Democratic Veterans

Klipper at RUFNKM:

[. . .]

I was talking to my cousin yesterday. He's a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy ... flies jets off boats ... lands jets on boats.
He's a college-educated, independent thinking, smart, young man.

[. . .]

He says that a lot of people in the Navy are getting worn out. They think this war has gone on long enough, etc.

Jim asks him if there are any Democrats in his navy. He answers that there's a few but they catch a lot of shit. He tells us how people argue and the people who aren't all about Bush are berated and treated like crap. [my emphasis]

[. . .]

Isn't that just great? I wonder if the Repubs have a political officer aboard each ship like the Soviets used to do? I can see how this happens though. The information about the war comes from the top in a basically insular community. This is related to Gord's post below, where the O-8s and O-9s are 'accentuating the positive' and it's filtering down through the ranks. Keep in mind, the flyboys have a completely different perspective of war than the grunts do. As I've said about many aspects of this 'war', we have a failure of leadership.

And You Never See His Lips Move...

I just love this line from Marshall Wittman via Mark A.R. Kleiman:

For Bush to get rid of Rove would be like Charlie McCarthy firing Edgar Bergen.

Also, go read Kleiman's post about how the Espionage Act may be the law that trips up Rove.

Honest, Officer, I Just Got A Few Stumps To Get Out...

It seems like there's no shortage of bomb-making ingredients in the U.S. How comforting. From ABC News:

From 2001 to 2004, more than 16,000 pounds of high explosives were stolen from construction sites and demolition companies, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Equally as alarming, more than 60,000 pounds of blasting agents like ammonium nitrate -- the same chemical used in the Oklahoma City bombing -- were stolen, as well.

The New York City Police Department created a special undercover unit to try find out how easy it would be to make a bomb.

"We've been able to go out and purchase the materials for a bomb, do it legally, and put it together and again detonate it," said New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Building the bomb was easy to do and cheap, he says.

Cheap and easy? A new career for Fixer, perhaps? (wink)

The Fake Optimism of Washington's Warriors

Norman Solomon on the public optimism and private pessimism of the Brass about Iraq. And more comparison to Vietnam.

In front of TV cameras, Pentagon officials do their best to make war sound wise and noble. Most of all, they lie.

Sometimes they do it with bold assertions, other times with intentionally tangled syntax. But those who give the orders that consign young soldiers to participation in horror must assure the folks back home that all the carnage is under control. The officials strive to project an aura of calm about the unspeakable; they mumble cliches about grief that cannot touch it.

For the most powerful war-makers in Washington, the most dangerous potential enemies are the citizens of the United States who might insist on an end to taxpayer subsidies for mass slaughter. To forestall such a calamity, officials proclaim endlessly that the war's worst days have passed and the future looks increasingly bright for the ravaged land and for the freedom-loving invaders whose invasion has ravaged it.

These kinds of statements may seem like mere pep talks or, in retrospect, miscalculations. But they're integral to the war-making process - continually speaking of light that's just over the horizon, while corpses pile up in grisly shadows alongside the lies that keep a war going on top of the lies that got it started.

Washington's warriors insist that Iraq is not Vietnam. Any geographer would certainly agree. But imperial wars share similar characteristics - including the profound fact that the people who live in a country are more committed to it than the invaders are. This war can't be won for reasons that have everything to do with why it's wrong. The occupiers are on the lowest moral ground. No amount of fake optimism in Washington can change such realities in Iraq.

The last paragraph applies here at home as well, I think. This time, however, the "occupiers" are the Bush administration, the Republican Congress, Big Corpora, and the christo-fascist whackjobs. Their "moral ground" is the lowest ever.

I am proud, but saddened, that this time WE get to be the Viet Cong.

Rove's War

From Sidney Blumenthal:

Rove is fighting his war as though it will be settled in a court of Washington pundits. Brandishing his formidable political weapons, he seeks to demonstrate his prowess once again. His corps of agents raises a din in which their voices drown out individual dissidents. His frantic massing of forces dominates the capital by winning the communications battle. Indeed, Rove may succeed momentarily in quelling the storm. But the stillness may be illusory. Before the prosecutor, Rove's arsenal is useless.

At one point, on CNN, Wolf Blitzer asked Mehlman if he had attended meetings at the White House on how to deal with Wilson. Suddenly, the voluble Mehlman constricted. "I don't recall those meetings occurring," he said. Has the prosecutor inquired about such meetings and their participants?

The sound and fury of Rove's defenders will soon subside. The last word, the only word that matters, will belong to the prosecutor. So far, he has said very, very little. Unlike the unprofessional, inexperienced and weak Ken Starr, he does not leak illegally to the press. But he has commented publicly on his understanding of the case. "This case," he said, "is not about a whistle-blower. It's about a potential retaliation against a whistle-blower."

This is a pretty good commentary on the whole deal. Go read. Magazine length, so take lunch. Funny how Mehlman and JimmyJeff crop up along with Rove like an unholy troika, ain't it?

