Good News

Boomr and his family are safe and are somewhere in the Gulfport area. I did not get through to him, but he left a message on his cell phone saying that he and his family are safe and that they are in a furniture warehouse on Pass road and 15th in Gulfport. They are looking for a ride out of town if anyone is close enough to them. I am assuming their car was destroyed.

Update: Operation Rescue Boomr

I have been getting e-mails from many other bloggers offering their services to help Boomr and his family.

Maxed out Mama has even offered to drive down to Gulfport to pick them up.

Siggy is trying to pull some strings (I have no idea what that means) to be able to get MOM into Gulfport.

Carson offered to let him stay at her place as long as he didn't mind sleeping on her couch. I replied that there has never been a couch that boy didn't like. To re-enforce the point - after I e-mailed all of our college friends to know he and his family were find and that he was looking to hitch a ride out of the furniture warehouse, I got an e-mail back:

Why would he leave? He’s in a building full of couches.

Thanks again to everyone who is trying to help.

More of Katrina Relief

From Maxed Out Moma, here is a list of agencies that are taking donations to help the victims - Hurricane Katrina Donations. Even if it is only $5, please give. So many of these people had so little to begin with.

As for Boomr (as well as some of my other friends) I have not yet heard anything, but that is to be expected at this point. I will let everyone know as soon as I hear anything. I know that he will be touched that everyone is so concerned about him. You can see how much of an impact he has had on y'all from just a couple months of blogging. Imagine the impact on someone who has gone to both college and law school with him. I couldn't even stay mad at him when he almost got us evicted.

I refuse to be anything to be anything but optimistic. After all, his mother still owes me a home cooked lasagna.

Katrina Relief Effort

Once again, I am calling on all Americans to help out the best they can to the devestated citizens of the Gulf Coast. I am still waiting to hear from Boomr, who was with his family, Mr. and Mrs. D (and assuming his sister also), in Gulfport, MS.

The areas hit by Hurricane Katrina are some of the poorest sections of this country. Southern Louisiana and Mississippi have been economically depressed for 100 years.

After 9/11, thousands of New Orleans citizens were climbing over each other in order to be the first in line to help. There were lines out the door to donate blood and money to the Red Cross to help. Cars were backed up allong all along Howard street as firemen walked along, carrying buckets for donations. Now Howard St is under water.

Now they need our help. I urge you to donate to the Red Cross Disaster relief fund.

Fred Phelps Strikes Again

The Reverend Fred Phelps (also briefly blogged on him here and here), the Fundamentalist Christian pastor who hates homosexuals, has gone beyond his usual repulsively to an even lower (or higher, however you want to look at it) level. Phelps and his so called Christian supporters, have picketed the the funeral of two national guardsmen killed in Iraq because he "contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays."

Phelps' Pickets at Soldiers' Funerals Protest in Tennessee

Katrina Relief

The areas being hit by Hurricane Katrina are some of the poorest sections of this country. Southern Louisiana and Mississippi have been economically depressed for 100 years. After 9/11, thousands of New Orleans citizens were climbing over each other in order to be the first in line to help. There were lines out the door to donate blood and money to the Red Cross to help. Now they need our help. I urge you to donate to the Red Cross Disaster relief fund.

Hurricane Katrina and Destruction

New Orleans is a city near and dear to my heart. I called it home for 3 years. While I never grew to love the poodle sized cockroaches, I did fall in love with its food, its charm, and its people. I still have many friends who live in the Big Easy and visit regularly.

Now hurricane Katrina is knocking at its door, threatening to turn it into Venice. Up to 30 feet of water could flow over the levees into the streets, flooding 200 year old buildings.

The main reason that New Orleans is in such peril from the hurricane is because the Louisiana coast has lost 1,000,000 square miles of coastal marshland. The main reason for this loss is due to oil and gas exploration. Millions of miles of paths have been cut into the bayou that has allowed sea water to flow in to areas that were previously fresh water or brackish. The introduction of the sea water has killed the native plants that buffer the coast from the storm surge of the hurricanes.

The biggest violator has been the company, Kerr-McGee. 2 decades ago, Kerr-McGee convinced the Army Corp of Engineers that it needed a path cut into through the marshland, directly from it factory where it builds the deep water drilling platforms, to the Gulf of Mexico. Everyone knew that the only reason that it wanted the Army Corp of Engineers to do this was to cut the distance and time it took to get one of its rigs from its facility, out to the Gulf (this, of course would save the company a lot of money). But, Kerr-McGee was able to convince the Corp that the path was needed as "protection" for the drilling platforms in the Gulf. They said that it was needed, in case of a hurricane, the platform would be able to move from the Gulf, up the path, to the intercostal highway, into sheltered water. So, with our tax dollars, the Army Corp of Engeneers cut this path through the bayou.

Of course, no platform has ever been moved back up the path due to a hurricane since it was built. Environmentalists warned of the devastating effect this path would cause if built. It, essentially, creates a straight shot for flood waters to move from the coast, into New Orleans. And of course, this path gets bigger every year due to the salt water that kills off the marsh plants. I can tell you from first hand experience that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Protection is in the back pocket of industry. So much so, even the Bush administration's EPA has had to take over some programs from the state because it is so remiss in its obligations (and you know someone is doing a bad job if even the Bush administration thinks you are not protecting the environment enough).

Environmentalism is not just about saving the snail darter or the yellow bellied purple spotted three toed tree sloth. It is also about saving our own environment. Deforestation causes runoff that silts our rivers, causing disruption to commerce and drinking water. Acid rain causes millions of dollars of damages to our agriculture, buildings, and recreational areas. Ocean pollution causes millions of dollars of damage to our fishing industry. Most of the time, protecting our environment does not hamper our economy. Most of the time, protecting our environment protects our economy.

It is time that Americans wake up and smell the salt water... on their second floor landing.


New Orleans Facing Environmental Disaster

My One Year Blogiversary

It will be my one year blogiversary on Friday. To celebrate, I am going to take a vacation...

Ok,ok. I was already going out of town and had no idea it was coming up to one year of me posting my drivel until someone pointed it out to me.

Anyway, I'll be back on Monday to annoy you some more.

The Fat Lady Sings

Are you... umm... big boned? Has anyone ever used on of these to describe you?

You so fat when you step on the scale it says, "To be continued."

You are so fat you have your own area code.

You are so fat NASA orbits satellites around you.

