"The dust that Bush bit in Iraq ended up on all our backs..."

Fixer 'n Gordon (squint a little) gang up on combine their talent in an allegorical ditty about Bush, Osama, Iraq, and ultimate failure

I just got tired of reading about how low the Repugs can go in their smear campaigns as they head for the drain. That includes Bush's linguistic denial of reality.

Seriously ...

If you're a Republican candidate for elected office, stay away from accusing your Dem opponent of "a serious ethical failing". It stinks of hypocrisy.

Dave

I'll be standing up with a buncha other Long Island veterans, including Iraq War vet Captain Tom Cleere, to show our support for, and solidarity with, Dave Mejias at 11:30 this morning. If you can make it to the County Courthouse in Mineola, stop by, show your support, and say hi. From the Mejias campaign:

Dave Mejias, Nassau County Legislator and candidate for Congress in New York's 3rd Congressional District, calls on Peter King, George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld to stop playing political games with the war in Iraq. Our young men and women are risking their lives everyday in Iraq, they deserve better than the failed Republican policies of staying the course.

Peter King has failed to ask the tough questions on Iraq, instead he has served as a rubber stamp to President Bush's policies. October has been the deadliest month in Iraq so far, a change of course is desperately needed. When elected Dave Mejias will ask the tough questions and provide the necessary oversight this situation requires. [my em]

Learn about the candidate and volunteer - Dave for America

Contribute - Dave's ActBlue page.

Vote for Dave Mejias. Do you live in NY-03?

Good on 'em

I'm proud of my neighbors across the Hudson:

The New Jersey State Supreme Court just issued its ruling on same-sex marriage. The court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry because of the equal protection clause of the state constitution...

Pink and 2799

Go over to Moderate Man and see what another ol' pissed-off Marine has to say. Just scroll down and read '2799' and then 'Multi-tasking'. Then keep going. He's got some good shit.

Yay! We're 53rd!

...In Press Freedom, that is. From Cursor:

The U.S. slides further down the scale on the global press freedom index, from 17th in 2002 to 53rd today.

Well, at least we're beatin' North Korea. For now.

Spicewood Seven CD

From PRWeb comes info on an album of anti-Bush, anti-war protest songs:

Spicewood Seven Americana protest CD "makes Steve Earle look like a milquetoast" (All Music Guide).

"Kakistocracy" (rhymes with "democracy" -- means government by the most corrupt and incompetent)is an Americana CD that surveys an America gone wrong.

But instead of pointing fingers, the CD includes a cycle of songs which are slices of life -- sometimes sly and satirical, sometimes blunt as the muzzle of an M-16. The cast of characters range from Iraq War grunts more interested in staying alive than promoting democracy -- to trailer trash-talking mamas getting jacked up on the home front.

Ooh! I like "trailer trash-talkin' mamas"! Especially "jacked-up" ones, although I do wish they'd get a spare bathtub to mix up the crank...(Just kiddin', OWL!)

The CD has garnered rave-reviews for its no-punches-pulled approach -- think Stephen Colbert in a cowboy hat. While the songs are anti-Iraq War and anti-Bush, they move beyond ad hominem attacks to take aim at the moral fog of an America that gave rise to W and his War.

Stewart Mason of All Music Guide writes: "just the sight of (Kakistocracy) will make the average Fox News viewer's head explode, but for all of those who have been complaining that there's no protest music coming in response to this war like there was to Vietnam...well, here it is."

Blogcritics.org summarizes: "the angry populist message of Kakistocracy: We're being played for fools by fools -- and we want to know why."

Kathy Coleman of About.com raves: "All in all, when it comes to making music, I have to give these guys two thumbs up -- when it comes to speaking up about what's wrong, I don't have enough thumbs to give."

More info at Spicewood Seven.

Listen and/or download tunes here. I'm old-fashioned enough that I'll probably just go buy a copy.

This is good stuff, folks.

So?

Where are they gonna come from?

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two weeks before U.S. midterm elections, American officials unveiled a timeline Tuesday for Iraq's Shiite-led government to take specific steps to calm the world's most dangerous capital and said more U.S. troops might be needed to quell the bloodshed.

U.S. officials previously said they were satisfied with troop levels and had expected to make significant reductions by year's end. But a surge in sectarian killings, which welled up this past summer, forced them to reconsider. [my em]

...

Are we gonna lower the recruiting standards even more? Are we gonna hire mercenaries? Are we gonna revive the Draft? Tell me, because the military is barely meeting recruiting goals now. Tell me, after the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq for over a year, how in Hell you're gonna get more young folks to sign up? I dunno, but $40,000 is no incentive for me to leave a limb, my sanity, or my corpse on some far off battlefield in an illegal war.

Tip o' the Brain to Driftglass.

Vintage

Gordon has an excellent video up over at F & G. More vintage motorcycles than you can shake a stick at. Some of 'em are almost as 'vintage' as Ol' Gord himself. Heh ...

Get him out ...

Via Greenwald, the majority of Americans favor impeachment. About fucking time.

Bombing the Google

Just helping Darryl, blogging at the General's place:

...

Share these links with your friends and family, and plaster the links all over your blogs and web pages!

Senate races:

WA-Sen: Mike McGavick

VA-Sen: George Allen

TN-Sen: Bob Corker

RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee

MT-Sen: Conrad Burns

MO-Sen: Jim Talent

MD-Sen: Michael Steele

AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl

House races:

WA-08: Dave Reichert

VA-10: Frank Wolf

PA-10: Don Sherwood

PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick

PA-07: Curt Weldon

PA-04: Melissa Hart

OH-18: Joy Padgett

OH-15: Deborah Pryce

OH-02: Jean Schmidt

OH-01: Steve Chabot

NY-29: Randy Kuhl

NY-26: Tom Reynolds

NY-20: John Sweeney

NY-03: Peter King

NV-03: Jon Porter

NM-01: Heather Wilson

NJ-07: Mike Ferguson

NH-02: Charlie Bass

NC-11: Charles Taylor

NC-08: Robin Hayes

MN-06: Michele Bachmann

MN-01: Gil Gutknecht

KY-04: Geoff Davis

KY-03: Anne Northup

KS-02: Jim Ryun

IN-08: John Hostettler

IN-02: Chris Chocola

IL-14: Dennis Hastert

IL-10: Mark Kirk

IL-06: Peter Roskam

ID-01: Bill Sali

IA-01: Mike Whalen

FL-22: Clay Shaw

FL-16: Joe Negron

FL-13: Vernon Buchanan

CT-04: Christopher Shays

CO-07: Rick O'Donnell

CO-05: Doug Lamborn

CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave

CA-50: Brian Bilbray

CA-11: Richard Pombo

CA-04: John Doolittle

AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth

AZ-01: Rick Renzi

Click here for more information about this post, and see this if you want to do something similar on your blog or web page.

...

Well this is a fine how do you do

Iraq for Sale,the film by Robert Greenwald,is now up online so you can watch it for free. I encourage you to buy the DVD though,and try to get as many people as you can to see it in the next couple of weeks,and beyond. It really needs to be on the TeeVee,yeah,that'll happen,HA.

I decided to try to find venues here that will allow me to hold screenings. My first thought was the public library system. Your mileage will vary on this,but here in the'burbs,appearantly there are now forms to be submitted before deadlines and your use of the multi purpose rooms has to be approved by a board at the county's main library. This is new,a few years back,when this library was new,I used their rooms more than once for various things,including a kid's birthday party/story time thing. The library manager knew when the rooms were free and put you on a list with your name,phone number,function/group,the date and time. And you could put a notice on the board at the library entrance if you wanted. So,I submit my application and today I find out it will be March at the earliest before I can have a turn. Ok fine,there are other venues,I've got a long list of possibilities. But I patronize this library regularly,and I have rarely seen a room in use except for the library's own kiddie story/film times. Sometimes you'll see people using the little rooms for paperwork,homework,etc,but the media rooms have always been empty,even in the after work hours with rare exceptions. It's just weird you have to jump through all these hoops when you didn't used to have to.

Anyway,I'm back to the phones. See this film damnit,it's very good. Support the Troops takes on a whole new meaning after seeing this film. Republicans should be duct taped to chairs and made to see it.(and no,I'm not advocating duct taping conservatives to chairs,ok,maybe just for a little bit,heh. Hey,it's only a 75 minute documentary,you can let 'em go once the credits roll. I'm kidding,seriously,sort of)

I just had a thought too,if you can find a venue to show the movie,a small fee at the door could be collected and the money sent to Operation Helmet,or some other group that really does support the troops directly. Might as well multi-task if possible. It also might be a good PR thing to get people to come see the film.

Bushcronium

Heh ... Lurch ...

Can I get a ...

"No shit"? Michael Stickings states what was obvious as soon as that deranged midget in North Korea threw the U.N. inspectors out. The North Korean nuclear test was a gift to the White House and Bush, through his actions (the requirement for 6-party talks, the refusal to talk to Kim unilaterally, the threat of increased sanctions), encouraged it:

At Think Progress, Joe Cirincione reports (from an article in the Post) that "[s]enior Bush administration officials wanted North Korea to test a nuclear weapon because it would prove their point that the regime must be overthrown". According to the Post article, these officials were actually "rooting for a test" (Michael's emphasis).

...

After living in South Korea for 3 years (walking distance from the DMZ) I can safely say the people who believed we were their friends, and there are quite a lot of South Koreans who love the U.S., are feeling shit upon as this news comes out. A lot of American lives were lost defending the Korean Peninsula 50 years ago and the South Koreans believed we would stand up for them again, against NK, against China if need be. I wonder how they feel knowing the Chimp and his people now consider them 'acceptable losses'. There are close to 40,000 U.S. troops on the DMZ (the only defense between a million NKPA troops under arms and Seoul) who I'm sure are wondering about their government's commitment to them as well.

