The Ten Things Republicans Should Never Say to Democrats

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History ...

Pic thanks to Watertiger. Click to embiggen.

150 years ago, these two people would have been property. 60 years ago, these two people were not allowed to serve their country. 45 years ago, they probably wouldn't have been allowed to vote.

Today, they have the ability to become the First Couple of the United States of America.

It's about fucking time.

Gotta take the Mrs. to the airport and then I'm off to work. See yas later.

Quote of the Day

Creature:

A black man is about to be the Democratic nominee for the president of the United States. That's pretty cool.

Yes indeed, my friend.

Nothin' a .30-'06 can't fix...

Hey, Conyers!

Click to empiggen

Oh, the irony...

I missed doing this yesterday because I was infatuated by riding my new motorbike around without the element of fear of getting it towed because I didn't have a license. I'm over that for a few minutes. Heh.

Ironic Times

U.S. Secretly Planning Attack on Iran
According to Pentagon press release.

CIA: Al Qaeda Nearly Defeated
Warns: if we defeat terrorism, the terrorists win.

Audit: Of $8.2 Billion in Iraq Defense Contracts, $7.7 Billion Unaccounted For
Contractors cite “don't ask, don't tell.”

Shuttle Delivers New Toilet To Space Station
And some magazines.

Gov’t Home Price Index Posts Largest Drop in 17-Year History
Cardboard box price index hits 17-year high.

Saudi Arabia Rejected Bush's Request to Boost Oil Output
Granted Cheney's request to do nothing.

Reports: Inflation Up, Home Prices Down, Health Care Costs Rising, Consumer Confidence Falling, Housing Foreclosures Soar, Prices Plunge
Stocks finish higher for week.

And isn't that really what it's all about?

And as a pæan to my creaky generation:

Woodstock Museum Opens
Features wide doorways, wheelchair ramps, strategically placed oxygen stations.

What, no geriatrics-trained EMTs? Harrumph!

So al-Qa'ida's defeated, eh? Go tell it to the marines

The Independent (UK):

Last week the head of the CIA claimed it was winning the battle. Nonsense, argues Robert Fisk. The extremists in the Middle East are growing stronger

Six thousand dead in Afghanistan, tens of thousands dead in Iraq, a suicide bombing a day in Mesopotamia, the highest level of suicides ever in the US military – the Arab press wisely ran this story head to head with Hayden's boasts – and permanent US bases in Iraq after 31 December. And we've won?

Am I alone in finding this stuff infantile to the point of madness? As long as there is injustice in the Middle East, al-Qa'ida will win. As long as we have 22 times as many Western forces in the Muslim world as we did at the time of the Crusades – my calculations are pretty accurate – we are going to be at war with Muslims. The hell-disaster of the Middle East is now spread across Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, even Lebanon. And we are winning?

Because al-Qa'ida is a way of thinking, not an army. It feeds on pain and fear and cruelty – our cruelty and oppression – and as long as we continue to dominate the Muslim world with our Apache helicopters and our tanks and our Humvees and our artillery and bombs and our "friendly" dictators, so will al-Qa'ida continue.

Does Mike Hayden read this stuff? Or is he, like most of Washington, so frightened of Israel that he wouldn't say boo to a goose? Doesn't the CIA realise – or imagine – that as long as we allow the Middle East to fester under a cloak of injustice, al-Qa'ida will continue? Why are our forces – and this is a question I was asked in Baghdad – in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Algeria (yes, US special forces have a base near Tamanraset), Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Tajikistan? (Yes again, French bomber pilots are based at Dushanbe to fly "close air support" for our lads in Afghanistan.)

And as long as we have stretched this iron curtain across the Middle East, we will be at war and al-Qa'ida will be at war with us. This new iron curtain, by the way, starts up in Greenland and stretches down through Britain and Germany, through Bosnia and Greece to Turkey. What is it for? What's on the other side? Russia. China. India.

These are questions we do not ask; certainly they're not the kind of questions that The Washington Post would dare to put to Mike and his chums at the CIA. Yes, we huff and we puff about democracy and freedom and human rights, though we give little enough of them to the Muslim world. For the kind of freedom they want – the kind of freedom that allows outfits like al-Qa'ida to flourish – is freedom from "us". And this, I fear, we do not intend to give them.

