When the levee breaks ...

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break, [X2]
When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.

Mean old levee taught me to weep and moan, [X2]
Got what it takes to make a mountain man leave his home,
Oh, well, oh, well, oh, well.

Don't it make you feel bad
When you're tryin' to find your way home,
You don't know which way to go?
If you're goin' down South
They go no work to do,
If you don't know about Chicago.

Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
Now, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good,
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move.

All last night sat on the levee and moaned, [X2]
Thinkin' about me baby and my happy home.
Going, going to Chicago... Going to Chicago... Sorry but I can't take you...
Going down... going down now... going down....

- Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

I wonder how bad the federal government is gonna fuck the folks in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri? I hope they fare better than the citizens of NOLA did.





I did 6 weeks at Chanute AFB in Rantoul, Illinois when I was cross-training. We had 3 tornadoes. You'd never get me to live anywhere in the Midwest, let alone near a river. Fuck that shit. I'll deal with a hurricane any day.

Led Zeppelin - When The Levee Breaks

Sunday Saturday Crazy Redneck Music Blogging

Mrs. G is going to retire in a few weeks, and since she never gets sick she's got a lot of sick time to scrub off or lose it. She took yesterday afternoon off for a "doctor's appointment" (with a wink and a nod from her boss) and we hit a half a dozen motorcycle shops in Reno and Carson looking for stuff, some of which we found, capped by an early dinner at El Charro Avitia. Anyway, I woke up this morning thinking it was Sunday and all the Russert goobledegook would be over as soon as her NASCAR race got going. I'm a little confused, but you should only enjoy this John Hiatt tune more because of it...

From a Singer/Songwriter showcase tour in 1989 with John Prine, Joe Ely and Guy Clark. Great lyrics - "Is it bigger than a breadbox..."

Classic ...

You'll recognize it as soon as you hear it.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21

Saturday whorage

Once again I'm late with this but I had contractors here this morning. Construction continues apace.

The next chapter of Birthright is up at The Practical Press.

And I got a couple things to say about the '08 Escape, a year on.

Hey, Timmeh ...

How's that soul you sold? See ya in Hell ...

Touchy subject ...

We've lived in this house (my childhood home) for 12 years now. The ice cream man, every fucking summer, plays the same song, over and over again as he goes up and down the blocks in my neighborhood. The same fucking song, all day long, all summer long, the same fucking song for 12 years. Only Mrs. F is standing between me (armed with a Russian RPG-7) and him dying in a flaming wreck of a vehicle (after the RPG detonates when it hits the Softee machine). Yeah, so I got a couple issues.

So I can totally understand this. Heh ...

Update:

Just to make clear, I don't want the ice cream man to leave. I just want him to change the fucking song once a year.

Good. God.

Looks like we're back to "which candidate would you rather have a beer with" stories. Shut. The. Fuck. Up.

Whiner-in-Chief

From Mustang Bobby:

President Bush on the Supreme Court ruling against the administration's attempt to strip terror suspects of their Constitutional rights:

We’ll abide by the court’s decision — that doesn’t mean I have to agree with it ... it was a deeply divided court, and I strongly agree with those who dissented.

The man has no sense of irony. If it wasn't for a "deeply divided court," George W. Bush would still be the governor of Texas.

Fuckin' A you abide by it, Bush. We've been living with a Supreme Court decision we don't exactly agree with for seven and a half years. Now it's your turn to suck it, bitch.

And Chuck Norris is a sissy...

I was looking for some Marine stuff that might relate to General Pace getting the "Heckuva Job" Award Medal of Freedom from the Chimp, but fuck that, I found this (Please go see. Mucho fun!):

THE UPPER RANKS AS SEEN BY THE LOWER RANKS

THE GENERAL
Leaps tall buildings with a single bound.
Is more powerful than a locomotive.
Is faster than a speeding bullet.
Walks on water.
Gives policy to GOD.

THE COLONEL
Leaps short buildings with a single bound.
Is more powerful than a switch engine.
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet.
Walks on water if the sea is calm.
Talks with GOD.

THE LIEUTENANT COLONEL
Leaps short buildings with a running start and favorable winds.
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine.
Is faster than a speeding BB.
Walks on water in indoor swimming pool.
Talks with GOD if special request is approved.

THE MAJOR
Barely clears Quonset hut.
Looses tug of war with switch engine.
Can fire a speeding bullet.
Swims well.
Is occasionally addressed by GOD.