Are you sure Evel Knievel started this way?

This is the funniest thing I've seen lately, assuming the clown didn't get killed. When someone asks, "Hey, wanna be on Jackass?", STFU!

Then again, maybe he just left his loading ramp at home.

I managed to blunder the video onto the Brain, but I don't really know how. Fixer, please still send instructions.

How ...

Can you diss Michael J. Fox and sleep at night? Fat bastid.

Yellow Ribbons

From the one and only Encino Man . The Asylum Street Spankers.

Tinfoil coal-scuttle helmet time

From Wonkette, who has many links and a picture of Gregory Peck in The Boys From Brazil. Heh.

We Hate To Bring Up the Nazis, But They Fled To South America, Too

Our paranoid friends over at Bring It On have put together a story that hasn't exactly made Washington Whispers. It's real short and real simple:

* The Cuban news service reports that George W. Bush has purchased 98,840 acres in Paraguay, near the Bolivian/Brazilian border.

* Jenna Bush paid a secret diplomatic visit to Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte and U.S. Ambassador James Cason. There were no press conferences, no public sightings and no official confirmation of her 10-day trip which apparently ended this week.

* The Paraguayan Senate voted last summer to "grant U.S. troops immunity from national and International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction."

* Immediately afterwards, 500 heavily armed U.S. troops arrived with various planes, choppers and land vehicles at Mariscal Estigarribia air base, which happens to be at the northern tip of Paraguay near the Bolivian/Brazilian border. More have reportedly arrived since then.

What the hell, after the jump. Plus a BREAKING UPDATE involving, of course, The Moonies!

Here's a fun question for Tony Snow: Why might the president and his family need a 98,840-acre ranch in Paraguay protected by a semi-secret U.S. military base manned by American troops who have been exempted from war-crimes prosecution by the Paraguyan government?

Could they be seeing an all-expense-paid one-way trip to The Hague in the handwriting on the wall? Hmmmm...

Go read the rest. It's fun.

And from Telugu Portal:

Jenna Bush, daughter of US President George W. Bush, is recently into a lot of humanitarian work.

According to pagesix.com, Jenna, who has been seen less at social gatherings and parties, was recently in Paraguay on a 10-day UNICEF trip as a volunteer. Currently, she is in Panama doing her internship with the organisation.

Lemme see, UNICEF has to do with children, doesn't it? Could her sudden interest be in gaining access to youthful, if reluctant, organ donors...? 41 is over 80, after all...

Mrs. G tells me that the other bimbo twin, Not Jenna, is studying medicine. Could her interest possibly lie in the organ transplant or identity-obscuring plastic surgery fields? Hmmmm....

Must go now. Thunderstorm approaching...must remove hat...

The "new" Nixon

Heh ... Digby:

...

"I want peace as much as you do." - Richard Nixon, 11/3/69

"No one wants to end the war in Iraq more than I do." - Joe Lieberman,
10/18/06

"Many others -- I among them -- have been strongly critical of the way
the war has been conducted." - Richard Nixon, 11/3/69

"I have been very critical of a lot of the mistakes the Bush
administration has made in Iraq." - Joe Lieberman, 10/18/06

...

You know, now that I think of it there is a lot about Joe's smarmy, self-righteousness that reminds me of Dick Nixon.

...

"Make nice", shit. Stomp 'em!

Paul Krugman via Donkey O.D.

Now that the Democrats are strongly favored to capture at least one house of Congress, they're getting a lot of unsolicited advice, with many people urging them to walk and talk softly if they win.

I hope the Democrats don't follow this advice - because it's bad for their party and, more important, bad for the country. In the long run, it's even bad for the cause of bipartisanship.

There are those who say that a confrontational stance will backfire politically on the Democrats. These are by and large the same people who told Democrats that attacking the Bush administration over Iraq would backfire in the midterm elections. Enough said.

What the make-nice crowd wants most of all is for the Democrats to forswear any investigations into the origins of the Iraq war and the cronyism and corruption that undermined it. But it's very much in the national interest to find out what led to the greatest strategic blunder in American history, so that it won't happen again.

What's more, the public wants to know. A large majority of Americans believe both that invading Iraq was a mistake, and that the Bush administration deliberately misled us into war. And according to the Newsweek poll, 58 percent of Americans believe that investigating contracting in Iraq isn't just a good idea, but a high priority; 52 percent believe the same about investigating the origins of the war.

Why, then, should the Democrats hold back? Because, we're told, the country needs less divisiveness. And I, too, would like to see a return to kinder, gentler politics. But that's not something Democrats can achieve with a group hug and a chorus of "Kumbaya."

I think it could be done after a beer party followed by a group piss at the Repugs' graveside service.

Please go read the rest.