You are so fat that when you wear a Malcolm X T-shirt, helocopters try to land on your back.

You are so fat you were baptized in Sea World.

If so, then most likely you doctor has also told you about the adverse affects of being obese. Apparently, it was too much for one New Hampshire woman to hear from her's, so she filed a complaint.

Woman Offended by Doc's Obesity Advice

ROCHESTER, N.H. - As doctors warn more patients that they should lose weight, the advice has backfired on one doctor with a woman filing a complaint with the state saying he was hurtful, not helpful.

Dr. Terry Bennett says he tells obese patients their weight is bad for their health and their love lives, but the lecture drove one patient to complain to the state.

"I told a fat woman she was obese," Bennett says. "I tried to get her attention. I told her, 'You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that is going to kill you.' "

He says he wrote a letter of apology to the woman when he found out she was offended.

Her complaint, filed about a year ago, was initially investigated by a panel of the New Hampshire Board of Medicine, which recommended that Bennett be sent a confidential letter of concern. The board rejected the suggestion in December and asked the attorney general's office to investigate.

Bennett rejected that office's proposal that he attend a medical education course and acknowledge that he made a mistake...

Other overweight patients have come to Bennett's defense.

"What really makes me angry is he told the truth," Mindy Haney told WMUR-TV on Tuesday. "How can you punish somebody for that?"

Haney said Bennett has helped her lose more than 150 pounds, but acknowledged that the initially didn't want to listen.

"I have been in this lady's shoes. I've been angry and left his practice. I mean, in-my-car-taking-off angry," Haney said. "But once you think about it, you're angry at yourself, not Doctor Bennett. He's the messenger. He's telling you what you already know."

(Full Story)

Captain of the Swift Boats Liers- Rush Limbaugh

A lot has been said about Cindy Sheehan, the mother sitting outside Bush vacation ranch and protesting the war. Both good and bad things have been said about her. most of it, even in disagreement with her stance, has been respectful. After all, she did lose her son.

But, then again, there is Rush Limbaugh who just can't go five minutes without being a giant jackass. Rush Limbaugh show August 15th:

LIMBAUGH: I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real...

So, Rush, what is fake? Did she fake her sons death? Is Casey Sheehan really living in Hawaii with Jimmy Hendrix and Elvis? Or, maybe, she never even really had a son?

I certainly hope that is what you mean, because, if you mean that she actually didn't feel pain from her sons death... well, I don't even have the words to describe the crassness of such an assertion.

No parent is meant to out live their child. It does not matter if the child's death is from illness, or war, to assert that the parent is making up and faking her grief is disgusting. Some mothers who have lost their sons and daughters choose to support the president and the war. That is their right and their way of grieving. Some other mothers have chosen to stop more mothers from feeling the pain. That is also their right.

Apparently, Rush's listeners didn't even take too well to his comments. Rush Limbaugh Show August 17th:

LIMBAUGH: Let me take a brief time out here to address something. I have been the recipient of a pretty decent amount of hate mail, far, far, far more hate mail than I usually get.

Does Rush say, "you know, maybe I over stepped on that one. Maybe my comments were inappropriate." When you have three hours of drivel time to fill each day, I guess there are some times when it would be expected a radio host would stick their foot in their mouth. No, Rush just decided lie some more, as usual. He just denied ever saying the comments.

But apparently there is something that is out there misreporting what I have said. And of course, these people are reading that rather than listening to this program and choosing to believe it.

Apparently, what's out there is that I said that Cindy Sheehan is no different than Bill Burkett, that Bill Burkett lied and Cindy Sheehan lied. They're actually out there, people saying that I am accusing Cindy Sheehan of making up the fact that she had a son and making up the fact that her son died in Iraq. And of course, I've never said this.

Funny that Rush's comments from the 15th were stricken from his web site, but not after it was there long enough for everyone to know the truth.

Keith Olbermann has some choice words about the episode, calling Rush "the worst person in the world."

As for the assertion that she is politicizing her sons death for attention - Were Was the father who pushed for congressional hearsing on steriod abuse just looking for attention? How about Megan's parents when they helped push for "megan's law?" How about Amber's parents? MADD? Are they just a bunch of attention seking housewives?

You don't have to agree with Cindy. I don't. But stop saying she is just a media whore. Its just sick.

Pat Robertson - Off the Deep End... Again

Yesterday, the religious leader and the TV host of the 700 club, called for a political assassination of Hugo Chavez.

We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability

Yes, brilliant Pat. Simply brilliant.

But, then again, this is also the man who claimed God would make sure he was elected as the US president if he ran back in 1988 and regularly calls on his followers to pray for the death of liberal judges. Now, there are plenty of nut jobs out there. The problem here is that there are millions of religious right Americans who actually listen to his drivel daily.

It is hard for me to figure out how Robertson can condemn terrorists who would want to hurt us while advocating the death of others. Is there any question why many Americans fear the religious fundimentalists in this country. After all, this is a man who the president has sought advice from.

Televangelist Calls for Chavez' Death

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to stop his country from becoming "a launching pad for communist infiltration and Muslim extremism."

"We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability," Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's "The 700 Club."

"We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator," he continued. "It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with."

Chavez has emerged as one of the most outspoken critics of President Bush, accusing the United States of conspiring to topple his government and possibly backing plots to assassinate him. U.S. officials have called the accusations ridiculous.

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson said. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... and I don't think any oil shipments will stop."

Robertson, 75, founder of the Christian Coalition of America and a former presidential candidate, accused the United States of failing to act when Chavez was briefly overthrown in 2002.

Electronic pages and a message to a Robertson spokeswoman were not immediately returned Monday evening.

Venezuela is the fifth largest oil exporter and a major supplier of oil to the United States. The CIA estimates that U.S. markets absorb almost 59 percent of Venezuela's total exports.

Venezuela's government has demanded in the past that the United States crack down on Cuban and Venezuelan "terrorists" in Florida who they say are conspiring against Chavez.

Robertson has made controversial statements in the past. In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."
(Full Story)

Update: Venezuela Slams Robertson Over Remarks

Islamic Law for Iraq

The draft constitution for Iraq is in its final processes of agreements and fine tuning. So far, it is not boding well for out "mission" in Iraq and for Iraqi women.

The draft also stipulates that Iraq is an Islamic state and that no law can contradict the principles of Islam, Shiite and Kurdish negotiators said. Opponents have charged that last provision would subject Iraqis to religious edicts by individual clerics.