THE CAPTAIN
Makes high marks when trying to leap building.
Gets run over by locomotive.
Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self injury.
Dog paddles.
Talks to animals.

THE FIRST LIEUTENANT
Runs into buildings.
Recognizes locomotives two out of three times.
Is not issued ammunition.
Can stay afloat if properly instructed in the use of Mae West.
Talks to walls.

THE SECOND LIEUTENANT
Falls over doorstep when trying to enter building.
Bays “Look at the Choo-Choo.”
Wets himself with a water pistol.
Plays in mud puddles.
Mumbles to himself.

THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER
Lifts buildings and walks under them.
Kicks locomotives off the tracks.
Catches speeding bullets in his teeth and eats them.
Freezes water with a single glance.
HE IS GOD.

Original author unknown.

Speaking as a Non-Commissioned Officer of the exalted and august rank of Corporal with 42 years in grade, I heartily concur.

Gitmo gear

Think Progress, comments.

The Washington Post’s Sleuth reports that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has a gift shop advertising its detainee operations that sells windbreakers, baseball caps, and t-shirts. According to the Post, “military base officials were thrilled to have reporters buying up goodies at the gift shop for their loved ones back home”:

Guantanamo Bay is a naval base, so I can see buying t-shirts and stuff as memorabilia of a port call or tour there, but who the hell wants souvenirs of the biggest blot on American character since the internment camps for American citizens?

Holy shit.

Clydesdale v. Belgian Draft Beer

Brooklyn Supreme

Raw Story

Belgian brewer InBev is offering a big payday to shareholders of Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., but its bid to create the world's largest beer company is already facing a major obstacle — U.S. election-year politics.

Political considerations aside (go read), I think this deal could possibly be a plus for the American corporate beer consumer.

Nothing against Clydesdales, but the, er, beer that comes out of them is rather overly well-hydrated as evidenced by its light color.

Belgian Draft beer, on the other hand, is noted for its deep color and good flavor, possibly attributable to less emphasis by the brewing companies on mass production with an attendant reduction in time spent at the watering trough.

It is difficult to predict, however, whether average Americans can be weaned from the weak, tasteless, profitable corporate beverage known to them by the misnomer "beer".

Shown below: A corporate giant and a micro-brewery.



Update:

I am told that consuming either type of brew directly from the horse's tap is considered somewhat gauche. Use a glass, mug, or stein. Just sayin'...

McJudgment ...

Even Fred the Cat knows McCain's judgment is severely lacking.

The money ...

... Simply irresistible shes so fine, theres no tellin' where the money went ...

Auntie Beeb knows*, but they can't tell because of gag orders by Chimp & Co:

A BBC investigation estimates that around $23bn (£11.75bn) may have been lost, stolen or just not properly accounted for in Iraq.

The BBC's Panorama programme has used US and Iraqi government sources to research how much some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding.

A US gagging order is preventing discussion of the allegations.

...

Ya think they'll eventually be held accountable? Me neither.

...

While Presdient George W Bush remains in the White House, it is unlikely the gagging orders will be lifted.

To date, no major US contractor faces trial for fraud or mismanagement in Iraq.

...

They're all war criminals.

Since it's Friday, we might as well start the day off correctly. Here's the video:

Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistable

And the lyrics.

Off to work ... TGIF!

*Great thanks to the folks at Danger Room for the link.

Is there a brotha in the house?

In New York City ... the most diverse city in the world ... a city where 173 languages are spoken in one zip code ... you can't find a black person?

McSenile ...

Maru:

...

McCain showcases his foreign policy expertise.

By telling a crowd that he’s superqualified to be President due to his extensive foreign policy experience dealing with Vladimir Putin… the President of Germany.

...

Update:

More McStupid from Digby:

Just in case anyone still doubted whether John McCain was an unprincipled, slick Republican hack just like the rest of them, you can't find a better example than this:

Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) criticized to the Supreme Court’s ruling granting Guantanamo Bay detainees the right to challenge their detention in civilian courts:

...

Maverick, straight-shooter ... bleedin' fool.

Federal judge gives smackdown to McCain and Bush

Stolen in toto from Badtux:

Federal Judge Samuel Conti accepts into evidence an email suggesting that it was official Bushevik strategy to deny veterans' PTSD claims.

If he'd already made up his mind to believe the Busheviks, he wouldn't have done this. Which leads me to believe that he is about to lay down a major smackdown in the fraud trial where the Busheviks are accused of denying care to PTSD patients by deliberately misdiagnosing them...

