"It would be a gross deception to admit power intoxication only for the individual psyche. The mass also is guided by this goal and the effect of this is the more devastating as in the mass psyche the feeling of personal responsibility is essentially reduced."
-- Alfred Adler, "The Psychology of Power," 1928.
"The close relationship between politics and power has always been recognized. In the world of politics, Lassalles' expression still has currency: 'Constitutional struggles are struggles for power.' ..... Masaryk's expression, 'There will be no peace in the world as long as individual ethics do not also apply to the state,' is as much a criticism of the present as a challenge for the future."
-- Alexander Mueller, "The Principles of Individual Psychology."
April 19, 2007 -- On MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann last night, the subject, as it has been on most of the cable news shows recently, was once again the Virginia Tech killer, Cho Seung-Hui.
Keith's been better at plowing this gutted field for new information than most of the news media, but what caught my attention were the words and phrases uttered by his guest experts.
Former FBI profiler Gregg McCrary described Cho Seung-Hui as full of "paranoid delusions," addicted to his own "grandiosity,"and someone who wanted to gain "power through violence."
Later in the show Keith welcomed Dr. Susan Lipkins, a psychologist, who gave her professional perspective on the crazed murderer, depicting him as "operating outside of reality" and exhibiting "extreme behavior" as a result. She added that, typically, psychotic killers "think that they are god" at which time they should be "removed from society" when they are "found to be incompetent."
This morning Melissa Segrest had an article up at MSN, "Getting Inside the Mind of a Killer." She also consulted experts who rendered their opinions on the Virginia Tech maniac.
Dr. James Alan Fox, a professor of criminal justice at Boston's Northeastern University who has spent 25 years studying mass murderers, said, "Typically you have someone who has a long history of frustration and failure..." and "They have a diminished capacity to cope with disappointment." He added, "they are people who blame others for those failures, they externalize blame, they never see themselves as responsible, ... and they're angry, they're full of blame and resentment."
Dr. Robert R. Butterworth, a Los Angeles psychologist who works with violent criminals and heads International Trauma Associates, told Segrest, "A lot of times these people are somewhat aloof from people. They're very sensitive to slights," and summed up, "They're not friendly, they're usually socially inept, they have problems a lot of times with females and sometimes they have a fascination with guns."
Dr. Stanton Samenow, a clinical psychologist who has been has been studying killers since 1970 and wrote the book "Inside the Criminal Mind," added, "These men interpret any affront or adversity very personally. It threatens their very sense of who they are. They think in extremes... They are constantly angry at a world that, from their perspective, does not give them what they are due."
Samenow also said, "These are people who know right from wrong. They also know the potential consequences to themselves if they are caught .... When they commit the crime, they are certain about their course of action. They are deliberate and purposeful. They may have planned the crime well in advance. At the time they commit the crime, they are calm -- having shut off all fear."
Dr. Butterworth put in, "We're developing a narcissistic, angry culture that, when crossed, are prone to attack."
And Dr. Fox concluded, "We've become much more of a competitive society. We admire the winners and we pity the losers. We have no tolerance for them. We ridicule them and vote them off the island." Later, he said, "The more people they kill, the greater the level of satisfaction they feel and derive from the crime."
Read through these quotes and what picture emerges -- who does it sound like?
"[P]aranoid delusions," "grandiosity" gaining "power through violence."
"operating outside of reality" "extreme behavior" "think that they are god."
Just look at the history of the Bush Administration; paranoid delusions about the power of Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations; obvious grandiosity and god-like thinking in Bush believing he was installed as president by the Creator of the Universe; gaining power through violence is in progress in the Middle East, if not in this country; some might consider invading another country on false pretenses and killing innocent civilians was extreme behavior; and operating outside of reality is the modus operandi of the Bushies and their neocon supporters.
"[They have] a long history of frustration and failure...They have a diminished capacity to cope with disappointment. [T]hey are people who blame others for those failures, they externalize blame, they never see themselves as responsible, ... and they're angry, they're full of blame and resentment."
The Bush neocon 'experiment' has been one long trail of frustration and failure, and the Bush neocons pathologically evade responsibility and blame others for their failures. The media neocons -- O'Reilly, Hannity, Boortz, et al -- are hair-triggers seething with anger, blame and resentment and appeal to an audience similarly ill-disposed.
"These men interpret any affront or adversity very personally. It threatens their very sense of who they are. They think in extremes ... They are constantly angry at a world that, from their perspective, does not give them what they are due."
Both the neocons and the Bushies are prime examples of this: political disagreements are always personal, and they can't deal with adversity maturely. Every slight or failure is a challenge to their manhood. Thinking in extremes and angry at the world? Read Ann Coulter, Anti-Idiotarian Rottweilers, Little Green Footballs, Charles Krauthammer or listen to Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Neal Boortz or Rush Limbaugh.
"These are people who know right from wrong. They also know the potential consequences to themselves if they are caught.... When they commit the crime, they are certain about their course of action. They are deliberate and purposeful. They may have planned the crime well in advance."
Isn't this a pretty good description of the Bush Administration? From using false intelligence to invade Iraq, to leaking Valerie Plame's name, to Alberto Gonzales' blatant lies, to the current fiasco over Rove's emails, ad nauseum, they knew what they were doing was wrong, but were deliberate and purposeful in their planning to accomplish their treacherous and illegal goals.
"They're very sensitive to slights,...They're not friendly, they're usually socially inept, they have problems a lot of times with females and sometimes they have a fascination with guns."
Check out who advertises on neocon websites, and the fascination with guns, general unfriendliness, problems with females and social ineptitude should be clear. Sensitivity to slights -- have you ever known anyone as thin-skinned as a neocon?
"We're developing a narcissistic, angry culture that, when crossed, are prone to attack."
Read the neocon blogs -- it doesn't get more angry, narcissistic and prone to attack than that.
"We've become much more of a competitive society. We admire the winners and we pity the losers. We have no tolerance for them. We ridicule them and vote them off the island. ... The more people they kill, the greater the level of satisfaction they feel and derive from the crime."
The entire greedy, demented consumer culture, the one advertised and promoted every day by the six big US media conglomerates and global corporations, and wallowed in by the Bush neocons, has no tolerance or pity for losers. "The good calls are for winners." Losers -- usually defined as minorities, Democrats, women and liberals -- are mercilessly derided by right-wing sites, who, steeped in their fervid delusions and contrary to harsh reality, think they are winners with all the answers. They don't realize the only winners are the corporations and their political and media shills making a buck off them and conning them for votes. At some point, they will have a rude awakening as they are 'voted off the island' by those they idolized when they lose their job, their pension or their house. (It's happening every day.) Then, they might be enlightened by reality but, more likely, they'll just crawl further back in the cave, alternately bellowing and whimpering. And, yes, they do seem to derive great satisfaction from the deaths of those they've deemed the enemy -- Iraqi insurgents, Afghanis, Muslims in general, Spanish-speaking immigrants, poor blacks and, of course, the Devil's minions who are the fount of all the world's problems, liberals and Democrats.
They should be "removed from society [when they are] "found to be incompetent."
I don't think this government's monumental incompetence is even an issue for reasonable debate any longer. In the case of the Bushies, impeachment is the obvious answer to remove them from doing further harm. In the case of the neocons, they have, and should have, freedom of speech, so they can say or write whatever they want, but I'd keep them away from the Glock 9mm's just in case.
Most of them are only courageous when hiding behind a screen name or a microphone -- hence the paltry number of neocon frothers who've signed up to fight in Bush's Global War on Terror -- but you never know when one of them might take some Viagra and go off half-cocked.
"To prevail through violence appears to many as an obvious thought. And we admit: the simplest way to attain everything that is good and promises happiness, or even only what is in the line of a continuous evolution seems to be by means of power. But where in the life of men or in the history of mankind has such an attempt ever succeeded? As far as we can see, even the use of mild violence awakens opposition everywhere, even where the welfare of the subjugated is obviously intended."
-- Alfred Adler, "The Psychology of Power," 1928.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The America We Used to Know
Great work by John Sherffius. Presented without further comment.
The America We Used to Know
The America that was a model of justice in the world, not tyranny.
The America that championed human rights, not violated them.
The America that opposed torture, not the one that practices it.
The America that didn't engage in preemptive warfare.
The America that didn't spy on its own citizens.
The America that respected the Geneva Conventions.
The America that respected its own Constitution.
The America whose leaders didn't prey on fear.
It has been 5 years since September 11th -- has anyone seen that America?
We miss you so much.
-- From a cartoon by John Sherffius of the Boulder Daily Camera. Posted by Colleen, April 16, 2007 at Common Dreams.org.
Friday, April 13, 2007
CBS Firing Imus Signals the End of the Neocon Shock Radio Era
"CBS fires Don Imus from radio show"
-- AP headline, April 12, 2007.
"You ain't no racist, Mister Imus, nah suh. No, thank you, I don't want no watermelon!"
-- Bernard McGuirk, Don Imus' producer, using an 'Amos 'n' Andy' voice to a laughing Imus on his radio show, as quoted by Newsweek.
"An entertainer like Imus can trace his lineage to Bruce, with one crucial distinction: Lenny made fun of the powerful and their orthodoxies. You won't find Imus mocking WASPs on a regular basis. Instead, this rude dude focuses on groups whose status is still contested, such as blacks, immigrants, and gays."
-- Richard Goldstein, "Celebrity Bigots," The Village Voice, July 18, 2000.
"There are 100 people in this country right now that can solve hate television. They are the CEO of Procter & Gamble, the CEO of General Motors. These people control all the advertising dollars and they spoke... These CEOs can spend the money in places that don't promote hate."
-- Donnie Deutsch, the host of CNBC's "The Big Idea," quoted by Mike Celizic at TODAYshow.com, April 12, 2007.
Things Change
April 13, 2007 -- Rush Limbaugh senses it coming, telling his listeners yesterday that he's next, and the other Rush wannabe radio bile spillers of the right may be dimly aware of it, but Don Imus' firing by CBS Radio, removing him from the air nationwide, augurs the end of their run of nasty spittle-flecked bigotry disguised as 'humor'; a vicious humor designed to appeal to their core audience of Angry White Men who blame minorities and women because they're losers, ignorant boys cowering in adult bodies, whispering racists, snickering water-cooler-wit a-holes, and mutant teenagers who thought the Garbage Pail Kids were brilliant comedy.
It won't happen overnight, as major societal changes rarely do, but gradually advertisers will begin pulling ads from Limbaugh and his clones, realizing that the country has shifted away from the mean-spirited neocon tripe they've successfully peddled for over two decades and is heading in a new direction.