Mike Hayman may think the Muslim world is "pushing back" al-Qa'ida's "form of Islam", but I doubt it. Indeed, I rather suspect al-Qa'ida is growing stronger. Mike says they're defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. But are they defeated in London? And Bali? And in New York and Washington?

Not exactly similar, but similar enough to the Vietcong, skinny little guys with AK47s, and the Afghans who defeated the British with handmade copies of bolt-action Lee-Enfields, and many others throughout the years, al Qaeda's got a few things goin' for 'em, rightly or wrongly, that no modern firepower-based army can ever defeat - they've got a fire in the belly born of religious fanaticism and social oppression to rid themslves of exploitation by outsiders and their own regimes that are fueled by it.

They can peck away at the biggest army and cause it to lose its will to continue. It doesn't matter if it takes a hundred years. They are where they are and will be there long after we leave. Which we eventually will.

We might as well GTFO. As long as oppressive regimes are in place, many of whom even sponsor aQ as long as they terrorize elsewhere, the conditions that cause things like aQ will let 'em percolate along in perpetuity just fine without us.

And just as an afterthought, thank the stars for foreign news media that's not afraid of their corporate masters or a failing oppressive regime here at home.

John McCain: A legacy of being wrong

VirginiaDem at Kos has tamped McCain's shit into a nice brick:

It's seems like we've got a narrative building folks. John McCain is trumpeting his experience, but it seems like all he's done in this campaign is highlight how many times he's shown a lapse in judgment and a failure to understand the facts. And about serious subjects like Iraq, the economy, ethics, and his own damn words.

Wrong judgment, wrong facts.

The following is a list compiled just with a few minutes of web searching. If you know of others, add them in the comments.

Loooong list, many links, handily compiled in one place for reference should you require such.

Bush: Mad Mullah of the Movies

Tom Englehardt has a few words on Bush's immaturity, perhaps turning into real insanity in the face of failure, that got us into the mess we're in. He has a few for Nixon and Reagan too. A 'recommended read'.

So, in a historic moment almost four decades ago, a desperate president suddenly found it strategically advisable to present himself to his enemies as a potential nation slaughterer, a world incinerator (and his aides were privately ready to think of him as such); the leader of what was then commonly termed "the Free World," that is, was considering revealing himself as a mad emperor, a veritable Ming the Merciless.

Skip ahead these several decades and, presidentially, things have only gotten stranger. After all, we now have a president who has openly, even eagerly, faced the world as the Commander-in-Chief of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques, Extraordinary Rendition, and Offshore Imprisonment; a Vice President who appeared openly on Capitol Hill to lobby against a bill banning torture; and key cabinet members who, from a White House conference room, micromanaged torture, down to specific techniques in specific cases. Talk about Ming the Merciless.

In all this, you can sense a man in his own bubble world, engrossed in, and satisfied with, his own performance - both as actor and, as in childhood, audience. What Gen. Ricardo Sanchez has added to this is the picture of a man who, even in 2004, was already dreaming Vietnam disaster ("This Vietnam stuff... We can't send that message."); who, perhaps sensing that his blockbuster was busting, like Richard Nixon before him, proved willing to mix the white-hat and black-hat codes of his movie childhood in remarkable ways. Under the strain of a failing war, in private and among his top officials, he didn't hesitate to take on that "guru" role and rally his closest followers with a call to kill, kill, kill!

A confused pep talk indeed. Even if Bush is still exhorting his top officials not to "blink," Americans should. After all, there are almost eight months left to his presidency, and a man of such stunning immaturity, who confuses fantasy with real life, and is given to outbursts of challenge, bluster, and bloodlust should be taken seriously. Nixon's "mad mullah" stayed private until transcripts of the Watergate tapes and memoirs started coming out. For us, the question remains, will this President be able to take a final turn on-screen before his term ends, playing the "mad mullah" in relation to Iran?