-- Badtux the Veterans Penguin

Thanks, bud.

Crossposted at The American Patriot Institute.

Later, 'bator

I'm off to get the windshield replaced in my old Dakota. Man, having a driver's license is expensive!

Update:

Windshield appointment at 9AM at Auto Glass Express, home by 10. "Don't get it washed or go 4-wheelin' fer a coupla days. Gotta let the glue dry." They did a nice job.

Made a coupla discoveries in the 45 minutes the glass job took.

First, they directed me to the Full Belly Deli, which will have a site at fbdtruckee.com pretty soon. Very nice sandwich & coffee shop/internet cafe for being in an industrial park out here in Shit's Creek. It's the first time I've seen a Cuban sandwich on a menu, so I tried one. On jalapeño cheddar bread, actually a little loaf of it. Excellent. First time in history I've had to take the second half of a sandwich home, to Mrs. G's lunchtime benefit. That joint will rate future visits.

Second, I went across the street to visit my pal John, who in a spirit of cameraderie clapped me on the shoulder. Right on the tattoo I got on Tuesday. Lesson? Ouch! John's comment, "I thought ya wuz tougher'n that..."

89%

MSNBC Live Vote

Do you believe President Bush's actions justify impeachment?

698518 responses

Yes, between the secret spying, the deceptions leading to war and more, there is plenty to justify putting him on trial. 89%

No, like any president, he has made a few missteps, but nothing approaching "high crimes and misdemeanors." 4.2%

No, the man has done absolutely nothing wrong. Impeachment would just be a political lynching. 4.5%

I don't know. 2%

I find it encouraging that the percentage of brain dead seems to be down to 11%. Still too high, but even a mule will pay attention if ya smack him between the runnin' lights with a 2x4.

A comment on this informal survey:

89% voted for impeachment. But probably only because this poll did not include choices for tarring and feathering, jailing, burning at the stake, drawing and quartering, etc...

My choice is E - All of the above.

Surprise from SCOTUS: Gitmo detainees have Constitutional rights!

Lead-in to a NYTimes piece at BuzzFlash:

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay have rights under the Constitution to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts. A big win for the Constitution. "The vote was 5-4, with the court's liberal justices in the majority." Kennedy was, of course, the swing vote. All the more reason a Democrat needs to win the White House. We are one vote away from disaster at SCOTUS.

Yep. The most important man in the United States right now is Justice Stevens' doctor. He's gotta keep the old gent pumpin' 'til late January or we're screwed.

Qui tam log jam

Truthout

A backlog of whistleblower lawsuits against military contractors has been swelling and festering since the early days of the so-called war on terror.

According to critics, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has blocked the progress of these lawsuits to spare the Bush administration a major political black eye should the truth about ongoing war profiteering be revealed, a charge the DOJ denies.

Not a single qui tam case against war contractors has been joined by the Bush administration DOJ despite the possibility of recovering billions of dollars for the US taxpayer and reigning in war profiteers, who continue to cheat and defraud the government and the US troops mired in battle.

"The money that's gone into waste, fraud and abuse under these contracts is just so outrageous, it's egregious," Congressman Henry Waxman (D- California) told the BBC, adding, "It may well turn out to be the largest war profiteering in history."

Critics charge that the DOJ is misusing its power to keep the qui tam cases sealed in order to prevent a massive and unprecedented level of war profiteering from becoming public.

"The administration is protecting its donor base - big pharmaceutical companies, big defense contractors, and they don't care about the little guy, the tax payer," Warren said when asked why he thought the Bush administration would deliberately underfund white collar crime investigations.

That's what they hired him to do. Mission accomplished, huh, Georgie?

My kind of regulation ...

Chris:

Listening to anyone on Wall Street get on their high horse and complain about regulation really shows why that bunch needs to be firmly swatted on the back of the head ...

After close to thirty years since Regain told us 'deregulation' was a good thing, I hope every thinking person understands, now, that big business cannot be allowed to 'regulate themselves'. When money and power is at stake any rules that might exist are the first things to go out the window. Give 'em a set of rules to follow and make the consequences dire if they are broken.

Listen to me. Cutting taxes on the rich and corporations does not trickle down to the rest of us. Letting businesses police themselves is never good for the 'average American'. The people who run the show could give a shit less about us.

Off to work ...

Progress?

