Saturday, September 29, 2007

Shameless


As Crooks and Liars notes, Rudy "Dig My Dress" Giuliani, the mayor of 9/11, claims that he takes his wife's strangely timed phone calls, even in the middle of a speech, because of 9/11. He says they want to reaffirm their love. Riiiiight Rudy. No, Rudy, it's your love for exploiting your moment during the 9/11 attack, and using that moment to propel yourself to the Rethug nomination.

Pushing For War With Iran


The Cheney faction within the Assministration, along with its neocon allies in the media and right wing think tanks, have had Iran in their sights since shortly after the invasion of Iraq. While they may not be able to sell everyone on Iran's nuclear capabilities (remember WMD in Iraq?), they are hoping to provoke a conflict over Iran's "involvement" in Iraq. Despite Maliki's recent statement that Iranian support for Shiite militia was over, Cheney and the war hawks persist in turning up the heat for a full blown conflict. Apparently, only the military, which has been stretched to the breaking point in Iraq and Afghanistan, is standing in the way. And we know how much this Assministration cares about the military, given their extensions of tours and refusal to allow more time at home for the troops.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Rethugs and Burma's Rulers: Happy Together

This comes as no great surprise, but the Burmese junta that is trying to crush a democratic uprising has a Rethuglican lobbying group representing it in Washington. DCI is made up of several former state and national party officials.

To each his own.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Quote of the Day


"Childrens do learn." Presidunce Dumbya at an event touting the "No Child Left Behind" program. In 2000, Dumbya famously asked, "Is our children learning?" They might be, but he was clearly left behind.

Priorities



(graphic from Jesus' General)

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Mr. Whitey's Bigotry


The Faux News Channel's John "Mr. Whitey" Gibson seems intent to top his Faux News colleague Bill O'Liely with racist comments on his show. On his radio show, Mr. Whitey, in referring to the Jena, Louisiana marchers protesting the treatment of 6 black students, said that they "only wanna fight the white devil." The whitest man in America said the controversy was a "mirage of 1950s-style American segregation." This was a very similar in tone to the ones taken by white supremacist organizations, including Stormfront, that distorted the controversy and the protest march. Mr. Whitey and the Faux channel which employs him should be ashamed, but the truth is they actually believe the crap they spew.

Better Hide Dead-Eye's Guns



Or don't show this story to "Dead Eye" Dick Cheney. The Washington Post reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki has said that Iranian involvement in the insurgency in Iraq "has ceased" and that relations with Iran and Syria have improved. This flies in the face of the Assministration's frequent claims that Iran is providing major arms and logistical support to the Shiite insurgents, and therefore must be met with force. Dead Eye's office is the main proponent for war with Iran, and has an active neocon media cheering section (Wee Willie Kristol's Weekly Standard, the National Review, Faux News, etc.) promoting the "Iran is involved" story line.

How long before Maliki gets a call from Dead Eye's office, telling him to revise his comments? Or maybe they'll have Blackwater Security deliver the message for them.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Two Badgers Score During Game

An item in the Madison, WI Capital Times: apparently during the September 1 football game at the University of Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium, a male and female were engaged in sex in a women's bathroom stall. They were arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct.

Larry Craig, please note.

An Anniversary to Note

Fifty years ago today, 9 black students entered formerly all-white Little Rock Central High School, marking the beginning of public school desegregation in the U.S. Although much has changed in the intervening 50 years, roughly 75 percent of African American students are in schools that are at least 50% black. Disparities in the quality of education remain: average black high school graduates are at roughly the level of eighth grade white students in math and reading ability.

It took great courage for the nine students to face a hostile, racist crowd in September 1957, and continuing harrassment during their stay in school. The U.S. Mint marked the anniversary with a commemorative silver dollar, and ceremonies are being held to honor this milestone in integration.

More Milking Of 9/11


A California fundraiser for Rethuglican Presidential candidate Rudy "Dig My Dress" Giuliani is backtracking after planning an event asking that each attendee contribute $9.11. Classy. Abraham "D'oh" Sofaer, a former Reagan official, had the brainstorm. Of course, this is just one tacky example of the Giuliani campaign's attempt to convert his positive public image during and after 9/11 into political hay. Word is that as the primaries approach, a coalition of 9/11 victims and firefighters - - including the former Deputy Chief of the NYFD - - will be making appeals to the public not to support this jerk. A key problem: he dragged his feet for years failing to get the proper radio equipment to police and firefighters, and he insisted on locating the city's emergency command center in World Trade 7, against the repeated objections of his public safety leaders. That's the major reason why he was roaming the streets on 9/11: his command center was destroyed.

Monday, September 24, 2007

The Missing Link


Lousiana Rethug Senator David "Diaper Dave" Vitter has earmarked $100,000 in Federal funds to support a Louisiana group that has been challenging the teaching of Darwinism in public schools. Diaper Dave, who was caught up in the D.C. Madam sexcapade and who used to parade himself around as a "family values" Rethug, also has yet to truthfully answer a New Orleans prostitute's charge that he frequented her establishment several times, and liked to wear a diaper on his visits.

Maybe Diaper Dave should consider earmarking funds for psychological counseling of self-righteous right wingers who don't walk the talk, but who insist that others do.

(photo: Vitter going out for a night on the town)

Quote of the Day


Via Talking Points Memo, here's a howler: an anonymous White House official calls Senator Obama intellectually "lazy." You mean lazy like Preznit "My Pet Goat" Dumbya? Member of the Book of the Decade club? The "Is our children learning" Dumbya?

Pot, meet Kettle.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Bushit: "Go Play In The Street, Kid"


Preznit Dumbya has announced that he plans to veto the extension of the child health insurance bill, which has received broad bi-partisan support in Congress. The bill would add another 4 million low income children to the 6.6 million children already participating over a five year period. Apparently the killer (literally for some children) for Chimpy is that the insurance for the additional children would be paid for from additional cigarette taxes, and we know how much he loves the Tobacco lobby's money, and most low income people aren't Rethuglican anyway.

If Dumbya doesn't sign the bill, 15 states will run out of money by the end of the month. And there is no way around the fact that some poor children will die as a result.

Nowhere Bridge


The infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska has finally died. The $392 million pet pork project of Alaska Sen. Ted "Internet Tubes" Stevens, the bridge was widely ridiculed as a prime example of unnecessary pork projects that balloon the Federal budget. Stevens is under Federal investigation for allowing companies with business before the Senate to remodel his Alaska residence.

If he loses his Senate seat, he can always find work as an Internet consultant.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Blackwater Returns

Not surprisingly, the Blackwater security force has resumed guarding convoys of officials in Iraq. The Blackwater company has strong ties to the Rethuglican Party, and its founder, Erik Prince, is a major contributor. The Iraqi government says that Blackwater mercenaries killed as many as 20 civilians on Sunday when they opened fire after what they claimed was an attack. Eyewitnesses say that the Blackwater mercenaries shot first and killed random bystanders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Maliki government wants the Blackwater people out of the country; the Bushies won't let that happen, despite the availability of other protective forces. So much for Iraqi sovereignty.

UPDATE: It appears that some employees of Blackwater are being investigated by the Feds for illegally smuggling arms into Iraq and selling them. Nice bunch.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Ooooh, That Smarts!


Fred (Huckleberry) Thompson won't be getting the key endorsement of wingnut evangelist James Dobson for his presidential bid. Dobson, in a note to his friends, said the reasons were Thompson's failure to support a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages, his support of McCain-Feingold campaign financing reform, and the fact that Thompson "can't speak his way out of a paper bag." Dobson, the head of "Focus on the Family", is a leading American Taliban-gelist.

Praise the Lord, and pass the Pepto Bismol, Huckleberry!

(photo: Dobson, the closet sinner)

The Case of the Autographed Jockstrap, Cont'd.


Bail was set yesterday for O.J. Simpson at $125,000. He's charged with multiple felony counts, including kidnapping and armed robbery, which could lead to a sentence of life in prison. This would clearly hamper Simpson's promise to look for the "real killer" on golf courses everywhere.

The judge also ordered Simpson to surrender his passport, the keys to the white Ford Bronco, and the knife that he used to kill Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

No More Photo Ops In Baghdad Markets

The Associated Press reports that all land travel throughout Iraq by U.S. diplomats and officials, except for the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, has been suspended by the State Department. This follows the decision earlier this week by the Maliki Government to cancel the license of the Blackwater security force. With thousands of mercenaries already in Iraq, finding contractor security support shouldn't require those measures, so the suspicion is that the Bushies are pushing back against the license cancellation. After all, the head of the Blackwater company is a wealthy Rethug contributor, with connections to the Michigan GOP.

UPDATE: Maliki is asking the obvious question: Why don't you just hire another security company in place of Blackwater? Let's see what the Bushies say.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A Wingnut Financier's Woes


Wingnut billionaire Richard Mellon Scaife and his estranged wife Margaret are going through a messy divorce. Scaife, who finananced many of the "investigations" against the Clintons, including the notorious "Arkansas Project," owns several newspapers, including the right wing Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and American Spectator magazine. Now he has to shell out $725,000 per month to his wife during the divorce proceedings. Hopefully, a generous divorce settlement in her favor will put a damper on Scaife's nasty "investigations" in the future.

Quote of the Day


Presidunce Dumbya at a pep rally on the White House south lawn for, among others, Gold Star mothers who have lost a son or daughter in Iraq:

"Every day is Mothers Day as far as you're concerned, isn't it?"

Yes, Dumbya, every day's a celebration for mothers who've sacrificed a child in your war of choice.

(h/t, Daily Kos)

Monday, September 17, 2007

Iraq Pulls Plug, Drains Blackwater

Blackwater, the private security company doing a lot of business in Iraq, is having its license to operate in Iraq revoked by the Maliki government, after a bloody incident in Baghdad on Sunday in which 8 civilians were killed. Blackwater provides guards - - some would say mercenaries - - to protect convoys, motorcades and to provide other security, and the guards are known for their trigger-happy reputation. They've been responsible for killing many innocent Iraqis, who simply found themselves too close to a Blackwater-guarded motorcade.

Hand Over That Autographed Jockstrap


Las Vegas police arrested O.J. Simpson on multiple felonies connected with the recent robbery of sports memorabilia in Las Vegas. The potential jail sentences for the felonies could add up to more than 70 years in jail for Simpson. A Las Vegas judge ordered Simpson to be held without bail, after noticing a white Ford Bronco with its engine running outside in the parking lot.

The Emmy For Partisan BS Goes to The Fux Channel

On last night's Emmy Awards, Rethuglican media outlet Fux managed to bleep Sally Field's anti-war remark, despite no violation of FCC rules. In dedicating her Emmy to the mothers of soldiers in Iraq, Field said, "if mothers ruled the world, there would be no. . " The censored phrase was "god-damned wars in the first place." A 2004 ruling by the FCC states that "god-damned" is not profane for purposes of censoring a broadcast.

Fux's little band of propagandists didn't want anything critical of their Leader's war to creep into the broadcast.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Why Do The Troops Hate The Troops?

Interesting data from the Center for American Progress. Since the end of the Vietnam War, members of the military have, by a large margin, contributed to and voted for Rethuglican candidates for office. Interestingly, the Iraq War is changing that. Some 40% of military contributions have gone to Democratic candidates, including the candidates for President. This is up from 23% in 2002. And while the majority of military contribute to Rethugs, it's interesting that the Rethug candidate drawing the most support is anti-war candidate Ron Paul.

Why Do The Neocons Hate The Troops?


Glenn Greenwald has a great takedown of the neoconservative cowards who push for expanded war in Iraq and a new war in Iran, without having to put their lives at risk by serving in the military. Fred Kagan, and the Kagan Klan, Wee Willie Kristol, and others are now fighting against a proposal by Sen. Jim Webb, a Marine veteran and father of a soldier serving in Iraq, to allow sufficient "dwell time" for soldiers returning from Iraq to be with their families before being redeployed. What's Fred Kagan's solution to giving the troops more down time at home? "Win the war we're fighting." Of course the "we" doesn't include this brave chickenhawk and his neocon associates, who have always viewed wars from afar, fought by others' spouses and children.