The Shiite and Kurdish negotiators also said draft calls for the presence of Islamic clerics on the court that would interpret the constitution. Family matters such as divorce, marriage or inheritance would be decided either by religious law or civil law as an individual chooses -- a condition that opponents say would likely lead to women being forced into unfavorable rulings for them by opponents demanding judgments under Islamic law.

Sunni Iraqis, who have complained about being shut out of negotiations for the past several days complain that this constitution is bad for Iraqi independence.

Sunnis and others say such a state would be under heavy influence from neighboring, Shiite-ruled Iran.

Perhaps the Sunnis are to blame for sitting out the elections, but this is not what I would consider a stabilizing event.

Draft Constitution Would Fundamentally Change Iraq

Pat Robertson - Gays are Responsible for Abortion

Yes, that is right folks. The very people who can have children are the ones responsible for all the abortion in the US.

From the August 16 edition of the Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club:

ROBERTSON: I had interviewed a lady who was a sociologist who says "I am a lesbian," but she described homosexuality in this term, she said, "They are self-absorbed narcissists." I want you to put that down -- self-absorbed narcissists who are willing to destroy any institution so long as they can have affirmation of their lifestyle. You go back to the various laws that took away the difficulty of getting a divorce, and the people leading the charge were homosexuals, way back in the '70s. So we have no-fault divorce. Who are leading the charge for abortions? Now they want to destroy marriage.

Really? It was the homosexuals who lead the fight for abortion? The people who can't have children without adoption of artificial insemination? Am I getting this right?

Ohio Blues

Things are not looking good for the Republicans in Ohio. Last week, the Republican Governor, Bob Taft, pleaded no contest to corruption charges and paid a fine of $4000. The Democrats are considering an attempt to impeach the Governor (unlikely since the Republicans control the House and Senate of Ohio.

Additionally, the big time GOP donor, Tom Noe, who has "lost" upwards of $13 Million dollars of the states workers compensation fund and most likely stole $4 million more, is mad at Bob Taft for trying to distance himself from the scandal. Noe, who has funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into GOP campaign coffers, has called on the Governor to retract a comment the Governor made about the scandal. Taft claims he did not know about the investment scheme until he read about it in the paper, but Noe is claiming that is not true. Noe claims that he personally briefed the Governor in 2001.

In any event, Taft is hanging on for dear life and refuses to step down.

Fact vs. Fiction and the Origins of the American Democracy

This whole "Justice Sunday II" has brought all of the fundamentalists back out of the wood work, all rallied up by the speeches of a bunch of nuts. A lot of it had to do with the Tem Commandments and US law and the constitution. I have blogged on this before (Link).

If you ever have an argument with someone who claims that the US law and constitution is based on the Ten Commandments and the bible, have them read this speech by Pericles during the war between Athens and Sparta. Our founding fathers studied both the bible and this speech. Were the founding fathers religious? Yes, of course. So was Einstein, but that does not mean that the Bible was the foundation of his theory of relativity. It is no coincidence that the word "democracy" is Greek. It is no coincidence that the words "Republic" and "Senate" are Latin.


So, which one sounds more like the Constitution and American ideals -

"Do not have any other gods before Me"

or:

I will speak first of our ancestors, for it is right and seemly that now, when we are lamenting the dead, a tribute should be paid to their memory. There has never been a time when they did not inhabit this land, which by their valor they will have handed down from generation to generation, and we have received from them a free state...
Our form of government does not enter into rivalry with the institutions of others. Our government does not copy our neighbors', but is an example to them. It is true that we are called a democracy, for the administration is in the hands of the many and not of the few. But while there exists equal justice to all and alike in their private disputes, the claim of excellence is also recognized; and when a citizen is in any way distinguished, he is preferred to the public service, not as a matter of privilege, but as the reward of merit. Neither is poverty an obstacle, but a man may benefit his country whatever the obscurity of his condition. There is no exclusiveness in our public life, and in our private business we are not suspicious of one another, nor angry with our neighbor if he does what he likes; we do not put on sour looks at him which, though harmless, are not pleasant. While we are thus unconstrained in our private business, a spirit of reverence pervades our public acts; we are prevented from doing wrong by respect for the authorities and for the laws, having a particular regard to those which are ordained for the protection of the injured as well as those unwritten laws which bring upon the transgressor of them the reprobation of the general sentiment.

So, no, out laws and nation were not founded on the Ten Commandments.

Surprise! Surprise! Post War Planning Gaps

The State Department memo warned of post-war 'planning gaps.' Is this any surprise when you have someone like Rumsfeld in charge who thinks looting is just part of being free.

"Freedom's untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things" - April 12, 2003

Does this mean that oppressed people are precluded from committing crime? Gee, freedom means the freedom to loot? Who wudda thunk. Looks like I am going to go get me a new HDTV tonight.

A Soldiers Response

A veteran of the Iraq war has written a letter to Waco Texas resident Larry Northern, who drove his truck (dragging pipes and chains) across hundreds of wooden crosses and American flags erected as a memorial to those who have served and died in Iraq. Mr. Northern disagrees with the protestors outside of President Bush's Crawford ranch, but this is no way to honor those who have died.

Mr. Northern, a Waco realtor and the president of the local gun club, was arrested and released on $3000 bail.

Mr. Northern:

I am a Veteran of the Iraq war, having served with the 4th Infantry Division on the initial invasion with Force Package One.

While I was in Iraq,a very good friend of mine, Christopher Cutchall,was killed in an unarmoredHMMWV outside of Baghdad. He was a cavalry scout serving with the 3d ID.Once he had declined the award of a medal because Soldiers assigned to him did not receive similar awards that he had recommended. He left two sons and awonderful wife. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers in Iraq was Roger Turner. We gave him a hard time because he always wore all of his protective equipment, including three pairs of glasses or goggles. He did this because he wanted to make sure that he returned home to his family. He rode a bicycle to work every day to make sure that he was able to save enough money on his Army salary to send his son to college. At Camp Anaconda, where the squadron briefly stayed, a rocket landed inside a tent, sending a piece of debris or fragment into him and killed him. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers was Henry Bacon. He was one of the finest men I ever met. He was in perfect shape for a man over forty, working hard at night. He told me that he did that because he didn't have much money to buy nice things for his wife, who he loved so much, so he had to be in good shape for her. He was like a father to many young men in his section of maintenance mechanics. They fixed our vehicles with almost no support and fabricated parts and made repairs that kept our squadron rolling on the longest, fastest armor advance ever made under fire. He was so very proud of his son-in-law that married the beautiful daughter so well raised by Henry. His son-in-law was a helicopter pilot with the 1st Cavalry Division, who died last year. Henry stopped to rescue a vehicle belonging to another unit on what was to be his last day in Iraq. He could have kept rolling - he was headed to Kuwait after a year's tour. But he stopped. He could have sent others to do the work, but he was on the ground, leading by example, when he was killed. On Monday night, August 16, you took it upon yourself to go out in the country, where a peaceful group was exercising their constitutional rights, and harming no one, and you ran down the memorial cross erected for Henry and for his son-in-law by Arlington West.

