Weekend Song - Bush's Only Way Out

No, not "J.E.B.!" Bush.   British rock band Bush, whose lead singer (and Gwen Stefani's ex) Gavin Rossdale turns 50 (!) today.  This is the most recent song of his to chart (in 2014), "The Only Way Out."  ("J.E.B.!" may be looking for a way out soon, too.)

Dumbya's Great Adventure

With the mounting conflict threatening to break into all out war between Russia and Georgia, it's good to know that Dumbya is enjoying "mixing" with the women's beach volleyball team in Beijing. Not that his involvement would be welcomed by the international community. They'd prefer that he stay where he is.

(photo: Bush: "Oh, OK Vladimir. I understand now. I thought you invaded our Georgia. I gotta go meet our women's volleyball team")

Quote of the Day

"I am reminded of the great talents of the, of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House" - - Preznit Bushit, addressing Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, referring to the White House chef.

He makes you proud, doesn't he? All that practice in dealing with the help at the country clubs paid off. (By the way, the Chimpster's approval rating is now at 23%).

Love The Smirk

Photo of Preznit Katrina Bush returning from his whirlwind 3-hour tour of flooded areas in Iowa. Nice to see the trip made the right impression on him. Heckuva job.

(photo: y. gripas/getty images)

Hands-On Diplomacy

Preznit Dumbya likes the personal touch in his "diplomacing." Chancellor Merkel of Germany has got to be thinking "why won't this jackass keep his hands off of me? Sarkozy would love a little shoulder massage."

Better Keep An Eye On Them

Via Think Progress, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that, according to a senior Israeli official, Preznit Dumbya and his boss, Dead-eye Dick Cheney, believe that military action against Iran is needed, and an attack on Iran would come during the remainder of their sorry Assministration. That's just great. These jackasses want to open a third front, with major unfinished business in Afghanistan and Iraq (not to mention Pakistan). Al Qaeda would be thrilled to see us attack another Islamic country (albeit Shia) - - better for recruiting, while allowing them to rebuild unmolested. Defense Secretary Gates and Secretary Rice are allegedly urging restraint. The Joint Chiefs and our senior military officers would likely go ballistic if ordered to attack Iran, with the armed forces stretched beyond the breaking point as it is.

According to the latest National Intelligence Estimate, Iran has shut down its nuclear weapons program. Moreover, Iran's influence in the region grew after Chimpy's ill-advised invasion of Iraq. Imagine what this war would be like, with a country more than twice Iraq's population and more than three times its size.

It's bad enough that Chimpy wants to dump a problem of his making off on the next President. It's criminal that he will leave an even more dangerous situation for America if a war with Iran is begun on his watch.

A Meeting With Terrorist Appeasers

Well, look who's arrived in Saudi Arabia to meet with some folks with terrorist links.

And expect a smackdown from the Saudis when the Decider begs for increased oil production to bring prices down.

Divorced From Reality

By now, the vast majority of Americans have written Dumbya off as either a dunce, or delusional, especially when it comes to his failed efforts to defeat al Qaeda. In Tuesday's press conference, the Presidunce's scripted message on the economy was interrupted by a question on the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. Dumbya insisted that we were winning the conflict in Afghanistan, despite the recent assassination attempt on Afghan leader Hamid Karzai and stepped up attacks.

If the Presidunce only knew what his own State Department was going to say the day after his statement: their annual country report on the situation in Afghanistan saying that al Qaeda was getting stronger, had gained back some of its pre-9/11 operational effectiveness, and had greater mobility in the Afghanistan/Pakistan region.

Dance, Chimpy! Faster, Faster!

In two days of meetings in New Orleans with his Canadian and Mexican counterparts, the Presidunce, to no one's surprise, voiced his belief that NAFTA shouldn't be amended or cancelled. In fact, he dismissed criticism of NAFTA as a political "throw away line" despite the widespread anger among working Americans over the trade deal.

However, the highlight of his New Orleans visit was his impromptu dance at the Chamber of Commerce. Never let it be said that Chimpy doesn't know how to have a good time, even if dancing in the city that he let drown might be a little, um, inappropriate.

He's been dancing quite a bit lately (waiting for McBush to arrive at the White House, etc). Getting ready for a post-Presidential gig on "Dancing With The Stars" are we, Chimpy?*

*UPDATE: Or maybe this Stepford Wife has the answer.

Mr. 28 Percent

Gallup's latest poll puts Preznit Chimpy at 28% approval, the lowest of his sorry Assministration. He's managed a 60 point drop since his high point after 9-11.

