Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Hundreds of companies blacklist Air America

Hmm. Now this is interesting ... From Media Matters for America:

An internal ABC Radio Networks memo obtained by Media Matters for America, originally from a listener to The Peter B. Collins Show, indicates that nearly 100 ABC advertisers insist that their commercials be blacked out on Air America Radio affiliates. According to the memo, the adverstisers insist that "NONE of their commercials air during AIR AMERICA programming." Among the advertisers listed are Bank of America, Exxon Mobil, Federal Express, General Electric, McDonald's, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, and the U.S. Navy.

The memo appears below, and an enlarged version can be viewed here.



I can think of more than a couple companies that won't be getting my business anymore.

Bloody uprising in Oaxaca, Mexico

Looks like we're not the only country in North America having trouble with an anti-democratic right-wing administration.

Click here for a frightening video shot on Oct. 29, 2006 in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Texas Likes it Kinky?

I went to Kinky's final fund raiser on Saturday night. It was held at a beautiful home in University Park. I got to eat dinner and smoke cigarettes with the Kinkster, all the while having a very interesting conversation about every topic imaginable. Here's my favorite picture from the evening ...


I will not be releasing any materials I gathered this past weekend until after the election. Needless to say, some of it is quite revealing, and our discussions were of a very frank nature. It will be included in a post-election feature story I am working on for an "unnamed magazine." You'll just have to wait and see. It will be highly entertaining. ;o)

Don't forget to vote! Here's a list of polling places for Denton County.

Crooks in High Places

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Greg Abbott knows nothing about nothing. This is (apparently) a good summation of his understanding of campaign finance law.

Greg Abbott, the Attorney General of Texas, has been using hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to finance his campaign videos. Any dope could tell you that is illegal. But, yet again, he seems to know nothing about nothing.

His opponent, David Van O's - the gun owning, tollway hating, big oil regulating Texas Democrat - said the following ...
The "good guy" image of himself that Greg Abbott is spending millions of dollars to promote is phonier than a three-dollar bill. Beneath the glossy campaign ads, he's a thief and a hypocrite, and his claim to be such a nice guy is a pack of lies.

Abbott has been caught red-handed using film produced by state employees on state equipment and on state time in his campaign commercials and in his campaign website. WFAA-TV laid out the undeniable evidence in its 10:00 news on October 27. Anyone with an Internet connection can view the story at wfaa.com.

The WFAA report also reveals that Abbott set up an expensive video department in the AG's office on tax dollars so he could produce films for his grandstanding at the taxpayers' expense.

Greg Abbott is a state employee. State law prohibits state employees from using state resources for political purposes. It's stealing the taxpayers' money.

WRONG is WRONG, LYING is LYING, and STEALING is STEALING.

There's no difference between stealing a penny and stealing a dollar; cheating on a test or cheating in an election; little white lies or whoppers.
Play it again, Dave.

One will really have to stop and wonder what the hell is going on with our democracy if Greg Abbott wins re-election.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Video the Vote - Your Country Needs YOU!

You are needed to "video the vote" on Election Day.

Watch this video, then go to VideoTheVote.org and sign up. If you are concerned about election theft, there is something that can be done about it.

Your country needs you. Are you just going to sit there and let your freedom be stolen?

Mending fences

A good laugh at the end of a long work week does the body good. Here's a great clip of Will Farrell as George W. Bush, mending fences on his ranch.

Enjoy.

Worst. Congress. Evar!

Another reason why I love Rolling Stone Magazine ...

To read the story by Matt Taibbi - one of my favorite journalists in the biz - click here. A superb excerpt ...
The GOP's "take that, bitch" approach to governing has been taken to the greatest heights by the House Judiciary Committee. The committee is chaired by the legendary Republican monster James Sensenbrenner Jr., an ever-sweating, fat-fingered beast who wields his gavel in a way that makes you think he might have used one before in some other arena, perhaps to beat prostitutes to death.
Har-de-har-har. (It would be funnier if it weren't so damned true.)

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Military blocking "left-leaning" websites

The Wonkette has the story on how the U.S. Military is "protecting" our soldiers from left-leaning political content on the Internet.

Check it out.

I support the Dallas Peace Center

We're new buddies. Here's why ...


To view the whole story, click here.

The MySpace factor ...

If the Texas Gubernatorial Election were held on MySpace, it might look something like this ...



Don't forget! Early voting started on Monday! If you live in Texas, CLICK HERE to find out where to vote.

Remember - VOTE! VOTE EARLY! AND DON'T VOTE ALONE!

If you are as tired of two-party rule as most of us are, Kinyk Friedman is the only choice for real change in Texas.

I say, "Why the hell not?"

Camp Falcon base destroyed, coverup ongoing

On Tuesday, October 10, Iraqi militia members fired mortar rounds into Camp Falcon, a forward base and ammo dump in Baghdad. It ignited what the BBC called a "series of blasts" that "caused no casualties or injuries." ABC News reported the same.

However, this may not be the truth. Three battalions of soldiers were housed there. Now reports are surfacing that the first-day death tally could be as high as 300, and the numbers are rising. This was caused by one, single attack.

Several Marines captured it all on video. At one point, after a massive explosion sends a mushroom-cloud hundreds of feet into the air, the Marines are concerned about being downwind from the blast, indicating their concern that a biological or nuclear agent may have been detonated. Many have suggested that at least one tactical nuclear weapon exploded that night. Baghdad residents were still being rocked by blasts on Wednesday morning.

Here is the Marines' video.

Here is a video captured by a cameraman for the Islamic Media Alliance. Skip forward to 3:56 to see the so-called nuclear explosion.



A list of casualties has been posted here. It is not known if this list is accurate, because the military refuses to acknowledge any personnel died, or were even injured. Remember: three battalions were stationed at Camp Falcon, along with a large fleet of Bradley fighting vehicles and Strykers.

The Islamic Army in Iraq, the country's largest militia, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

U.S Generals call for Democratic sweep

Can you hear the funeral bells ringing?

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Iraq/Afghanistan vets rate Congress

The IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) has issued a report card on the Congress and who they feel has given our soldiers the support they need. Guess who didn't get very good grades.

Here's the lineup of the usual suspects ...

Texas Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison:
D+
Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn:
D-
Texas Republican Congressman Michael Burgess (Dist. 26):
C-
Texas Republican Congressman Kenny Marchant (Dist. 24):
D
The overall verdict from the IAVA is that Congressional Democrats have OVERWHELMINGLY voted in support of our soldiers. Republicans, they say, have not in the least.

Interesting, considering many Republicans accuse the Democrats of being "terrorist appeasers." It seems as though the opposite is true.

To find out how your Representative or Senator stacks up on the "Support the Troops" scale, check out the IAVA website.

Vote. Vote Early. And DON'T VOTE ALONE!

Here's a little bit of encouragement for my friends and associates.