I still don't think anything will come of it, but it's nice to see Dennis Kucinich's resolution moving forward in the House:

The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to send articles of impeachment against President Bush to the Judiciary Committee for review.

The impeachment resolution’s sponsor, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, requested a recorded vote on the motion around 3 p.m. Wednesday, and 24 Republicans joined nearly all Democrats in voting to send the impeachment measure to the committee.

...

Great thanks to Avedon for the link.

Rhetoric ...

The Misfit parses the Chimp's dumbassery in Europe:

...

Let's be clear on this, Mr. McFuckwit: It wasn't just your "gun-slinging rhetoric," it was the fact that your rhetoric was supported by the facts and by the statements of numerous of your former aides that you were focused on ginning up the reasons to go to war with Iraq as soon as the dust started to settle from 9/11. As history is showing, the Afghan War, to you, was a distraction, a sideshow, from the war you wanted and which you got. You and your henchmen lied about the facts, lied about the intelligence, fabricated incidents and took this country into an unnecessary war against a nation that posed no discernible threat.

That is called "aggression." That is, in point a fact, a war crime.

...

Can't we just get the EU to arrest him while he's there? The Hague isn't far from Germany.

The meme ...

This is how McSame is playing for disenchanted Hillary voters with the help of the media:

The Democratic primary is just over and we can already see two ways in which McCain's media base is helping him. First, they are obsessing about how much the Republican base is "rejecting" him. This is supposed to be a terrible thing, but in a year in which Republicanism is more toxic than expired dog food, it actually gives many people a reason to vote for him. No doctrinaire Republican could win in this environment and his fanboys in the media are happy to make sure that everyone sees him as they do --- a macho, go-to-hell, Teddy Roosevelt reformer type.

...

Unfortunately, too many people will believe his drivel.

Oh, McCain

From Lunatics and Liars.

"There's only two things that money can't buy..."

If yer cheeseburger is missin' somethin' lately due to the the Repugs' most recent attempt to poison us in the pursuit of profit, here's the solution. I got no idea who this gal is other than her name's Alesa and she's purty and sings this Guy Clark tune real good.



You can plant tomatoes real easy. Tomato seeds pass right through your system, so just get some privately grown safe ones, eat 'em, crap in yer flower bed, and jump outta the way. A note of caution to apartment dwellers: if you live above the third floor, take the flower box off the window sill first!

Mad Skills

From an excellent recommended article on Jim Webb in The New Republic:

The interesting thing about the angry-Webb mythology, though, is that it fascinates just as much as it frightens. Fellow Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill adoringly described Webb as a "street brawler," capturing the way some Democrats--call them the Jim Webb Orientalists--romanticize Webb's aggressive, exotically redneck roots and, by extension, his capacity to hormonally invigorate a party sick of its effete, wine-sipping image. Why promote aristocratic Democrats like Al Gore or John Kerry when there's Webb, who hangs out not with actresses or New York bankers but with the likes of his friend "Mac" McGarvey, a rough-hewn, ex-Marine honky-tonk manager with a nipple ring and only one arm?

My kinda guy! Let's have him for Veep!

I like this passage too:

Webb came to believe in anger not during his childhood, nor at war, but at Georgetown Law School. Landing there in the early '70s after Vietnam, he found himself thrust into a den of upper-crust snobs who relentlessly mocked the soldiers who had served with him. He describes the type in his novel A Country Such as This:

The students, the people of books and pep clubs and prom committees, who had from their childhood feared the simple power and brutality of the blue collar kids, the red-necks, the bowling alley kings, the hot-rodding, ducktailed greasers who once mocked their studies and their lack of manliness ... [now] unloaded on the soldiers, cursing them, daring them, under the accepted guise of hating Army, Pentagon and War.

I think Webb gets it. Not bad for an officer.

Iraqi MPs give HFAC an earful

Truthout

Last week, for the first time, two Iraqi members of Parliament (MPs) testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. They spoke bluntly.

"The anarchy and chaos in Iraq is linked to the presence of the occupation, not withdrawal from Iraq," Nadeem Al-Jaberi, an MP and co-founder of the Al-Fadhila party, testified.
Under questioning by Republican Congress members, Al-Jaberi repeatedly renounced the "success of the surge," and added, "What we strive for is establishing a balanced relationship between the two countries. But nothing of this could be made possible until the troops withdraw from Iraq."