Most media analysts will credit Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson with bringing Imus down; they'll focus on the "nappy-headed ho's" remark as the centerpiece of his downfall; all of it was certainly a factor but, if Imus were as popular as he was even a decade ago, his critics would have been ridiculed into silence or ignored. What I see happening now was expressed by Newsweek's Howard Fineman on the Imus show April 9th. He told the 'I-man': "[T]hings have changed. And the kind of -- some of the kind of humor that you used to do you can't do anymore. And that's just the way it is."
Here's 'the way it is' these days: The country is becoming aware that "nappy-headed ho's" are not the problem; the problem is the smooth-haired caucasian variety who infest the halls of power in Washington and the broadcast booths in New York.
While Imus may claim he's not a racist, a long trail of reprehensible remarks argues that he wears a white sheet in private. He or his 'crew' -- especially his execrable producer Bernard McGuirk -- have habitually referred to black people as "bugaloos," "brilloheads," "dark meat," "dingos," and "mandingos." He's called Sammy Davis Jr. a "a one-eyed lawn jockey," and regularly referred to Aretha Franklin and other black women as "ho's." Terms for other minorities like "raghead," "camel jockey," "gook," "zipperhead," "banana picker," and "our urine-colored brothers" have been uttered with sneering gusto on the Imus airwaves, as well as his bashing of gays with such tried-and-true nuggets as "homo," "fag," "faggot," "fag-queen," "queer," and "load-swallower." All in good fun, of course, Imus assures us -- as long as you're not black, Hispanic, Asian, Muslim, Arab, gay or female.
Several years ago, Imus even promised columnist Clarence Page, who is black, that he would stop using racial slurs. Obviously, he didn't.
Notoriously he said in 1995 of black New York Times correspondent Gwen Ifill, "Isn't The Times wonderful? It lets the cleaning lady cover the White House." He even admitted to 60 Minutes back in 2000 that he uses the 'N-word' in private, but never in public. (Uh, the ghost of Dr. King thanks you, Don.) On that same show, he said, "I don't apologize for offending people ... I know it's not politically correct, and I don't care."
Well, times have changed -- Imus was forced to care, and apologize, but it was much too little, too late. Imus is not by any means the worst of the bigoted shock jocks, however, just the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
The ludicrous age of victimized White Man Ranting is breathing its last as the promise that the Republicans would 'fix everything' has turned into a bitter joke under Bush. More and more Americans every day realize that it isn't blacks or women or some minority that's keeping them down, that is ruining our economy and our standing in the world; it's soft, rich, pampered ofay jerks like Limbaugh and his ilk that are pulling the strings putting them out of work and getting them killed in wrong-headed wars.
Ironically -- since the neocons so worship 'free markets' -- as the worm turns and the 'invisible hand' of economic reality asserts itself, advertisers will flee from the right side of the dial, anxious not to offend minorities or the many whites who are becoming cognizant of the fact that the neocon Republicans have been steadily destroying this country for the past six years, methodically dismantling a government designed to respond to the wishes and needs of the people and replacing it with an over-easy plutocracy that serves the privileged few at the expense of the majority.
The results of the last election and every poll since has shown that the majority of Americans are heading in a new direction, a direction that doesn't include the vitriol and spite of vain 'funnymen' like Imus and Rush.
Ratings for right-wing radio and TV shows have been steadily falling for three years running; even Bill O'Reilly has lost over a million viewers since 2004, and they won't be coming back. Most purchasers of the neocon ideology promoted by Bill and Rush and Fox News have realized it's a modern-day Edsel, one with four flat tires and an engine that doesn't run.
Rush, do you hear that growling at the door?
It's for you.
"What all you folks need, who still treat fellow human beings as 'black', 'white', 'yellow', or 'red', is to watch a Documentary entitled 'The Angry Eye' by Jane Elliott which is described as follows: Documentary which features Jane Elliott's blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise in discrimination involving college students forced to experience racist treatment minorities have received for years. Jane Elliott was an elementary school teacher in Iowa in the 1960s when she developed her exercise on the effects of racism in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr."
-- Comment by JPBreeze at Common Dreams, April 10, 2007.
Sources for this piece include:
-- Mike Celizic, "Is Imus firing a turning point?" TODAYshow.com, April 12, 2007.
-- Isaiah J. Poole, "Imus and Beyond," Tom Paine, April 11, 2007.
-- Richard Goldstein, "Celebrity Bigots," The Village Voice, July 18, 2000.
-- Philip Nobile, "A Catalogue of Slurs," Tom Paine.com, May 16, 2000.
-- Marcus Mabry, "The Ugly Truth About Imus, Power and the Press," Newsweek, April 11, 2007.
-- Media Matters, "Imus Cancellation: Statement from Media Matters," April 11, 2007.
-- Gwen Ifill, "Trash Talk Radio," The New York Times, April 10, 2007.
-- Media Matters, "Imus Has Long Record of Incendiary Remarks," April 9, 2007.
-- Adam Howard, "No More Imus," The Nation, April 9, 2007.
-- AP headline, April 12, 2007.
"You ain't no racist, Mister Imus, nah suh. No, thank you, I don't want no watermelon!"
-- Bernard McGuirk, Don Imus' producer, using an 'Amos 'n' Andy' voice to a laughing Imus on his radio show, as quoted by Newsweek.
"An entertainer like Imus can trace his lineage to Bruce, with one crucial distinction: Lenny made fun of the powerful and their orthodoxies. You won't find Imus mocking WASPs on a regular basis. Instead, this rude dude focuses on groups whose status is still contested, such as blacks, immigrants, and gays."
-- Richard Goldstein, "Celebrity Bigots," The Village Voice, July 18, 2000.
"There are 100 people in this country right now that can solve hate television. They are the CEO of Procter & Gamble, the CEO of General Motors. These people control all the advertising dollars and they spoke... These CEOs can spend the money in places that don't promote hate."
-- Donnie Deutsch, the host of CNBC's "The Big Idea," quoted by Mike Celizic at TODAYshow.com, April 12, 2007.
Things Change
April 13, 2007 -- Rush Limbaugh senses it coming, telling his listeners yesterday that he's next, and the other Rush wannabe radio bile spillers of the right may be dimly aware of it, but Don Imus' firing by CBS Radio, removing him from the air nationwide, augurs the end of their run of nasty spittle-flecked bigotry disguised as 'humor'; a vicious humor designed to appeal to their core audience of Angry White Men who blame minorities and women because they're losers, ignorant boys cowering in adult bodies, whispering racists, snickering water-cooler-wit a-holes, and mutant teenagers who thought the Garbage Pail Kids were brilliant comedy.
It won't happen overnight, as major societal changes rarely do, but gradually advertisers will begin pulling ads from Limbaugh and his clones, realizing that the country has shifted away from the mean-spirited neocon tripe they've successfully peddled for over two decades and is heading in a new direction.
Most media analysts will credit Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson with bringing Imus down; they'll focus on the "nappy-headed ho's" remark as the centerpiece of his downfall; all of it was certainly a factor but, if Imus were as popular as he was even a decade ago, his critics would have been ridiculed into silence or ignored. What I see happening now was expressed by Newsweek's Howard Fineman on the Imus show April 9th. He told the 'I-man': "[T]hings have changed. And the kind of -- some of the kind of humor that you used to do you can't do anymore. And that's just the way it is."
Here's 'the way it is' these days: The country is becoming aware that "nappy-headed ho's" are not the problem; the problem is the smooth-haired caucasian variety who infest the halls of power in Washington and the broadcast booths in New York.
While Imus may claim he's not a racist, a long trail of reprehensible remarks argues that he wears a white sheet in private. He or his 'crew' -- especially his execrable producer Bernard McGuirk -- have habitually referred to black people as "bugaloos," "brilloheads," "dark meat," "dingos," and "mandingos." He's called Sammy Davis Jr. a "a one-eyed lawn jockey," and regularly referred to Aretha Franklin and other black women as "ho's." Terms for other minorities like "raghead," "camel jockey," "gook," "zipperhead," "banana picker," and "our urine-colored brothers" have been uttered with sneering gusto on the Imus airwaves, as well as his bashing of gays with such tried-and-true nuggets as "homo," "fag," "faggot," "fag-queen," "queer," and "load-swallower." All in good fun, of course, Imus assures us -- as long as you're not black, Hispanic, Asian, Muslim, Arab, gay or female.
Several years ago, Imus even promised columnist Clarence Page, who is black, that he would stop using racial slurs. Obviously, he didn't.
Notoriously he said in 1995 of black New York Times correspondent Gwen Ifill, "Isn't The Times wonderful? It lets the cleaning lady cover the White House." He even admitted to 60 Minutes back in 2000 that he uses the 'N-word' in private, but never in public. (Uh, the ghost of Dr. King thanks you, Don.) On that same show, he said, "I don't apologize for offending people ... I know it's not politically correct, and I don't care."
Well, times have changed -- Imus was forced to care, and apologize, but it was much too little, too late. Imus is not by any means the worst of the bigoted shock jocks, however, just the proverbial canary in the coal mine.
The ludicrous age of victimized White Man Ranting is breathing its last as the promise that the Republicans would 'fix everything' has turned into a bitter joke under Bush. More and more Americans every day realize that it isn't blacks or women or some minority that's keeping them down, that is ruining our economy and our standing in the world; it's soft, rich, pampered ofay jerks like Limbaugh and his ilk that are pulling the strings putting them out of work and getting them killed in wrong-headed wars.
Ironically -- since the neocons so worship 'free markets' -- as the worm turns and the 'invisible hand' of economic reality asserts itself, advertisers will flee from the right side of the dial, anxious not to offend minorities or the many whites who are becoming cognizant of the fact that the neocon Republicans have been steadily destroying this country for the past six years, methodically dismantling a government designed to respond to the wishes and needs of the people and replacing it with an over-easy plutocracy that serves the privileged few at the expense of the majority.
The results of the last election and every poll since has shown that the majority of Americans are heading in a new direction, a direction that doesn't include the vitriol and spite of vain 'funnymen' like Imus and Rush.
Ratings for right-wing radio and TV shows have been steadily falling for three years running; even Bill O'Reilly has lost over a million viewers since 2004, and they won't be coming back. Most purchasers of the neocon ideology promoted by Bill and Rush and Fox News have realized it's a modern-day Edsel, one with four flat tires and an engine that doesn't run.
Rush, do you hear that growling at the door?
It's for you.
"What all you folks need, who still treat fellow human beings as 'black', 'white', 'yellow', or 'red', is to watch a Documentary entitled 'The Angry Eye' by Jane Elliott which is described as follows: Documentary which features Jane Elliott's blue-eyed/brown-eyed exercise in discrimination involving college students forced to experience racist treatment minorities have received for years. Jane Elliott was an elementary school teacher in Iowa in the 1960s when she developed her exercise on the effects of racism in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr."