Oh, and if you can't tell, I'm down with the Texas Jewboy.

GO KINKY!

U.S. not so great on freedom of the press

Land of the Free indeed.
The World Press Freedom Index 2006, published by the Paris-based Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF), showed that the US had dropped 12 places to 53rd place, below countries such as Ghana, Mali and Bolivia.

The organisation said "the steady erosion of press freedom in the United States, France and Japan is extremely alarming".

RSF said George Bush, the US president, had used national security as a pretext to regard journalists who questioned the "war on terror" as suspicious.

The group also criticised the US for continuing to hold the Aljazeera cameraman, Sami al-Hajj, without trial at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp and for imprisoning Josh Folff, a freelance journalist and blogger who refused to hand over material.

So, are these Frenchies trying to say that people in Ghana, Mali and Bolivia are "more free" than us Americans? Because if they are, well ... I'd say they're right!

Gore Vidal: Bush let 9/11 happen

In a recent radio interview, American Historian Gore Vidal has said he believes the Bush Administration allowed the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 to happen.

He also said that the United States military is furious with the Bushies, and would prevent any false-flag terrorist attacks. He also said he feels the perfect time for a new investigation into 9/11 would be during Bush's impeachment proceedings.

He also said he believes the country is on the brink of an awakening, "which is the first twinge of optimism I have had in a long time."

Texas candidates talk about armed insurrection

Hank Gilbert and David Van O's are pissed about the Trans-Texas Corridor. Damn straight. Check it out.

The worst has yet to come.

Revolting!

New photos and video of the torture conducted by American soldiers (and private American contractors) at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison are about to be released.

In a new story by Editor and Publisher journalist Greg Mitchell, it is revealed that the truth is indeed in line with statements made by Investigative Reporter Seymore Hersh. (Hersh was instrumental in breaking news of the scandal back in 2003.) What statements, you ask? Statements like ...
"Some of the worse that happened that you don't know about, ok? Videos, there are women there. Some of you may have read they were passing letters, communications out to their men ... . The women were passing messages saying 'Please come and kill me, because of what's happened.'

"Basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys/children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. The worst about all of them is
the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror it's going to come out."
87 photographs. Four video tapes. And the whole ugly heap of it is about to be released.

Brace for the worst, because it has yet to come.

Endorsements, endorsements

Esquire magazine has endorsed two Denton County candidates - Tim Barnwell over Michael Burgess in District 26 and Gary Page over Kenny Marchant in District 24.

Who needs the Morning News anyway?

Sean Hannity helping gay conservatives

He's such a civic-minded person.

Sean Hannity -- abandoner of logic, hounder of reason, illustrious host of some dumbshit Faux News program -- has launched a new project. Entitled "Hannidate", the television/radio host hopes his new dating site will put more Conservatives in touch with one another. And in touch they are!

The site plays host to such classic characters as patriotpaul, who claims, and I'm quoting here ...
I like to colict guns and shoot animals in the wild. If God did not intendt us to have us guns we woulnt shoot them critters. Hell I can fire up a stove in no time to roast me some deer. I shoot me some queers if i catch one of them suma*****es in the woods out baqck. We need to clean out this country of queers wetbacks librus towel heads and all. I need a good christian woaman who feels like this.
(He's probably pulling a hoax, considering how hard he tries to be a cliche' wingnutter.)

Broken News journalist Erik Nelson found the gay underbelly of Mr. Hannity's God-fueled sex-connector in an article he calls simply, "Sean Hannity's Gay Dating Website".

You should read it. Really.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Active duty soldiers call for end of war

Since the war in Iraq began, there has been a mounting number of veterans who have turned activist in hopes of pressuring the Congress to end the fighting. But now, for the first time since the start of the war, active duty soldiers are starting to dissent.

Today, 65 active duty soldiers filed an "Appeal for Redress" under the Military Whistleblower Protection Act, asking Congress to end the war. According to CNN, under the act, active duty soldiers can communicate freely with their Congressional representatives without fear of reprimand.

And make no mistake, active duty soldiers are reprimanded if they express opinions about politics. Unless, of course, you're backing the BushMen.

The soldiers will be holding a press conference in D.C. on Wednesday.

Pelosi can't stop justice

Or, at least I hope she can't.

Why do I say this? Because she has pledged that if Democrats retake the House, Impeaching Bush is "off the table."

Oh, hell no.

It is our duty to remove the despot. That's not just petty revenge. That's restoring the constitution and making sure no person ever becomes the King of America.

Or maybe she wouldn't mind her good friend Hillary Clinton, who supported the Military Commissions Act, having that sort of wide-reaching power. The power of a King.

How do you feel about that, my Republican friends? Do you want Hillary Clinton having the power to detain without charge? The power to torture? The power to spirit away anyone at any time for reasons known only to her? I certainly do not. (Then again, I'm adamantly opposed to Hilary to begin with - who needs dynastic rule?)

And now, the cold reality starts setting in.

Forget about you, Pelosi. The Democrats do not represent me. But Goddamnit, they're the only alternative right now, and just 20 minutes ago I cast several votes for Democratic candidates. Pelosi can posture all she wants. But once liberals sweep back into power, you can bet I'll be calling and writing, demanding we restore our constitutional democracy.

No more of this military dictatorship. Nuh-uh. Pelosi, if you want to run and hide from your duties, I'm sure someone else in the House will step up.

Get your (early) vote on!

The time has come. You know what needs to be done.

My personal pics ...

Kinky Friedman for Governor.
Barbra Ann Radnofsky for Senate.
Tim Barnwell for Congress District 26.
Gary Page for Congress District 24.
David Van O's for Texas Attorney General.
Fred Head for Comptroller of Public Accounts.
John McLeod for State Rep. District 64.

And so it shall be. Hopefully.

Early Voting began this morning. I'm just about to head out and cast my (non)paper ballot.

If you need to know where to go to have your say, hit up Steve Southwell's Who's Playin blog.

Now, let's see if we can make this country a democracy again.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Rumsfeld "inspired by God"

Uhhhuuuummmm ... Now it has just gone too far.

From the AFP ...
Top US General says Rumsfeld is inspired by God

The top US general defended the leadership of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, saying it is inspired by God.

"He leads in a way that the good Lord tells him is best for our country," said Marine General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Hm. Okay.

THIS JUST IN! ADOLF HITLER ONCE SAID:
"The Ten Commandments are a code of living to which there's no refutation. These precepts correspond to irrepressible needs of the human soul."

"“Anyone who dares to lay hands on the highest image of the Lord commits sacrilege against the benevolent creator of this miracle and contributes to the expulsion from paradise."

"“Imbued with the desire to secure for the German people the great religious, moral, and cultural values rooted in the two Christian Confessions, we have abolished the political organizations but strengthened the religious institutions."