The Finger Pointing Begins, Cont'd.

In Alan Greenspan's new memoir, he blasts Presidunce Bush for not controlling defecits and spending, and for generally mishandling the Federal budget. The former head of the Federal Reserve's harshest criticism of Dumbya is that he was driven overwhelmingly by ideology, was incurious about effects of economic policy, and led an administration that was incapable of executing economic policy. Ironically, Greenspan, a self-descibed "libertarian Republican", has his highest praise for President Clinton, who absorbed economic data and was disciplined about economic growth.

Friday, September 14, 2007

Kicking The Can Down The Road


There was nothing new in Dumbya's speech last night defending the surge, asking for more time, and "accepting" the recommendations from Petraeus that Bush himself had pre-ordained. The troops coming home are ending their 15-month extended rotations, so there was no surprise in that. It's been clear for many months that this is all about handing off the mess he created to his successor. As the NY Times editorial today said, Bush "has no strategy to end his disastrous war and no strategy for containing the chaos he unleashed." Using false information and arguments to launch the war on Iraq, he now uses false arguments to ensure that it continues after his term mercifully ends.

In the past, Dumbya has always had his father and his father's friends to bail him out in business, so that he could avoid responsibility and accountability for his actions and decisions. This time, he wants the next President to make the tough decisions on Iraq that he won't make, and shamefully wants American soldiers to pay his debts.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Huckleberry Fred-- Has He Peaked? Already?


Seems like Fred "Huckleberry/Foghorn" Thompson has his work cut out for him with the very conservatives he thinks he's leading. Too bad he's such a work-avoider. Check out the columns (no link) in today's WaPo by George Will and Robert Novak (now I have to disinfect my keyboard). Will likens Thompson to New Coke, the highly hyped new taste that was an Edsel-like flop. Novak thinks Foghorn is not being handled well by his minions (including his wife/campaign manager Juggs, er, Jeri). It's all marketing and image, isn't it boys?!

This is coming days after a "Phony Fred" website, put up by a Willard "Flip" Romney supporter, labeled Huckleberry a "skirt chaser," Washington insider lobbyist, and church-avoider, among other friendly nomenclature. We're guessing Huckleberry has just peaked in the polls.

Image: Foghorn Fred not realizing his head's about to be chopped off.

Prime Time Preznit


Preznit Dumbya will be spending the day practicin' his address to the nation on the "Petraeus" report on Iraq tonight. We won't be watching, because we know what he's going to say, and have known for at least 6 months. His speech is not aimed at us or the 65% of Americans that think he's bungled things in the "GWOT." It's aimed at shoring up his mouth-breathing base, the willfully ignorant or purposefully cynical 30% that continue to support Dumbya's war policy. The concern is that enough support has eroded that there may be a critical mass forming on Capitol Hill, with Democrats and a small but hopefully growing number of Rethugs willing to split with Dumbya to save their political hides, to effect some incremental change in the Assministration's war policy. Dumbya's task is to continue to draw false connections between the 9/11 terrorists and what's going on in Iraq today, while downplaying the civil war and lack of political progress. He'll also talk about "successes" in Anbar province (just a minute...oh, what... the main sheik supporting the U.S. in Anbar was just assassinated? move along, nothing to see here). Oh yes, and he'll bring the troops home... uh, maybe 30,000 by July 2008 (bringing the overall strength to what it was before the "surge").

There, that's the speech in 60 seconds. Now you don't have to watch it either.

Not Fallon For The Surge

In an interesting sidebar to the Gen. Petraeus show this week, Think Progress notes that Admiral William Fallon, supreme commander of our forces in the Middle East - - and Petraeus' boss - - has been notably absent from the Presidunce's roll-out of his "the surge is awesome" show. Even more interesting is Admiral Fallon's view of Petraeus, whom he referred to as an "ass-kissing little chickenshit." There's apparently a dustup continuing in the Pentagon between Petraeus and senior military officers, most prominently Adm. Fallon, due to their opposite philosophies over the war and military readiness. Pentagon brass are referring to the conflict internally as "Armageddon."