Mr. Northern - I know little about Cindy Sheehan except that she is a grieving mother, a gentle soul, and wants to bring harm to no one. I know little about you except that you found your way to Crawford on Monday night in August with chains and a pipe attached to your truck for the sole purpose of dishonoring a memorial erected for my friends and lost Soldiers and hundreds of others that served this nation when they were called. I find it disheartening that good men like these have died so that people like you can threaten a mother who lost a child with your actions. I hope that you are ashamed of yourself.

Perry Jefferies, First Sergeant, USA (retired)

Don't You Know the Children Are Our Future...

Teach them well and let them lead the way... show them all the beauty they posses in siiiiiiiide... umm, sorry.

A couple of days ago, New York students who attended summer school were administered the Regents examination. Here are a few answers from "living
environment" test.

question: state one specific lont-term action that humas could take that might slow down or reduce the melting of the ice fields

answer 1: they can bring gallons and gallons of cold cold water and drop the water in the place.

answer 2: we could try to block the sun a little so it could help. try to make more shade.

answer 3: one specific long-term action that humans could take that
might slow down or reduce is to feed the polar bears.

answer 4: humans can build a cooler shelter for the polar bears.

And my favorite answer

answer 5: either shift the sun or have the weather institute change the weather.

H/T Linnet

James Dobson's Sure Fire Way Not to Raise a Homo

James Dobson, of Focus on the Family fame, has a sure fired way to ensure you son will not be a flamer.

Meanwhile, the boy's father has to do his part. He needs to mirror and affirm his son's maleness. He can play rough-and-tumble games with his son, in ways that are decidedly different from the games he would play with a little girl. He can help his son learn to throw and catch a ball. He can teach him to pound a square wooden peg into a square hole in a pegboard. He can even take his son with him into the shower, where the boy cannot help but notice that Dad has a penis, just like his, only bigger.

So, dads, don't want your son to grow up gay? Just make sure to wrestle with them, shower with them, and show him your penis a lot. Is it just me, or does that not sound like the activities that would "create" a homosexual?

Focus on the Family... or should it be "Focus on the Penis."

More Rush Limbaugh Crap

Rush is really quite pathetic. When talking about Paul Hackett, the democratic nominee and former Marine stationed in Iraq, who narrowly lost a special election for the Ohio 2nd District Congressional seat, Rush said:

And it appears that, you know, he goes to Iraq to pad the resumé,

That is just a plain ol' disgusting way to talk about our nations vets. It should be noted that Rush has never served in the military. He got out of it due to a "bad back" even though Rush is a avid golfer.

Rush went on to continue embarrassing himself.

The big picture here is they got another liberal Democrat trying to hide behind a military uniform

So much for supporting our troops Rush. But Hackett had a good response that is so true about Rush.

That's typical for that fat-ass drug addict to come up with something like that.

Justice Sunday II - Zell Miller

I have been looking for the full text of Zell Miller's speech for two days now. Needless to say, it was as nutty as ever and just goes to show the "quality" of nut that they invite to these events.

Zell started talking about how they will arrest judges who hang the Ten Commandments in their court rooms (hmmm... don't seem to remember anyone ever getting arrested). He then went on to compare putting warning signs on gas pumps not to smoke, and the ten commandments in the courtroom.

"How is it that the government thinks we need a no smoking sign by gas pumps to remind us that danger, but not think we need a reminder of the danger of a sinful lifestyle."

Maybe... and correct me if I am wrong... but it may be due to the fact that not honoring thy mother and father won't cause a gigantic ball of fire to engulf you and everyone within a 100 yards.

I really wish I could find the entire transcript somewhere because the entirety of it is even odder than just this snippet. I had better be careful of what I say. He may just bursting into my office and carve a big Z into my chest with his nimble rapier.

Justice Sunday II - The Dumb Asses Strike Back

Yes, yes, Justice Sunday II was held yesterday. It was a chance for all of the wingnuts to get together and claim that God called them last night and told them to tell the rest of us we were all going to hell unless we immediately put James Dobson and Tony Perkins on the supreme court so they can out law abortion, fornication, women working outside of the home, homosexuals from wearing anything but flannel, and a whole host of other nonsense. Seriously, if Jesus knew he was going to spawn these types of people, he may have just stuck to carpentry.

One of the good quotes was from Mike Miller, showing that these nuts have never taken a history class. While talking about judges:

"Activist justices — we're trying to find out what we can do to stop that activity," he said. "Our laws are based on the Ten Commandments."

AAAAAAAAAAA!!!! No, no, no, you dumb ass wingnut. As I have noted before, the laws that make our country what it is come from other sources. Of the Ten Commandments, we only follow three. Three!! Don't kill, don't steal, and don't lie in court (I won't drive in the fact that those were actually lifted from the Code of Hammurabi).

Not only is that sooooooo for from based on, the constitution specifically rejects two others. And, those are rejected in the Bill of Rights, the heart and soul of the American way of life.

James Dobson continued the Dumb Assity of the event

"These activist, unelected judges believe they know better than the American people about the direction the country should go. The framers of our great nation did not intend for the courts to have absolute and final power over us."

No, no, no... the framers knew all two well that the people's direction may not be right. That is why they created the Supreme Court as the arbitrator of the constitution and a check on the "will of the people." The framers knew that there were enough nuts out there like Dobson and Perkins, that they needed an institution to stop people like Dobson and Perkins. If it were up to Dobson and Perkins, African Americans would still be sitting in the back of the bus and attending "separate yet equal" schools.

The nuts at the convention complain of the "oligarchy" of the courts yet wish to impose their narrow views on the rest of us. The majority of Americans believe abortion should be legal and safe, but these people want Bush to only nominate anti-abortion justices. The majority of Americans are tolerant of homosexuals, but these people started to turn against John Roberts because he might actually be tolerant of homosexuals.

And the right says it is the left wants a totalitarian state?
US conservative Christians slam "judicial autocracy"


DeLay Takes on High Court at Tenn. Rally

More Right Wing Hypocrisy

Why is it that when a liberal questions a judicial nominee's position on abortion or about his faith in general, they are "attacking people of faith." But it is ok for conservatives to dedicate an entire Sunday to the issue of placing anti-abortion, anti-homosexual judges on the high bench. They say that they want to take America back. Well, I have news for you. The majority of Americans want to keep Abortion safe and legal, and the majority of Americans are not bigots.

Conservatives Rally for Justices
Leaders Ask for Nominees Who Will End Abortion and Gay Rights
By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, August 15, 2005; Page A02

NASHVILLE, Aug. 14 -- Prominent conservative political and religious leaders called Sunday night for Senate approval of Supreme Court nominees who will vote to end the constitutional right to abortion, against recognition of same-sex marriage and for fewer restrictions on religious expression in public places.

The Supreme Court has sanctioned "the right to kill unborn children" and opened the door to legalized "homosexual sodomy," declared Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, which co-sponsored "Justice Sunday II."

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, told the 2,200 mostly white people in Two Rivers Baptist Church: "It doesn't matter what we think. The court rules." The Supreme Court, he said in a video broadcast, has created "an oligarchy. It's the government by the few."

Rejected Supreme Court nominee Robert H. Bork warned that the high court has defined homosexuality as "a constitutional right . . . and once homosexuality is defined as a constitutional right, there is nothing the states can do about it, nothing the people can do about it."

The event was billed as an attempt to awaken Christians to the importance of appointments to the Supreme Court, but it also served as a televised rally supporting President Bush's nomination of John G. Roberts Jr. Conservative leaders here said they hope Roberts will be the first of three or more Supreme Court justices to be chosen by Bush, whose confirmations would fundamentally alter the high court.

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) said "activist courts" are imposing "state-sanctioned same-sex marriage" and "partial-birth abortion" and are "ridding the public square of any mention of our nation's religious heritage" in what amounts to "judicial supremacy, judicial autocracy."

(Full Story)

Riding the Subway in NYC

Subway life in NYC 
From the cominc strip Alien Loves Preditor. For those of you with some time on your hands, you should read the strip form the beginning. For those of you not from New York or don't have a basic knowledge of New York, it might not make much sense.

More on Rush's Lies

This is something have had book marked for a long time, but keep on putting it off. This is from Rush Limbaugh's 09/21/2004 show where he attacks the UN. Now, there is a lot that you can attack the UN on, but instead of using the many legitimate points, Rush decides to just flat out lie about Kofi Annan's September 21st speech to the UN General assembly.

RUSH: Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy! I hope you heard the president's speech at the United Nations, and I really hope you heard Kofi Annan's speech before the president's speech so you could contrast the two... He [Kofi Annan] mentioned one nation when he talked about excessive violence in the world. Israel, absolutely right! The anti-Semitic, bigoted United Nations was in full form and flower today. He mentions Israel, of all places. There was not one condemnation of terrorism from Kofi Annan in his speech. He made a reference to it, but there wasn't a condemnation of it.

Now, lets look at Kofi Annan's actual words from his speech and see if he only talks about Israel:

In Iraq, we see civilians massacred in cold blood, while relief workers, journalists and other non-combatants are taken hostage and put to death in the most barbarous fashion.

Hmmm, no I am not a professional linguist, but calling this a most barbarous fashion doesn't scream "keep it up boys" to me. Lets look at more.

In Darfur, we see whole populations displaced, and their homes destroyed, while rape is used as a deliberate strategy.

In northern Uganda, we have seen children mutilated, and forced to take part in acts of unspeakable cruelty.

In Beslan, we have seen children taken hostage and brutally massacred.

And then Kofi finally gets to Israel and Palestinians.

In Israel we see civilians, including children, deliberately targeted by Palestinian suicide bombers. And in Palestine we see homes destroyed, lands seized, and needless civilian casualties caused by Israel's excessive use of force.

And all over the world we see people being prepared for further such acts, through hate propaganda directed at Jews, Muslims, against anyone who can be identified as different from one's own group.

This is Kofi's anti-semitic speech? I guess Rush is technically right. Kofi only said "excessive force" when he mentioned Israel. Ooooo...

And how did he characterize Iraqi insurgents murdering civilians? most barbarous.

The situations in Darfur? whole populations displaced, homes destroyed, rape.

Uganda? children mutilated and acts of unspeakable cruelty.

Beslan? brutally massacred.

Palestinians? suicide bombers.

And, what did Kofi say about all of these acts?

No cause, no grievance, however legitimate in itself, can begin to justify such acts.

Hmm... I pretty much got the message that he was condemning terrorism.

And about only saying Israel used excessive force? What is worse to you - excessive use of force or acts of unspeakable cruelty?

This is, without question, just another hack job by Rush trying to mislead the American people. There is no abject truth to this man.

Noise, Lots of Noise

There is a lot of stuff floating around out there on the blogosphere about Able Danger and the omission thereof by the 9/11 commissions. I hear a lot of people trying to hang this on the Democrats, saying that it was a conspiracy between Jamie Gorelick and Sandy Berger. They are using this to say 9/11 was basically all Clintons fault.

I am not going to comment on why it was omitted. I don't know. But it was a bi-partisan committee, so I can only assume it was not partisan politics.

But to address some issues:

First the "wall." The wall was not created by Jamie Gorelick. The Republican controlled joint House-Senate Committee on pre-9/11 intelligence notes the "wall" is a bunch of layers going back 60 years.

Additionally, the "wall" was reauthorized by Larry Thompson in August 2001. Larry Thompson was number two in the John Ashcroft Justice Department era. So, if the wall was so bad, Bush is equally culpable as Clinton.

Second, Sandy Berger. Berger took some documents from the archives. he was wrong to do this. But, everything he took had already been copied. He was not trying to cover up anything from the Clinton Administration.

This was a bi-partisan screw up, so please stop with the conspiracy theories.

