Bush Flip Flops once again

When will it stop!! Will this President ever take a stand a stick with it. The flip flopping is now coming so fast that it has only taken him one day to flip on the war on terror and then flop right back. Bush Flipped yesterday saying that "I don't think you can win it [the war on terror]". This after months of claiming that we will win no matter what. Now today he flops back and says "we will win." I can't wait for Kerry to be elected so that we can have a President that is not constantly flip flopping on the important issues of the day.

Bush economy

This is my 200th blog since I started here a few months ago. I would first like to thank all those who read and comment here. I think we have a good debate (sometimes) and bring some issues to the forefront that would be missed.

Today is my last day at work. I am back to being unemployed. I am going to sub at the local schools here in Tulsa, volunteer for Doug Dodd and try to find another job. This will keep me away from the computer so the blogging will slow down unless Tim keeps it up for me. Meanwhile, keep up the good fight and telling the truth!!!

VA-2 Congressman Resigns

I say the same thing here that I did about McGreevey. Fuck the people who made him live in the closet. It is always a sad day when someone resigns because they have to admit that they are gay and have been living a lie. I would also like to condemn my fellow democratic bloggers who are celebrating today because this story was broken by a blog and that we have taken a repub down. It is a sad day and will just continue the politics of personal destruction that we have to get away from so we can heal this great country.

Bush Declares Defeat in War on Terror

The alleged man of strength George Bush has admitted defeat in the war on terror. A mere 3 years in and 2 months before the election Bush has gone from win at all cost to saying that we can't win.

"I don't think you can win it," the president said, when asked if the war on terrorism can be won.

What happened to the "we will smoke'em out" and kill all the terrorists guy go? Is he flip-flopping once again? Sure looks like it.

Update: Thanks to Talkingpointsmemo.com for this update. One more example of a Bush flip-flop...
Then..."We have a clear vision on how to win the war on terror and bring peace to the world."
-- George W. BushJuly 30th 2004.

and now..."I don’t think you can win [the war on terror]. But I think you can create conditions so that the — those who use terror as a tool are — less acceptable in parts of the world.”
-- George W. BushAug. 29th, 2004.

Bush Flip-Flops on 527's

Surprised?

M's Suck but Ichiro Rocks

I am a diehard Mariners fan but they are terrible this year. Got old really fast. Oh well...Safeco is still one of the best places in the country to watch a ballgame. The one bright spot for the M's this year is the Ichiro has now had over 200 hits again. He is the only player ever to reach this mark every year in his first 4 years.

Dick Cheney: Hypocritical bastard?

pretty much...

By Michelle Cottel
for
The New Republic

I must admit that, for a split second, Dick Cheney had me. Reading his recent campaign remarks about gay marriage--that couples should be allowed to enter into "any kind of relationship they want to," that the legal issues should be left up to the states, and that, basically, he stands on the side of "freedom for everyone"--I actually began to wonder if maybe the Vice President wasn't such a dark-hearted, autocratic jerk after all.

Certainly Cheney had to realize that his comments would cause a rumpus, since they directly contradict Bush's position that gay marriage is such a menace to the nation that nothing short of a constitutional ban is called for. (Just think of the Federal Marriage Amendment as W.'s going nuc-u-lar in the War on Sodomy.) And with the presidential race getting tighter and nastier by the second, Cheney's deviation from the campaign party line on any issue--not to mention one so near and dear to the homophobic heart of the Republican base--was sure to start tongues a' wagging. (The conservative Family Research Council has already expressed grave disappointment at Cheney's being "allowed to depart from" Bush's more righteous position. Please. Who in this administration is going to tell Darth Cheney what he is "allowed" to do?)

More shocking still, in explaining his position, Cheney went all Oprah on his audience, noting that same-sex marriage is an issue his family "is very familiar with" because he and Lynne have a gay daughter. Now, such public confession might not seem like a big deal to you or me. But back in 2000, when ABC's Cokie Roberts made some on-air remark to Lynne about daughter Mary being "openly gay," Mrs. Cheney freaked out and nearly took Cokie's head off with the fierce--and utterly false--avowal that "Mary has never declared such a thing." God only knows what kind of domestic wrath Dick might incur by destroying his wife's carefully maintained shroud of denial.

In light of all this, the Vice President's flash of dissent could, if viewed from a certain angle, be seen as compassionate, courageous--perhaps even noble. But I reject that angle. Say what you will about Dick's paternal urges; this rare deviation from the conservative straight and narrow simply highlights how, in Cheney's view, politics and policy exist largely to serve him and those close to him.