"Secular schools can never be tolerated because such schools have no religious instruction, and a general moral instruction without a religious foundation is built on air; consequently, all character training and religion must be derived from faith."
The only problem with faith is that it has (popularly) become an instrument by which persuasive people can manipulate the believer into thinking they are spiritually compelled to do something or follow some one. That is not necessarily flaw in the religion its self. I am speaking more to the gullibility of humans, which is perhaps a greater weapon of mass destruction than any bomb in any arsenal.

Always be wary of those who claim to be lead by God.

Under Pressure?


Poor Tony Snow. He's completely lost his grasp on how to define words. He doesn't know what strategy is, and a reporter pressed him on it. So what does he do?

He bangs his head on the podium. I think the nonsense is getting to him. You know, he used to be a tiny bit critical of Mr. Busch back in the day. One must wonder how walking in circles and dancing for the cameras affects a man ...

Anyway, watch the video (click the picture). You'll laugh.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

The GOP is a 24/7 peep show

Why do I feel like I'm reading a sex crimes unit police blotter every time I hunker down for an article about the GOP? More news today ...

A priest tells the story of how he may have molested GOPedophile Mark Foley. Then he decides, maybe he didn't after all.

Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) is going to be included in an investigation related to several camping and fishing trips he took with young boys.

Annnndd ... There's a third page scandal brewing, this time it involves a 16 year-old girl.

The New York Times is predicting "election day chaos." (Maybe those dreams I've been having are not so far-fetched.)

But on the plus side, John McCain said he'd committ suicide if the people have their say this election year. (Okay, I mean, if the polls are accurate.)

Oh, by the way, I forgot to wish you all a very happy "National Character Counts Week"!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

DMN endorses Burgess ...

... And I know some people who are not happy about it.

Read the endorsement here.

Steve Southwell, who runs the Who's Playin' blog, tore the Morning News a new exit-cavity in his rebuttal, which can be found here. My favorite tidbit ...

The most disingenuous part was DMN's assertion that Barnwell is unemployed. Running a Congressional campaign is a full-time job. Having sacrificed paid employment for the patriotic calling of running for U.S. Congress - Barnwell has missed out on well over six figures in income, and has put up over $10k of his own money for this campaign, having not received a dime from the national Democratic organizations.

The Editorial Board should know that a private citizen, non-insider, who doesn't have hundreds of thousands of dollars in corporate money to throw around like Burgess does, would find it necessary to forego employment and focus on the campaign full-time. Burgess, who has raised over $720,000 spent about $100,000 just on fundraising consulting with one of his consulting firms. Burgess can afford to have a paid campaign staff.

Tim Barnwell must write his own material, do his own research, make MANY more public appearances than the incumbent, make his own fundraising calls, and rely on volunteers for as much as possible. In fact, almost all of Barnwell's outside campaign funding has come from individuals in small contributions of $50 and under.

To say that Barnwell is "unemployed" is to imply to the reader that he was looking for work, but unable to find it. It's a statement engineered to make the reader think that Barnwell has less worth. It is a statement that shows the ivory-tower contempt that DMN Editorial board has for the non-connected everyday citizen, would-be public servant who sacrifices for the good of their country.

Well said, Steve.

With that, I give you my own, rather personal reason (among many other, less-weighty reasons) why my conscience simply will not allow me to give Congressman Burgess a solitary inch.

He voted against the Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act of 2005. (If you don't know what depleted uranium is, click here.) Had that bill been passed into law, it would have created a program that could have saved the life of one of my best friends. If you are a reader of this blog or any of the publications for which I write, you may remember my past writings about Charles Brooke Wood (pictured left).

Hopefully, you can understand why this is personal. This is not just politics-as-usual. I went to school with Brooke. He was the first person to be nice to me back in the 9th grade. We graduated together. We hung out all the time. We were totally different people, sure, but that never drove a wedge between us.

After graduation, Brooke signed up for the Army. He went to boot camp the day after we walked the stage. That was in May of 2001, back when the world was still sort-of sane.

So much has changed.

Three tours in Iraq as a demolitions expert will take a toll on anyone. Say what you will about the war, but killing is what Brooke signed up for. He had the bloodlust, and he was thrilled at the opportunity to blow up anything in a combat situation. He also had a dead-eye at long ranges. This guy was the epitome of lethal; everything a soldier seeks to be. He was the real deal.

During his third tour he started getting sick a lot. From what his sister and ex-girlfriend tell me, that is one of the reasons he came home. As a demolitions expert, he was around Depleted Uranium munitions all the time. Two months after he returned to the states with an honorable discharge, he was dead.

Doctors discovered a rapidly-developing brain tumor. One day, he was doing just fine. Then, the next morning, he woke up to blinding flashes of light, uncontrollable shaking, vomiting, horrible fever and a mind-warping headache. Within 48 hours his doctors induced a coma. His brain had swollen so much he could no longer bear the pain. And just like that, he left this world.

Depleted Uranium causes many different illnesses. Some soldiers just get cysts all over their bodies. Others get lung infections or other respiratory diseases from inhaling uranium powder in the air. A whole range of cancers are also associated with the munitions. It also affects human DNA and the reproductive system. Pictures of Iraqi babies born horribly mutated due to DU contamination are among the most mortifying things I have ever seen. And now it is happening in the U.S., with our men and women coming home not knowing they have been contaminated. Their children will pay the price.

If you have an iron stomach, click the following links to see the cold, unyeilding reality of what Depleted Uranium does to unborn children ...


Perhaps more painful, Brooke has a son on the way, due to enter the world sometime in March, 2007. His ex-girlfriend recently had a check-up and conveyed to me her relief that the baby is healthy, so far. Not a day goes by that I do not have that kid in mind. I'm not a praying man, but every single day I hope to the heavens that boy is born without the telltale signs of DU contamination.

Because Congressman Burgess has broken his Hippocratic Oath to "first do no harm" in voting against the Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act of 2005, and has a three-year record of voting against the best interests of our soldiers, I beseech you, the good people of District 26, to vote against him.

Even if you are a party loyalist - and I know there are a lot of you out there - for the sake of our nation's soldiers, just abstain from casting a ballot in this race. I beg you to follow your conscience, if indeed yours has not been purged as so many others' have. Listen to our soldiers. Listen to groups like the Disabled American Veterans, which gave this man a ZERO PERCENT RATING.

If your vehicle has a yellow ribbon anywhere on it, I challenge you to back up your convictions and vote to support the troops. That means voting against Congressman Burgess, who wishes to continue this war, but cannot find it in his heart to vote for the soldiers' best interests.

My grudge against Burgess is not partisan. It is not unfounded and it is very well thought-out. I am not an irrational man. It is simply on the basis of his dogged support of the Bush war (non)strategy and repeated refusal to support our troops that I will do everything within my power (and code of ethics/U.S. law) to ensure he is not my representative in Congress during the next session.

Congressman Michael Burgess must go.