A Bad Day for DeLay

Yesterday was another bad day for the embattled Tom "The Hammer" DeLay. First, the FEC Finds Misreporting by DeLay's political action committee.

Second, Tommy's good old buddy Jack Abramoff was indicted by a federal grand jury on fraud charges in buying a casino.

Specter Calls for NARAL to Pull it Ads

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania called for NARAL pro-choice to pull its controversial ads off the air that attack Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. From what I have seen of the ads and the premise it is based on, I too have to condemn the ads as being antithetical to a reasoned and respectable debate on the qualifications of Judge Roberts.

This is in no way an endorsement of Roberts by me, but it is not ok to be partisan just for the sake of being partisan. This stuff is almost as bad as the bottom feeding Swift Boat Veterans.

Specter Calls for Pulling Anti-Roberts Ad

Update: Abortion Rights Group Withdraws Roberts Ad

The Roberts Nomination Flip-flop

This is just too ironic not to comment on. For weeks now, Republicans and wingnut groups have been deriding Democrats for wanting more information on John Roberts before confirmation hearings start in September.

But wait... Now there is information that Roberts might not hate fags and this is not sitting well with some on the right. Roberts was apparently on the side of the evil homos in Romer v. Evans, a court case that dealt with statutory legalization of bigotry towards homosexuals.

So, now that Roberts may not be the gay-basher that people like James Dobson and Tony Perkins were hoping for, they want - get this - more information on Roberts judicial philosophy.

Tony Perkins of the wingnut family research council thinks Roberts was "aiding and abetting," those nasty gay people. So, he now needs to verify Roberts is sufficiently bigoted enough for Perkins's taste.

Yet as Ronald Reagan said, "Trust, but verify." We plan to do just that as we will be heavily involved in the confirmation hearings.

But yet on July 27th he wrote:

Despite the Bush Administration's acquiescing to Democrat's demands and releasing 75,000 pages of documents, the left is still not satisfied. Seventy five thousand pieces of paper, according to the Wisconsin Paper Council, weighs close to 1,000 lbs - equivalent to the amount of paper you can get from one tree. My question is how many trees must die during this fishing expedition before the environmentalists are up in arms? I am not sure who the Democrats think they are fooling but it certainly isn't the American people

Flippity-flop.

James Dobson has switched positions also on the August 8 edition of Hannity & Colmes

while the Democrats are going to try to find out what this man's judicial philosophy is, the Republicans have an obligation to do the same thing. We don't want to give him a pass here. I believe he's a good man. I believe the president has made the right choice. But the Republican senators need to vet him also, and I hope they will.

Floppity-flip.

Sean Hannity has questions also expressed in his August 5th show.

You know, at this time, if you're asking if I support the nomination -- yes, but I certainly want to know more.

Hmmmm... is this a flip flop for Hannity, also? Lets look at the transcript of his August 1st show (just days before the horrific news of Roberts belief in equal rights)

They [Democrats] want documents handed over by him that no other Department of Justice person appointed to a court position has ever had to hand over.

They want questions answered that have never been answered before by a nominee. They want an abortion litmus test. And they want a religious litmus test...

But as I watch the process unfold, and I'm seeing there's no way Chuck Schumer, [Sens.] Pat Leahy [D-VT], [Joseph R.] Biden [D-DE], or [Richard J.] Durbin [D-IL] are ever going to vote for this man. So why would the White House turn over any documents and capitulate in any way to a bunch of hard liberal extremists? Why bother?

But now he wants to know more.

Flippity-floppity-floop.

Oh, the irony... so biting... so sweet.

GOP Paying for the Voter Fraud in NH

During the 2002 midterm elections, Republicans party officials in New Hampshire paid a company to jam the Democratic headquarters "Get Out The Vote" phone lines. Two GOP officials have already been convicted for federal voter fraud.

The GOP officially says it has zero tolerance for voter fraud and intimidation, but at the same time, it is paying the legal bills ($722,000 so far) of the third man indicted on the same counts of voter fraud.

What kind of message is this to send, "don't engage in voter fraud, but if you do, don't worry because we will pay to keep you out of jail."

I am sorry, but this just does not play. You can't condemn voter fraud on one hand and then reward your GOP officials who committed voter fraud on the other hand. That is not "zero tolorance." That is "zero tolorance... wink-wink."

GOP Paying Legal Bills of Bush Official

By JOHN SOLOMON
The Associated Press
Thursday, August 11, 2005; 2:18 AM

WASHINGTON -- Despite a zero-tolerance policy on tampering with voters, the Republican Party has quietly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide private defense lawyers for a former Bush campaign official charged with conspiring to keep Democrats from voting in New Hampshire.

James Tobin, the president's 2004 campaign chairman for New England, is charged in New Hampshire federal court with four felonies accusing him of conspiring with a state GOP official and a GOP consultant in Virginia to jam Democratic and labor union get-out-the-vote phone banks in November 2002.


A telephone firm was paid to make repeated hang-up phone calls to overwhelm the phone banks in New Hampshire and prevent them from getting Democratic voters to the polls on Election Day 2002, prosecutors allege. Republican John Sununu won a close race that day to be New Hampshire's newest senator.

At the time, Tobin was the RNC's New England regional director, before moving to President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.

A top New Hampshire Party official and a GOP consultant already have pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors. Tobin's indictment accuses him of specifically calling the GOP consultant to get a telephone firm to help in the scheme.

"The object of the conspiracy was to deprive inhabitants of New Hampshire and more particularly qualified voters ... of their federally secured right to vote," states the latest indictment issued by a federal grand jury on May 18.

Since charges were first filed in December, the RNC has spent more than $722,000 to provide Tobin, who has pleaded innocent, a team of lawyers from the high-powered Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly. The firm's other clients include Bill and Hillary Clinton and former Housing Secretary Henry Cisneros.

The GOP's filings with the FEC list the payments to Williams & Connolly without specifying they were for Tobin's defense. Political parties have wide latitude on how they spend their money, including on lawyers.

(Full Story)

Is that a Crack in the Wall

The first conservative group to pull its endorsement of John Robert's came today after revelations that he did pro bono work for a gay rights case.

These wingnut groups never cease to amaze me. Roberts was not advocating gay marriage. He wasn't advocating civil unions or adoption rights. No, these religious wingnuts are so bigoted that they pulled their support of Roberts merely because he was advocating not making it legal to discriminate against homosexuals. Here they are with their dream candidate on 99% of the issues, but yet they pull their support because Roberts argued that we should all be treated equal. Hmmm... this really does say a lot about these people.