No one doubts that the Vice President's apostasy on this issue is entirely personal. If Mary weren't a lesbian, Cheney would at this very minute be somewhere deep in the red states, warning voters in that scowling, brook-no-arguments way of his that gay marriage is exactly the sort of fuzzy-headed liberal nonsense that gives aid and comfort to Al Qaeda. (Lynne would be right there beside him, blaming the whole mess on those perverted, Mapplethorpe-loving bastards over at the National Endowment for the Arts.) But because one of his kids happens to bat for the other team, suddenly Dick's a free-to-be-you-and-me, "freedom for everyone" kind of guy.

Now, I'm sure we are all very happy for Mary Cheney. But what about the members of all those other groups that Republicans so often dump on--like poor folks, or black folks, or single moms, or union members--who don't happen to have a representative in the Vice President's nuclear family? Where was Cheney's keep-government-out-of-our-personal-lives attitude when he was casting all those votes against abortion rights in Congress? Where was his concern for civil rights when he voted against busing and the Equal Rights Amendment? Where was his willingness to keep church and state separate when he was backing school prayer? And where, oh where was his respect for the sanctity of the Constitution when, just last month, Mr. Freedom-for-Everyone was running around bashing John Kerry for having voted against a flag-burning amendment?

As near as I can figure, Cheney's approach to public policy seems to be that he believes in a basic set of rules that everyone should live by--except in those cases where doing so would prove inconvenient for him or his family. Gay marriage isn't the only area in which he's invoked this personal exemption. There was also Cheney's behavior toward Iraq during his tenure as Chairman and CEO of Halliburton. Despite being a hardliner about America's not doing business with Saddam, Chief Executive Cheney conveniently looked the other way while his firm's foreign subsidiaries made millions selling oil-drilling equipment to Baghdad.

I understand that all politics are personal. But are we really supposed to applaud a man who strays from his pinched ideological worldview only when it serves to benefit himself or someone in his circle of intimates? That's not compassionate conservativism; that's political cronyism (or, in Mary's case, nepotism).

Of course, if having personal ties to an issue is what it takes to get the Vice President in touch with his softer side, we should probably all be rooting for Cheney to discover that, in addition to having a gay daughter, he also has a couple of black grandkids, an illegal immigrant cousin, an aunt with a drug habit, a transsexual brother, a sister who just got laid off from a textile mill in North Carolina, and a long-lost son who's been getting his butt shot at in Najaf.

With enough rabble-rousers, poor folk, and minorities in the family, the Vice President might actually be forced to become a tolerant, compassionate kind of guy. Barring that, we can only hope that enough swing-voters see through Dick's freedom-for-everyone b.s. to send the dark-hearted, autocratic jerk back to Wyoming come November.

Michelle Cottle is a senior editor at TNR.

My fellow U of I alums get to the big question..

here

Why does Bush hate free speech?

Bush and other ultra right wingers, like Yani, are now trying to get legislation that would attempt to eliminate the right of free speech for everyone but political candidates. Why does a political candidate have a greater right to access to the PUBLIC airwaves than I do or Moveon.org does? Yes people like Swift Boat Veterans for Lies use the airwaves to spread lies and spew hate but no one said that democracy and freedom was easy and clean. Maybe, instead of trying to destroy the 1st Amendment the Repubs should just denounce the ads that they know are false or do not support. John Kerry did that with the latest Moveon.org ad that attacked Bush's being AWOL from the Guard. Maybe the Admin needs to take a cue on leadership from Kerry instead of trying to limit our freedoms.

Have they seen it?

Since Yani and the other neo-cons that like to post on this blog are so keen to attack F 9/11 etc I would like to ask one question.... Have you seen the movie? From every conversation I have had with Yani and the comments he has made on this blog it is clear that he has not and is instead attempting to talk about something he is totally ignorant of. Therefore, I say we take up a collection and send Yani or any other uninformed neo-con who is willing to go. Who's in?

Head of Bush Front Group Caught Lying (AGAIN)

Now that the SBVT have been found not only to be a front group for Bush but also discredited on every single charge they have made they have decided to change charges. The charge now is the Kerry was not in Cambodia when he said he was and if he was there he should have been court martialed. Of course, no U.S. soldiers were ever officially in Cambodia and the record on either side would be impossible to prove. The records have shown that Kerry was within 50 miles Cambodia on the date in question and may have in fact been in Cambodia on that date. John O'Neill, the person claiming Kerry should have been court martialed and writer of SBVT book, was in Cambodia and told Pres. Nixon about it. BTW O'Neill has been investigating Kerry since he came back from the war at the behest of Nixon and his right wing machine. Does he think he should have been court martialed?

Just to re-cap the SBVT issue:

None of the SBVT guys were on the boat with Kerry and one was not even serving in at the time. He heard it 3rd hand.