I stand with America's veterans. I stand with everyone who has or will have their lives destroyed by Depleted Uranium. I stand with Brooke, who voted for Bush, supported the war, and dedicated his life to destroying our enemies. He died from a sickness that could have been prevented had our Congress chosen to support our soldiers.

Will you join me?

The Crowning of King George

It has already happened. In 20 years, when one hailing from the next generation asks you, "What were you doing when the Military Commissions Act passed in America?" What will your answer be?

I was in the streets, shouting at the top of my lungs. And I'll be damned if it will be the last time.

Habeas Corpus, R.I.P.

This fight for the soul and destiny of our nation is far from over.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Attack of the Clones!

Ugh. I think I'm going vegetarian ...

FDA is set to approve milk, meat from clones

Three years after the Food and Drug Administration first hinted that it might permit the sale of milk and meat from cloned animals, prompting public reactions that ranged from curiosity to disgust, the agency is poised to endorse marketing of the mass-produced animals for public consumption.

The decision, expected by the end of this year, is based largely on new data indicating that milk and meat from cloned livestock and their offspring pose no unique risks to consumers.

First they approve the use of viruses to "disinfect" processed meats, and now we're going to be eating clones. Call me crazy, but the American meat industry is starting to get creepy.

Counter-recruitment activism considered "terrorism" by Pentagon

Isn't this ironic?

On the very day Bush signs into law a bill granting him the power to declare any American he so wishes an "enemy combatant," we discover that counter-recruitment activism (I.E. trying to convince high school kids the military is not a good option) is considered "terrorism" by the Pentagon.

From The New Standard ...
Documents released last week by the American Civil Liberties Union expose the extent to which the government considers First Amendment-protected activities and civil disobedience a "potential terrorist activity."

The files contain more evidence that the Pentagon is grouping nonviolent protests against military recruitment into a database supposedly meant to catalogue potential terrorism threats.

[SNIP]

The documents reveal that the military is tracking groups through its terrorism-watch database Threat and Local Observation Notice (TALON). The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and local police departments have supplied information to the Pentagon to help with surveillance, the documents show.

One of the TALON documents was written to "alert commanders and staff" to a counter-recruitment protest the Broward Anti-War Coalition (BAWC) was staging at the Ft. Lauderdale Air and Sea Show. The alert, submitted by the Miami-Dade police department, said, "BAWC plans to counter military recruitment and the ‘pro-war’ message with ‘guerilla theater and other forms of subversive propaganda.’"

Another document revealed the government is tracking some of the anti-recruitment activities of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker peace organization.

A third TALON report detailed counter-recruitment rallies in Georgia, and cited Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace, and Iraq Veterans Against the War as participants.

Uncle Sam has gone senile. He's molesting his children. Isn't anybody else going to stand up and put a stop to this madness?

Torture: Now acceptable under U.S. law

This morning, Bush signed H.R. 6166 into law, giving him powers greater than any President in the history of the United States. Torture is now legal. Habeas Corpus is now dead. Anyone who disagrees with BushCo can legally be declared an enemy of the state and spirited away to an "undisclosed location."

Today I lament the beginnings of America's first military dictatorship.







We should be angered and ashamed of what this despicable man has done to our once proud nation.

Bricks in the wall

Support of the Occupation of Iraq has dropped to another all-time low.
A poll conducted for CNN over the weekend suggests support among Americans for the war in Iraq is dwindling to an all-time low. Just 34 percent of those polled say they support the war, while 64 percent say they oppose it.

Women led the opposition, with seven in 10 saying they oppose the war. Twenty-eight percent say they support it, which is the lowest support among women in any CNN poll taken since the invasion more than three years ago.

Support among men is stronger, with 40 percent supporting the conflict and 58 percent opposed to it.

This comes as the nation's top general acknowledged the overall strategy in Iraq is under review. Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN that military plans, including the linchpin of U.S. exit strategy -- reliance on Iraqi forces to take up the fight -- is being reviewed.
I'll say this one time, as clearly as I can ...

PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!

NAACP to monitor Texas elections

It is good to see a group being vigilant. They are monitoring elections in 10 states, and Texas is one of 'em. I should find my local NAACP chapter and keep in touch through election day. Sounds like a good story ...
The NAACP said Monday that it will monitor voting in 10 states next month, sending observers to polling places, taking citizen complaints and notifying the Justice Department of any serious problems.

The states were chosen based on those with pivotal elections, states with concentrations of black voters, and those with a history of polling problems, according to the Baltimore-based civil rights organization.

President Bruce Gordon urged voters to persist in trying to cast ballots.

"While the NAACP will take steps to counter obstacles to voter participation, we are encouraging our communities to cast their votes, even if it requires extra effort," he said in a statement released before a news conference at the group's headquarters.

"Civil rights activists went to extraordinary lengths to earn the right for black Americans to vote. Some lost their lives. We owe it to them and ourselves to honor their sacrifice by voting, no matter what challenges we face."

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People plans to have hundreds of volunteers monitoring elections in Maryland, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.
I'm sure one or two of you reading this are thinking, "Why would the NAACP want to monitor elections in (INSERT STATE NAME HERE)?"

Well, that can be explained quite simply.

This is why. <--- Click the link. Watch the video.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Got you seeing tracers?

From TPMmuckraker ...

Q: Why did the government authorize administration of drugs such as LSD and PCP to detainees at Guantanimo Bay?

A: Because in 2002, former Assistant Attorney General Jay S. Bybee thought it might be fun. And in a 2004 revision, he still thought it might be fun.

The purpose of such abuse remains unknown.

You know, people back here in the states do that for shits and giggles ... Why give the good stuff away to people we accuse of terrorism but refuse to formally charge with terrorism? Following this logic, we might as well have built the prison in Jamaica so they could kick it beach-side with a spliff.

Just 16 percent?!?

Amazing.

A new poll conducted by the New York Times and CBS News reveals that just 16 percent of America thinks BushCo is telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

53 percent said they think BushCo is hiding something. Another 28 percent thinks the administration is "mostly lying" about what they knew prior to the attacks.

That 16 percent is an amazing minority. Perhaps more amazing is the fact that while just 16 percent think he's being truthful about 9/11, right about 34 percent still support him. Which means that a full 18 percent of the country is willfully supporting a person they believe to be a liar.

And here, my friends, we find the Republican fringe, the kindly people of wingnuttia: those who would give up their country if it means extending the power of a party that merely pretends to represent them.

Though, really, the same can (and should) be said about the Democrats. They've got their own fringe, and it isn't pretty. Still ... Just 16 percent?!?

The 10 dumbest members of Congress

I love articles like this. My hat is off to Radar Magazine. They have produced an entirely entertaining piece called "America's Dumbest Congressmen".

You should read it. Really.

Get Rich in Dallas

Ever wanted to Get Rich in Dallas, but didn't know where to start?


Okay, so we all want to Get Rich, but in Dallas, that is a feat easier said than done. Thankfully, there's Richard Lopez' blog, Get Rich in Dallas, the latest edition to The Muckraker's blogroll.

(Point of reference/suck-up: Richard is the Clubs Editor of The Dallas Observer. I met him at the Envy Magazine VIP party on Friday night at Club Republic.)

While Rich might not have "the secret of wealth," his wit and wisdom will certainly put you on the right path; or, he can at least show you where to hang out on a Friday night. And anybody in-the-know will tell you that in Dallas, "America's Most Pretentious City," Rich's 'where-to-be' advice is as Good As Gold.

God, Moses oppose minimum wage increase

Oh, for Crying Out Loud!

In the most absurd news of the day, God and Moses are opposed to increasing Colorado's minimum wage. They're so opposed to it, they've made a television ad decrying Amendment 42, set to be voted on by the people of the state this coming election. The bill would raise the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85: clearly a satanic effort.

And really, who would vote against Moses but an anti-semite? It's all so obvious ... Click the pic to watch the ad.

Friday, October 13, 2006

Cut and Run no more?

Looks like Cut and Run has now become Redeploy and Contain. But who says "Stability First" is a bad thing?

Iraq is a victory for the U.S. if their society becomes stable within the next decade.

Another Republican pedophile?

Say it ain't so, Doc!

Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe of Arizona is being investigated regarding a fishing/camping/rafting trip he took in 1996 with two male pages. NBC reports ...
NBC News interviewed several people who were on the trip, and their accounts vary. One participant, who requested anonymity, said he was uncomfortable with the attention Kolbe paid to one of the former pages. He was "creeped out by it," he said, adding that there was a lot of "fawning, petting and touching" on the teenager's arms, shoulders and back by Kolbe.
The Representative maintains he did nothing wrong. The investigation is ongoing, but the battle for opinion has already been won.

Blair wants out of Iraq

And the cheese stands alone?

The Doctor needs a Doctor!

Someone, get Doc. Burgess 30-cc's of Diebold voting machines, Stat! From the Tim Barnwell for Congress campaign ...

Last week, just as the Mark Foley scandal was starting to come out, our first district-wide random telephone poll was being conducted. As the numbers started to come in, we were pleasantly surprised at how well we’re doing. As we started this campaign, people told us that we had no chance to win, but with your help we’ve kept going.

Now thanks to you, and thanks to the Republicans’ own failed policy, you’ve got Michael Burgess on the ropes with only 44% of respondents saying they would probably or definitely vote for him. That’s pretty low for an incumbent. Our own numbers are not far behind that, and given the size of the undecided percentage, we can easily beat him, but we MUST turn out our vote.

On top of this, Tim Barnwell’s voters were 14% more likely to say they were definitely going to vote for him.

Can you believe it? Here we are from out of nowhere, having spent only a tiny fraction of what the Republicans have, and there is a darn good chance we’ll have Democratic representation in Washington in January!

The letter I just got goes on to ask for money, just like any political mailing. And he does need it, so I encourage you, dear reader, to do whatever you feel lead by your heart to do.

The point is, this "safe" Republican Congressional district has just been put into play. It seems 'apathy' is actually not the Denton GOP's greatest opponent.

**Update!
The good folks over at D Magazine know what's up. And Publisher Wick Allison mentions Congressman Burgess, among others, in his list of RINO's (Republicans In Name Only) in Dallas CEO. You've gotta watch those earmarks!

Damn that marijuana!

An odd story from the front lines in Afghanistan.

GITMO: Compare and Contrast

A Marine Sergeant has come forward with a report of widespread detainee abuse at the GITMO prison, based in Guantanamo, Cuba. Not too long ago, my Congressman, Michael Burgess of Texas' 26th district, went on record as to how the GITMO prisoners were being treated. Let's see how his words compare to Sergeant Heather Cerveny's account ...

Congressman Burgess says:
"Even though we are dealing with some of the most vicious and dedicated terrorists, they are treated humanely, even down to the detail of having the direction of Mecca stenciled on an arrow on their bodies. This way, they know which direction to point in order to pray."
[Muckraker - Is it just me, or does that make no sense whatsoever?]

Sergeant Cerveny says:
One said, "I took the detainee by the head and smashed his head into the cell door," she tells ABC News. Another "was telling his buddy, 'Yeah, this one detainee, you know, really pissed me off, irritated me. So I just, you know, punched him in the face.'"
Congressman Burgess says:
"One of the things they're taught is, if they have an opportunity to speak with the Press, always claim torture. What do they have to lose? What are we going to do, take away their fingernail files? We already did."
Sergeant Cerveny says:
Sgt. Cerveny says the guards also talked about taking away detainees' privileges "even when they're being good" and denying their requests for water. In her affidavit, she states she was told "they do this to anger the detainees so they can punish them when they object or complain."
Congressman Burgess says:
"Well, you could argue that we're killing them with kindness because diabetes has become an issue in some cases. But, of course, they're not told they have to eat 4,200 calories a day. The food is specially prepared in accordance with religious tenets."
Sergeant Cerveny says:

She says she was "shocked" to hear several guards from different parts of the camp speak openly of mistreating prisoners.

"Everyone in the group laughed at all their stories of beating detainees," she recalled. "None of them looked like they cared. None of them looked shocked by it."

Congressman Burgess says:
"If I'm asked to vote on this legislation, I'll be able to make an informed vote by virtue of the fact that I've been there and observed conditions, rather than just relying on what I've read in the New York Times, Washington Post or you name the publication. There's just no substitute for firsthand observation and that's one of the things I've learned in three short years; if you really want to know, you've got to go."
ABC News retorts:
Soldiers told HRW [Human Rights Watch] that in direct violation of international law, detainees at one camp "were regularly stripped naked and subjected to beatings, forced exercises, severe sleep deprivation and various forms of degrading and humiliating treatment."
[SNIP]

The report also states that soldiers who felt that these practices were wrong and illegal "faced significant obstacles at every turn when they attempted to report or expose the abuses."

One soldier, who was stationed at Forward Operating Base Tiger near al Qaim, told HRW that some of the soldiers were troubled by the what they saw there, but that it was difficult to complain.

"I asked a few questions and stuff like that," he said, "and it was pretty much kind of 'shut up' or 'drop it now.'"

Congressman Burgess says:
"Frankly, I have a feeling that a lot of my constituents would have difficulty with just how humanely we're treating some of the detainees."
President Bush says:
"Our troops can take great pride in the work they do at Guantanamo Bay, and so can the American people."
Reality says:
Never lose your Love of Truth, America.

John Ashcroft has an amusing hobby

John Ashcroft, aka "Mr. Patriot Act," "Mr. 'The Lady Justice statue is lewd; cover her breast right away,'" and "Mr. I lost an election in my home state to a guy who died two months earlier," has some really interesting hobbies. One hobby, which he disclosed to Deborah Solomon, Q&A columnist with the New York Times Magazine, is of particular interest.

From today's Editor & Publisher ...
Defending the president’s policy on torture, he says, “I think there is a very sound argument for saying that those who violate the Geneva Conventions should not benefit from its provisions.” When Solomon reminds him that that the U.S. stands for rights for all, he answers, “Well, we have guaranteed many rights to the prisoners.”

Speaking of which: Ashcroft reveals that his artistic leanings go beyond music. He also makes “barbed-wire sculpture,” he says (you can't make this stuff up).

Ashcroft also suggests the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the Patriot Act partly to make money and add members.
I am sure Ashcroft's rendition of the Statue of Liberty, translated through the fine medium of barbed wire, is simply breath-taking.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

IM chatting with GOPedophile Foley

Have you ever wanted to IM chat with Florida Republican Representative-turned pedophile Mark Foley? NOW YOU CAN!

And the responses you get are taken from his actual IM's! Go ahead, make a Republican Congressman's day ...

Tonight in Dallas

North Korea bluffing?

France says the nuke detonation was a failure.

South Korea doesn't detect any radiation.

And Minnie Mouse just found a new hobby.

Mahalo.

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Bush and Blair have a 'special relationship'?

Freaking hilarious! These photos of Bush and Blair are in the new edition of Harper's Magazine ...


Oh, come on. Even though they aren't real photos, we can all have a laugh at our "Fearless Leaders" every now and again, right?

Bush: Iraqis willing to 'tolerate' violence

They tolerate it so much that they blow themselves up in large crowds of people and attack our troops. From ThinkProgress ...
Today in his press conference, President Bush applauded the courage of Iraqis, stating that he is “amazed that this is a society which so wants to be free that they’re willing to — you know, that there’s a level of violence that they tolerate.”
Watch the video here.

Army planning to be in Iraq until 2010

From USA Today ...

The Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, cautioned that people not read too much into the planning, because it is easier to pull back forces than to get units prepared and deployed at the last minute.

"This is not a prediction that things are going poorly or better," Schoomaker told reporters. "It's just that I have to have enough ammo in the magazine that I can continue to shoot as long as they want us to shoot."

Great.

Treason

Adam Gadahn of California is about to go down in history as the first American to be charged with treason since World War II.

Read why.

Equality of Justice

According to a report in this morning's Washington Post, over 655,000 Iraqis have died since the U.S.-lead invasion, based on the false assumption that the country's dictator, Saddam Hussein, had weapons of mass destruction, had connections to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, etc. etc. etc.

Today, Saddam is on trial, as he damn well should be. He is charged with "genocide" in the gassing deaths of Kurdish Iraqis, numbering anywhere between 50,000 and 200,000 according to CNN. Make no mistake: this horrendous crime must not go unpunished. But what of his accomplices? After all, he was using weapons sold to him by the U.S. government during the days of the Reagan administration -- via Donald Rumsfield, the current and longest-serving Secretary of Defense.

So, out there in the sandbox, we have a man who stands accused of the murder of 200,000 innocent people.

And in our playpen, we look to a so-called "leader" who, it now appears, is responsible for the violent deaths of 655,000 innocent people.

I pose this question, and offer not an answer ...
WHERE IS THE EQUALITY OF JUSTICE?
I think it is important that we consider these numbers. It is a painful thing to confront, but if our government has the blood of 655,000 innocent people on its hands, would you really want to know?

Would there be a civil war raging in Iraq today if we had not invaded?

Would 655,000 more Iraqis be alive today if our president and all his men had told the truth?

These are some really nasty questions that must be asked and addressed by sober people armed with the cold, unflenching truth of our current situation.

Iraq death toll off the charts

I saw this report on C-Span's Washington Journal this morning and almost had to run to the toilet. This is the most revolting thing I could possibly imagine. From this morning's Washington Post ...

A team of American and Iraqi epidemiologists estimates that 655,000 more people have died in Iraq since coalition forces arrived in March 2003 than would have died if the invasion had not occurred.

The estimate, produced by interviewing residents during a random sampling of households throughout the country, is far higher than ones produced by other groups, including Iraq's government.

It is more than 20 times the estimate of 30,000 civilian deaths that President Bush gave in a speech in December. It is more than 10 times the estimate of roughly 50,000 civilian deaths made by the British-based Iraq Body Count research group.

[SNIP]

This is about 500 unexpected violent deaths per day throughout the country.

[SNIP]

While acknowledging that the estimate is large, the researchers believe it is sound for numerous reasons. The recent survey got the same estimate for immediate post-invasion deaths as the early survey, which gives the researchers confidence in the methods. The great majority of deaths were also substantiated by death certificates.

"We're very confident with the results," said Gilbert Burnham, a Johns Hopkins physician and epidemiologist.

A Defense Department spokesman did not comment directly on the estimate.

The rest of the sickening truth.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Voting info

Steve Southwell has a great rundown of all the Denton County Polling Locations. Check it out, and vote smart.

A picture worth 1,000 words (and then some)

Pass the relish, please. (On news-stands now.)

Happy Birthday, John Lennon

Imagine Peace! War is Over! Coo-coo-kachu, and all that jazz.

Happy birthday, John Lennon.

If you're celebrating today like it is a national holiday (I certainly will be this evening), check out showtimes for the new movie The U.S. Versus John Lennon. I hear it is solid.

Rumsfield gave N. Korea nuke technology?

As though we didn't have enough to worry about, Donald Rumsfield was in on a 1994 deal to give North Korea nuke technology. That's ... unsettling.

So, our military is strained to the breaking point in Iraq and all of the sudden a real threat emerges. If ever we needed to recognize the damage the war in Iraq is doing to our national security, it is now. Does Bush think we can just bomb everyone into oblivion?

I think I agree with Steve Bell ...

Four weeks 'till endgame ...

... and here's the latest projections! (From Congressional Quarterly Subscriber Services.)
Senate:

Democrats: 52 (NJ holding Democrat)
Republicans: 48 (Virginia holding Republican)
House:

Democrats: 234 seats
Republicans: 199 seats
The sky has turned a brilliant hue of blue, hasn't it?

11 minutes of truth

Keith Olbermann is the Edward Murrow of my generation. God bless him.

Say it with me -- Liberal Bounce

Can you hear the funeral drums playing?

The Washington Post is reporting that the GOPedophiles expect a loss between seven and 30 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

I'm also privy to a private blind poll that puts Texas' 26th district in the "not so safe anymore" column, I.E. - within 10 points.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Rating Burgess' votes

The Disabled American Veterans Association does not like my Congressman very much. In fact, they have given him a ZERO PERCENT RATING based on how he's voted on legislation concerning injured and disabled veterans.
Here's the rundown of his key votes.