Group withdraws its support for nominee Roberts
Conservatives cite his work in a gay rights case
By JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - A conservative group in Virginia said Tuesday that it was withdrawing its support for Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' confirmation because of his work helping overturn a Colorado referendum on gays.

The group, Public Advocate of the United States, is one of the first conservative organizations to announce anything but support for the judge

Eugene Delgaudio, the president of the group, said that he hopes his stance will prod others.

"I know that others feel the same way. I know they believe as I do. They're just not going to act," the northern Virginia man, 50, said. "But once I've done it, then they can't claim that no one's opposing Roberts."

"We can't take our limited resources and put it toward a candidate who is not a strict constructionist when we were told he is," Delgaudio said.

The stance by his group, which describes itself as a pro-family organization, puts it in opposition to conservative groups that have endorsed Roberts. A number of liberal groups already oppose President Bush's high court nominee.

...

The Colorado gay rights case involved Amendment 2, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 1992 that would have barred laws, ordinances or regulations protecting gays from discrimination by landlords, employers or public agencies such as school districts.

Gay rights groups sued, and the U.S. Supreme Court declared the measure unconstitutional in a 6-3 ruling in 1996.

Roberts' role in the case included helping develop a strategy and firing tough questions during a mock court session at Jean Dubofsky, a former Colorado Supreme Court justice who argued the case on behalf of the gay rights plaintiffs.

(Full Story)

What's the Matter with Kansas... City

Many opponents of federal funding for stem cell research make the claim that, while public funds cannot be used to do the research, this does nothing to stop private funds from being used.

Well, Missouri is looking into making that illegal also. A bill proposed in the State legislature would make it a crime to do any type of stem cell research, public or private. The bill would go as far as to rescind state funding from those who do business with entities that carry on stem cell research.

This, of course has the Missouri biotech industry in a tizzy and has the prospect of costing Missouri millions of dollars in last jobs and taxes. The Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City has already suspended recruiting new scientists.

Under the guidance of Republicans, we will soon be back to blood letting and leeches.

In Heartland, Stem Cell Research Meets Fierce Opposition

Ban would imperil stem-cell research

Missouri's red herring

More Rush Limbaugh Lies

While most people know that Rush Limbaugh is bloated and pompous, I don't think most people realize how much the man just flat out lies. For instance, On Rush's August 3rd show, he claimed that the Columbia space shuttle disaster was caused by the EPA.

... EPA rules actually may have caused the shuttle Columbia disaster. It goes like this. They used to use Freon in the ingredients of the foam that they spray on the -- that solid fuel tank. It's that foam that fell off -- that chunks of it fall off, and the second to go shuttle mission created a hole in the wing and led to the disaster on re-entry. They can't use Freon anymore. They had to use something else to cause the foam to bond to the fuel tank, and it was not nearly as good as Freon was. And that's why the chunks started coming loose. And so they came up with some other substance that is a little stickier and causes the stuff to bond better, but it still doesn't work as well as Freon did.

So maybe -- a lot of people are beginning to think that the banning of Freon actually caused the shuttle accident, the Columbia shuttle accident, two flights ago. And I'm inclined to believe it when I hear this.

Of course Rush forgets to tell you that the foam that broke off was attached with Freon. Not only that, but the report says there was constantly foam breaking off that was attached with Freon. 62 instances out of 80 missions to be precise. (NASA Report)

It is amazing how Rush will use any spin or lie possible to attack the EPA.

Retired People Have to Sue to not Pray

This is why we have a separation between Church and State. There is no reason that any elderly person living in a public housing complex to be forced to pray or convert to Christianity. I know that this was not sanctioned practice by the State, but this is exactly why we have to especially careful with faith based initiatives.

Suit: Residents harassed into Bible study

BY NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter

Residents of a Westmont public housing complex for seniors said in a federal lawsuit filed Monday that they were coerced and harassed by management into practicing Christianity and pressured to attend Bible study classes.

Five former and current residents of the complex, along with housing advocate Hope Fair Housing, are suing the complex and its property manager, saying they used "coercive, harassing and restrictive rules and regulations to impose their 'Christian' beliefs upon current residents."

Hope Fair Housing, based in Wheaton, also alleges the complex only invites low-income Chinese tenants and discriminates against any other potential residents.

The defendants in the case include the Illinois Chinese American Residence for the Elderly, 501 N. Cass Ave. in Westmont, Angela Yuan, president of the board of directors, and Providence Management and Development Company Inc.

Hid in bathrooms, residents say

Elderly non-Christian residents of the 60-unit complex said they live in a "religiously hostile and intimidating environment," where they are barred from using common rooms for anything non-Christian, including card playing, according to the lawsuit.

Plaintiffs Shen Tong Bea Tu, 87, and Yue Ru Lee, 86, who are non-Christian, say they hid in their apartment bathrooms with the lights off every Wednesday so they wouldn't be forced to attend Bible classes.

Other tenants claim in the lawsuit that Yuan visited them individually and demanded they kneel down with her and pray after she learned they had played Mah Jongg, a Chinese game similar to dominoes, in the building.

(Full Story)

The ACLU vs. The NRA

Carl at No Oil For Pacifists has a post up about the ACLU's suit against the New York Police Department policy to search bags. Carl calls this "The Right to Be Murdered." While I agree with Carl that the Police should have the ability to search your bags when using the subway in New York, the ACLU is quite correct in that it is probably an illegal search and seizure. While I disagree with the ACLU's suit, it does have good legal standing and I would be surprised it the ACLU did not file suit.

But what really bothers me is that the same people (and I don't know Carl's position on this, so I am speaking in general) who will stand up and decry what the ACLU is doing as "the right to be murdered" will often be the same ones who will be in the front of the line defending the NRA and unfettered access to weapons such as 50 caliber rifles. These rifles can bring down a plane but the NRA will defend the right to own them as a paramount necessity. Any regulation would be a violation of the 2nd amendment.

Isn't it pretty hypocritical for people to attack the ACLU trying to defend against unlawful search and seizure while saying nothing about the NRA and their defense of the weapons that can kill us (or vice versa)?

