forces can't do anything without US military approval, Rumsfeld obviously okayed the plan. Good forward thinking. Here's a few additional ideas that may help: crossbows are much quieter than guns, maces are good close quarters combat weapons, horses require much less fuel than Humvees and tanks, boiling oil really strikes fear in the opposition force.....

Isn't this siege mentality? Didn't Bush just tell us things were getting better?

Q: I'd like to ask you another question about Iraq. It's been another bloody day there. The last several weeks have been 40, 50, 60 bodies a day. We've been talking for the last several months about Iraq being on the brink of a civil war. I'd like to ask you if it's not time to start talking about Iraq as being in a civil war. And if it's not, what's the threshold?

BUSH: Well, it seems like it's pretty easy to speculate from over here about the conditions on the ground. And so what I do is I talk to people like our ambassador and General Casey, which I just did this morning.

And they and the Iraqi government just don't agree with the hypothesis it is a civil war..... But they also believe that the Baghdad security plan is making progress.

So to answer your question, it's no question it's tough. What I look for is whether or not the unity government is moving forward, whether or not they have a political plan to resolve issues such as oil and federalism, whether or not they're willing to reconcile and whether or not Iraqi troops and Iraqi police are doing their jobs.

Q: But how do you measure progress with a body count like that?

BUSH: Well, one way you do it is you measure progress based upon the resilience of the Iraqi people: Do they want there to be a unity government; or are they splitting up into, you know, factions of people warring with the head leaders, with different alternatives of governing styles and different philosophies?..... We're constantly changing our tactics. We're constantly adapting to the enemy. We're constantly saying, Here's the way forward. We want to work with you.

Imagine an enemy that can't stand what we believe in getting ahold of oil resources and taking a bunch of oil off the market in order to have an economic punishment. In other words, You go ahead and do this, and if you don't, we'll punish you economically.

It always comes back to the oil doesn't it? That's why we are there. It always was.
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The Truth

Watching National Security Adviser, Stephen Hadley on 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' this morning, it is abundantly obvious why the Bushies are fighting so hard to “clarify” Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions – they are torturing people in violation of our signed oaths and are looking to immunize that criminality. The acts being conducted now need prosecution – not “clarification”.

How he can live within his own skin is a mystery.
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Wasn't Me!

Poor little guy. Disgraced US Representative Bob Ney R-OH, is going to jail. Just like disgraced US Representative Duke Cunningham R-CA before him, he will soon be enjoying one of finer prisons. Ney is really, really sorry. He wasn't responsible – don't you see? The Devil made him do it. Nope, it wasn't him. It was the evil liquor of the Devil that did it – that damned witches brew!

People with detailed knowledge of the investigation said Mr. Ney had entered an in-patient rehabilitation center in recent days for treatment of alcoholism. “Congressman Ney has come to realize that alcohol dependency has affected his judgment, but he is not running away from his conduct or offering excuses,” his lawyers, Mark H. Tuohey 3d and William E. Lawler 3d, said.

“I have reached an agreement to bring the government’s investigation of me to an end,” Mr. Ney said in a statement as the plea deal was announced. “The agreement will enable me to accept responsibility for what I have done, to start repairing the damage I have caused and to start healing my family.”

So it's the alcohol that did it, huh? Sorry Bob – you are a crook.

Mr. Ney agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit multiple offenses and to making false statements to the House of Representatives, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher said. “Congressman Ney and his co-conspirators engaged in a long-term pattern of defrauding the public of his unbiased, honest services as an elected official,” Ms. Fisher said.

There truly is a tragedy in this sad affair – Ney's plea deal with the government only calls for 27 months in jail. He should have gotten the maximum possible – 10 years.
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American Carpetbaggers

Want to learn more about the cronyism and corruption that is the unseen reality behind the War in Iraq ? Find out where the documentary 'Iraq for Sale' is being shown near you.
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Packaging Hate

Nancy Grace seems to be misnamed.

Why is she on TV?

Shameful.
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Rats Jump Ship?

Election fever is in the air. Republicans are in a tizzy: What to do – what to do, My my – My my, fret -fret. Bush and Cheney are toxic. How will we ever get re-elected? Even the grotesque Republican mouthpieces are trying to distance themselves. “Well, I never really supported the man.....”

Joe Scarborough is trying mightily to act like he was never a Kool-Aid drinker. Joe is fooling some people into accepting that he is a rational guy. He just published another article in the Washington Monthly bemoaning the fact that the Republicans have no fiscal sanity.

While he is consistent on the lack of fiscal restraint amongst Bushies and the Republican Congressional crowd, he is still a Bush pledge. He still obediently foams over the Rove talking points on his show. A wolf in sheep's clothes. Don't be fooled America.
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Politics Trumps America

When Bush was elected, I mean appointed, to office in 2000, an ill, cold wind blew across the land. The spoiled, vindictive, dim-witted frat boy had been positioned by his handlers to occupy the most powerful position on Earth. Those who were watching could see an ugly future coming. The nation was to be plundered, extremists and crooks were going to have their moment in the sun. Average Americans were to be left by the wayside – viewed as inconveniences on the way to riches and religious hegemony. One could hear the tone of “your with us or agin us” being sung. They were a marchin – yes sir. September 11th occurred and there was some initial hope that this spreading stain would end, we would pull together to defeat a common foe. It seems now that that vain hope lasted for the blink of an eye. The Bush cabal, their brain-washed zombies, and all of their slimy hangers on did not miss a beat in ensuring that the road to riches is well traveled – as long as you were part of the team. Qualifications – not necessary. Who do you know – ah, that's the key. Did you vote for Bush? Yes – well welcome aboard.