-- Comment by JPBreeze at Common Dreams, April 10, 2007.
Sources for this piece include:
-- Mike Celizic, "Is Imus firing a turning point?" TODAYshow.com, April 12, 2007.
-- Isaiah J. Poole, "Imus and Beyond," Tom Paine, April 11, 2007.
-- Richard Goldstein, "Celebrity Bigots," The Village Voice, July 18, 2000.
-- Philip Nobile, "A Catalogue of Slurs," Tom Paine.com, May 16, 2000.
-- Marcus Mabry, "The Ugly Truth About Imus, Power and the Press," Newsweek, April 11, 2007.
-- Media Matters, "Imus Cancellation: Statement from Media Matters," April 11, 2007.
-- Gwen Ifill, "Trash Talk Radio," The New York Times, April 10, 2007.
-- Media Matters, "Imus Has Long Record of Incendiary Remarks," April 9, 2007.
-- Adam Howard, "No More Imus," The Nation, April 9, 2007.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Headlines of the Future: Don Imus Edition
April 11, 2007: Imus Fired From MSNBC
April 13, 2007: NBC President Claims He Never Heard of Imus Before Firing Him, Anywhere, Ever
April 16, 2007: CBS Cancels 'I-Man' After He Calls News Anchor Couric a "Snappy-Haired Snore"
April 17, 2007: Rutgers Team Meets with Imus; Recommends Castration, Lethal Injection for Beleaguered TV-Radio Host
April 18, 2007: Stetson Nixes Imus Spots After "Crappy-Hatted Bores" Slap at Texans
April 20, 2007: Imus Loses Every Sponsor Except Denny's Restaurants
April 27, 2007: Imus Off Air In US Radio, TV Markets
May 3, 2007: Former Radio Giant Don Imus Hired as Graveyard Jock at 5K WHUP-AM in Stumblefluck, Alabama
May 30, 2007: Imus Dropped From WHUP-AM Line Up; "Don Just Didn't Notch the Ratings We Expected," Says Station's Program Director
June 4, 2007: Former Imus Guest Bo Dietl Hospitalized for 'Continuous Cognitive Dissonance' and 'Gross Public Imbecility'; "Case is Incurable," Claims Doctor
July 6, 2007: Imus Starts College Lecture Tour at Bob Jones University
August 12, 2007: Don Imus Publishes Memoirs; "I Loves De Ho's" in Bookstores Friday
September 21, 2007: Imus Inks Endorsement Contract with Ho-Ho's
September 22, 2007: Imus Ho-Ho's Contract Dead After Interstate Bakeries Corp. President Reads Ex-Shock Jock's Memoirs; "I Thought He Was Writing About Snack Cakes," Explains Ho-Ho's Chief
November 7, 2007: TV's Celebrity Boxing Features Don Imus vs. Armstrong Williams Match
December 22, 2007: Controversial Media Figure Don Imus Retires from Show Business at Age 65
June 2, 2009: Where Are They Now? Imus Still Feisty in Retirement
October 12, 2012: Former Radio Star Don Imus Killed in Bar Fight with African-American Prostitute
April 13, 2007: NBC President Claims He Never Heard of Imus Before Firing Him, Anywhere, Ever
April 16, 2007: CBS Cancels 'I-Man' After He Calls News Anchor Couric a "Snappy-Haired Snore"
April 17, 2007: Rutgers Team Meets with Imus; Recommends Castration, Lethal Injection for Beleaguered TV-Radio Host
April 18, 2007: Stetson Nixes Imus Spots After "Crappy-Hatted Bores" Slap at Texans
April 20, 2007: Imus Loses Every Sponsor Except Denny's Restaurants
April 27, 2007: Imus Off Air In US Radio, TV Markets
May 3, 2007: Former Radio Giant Don Imus Hired as Graveyard Jock at 5K WHUP-AM in Stumblefluck, Alabama
May 30, 2007: Imus Dropped From WHUP-AM Line Up; "Don Just Didn't Notch the Ratings We Expected," Says Station's Program Director
June 4, 2007: Former Imus Guest Bo Dietl Hospitalized for 'Continuous Cognitive Dissonance' and 'Gross Public Imbecility'; "Case is Incurable," Claims Doctor
July 6, 2007: Imus Starts College Lecture Tour at Bob Jones University
August 12, 2007: Don Imus Publishes Memoirs; "I Loves De Ho's" in Bookstores Friday
September 21, 2007: Imus Inks Endorsement Contract with Ho-Ho's
September 22, 2007: Imus Ho-Ho's Contract Dead After Interstate Bakeries Corp. President Reads Ex-Shock Jock's Memoirs; "I Thought He Was Writing About Snack Cakes," Explains Ho-Ho's Chief
November 7, 2007: TV's Celebrity Boxing Features Don Imus vs. Armstrong Williams Match
December 22, 2007: Controversial Media Figure Don Imus Retires from Show Business at Age 65
June 2, 2009: Where Are They Now? Imus Still Feisty in Retirement
October 12, 2012: Former Radio Star Don Imus Killed in Bar Fight with African-American Prostitute
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Unlikely Candidate Throws Hat in GOP Ring
Breaking News
The Assimilated Press
April 10, 2007 4:18 PM EST
by S.R. Senaj
NASSAU, BAHAMAS -- Larry Birkhead, announcing this afternoon the decision by a Bahamas court that he is, according to DNA tests, the father of Anna Nicole Smith's youngest child Dannielynn, took the opportunity to also outline his plans for his future.
"I've decided to take advantage of all this publicity," Birkhead told the media and onlookers, "And announce that I am a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States."
When asked why he was running, the former edible underwear salesman said, "I can't think of a better way to make some easy money and assure my and little Dannielynn's financial future. Those political candidates are raking in literally millions!"
A Fox News/Ipsos Factos Mall Insta-Poll taken immediately after Birkhead's announcement showed that, if the election were held today, Birkhead would best current GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani 48 to 35 percent among likely Republican voters.
In Washington, a veteran Republican campaign operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that he wasn't surprised at Birkhead's strong appeal to GOP voters, "Larry's the embodiment of everything Republicans love in a candidate: he has family values, an eye for money, and he's not too bright, so naturally he appeals to our base."
Also in Washington, the makers of "W" ketchup have announced the release this month of a new snack product called "Surgers," described by the company as pretzels coated in applesauce and pork fat.
In an unveiling ceremony in the White House Rose Garden April 13, the company plans to present President Bush with a complimentary two-year supply of the new snack.
The Assimilated Press
April 10, 2007 4:18 PM EST
by S.R. Senaj
NASSAU, BAHAMAS -- Larry Birkhead, announcing this afternoon the decision by a Bahamas court that he is, according to DNA tests, the father of Anna Nicole Smith's youngest child Dannielynn, took the opportunity to also outline his plans for his future.
"I've decided to take advantage of all this publicity," Birkhead told the media and onlookers, "And announce that I am a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States."
When asked why he was running, the former edible underwear salesman said, "I can't think of a better way to make some easy money and assure my and little Dannielynn's financial future. Those political candidates are raking in literally millions!"
A Fox News/Ipsos Factos Mall Insta-Poll taken immediately after Birkhead's announcement showed that, if the election were held today, Birkhead would best current GOP front-runner Rudy Giuliani 48 to 35 percent among likely Republican voters.
In Washington, a veteran Republican campaign operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that he wasn't surprised at Birkhead's strong appeal to GOP voters, "Larry's the embodiment of everything Republicans love in a candidate: he has family values, an eye for money, and he's not too bright, so naturally he appeals to our base."
Also in Washington, the makers of "W" ketchup have announced the release this month of a new snack product called "Surgers," described by the company as pretzels coated in applesauce and pork fat.
In an unveiling ceremony in the White House Rose Garden April 13, the company plans to present President Bush with a complimentary two-year supply of the new snack.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
The Money Pit and the Vipers, GOP Edition
Campaign Money: The Amounts, Where It Came From and What It Means.
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?"
-- Jesus in Matthew 12:34, KJV.
Top Fundraisers, 2008 Republican Candidates for President:
1. Mitt Romney raised $20.6 million. (He kicked in over $2 million of his own money to bring the total to $23 million.)
Mitt the Affable Boob is collecting his money from the same sources that George W. Bush tapped in his campaigns -- Big Oil, lobbyists, filthy rich corporatists, Saudi royals by way of US cut-outs, other assorted Bush cronies -- along with a substantial amount from Mormons in Utah. When Dubya leaves office, the Bushes want to maintain lucrative connections to the top spot and they think Romney has the best chance to win in 2008. They've apparently perceived Mitt as someone who is authoritarian 'Daddy' enough for the GOP base, but unthreatening and reassuring to the gen-pop as well. Watch for him to be marketed as Ward Cleaver in a Craftsman tools ad; calm, smiling, always ready with a quick focus-group-popular answer to every complicated problem. A steady hand on the wheel with a truckload of safe soundbites. Meanwhile, rumors fly that, while Rove trainees infest the McCain train wreck, the Man Himself, the one whom Bush media courtier Mike Allen of The Politico respectfully calls 'Mr. Rove,' is set to take the reins backstage in the Romney campaign. Said to be joining him will be GOP propaganda hustler Frank Luntz. The strategy will be simple, and similar to the one Rove concocted for Bush: Romney stays cool and on-message, a statesman above the fray, while Rove operatives play every underhanded Swift Boat trick in Karl's playbook to decimate the opposition, making his candidate, however reprehensible, look less reprehensible than the competition. Ann Coulter has already endorsed Romney, and she holds sway with the fanged and venomous GOP collegiates. Party insider James Dobson has also bubbled over Mitt, and he appeals to the rubber room Christians. Soon, Fox Newsers and other rightie mouthpieces will be extolling his virtues and rewriting his pro-choice social liberal past. Will it work? Not this time around methinks; while Mitt may nail the nomination, 'Republican' 'incompetence' and 'failure' are closely connected in the public mind, and he's so much of a glad-handing empty suit, he'll turn off a good portion of his own party, so he's unlikely to get elected. It's not 'morning in America' anymore and it's all the GOP's fault. Still, the Repubs have to field someone and, unless Fred Thompson makes a run, he's their best shot. Maybe lightning will strike and videos of Hillary skinny-dipping with Snoop Dogg, Obama at a Klan rally, or Edwards beating up homeless orphans will surface. (Maybe Rove will photo-shop them for The Internets.)