Iran's Nuclear Ambition

Iran has announced that it will restart its nuclear program by continuing to increase its ability to accomplish steps A-Z in the production of nuclear material. As I, and many other critics of the war in Iraq have said, the pre-emptive war in Iraq gives Iran no other option but to develop its nuclear capabilities as quickly as possible.

It should be no surprise to anyone that Iran is moving forward now, when it is at its strongest and the US is at its weakest. Realpolitik dictates that you have to look at zero sum game from both your and your adversaries perspectives. In Iran's eyes, the only way to pre-empt Bush's doctrine of per-emptive war is to actually posses nuclear weapons.

This is only one in the many ways that the invasion of Iraq will make us less safe in the long run.

Iran Resumes Uranium Conversion Efforts

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran resumed uranium conversion activities at its Isfahan nuclear facility Monday, a step that Europeans and the United States warned would prompt them to seek U.N. sanctions against Tehran.
Work resumed at the conversion facility quickly after inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog finished installing surveillance equipment there and seals on equipment were removed.

The move came a day before the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, is to hold an emergency meeting at which it could consider referring Tehran to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose sanctions. Germany, France and the U.S. have said they would likely recommend doing so if work at Isfahan resumes.

Iran had suspended work at the plant and its other nuclear facilities in November to avoid sanctions and as a gesture in negotiations with the Europeans.

The resumption escalates a confrontation between Iran and the West over its nuclear program, which the Europeans have been trying to persuade the Iranians to sharply limit.

But Iran on Saturday rejected European proposals for it to curtail the program in return for economic incentives.

Germany, France and the United States have said that if Iran restarts work in Isfahan, they would seek to have Tehran referred to the U.N. Security Council, which could impose economic sanctions.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, while Iran insists its program aims only to produce electricity.

Iran also has insisted it has the right to develop the entire fuel cycle — from raw uranium to the fuel for a reactor. Europe fears that if Iran can develop fuel on its own, it also will secretly produce material for a bomb.

(Full Story)

Out of Office Automatic Reply

I am out of blogging for a couple of days as I get my wisdom teeth ripped from my skull. But, I'll be back sooner than a lot of you would like.

A Shot Over the Bow

The Republican candidate for the Ohio 2nd district narrowly defeated the Democratic contender in a special election to fill a vacant Congressional seat. When I say narrow, I mean a 4% margin (52-48%) of victory. What makes this so important? The Republican Congressman who vacated the seat won the last election 70-30%. The seat is in an overwhelmingly Republican strong hold, and has been in GOP hands for the past 40 years.

The Democratic nominee, Paul Hackett, was no right of center person running in a democrats clothing either. Mr. Hackett continually harangued President Bush and his policies throughout the race. Many see this as an early referendum on the GOP controlled government, the war in Iraq, and the plague of ethical problems the White House and Congress have been facing. There will be many GOP strategists sitting up and taking notice of this election.

GOP Wins U.S. House Election in Ohio

So Much for the "Liberal" Media Conspiracy

In a little talked about story over the Robert's memos disclosure tiff between the White House and Democratic Senators, was the fact that the "liberal" media caved into White House demands that the media could not talk to Democrats until after midnight, too late to get comments for the next days press. The Bush administration announced to the media that it would continue to refuse to turn over documents produced by John Roberts when he worked in the solicitor generals office.

But the White House clearly does not expect Democrats to agree. The officials disclosed the new policy under ground rules requiring anonymity and an embargo until midnight, too late for Democratic reaction. Democrats have pushed for papers from throughout Roberts's government career, including the solicitor general's office.

This embargo on the media stopped any chance for Democratic leaders to criticize the Bush policy not to turn over the papers. So, the only stories run the next day were Bush's reasons for not turning the documents over.

If there is a "liberal media conspiracy," it is not doing a very good job.

White House to Release Early Roberts Papers

News Round Up

Two of Karl Rove's closest advisors were questioned yesterday in the CIA leak investigation.

ABC News has learned that one was Susan Ralston, Rove's long-time right hand. The other, per ABC News' Jake Tapper, was Israel "Izzy" Hernandez, Rove's former left hand (and now a top Commerce Department official). It isn't clear if either had been asked to testify before last week.

President Bush wants public schools to teach creationism in science classes.

President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss "intelligent design" alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life.

Additionally, Bush was asked where he might live after his presidency comes to an end.

And he said he will probably become a part-time resident of whatever location gets the library. Asked where he plans to live after Jan. 20, 2009, Bush said, "Crawford, plus, I suspect, close to the library, wherever it might be."

Bush noted that he finally wanted to finish reading "Mt Pet Goat" which he was so rudely interrupted from.

Too Good to be True... But it is.

go to www.google.com

type the word 'failure' in the search box, and then, instead of asking
it to search, click the "i'm feeling lucky" box (instead of the "google
search" box).

H/T Linnet

Quote of the Day

After Rick Santorum, the ultra conservative Senator from Pennsylvania chastised Senator Clinton for a paper she had written 30 years ago about how abused children should have more rights (something I still can't see the problem with)

"I mean, read her work and what she's done on children's rights. I mean that's radical," the Republican senator said on ABC's "This Week" yesterday.

"I mean, you're talking about giving children the same - that children have rights equal to adults," Santorum said, referring to an article Clinton wrote more than 30 years ago that argued courts need to give more weight to kid's rights, particularly in abuse cases."

Phil Singer of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee rebutted Santorum, saying

Every time Rick Santorum opens his mouth, he shows that he would have been one of the 13th century's greatest senators.

Such fitting words.

Hil's a radical, GOP pol sez

Bush Pushes Bolton on the UN

No surprise that Bush did a recess appointment to appoint Bolton to the UN. Bush had to act quickly as new revelations came to pass about the fact that Bolton lied to Congress when he claimed he had not been questioned in any investigations within the last 5 years. Bolton's nomination has been a disaster since the beginning. First, he couldn't even get the support of the Republican controlled committee that passed his nomination along to the full Senate. Second, the president stonewalled the Congress for months in regards to documents they requested in regards to Bolton's prior alleged abuse of his office. Senators from both side of the isle called on Bush to release the files. Finally, last week, it was reveled the Bolton "accidentally" forgot about being questioned by the CIA and State Department in the inquiry to the pre-war Niger allegations.

Bush is sending damaged goods to the UN, and he can't pin this one on the Democrats. This was a mess of his own making.

Bush Sidesteps Senate, Installs Bolton as U.N. Envoy