Obvious

If you need to see which political party is more in tune with the American mainstream, just look at the group pictures of the Dem and Rethug presidential candidates. IF you look at the Dems, what do you see?

A black guy, a Hispanic guy, a woman.

Look at the Rethugs.

Rich, middle-aged white guys.

Not saying the Dems are wonderful, boy do they have some problems, but if you want a party who understands about what every day folks deal with they are the only solution right now.

I refuse to vote for that moron Nader, whom I had the misfortune to see both on Wolfie's and on Noballs yesterday. To vote for someone only because they are different than the rest is no reason. And yes, Al Gore could have done better in 2000, namely by putting Clinton on the campaign trail with him, but Nader knew what he was doing and knew the Dem vote would be split. He'll never be forgiven for the carnage done to the American system. He is as guilty as Bush.

Let me explain something that most don't get. A political party, a major one like the Rethugs and Dems, have an infrastructure set up in every state. As you've seen over the past 6 years, such an infrastructure is necessary to get the candidate's, and later the nominee's message to the people. An independent has no such infrastructure, no allies in Congress to help with important legislation, no election infrastructure to get other independent candidates elected to Congress and local legislatures.

An Independent President will end up being a lame duck in the first year of his term. Unfortunately, the Dems are our best be right now, especially if we want to correct all the fuckups committed during the Chimp's tenure.

Quote of the Day - Seite Zwei

Maru:

Preznit Veto McWarmonkey actually uses the words 'moral line' and 'sanctity of human life' and is not struck by lightning or laughed out of the room.

Up against the wall, Beltway muthas...

My San Antonio

LAREDO - In response to the Department of Homeland Security's plans to construct hundreds of miles of fencing along the border with Mexico, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce started a campaign of their own: build a wall around Washington, D.C.

I would suggest a concrete dome, with a moat and NO GATES.

A time to sow, a time to reap, a time to kick ass

William Rivers Pitt

There is something happening today in America. With the right kind of ears, you can hear it in the sound of millions of brows slowly furrowing in anger and disgust. It feels like those tense moments just before the eruption of a summer thunderstorm, those moments when the air is electric, the ozone reek of spent lightning fills the world, and you know something very loud is about to happen.

What is happening, what can be heard and smelled and sensed all across the land, is the cresting wave of rage, betrayal and fury that is, finally, roaring across the shores of our collective American heart. After more than six years of lies, theft, graft, corruption, manipulation and misconduct, just about every living person within these borders finds themselves today gripped by the slow seethe, directed inward as much as outward, of one who has come around to see just how much of a fool they've been played for.

Americans are realizing that their faith and trust in the workings of the republic have been deliberately undermined, and the simple ability to feel good about their nation has been stolen away. Faith in the constructs of our democracy has turned to gall for the citizen who perceives now the magnitude of this theft. When joined in this by another citizen and another and another again, when the unrest of the one becomes a massed and overwhelming majority, those responsible should rightly tremble before the looming possibilities of what may come to be unleashed.

That is the missing thing people have come to sense, the stolen thing which summons the storm. Partisan sensibilities and the your-team/my-team nonsense of modern politics is being replaced by the broad belief that we have all been screwed, that what is most important has been discarded by those in power. The poll numbers charting low approval for Bush and the GOP are matched by similarly low numbers approving of the new Democratic majority in congress. The former bears most of the responsibility for what has happened, as far as the citizenry is concerned, but the latter's failure to stop or reverse the trend is equally shameful.

The seeds of this Becoming have been planted, and have grown, and the time has come to reap.

Reap, shit. The time has come to burn the Repug fields and cleanse them for generations to come.

How To Not Hire An American

BobOak at Kos. 'Must see' video.

It's on video, believe it or not, and even presented as a selling point to peddle their services by Cohen & Grigsby Law Firm. That's right, this group of attorneys put an entire seminar on how to screw over the American worker on YouTube. Imagine that, a seminar from lawyers on how to make sure one doesn't have to hire an American worker!

In the video attorneys explain how they assist employers in running classified ads with the goal of NOT finding any qualified applicants, and how they disqualify even the most qualified Americans in order to secure green cards for H-1b workers.

And on getting rid of extremely qualified applicants:

If someone looks like they are very qualified, if necessary schedule an interview, go through the whole process to find a legal basis to disqualify them.

Employers who favor aliens have an arsenal of legal means to reject all U.S. workers who apply.

That's just disgusting.

This one's for Fixer

Update:

The "10 Commandments for drivers" here. Or at any AAA office, but they leave out the one about cars being used as an 'occasion of sin'. In my day it would have been, "Thou shalt watch the movie lest thy windows get steamed up".

The Surge, is it working Georgie?

Is it working Gen Petraeus?

14 U.S. troops killed in Iraq in 48 hours
“The U.S. military today reported the deaths of 14 U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq over the past 48 hours. The deadliest attack happened when a roadside bomb struck a military vehicle in northeastern Baghdad, killing five U.S. soldiers, three Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi interpreter. A U.S. soldier and two civilians were also wounded.”

More «here»

I don't think most of us have to wait until September to know the answer. It is time to remove these characterscriminals* from office. In shackles. Any possibility for getting BushCo out of there should be "on the table". It is the only important business that Congress has right now.

*=Hattip to wkmaier

R.

Quote of the Day

Creature (2 days in a row!) captures my sentiments on the possibilty of Mayor Mike running for preznit exactly:

I'd like to see Mike Bloomberg run for president if only because it will really, really, really piss Rudy "9/11" Giulani off. Go, Mike!

You're stayin', asshole ...

I mean, you volunteered, didn't you?

WASHINGTON - The Army is considering whether it will have to extend the combat tours of troops in Iraq if President Bush opts to maintain the recent buildup of forces through spring 2008.

Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren testified Tuesday that the service is reviewing other options, including relying more heavily on Army reservists or Navy and Air Force personnel, so as not to put more pressure on a stretched active-duty force.

...

Either start up the draft, no exceptions, or bring 'em home. You can't do this to the troops and expect our military to survive.

Great thanks to Nicole @ C & L.

Update:

More on this from Lurch:

...

Maintaining 156,000 troops in Iraq from now until Mr Bu$h saddles up ole Marines #1 and rides off into the sunset, and dust of historical obscurity is going to require sending just about every swinging dick in a military uniform. (Apologies to the uniformed women of the US Armed Forces, who truly clank when they walk.) That would include a very large number of Majors, Colonels and even Brigadier Generals currently employed as messengers, walking folders around the corridors of the Pentagon. We could probably field at least one more brigade with those linoleum-trotters and never feel the difference. They could take turns playing brigade commander, and build up their Form 20s.

...

Off to the shop ...

Quote of the Day

Roger Ailes the Good:

I. Lewis Libby -- the I stands for "Inmate" -- ...

Accomplishments ...

Or, how's that surge going? Commander Huber:

...

Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace now rank Iraq as the second most unstable country in the world. Sudan just eked out the number one rating, a remarkable accomplishment considering that it doesn't have the advantage of being occupied by 150,000 U.S. troops to help destabilize it. Somalia ranks right behind Iraq for instability, which makes a certain amount of sense. U.S. troops are in Somalia conducting combat operations, but not nearly as many U.S. troops as are fighting in Iraq, so you can't really fault Somalia for not being more unstable than [Iraq]

The two non-African countries in the top 10 unstable states are Iraq and Afghanistan, and we pretty much know what those two have in common, don't we?

Shoot, if a fellah didn't know any better, he might come to the conclusion that the number one cause of instability in the world is the United States of America. [my em]

...

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

The Cookie Jar

Dissident News

The sprawling $43 billion homeland security department is known for being in charge of America's color-coded terrorist-threat alarm system, a sham that obscures HSD's real mission: to serve as a giant federal cookie jar for corporate America.

Go to HSD's website, and you'll find a prominent section called "Open For Business." There, on any given day, corporate shoppers can scroll through the hundreds of contracts and grants available to them. Just dip in and grab some cookies, each one worth from $50,000 to more than $80 million. Like the department's color codes, the vast majority of these projects do nothing to make our country safe. Instead, they are make-work studies, silly technologies, and useless systems that essentially serve as mediums for transferring billions of our tax dollars to a few corporate big shots. Ever helpful to its clients, HSD also maintains a private-sector office, headed by an assistant secretary who is not a security expert but a former banker from JP Morgan Chase. This office provides concierge service for cookie grabbers. For example, it recently held a corporate seminar, entitled "The Business of Homeland Security," offering "tips, hints, and directions" on how to grab the latest contracts and grants. Lest you think that patriotism or even national security might be the motivating force behind these government-industry confabs, a Sikorksy Helicopters executive who attended the session bluntly explained why he was there: "To us contractors, money is always a good thing."

Government by corporation.

Swell. Go read the rest.

Potpourri on JCS, Iraq

Good piece in Asia Times

"Pace is taking the fall for these assholes," a retired marine general said. "If you know how the war started, if you know anything about [Ahmad] Chalabi or Cheney or anything like that, you're gone (my em). Peter Pace is being sacrificed to the White House failure in Iraq." The neo-conservative press has also weighed in, calling the Bush administration's decision "cowardly".

Gates was nonplussed and quickly announced that Pace's replacement would be the current chief of naval operations, Admiral Michael Mullen - a riposte that was a mini-declaration of war against the pro-war press.

Mullen, a tough-minded and hard-nosed conservative, is known for his scoffing (if private) dismissal of Washington's neo-conservatives, though sometimes he can barely keep it under wraps. During a recent Washington reception, he was asked by a reporter whether he would oppose an attack on Iran: "It's your job to convince the politicians just how stupid that would be," he said, "not mine."

Since the retirement of Colin Powell, four generals have served as JCS chairman. All have been weak.

"This has been a purposeful policy," a former senior army commander said. "Bill Clinton quietly advised George Bush that the last thing he wanted was to have a strong chairman, as Colin Powell was able to dictate military policy to Clinton because of his prestige. He really stood him up.

"After Powell retired, Rumsfeld and Bush made certain that they never had a man of Powell's caliber in the chair. That's how we eventually ended up with Pace. He was a good man, no doubt about it, but Mullen is a real shift. He's Gates' choice. He's a real leader. He can say 'no'. and he intends to."

This is not to say that the United States is about to win the Iraq war. It's not. And it won't. But a shift, small and perceptible - away from escalation and confrontation - has begun. There are people, powerful people, in Washington who are still committed to confronting Islam, whose default position is the deployment of another division, another aircraft carrier. But there are others now, also powerful, who oppose them.

As General Joseph Hoar has put it, "Perhaps we are finally, finally learning that this idea that Americans can walk down the street and be safe in Iraq is ludicrous. And perhaps we are also learning that we cannot drag a Muslim man out of his house in front of his family, in front of his wife and children, and humiliate him and expect to be considered a great power and a great people. Maybe, just maybe, we are starting to learn that too. And it's about time."

These guys learn at about the pouring speed of molasses in January.

War footing?

Creature is right when he details what Iraq is really about:

...

Over the course of the last four years our Dear Leader, and his wingnut base, have preached to us that the United States is caught in a struggle of civilizations where our steadfastness is necessary and our weakness will be our demise as a nation. So, in essence, to analogize from Mr. Crocker, the issue is whether we are a country and a government at war.

We are told we are at war, yet we are encouraged to go shopping. We are told we are at war, yet tax cuts abound. We are told we are at war, yet profits continue to be made off the backs of our soldiers. We are told we are at war, yet the sacrifice is not shared.

...

Indeed, my friend. That was the first indication this war didn't pass the sniff test. If this was an all out clash of civilizations, the draft would have been enacted and we would all be focused on the 'war effort'.

The whole purpose of the 'War on Terror' is a cover to hide what we really went into Iraq for, and that's the oil.

This changes things ...

Just moments ago, Mayor Mike Bloomberg announced that he has changed his registration at the Board of Elections to independent, thus ending Republican rule over New York City. Here's his statement in full:

"I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party. Although my plans for the future haven’t changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our City.

...

A lot of folks like Mayor Mike and he has the money to give Hillary and Obama a run. The '08 race just got interesting.

Asleep at the Wheel

No, this isn't about the "Kings of Texas Swing". I wish it was.

FAIR

Press ignores congressional OK for martial law

On October 17, 2006, when George W. Bush signed the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2007 - a $538 billion military spending bill - he enacted into law a section called "Use of the Armed Forces in Major Public Emergencies." In the view of many, this Act substantially changed fundamental laws of the United States, giving Bush - and all future U.S. presidents - new and sweeping powers to use the U.S. military anywhere in the United States, virtually as he sees fit—for disaster relief, crowd control, suppression of public disorder, or any "other condition" that might arise.

I think the upcoming Democratic victory in the '08 election might qualify as an "other condition" to Bush. Maybe even the prospect of an election.

Indeed, the president could order the Guard of any state into any other state - even if the governors of both states objected. Or the president could choose to use any element of the U.S. military - the Army, Air Force, Navy or Marines - to suppress a protest or carry out practically any kind of domestic action the president desired. And all of this with essentially no oversight - or checks and balances - on how the commander-in-chief uses these powers. Basically, after sending the National Guard somewhere, he or she merely needs to report to Congress every couple of weeks to let them know what the Guard is doing.

They won't be doing very well. Oh sure, the Guard will do fine against unarmed protesters, Code Pink, Grannies For Peace, etc. They might have a little trouble occupying Michael Moore...

I'm not too worried about the imposition of general martial law. The Guard's resources are at an all time low because of Iraq. They don't have the vehicles or logistics support they should have, and recruitment and retention of personnel is declining. They come to my town, they're liable to freeze to death or starve. I personally will be glad to trade them a hot nutritious meal for an M-16 or a SAW. They're Americans just like me, after all.

If push should come to shove, which is highly unlikely, there are a lot more old jungle fighters still in the prime of life than there are Guardsmen. Skill in treachery will always trump youth and enthusiasm.

Then of course, there's a good chance that the Guardsmen will balk at occupying their own country and repressing their own countrymen. They're just liable to tell their superiors to go fuck themselves right up the chain of command.

On the other hand, it might get them out of Iraq. Welcome to my town, Guard boys and girls. Just sit there nice and safe and don't do a damn thing and you'll be fine.

Here's the money shot:

What does it say about the fourth estate that such significant changes occur in our laws without news media coverage and without the intelligent and vigorous public debate one would hope for in the world's oldest democracy? The Jeffersonian ideal is of a well-informed citizenry capable of intelligent self-determination. All too often, thanks to a media asleep at the wheel, precious few even know that something has happened.

This administration banks on the media being asleep at the wheel, and has gone to great lengths to co-opt them. It also counts on the public's ignorance, ADD, and fascination with bread and circuses to hide their malfeasance from the light. Our ignorance is Bush's bliss. That's starting to change, but not fast enough.

The media has to pull the scales off its eyes, grow some sack, and start telling the truth. I don't know how they can sleep at night after ignoring, even promoting, the many crimes of the Bush administration.

There are some out there who are doing a good job, Sy Hersh, Frank Rich, and others, but there needs to be a lot more of 'em.

A Moderately Failed State

The Fund for Peace is pleased to present the third annual Failed States Index:



No worries. We'll be No. 1 yet! One more Repuglican't administration oughta do it if this one doesn't.

Gimme some skull...

Working For Change

The most recent Slowpoke strip studies the strong surge of skulls-as-style statement. What's with the fashion fetish for death heads? Maybe it's just a side project of the Bush Administration to make devastation cool again...

Working For Change has no idea how close they really are:

Death's Head emblem worn by SS-Totenkopfverbände soldiers

Motto reads in English: My Honor's name is Loyalty

"Side" project?

Think Gonzales, Rumsfeld, "Heckuva job", etc. A lot of loyalty but no honor. All the people of honor have been replaced with loyal incompetent yes-boss hacks. As they are found out or the kool-aid wears off, they leave to 'spend more time with their families', hopefully on visiting day. In most cases, the 'B-team' replacements are even worse, with a few exceptions.

The Death and Destruction, the Lies and Crimes, the Incompetence and Arrogance, continue. And will right into the bunker. I anxiously await VB Day.

Difficult tasks

Filling Digby's shoes is one of them. Dover Bitch is certainly up for the challenge as she looks over Sy Hersh's report on Abu Ghraib and the fate of another good general officer who was cashiered because he dared to speak the truth:

...

At this point, there are so many examples of dereliction on behalf of the administration and the "party of accountability" that it's simply not plausible that any group of people could be that oblivious. But the idea that they could avoid responsibility simply by closing their eyes... that's the stuff a normal person learns won't work by the end of second grade in elementary school.

...

Off to work ... later ...

Sky. Falling. Run!

[A big welcome to Salon readers. ~ F]

You know, once upon a time, I thought ABC's Brian Ross was a credible investigative journalist. Now, at best, I think he's a whiny bitch. At worst, I think he's a hand puppet for the Bush administration through which to release talking points. Every time there's bad news coming out, or word of a scandal, Ross comes on with some new terrorist alert. I guess people have caught on to the whole Homeland Security color-coded scare-'em-to-death system. Brother Lurch demonstrates using a blockquote and a graph.