"The majority of Iraqi MPs, and more than 70 percent of the Iraqi people, are against signing any agreements or treaties with the US while Iraq is under the occupation," Al-Jaberi said.

According to a letter to Congress signed by Iraqi Parliament members representing the majority parties, "The Iraqi Council of Representatives is looking to ratify agreements that end every form of American intervention in Iraq's internal affairs and restore Iraq's independence and sovereignty over its land."

The letter requests not only the removal of all soldiers and military bases, but also of "hired fighters," pointing to another aspect of withdrawal that the Iraqi Parliament has its eye on, although previous drafts of US withdrawal legislation - and much of the presidential debate - have overlooked it: the use of private military contractors in Iraq.

"US mercenaries are viewed by Iraqis as criminal gangs protected by the occupation," Al-Ulayyan told Truthout.

The MPs' overarching message: They're eager for a partnership with US Congress members that will help them work toward shared goals, but they're not interested in conforming to the demands of any American bosses, be they Republican or Democrat. The key to achieving Iraqi sovereignty, they say, will be allowing Iraq to determine what that sovereignty looks like.

"We think that the American people and Congress are misinformed about what the Iraqis want," Al-Ulayyan said, adding, "We hope we will have more chances to bring the voices of the majority of Iraqis to America."

All well and good, Iraqis, but here's the bottom line:

Bush doesn't give a shit what you want, and he's not going to leave Iraq without your oil. That's it in a nutshell.

May I suggest you have Bush's puppet your government ask us, very publicly and officially, to leave? Then we'll see what Bush does. You probably won't be surprised to hear that you're just a bunch of oil-bearing brown savages who don't know what's best for you and the all-knowing white men are just looking out for your interests and will continue to do so.

No, Johnny, no

Ya gotta go read this one! Maybe even a 'liquid alert'.

The Independent (UK)

The Republican hopeful John McCain may be pushing 72, but his "town hall" events can be as noisy as the stadiums where Barack Obama appears on stage to the strains of U2's "Beautiful Day." But the McCain camp is having trouble settling on a suitable campaign anthem. After searching for months, it finally picked "Johnny B Goode" – Chuck Berry's rock 'n' roll classic from 1958. The high-power guitar licks and "Go, Johnny, go" chorus put a spring in Mr McCain's step. When asked why he chose it, he quipped: "It might be because it is the only one [the artist] hasn't complained about us using."

Berry, known as the "father of rock 'n' roll", recounted: "In the Fifties there were certain places we couldn't ride on the bus, and now there is a possibility of a black man being in White House." "Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, free at last," he added, quoting Martin Luther King.

There was a groan at McCain headquarters as it suffered yet another musical derailment. An attempt to use Abba's "Take A Chance On Me" also bombed. "We played it a couple times and it's my understanding [Abba] went berserk," Mr McCain said.

Shoulda used 'Dancing Queen', Johnny, given the Repugs' odd propensities. Moral values, you know...

Much more.

Quote of the Day

Mr. Aravosis:

... Joe Lieberman isn't crossing party lines to show how he puts principle above party. He's crossing party lines because today it's the move that pays him the most benefit. That doesn't make him principled, it makes him a whore ...

Ink Day

So much for blogging today. I got an appointment. Later.

Update:

When I unveiled the tattoo for Mrs. G, this was her reaction:

"Oh. it's beautiful! It's so big!"

Natcherly, I checked to see if my fly was open...

(rimshot)

Trojan horses, land mines, and Manchurian Candidates

Following up on Fixer's earlier post, things appear to be not going so peachy for Bush's 'permanent occupation of Iraq' plans:

AP

The Bush administration is conceding for the first time that the United States may not finish a complex security agreement with Iraq before President Bush leaves office.

Faced with stiff Iraqi opposition, it is "very possible" the U.S. may have to extend an existing U.N. mandate, said a senior administration official close to the talks. That would mean major decisions about how U.S. forces operate in Iraq could be left to the next president, including how much authority the U.S. must give Iraqis over military operations and how quickly the handover takes place.

Much more.

Related, from Froomkin:

Do we really expect the Bushies to go quietly?

No.

Reporters should be keeping a sharp eye out for things Bush officials are doing to make their policies stay in effect after they leave office. In the first of a five-part series: Putting Iraq on autopilot, risking war with Iran, and purging the military.

What are the Bushies doing to lock in their current course – even if it’s Barack Obama in the Oval Office on inauguration day? What agreements and contracts are they committing the country to? What rules, line-items, and executive orders will live on beyond their creators? What Trojan horses, landmines and Manchurian Candidates have they put in place throughout government?