Here's how he's voted on other veterans' issues.
The one that makes me wince the most is when Burgess voted against giving the families of fallen soldiers a little more money for burials (H.R. 831) in private or state-owned cemetaries. And it was the second time he voted against fallen vets' families, as he had voted against H.R. 805 as well, which would have done the same thing as H.R. 831.

One would think that if you support a war, you should support the troops as well. But in his role as a Congressman, Burgess has consistently voted against supporting the troops, be it for additional funds for body armor, repealing the Disabled Veterans Tax Act of 2005, the Veterans Access to Health Care Act, or, WORST ABOVE ALL, the Depleted Uranium Screening and Testing Act of 2005.

(If you don't know what Depleted Uranium is, click here.)

How does that make any sense?

Protesters gather at Congressman's office

Photo by Stephen Webster
Dissent hits Lewisville.

Protesters gather at Congressman's office
By Stephen Webster
Investigative Reporter

On Thursday, Oct. 5, around 2 p.m., a group of about 40 protesters gathered outside the offices of Congressman Michael C. Burgess in Lewisville, just off Interstate 35 East and Corporate Drive. They came as part of a national call to action issued by a group called “The World Can’t Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime,” which is opposed to the continued war in Iraq and the adoption of torture as a legal method of interrogation. It was just one of over 200 protests nation-wide.

Photo by Stephen Webster
At the height of the demonstration, about 40 people could be seen holding signs at the roadside.

“I think this war is unjust,” said Patricia Axelson of Flower Mound. “I think we were lied to about why we were going to Iraq. Our soldiers are dying for an unjust cause. This reminds me of Vietnam all over again.”

Axelson added that she did not know much about Congressman Burgess, and that she does not affiliate herself with either major political party. “My husband was in Vietnam, though,” she said. “So, I think it should be pretty obvious why we’re anti-war.”

Congressman Burgess’ opponent, Democrat Tim Barnwell, also showed up at the protest, joining with demonstrators in expressing his concern about the war.

“I’m standing in front of Congressman Burgess’ office to protest a war that is bringing out the most evil side of human nature,” said Barnwell. “This is not a nation that attacks first. For a generation, we admonished Japan for attacking Pearl Harbor. Now we’ve done the same thing: we attacked first. That is not something we do. And to those who still believe Iraq had something to do with the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, I ask them to listen to the words of President Bush, who has admitted numerous times that there is no connection.”

Photo by Stephen Webster
Democratic candidate for Congress Tim Barnwell, Burgess' opponent, stands in front of the Congressman's office with a somber message.

Barnwell also noted that Congressman Burgess has been given a zero percent rating by the Disabled American Veterans Association. He encouraged other demonstrators to read about his and other legislators’ voting records at www.dav.org.

“When was the last time you heard of an American wanting to disguise their citizenship while traveling overseas to avoid anger from those who used to be our allies?” asked Barnwell, who held a sign that read “Burgess Votes Against Disabled Veterans.”

Congressman Burgess was out of the office on a personal day, according to members of his staff. An office aid passed along the Congressman’s thoughts, stating that, “We cannot walk away from Iraq. We have to take the long view.”

Around 3 p.m., yard sprinklers were turned on underneath the demonstrators, much to their ire.

Photo by Stephen Webster
The unusually hot weather was tempered by yard sprinklers, but not all the demonstrators were greatful for it.

“This is an age-old tactic,” said Dan Burnham, a Denton resident and member of Veterans for Peace and Peace Action Denton. “Shortly after the Iraq war had started there was a Bush fundraiser at the Wyndham Anatole [hotel] in downtown Dallas. There was a demonstration scheduled, and everybody was standing in the free speech zone the police had set up. About three-quarters of the way into the demonstration, they decided to turn the water sprinklers on us just as they have today.”

Burnham described how he and others were arrested for stepping on sprinkler heads in an attempt to protect electronic equipment, such as cell phones and cameras, being carried by other demonstrators.

“It’s just shameless,” he said. “Absolutely shameless. They’re trying to provoke us or just drive us off, but it isn’t going to work.”

Photo by Stephen Webster
For almost an hour demonstrators withstood the spraying.

A number of signs were set up along the service road, beseeching passers-by to “honk for peace.” Hundreds of motorists did so, causing a massive slowdown in traffic by 4 p.m. Other drivers made obscene gestures and screamed curse words. At approximately 4:15 p.m., a black Ford sport utility vehicle came dangerously close to hitting a woman and a little girl who were standing on the roadside grass. As they screamed and jumped back, the SUV sped away, kicking up dirt alongside the road and blasting an unusually loud custom horn.

“The idea of the United States having a debate and changing the laws on what defines torture is sickening,” said Barnwell. “Everybody here knows what torture is. Everybody. Even those in Congress who voted for this law. It is offensive to me and to all Americans. It puts all of our troops at increased risk, all for the sake of a few men running this country, many of whom never actually saw combat.”

Photo by Stephen Webster
Many of those who attended the protest refused to identify themselves with a political party, claiming that Democrats simply have not been standing up to Republicans.

Barnwell added that he was called up for the draft during the Vietnam War, but was denied by Army doctors due to back problems. “But I didn’t back away from it like so many others did,” said Barnwell. “I stepped up to the plate. I was ready to serve my country.”

“We’re here to help people wake up,” said Tim Martin, a resident of Allen. “It is time for people to sit back and take a look at what is going on around them. This is just one way we could help spread the word. I believe we entered this war illegally, and now is the time to bring our troops home."
-------------------

Additional photos ...


GOPedophile-gate continues

GOPedophile-gate just keeps getting worse. Updates from around The Party ...
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) saw sexually explicit instant messages from Foley to a page over six years ago. Action taken? Zero.

Newsweek: Foley scandal will bring down the GOP.

LA TIMES: Ex-page describes having sex with Foley in his dorm.

Faux News' Sean Hannity: "Clinton had oral sex in the White House and you guys are worried about instant messages?" (10/6/06)

Focus on the Family's Dr. James Dobson, uber-Religious Right figure and string-puller within Republican circles, thinks Foley's antics are "sort of a joke" or a "prank." Wingnuts Matt Drudge and Michael Savage agree with Dobson, and think the little boys are to blame.
Shame on those little boys for the terrible things they're doing to this poor, poor pedophile. Right? Riiiight?

TX Governor's debate: Fact Check

If you live in Texas, you need to know:

Rick Perry and Carole Strayhorn are full of ... flies.

Read the info at the link above and vote informed on Nov. 7.

Burgess hides from the League of Women Voters?

Congressman Michael Burgess seems to be in hiding.

While he hasn't outright refused to debate his opponents, Tim Barnwell and Richard Haas, he has been far too busy to respond to their requests. He's so busy, it seems, he couldn't even take the time to respond to the League of Women Voters! Does that show a contempt for democracy? You decide ...

Here's a screen capture from the league's recently released voter's guide:


Get the full guide here.