One SBVT has had to renounce the rationale for his Bronze Star, that he was under enemy fire, in order to lie about Kerry

All of the documents support Kerry

So far 3 people who run SBVT have connections to the BC04 campaign including Dan Ginsberg, BC '04 top attorney and attorney on the FL 2000 election stealing.

The ad was produced by the same people that attacked Dukakis in the Tank and Willie Horton ad, and McCain in the SC primary.

All this leads to these questions... Why do the Bushies rely on dirty politics? Why don't they do their own wet work?

Cheney v. Bush on Gay Marriage

When the Bush started bringing up the gay marriage "issue" we all knew he was trying to use it as a wedge to divide people but we did not know he was trying to divide the Bush Cheney ticket.

CRAP!!!

Quincy Carter the coked up former lame QB of the Cowboys has been signed by the JETS. Please God don't let Chad get hurt.

Lie Enough and People Start to Believe

LA Times explains how the Repubs use lies to attack their opponents. This is well worth the read and explains how this tatic goes all the way back to McCarthy.

Bush Agenda?

Is there one? Apparently his fellow Republicans are starting to get worried that there is not.

The Kids of Abu Ghraib

Over a month after the Blogoshpere started discussing this issue it is finally being picked up by the mainstream press. The WaPo is reporting that kids as young as 15 were held and tortured by the U.S. Military. This included scaring them with dogs to see which one of the kids would be so scared that they would pee on themselves first. It also includes sexual abuse but that is not fully reported in this article. Hopefully this full story comes out and we see just how depraved the situation there was.

What has happened to Bob Dole?

I used to have tons of respect for Bob Dole. Even though I did not support him for the Presidency I always thought that he was a fair politician and one that would work with all for the good of the country. He was a good Senate Leader and one of the funniest politicians out there. Now I think it is time for him to go back to selling Viagra because the Bush Regime is some how getting him to be their attack dog. I never thought I would here Dole attack another veteran for his war wounds but her he is doing just that:

Dole added: "And here's, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you're out."

Never mind that this is all a lie and Kerry carries a piece of an enemy grenade in his leg. It is sad that the Bush Regime is ruining the integrity of another great American. Isn't McCain and Powell enough? Do they have to turn every decent Repub into Sean Hannity?

BTW if you think that Dole was speaking for himself look at the location of the press conference. As far as I know Bob Dole doesn't just hang out in Crawford, TX.

OUTFOXED

I saw Outfoxed twice this weekend. This is a film that shows how Fox News does basically no reporting and is a 24/7 infomercial for the GOP. It is a documentary and most of those interviewed are former Fox News personnel or media watchdogs. For those of you who hate Fox it will reaffirm everything you thought and know about Fox. Those who like Fox I think it will open your eyes. It is well worth watching. Plus, it is only an hour long.

How a Philosophy Professor With a Checkered Past Became the Most Influential Catholic Layman in George W. Bush's Washington

Bush's attempts to foment the schism in America's Catholic culture has only reinforced the divides that preciously existed.

However, it is interesting to read about How a Philosophy Professor With a Checkered Past Became the Most Influential Catholic Layman in George W. Bush's Washington

SBVfT resigns from Bush Campaign

Ken Cordier has resigned from the Bush campaign.

Why is this significant? Because he is a member of SBVft and a member of the Bush campaign. This would strongly suggest that there is the illegal coordination between 527 groups and campaigns that is prohibited by campaign finance laws.

D'oh!

After this, I'm sure Bush will disavow the SBVfT ad campaign. Won't he?

Chicago Tribune Editor breaks silence on Swift Boat accusations

William Rood, an editor with the Chicago Tribune has broken his silence about the libelous accusations mad the SBVfT.

In no uncertain terms, Rood states that the accusations are inaccurate and smear all of those who served our country during the events in question.

Will Bush ever fulfill his pledge to restore honor to the office of the presidency and declaim these attacks? Probably... if the polls show that he might gain political advantage from doing so.

Here is Brood's account in his own words.

Geo. Bush: Surrender monkey?

That's the point of this New Republic article by Peter Beinart which clearly describes how Bush's supposed 'firm resolve' has routinely dissolved in the face of terrorist opposition.

Since this is a subscription only article, I've included the initial charges that Beinart makes....

---------------------------------------------------------

Imagine what conservatives would be saying if John Kerry did the things President Bush has done this year in Falluja and Najaf.

Here's a little refresher. On March 31, four American contractors are murdered in Falluja, their mutilated bodies dragged through the streets. American officials pledge to retake the city and bring the killers to justice. On April 5, 1,200 Marines encircle Falluja--digging trenches and blockading roads. After two weeks of sporadic fighting in which 36 Americans are killed, the United States halts the siege--on the condition that the militants hand over their heavy weapons. When they don't, the United States extends the cease-fire, despite insurgent attacks. Finally, on April 27, the Marines prepare for an all-out assault. U.S. planes drop flyers reading, "If you are a terrorist, beware, because your last day was yesterday." Lieutenant Karl Banke, a platoon leader with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, tells The Washington Post, "Every one of them [in his platoon] has a hunger deep down inside to finish the job. We've now shed our blood in the city. The last thing we want to do is walk away."

On April 29, the United States walks away. Taking senior military officials by surprise, the White House orders the Marines to pull back from the city, which will be patrolled by the Falluja Brigade, a roughly 1,000-man force composed of Saddam Hussein's former soldiers.

Meanwhile, on April 4, one day before Marines encircle Falluja, Najaf-based cleric Moqtada Al Sadr incites thousands of his followers to attack police stations and government offices throughout Iraq. Coalition Provisional Authority head Paul Bremer says, "A group of people in Najaf have crossed the line. This will not be tolerated." Over the following two months, roughly 40 American soldiers die as coalition forces sporadically battle Sadr's men. Sadr's representative in Basra offers cash rewards for the killing or capture of coalition troops and says captured female troops should be kept as slaves. Finally, in late May, the United States and Sadr agree to a cease-fire. The United States drops its demand that Sadr's militiamen disarm--asking only that they avoid openly brandishing their weapons. The United States withdraws to the outskirts of Najaf and suspends efforts to bring Sadr to court for the alleged murder of a moderate Shia cleric. Polls show that Sadr, having successfully defied the United States, is now among the most popular leaders in Iraq.

On August 5, four days after Iraqi police arrest a close Sadr ally, Sadr launches another uprising. On August 8, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi flies into Najaf aboard a U.S. helicopter to declare that there will be "no negotiations or truce." Within two days, American and Iraqi forces have surrounded Najaf's Imam Ali Shrine, where Sadr and his men have taken refuge. On August 14, Allawi reverses himself and orders a truce to allow time for negotiations. American commanders warn journalists that the delay is allowing Sadr's forces to reinforce their positions and bring in weapons (including from militants in Falluja, who are sending supplies). Lieutenant Colonel John Mayer, commander of ground troops for the 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, tells the Los Angeles Times, "I hate to see us negotiate now. ... Did he uphold his word last time?" After less than a day, negotiations break off and Iraqi government officials again say "military clearing operations" are imminent--only to reverse themselves in response to protests by Iraqi delegates at a national conference. As The New Republic went to press, Sadr had snubbed a group of those delegates who had traveled to Najaf to see him, then reportedly agreed to their cease-fire proposal, although fighting continued.

---------------------------------------------

I won't restate Beinart's conclusion, but it is clear that the current regime fails to come close to meeting the standards it has set for itself, when it comes to attempting to present a fierce, unwavering face to terrorists. The regime's actions instead have consistently undermined our troops morale while bolstering the morale of the enemy.

Read the rest here, if you can

Steve Kelley show us why we won't see a positive campaign

here

Take down of Swift Boat AD

I would love to add to this article but given that it is a 5 page body slam of everything in the ad and how the ad was put together there is not much left to say. The NYT really put in the time to get all the information and do proper research and clearly lays out the case that this is a Bush front to smear Kerry. This is how the Bushies have always operated and it is finally getting exposed. Way to go NYT!!

Swift boat lies exposed

Did we get the bible out from in front of the courthouse?

Not to toot my own horn too much, but it sounds like we're going to get rid of that bible display in front of the Harris County Courthouse. I almost wish I was there still continuing the good fight...

Bush's campaign mommy is back

Karen Hughes is back on the BC04 campaign payroll. Looks like Bush couldn't handle the campaign without his mommy telling him what to do and say. I guess we really are "ten minutes from Normal". Does anyone not see this as a sign of desperation on the part of the BC04?

Kerry speaks out on Swfit Boat Lies

Thanks to Aritos for pulling this part of the speech.

Kerry Speech Kerry Speech to IAFF:
Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn’t interested in the truth – and they’re not telling the truth. They didn’t even exist until I won the nomination for president. But here’s what you really need to know about them. They’re funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They’re a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won’t denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know—he wants them to do his dirty work. Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it’s like to see the truth in the moment. You’re proud of what you’ve done—and so am I.Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: “Bring it on.”I’m not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America—then, now, or ever. And I’m not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me. And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security – the issues that really matter to the American people.The situation in Iraq is a mess. That is the President’s responsibility and he owes the American people an answer. America is on track to lose more jobs than it’s gained under George Bush and he supports a tax code that rewards companies for shipping jobs overseas. He owes the American people an answer. Health care costs have exploded out of control. The President has done nothing and he owes the American people an answer.The middle class is paying a bigger share of America’s tax burden. The President needs to answer to the American people why that is fair.Unfortunately, those in the White House are coming from a different place than you and I. They see things a little differently than you and I. They tell us that today, when it comes to the issues that matter most, we’re getting the job done.

I'm shocked to find lying in the swift boat ad

Just one more example of the sleaze that this ad it turns out that one of the leaders of this group has basically discredited himself. It turns out that according to military records recently released on Larry Thurlow, one of the swift boat veterans for lying, show that his boat which was along side Kerry's came under small arms and automatic weapons fire and he earned a Bronze star for his actions. However, in the ad he says the boats did not come under fire. So either he lied right after the event in order to obtain medals or he is lying today for political purposes. As John McCain says this is the same kind of slime the Bushies pulled on him in the S.C. primary and we must not let them get away with it again.

WAPO story on the military records

link has been fixed. Sorry!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. PRESIDENT

Today is the birthday of the last elected President of the U.S.! Happy birthday President Clinton.... We still believe in a place called Hope!!

Am I the only person troubled by this guy's attitude?

Tozzi, believing that the regulatory bar was too low, tried repeatedly to get Congress to pass legislation that would make it easier to challenge the science used to underpin regulations. Then, unable to receive broad congressional support, he crafted legislative language himself and gave it to Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.), a former lobbyist and onetime deputy director of communications for the National Republican Congressional Committee. The wording -- two sentences of 32 short lines -- directed the OMB to issue guidelines "ensuring and maximizing the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information . . . disseminated by Federal agencies."

Emerson slipped the sentences into the 712-page Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, which became the coming year's omnibus spending bill. Under pressure to wrap up the long-delayed budget, President Bill Clinton signed the huge bill on Dec. 21, 2000, nine days after the Supreme Court ruled that George W. Bush was to be the next president. It is not clear whether anyone in Congress other than Emerson and Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.) knew about the buried language.

"We sandwiched this in between Jerry Ford's library and something else," Tozzi said. "Was it something that did not have hearings? Yes. Is it something that keeps me awake at night? No. Is it something that I would do again, exactly? Yes, you bet your ass I would. I would not even think about it, okay? Sometimes you get the monkey, and sometimes the monkey gets you."

Cheney implies that Bush is a Wimp!

Lord knows that the old man never lived down that cognomen. Now, we see that Cheney will denounce anybody who proclaims their willinigness to be sensitive. Even our beloved resident, who, not so long after Kerry's remarks was heard to say: "Now, in terms of, you know, the balance between running down intelligence and bringing people to justice, obviously we need to be very sensitive on that," emphasizing the S-word. [courtesy of Clarence Page]

Of course, later in this same article, Cheney himself shows his sensitive side:

"Cheney spoke on conservative Hugh Hewitt's syndicated radio show about how, in the siege of the Imam Ali mosque in Najaf, the mosque "is a sensitive area and we are very much aware of its sensitivity."

I think the important thing to remember, and I'm certain the ladies will back me up on this, is that it really is important to be 'sensitive.'

Right Mary?

No Child with a choice...

I was speaking with Colin recently about his discussions with a conservative friend of his regarding the 'No Child Left Behind' act. It was Colin's impression that the only substantive point in favor of the act that this person could (or would) make was that students and their parents would now have the chance to escape 'failing' schools. This Chicago Tribune article illustrates how illusory that chance is.

I would like it very much if we could have a discussion of this act, its ramifications, and alternative approaches to education reform. Bonus points for comments that dig a little deeper than repetitious name calling.

BC04 Misleading Exposed on Hardball

Because I don't want to do the same thing as BC04 I will link to the transcript of the show and let you see for yourself. The exchange is about 3/4 of the way down. Hardball Transcript.

Update: The exchange starts when Matthews introduces Matthew Dowd of the BC-4 campaign.

Can the crowds get bigger?

Kerry is pulling in crowds between 40,000 and 50,000 to hear him speak in "battleground" states. These would be HUGE crowds in October but he is getting them in August. Bush on the other hand makes people sign a loyalty oath to chicken George and only takes questions and statements from his supporters. Help is on the way!!

I'm speechless....

The Illinois senate race has been one of the most entertaining debacles in the history of American democracy. Having said that, I am unable to coherently discuss Alan Keyes plans for slavery reparations.

Jaw-dropping... I mean, where' this guy coming from? Can anyone help me on this one? Please?

Bush only takes softballs

For a former baseball owner Bush sure has been playing softball a lot recently. Kerry's rallies are open and drawing huge crowds. Bush, on the other hand, makes people sign a loyalty oath in order to get into the events and then he holds a "ask the President" segment. In these segments party loyalist who have been carefully screened by the campaign ask softball questions and make wired statements such as "I feel like God is in the White House". Bush has now held more of these events than he has press conferences. It is a shame that Bush doesn't feel that he can answer real questions from real people.

Bush uses FBI to intimidate protestors

The NYT is reporting that FBI officials have been questioning those who are going to protest at the RNC and is even going so far as to subpoena them. Should the President really be sending the FBI to question those who want to practice their 1st Amendment rights?

Once again Sen Warner comes through!

In the tradition of Sen. McCain (R-AZ) Sen Warner (R-VA) backs up Kerry on his medals and heroism. Too bad Bush refuses to denounce the untruthful attack ads. Just one more example of his failed leadership.

Bush Agenda???

A few weeks ago everyone was wondering what Bush was going to do if "elected" President again. The answer from the Bush Admin was that there would be a series of speeches laying out the 2nd term agenda. Where are they? Can anyone say what Bush would do in the second term other than attempting to keep America strong and keep fighting the terrorist?

Is this a preview of Colin's fate?

When we think of cute, sexy, political bloggers, we all think of Colin (at least Gov. McGreevey does). Colin has recently bragged about the fact that he may become an establishment blogger. Can we look forward to the day when he makes it this big?

Vote supression in Florida?

You betcha!

F 9/11 being stonewalled?

Is there a sinister plot to keep armed forces personel from seeing F 9/11? Probably....

I'm back (at Starbux) and the electoral college sucks!

In my comeback post, I would like to link toSteve Chapman coming out against the electoral college.

N.J. Gov. Part II

As you will notice from the original post I said nothing about him resigning or why he resigned. I think he did the right thing in resigning and I don't think his resignation really had anything to do with him being gay. I do think the fact that the person he had the affair with was going to blackmail him was why he came out. The post was an attack on the people in this country that make it so that people who are gay can't be honest about who they are and still have to hide in a closet. That I think is a shame.

I also don't think Jack Ryan should have stepped down and neither should have Bob Livingston. I don't care how or who one has a consensual sexual relationship with. I don't care if your having an affair. I don't even care if you are a state judge and like to pick up law clerks in the gym shower. As long as you are doing your job and doing it well then stay. If not and you can no longer be effective then leave. It should not be based on with whom or how you like to have sex. In this case, the NJ Gov. was probably not doing his job well and should have stepped down for other reasons. I honestly don't know enough about NJ state politics to make an assessment of his work as Gov. I just want us as a society get to a point where we assess people on how good they are in their job and not on who they sleep with.

Novak on Jobs and Bush

Looks like the repub are beginning to see the writing on the wall that the Bush campaign is stalling from a lack of ideas and the stalling economy . Here is Novak's take.

NJ Gov. Resigns

All I can say is what Daily Kos had to say on this issue. "Fuck the people who force people like McGreevey to hide in a closet." Could not say it better myself!!

Bush U-Turns on the Turning a Corner

It looks like the Bush Regime is finally beginning to understand that they are not "turning a corner" but in fact driving us straight into a dead end. After the Convention Bush kept talking about turning a corner but the line has been dropped from the speech after only 32,000 job were created in July and we are having to mount ANOTHER major offensive in Iraq. To steal a line from Kerry... It looks like they were making a U-Turn and just kept going around in circles.

One more life saved by Kerry

Sen. Kerry saved former GOP senator Hecht's life. That is bi-partsianship!! I guess help was on the way!!

Bush Endorses Tax Cheating

In a speech yesterday... Bush also said high taxes on the rich are a failed strategy because "the really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway." Is this what he meant when he was saying that we need a culture of responsibility. Hey George!! Close the loopholes and stop cutting the IRS enforcement budget!! Maybe he should endorse the national sales tax like Speaker...What is his name... The chubby guy from Ill... Hastert. Is there a more regressive tax out there? BTW you have to read Hastert's exciting endorsement of the carpetbagger Alan Keyes... Here is part of the quote:

"I talked to a guy name Gary Fenzig, who was a great star, Harvard-Yale, star for the Chicago Bears. He couldn't. And the problem in Illinois, you've got to have $10 million to run; $6 million or $7 million of that has to be done for name I.D. I got down last week to interviewing a 70-year-old guy, who was a great farm broadcaster in Illinois. He decided since his health problems--he couldn't do it. You know, we were down--we needed to find somebody to run, somebody who wanted to run. And, you know, Alan Keyes wants to run, and I hope he's a good candidate."

Now that is a ringing endorsement.

Goss to the CIA

In Bush's latest attempt to politicized the "war on terror" he has nominated Rep. Goss (R-Fl) to head the CIA for the next 6 months until Kerry is sworn in. In case you don't know who Rep. Goss is here is his recent bio. He is the head of the House Intel. Committee which has been steadfast behind the CIA and Bush's failed intel policy. In my opinion you don't change the system but appointing someone who doesn't believe in reform.

This is why in the end this is really just a political move and a pretty obvious one at that. Much like just about every issue the Bush Regime is not looking to make America stronger but is looking for a wedge issue that they hope will make the Dems look weak. Their thinking is if the Dems deny Goss approval then they can be shown as being weak on the "war on terror". If they approve of him then they have put a blatant partisan and Bush hack in the CIA. In the end what the Dems will do is use the hearings to attack Bush's Intel policy and and alleged reforms and eventually allow Goss to take the post. (BTW I recognize that the Dems will also use this appointment politically.) In the end I don't think appointing a partisan hack who has given conference calls attacking John Kerry the top post in Intel is a wise move for the country. Maybe it is time we do something for the good of the country and not political advantage.

Here is the WAPO analysis...

Kittner moves on again

My fellow blogger Tim went to the University of Illinois when the "journeyman" QB Kurt Kittner went. Kurt has been on 4 teams this year since the season ended. I predicted at the begining of the summer that Kurt would be on 5 by the begining of the season. I just need one more team to pick him up. We are all behind you Kurt!!

The New England Patriots released quarterback Kurt Kittner and offensive tackle James (Big Cat) Williams over the weekend. The travels continue for Kittner, who has been released by four teams -- Atlanta, Cincinnati, the Giants and New England -- since April....

U.S. Allows Elections Monitors In

A few weeks ago Anonymous and I were discussing the upcoming elections problems. The discussion ranged from Diabold's plan to steal the election by not allowing paper ballots as a backup to Jeb Bush trying to take only africian american felons off the voter rolls but not Cubans. I suggested that the U.S. need elections monitors to observe the elections and make sure that the were fair and free this time. Anonymous felt that this was laughable and that no serious person would suggest this. Colin Powell just requested that Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor the elections. Who knows... maybe we can keep the Bush Regime from stealing this election.

The Long Cold Winter is Finally Over...

FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! Denver Broncos v. Washington Racists Name tonight at 7:00 central. This also is the return to football of Tony Stewart's racing team owner Joe Gibbs. Game on!!!

Bush Confirms His Vendetta on the U.S.

In a speech today Bush stated that “Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we,” Bush said. “They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.” I guess that pretty much sums it up.

Goin' back to Cali?

Is Ricky Williams going to play in Oakland this season? No. I don't think so. (of course I say that now b/c he was my first pick last season in fantasy football and almost, but not quite completely, burned me...)

A blog to keep an eye on

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall has recommended this blog by Steve Clemons as one to keep an eye on and so we shall. If the blog merits inclusion on our list of links, we shall do so.

Don't believe the no bounce stories

Slate and a number of others have explained the facts behind the recent polls. Don't believe the right wing hype that there was not a bounce. This is slowly becoming KE04's race to lose. They are in a great position and I think it is only going to get better. Here are some state polls Kos posted.

Kerry will be the uniter not a divider

Kerry is taking this election to Republican strongholds. He has been holding rallies in Republican cities and has been drawing massive crowds. This is in sharp contrast to the BC04 campaign, which only talks to people in Republican cities and screens the people who come into the rally to make sure they are Republicans. In fact, they have resorted to requiring a loyalty oath to Bush in order to get in and asking the race of people who were to photograph Cheney.

Lets work together to unite this country behind KE04 and end the politics of division.

Knights cross the line

As a loyal Catholic I have been a supporter of the Knights of Columbus and I think that overall their mission is good. They are a non-partisan group that usually has nothing to do with politics but this year they have sadly crossed the line. Yesterday they had Bush (a right wing Methodist) speak at their convention yet they did not invite Kerry (life long CATHOLIC) to speak. Not only is this a sad commentary on the Knights, but I believe that the IRS must now look at their tax status and see if this in fact eliminates their tax exempt status because they have effectively endorsed a candidate. Overall, I think the Knights usually do good thing and I have eaten my share of pancakes breakfast sponsored by the Knight but I think they crossed the line in this instance. Especially when you really look at the issues as Daily Kos did yesterday and see that the only ones Bush and the Catholic hierarchy agree on are abortion and gay marriage. Following my conscience as a Catholic, I cannot vote for someone who does not believe in social justice and who has led us into an unjust war. This is a large part of the reason I vote for Democrats and will vote for John Kerry.

Breaking News!

I'm moving to DC. And, although I've lived in urban New Orleans and urban Houston (i.e. I've been living in the shadow of countless minimally protected chemical refineries, among America's most vulnerable and lethal targets), now that I'll be living in DC I will be feeling differently. How exactly, I'm not sure. I am confident, however, that I will definitely be feeling different and that I will be able to comment on national events with much more authority and without the need to cite facts to bolster my arguments. I'm not sure if it's related to my moving to DC or not, but I also plan to base my arguments largely on name calling and guilt by association.

Terror Alert Banana was Old and Brown

Turns out that the information that we are all supposed to be scared about is 3 years old!!! Yes that's right...They are trying to freak out the country with evidence from before 9/11. I'm surprised they have not raised the terror alert because the Rosenbergs gave the Russians the bomb or that Abigail Proctor is a witch. If we can't get information that is fresher that 3 years old then we have much greater problems with intel then even the 9/11 commission suggests.

Update: For those of you who might be mislead by the repub spin the NYtimes is the one who broke this story and goes into depth with Admin. Officials who say that this information was 3-4 years old. Here is the senior officials quote:

"You could say that the bulk of this information is old, but we know that Al Qaeda collects, collects, collects until they're comfortable,'' said one senior government official. "Only then do they carry out an operation. And there are signs that some of this may have been updated or may be more recent.''

We are supposed to be scared because of old info and something that MAY or MAY NOT have been updated. Before they cry wolf again maybe they should have some real evidence.

Triumph soils the doormat

Triumph the insult comic dog rips on alan colmes:

Among the hundreds locked out of the way-too-packed FleetCenter last night were Fox News' Alan Colmes of Hannity and Colmes, much to the amusement of sock puppet ``Triumph the Insult Comic Dog'' from `Late Night with Conan O'Brien.' ``This is Alan Colmes' worst nightmare!'' needled Triumph, almost in Colmes' ear. As Colmes desperately tried to negotiate his re-entry - his radio show started in minutes, he moaned - Triumph said, ``Not Alan Colmes, the only voice of reason on Fox TV . . . Sean Hannity is probably in there selling mugs.'' After numerous frantic cellphone calls to Fox honchos, Colmes, to wild cheers from the crowd, was allowed back inside. ``Thank God they just let the doormat back through the door,'' Triumph barked. ``Get in there and get your butt kicked by Sean Hannity!'

The BC04 msg.

Tom Toles gives us the BC04 message.

GOP Slips on the Terror Alert Banana

Once again right after KE04 starts to get momentum the GOP has trotted out Tom Ridge to try to scare us into voting for Shrub. Once again Howard Dean hit is right on: "I am concerned that every time something happens that's not good for President Bush, he plays this trump card, which is terrorism,'' Dean told Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "Late Edition" yesterday. ''It's just impossible to know how much of this is real and how much of this is politics, and I suspect there's some of both in it.''

How can we trust this president when he uses the terror alert for political purposes? Raises the terror alert to divert attention from KE04 and then coming out with his intel director announcement the next day. Who doesn't think that this was entirely political?

Update: I had not read this quote from Tom Ridge when I wrote this post. I love it when they prove my point... "'We must understand that the kind of information available to us today is the result of the president's leadership in the war against terror,' Mr. Ridge said
Doesn't get much more political than that. It's time for a change!

Movie review time

I am way behind on movie reviews. Here is a brief review of my latest viewings.

On The Waterfront: Marlon Brando was amazing in this. This is the "I could have been a contender" movie. The line has been shown so much that much of its power has been taken away. In the context of the movie it was perfect. Brando play an ex-boxer and current longshoremen who has been beaten down and is trying to fight back against the system. A must see.


The Bourne Supremacy: This is the second of the series and I think it was a good movie. I really have no clue though. I sat in the first row and it made me a little queasy at the car chase and was very confusing. If anyone else has seen this from further back I welcome your comments. Not going to give Tikis b/c it would get an incomplete.

Spiderman 2: Another sequel... How about some new ideas?? I digress. This was WAY better than the first one. One of the better comic book movies out there. Focuses mainly on Peter Parker's fight with not wanting to be Spiderman. In fact, Spiderman is more the villain of the movie than the "villain" Doc Ock.



The Village: M. Night Shyamalan's latest spooky movie with a twist. This one got back to a The Sixth Sense style of movie with a focus on characters instead of... well I don't want to give it away.



The Same Time Next Year: Alan Alda and Ellen Burstyn are lovers who meet at the same hotel on the same weekend every year. They are both married but have an amazing relationship that spans 26 years. The films checks in on them every 5 years or so and you watch them and their relationship change. Both actors were able to play what were really 5 different roles effortlessly. This was a lovely film and had a great impact on me. I highly recommend this film.