Senator Jim Webb will be calling on the Senate Armed Services Committee to hear from Admiral Fallon on his "views." Keep the kids away from the TV. Heh heh.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

"Mr. 9/11's" Numbers Slipping


Recent polls are showing considerable shrinkage in Rudy (Rhymes With Doody) Giuliani's support nationwide and in critical primary states. It hasn't helped that "real conservative" Fred "Cornpone/ Leghorn/ Huckleberry" Thompson's in the race officially now. But the real surprise is Walnuts McCain's support shoring up around 18 percent, which is where Rudy had been peeling off support up until now. Also worthy of note: Willard "Muff/Mutt/Mousse/Flip" Romney is barely cracking double digits (10%), and is being beaten in one poll by "Don't Know."

Maybe folks are starting to read more about Rudy's less-than-heroic pre- and post-9/11 actions, his "liberal" positions on "values" issues, his troubled domestic life, or his odd personnel choices?

Eye on Couric


"America's Sweetheart," Katie Couric, recently filed a series of "reports" from Iraq that amounted to a regurgitation of Bush Assministration propaganda on the surge, sectarian violence, etc. MoveOn.org posted a video exposing Couric's lazy, obsequious and frankly stupid stylings and lo! when it was pointed out to the folks at CBS, they didn't like it. Couric, who will never be a journalist, should stay away from complex and profound topics like Iraq. She has enough trouble producing (i.e., overseeing someone else writing) her banal 60-second "Journal" on CBS Radio; that's about the limit of her capacity for detailed "reporting" and "analysis." (h/t to FDL)

Photo of Katie Couric - right back at ya, Katie!

Two Heroes Die


On August 19, several American soldiers had an op-ed article printed in the New York Times. Two of those soldiers were reported killed on Monday in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad: Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance Gray. The article, "The War as We See It", cast doubt on the surge and whether we could prevail in a country whose population was united against our presence. Rest in peace. And thank you.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The Crocker Is Half Empty

In his testimony, Ambassador Ryan Crocker is doing his best to put a positive face on the political and sectarian mess that represents Iraq and specifically, Baghdad. That's his job. But it's deceptive not to note that the neighborhoods of Baghdad have been "cleansed" according to religious sect. Where once Sunni and Shia lived in mixed communities, they have moved to homogenous neighborhoods. Many have simply fled Iraq altogether, resulting in the migration of over 1.1 million civilians. Added to their misery is the failure of their government to provide basic services - - from electricity, to trash removal, to health services. This NY Times article sums up the disparity between reality and Crocker's testimony crock.

Clue: He's Alive and He's Not In Iraq

Six years after the horrific attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, bin Laden remains free, much to the shame of the incompetent Bush Assmininstration and much to the regret of every American. After the initial tough talk ("wanted dead or alive"), the Assministration has since attempted to cover for their failure to capture or kill bin Laden and his high command by minimizing his importance. White House homeland security advisor Fran Townsend went so far the other day to call bin Laden "impotent" in his ability to direct terror attacks. In the real world, counter terrorist experts maintain that al Qaeda is at it's stongest point since 9/11. They operate from a safe haven in the Pakistani/Afghan frontier and are drawing new recuits worldwide to their jihad, thanks to Dumbya's continued blundering in Iraq. So far it's bin Laden 1, Dumbya 0.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Another Poll That Dumbya Will Ignore


In a poll of Iraqis released today, some 70 percent say the surge has worsened security, 78 percent say things are going badly for Iraq overall, and 79 percent oppose the presence of U.S. and coalition forces in their country. The poll was conducted by ABC/BBC/NHK.

The Great Economic Divide


The debate that goes on every day in the upper echelons of the Rebunglecan Party, the Bush Assministration, and corporate boardrooms (not to mention on Neil Cavuto's show).

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Quote of the Week


"...as [Australian PM] John Howard noted when he visited Iraq to thank the Austrian troops there..."

-- Presidunce Dumbya at the APEC summit in Sydney, Australia, getting his countries and continents mixed up. In the same speech, he referred to the summit as the "OPEC" summit.