And while you're at it, check out Steve Southwell's breakdown of where Burgess' millions have been going. (Hint: not to his campaign!)

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Federal Judge speaks out against torture laws

This letter was sent to NPR's Morning Edition. It gives me some hope.
'Can This Be America?'

Listening to John Yoo talk about this new legislation was chilling. I'm a federal judge, and have taught constitutional law for 16 years. The very idea of holding anyone without trial, without the right to see the evidence that was used to justify naming them an "enemy combatant," and depriving them of the ability to challenge why they are even there is so repugnant to a constitutional democracy that I am shocked that this man actually claims to be defending American values. These are the tactics of the old Soviet Union, not of a country that stands for freedom and the rule of law.

I also quibble with his contention that U.S. citizens still have the right to habeas review. I've read the law. The president can form his own tribunal, which can determine who is an "enemy combatant" (not just an alien enemy combatant), and the decision of that tribunal would not be subject to habeas review. Moreover, persons targeted by this tribunal would not even have access to the military tribunal trial created under this law.

How easy it would be for a president to use such a law to make his political enemies simply disappear? Can this be America?

-- Leif Clark, San Antonio, Texas

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

National Day of Action - tomorrow

A little something I put together for my friends on MySpace ...



On Thursday, October 5, "The World Can't Wait: Drive Out the Bush Regime" has called for a day of mass resistance to war and the legalization of torture. YOU ARE NEEDED!



WALK OUT OF SCHOOL. WALK OUT OF WORK. Your world needs you. AS AN AMERICAN, IT IS OUR CIVIC DUTY TO RESIST TYRANNY. JOIN YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE STREETS!



TORTURE + SILENCE = COMPLICITY

IF YOU LIKE BUSH, STAY IN SCHOOL. IF YOU ARE OKAY WITH INNOCENT PEOPLE BEING TORTURED AND KILLED, STAY AT WORK.



Join the march for freedom! Reclaim your liberty!

FIND A PROTEST NEAR YOU! CLICK HERE NOW!



For more information, visit The World Can't Wait on MySpace.

The three stooges of the apocalypse

I'm addicted to news about this scandal. I don't know why. The entire newsroom is talking about Foley's chat transcripts, and I can't stop laughing about these pictures on Talking Points Memo ...

"Heck of a job Brownie," George "Nukuler" Bush and GOPedophile Mark Foley, making the rounds in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Another great source of humor, Foley presenting the "Rough Rider" award ...

I'm also finding a large sum of "funny" from a Miami Herald article published in 2003. It reads ...
In his quest for a seat in the U.S. Senate, Rep. Mark Foley has rankled a group that is barely covered in most elections: nudists.

Foley, of West Palm Beach, has hit the national TV and radio talk-show circuit in recent weeks to bash a Tampa-area summer camp not unlike most camps - except that the boys and girls, ages 11-18, are naked.

Foley, a Republican hoping to replace Sen. Bob Graham, says that letting naked teenagers play together is immoral and potentially dangerous.

Talking Points Memo points out ...
The article concludes by noting that "The naturists plan to invite Foley to visit the camp and judge it for himself" but that it was "an invitation Foley said he plans to refuse."
Wow.

In other news, President Bush says that the American people shouldn't trust Democrats, but he's not quite sure why.

Foley had cybersex in Congress during war vote

Oh. My. God!

Who could vote for freaks who allow this behavior to continue uninhibited?

Fox News says GOPedophile Foley actually a Dem

Now, there are lies, and there are brazen lies. On the O'Reilly Factor last night, three different cutaways claimed GOPedophile Mark Foley to be a Democrat.

Huh?

They're not even trying anymore. That is just blatant.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

"Lottie's Love" - a short story by Kinky Friedman

This is a remarkably moving story written by Kinky Friedman, renouned author and singer/songwriter, who is currently running as an Independent candidate for Texas Governor.

Some people say he's a racist, despite his time spent in the Peace Corps in Borneo, or picketing segrigated eateries in Austin. In my mind, actions speak louder than words. But the words linked to above speak pretty damn loud.

"Lottie's Love" is eloquent, genuine, and moving. Such words were never spoken by a person motivated by hate.

Please give this short story a read, even if you aren't a Texan. This world needs more people like Kinky Friedman. Remember, election day is Nov. 7!

Hitachi debuts people tracker for employers

Disturbing.

Big Brother isn't just watching and talking back anymore. He's following you everywhere you go.

Word of the day

The word of the day today is GOPedophiles!!!

Repeated warnings about the pedophile did not phase GOP leadership.

Here's a lovely editorial from The Washington Times entitled, "Resign, Mr. Speaker" ...

ABC's Brian Ross (a.k.a. "The Man") says former Congressional Pages are sending him messages about other members of Congress who made advances toward the boys.

I wonder which shoe is going to drop next? And if a Democrat is revealed to be a pedophile too, I'll change my word of the day to Corrupt'dophiles. But for now, GOPedophiles is more appropriate.

Here's an excerpt from Representative Mark Foley's thoughts on Bill Clinton and his relationship of consent with an adult female ...
"It's vile. It's more sad than anything else, to see someone with such potential throw it all down the drain because of a sexual addiction."
But his words are indeed true. It is sad. But in this case, you feel sad for the little boys Foley was after, not so much Foley and his forever-gone career as a public servant.

Monday, October 02, 2006

GOP covers up for, defends pedophile, enablers

Talk about a scandal! Rep. Foley of Florida has the entire Republican party freaking out just five weeks away from the midterm elections. Here's what has happened since Friday ...

The Bush White House is opposed to an independent investigation of Congressman Foley and his love of little boys.

Fox News' Brit Hume doesn't think it is as bad as Bill Clinton's relationship of concent with an adult, "that woman, Monica Lewinski."

Newt Gingrich thinks it is okay that the entirety of the Republican leadership in the House knew about Rep. Foley's love of little boys over five years ago, but did nothing.

White House spokesman (the former Fox News anchor) Tony Snow thinks the emails were "simply naughty." He also doesn't really think it is a big deal that others knew but still allowed this pedophile to continue his love of children.

NY Times: Possible criminal conspiracy charges for those who knew.

Who knew? So far: Reps. Hastert, Boehner, Reynolds and Shimkus. More to follow.

ABC News has pretty much ended Hastert's time as Speaker of the House. ABC News' "This Week" puts another few nails in the coffin.

A GOP House staffer warned the Congressional Page class of 2001-2002
about Rep. Foley. Still, nothing was done about it.

Foley has entered rehab for alcoholism.

The FBI piles on.

And there's so much more in the Great GOP Pedophile Coverup of 2006 Timeline! (Big props to ThinkProgress.)

The Weird, Turned Pro.

Created by The Gonzo Muckraker
Based in Dallas, Texas
More about the author.
----------------------------------------------

----------------------------------------------
Stories I'm Digging today ...