[...] “By naming Petraeus to a job that lasts into the next administration, Bush ensures that the new president will confront the military's strongest voice for maintaining a big force in Iraq.”

Civilians are technically in charge of the U.S. military, but recalcitrant generals can make change hard to achieve. [...]

Lemme 'splain to our Nation's next leader how an old Corporal of Marines would handle the 'recalcitrant generals' from the standpoint of outranking them: "General, STFU and do what I tell you or have your resignation on my desk in one minute. This is not a discussion. One more fucking word outta you other than 'aye aye, sir' and the Gunny here slaps the cuffs on you."

See? Easy.

Much, much more at Froomkin's.

Oil, Israel, Iran, America

Dave Lindorff on what might happen if Bush or some crazy Air Force brass attack Iran:

One remark by a minor Israeli cabinet officer hinting at a possible U.S. or Israeli attack on Iran sent oil prices up by a record $11/barrel to a record $139 per barrel Friday. That should tell us what would happen if the Bush Administration were crazy enough to attack Iran, or to let its vassal state of Israel do it.

America, which runs on oil, would grind to a halt. Gasoline and home heating oil would double or triple in price, leading to desperation in the coming winter for those living north of the Mason-Dixon line, and to a mass exodus of the elderly from Florida and Arizona, where air-conditioning would no longer be affordable.

It makes you wonder what is going on in the higher reaches of the U.S. bureaucracy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has in the past intimated that he's no fan of war with Iran, just sacked the two top men in the Air Force -- the most gung-ho of the service branches in terms of Iran war mongering. The unprecedent surprise firing of Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and the Air Force's top officer, Gen. T Michael "Buzz" Moseley, was officially blamed on their poor handling of the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal, in the wake of last year's unauthorized and improper removal from storage and cross-country aerial transfer of six nuclear-armed cruise missiles in launch position on a B-52 Stratofortress, and the discovery this year of an earlier "inadvertent" shipment of ICBM missile warhead nuclear triggers to Taiwan. While it is possible that those two incidents were the cause of the firings, there remain serious unanswered questions about both incidents, and particularly about the cruise missile flight.

As I reported earlier and in Counterpunch magazine and American Conservative magazine, there were a half dozen unexplained deaths of U.S. airmen, including two suicides, which occurred just before and after that flight last August 30, none of which were investigated at least publicly by the Pentagon or the FBI, according to local prosecutors and medical examiners contacted. A number of experts in nuclear weapons handling have said that it would be "impossible" for the six warheads to have been removed from guarded bunkers at Minot AFB in North Dakota, mounted on cruise missiles, loaded onto launch pylons under the wing of a B-52, and flown to Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, all as a "mistake."

This leads inexorably to the question: What was being planned for those warheads, if they were not being removed from storage by mistake, and if they were being moved without the knowledge of the top brass, including Gates, at the Pentagon? Recall that the only reason anyone learned about the incident was that it was reported outside the military chain of command to a reporter at Military Times newspaper by several Air Force whistleblowers upset by what they were seeing.

We already witnessed the sudden resignation from the post of CentCom Command of Adm. William Fallon, whose outspoken opposition to the Bush/Cheney Administration's talk of attacking Iran led to his being pushed aside in favor of the more pliant Gen. David Petraeus. Fallon was pushed out by Iran war hawks because of his opposition to an attack. Were the Air Force Secretary and Chief of Staff forced out by Gates because of their pro-attack position?

Why do I keep thinking Cheney has the big hand in all of this? If there's a war between SecDef and OVP, I hope Gates wins.

How McCain can ruin your sex life

Blue Balled

Actually, sittin' alone in the dark drinkin' whiskey and jerkin' off is probably about what Repugs do on Saturday night anyway...

This little film has its basis in historical precedent.

A big tip o' the Brain to Truth Through Action.

Agreements ...

The Iranians don't want us next door for too much longer. Gord wrote about the 'treaty' the Chimp was trying to ram up the collective Iraqi ass and it seems the guy who really does pull the strings (it ain't Ahmedinejad we should be listening to) in Iran wants none of it:

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Iraq's visiting prime minister on Monday against signing an agreement with the United States keeping foreign troops in the country beyond 2008.

The continued presence of US troops was Iraq's "fundamental problem," Khamenei told Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, expressing confidence that Iran's western neighbour would dash the "dreams" of the United States.