Consider this excerpt from The Washington Post:

After the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in April 2003, the opportunity to participate in the U.S.-led effort to reconstruct Iraq attracted all manner of Americans -- restless professionals, Arabic-speaking academics, development specialists and war-zone adventurers.

But before they could go to Baghdad, they had to get past Jim O'Beirne's office in the Pentagon.

To pass muster with O'Beirne, a political appointee who screens prospective political appointees for Defense Department posts, applicants didn't need to be experts in the Middle East or in post-conflict reconstruction. What seemed most important was loyalty to the Bush administration.

.......

Many of those chosen by O'Beirne's office to work for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq's government from April 2003 to June 2004, lacked vital skills and experience. A 24-year-old who had never worked in finance -- but had applied for a White House job -- was sent to reopen Baghdad's stock exchange. The daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator and a recent graduate from an evangelical university for home-schooled children were tapped to manage Iraq's $13 billion budget, even though they didn't have a background in accounting.

The decision to send the loyal and the willing instead of the best and the brightest is now regarded by many people involved in the 3 1/2 -year effort to stabilize and rebuild Iraq as one of the Bush administration's gravest errors. Many of those selected because of their political fidelity spent their time trying to impose a conservative agenda on the postwar occupation that sidetracked more important reconstruction efforts and squandered goodwill among the Iraqi people, according to many people who participated in the reconstruction effort.

Interviews with scores of former CPA personnel over the past two years depict an organization that was dominated -- and ultimately hobbled -- by administration ideologues.

"We didn't tap -- and it should have started from the White House on down -- just didn't tap the right people to do this job," said Frederick Smith, who served as the deputy director of the CPA's Washington office. "It was a tough, tough job. Instead we got people who went out there because of their political leanings."

So here we are now, fighting the GWOT, being told by Chimpie that we must prevail in Iraq, this a “clash of civilizations” don't you know? Security in America depends upon what happens in the streets of Baghdad.

We are less secure because greed, corruption, extreme ideology, and incompetence in the Bush Administration made it so. All of the people associated with this administration have been stained along with all of their enablers in Congress. None of them deserve to hold elected office nor positions in government again.
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Words Cannot Describe...

What a disgusting sack of flesh .
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Soiling America

Andrew Sullivan has a wonderful post from a reserve soldier who served in Iraq. An excerpt:

Looking back, I think that one of the main drivers in these men's heads was that they knew, absolutely, that they'd get fair treatment from us, the Americans. We were the good guys. The Iraqis on the line knew they had an out, they had hope, so they could just walk away. (A few did piss themselves when someone told them we were Marines. Go figure.) Still, they knew Americans would be fair, and we were.

.......

Its gone now, even from me. I can't get past that image of the Iraqi, in the hood with the wires and I'm not what you'd call a sensitive type. You know the picture. And now we have a total bust-out in the White House, and a bunch of rubber-stamps in the House, trying to make it so that half-drowning people isn't torture. That hypothermia isn't torture. That degradation isn't torture. We don't have that reputation for fairness anymore. Just the opposite, I think. And the next real enemy we face will fight like only the cornered and desperate fight. How many Marines' lives will be lost in the war ahead just because of this asshole who never once risked anything for this country?

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The Sickness Within

Emptiness of souls. Where do theses people come from? What is so wrong in America that we have amorality such as this inhabiting the highest regions of our government?

'Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before they are used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

Domestic use would make it easier to avoid questions in the international community over any possible safety concerns, said Secretary Michael Wynne.

"If we're not willing to use it here against our fellow citizens, then we should not be willing to use it in a wartime situation," said Wynne. "(Because) if I hit somebody with a nonlethal weapon and they claim that it injured them in a way that was not intended, I think that I would be vilified in the world press."'

So, let's test them on our citizens, see if we injure someone, make design corrections until we get it right. How many innocents have to be injured first? How many innocents have to die? Gee, we wouldn't want Wynne's sensibilities to be bruised in the world press. Maybe I missed something, but as the Air Force Secretary, isn't he supposed to be defending, um Americans?? How about the Bill of Rights? Yo Mike – ever hear of the Constitution?? He sure fits in with Georgie and all the other torturers in the Bush Administration doesn't he! For a West Point Graduate and a guy with two master degrees, he's not too bright.

I have a better idea, let's test it on Wynne and his fellow adherents.
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President Dunderhead #3

Excerpted from today's White House press conference:

Q: Thank you, Mr. President.

Earlier this week, you told a group of journalists that you thought the idea of sending special forces to Pakistan to hunt down bin Laden was a strategy that would not work.

BUSH: Yes.