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Reminding Us


In a few days, the sixth anniversary of 9/11 will arrive. While most attention will be focused on Bush's "Petraeus" report, which will call for a continuation of the surge, the Assministration will certainly play up the 9/11 attack and link it to the insurgents in Iraq. For months now, the Assministration has tried to change the terminology, referring to the Shiite militias and Sunni Baathist insurgents as "al Qaeda," recognizing that America will support that fight, but not as policemen in a civil war.

Contrasting with the Presidunce's story line, bin Laden has shown up on a video, reminding everyone that he's still at large after all these years. It's a reminder that he's not in Iraq, and that neither he nor the terrorists that hijacked the planes on 9/11 are Iraqis. It's a reminder that we took critical resources away from the hunt for him in 2003 to launch a war based on false premises, arrogance and Dumbya's personal grudge against Saddam Hussein.

So al Qaeda continues to gather strength, to build support in the Muslim world, and to plan the next attacks.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Rethug Values, Cont'd.

A major Utah fundraiser for Flip/Mutt/Mousse Romney who is connected with "behavior modification" schools has been dropped from Flip's campaign, following civil suits against the schools alleging child abuse and sexual battery. Robert Lichfield, a founder of Worldwide Association of Specialty Schools, has contributed hundreds of thousands to Flip's campaign, and is a major Rethug donor.

"Specialty Schools?" We don't want to know what these creeps specialize in.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Report: Reduce U.S. Footprint in Iraq

A 20-member commission composed of former senior military and police officers is recommending the U.S. significantly reduce the number of U.S. troops by early next year, and let Iraqi forces take over more daily combat missions -- essentially what leading Democrats have been saying. Even though we've poured $19.2 billion on developing Iraq's military and police forces, the commission reports that those forces would be unable to take control of their country in the next 18 months. Worse, they describe the police force as fragile, ill-equipped, and infiltrated by militia forces, and recommended scrapping the national police force and starting over. Quite a bargain, that $19.2 billion investment!

What one hopes is that this, along with the recent GAO report, will be another basis for a consensus in Congress for drawing down troops sooner rather than later. It's long past time to stop being enablers of Iraqi factionalism and dithering.

Thompson Announces (Yawn)


In one of the most anticlimactic announcements ever in American politics, Fred "Huckleberry" Thompson announced last night on the Tonight Show that (drum roll, please) he's running for President! Of course he's been all over the country in the past 8 months "testing the waters" and putting on his best "good ol' boy" act. Huckleberry missed participating in last night's Rethuglican presidential debate in New Hampshire, which is an early indicator that he'd rather duck than debate. He was known during his one term in the Senate for avoiding work if at all possible, so it's no surprise that this actor and former lobbyist wants to coast during the primaries.

Once the hard campaigning begins, Huckleberry won't be able to rely on the stale platitudes and folksy bromides that characterize his TV ads and speeches. He's got a lot of rust on him, and, judging from his history, he's not inclined to remove it.

(illustration by Darrow, NY Magazine)

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

A Little Chinglish


Shakesville has this charming little piece... of Chinglish, that is. We wonder how "hackwhackers" would translate into Chinese, then back into Chinglish ("butchering the buttocks living on the right side of the path?").

Pictured: "Sen. 'Wide Stance' Larry Craig's bathroom exploits" in Chinglish.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving


He's baaaaack! Sen. Lewd Larry Craig (R-Men's Room) is indicating through his spokesmen that he is reconsidering his intent to resign from the Senate on September 30. Those thuds you just heard are the collective jaws of Rethuglicans hitting the floor. Just when they thought they'd flushed. . . um, washed their. . .um, tap danced. . . oh, hell. Just when they thought Lewd Larry was history.

Here's hoping that Lewd Larry keeps himself in the political spotlight for months to come. It will remind Americans of the rank hypocrisy of "family values" Rethugs who vote one way and live another, and (as Craig once said of President Clinton) of what a "nasty, bad, naughty boy" Lewd Larry is.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Let The Finger Pointing Begin


As has been widely reported, the new book "Dead Certain" by Robert Draper has a number of mindboggling anecdotes about the Decider's mismanagement style and overall cluelessness. One instance that stands out was Dumbya's recollection to Draper of the decision to disband the Iraqi Army, now generally regarded as a catastrophic blunder which resulted in a general armed uprising. Dumbya suggested that it was his policy to keep the Iraqi Army intact, and that the policy wasn't followed by Paul Bremer, chief civilian administrator in Iraq following the invasion.