Dean vs. Santorum proves media bias

From Sirotablog:

Last month when Howard Dean called the GOP a "pretty much a white Christian" party, the Beltway media went absolutely crazy. You couldn't turn on a television without hearing about it in some way, shape or form. Incredibly, though, the same can't be said for revelations that Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) blamed the Catholic church's child molestation scandal on Massachusetts/Boston liberalism.

This is sheer crazy talk from the #3 Republican in the U.S. Senate. And yet, beyond a few stories, it hasn't garnered nearly the same coverage as Dean's comments, which were, frankly, less inflammatory, and rooted in fact.

What we have here, however, is a media double standard. When a Democrat says something that pushes the envelope, it is a scandal. When a top Republican Senator makes an offensive statement worthy of an insane asylum patient, its barely news because the GOP is just expected to make crazy fringe comments like this. That's the media obstacle our side faces these days - and it is surely part of the reason why it is so difficult for Democrats to get their message out.

When the inmates are put in charge of the asylum, the sane people are looked at like they're crazy.

Scott McClellan ponders how to address the Rove investigation

Will Durst got aholt of this tape from McClellan on Bush's answering machine:

"Anyhow, boss: please, please, please tell me we're not going to run that stupid "he never mentioned her name" defense. I mean, c'mon. He did say Joe Wilson's WIFE worked for the CIA. Which unless the guy is the King of Bahrain or an Elder in the Mormon Church or an Eskimo or something sounds pretty definitive even to me. And unh, if you do talk to Mr. Rove about this, could you leave my name out of it? To be honest, the guy kind of gives me the heebie jeebies. Remember that time I spilled coffee on his lap, and everyone laughed? Later on he pushed me into my office and started screaming and all the doors and windows shut on their own and the air got dense and I swear his eyes turned all red and stuff and a bunch of papers on a chair burst into flames. They were just a pile of old Posts so it was no big deal, but still. "And I've been asking around, and I'm not the only one he creeps out. Cheney's chief of staff's head intern told my intern that she walked in on the Vice President and Mr. Rove in that big marble bathroom upstairs dancing around waving dead chicken carcasses and using the decapitated heads as finger puppets. And now she's got warts on her eyes, and I know you don't want to know anything unless you need to know, but this is stuff I think you need to know."

Will Durst truly hopes the President was just kidding about the hot tub thing with Robert Novack.

Shudder.

Hockey?

What's hockey?

Pay attention, idiots

The great Michael Hawkins:

The half that identifies with the Republican Party, the half that voted for W not once, but twice... the half that continues to bury its head in the sand, continues to watch Faux News, continues to champion O'Lielly and the Oxycontin Kid... the half that still thinks Saddam ordered the 9/11 attacks....

...it's time for that half of the country to wake up. What's happening with the Rove/Plame story is the tip of the iceburg, folks. For those who've remained purposely blind to the astounding level of corruption in this misAdministration need to read this:

[. . .]

Let's review

The lovely Jane has a review of the Plame case so far, replete with lotsa links. Go take a look. And just a note about the pic on Jane's post, I wish I was part of the ground crew. "What? The brakes released by themselves."

Heh

(CBS) President George W. Bush's approval ratings are now back to where they were before their post-9/11 meteoric increases. His overall approval rating and his rating on handling the economy are near the lowest marks of his presidency, and his rating on handling foreign policy is lower than ever before.

In addition to the declining overall job approval rating, confidence in the President's ability to handle the two major issues dominating his presidency -- the economy and international crises - has fallen, and is now more negative than positive. [my emphasis]

[. . .]

Great poll results on the page also. To wit:

COMPARED TO WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH TOOK OFFICE ...
Nation's economy is:
Better
12%
Worse
59%
Same
26%

Yeah, thanks for that tax cut, Dicknose. Where did these people get their MBAs, Enron University? Shit, I'm just the dropout son of a small businessman and I could run a corporation better than these guys and still skim my share of profits off the top. I have a better grasp of economic principle anyway.

Before You Sign that Online Petition...

A few months back, I signed an online petition for the People for the American Way. I think I only put down my e-mail address and perhaps what state I live in, but since then, I've received non-stop e-mails, and tonight one of their phone solicitors called at 8:50 p.m. , wanting a $50 "donation."

If I can ever get them to stop bugging me, I'll think twice about participating in their petitions. Or anyone else's, for that matter.

Masterful

The Sister takes apart the Repub talking points about Wilson and Plame:

[. . .]

TALKING POINT: Bob Novak used the word "operative" by accident and his sources did not say she was one.
FACT: This is false, after-the-fact spin from Novak.

TALKING POINT: Rove "was discouraging a reporter from writing a false story" based on Joe Wilson's "false premise" (that DCI Tenet or VP Cheney authorized his trip)
FACT: False. Moreover, Joe Wilson did not make such a claim before Rove exposed Valerie Plame's identity.