...

Now I'm outta here ...

Quote of the Day

Our good friend 'Nucks on Snot McClellan appearing before Committee:

...

Scottie had better lay low until he can get some protection 24/7 so he can actually show up.
After that, GAME ON.

...

Even if nothing comes of it (sorry, but I have no faith in any of the Bush Cabal actually facing justice), you can bet the hearings will be entertaining.

Off to the shop. The weather twit says it's only gonna be in the 90s today instead of the 101 it was yesterday. By the way, all the people who I told months ago to get new batteries in their cars before summer comes, you learned why this weekend. Ha-ha. How much did that tow cost you on top of what you paid me for the battery? Pay me now or pay me later ...

Outstanding ...

An Ohio Democratic lawmaker and former presidential candidate has presented articles of impeachment against President George W. Bush to Congress.

Thirty-five articles were presented by Rep. Dennis Kucinich to the House of Representatives late Monday evening, airing live on C-SPAN.

"The House is not in order," said Kucinich to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), upon which Pelosi pounded her gavel.

"Resolved," Kucinich then began, "that President George W. Bush be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate. [my em] ...

I wish this fucking guy could win a primary. Ya gotta love Dennis, a man out of the Wellstone/Feingold mold. Could you imagine what we could do with 40 of him in the Senate and 200 of him in the House?

Dear Earth People ...

This is what you look like from your closest neighbor. Can you imagine what you look like to the rest of the galaxy?



Get over yourselves.

Thanks to Jeff for the lead.

Bad feelings ...

I get a bad feeling for our guys and girls when I read something like this:

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Iraq Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on defense cooperation.

The MoU was signed by visiting Iraqi Defense Minister Lieutenant General Abdul Qadir Mohammed Jassim Obeidi and his Iranian counterpart Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar on Monday.

...

So what's that mean? If the Iraqis (the Iraqi government) ever decide the US is an 'occupying force', will the Iranians come to their aid?

...

The MoU has called for expansion of defense cooperation between the two countries in line with harmonizing all-out ties between Tehran and Baghdad to help further bolster peace and stability in the region.

...

Seems the biggest threat to peace and security in the region is us.

Great thanks to Gorilla's Guides for the link.

Quote of the Day

The Rude One:

... To be sure, there's a helluva lot of people who would rather dangle their balls over a bear trap than vote for a black man ...

And that's what worries me.

I thought he was a genius?

Isn't that what everybody said; Karl Rove is a genius? Well, not so much:

...

"Every Republican I know looks at the Bush administration as a total failure," said Matt Towery, chairman of Newt Gingrich's political organization.

"To do what he did politically to us is unforgivable," Rep. Tom Tancredo told Alexander. "It will take generations to recover. I don't know how long; maybe never."

...

Hopefully never.

Fair play is weakness

No more birthday-suit beach-going on Marine base

Marine Corps Times

Drop your — well, just grab your socks, and the rest of your clothes.

A portion of San Onofre State Beach, on the northern coast of Camp Pendleton, Calif., has long been a haven for free-spirited nudists, but because of the recent rise in popularity of the park, the California State Parks department will remove the clothing-optional option.

This may or may not disappoint Marine helicopter pilots and aircrew operating nearby, who generally deny flying over that particular stretch of sand.

I spent some time in the Infantry Training Regiment at San Onofre, and the only thing i ever saw nekkid was other Marines.

Asked if nearby Marines added to the problem, Stearns said: “How can I tell if they’re Marines, if they are not wearing a uniform?”

They're young, have no hair, and their tan lines end above their ears if they're new to the beach. Also, their private (or lance corporal or gunnery sergeant) parts are at attention most of the time.

Oldfartgate+

The Last Chance Democracy Cafe

John’s been looking kind of old lately, in a Great Wall of China sense of the word. Even given all of the specific political sins he committed during his awful speech on the night Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination, what probably damaged him most in his presentation was his overall appearance. It wasn’t that he looked old, although certainly he did: it was that he looked befuddled.

And when you’re trying to convince the American people to elect a man who would become the oldest person ever to take office as president, befuddled isn’t exactly the look you’re going for.

Trust me on this one, 'befuddled' works! But then I ain't trying for President, just senior discounts and pity.

As the originator (and so far only user) of the term Oldfartgate in regard to John McCain’s age, I feel compelled to note the likelihood that one day soon Oldfartgate will merge with the current McCain mania of Constantlyfuckingupgate creating the new sensation of Oldfartconstantlyfuckingupgate (my em).