Bush is like a spiteful little kid who never learned what "no" means who'll break a toy so no one else can play with it. The only reality that matters is his twisted image of himself and fuck everybody else.

Help me to understand this ...

Our good pal Pissed Off Patricia talks about this today:

Americans, are you so angry at Senator Clinton’s possible loss of the Democratic nomination that you are willing to vote for Senator McCain? Are you so angry that you are willing to punish your daughters’ and granddaughters’ by being responsible for the loss of their freedom to choice? That freedom of choice could and most likely will be taken away if Senator McCain becomes our next president.

...

And so does our friend Avedon from across the pond:

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I gotta admit, I didn't get the "I'll vote for McCain!" thing when it was Obama supporters saying it, and I get it even less now that it's Clinton supporters saying it. I can easily understand the reasons progressives have for particularly disliking Obama or Clinton, but I don't get why they would dislike one of them so much that they'd rather completely forget how much better they still both are than McCain. Yes, they've both done things that are destructive, but jeez. I mean, McCain has no actual progressive policies, and several policies that are even worse than BushCheney's. And we need people to want to go to the polls and vote a straight Democratic ticket in November - not merely because we want a Democratic president, but because we want to win all those down-ticket races - and that just doesn't happen unless people have some enthusiasm for voting for the top of the ticket. Coattails, we need coattails a whole lot. (But if you can't bring yourself to vote for Obama, at least don't vote for McCain or stay home - vote for the other Dems on the ballot, and vote for Cynthia and Matt for pres.)

...

You all better get over yourselves real quick or nothing will get better and you'll be stuck with another asshole for 4 years. I was ready to leave in '04. If McCain wins in November, this blog will be run from somewhere in Paris or the Alsace before 2012. This isn't the America I put my ass on the line for and I've about had it with the whole situation. If you want to spend your lives supporting corporate interests as your rights get pissed away, go right ahead. Quit being babies and do what's best for the nation and future generations. It ain't about you.

Although, it would be nice to meet Avedon for tea in Cardiff or lunch at Gordon's near Charing Cross Station on a regular basis. Off to work ...

Appeasement ...

Via Maru, most believe the American President should appease our enemies just like that traitor to the realm Neville Chamberlain engage in diplomacy with hostile governments:

PRINCETON, NJ -- Large majorities of Democrats and independents, and even about half of Republicans, believe the president of the United States should meet with the leaders of countries that are considered enemies of the United States. Overall, 67% of Americans say this kind of diplomacy is a good idea.

...

What? No more "bring it on"?

The score ...

Dr. Fez-head tallies up the costs in Iraq so far:

CASUALTIES:

_Confirmed U.S. military deaths as of May 2008: at least 4,085.

_Confirmed U.S. military wounded (hostile) as of May 30, 2008: 30,143.

_Confirmed U.S. military wounded (non-hostile, using medical air transport) as of May 3, 2008: 32,248...

Assassinated Iraqi academics: 371.

_Journalists killed on assignment as of June 2, 2008: 127.

...

Afghanistan's fucked too ...

The NATO commander in Afghanistan says he needs more troops ... lots more:

No, that's not a typo. The outgoing US commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan says it would require 400,000 troops to secure that country.

...

Gen Dan McNeill is one of the straight-shooters of the US military, he says what he means and says it when it needs said. Four hundred thousand troops. As opposed to the less than 200,000 sent to Iraq for the Surge.

...

See yas ...

The Diggers are outta there:

...

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was swept into office in November largely on the promise that he would bring home the country’s 550 combat troops by the middle of 2008, saying the Iraq deployment has made Australia more of a target for terrorism.

U.S. President George W. Bush said in March that he understood the decision and it would not harm bilateral relations.

The Australians had "successfully accomplished their mission" and their contributions "assisted in the stabilization and development of Iraq," U.S. military spokesman Col. Bill Buckner said in a statement.

...

Look out, California, here he comes!

I'm going to DMV this morning and see if satisfying the legal requirements and standing in line are enough to get me a driver's license.

If that works, I'm going to take my new motorbike for a spin and drive legally for the first time in six years.

Later.