TALKING POINT: The Senate Intelligence Committee said that Valerie Plame was the one who set up Joe Wilson's trip.
FACT: False and false. (Also see here). (In fact, there is no consensus view that Valerie Plame even suggested that Wilson be sent on the trip.)

[. . .]

The woman is excellent, and she provides lotsa links too.

The Big Lie

From TPMCafe via Are You Effin' Kidding Me:

The misinformation being spread in the media about the Plame affair is alarming and damaging to the longterm security interests of the United States. Republicans' talking points are trying to savage Joe Wilson and, by implication, his wife, Valerie Plame as liars. That is the truly big lie.

A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed.

At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying. Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass. That's the true outrage.

I hope it's getting hard for the Bush misadministration to keep their lies straight. It's a lot to remember.

5 years ago

[. . .]

I was a congressman when another man of integrity lived in the White House. I saw a president restore America's confidence, and prepare the foundation for victory in the cold war. I saw how one man's will can set the nation on a new course. I learned the meaning of leadership from President Ronald Reagan.

[. . .]

I have been in the company of leaders. I know what it takes. And I see in our nominee the qualities of mind and spirit our nation needs, and our history demands. Big changes are coming to Washington. To serve with this man, in this cause, is a chance I would not miss. This country has given me so much opportunity.

[. . .]

We can restore the ideals of honesty and honor that must be a part of our national life, if our children are to thrive. When I look at the administration now in Washington, I am dismayed by opportunities squandered. Saddened by what might have been, but never was. These have been years of prosperity in our land, but little purpose in the White House. Bill Clinton vowed not long ago to hold onto power "until the last hour of the last day." That is his right. But, my friends, that last hour is coming. That last day is near. The wheel has turned. And it is time. It is time for them to go.

George W. Bush will repair what has been damaged. He is a man without pretense and without cynicism. A man of principle, a man of honor. On the first hour of the first day he will restore decency and integrity to the Oval Office. He will show us that national leaders can be true to their word and that they can get things done by reaching across the partisan aisle, and working with political opponents in good faith and common purpose. I know he'll do these things, because for the last five years I've watched him do them in Texas.

[. . .] - Dick 'Dick' Cheney, August 2, 2000

If they wouldn't have done so much damage, this would actually be funny.

Great thanks to Pauly for the link.

Skippy reminder

He only needs 20,000 more!

Failing Up From The Best Leak Ever

Man alive, there is so much shit out there today about Rove that I simply couldn't decide what to point you at, so I'm going with my fallback source: The Daily Show. This show will be repeated tonight after today's show in case you missed it. I paraphrase:

"President Bush's biggest problem in this deal is how to sufficiently reward Karl Rove.

"George Tenet manipulated intelligence that allowed Bush us to commit us to a fraudulent war. Bush awarded him the Medal Of Freedom.

"Condileeza Rice missed the point of a memo that flatly stated Osama bin Laden wanted to attack on U.S. soil. Bush promoted her to Secretary of State.

"For this latest bungle, can there be any doubt that we are about to see Chief Justice Karl Rove?"

A note to the Media: Yes, I know you have been frustrated by this administration's lying, dissembling, mis- and dis-information, distractions, diversions, and general all-around malfeasance. No, I don't blame you a bit for climbing their frame now that you finally have a golden opportunity for payback. Keep it up.

My point, however, is that you have allowed, even promoted, the current state of affairs for at least the last five years by fellating the White House and taking their bullshit at face value. What you're doing now is fine, but where were you when we needed you?

Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back for finally doing your job for a little while.

Willie's Reggae

On the cultural front, from Yahoo! News:

No, you're not smoking something--the cover of Willie Nelson's new reggae album comes in two separate versions: regular and Wal-Mart.

The cover art of Countryman, released Tuesday, features green marijuana leaves over a red and yellow background and looks similar to a large pack of rolling papers.

However, for those looking to snap up the CD at Wal-Mart's famously rolled back prices, the cover features a palm tree in place of the offending leaves, a change made by Universal Music Group Nashville out of deference to the retailing giant's strict guidelines with regards to lyrics and packaging.

Willie doing Reggae? There must have been enough smoke pouring out of the recording studio that passers-by thought a new Pope had been elected.

I know which version I'm getting. Fuck Wal-Mart.

Legally wrong

. . . Am I alone in regularly being stunned that a group of men who claim such moral clarity must now muddy discussion with terms like "legally wrong?" . . .

No you're not, my friend.

Go read the Heretik.

And by the way, Blogger sucks wet monkey ass today.

Demon seed

Democratic Veteran:

[. . .]

All we have done is sow the seeds for one of the longest civil wars in the middle east, whose violence will be exported around the world thanks to the megalomania of Beloved Leader and the Neo-Cons. I wonder if Mommy and Poppy Bush are impressed with Junior yet? . . .

When you boil it down, we have taken a country that was essentially stable and contained and turned it into a Goddamn mess over a little kid's inferiority complex.