For the Preznit and his boss, Dead-Eye Dick Cheney, public opinion is of no concern. We remember Dead-Eye's response recently in an ABC News interview when asked about the public's disapproval of the war: "So?"

The "Official" McBush Logo Is Here !

Here's the McBush logo, courtesy of fubar at Needlenose.com (via Crooks and Liars).

Feel The Love

Sen. Walnuts! McCain, the presumptive Rethuglican Presidential nominee, received Dumbya's endorsement at the White House this morning. Doctors have not yet developed a vaccine for the endorsement, and Walnuts! is not showing symptoms of the communicable disease yet.

As we've noted before, McCain's election would represent a virtual third term for Preznit Twenty Percent. Try running on that platform.

(photo: Walnuts! and Dumbya at an earlier love-in)

Well, that's a funny slip up. Hold on a minute. . .where's Cheney? Anybody seen Cheney?

(credit due to Wonkette)

Dumbya Disses Poppy

At last week's CPAC conference, Dumbya said,

"I appreciate the fact you invited Vice President Cheney here. He is the best vice president in history. Mother may have a different opinion. But don't tell her I said this, but my opinion is the one that counts." (emphasis added; grammar and syntax pure Dumbya)

The Decider's back-handed reference to his father's two terms as Ronnie Raygun's vice president is more evidence, even in this joking context, that he sees his father's "legacy" as one to apologize for and run away from. Hence, finishing the job Poppy left undone (Saddam Hussein), isolating America in the world (counter to his father's relative internationalism), and his stubborn, small-bore ignorance (unlike his father's rather cosmopolitan history and worldview). Here's one case where the nut fell far from the tree.

(Photo: Dumbya with Poppy on the family blockade runner the S.S. Minnow.)

Spreadin' Freedom, Dumbya-Style

"If I give you a little squeeze, will you sell us yer oil fer $50 a barrel, King?"

Unfortunately, Dumbya's charm doesn't seem to have turned their opinion of him around. From an article in today's WaPo:

"One reason for greater Saudi independence. . .is that the Saudis have begun to doubt American competence and are looking to forge their own relations with rising powers such as China and regional rivals including Iran. . . while publicly polite, the Saudi king and other leading figures also see the incumbent U.S. president as a disappointment. . .former officials and others close to the royal family say Saudi royals believe Bush has handled issues such as Iran, Iraq and Middle East peace ineptly." [Emphasis added]

Quotes of the Week

"President Bush is encouraging scientific advancement within ethical boundaries" -- the White House statement on the breakthrough in stem cell research, attempting to give the Preznit some undue credit.

"My feeling is that the political controversy set the field back four to five years" -- Dr. James Thomson, the University of Wisconsin researcher responsible for the breakthrough, adding in reference to Bush's research funding cuts that they are "very bad public policy as far as I'm concerned."

No Surprise: Dumbya Involved In Plame Case

Media blogs are reporting on the upcoming book by former White House Press Suckertary Scott "I Had My Fingers Crossed" McClellan, in which McClellan states that Dumbya was involved in passing along false information after the leak of CIA official Valerie Plame's identity. McClellan said that he was misinformed by Rove, Libby, White House Chief of Staff Card, Dead Eye Dick, and the Decider himself, and passed on the false story that neither Rove nor Libby were involved in leaking Plame's identity. "I stood at the White House briefing room podium. . .and publically exonerated two of the senior-most aides in the White House. . .", McClellan writes. "There was one problem. It was not true."

That lie was a fairly simple one for the Bushies to concoct. After all, they've had so much practice in seven years.

Chimpy's War on the Poor

News item: Chimpy is proposing to cut money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists low income and elderly Americans with home heating costs. This, when home heating oil costs are expected to reach record highs this winter, due in large part, of course, to Chimpy's misbegotten Iraq adventure.

(illustration from Jesus' General)

Those Compassionate Conservatives

Paul Krugman has a great op-ed article in the New York Times, in which he dismantles right-wingers for their disdain for the working poor, the sick, and children. Not that this is new: Ronald "Raygun" spoke on TV in 1964, saying that the estimated 17 million Americans who went to bed hungry "were all on a diet." Right winger Wee Willie Kristol recently thought it was clever to joke about the veto of the children's health insurance bill by saying, "whenever I hear anything described as a heartless assault on our children, I tend to think it's a good idea." Interestingly, it was noted in Krugman's article that a study of Dumbya's famous verbal slips shows that they occured when he was trying to sound concerned or compassionate; he was strongest grammatically when he talked about punishing people.

Priorities

(graphic from Jesus' General)