This little bit of rewriting history was apparently too much for Bremer, who released letters from May 2003 to the White House raising the issue of disbanding the Iraqi Army, letters that went unanswered. According to the New York Times, Bremer was "smoldering" over what he perceived as fixing the blame on him for the debacle. The Decider accepting blame?

Welcome to BushWorld, Mr. Bremer.

Surge Regurge

Obsidian Wings' Hilzoy has a thorough look at the pro-surge arguments anticipated in the "Petraeus" report, and how they all have logical or factual flaws in one way or another. Good reading. Not that the mainstream media will pick up on the flaws in the argument and report them. Since Petraeus is expected to deliver "his" report (via the White House) to Congress on September 11, the media will be likely making a bogus connection between the al Qaeda attack on us 6 years ago, and the sectarian war in Iraq which we find ourselves in the middle of.

Meanwhile, al Qaeda regains strength in the mountain frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and prepares for the next strike.

Rethug Sex Blotter - Part 63,456


TPM Muckraker has another Rethug (im)morality tale, this one concerning one Coy "Parts" Privette (Rethug-Ho-ville), a 74-year-old former North Carolina state legislator and current Cabarrus County Commissioner, who pleaded guilty to 6 counts of soliciting a prostitute (no diaper-wearing that we know of yet). Privette was also until recently the President of the Christian Action League - hey, "Parts," we know what you mean by "action!"
Photo: "Parts" Privette glowing after getting some Christian "action."

Monday, September 3, 2007

The Authoritarians

Glenn Greenwald's column today rebuts right wing economist Thomas Sowell's hypocritical statements regarding Lewis Libby's trial. Buried about half way down the post is a great quote from Psychology Professor Bob Altemeyer's book "The Authoritarians," which perfectly captures the essence of the right-wing authoritarian (emphasis added):

"Research reveals that authoritarian followers drive through life under the influence of impaired thinking. . .exhibiting sloppy reasoning, highly compartmentalized beliefs, double standards, hypocrisy, self-blindness. . .and a ferocious dogmatism that makes it unlikely anyone could ever change their minds with evidence or logic."

Are you thinking Family Values Rethuglicans/Larry Craig & Mark Foley, chickenhawk support of a war they don't want to fight in, the 28% supporting Bushit no matter what the damage done to America, etc.? Us too.

Dumbya's Big Adventure


The Presidunce made a surprise visit to Iraq to meet with U.S. military commanders and Iraqi officials. Or, as some cynics might point out, to make sure everyone will be singing the same song for the surge "report", and to stage some photo ops with the troops he endangers every day with his failed policies.

Welcome to Iraq, Dumbya. Why not stay there until you get it right?

Sunday, September 2, 2007

If Only...


...we had advertisers like this. (We haven't seen this many asses since the last Rethug "debate!")

Who The Rethugs Are Counting On


Thanks to Brian for tipping us to this sampling of the numbnut segment of the population, the majority of whom can generally be counted on as loyal, if not terribly bright, Rethug voters.

Pictured: Cletus Spuckler, Rethug county chairman, Skunksac County, Mississippi.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

YIKES!! (Or, I Guess There's No "D" in "Michigan")


34-32. Appalachian State. First I-AA team to beat a ranked I-A team in NCAA football history. In NCAA history! Jesus H. Christ, what's wrong at Michigan? Where do we sign the "Lloyd Carr must go" petition? Appalachian State. What the hell are they going to do when they play... Indiana, for God's sake? Excuse this Hackwhacker while he goes to the vomitorium.

UPDATE: On the other hand, Wisconsin beat Washington State 42 - 21. Yabba dabba doo!
UP-UPDATE: And Notre Dame got its golden ass flayed by Ga. Tech. Ring dang doo!