Again, it's fine if you're not running for President.

One thing I have to say in McCain's favor: as long as he's around, I don't feel quite so old or befuddled.

Make No Mistake: McCain's a Neocon

Robert Parry

Since clinching the Republican presidential nomination, John McCain has sought to hide the forest of his neoconservative alignment with George W. Bush amid the trees of details, such as stressing differences over military tactics used in

But the larger reality should be clear: McCain is a hard-line neoconservative who buys into Bush’s “preemptive war” theories abroad and his concept of an all-powerful “unitary executive” at home.

The irony is that when McCain and Bush talk about the danger of “rogue regimes” operating outside international law and threatening other nations, that is exactly what their neocon theories have made the United States: a country that – along with a few allies – becomes a law onto itself.

If a President McCain gets to replace one of the five other justices with another Alito or Roberts, the new court majority could, in effect, rewrite the rules of the American Republic to declare the imperial presidency “constitutional.”

But there should be no doubt that a McCain victory would give the neocons another four-year lease on the White House. And, after those four years, there might be no feasible way back for the great American Republic.

Scary shit. It's going to be hard enough for the great American Republic to come back after the damage Bush has done in any case.

Oh, the irony...

Ironic Times

Bush Close to Achieving Agenda Before Leaving Office
Nears goal of transforming country into corrupt, hated, third world rogue nation.

U.S. Accused of Holding Detainees on "Prison Ships"
"Argh," says official on condition of anonymity.

Senate Republicans: Climate Bill Would Cause High Energy Prices, Economic Turmoil
And such things must be avoided.

McCain Cites His Experience Over Obama's
Says opponent's never napalmed a village, married a beer heiress or been caught up in a savings and loan scandal.

Heavy Favorite Big Brown Fails at Belmont
Jockey is euthanized.

Have a day.

But, it wasn't a blowjob ...

Wolcott* looks at Greenwald's post and had a few words for David Broder:

...

Then with those two unindicted war racketeers [Chimpy n' Cheney] removed from office, we'd turn our keen sense of justice on The Washington Post and demand that they shitcan your sorry, energy-dependent ass too, along the equally flagrant tails belonging to Fred Hiatt, Richard Cohen, and Charles Krauthammer.

...

And John Amato has some helpful hints for the networks and print media to reclaim some of their former credibility:

...

1) Set up an Ombudsman with a staff for each network that isn’t an employee of their corporation and have a weekly segment devoted to policing the media. They will also be available to take complaints reported by individual citizens and investigate them thoroughly.

2) Replay clips of each pundit when they’ve been proven wrong and let them explain their positions and why they thought they were right and ask them how they will correct their mistakes in the future.

3) Keep track of their infractions and set up a benchmark, like a 3 strikes your out rule for pundits. When they hit the benchmark, suspend them for a period of time so they can reflect on their mistakes.

...

I'm all for it but pigs will fly before they decide to police themselves.

*Thanks to Sarah for the link.

Disability ...

I posted on this a while back and Mr. Aravosis does today.

McCain campaign strategist Mark Salter said Monday night that McCain was technically disabled. "Tortured for his country -- that is how he acquired his disability," Salter said.

And that disability might be? Mental disability maybe? Why not? I'm fucked up and I never was tortured (if you discount the bores and assholes I've met in bars in the wee hours). Might this disqualify him from the Presidency?

Questions, questions ...

Update:

And no, I'm not being a callous bastid. Yes, I know McCain has some physical disabilities, but this clown is getting 100% when there are guys and girls coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan who'll be eating the rest of their meals through a straw and can't get the proper care, let alone 100%. In light of that, McCain is an able-bodied, thieving scumbag.

Take it to the limit

Just...WOW!

From the 2000 show for Breast Cancer awareness. Amazing performance of the Eagles classic by the worlds most renound (sic - NCLB? - G) female musicians.

Left to Right:Mary J Blige, Shea Seger, Pat Benatar, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Natalie Maines Martie Maguire and Emily Robison (the Dixie Chicks), Beth Nielsen Chapman, Nelly Furtado.

Silver Lining

Here's something I hope is a little inspirational to us all now that the damn Dem primary is over. To Bonnie Raitt's "Silver Lining".



Lyrics

A little jazz ...

For a Sunday morning.

Karrin Allyson - Moanin'