2. Rudy Giuliani raised $15 million.
Rudy raised his cake by putting the arm on the usual collection of GOP corporations, lobbyists and well-heeled donors who recognize a born supplicant when they see one, a sweaty, anxious Willy Loman ready to do favors for the elite in return for the trappings of power and a few crumbs from the table. Of course America's Mare didn't fare well with individual contributions, especially from the Christian Coalitionists and other national keyhole peepers, but who cares about them? The scheme was to ride the Hero of 9/11 hobby-horse to victory, but then the Bush family stuck a dagger in Rudy's back and threw in with Romney. Perhaps the Bushies realized that once details of the Giuliani-Kerik Company's fetid business deals float to the surface, the New York City firefighters and cops Rudy has stiffed get their say, added to his pro-choice leanings, ignorance of foreign affairs, multiple acrimonious divorces, and his generally atrocious private personality, Rudy's going to end up about as popular as a pigeon with diarrhea flying over a Central Park jogging path. Already, for the purported GOP front-runner, this $15 mil is nearly an insult -- His Almighty Hero-ness can't collect more money than Hillary or that black kid? Holy crap! Also, the US mainstream media, scrawling Mayor Chrome Dome's name in their high school notebooks with little hearts for punctuation, have missed a salient point about their political beau: He's a terrible public speaker. His buck-toothed lisp reminds one of a wacky wabbit rather than George S. Patton, and his speeches shut eyes as he steps all over his best lines. To see what I mean, look at his shabby performance at the CPAC gathering in March; you could almost taste the ennui of the audience. Chris Matthews may think he's 'tough,' but once Republicans get a gander at this goose in debate, he's cooked. And McCain, as the flames engulf his campaign cockpit, will make a last desperate attempt to shoot Rudy down with nasty smear ads and push-poll calls ala what Bush did to McCain in 2000. Likely, with so much ammunition provided by Hizzoner, this will work and both he and Rudy will crash and burn.
3. John McCain raised $12.5 million.
A report the other day on MSNBC pretty much sums up why McCain is going in the tank: In response to his relatively low money draw, McCain is planning to employ even more ex-Bush operatives to 'restructure' his campaign. (He already has hired many of the benighted crew that put Dubya in office.) The man who has abandoned every principle he claimed to once endorse in order to endear himself to the Republican base has now become the loathed Junior's body double on losing issues like Iraq. He even talks and thinks like Bush these days: When you're tasting shoe leather, keep chewing, and when the fire's out of control, pour on more gas. But the belfry bats of the GOP base don't trust him, and true conservatives have dropped him like a bag of ripe manure, so he has no constituency left except a few Bushies who need jobs and the half-wit Washington media elite. Sure, the DC punditry gush over him, but they've been sniffing the tailpipe of the Straight Talk Express so long they're hallucinating it's still there. It isn't and it's not coming back. Today the hollow-eyed McCain, perhaps sensing his impending doom, travels the Sanjaya Malarkey route; a William Hung out to dry by the Bush apparatus, he's become a pathetic figure, singing along on any tired tune hummed by the White House, his raw white-knuckled ambition a public joke. Johnny will get his behind handed to him in Iowa and New Hampshire, if he lasts that long, and then it's over and out, Top Gun. There is only one thing that might save McCain at this point -- changing his name to Fred D. Thompson.
Next up: The top Democratic fundraisers.
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?"
-- Jesus in Matthew 12:34, KJV.
Top Fundraisers, 2008 Republican Candidates for President:
1. Mitt Romney raised $20.6 million. (He kicked in over $2 million of his own money to bring the total to $23 million.)
Mitt the Affable Boob is collecting his money from the same sources that George W. Bush tapped in his campaigns -- Big Oil, lobbyists, filthy rich corporatists, Saudi royals by way of US cut-outs, other assorted Bush cronies -- along with a substantial amount from Mormons in Utah. When Dubya leaves office, the Bushes want to maintain lucrative connections to the top spot and they think Romney has the best chance to win in 2008. They've apparently perceived Mitt as someone who is authoritarian 'Daddy' enough for the GOP base, but unthreatening and reassuring to the gen-pop as well. Watch for him to be marketed as Ward Cleaver in a Craftsman tools ad; calm, smiling, always ready with a quick focus-group-popular answer to every complicated problem. A steady hand on the wheel with a truckload of safe soundbites. Meanwhile, rumors fly that, while Rove trainees infest the McCain train wreck, the Man Himself, the one whom Bush media courtier Mike Allen of The Politico respectfully calls 'Mr. Rove,' is set to take the reins backstage in the Romney campaign. Said to be joining him will be GOP propaganda hustler Frank Luntz. The strategy will be simple, and similar to the one Rove concocted for Bush: Romney stays cool and on-message, a statesman above the fray, while Rove operatives play every underhanded Swift Boat trick in Karl's playbook to decimate the opposition, making his candidate, however reprehensible, look less reprehensible than the competition. Ann Coulter has already endorsed Romney, and she holds sway with the fanged and venomous GOP collegiates. Party insider James Dobson has also bubbled over Mitt, and he appeals to the rubber room Christians. Soon, Fox Newsers and other rightie mouthpieces will be extolling his virtues and rewriting his pro-choice social liberal past. Will it work? Not this time around methinks; while Mitt may nail the nomination, 'Republican' 'incompetence' and 'failure' are closely connected in the public mind, and he's so much of a glad-handing empty suit, he'll turn off a good portion of his own party, so he's unlikely to get elected. It's not 'morning in America' anymore and it's all the GOP's fault. Still, the Repubs have to field someone and, unless Fred Thompson makes a run, he's their best shot. Maybe lightning will strike and videos of Hillary skinny-dipping with Snoop Dogg, Obama at a Klan rally, or Edwards beating up homeless orphans will surface. (Maybe Rove will photo-shop them for The Internets.)
2. Rudy Giuliani raised $15 million.
Rudy raised his cake by putting the arm on the usual collection of GOP corporations, lobbyists and well-heeled donors who recognize a born supplicant when they see one, a sweaty, anxious Willy Loman ready to do favors for the elite in return for the trappings of power and a few crumbs from the table. Of course America's Mare didn't fare well with individual contributions, especially from the Christian Coalitionists and other national keyhole peepers, but who cares about them? The scheme was to ride the Hero of 9/11 hobby-horse to victory, but then the Bush family stuck a dagger in Rudy's back and threw in with Romney. Perhaps the Bushies realized that once details of the Giuliani-Kerik Company's fetid business deals float to the surface, the New York City firefighters and cops Rudy has stiffed get their say, added to his pro-choice leanings, ignorance of foreign affairs, multiple acrimonious divorces, and his generally atrocious private personality, Rudy's going to end up about as popular as a pigeon with diarrhea flying over a Central Park jogging path. Already, for the purported GOP front-runner, this $15 mil is nearly an insult -- His Almighty Hero-ness can't collect more money than Hillary or that black kid? Holy crap! Also, the US mainstream media, scrawling Mayor Chrome Dome's name in their high school notebooks with little hearts for punctuation, have missed a salient point about their political beau: He's a terrible public speaker. His buck-toothed lisp reminds one of a wacky wabbit rather than George S. Patton, and his speeches shut eyes as he steps all over his best lines. To see what I mean, look at his shabby performance at the CPAC gathering in March; you could almost taste the ennui of the audience. Chris Matthews may think he's 'tough,' but once Republicans get a gander at this goose in debate, he's cooked. And McCain, as the flames engulf his campaign cockpit, will make a last desperate attempt to shoot Rudy down with nasty smear ads and push-poll calls ala what Bush did to McCain in 2000. Likely, with so much ammunition provided by Hizzoner, this will work and both he and Rudy will crash and burn.
3. John McCain raised $12.5 million.
A report the other day on MSNBC pretty much sums up why McCain is going in the tank: In response to his relatively low money draw, McCain is planning to employ even more ex-Bush operatives to 'restructure' his campaign. (He already has hired many of the benighted crew that put Dubya in office.) The man who has abandoned every principle he claimed to once endorse in order to endear himself to the Republican base has now become the loathed Junior's body double on losing issues like Iraq. He even talks and thinks like Bush these days: When you're tasting shoe leather, keep chewing, and when the fire's out of control, pour on more gas. But the belfry bats of the GOP base don't trust him, and true conservatives have dropped him like a bag of ripe manure, so he has no constituency left except a few Bushies who need jobs and the half-wit Washington media elite. Sure, the DC punditry gush over him, but they've been sniffing the tailpipe of the Straight Talk Express so long they're hallucinating it's still there. It isn't and it's not coming back. Today the hollow-eyed McCain, perhaps sensing his impending doom, travels the Sanjaya Malarkey route; a William Hung out to dry by the Bush apparatus, he's become a pathetic figure, singing along on any tired tune hummed by the White House, his raw white-knuckled ambition a public joke. Johnny will get his behind handed to him in Iowa and New Hampshire, if he lasts that long, and then it's over and out, Top Gun. There is only one thing that might save McCain at this point -- changing his name to Fred D. Thompson.
Next up: The top Democratic fundraisers.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Baghdad Johnny Defines 'Safe' Edition
McCain's Terminal Foot-in-Mouth Disease
"There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today. The U.S. is beginning to succeed in Iraq."
-- Sen. John McCain on Bill Bennett's Morning in America radio show, supporting Bush's 'surge,' March 26, 2007.
"To suggest that there's any neighborhood in this city [Baghdad] where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I'd love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll."
-- Michael Ware, CNN correspondent in Baghdad, to Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, March 27, 2007.
"Honestly, Wolf, you'll barely last twenty minutes out there. I dont know what part of 'Neverland' Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad."
-- Michael Ware, as quoted by Crooks and Liars.
"That's where you ought to catch up on things, Wolf. General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee."
-- John McCain to Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, March 27, 2007.
"And to think that Gen. David Petraeus travels this city in an unarmed humvee? I mean, in the hour since Sen. McCain's said this, I've spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a humvee. There's multiple humvees around it, heavily armed. There's attack helicopters, predator drones, sniper teams, all sorts of layers of protection. So, no, Sen. McCain is way off base on this one."
-- Michael Ware, ibid.
"I checked with General Petraeus's people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up-armored humvee."
-- John Roberts to John McCain, CNN, March 28, 2007.
"UPDATE: Now McCain is denying he ever said any of this, even though he said it on camera only yesterday AND in his denial today he repeats the claim that there are several 'safe neighborhoods' in Baghdad, though he qualifies his statement by saying that they are very dangerous safe neighborhoods (I'm not kidding)."
-- John Aravosis, "Demand that John McCain name that 'safe' neighborhood in Baghdad," AmericaBlog, March 28, 2007.
"After a heavily guarded trip to a Baghdad market, Sen. John McCain insisted Sunday that a U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown in the capital was working and said Americans lacked a 'full picture' of the progress being made."
-- Kim Gamel. "McCain visits Baghdad market, proclaims U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown is working," AP, April 1, 2007.
April 3, 2007 -- Declining GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain [R-Dupe], accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus, toured a 'safe' market in Iraq on, appropriately, April Fool's Day for the benefit of US media cameras. CNN news floozie Kyra Phillips, embedded for the ride, reported that he was surrounded by inner, outer and perimeter rings of security, including snipers on roof tops; over 100 soldiers in all. Oh, and he was wearing fashionable body armor too, as well as the rest of the Republican Congressional delegation. The trip to the market was considered so safe that McCain and Co. were ferried from the Green Zone to the market place by Blackhawk helicopters guarded by Apache gunships. Little wonder with that kind of firepower that many of the Iraqi merchants were trying to give their wares away to McCain's party.
Gee, if we could only get the taxpayers to cough up the (borrowed) money to provide every Iraqi with this level of heavily-armed protection and assault helicopters, then these neighborhoods really would be safe.
Just think -- if Bush's 'surge' weren't working so well, Big Mac might have needed five or six rings of security to keep him safe from harm.
Of course, that market's safety was short-lived as insurgents returned to the neighborhood 24 hours after McCain's departure, something Big John doesn't want to dwell on in his embrace of dewy-eyed optimism that the escalation is working. Well, facts are stupid things, as Reagan once famously said, and I'm sure the senator agrees -- if only he could get the media to stop reporting what's going on over there, we could win -- in the November 2008 US presidential election, I mean, not in Iraq. Iraq, as everyone with a functioning brain knows, is a hopeless case.
Incidentally, the AP article noted that over 600 Iraqis have been killed in 'sectarian violence' since McCain burbled his March 26th idiocy.
McCain apparently has a different definition of safety for Iraqis compared to safety in his home state of Arizona, where the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported 445 deaths statewide due to murder or non-negligent manslaughter for the year 2005.
600 Iraqis in a week versus 445 Arizonans in a year? Something, or someone, is a little unbalanced here.
"There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today. The U.S. is beginning to succeed in Iraq."
-- Sen. John McCain on Bill Bennett's Morning in America radio show, supporting Bush's 'surge,' March 26, 2007.
"To suggest that there's any neighborhood in this city [Baghdad] where an American can walk freely is beyond ludicrous. I'd love Sen. McCain to tell me where that neighborhood is and he and I can go for a stroll."
-- Michael Ware, CNN correspondent in Baghdad, to Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, March 27, 2007.
"Honestly, Wolf, you'll barely last twenty minutes out there. I dont know what part of 'Neverland' Senator McCain is talking about when he says we can go strolling in Baghdad."
-- Michael Ware, as quoted by Crooks and Liars.
"That's where you ought to catch up on things, Wolf. General Petraeus goes out there almost every day in an unarmed humvee."
-- John McCain to Wolf Blitzer on CNN's The Situation Room, March 27, 2007.
"And to think that Gen. David Petraeus travels this city in an unarmed humvee? I mean, in the hour since Sen. McCain's said this, I've spoken to military sources and there was laughter down the line. I mean, certainly the general travels in a humvee. There's multiple humvees around it, heavily armed. There's attack helicopters, predator drones, sniper teams, all sorts of layers of protection. So, no, Sen. McCain is way off base on this one."
-- Michael Ware, ibid.
"I checked with General Petraeus's people overnight and they said he never goes out in anything less than an up-armored humvee."
-- John Roberts to John McCain, CNN, March 28, 2007.
"UPDATE: Now McCain is denying he ever said any of this, even though he said it on camera only yesterday AND in his denial today he repeats the claim that there are several 'safe neighborhoods' in Baghdad, though he qualifies his statement by saying that they are very dangerous safe neighborhoods (I'm not kidding)."
-- John Aravosis, "Demand that John McCain name that 'safe' neighborhood in Baghdad," AmericaBlog, March 28, 2007.
"After a heavily guarded trip to a Baghdad market, Sen. John McCain insisted Sunday that a U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown in the capital was working and said Americans lacked a 'full picture' of the progress being made."
-- Kim Gamel. "McCain visits Baghdad market, proclaims U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown is working," AP, April 1, 2007.
April 3, 2007 -- Declining GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain [R-Dupe], accompanied by Gen. David Petraeus, toured a 'safe' market in Iraq on, appropriately, April Fool's Day for the benefit of US media cameras. CNN news floozie Kyra Phillips, embedded for the ride, reported that he was surrounded by inner, outer and perimeter rings of security, including snipers on roof tops; over 100 soldiers in all. Oh, and he was wearing fashionable body armor too, as well as the rest of the Republican Congressional delegation. The trip to the market was considered so safe that McCain and Co. were ferried from the Green Zone to the market place by Blackhawk helicopters guarded by Apache gunships. Little wonder with that kind of firepower that many of the Iraqi merchants were trying to give their wares away to McCain's party.
Gee, if we could only get the taxpayers to cough up the (borrowed) money to provide every Iraqi with this level of heavily-armed protection and assault helicopters, then these neighborhoods really would be safe.
Just think -- if Bush's 'surge' weren't working so well, Big Mac might have needed five or six rings of security to keep him safe from harm.
Of course, that market's safety was short-lived as insurgents returned to the neighborhood 24 hours after McCain's departure, something Big John doesn't want to dwell on in his embrace of dewy-eyed optimism that the escalation is working. Well, facts are stupid things, as Reagan once famously said, and I'm sure the senator agrees -- if only he could get the media to stop reporting what's going on over there, we could win -- in the November 2008 US presidential election, I mean, not in Iraq. Iraq, as everyone with a functioning brain knows, is a hopeless case.
Incidentally, the AP article noted that over 600 Iraqis have been killed in 'sectarian violence' since McCain burbled his March 26th idiocy.
McCain apparently has a different definition of safety for Iraqis compared to safety in his home state of Arizona, where the DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics reported 445 deaths statewide due to murder or non-negligent manslaughter for the year 2005.
600 Iraqis in a week versus 445 Arizonans in a year? Something, or someone, is a little unbalanced here.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Rove to Inherit the Breaking Wind of Monicagate Two Edition
As Whiteouse Scandals Mount, the Stench of Bush's 'Monicagate' May Be the Low Blow That Leads to Rove Resigning and Bush's Impeachment
First off, the solons of the MSM and right-wing media keep repeating the mantra that there was 'no underlying crime' to Bush dismissing eight federal prosecutors since they 'served at the pleasure of the president.' This is partial nonsense and entirely confusing. While the attorneys may be dismissed by the president for poor performance, they can't be fired for pursuing investigations that may involve criminal activity by the president's party; they take their oath of office, as does every employee of the federal government, to uphold the Constitution and serve the law of the land, not the president. Every case they bring is headed 'The United States vs. ...' not 'George W. Bush vs. ...' They are not personal lawyers for the president, and, if it can be proven that they were fired because they pursued political corruption cases -- which is part of their job -- there might very well be an underlying crime here. The White House cannot instruct the Justice Department to prosecute some cases favorable to its political prospects and ignore others, as Richard Nixon found out. If some of those on the right think that the president should be able to fire any attorney who doesn't 'serve at the president's pleasure' then, as the quote below advises, let George W. Bush pay their salaries from now on instead of the taxpayers. I'd also be interested to hear the opinions of the neocons if a President Bill Clinton had targeted and fired US attorneys who were prosecuting Democrats for corruption. Would there have been an 'underlying crime' then?
As the burgeoning mess in 'Fredo' Gonzales' Justice Department gradually unravels, an astute friend pointed out the other night that now Bush has his own 'Monicagate,' the Monica this time around being Gonzales' senior aide Monica Goodling. In one of the most twisted, illogical and laughable excuses I've heard since the Final Days of Tricky Dick, Goodling's lawyer John Dowd told the media that his client will take the Fifth like some sleazy mob boss rather than testify before Congress because "The potential for legal jeopardy for Ms. Goodling from even her most truthful and accurate testimony under these circumstances is very real." (Wow -- this is better than the Twinkie defense.)
What are these horrible circumstances that might cause her potential legal jeopardy? Well, the Democrats who are now a majority in Congress may ask tough questions and hold her accountable for her answers. It's called the American system of justice.
While I realize that Ms. Goodling graduated from something called Messiah College in Pennsylvania (bet it teaches a whizbang course in Creationism), and took her law degree from Pat Robertson's Regent University, this sturdy little DOJ satrap still should understand the basic concept of our legal system -- it's called 'adversarial' for the reason that two sides, a prosecution and a defense, present conflicting views in open court in order to get at the truth, and sometimes things can get rough; in fact, they are designed to get rough. Yes, if you're lying through your teeth, you might perceive such an environment as 'perilous.' Millions of muggers, murderers, con artists and other criminals have certainly felt that way. Of course, if Monica's telling the truth, then she should have no problem testifying openly -- isn't that what the neocons always tell us: If you have nothing to hide than there's no reason to take the Fifth?
So, what's Monica hiding if this is all just about the routine firing of some attorneys and there is 'no underlying crime'?
After all, the university where she got her law degree is dedicated to disgorging "Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world." Do they plan on changing the world through the Christian act of deception?
Hearkening back to the Clinton analogy in the first paragraph, what would be the reaction of the right if a senior Justice official in a Democratic administration had said they were taking the Fifth in a similar situation?
It should be remembered that Bill Clinton's dalliances with Monica Lewinsky involved no criminal activity, except perhaps to connoisseurs of fine cigars. However unsavory or immoral some thought his affair with an intern it was legal; he was impeached by the Republican-majority Congress for lying under oath. The first Monicagate did not cost us a dime (except in Ken Starr's rabid puritanical prosecution) and hid no corruption; in the final analysis, it was no more important to the health and wealth of the nation than the winner of American Idol.
This Monicagate is different; the image of Karl Rove sitting in the White House directing through underlings DOJ firings for purely partisan reasons -- essentially having taxpayers, even those who can't stand George W. Bush, finance Rove's fantasy of a permanent Republican majority -- is a revelation of the cheesy corruption and cheapjack political schemes that have trumped all other concerns in this administration, even national security, and the White House has been gutted open, its ugly innards running out in plain view.
Pay close attention to this Monicagate; her taking the Fifth is the loose brick that will ultimately bring down the wall that Rove built, along with Karl himself.
"Why can't Karl Rove just put his hand on the Bible and tell the f**king truth?"
-- Jon Stewart on The Daily Show March 21, 2007, as seen at Bartcop.com.
"He had arrived at the point where presently the illusions would cease and he would have entered upon the realities of life, and God help the man that has arrived at that point."
-- Mark Twain, "Joan of Arc."
"The specter of Karl Rove under the 'klieglights' would be political poison to Bush -- and to the GOP. So he's digging in. And the hole could get a lot deeper."
-- Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic.
"Monkeys, warm with envious spite, their most obliging friends will bite."
-- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack.
First off, the solons of the MSM and right-wing media keep repeating the mantra that there was 'no underlying crime' to Bush dismissing eight federal prosecutors since they 'served at the pleasure of the president.' This is partial nonsense and entirely confusing. While the attorneys may be dismissed by the president for poor performance, they can't be fired for pursuing investigations that may involve criminal activity by the president's party; they take their oath of office, as does every employee of the federal government, to uphold the Constitution and serve the law of the land, not the president. Every case they bring is headed 'The United States vs. ...' not 'George W. Bush vs. ...' They are not personal lawyers for the president, and, if it can be proven that they were fired because they pursued political corruption cases -- which is part of their job -- there might very well be an underlying crime here. The White House cannot instruct the Justice Department to prosecute some cases favorable to its political prospects and ignore others, as Richard Nixon found out. If some of those on the right think that the president should be able to fire any attorney who doesn't 'serve at the president's pleasure' then, as the quote below advises, let George W. Bush pay their salaries from now on instead of the taxpayers. I'd also be interested to hear the opinions of the neocons if a President Bill Clinton had targeted and fired US attorneys who were prosecuting Democrats for corruption. Would there have been an 'underlying crime' then?
"Fine -- if all of the Justice Department's federal prosecutors 'serve at the pleasure of the president' and not on behalf of the people, then the president can damn well pay them out of his own pocket."
-- Max Publico
"To put it charitably, the Bush administration already has a reputation for being less than truthful on a wide range of matters -- and now we have a high-ranking Justice Department official [Monica Goodling], the legal liaison between Gonzales and the White House, opting to clam up. Even for many conservatives, this is too much."
-- Dick Polman, March 2007.
As the burgeoning mess in 'Fredo' Gonzales' Justice Department gradually unravels, an astute friend pointed out the other night that now Bush has his own 'Monicagate,' the Monica this time around being Gonzales' senior aide Monica Goodling. In one of the most twisted, illogical and laughable excuses I've heard since the Final Days of Tricky Dick, Goodling's lawyer John Dowd told the media that his client will take the Fifth like some sleazy mob boss rather than testify before Congress because "The potential for legal jeopardy for Ms. Goodling from even her most truthful and accurate testimony under these circumstances is very real." (Wow -- this is better than the Twinkie defense.)
What are these horrible circumstances that might cause her potential legal jeopardy? Well, the Democrats who are now a majority in Congress may ask tough questions and hold her accountable for her answers. It's called the American system of justice.
"The Attorney General and his key staff will testify before the relevant congressional committees to explain how the decision was made and for what reasons."
-- George W. Bush, March 20, 2007.
"Monica M. Goodling, who has taken an indefinite leave of absence, said in a sworn affidavit to the Senate Judiciary Committee that she will 'decline to answer any and all questions' about the firings because she faces 'a perilous environment in which to testify.'"
-- The Washington Post, March 26, 2007.
"Poor little Monica -- if she testified truthfully she would be forced to lie and then those mean Democrats might charge her with perjury like Scooter Libby. It's all just so unfair!"
-- Elizabeth P. Scott
While I realize that Ms. Goodling graduated from something called Messiah College in Pennsylvania (bet it teaches a whizbang course in Creationism), and took her law degree from Pat Robertson's Regent University, this sturdy little DOJ satrap still should understand the basic concept of our legal system -- it's called 'adversarial' for the reason that two sides, a prosecution and a defense, present conflicting views in open court in order to get at the truth, and sometimes things can get rough; in fact, they are designed to get rough. Yes, if you're lying through your teeth, you might perceive such an environment as 'perilous.' Millions of muggers, murderers, con artists and other criminals have certainly felt that way. Of course, if Monica's telling the truth, then she should have no problem testifying openly -- isn't that what the neocons always tell us: If you have nothing to hide than there's no reason to take the Fifth?
So, what's Monica hiding if this is all just about the routine firing of some attorneys and there is 'no underlying crime'?
After all, the university where she got her law degree is dedicated to disgorging "Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world." Do they plan on changing the world through the Christian act of deception?
Hearkening back to the Clinton analogy in the first paragraph, what would be the reaction of the right if a senior Justice official in a Democratic administration had said they were taking the Fifth in a similar situation?
It should be remembered that Bill Clinton's dalliances with Monica Lewinsky involved no criminal activity, except perhaps to connoisseurs of fine cigars. However unsavory or immoral some thought his affair with an intern it was legal; he was impeached by the Republican-majority Congress for lying under oath. The first Monicagate did not cost us a dime (except in Ken Starr's rabid puritanical prosecution) and hid no corruption; in the final analysis, it was no more important to the health and wealth of the nation than the winner of American Idol.
This Monicagate is different; the image of Karl Rove sitting in the White House directing through underlings DOJ firings for purely partisan reasons -- essentially having taxpayers, even those who can't stand George W. Bush, finance Rove's fantasy of a permanent Republican majority -- is a revelation of the cheesy corruption and cheapjack political schemes that have trumped all other concerns in this administration, even national security, and the White House has been gutted open, its ugly innards running out in plain view.
Pay close attention to this Monicagate; her taking the Fifth is the loose brick that will ultimately bring down the wall that Rove built, along with Karl himself.
"Time discovers truth."
-- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Pet Food Recall Info
You’ve no doubt already heard the story:
Here’s what you can do:
PET FOOD RECALL INFO
For information concerning the dog and cat food brands that have been contaminated, go to this website:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
or call:
1-866-895-2708
Apparently only wet food, especially gravy and meat in pouches, has been affected. Listed at the Menu Foods website are the various brands involved, including detailed information on each brand name that’s been tainted.
Experts: More deaths from pet food are likely
Contamination still a mystery as at least 16 animal fatalities are reported
Associated Press
March 24, 2007
ALBANY, N.Y. - Pet owners were rechecking their cabinets and threatening legal action after state officials said rat poison was found in pet food blamed for the deaths of at least 16 cats and dogs.
It was unclear how many deaths would eventually be linked to the “cuts and gravy” style food produced by Menu Foods, but scientists said Friday they expected more would be announced.
The substance in the food was identified as aminopterin, a cancer drug that once was used to induce abortions in the United States and is still used to kill rats in some other countries, state Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker said.
Here’s what you can do:
PET FOOD RECALL INFO
For information concerning the dog and cat food brands that have been contaminated, go to this website:
http://www.menufoods.com/recall/
or call:
1-866-895-2708
Apparently only wet food, especially gravy and meat in pouches, has been affected. Listed at the Menu Foods website are the various brands involved, including detailed information on each brand name that’s been tainted.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Ye Olde Tattlesnake -- Keeping Abreast of the Royal Court Edition
More of the 'Fragrant Gloom' of King George the Younger
Lady Alice. -- "... Nay, 'tis not I ...[that] have broughte forth this rich o'ermastering fog, this fragrant gloom, so pray you seeke ye further. ..."
Ye Queene.-- "O' God's name, who hath favored us? Hath it come to pass ... [that] a fart shall fart itself?"
Jonson.-- "So fell a blast hath ne'er mine ears saluted, nor yet a stench so all-pervading ..."
-- From "1601" by Mark Twain.
Twas on the Twentieth Day of March in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seven, that CNN, that Most Trusted Name amongst the Various Names Doing the Business of the Realm's News, reporteth that His Majesty will Magnanimously Permit members of His Court to Speak in Confidence with Commoners from the Lesser Branches of the Government on Capitol Hill, Stipulating that they Shall Not be Under Oath, nor will their Words be Transcribed for later Recitation, say in a Courtroom, regarding the Matter of Certain Royal Prosecutors who were Dismissed because they Ceased to Amuse His Highness; Such Prosecutors, after all, Serving Solely at His Royal Pleasure.
Some of the Surly Great Unwashed hath questioned the Value of such Secret Communication, conducted away from the Prying Eyes and Ever-Suspicious Ears of the Wretched Vassals of the Public Square.
How Dare these Peasants Challenge the Veracity of Vice Regent Rove or the Wholesomeness of Lady Miers! By What Right do they Impugn Trickery or Artifice to the Words of these Worthies?! And Why Require a Transcription of their Conversations -- will not their own Solemn Report on such Exchanges be Ample to Assuage any Doubt?!
Certainly the Sterling Reputations of these Humble Servants of the Crown are Sufficient to Excuse their Personages from the sort of Humiliating Sacred Oath Required in Court of the vulgar Blacksmith, coarse Laborer, penny-poor Wheelwright or shifty wine-drunk Village Foole, vaingloriously tapping out Feculent Messages that Sail Through the Ether! Why the King Himself has Endorsed their Scrupulous Virtue and Honorable Status! Need ye other Vouchsafe than That, ye Varlets!
By All That's Holy -- next these Lowly Serfs will Gainsay the Public Issuances of Our Most Exalted Chancellor Cheney -- then Where shall We Be?!
God Save the Empire!
Lady Alice. -- "... Nay, 'tis not I ...[that] have broughte forth this rich o'ermastering fog, this fragrant gloom, so pray you seeke ye further. ..."
Ye Queene.-- "O' God's name, who hath favored us? Hath it come to pass ... [that] a fart shall fart itself?"
Jonson.-- "So fell a blast hath ne'er mine ears saluted, nor yet a stench so all-pervading ..."
-- From "1601" by Mark Twain.
Twas on the Twentieth Day of March in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Seven, that CNN, that Most Trusted Name amongst the Various Names Doing the Business of the Realm's News, reporteth that His Majesty will Magnanimously Permit members of His Court to Speak in Confidence with Commoners from the Lesser Branches of the Government on Capitol Hill, Stipulating that they Shall Not be Under Oath, nor will their Words be Transcribed for later Recitation, say in a Courtroom, regarding the Matter of Certain Royal Prosecutors who were Dismissed because they Ceased to Amuse His Highness; Such Prosecutors, after all, Serving Solely at His Royal Pleasure.
Some of the Surly Great Unwashed hath questioned the Value of such Secret Communication, conducted away from the Prying Eyes and Ever-Suspicious Ears of the Wretched Vassals of the Public Square.
How Dare these Peasants Challenge the Veracity of Vice Regent Rove or the Wholesomeness of Lady Miers! By What Right do they Impugn Trickery or Artifice to the Words of these Worthies?! And Why Require a Transcription of their Conversations -- will not their own Solemn Report on such Exchanges be Ample to Assuage any Doubt?!
Certainly the Sterling Reputations of these Humble Servants of the Crown are Sufficient to Excuse their Personages from the sort of Humiliating Sacred Oath Required in Court of the vulgar Blacksmith, coarse Laborer, penny-poor Wheelwright or shifty wine-drunk Village Foole, vaingloriously tapping out Feculent Messages that Sail Through the Ether! Why the King Himself has Endorsed their Scrupulous Virtue and Honorable Status! Need ye other Vouchsafe than That, ye Varlets!
By All That's Holy -- next these Lowly Serfs will Gainsay the Public Issuances of Our Most Exalted Chancellor Cheney -- then Where shall We Be?!
God Save the Empire!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
So Goes Coulter, So Goes the Neocons Edition
Notorious 'Flag Hag' Coulter Has Really Put Her Spike Heels in It Now As Her 'Faggot' Flap Keeps Flapping
Sorry for concentrating on Ann Coulter so much lately, but her downfall is emblematic of the dissolution of the neocon movement in America, largely brought on by their obnoxious insistence on always being right even when wrong, their support of an ideology that has repeatedly been proven a failure, their virulent hatred of any political opposition, and their comfort at continuing to lie long after the truth has been revealed.
After six years of Bush blundering, the public presence of the neocons is roughly that of the cranky crazy aunt who believes the TV is talking to her and tapes over outlets so that electricity can't jump out and 'get at her.'
Case in point is this week's Valerie Plame testimony before Congress. Many neocons in the media questioned whether Plame was ever a CIA covert agent at all, from Mona Charen to 'former federal prosecutor' and reliable Bush shill Victoria Toensing, who stated this belief in the same Congressional hearing. As former CIA agent Larry C. Johnson, who attended CIA training with Plame, has noted, Plame's covert status was confirmed by other CIA agents in 2003, after Bob Novak's column outing her was printed. Beyond that, CIA Director Michael Hayden, a Bush appointee, also officially confirmed her classified covert status; she was a NOC (Non Official Cover) covert agent who acted overseas in the vital area of nuclear non-proliferation. In other words, she and her networks would be the people who would find out if terrorists had obtained a nuclear device. Seems pretty important in this post-9/11 era. Outing Plame not only potentially endangered her and her family, it also outed her contacts overseas. This would seem to qualify as a very high crime, and imagine what Charen, Toensing and Co. would have said if Al Gore, when he was Clinton's VP, had done the same thing Cheney has done -- leaked a covert CIA agent's name for political purposes and to avoid the public knowing the White House used forged evidence to get us into a war in Iraq. The roaring from the right for impeachment would have made a tsunami look like a bathtub splash.
Apparently, Charen, Toensing, et al, are merely trying to provide talking points for what remains of the neocon base; their denial of the reality of Plame's status, and the treasonous actions that made it public, is indicative of their lack of character and preference for their party over their country's safety.
But back to the declining fortunes of Coulter.
Here's one aspect of her 'appeal' that has always given the Tattlesnake a belly laugh: Young Republicans drooling over mean-mouthed harpy Ann Coulter as the epitome of sexy womanhood; a stick-thin pop-eyed Olive Oyl who may have the long blonde hair of the seductive siren but is in every other respect a degenerate Mannish Boy straight out of Fellini's Satyricon -- sharp-tongued, angular, coarse, cruel, unloving, thoroughly unfeminine. It's a testament to their cluelessness as to what this says about their own sexuality: they want to be screwed by a nasty dyke (or perhaps an unflattering peek into their relationship with their mothers). Is this the kind of good Christian woman virile Wonder-Bread Republican men want to settle down with -- or just slum up with at the No-Tel Motel for a little adulterous 'side of Newt' action while the Church Lady Missus sits at home knitting booties for their fifth child in five years?
Since her speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference March 2, 2007, where she sarcastically made a reference to John Edwards as a 'faggot,' all three top GOP presidential contenders have denounced her remarks, nine newspapers (and counting) have dropped her column, and Verizon, NetBank and Sallie Mae have pulled ads from her website.
Could we be seeing the ultimate meltdown of the Queen of Neocon Mean -- a fall from gracelessness that Marie Slanderette has deserved for years? This flap is also giving impetus to the general slide of the GOP neocon hate squad, likely to be replaced in the party hierarchy by libertarian and moderate Republicans who have been shunted to the sidelines by such babbling freak shows as Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and their bilious ilk.
After vicious attacks on 9-11 widows, calling for the execution of John Walker Lindh to 'intimidate' liberals, advocating poisoning a Supreme Court Justice as 'just a joke,' asserting that all Democrats are 'no good,' claiming we should invade Muslim countries and kill their leaders, regretting that Timothy McVeigh didn't blow up the New York Times building, and repeatedly calling her political opposition 'traitors,' is it possible that the word that will bring her down, the one that will convince the MSM not to book her as a guest anymore, is 'faggot'? Oh, the irony.
Of course, being a good Republican, Ann Coulter will never take responsibility for any harm her flapping jaw causes as she continually ups the ante to get publicity.
Here's a good idea:
I agree with Steve Young, hang Coulter and her hate speech around the GOP like a millstone, it's only what they deserve.
---------------------------------------
It's Confirmed by Bush's CIA Director: Plame Was a Covert Agent
At the time in 2003 the slimemeisters in the White House were trying to leak her name to the media, Valerie Plame was an active covert agent for the CIA , even Bush's CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledges it. Case closed on all the right-wing fulminating to the contrary.
Leaking a CIA agent's name is a treasonous act; when are the impeachment papers for Dick Cheney going to be readied?
Sorry for concentrating on Ann Coulter so much lately, but her downfall is emblematic of the dissolution of the neocon movement in America, largely brought on by their obnoxious insistence on always being right even when wrong, their support of an ideology that has repeatedly been proven a failure, their virulent hatred of any political opposition, and their comfort at continuing to lie long after the truth has been revealed.
After six years of Bush blundering, the public presence of the neocons is roughly that of the cranky crazy aunt who believes the TV is talking to her and tapes over outlets so that electricity can't jump out and 'get at her.'
"Plame was not covert. She worked at CIA headquarters and had not been stationed abroad within five years of the date of Novak's column."
-- Victoria Toensing, from the Washington Post, Feb. 18, 2007, as quoted at Think Progress.
"If Valerie had been an overt employee or a covert employee not covered by IIPA [Intelligence Identities Protection Act] then Scooter Libby would not have had to lie to FBI agents because there would not have been an investigation. But Valerie was a covert agent. Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, Ari Fleischer, and Richard Armitage, among others, put her name in circulation with members of the press. They harmed a covert agent and in the process did serious damage to our nation's security."
-- Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA agent, in "Was She Covert?" Feb. 20, 2007.
Case in point is this week's Valerie Plame testimony before Congress. Many neocons in the media questioned whether Plame was ever a CIA covert agent at all, from Mona Charen to 'former federal prosecutor' and reliable Bush shill Victoria Toensing, who stated this belief in the same Congressional hearing. As former CIA agent Larry C. Johnson, who attended CIA training with Plame, has noted, Plame's covert status was confirmed by other CIA agents in 2003, after Bob Novak's column outing her was printed. Beyond that, CIA Director Michael Hayden, a Bush appointee, also officially confirmed her classified covert status; she was a NOC (Non Official Cover) covert agent who acted overseas in the vital area of nuclear non-proliferation. In other words, she and her networks would be the people who would find out if terrorists had obtained a nuclear device. Seems pretty important in this post-9/11 era. Outing Plame not only potentially endangered her and her family, it also outed her contacts overseas. This would seem to qualify as a very high crime, and imagine what Charen, Toensing and Co. would have said if Al Gore, when he was Clinton's VP, had done the same thing Cheney has done -- leaked a covert CIA agent's name for political purposes and to avoid the public knowing the White House used forged evidence to get us into a war in Iraq. The roaring from the right for impeachment would have made a tsunami look like a bathtub splash.
Apparently, Charen, Toensing, et al, are merely trying to provide talking points for what remains of the neocon base; their denial of the reality of Plame's status, and the treasonous actions that made it public, is indicative of their lack of character and preference for their party over their country's safety.
But back to the declining fortunes of Coulter.
Here's one aspect of her 'appeal' that has always given the Tattlesnake a belly laugh: Young Republicans drooling over mean-mouthed harpy Ann Coulter as the epitome of sexy womanhood; a stick-thin pop-eyed Olive Oyl who may have the long blonde hair of the seductive siren but is in every other respect a degenerate Mannish Boy straight out of Fellini's Satyricon -- sharp-tongued, angular, coarse, cruel, unloving, thoroughly unfeminine. It's a testament to their cluelessness as to what this says about their own sexuality: they want to be screwed by a nasty dyke (or perhaps an unflattering peek into their relationship with their mothers). Is this the kind of good Christian woman virile Wonder-Bread Republican men want to settle down with -- or just slum up with at the No-Tel Motel for a little adulterous 'side of Newt' action while the Church Lady Missus sits at home knitting booties for their fifth child in five years?
Since her speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference March 2, 2007, where she sarcastically made a reference to John Edwards as a 'faggot,' all three top GOP presidential contenders have denounced her remarks, nine newspapers (and counting) have dropped her column, and Verizon, NetBank and Sallie Mae have pulled ads from her website.
Could we be seeing the ultimate meltdown of the Queen of Neocon Mean -- a fall from gracelessness that Marie Slanderette has deserved for years? This flap is also giving impetus to the general slide of the GOP neocon hate squad, likely to be replaced in the party hierarchy by libertarian and moderate Republicans who have been shunted to the sidelines by such babbling freak shows as Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin and their bilious ilk.
After vicious attacks on 9-11 widows, calling for the execution of John Walker Lindh to 'intimidate' liberals, advocating poisoning a Supreme Court Justice as 'just a joke,' asserting that all Democrats are 'no good,' claiming we should invade Muslim countries and kill their leaders, regretting that Timothy McVeigh didn't blow up the New York Times building, and repeatedly calling her political opposition 'traitors,' is it possible that the word that will bring her down, the one that will convince the MSM not to book her as a guest anymore, is 'faggot'? Oh, the irony.
"[The word 'faggot'] It isn't offensive to gays. It has nothing to do with gays."
-- Ann Coulter on Fox News, March 5, 2007, as quoted by AlterNet.
"People die, lose their jobs, are beaten and harassed because of homophobia. Is this what the GOP and the conservative movement stands for? That's fine with me, just don't try to pretend that's not what Coulter is saying."
-- Pam Spaulding, "'Faggot' is dangerous," AlterNet, March 6, 2007.
"Let's be clear -- I'm not advocating that anyone should censor this harridan of hate. But for her own sake (as well as that of the rest of us) if any friends or family do remain, will they please take Ms. Coulter to the rehab that even she is hinting -- in her profoundly Freudian way -- is now necessary?"
-- Rory O'Connor, "Ann Coulter Should 'Go Into Rehab'," AlterNet, March 8, 2007.
Of course, being a good Republican, Ann Coulter will never take responsibility for any harm her flapping jaw causes as she continually ups the ante to get publicity.
"The Americans who are fighting and dying in Iraq were sent there on false pretenses. [Ann] Coulter has contributed greatly to the grotesque disfigurement of our politics. Her political freak show helped render us incapable of sorting out the lies prior to the war. Her loudmouthed jingoism still rules the day, and Coulter, whether she knows it or not, has blood on [her] hands."
-- Joseph A. Palermo, "Ann Coulter Hates the Troops," Common Dreams.org, March 5, 2007.
"Ann Coulter's bigotry and hostility, her public fantasies about violence against Democrats, progressives, and journalists -- and those of countless others like her -- demand more attention, not less. They illustrate the irrational anger that has long driven and sustained the conservative movement. (Those who insist on believing, against all available evidence, that the left is driven more by anger than the right would do well to remember that, during the 2000 Florida recount fiasco, it was the Republicans who rioted, not the Democrats.) But those who applaud Coulter can't win or hold power on their own -- there just aren't enough angry, hate-filled voters in the country. They need the support of more rational and reasonable people, many of whom would be appalled -- and no longer supportive -- if the media showed them the true nature of the extremists they support."
-- Jamison Foser, Media Matters, March 10, 2007.
"Coulter is somewhat desperate so she's articulating this stuff in a crude and obvious fashion in order to keep her stale shtick going. But this concept is so ingrained in the political culture by now that the only thing that really stands out about it is the fact that she used an obvious epithet that is out of public fashion, even at a rightwing event. Suppose she had used the silly word 'girlyman'? Nobody would be calling for the smelling salts. In fact, I would imagine the press corps would have told us all to 'get over it.'"
-- Digby's blog, March, 2007.
Here's a good idea:
"Is there now any doubt that the Republican Party is wholly familiar with Ann's other hysterical schoolyard jokes, like 9/11 widows being "self-obsessed women... enjoying their husbands' deaths" or her "raghead" reference at previous CPAC conference? Yet they still invite her to pump up the CPAC crowd. And she is still guest-staple throughout the FOX News [sic] Network.
"They love the girl and her "schoolyard" jokes." It's time to remind the voter that they do. Everyday. Every way.
"From now on, when talking about the Republican Party or their candidates, let's call them like they are...
"THE PARTY OF ANN COULTER.
"They deserve each other."
-- Steve Young, "The Party of Ann" APJ, March 6, 2007.
I agree with Steve Young, hang Coulter and her hate speech around the GOP like a millstone, it's only what they deserve.
---------------------------------------
It's Confirmed by Bush's CIA Director: Plame Was a Covert Agent
At the time in 2003 the slimemeisters in the White House were trying to leak her name to the media, Valerie Plame was an active covert agent for the CIA , even Bush's CIA Director Michael Hayden acknowledges it. Case closed on all the right-wing fulminating to the contrary.
Leaking a CIA agent's name is a treasonous act; when are the impeachment papers for Dick Cheney going to be readied?
"Yesterday the CIA came out of the closet. CIA Director Michael Hayden approved a statement that contained the following language:
During her employment at the CIA, Ms. Wilson was under cover.
Her employment status with the CIA was classified information prohibited from disclosure under Executive Order 12958.
At the time of the publication of Robert Novak's column on July 14,2003, Ms. Wilson's CIA employment status was covert.
This was classified information.
"Got it? The Director of the CIA confirmed in public for the first time that Valerie Plame Wilson was undercover, was covert and that this information was classified. What is it about English that goober Congressman Westmoreland and ditzy Vicky Toensing don't understand?"
-- Larry C. Johnson, a former CIA agent, "Undercover, Covert, and Classified (Also Hush Hush)," March 17, 2007.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Random Opinionating on the Half Shell Edition
"You can observe a lot by just watching."
-- Yogi Berra
-- Is homosexuality immoral? Hillary Clinton dithered over an answer, finally telling ABC it was for someone else to conclude whether homosexuality is immoral. WTF?! Dems, how about this for an answer: In a free country, it's not the business of a politician nor the government to make judgments about what consenting adults do in the bedroom -- PERIOD. It is also not the business of the military to examine the sex lives of its personnel unless it is affecting their conduct while on duty. If you personally have a problem with someone else's sexual preference, perhaps you need professional help because it's your problem, not theirs, you miserable busybody.
-- Speaking of New York's junior Senator, somebody from her campaign tell her to stop with the accents already. Ever since the campaign days of Gennifer Flowers and 'stand by your man,' Hillary seems addicted to embarrassing herself by occasionally dropping into Norma Rae mode in her speeches. Listen, Mrs. Clinton, you're a bright middle-class white girl from Park Ridge, Illinois, with a very good education who grew up to be a wealthy white woman currently residing in the upper-crust suburbs of New York City when you're not in Washington. Your stint as First Lady of Arkansas notwithstanding, you're just not the Target/Wal-Mart shopper type; your tastes are more chicken Cordon Bleu than chicken-fried steak, and I'll bet you eat ribs with a knife and fork in private, if you ever eat ribs in private at all. This is nothing to be ashamed of, it's just who you are. No one believes it when you start spouting with a Trailer Trash Queen drawl: real Southerners wince at your pandering; everyone else ponders your mental condition. It's even worse when you try to get down and funky -- it's akin to Pee Wee Herman trying to win a Soul Train dance contest. Just be yourself and stop trying so hard to appeal to every ethnicity and region.
-- Good for Mark Green, new co-owner with his brother Steve of Air America Radio, responding to the flap over the Dems refusing to participate in debates hosted by Ailes' neocon Fox News, for brilliantly proposing that liberal AAR host a debate for the Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire. He assured the GOP that "we too can be fair and balanced." Question: Why hasn't this story received the media play the Fox News ploy did?
-- Boo and hiss to the bland blonde GOP robot on MSNBC recently, advertised as a 'Republican Strategist' (I didn't bother to catch her name, but she's a new face), who compared Alberto Gonzales firing eight prosecutors for doing their jobs to the BS 'Travelgate' nothingburger during the Clinton years. Like most would-be Mary Matalin's, she apparently can't discern the difference between the Clinton's hiring new staff for the White House travel office and federal prosecutors sending politicians to jail for bribery and corruption. Here's a hint, Chuckles: 'Travelgate' did not affect the Republic in any way, nor cost the taxpayer a cent; political corruption and bribery, on the other hand, gets us into needless wars, pollutes our atmosphere, wastes our money on weapons and projects we don't need, and rots the foundation of our democracy. As Smiley O'Reilly would say, "Get it?"
-- "Mistakes were made" aren't words you use to accept responsibility -- that would be "I made mistakes" -- rather, it's a phrase to avoid or diffuse responsibility. As the your ol' Tattler has said before, if the average person says "I'm responsible" for a botched job at work, co-signing a loan, or committing a crime, they get fired, pay money or go to jail. Only in the twisted Bizarro World of official Washington can someone like Alberto Gonzales, or his boss George W. Bush, accept responsibility and keep his job. Gee, what message is this sending to all those children out there that Republicans say they want to inject with good moral values?
-- Seen those reprehensible TV ads touting Bush's complicated and overly expensive Medicare prescription drug plan? The message of this ad is confusingly bifurcated: it tells the consumer to support the plan because 'it's working' while it also says 'let's give the plan a chance to work!' What Big Pharma front group put together this hash? If 'it's working' it doesn't need 'a chance to work' because it's already working; only things that aren't working need a chance to work, which this plan isn't. Sweet Jesus.
------------------------------------------
The Dirty Work of Empire
I wonder how many of our troops in Iraq feel exactly the same way as Orwell did.
-- Yogi Berra
-- Is homosexuality immoral? Hillary Clinton dithered over an answer, finally telling ABC it was for someone else to conclude whether homosexuality is immoral. WTF?! Dems, how about this for an answer: In a free country, it's not the business of a politician nor the government to make judgments about what consenting adults do in the bedroom -- PERIOD. It is also not the business of the military to examine the sex lives of its personnel unless it is affecting their conduct while on duty. If you personally have a problem with someone else's sexual preference, perhaps you need professional help because it's your problem, not theirs, you miserable busybody.
-- Speaking of New York's junior Senator, somebody from her campaign tell her to stop with the accents already. Ever since the campaign days of Gennifer Flowers and 'stand by your man,' Hillary seems addicted to embarrassing herself by occasionally dropping into Norma Rae mode in her speeches. Listen, Mrs. Clinton, you're a bright middle-class white girl from Park Ridge, Illinois, with a very good education who grew up to be a wealthy white woman currently residing in the upper-crust suburbs of New York City when you're not in Washington. Your stint as First Lady of Arkansas notwithstanding, you're just not the Target/Wal-Mart shopper type; your tastes are more chicken Cordon Bleu than chicken-fried steak, and I'll bet you eat ribs with a knife and fork in private, if you ever eat ribs in private at all. This is nothing to be ashamed of, it's just who you are. No one believes it when you start spouting with a Trailer Trash Queen drawl: real Southerners wince at your pandering; everyone else ponders your mental condition. It's even worse when you try to get down and funky -- it's akin to Pee Wee Herman trying to win a Soul Train dance contest. Just be yourself and stop trying so hard to appeal to every ethnicity and region.
-- Good for Mark Green, new co-owner with his brother Steve of Air America Radio, responding to the flap over the Dems refusing to participate in debates hosted by Ailes' neocon Fox News, for brilliantly proposing that liberal AAR host a debate for the Republican presidential candidates in New Hampshire. He assured the GOP that "we too can be fair and balanced." Question: Why hasn't this story received the media play the Fox News ploy did?
-- Boo and hiss to the bland blonde GOP robot on MSNBC recently, advertised as a 'Republican Strategist' (I didn't bother to catch her name, but she's a new face), who compared Alberto Gonzales firing eight prosecutors for doing their jobs to the BS 'Travelgate' nothingburger during the Clinton years. Like most would-be Mary Matalin's, she apparently can't discern the difference between the Clinton's hiring new staff for the White House travel office and federal prosecutors sending politicians to jail for bribery and corruption. Here's a hint, Chuckles: 'Travelgate' did not affect the Republic in any way, nor cost the taxpayer a cent; political corruption and bribery, on the other hand, gets us into needless wars, pollutes our atmosphere, wastes our money on weapons and projects we don't need, and rots the foundation of our democracy. As Smiley O'Reilly would say, "Get it?"
-- "Mistakes were made" aren't words you use to accept responsibility -- that would be "I made mistakes" -- rather, it's a phrase to avoid or diffuse responsibility. As the your ol' Tattler has said before, if the average person says "I'm responsible" for a botched job at work, co-signing a loan, or committing a crime, they get fired, pay money or go to jail. Only in the twisted Bizarro World of official Washington can someone like Alberto Gonzales, or his boss George W. Bush, accept responsibility and keep his job. Gee, what message is this sending to all those children out there that Republicans say they want to inject with good moral values?
-- