Who knew?

Tucker had friends:

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Friends of Tucker was formed and posted a website last December in the wake of rumors that Carlson would be purged by Liberals at the cable news network.

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They got a lot to bitch about now. Heh ...

Exactly!

Mr. Leonard Pierce on chickenshits. Namely, the Chickenshit-in-Chief:

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This is the chickenhawk worldview at its absolute purest: a guy who ducked out on his chance to actually go and fight in the war sprouting a boner at the concept of other people fighting one, and rattling on about what an exciting, picaresque fantasy adventure it all must be.

Every living male in my family other than me has fought in a war - Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf or Iraq. None of them exactly regrets his service, and there’s a wide range of opinions among them about politics and the necessity of the various wars in which they fought. It’s not a homogeneous group by any means, with plenty of die-hard liberals and plenty of stone-ribbed conservatives. But not a fucking one of them in a million years would describe their wartime experiences as "romantic."

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Let's Have A Party!

Think I'm the only one who posts crazy redneck music? Think again! Rightly so, too. Heh.

Parody As Prescience?

Bush Cancels Presidential Election

Thoughts of an Ex-Marine

Camillo "Mac" Bica

Often as I've marched and demonstrated for peace, I've been verbally assaulted, accused of being un-American, unpatriotic, even treasonous by those who carried American flags, sang inspiring hymns, and boisterously and stridently asserted their patriotism, love of country and support for the troops through bullhorns.

Most of this criticism I dismissed as a failure to understand the nature and the reality of war and the moral and political obligations of citizens in a democracy. I was confident in my patriotism, my love of America and my concern and support for the troops. I had, after all, served honorably as a motivated United States Marine Corps officer in Vietnam. But when this disparagement and denunciation began coming from fellow veterans, I became disquieted and felt the need to seriously ponder the possibility that perhaps I had gone astray, violating some sacred trust or bond. So, what I offer in this essay is a thought experiment in self-examination, an introspective journey into the mind and motivation of a former Marine turned peace activist.

Go read.

As a result of this exercise in self-examination, I have realized that I am anti aggression. I am anti unjust, immoral, and unnecessary war, but not anti war. I am anti the Iraq war, however; anti the Bush Administration, anti rogue nation and anti recruitment. In addition, I am pro military, pro veteran and pro America. I have realized as well that the outrage I feel regarding the corrupting and disgracing of America by those political leaders and their coconspirators who cherish not our values and way of life but only wealth and power requires - no demands - the true patriot to embrace truth and to cry out in condemnation and protest. Finally, despite the criticisms and disparaging comments and accusations by credulous veterans, I have realized that my activism and dissent are an expression and fulfillment of my moral and patriotic duty. I am confident, therefore, that I am more the patriot today as I demonstrate for peace than when I wore the uniform of a United States Marine.

This is one of the few times I've agreed with a Marine officer.

Report Shows No Link Between Saddam and al Qaeda

We knew that, but now it's official: Bush and Cheney and their henchmen flat fuckin' lied us into their criminal war and occupation for oil. They should be in jail. Now.

ABC News

ABC News has requested and obtained a copy of the Pentagon study which shows Saddam Hussein had no links to Al Qaeda.

(READ THE FULL REPORT HERE.)

It's (a) government report the White House didn't want you to read: yesterday the Pentagon canceled plans to send out a press release announcing the report's availability and didn't make the report available via email or online.

Yesterday they cancelled plans to send it out and today it's on the internets. Heh.

Someone at the Pentagon is on the ball. Probly PFC Snuffy down in the basement. Fuck the White House.

Bush Library Pledge Drive: Pickles On The Stump

"Now you can be just like the President and wipe your ass with Bill of Rights of this here country, and all you got to do is pledge a million dollars for the George W. Bush Presidential Library," said Mrs. Bush like a carnival barker.

Just for fun, go read some of these comments on his legal fees library fundraising effort.

Karma ...

Since the Rethugs have been ripping us off for the last 8 years, it's sort of nice to see them get a taste of their own medicine:

The former treasurer for the National Republican Congressional Committee transferred as much as $1 million in committee funds into his personal and business accounts, officials announced today, describing a scheme that could prove to be one of the largest campaign frauds in recent history.

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Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!

I'll be smiling all the way to work. Later. TGIF!

'Kristen'

Well, since this is NY, all we've been hearing for the past few days are the sordid details about Gov. Spitzer's tryst with an expensive call girl. Since the girl's identity has become public, we've heard more about her than we really want to know. That said, I have a little advice for rich middle-aged men going through their 'crisis'.

If you just have to spend that much on a call girl, get your money's worth. Listen to me. A 'high-class' hooker isn't a 22 year old high school dropout with a prison tattoo. The real 'high-class' ladies are generally college-educated, if not more, can mingle with executives and CEOs, generals and diplomats, and none would be the wiser. They are not looking to promote their pop album or whatever their aspirations are. The real high class escort services are professional operations who seldom get caught.

I don't get paying for sex (for me, it wasn't so much 'the kill', but the thrill of the chase; paying for it takes all the fun out of it) to begin with (though I can see why a lot of Republicans can't get laid; it's tough when you're socially inept), but if you're the governor of New York, I'd expect you'd know enough to do it right. Spitzer was/is an idiot for throwing away his entire career for a bit of gratification at an exorbitant price and he's a fool for getting it in such an amateurish manner (arranging for sex on a website, please; you're the fucking governor). He should have known better.

When you have a beautiful wife and family, when you're the leader of one of the most powerful and influential states in the union, you don't do dumbass shit like this (you don't do it even if you're not the governor). He's hurt his family irreparably, he's hurt the state of New York, and he's hurt the Democratic Party in a crucial election year, all for a 22 year old piece of ass he could have had the equivalent of for the price of dinner and a movie. Maybe not even so much as there are girls (and guys) out there who've made a career out of sleeping with rich, powerful men discreetly.

With the judgment Spitzer showed in getting his jollies, the State of New York is better off without him. Thank god we had David Paterson on the bench.

Our new governor ...

I love this guy:

... "Just so we don't have to go through this whole resignation thing again," one ballsy reporter asked, "have you ever patronized a prostitute?" Patterson thought for a minute. "Only the lobbyists," he said.

Pizza and beer now cost an arm and a leg

MSNBC

If you’re looking for a sure sign the U.S. economy is headed in the wrong direction, all you need to do is look at the skyrocketing price of “recession-proof” foods: pizza, hot dogs, bagels and beer.

Pizza makers have seen their cheese costs soar this year from $1.30 a pound to $1.76 a pound. Even worse, the flour used to make the dough has gone from $3-$7 dollars a bushel to $25 a bushel in less than a year.

Beer makers have been forced to raise their prices because of the skyrocketing price of hops – one of the principle ingredients. The price of hops has gone from about $4 a pound in September to $40 a pound. The price of barley, beer’s other main ingredient, has nearly doubled.

On top of everything else, Bush has finally gone too far. Now he's fuckin' with my pizza! Asshole.

Are we closer to war with Iran? Oh, yah, you betcha!

Froomkin with many links and quotes about the coming war with Iran in the wake of Admiral Fallon's 'retirement'. Other stuff too. Runs to 5 pages.

The abrupt resignation yesterday of the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral William J. "Fox" Fallon, has sparked a new round of speculation that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have some sort of plan in the works to attack Iran before their time is up.

Like, DUH...

"And so Fallon, the good cop, may soon be unemployed because he's doing what a generation of young officers in the U. S. military are now openly complaining that their leaders didn't do on their behalf in the run-up to the war in Iraq: He's standing up to the commander in chief, whom he thinks is contemplating a strategically unsound war."

I think 'strategically unsound' is the understatement of the year!

"Across the officer corps, a large number of senior military leaders share Admiral Fallon's broad assessment that a war with Iran would bring unexpected and, perhaps, unmanageable, risks elsewhere in the Muslim world and around the globe.

To Bush, the 'unmanageable risk' is that a Democrat will probably be elected President.

Terry Atlas blogs for U.S. News and World Report with "6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran." They are: Fallon's resignation, Cheney's trip to the Middle East, the Israeli airstrike on Syria, U.S. warships off Lebanon, Israeli comments and Israel's war with Hezbollah.

Atlas explains each one. Why the Israeli airstrike on Syria, for instance? Atlas writes: "Israel's airstrike deep in Syria last October was reported to have targeted a nuclear-related facility, but details have remained sketchy and some experts have been skeptical that Syria had a covert nuclear program. An alternative scenario floating in Israel and Lebanon is that the real purpose of the strike was to force Syria to switch on the targeting electronics for newly received Russian anti-aircraft defenses. The location of the strike is seen as on a likely flight path to Iran (also crossing the friendly Kurdish-controlled Northern Iraq), and knowing the electronic signatures of the defensive systems is necessary to reduce the risks for warplanes heading to targets in Iran."

It's still not really beyond Bush and Cheney to order a full-scale preemptive attack on Iran. But the more likely scenario is that there will be an asymmetrical U.S. response to a (possibly trumped up) Iranian provocation. And the most likely scenario is that the U.S. will encourage (or certainly not oppose) an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities -- which in turn would lead the U.S. to come to Israel's defense should Iran strike back.

That's been a favorite Cheney scenario for more than a year. See, for instance, this Steve Clemons blog post from last May, later corroborated by the New York Times. And see my June 4 column, Cheney, By Proxy.

Links at site. To quote Fixer, "We're screwed". On a lighter note:

Jay Leno, via U.S. News: "Well, here's a very scary story. Prescription medications have been discovered in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans." President Bush "calls that the Republican healthcare plan."

Letter from an old white lady

I just love this kinda shit! Pinko Magazine

Dear Hil,

What the fuck did I say?

I should have guessed something like this would happen. You know how those people are. You can’t say anything bad about them. They can say what ever they damn well please in their hippity-hop songs, but I say anything bad about one of them and 30 minutes later Al Sharpton has a fucking news conference. I’ll tell you one thing. Those people stick together. They’re worse than the fucking Jews!

And another thing, I’m pretty sure it was Obama that stole my car stereo last year. I didn’t get a good look at him, but I’d bet you if it wasn’t him, he knows the ones that did it! You should get on CNN and talk about that! Let see him talk his way out of that one! Bet you he can’t!

So yeah, what was I saying? Oh right. I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign. When that red phone rings we don’t need Jay Z answering it, or whatever. Fuck — was THAT racist? I only said it because Jay Z cut a radio ad for Barack. Not because I think he’s gay and would be banging Barack on the down-low. You didn’t hear that from me, though I assume Ed Rendell will bring it up. And that’s the kind of thing they would use against me. The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen. Not in my back yard.

Sincerely yours,

Geraldine Anne Ferraro

50 Suggestions for John McCain's VP Shortlist

Will Durst

6. JEB BUSH. Ups the Bush streak to seven of last eight GOP tickets.

19. FRED THOMPSON. Throws a bone to the conservative wing and makes candidate appear vibrant.

23. HILLARY CLINTON. Wants it so bad, she'd cross the aisle for death- watch slot.

28. TOM CRUISE. Scientologists are to Republicans what vegans are to hippies.

38. KEIFER SUTHERLAND. What right winger doesn't love Jack Bauer? Torture question becomes moot.

41. WILLIE NELSON. You have any idea of what percentage of this country smokes pot?

45. KARL ROVE. Assassination insurance.

47. DONALD RUMSFELD. See Karl Rove.

48. NEWT GINGRICH. See Karl Rove.

Protesters Arrested At Diego Garcia

Guardian UK

Two British human rights campaigners have been arrested at sea off Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean after protesting against the island's use in British and US military operations. The two men were demonstrating against the island's admitted use by the US for rendition flights and the historic removal of the Chagos islanders from their homes nearly 40 years ago.

Two things spring to mind:

1) You have to really, really! want to protest something to go to that godforsaken speck of shit!

2) You have to get arrested before anybody would even know you were there.

I agree with their protest, but it's really pretty useless, like shovelin' shit against the tide. I think these guys are lucky that the arrestors didn't just sink 'em with gunfire and then shrug, "What protesters?".

Special Comment

Keith Olbermann takes the Clinton campaign to the woodshed. Pretty gentle compared with the way he blisters Bush's ass, but there's really no comparison. From Baldwin Park Democrat:

The war thing ...

You know, what we don't hear about on TV anymore because Hil and Barack are fighting like children and Spitzer is spending $5K an hour on his dick:

BAGHDAD — U.S. authorities in Baghdad have received five severed fingers belonging to four Americans and an Austrian who were taken hostage more than a year ago in Iraq, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The FBI is investigating the grisly development, and the families of the five kidnapped contractors have been notified, American officials said on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Authorities confirmed that the fingers belonged to hostages Jonathan Cote, of Gainesville, Fla.; Joshua Munns, of Redding, Calif.; Paul Johnson Reuben, of Buffalo, Minn.; Bert Nussbaumer of Vienna, Austria; and Ronald J. Withrow, an American who was kidnapped separately from the others.

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War? Oh, that war. Maybe Hillary and Barack should STFU with the catfight and spend more time detailing exactly how they're gonna bring the troops home and how fast it's gonna get done.

Off to the shop ...

Thanks to Mr. Philadelphia for the link.

They don't care ...

If it's legal or not. Why is everyone so surprised? Just because something was ruled illegal or unconstitutional doesn't mean the Bush administration is gonna stop doing it, they're just gonna hide it better:

The American Civil Liberties Union responded today to a stunning new report that the NSA has effectively revived the Orwellian “Total Information Awareness” domestic-spying program that was banned by Congress in 2003. In response, the ACLU said that it was filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for more information about the spying. And, the group announced that it was moving its “Surveillance Clock” one minute closer to midnight.

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The new governor ...

Personally, I think NY will be better off:

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Paterson was born in Brooklyn; an infection during infancy left him with no sight in his left eye and severely limited vision in his right. He has optic atrophy. His family moved to Hempstead, a suburb on Long Island, so that he could attend public schools which provided a better education for the visually impaired than those in city. He graduated from the racially integrated Hempstead High School in 1971.

Paterson received a BA in history from Columbia University in 1977 and later his law degree from Hofstra Law School. After law school, he went to work for the Queens District Attorney's Office, but failed the New York bar examination, and so did not become an attorney at law. He attributed this to insufficient accommodation for his visual impairment, and has since advocated for changes in bar exam procedures.

Paterson is the son of former New York Secretary of State Basil Paterson, who was the first African American Deputy Mayor of New York City, and the second African American to run for statewide office in New York (Edward R. Dudley was the Democratic nominee for New York State Attorney General in 1962). Secretary Paterson was the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 1970. The elder Paterson also served in the New York State Senate, in the same seat his son occupied. The elder Paterson was also the first African American vice-chair of the national Democratic Party. David Paterson has a younger brother, Daniel, who is a New York government official.

Paterson and his wife Michelle Paige Paterson live in Harlem. They have two children: Ashley, who entered Ithaca College in fall 2006, and Alex, who attends school in New York City.

An avid fan of New York sports teams, Paterson has been known to call in to WFAN, a major sports talk radio station in New York City.

Paterson is an active advocate for people with visual and physical impairments. He was elected as a member of the American Foundation for the Blind. Paterson serves on the board of directors of the the Achilles Track Club, an organization which sponsors disabled athletes and disabled veterans competing in marathons. Paterson himself completed the New York City Marathon in 1999.

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Mr. Paterson's story is inpirational and we're lucky to have him.

And he's a Long Island boy; what could be bad? Heh ...

The "Oh, Shit!" Moment On Iran

Dave Lindorff

Every horror movie has that "Oh Shit!" moment, when the hero or heroes are huddled in some creepy hideout, and suddenly something happens that tells you that the monster is just around the corner, or just about to attack. In "Jurassic Park," it was the pulsing ripples in a cup of water, heralding the arrival of a T-Rex. In "Jaws," it was the deep bass music, letting you know that a monstrous shark was about to attack.

Well, we just got our "Oh Shit!" moment with the just-announced resignation of Admiral William J. Fallon, the military commander of U.S. Middle East operations.

All the elements, that is to say, are in place for a massive air assault on Iranian targets, designed to destroy its nuclear program, cripple its military command and control, and -- at least this is a stated Cheney goal -- to lead to the overthrow of the Iranian government by its own people.

It is, of course, the strategy of madmen.

The monster of war will be unleashed, and will not easily be defeated. That's why Adm. Fallon was so opposed to the whole idea. He knows that it will be a disaster for the U.S. militarily, economically, and politically.

The worst part is that Cheney knows this, too. He just doesn't care. This is the man's parting shot as he leaves office -- to put the country into the throes of a war so vicious that no one will think of pursuing him for his long list of crimes against the nation and the Constitution.

He is guessing -- and he may be right -- that the American public will, sheep-like as always, rally to the cause, with a new round of yellow magnet "ribbons" on their cars. He is hoping -- and he may be right -- that war will be a boon for the candidacy of Republican John McCain and for embattled Republicans running for Congress.

It's a kind of political Hail Mary.

Oh Shit! Here it comes!

It is high time for the military, Congress, and the American people to tell the insane sociopathic warmongers to fuck off. Will they?

Stay tuned...