Update:

Success! Two hours in line and 25 minutes of written tests, thumb print, vision test and plenty of paying, and I'm legit!

And, yes, I'm an eye and organ donor. Anyone who gets my eyes has hit the jackpot, and as far as my other original equipment, if ya ain't got a muffler or a water pump, an old worn out rusty one is better than nothing.

I'm goin' ridin'. Legally. See ya.

Good memories ...

The Chief remembers Guantanamo Bay fondly, but that was before 9/11:

Gitmo, to me, is, perhaps, similar to a relationship one has with a (former) significant other, in that your memories of that time are sweet and positive, but today the relationship, if there really is one, is negative.

...

For about an 18 month period, Early Spring 1961 to late Summer 1962, I was in and out of Gitmo many, many times on two different Navy ships. The first ship was a WW2 Sumner class destroyer. I was a third class Electronics Technician, ET3 in Navy speak who maintained radars and equipment associated with Combat Information Center or CIC. I also stood underway watches in CIC. The height of my proficiency was the ability to radar navigate out of Gitmo harbor.

...

Bad memories ...

The great billmon of the now-defunct Whiskey Bar once (well ... more than once) characterized the Iraq War as "Vietnam on crack," because the same shit was happening, just a lot faster and crazier. It seems we've arrived at 1967 and things are going swimmingly.

I don't get it ...

All day Saturday, I had to sit through the excruciating minutiae and whining of the DNC committee meeting while CNN showed every painful detail. By the time I switched over to the Beeb, I was under the assumption Barack was the presumptive winner. So why is Hil acting like she didn't get the memo?

Now, I voted for Hil in the NY primary but jeez, the writing's on the wall. Let's wrap this up already and focus the party's (and the media's) attention on McSame. Hil's acting like a spoiled child, still wanting to play the game, even though it's over, is very off-putting. It's time to go back to representing the people of New York (and I will be more than happy to help get her reelected).

Right Now

Emmylou and some Limey gui-tar picker

Quote of the Day

The Rude One:

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Are you goddamn kidding that two of the news networks are gonna spend a good chunk of the day on a hearing of the fuckin' Rules Committee of the DNC? Christ, give us a smoke-filled back room, please.

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It's good to know a little about the process but really ...

McCain’s McClellan McNightmare

Daddy Frank lays it on 'em:

THEY thought they were being so slick. When the McCain campaign abruptly moved last Tuesday’s fund-raiser with President Bush from the Phoenix Convention Center to a private home, it was the next best thing to sending the loathed lame duck into the witness protection program.
...

The two men’s furtive encounter on the Phoenix airport tarmac, as captured by a shaky, inaudible long shot on FoxNews.com, could have been culled from a surveillance video.

Americans don’t like being lied to by their leaders, especially if there are casualties involved and especially if there’s no accountability. We view it as a crime story (my em), and we won’t be satisfied until there’s a resolution.

Amen to that, Pop!

That’s why the original sin of the war’s conception remains a political flash point, however much we tune out Iraq as it grinds on today. Even a figure as puny as Mr. McClellan can ignite it. The Democrats portray Mr. McCain as offering a third Bush term, but it’s a third term of the war that’s his bigger problem. Even if he locks the president away in a private home, the war will keep seeping under the door, like the blood in “Sweeney Todd.”

[...] Mr. McCain is hoping that the “liberal media” will once again be complicit enablers. We’ll see. He’s also counting on the press to let him blur his record by accentuating his subsequent criticism of the war’s execution — as if the war’s execution (also criticized by countless Democrats), not its conception, was the fatal error.

The 'press' will never let us know they made an error of moral judgment in their complicity about this criminal war, but they damn sure know they did. If they suddenly start doing their job it's tacit, if not implicit, admission of same. I'll not hold my breath.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald would have it, we will be borne back ceaselessly into the past. Or so we will be as long as Americans continue to die in Iraq and as long as politicians like Mr. Bush, Mr. McCain and Mrs. Clinton refuse to accept responsibility for their roles, major and minor, in abetting this national tragedy.

As usual, I agree with our Pop. Please read the rest.