Q: Now recently, you've also ...

BUSH: Because, first of all, Pakistan is a sovereign nation.

Q: Well, recently, you've also described bin Laden as a sort of modern day Hitler or Mussolini. And I'm wondering why, if you can explain, why you think it's a bad idea to send more resources to hunt down bin Laden wherever he is.

BUSH: We are, Richard. Thank you. Thanks for asking the question.

They were asking me about — somebody report — well, you know, your special forces here. Pakistan — if he is in Pakistan, which this person thought he might be who was asking me the question — Pakistan's a sovereign nation. In order for us to send thousands of troops into a sovereign nation, we've got to be invited by the government of Pakistan.

Just like Iraq was a sovereign nation – eh? So Iraq – a member of the United Nations, who didn't attack us, had no ties to al-Qaida, and had no WMD, could be invaded. But we cannot get Pakistan to allow us to hunt for bin Laden. But, using Bush's histrionic language phrases, in this Global War on Terror, this clash of civilizations, this war against Islamo-Fascism – why don't we just go get him? Simple reasons: Pakistan has millions of al Qaida sympathizers, they have nukes (just like North Korea) and they have good weaponry (which we sold them).

And finally the primary reason - they don't have a lot of oil.
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President Dunderhead #2

Excerpted from today's White House press conference:

Q: Thank you, Mr. President.

It was reported earlier this week that in a meeting with conservative journalists, you said you'd seen changes in the culture you referred to as a third awakening. I wonder if you could tell us about what you meant by that, what led you to that conclusion, and do you see any contradictory evidence in the culture.

BUSH: No, I said — thanks — I was just speculating that the culture might be changing. And I was talking about when you're involved with making decisions of historic nature you won't be around to see the effects of your decisions. And I said that, you know, when I work the rope lines, a lot of people come and say, Mr. President, I'm praying for you. A lot.

As a matter of fact, it seems like a lot more now than when I was working rope lines in 1994.

And I asked them to — I was asking their opinion about whether or not there was a, you know, a third awakening, I called it.

Come on now! Let's say this very slowly – Georgie you live in a bubble. Your audiences are hand picked acolytes and Kool-Aid drinkers. You don't meet a cross section of average Americans.

And then there was this:

.....In other words, usher in a responsibility era.

And I reminded people that responsibility means, if you're a father, to love your child, or if you're corporate America, be honest with the taxpayers; if you're a citizen of this country, love your neighbor.

And so I was wondering out loud with him.

It seems like to me that something is happening in the religious life of America. But I'm not a very good focus group either. I'm encapsulated here. I'm able to see a lot of people. And, from my perspective, people are coming to say, I'm praying for you.

And it's an uplifting part of being the president. It inspires me. And I'm grateful that a fellow citizen would say a prayer for me and Laura.

Ahh – the responsibility era. I guess in Chimpie's warped view he is the leading examplar of responsibility. He must be quite proud of these “responsible” acts - Lying to start the Iraq War, killing the sons and daughters of America for oil, condoning torture, screwing Americans seniors, spying on Americans... His list of “responsibility” keeps getting more and more impressive.

I've had enough of his simple minded, hypocritical sanctimony – how about you?
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President Dunderhead #1

Excerpted from today's White House press conference:

Q: Mr. President, your administration had all summer to negotiate with lawmakers on the detainee legislation. How is that you now find yourself in a situation where you have essentially an open rebellion on Capitol Hill, led by some of the leading members of your own party, very respected voices in military affairs? And, secondly, would you veto the bill if it passes in the form that the Armed Services Committee approved yesterday?

BUSH: First, we have been working throughout the summer, talking to key players about getting a bill that will enable the program to go forward.......The Article 3 of the Geneva Convention is hard for a lot of citizens to understand. But let's see if I can put it this way for people to understand: There is a very vague standard that the court said must — well, it's kind of — be the guide for our conduct in the war on terror and the detainee policy. It's so vague that it's impossible to ask anybody to participate in the program for fear — for that person having a fear of breaking the law. That's the problem.

So, is Article 3 difficult for citizens to understand?

Article 3

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

2. The wounded and sick shall be collected and cared for.

An impartial humanitarian body, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, may offer its services to the Parties to the conflict.

The Parties to the conflict should further endeavour to bring into force, by means of special agreements, all or part of the other provisions of the present Convention.

The application of the preceding provisions shall not affect the legal status of the Parties to the conflict.

So the article prohibits murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, torture, hostage taking, humiliating and degrading treatment, calls for judicial sentencing recognized by civilized societies, and requires caring for the wounded and sick. One can see familiar concepts from the US Constitution, the Ten Commandments, the Bible, the Hippocratic Oath and a myriad of other decent/human documents in Article 3. Seems pretty clear to this citizen.

Perhaps we can dumb it down – so that Chimpie can understand it also. Lets try this:

In 1964, Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain "hard-core" pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . .

Georgie, think about the word “torture” instead of the phrase “hard core pornography” and repeat the sentence aloud:

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . .

Next try “humiliating treatment”:

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . [b]ut I know it when I see it . . .

Now try them all, see you can do it. Good boy.
Posted on The Human Stain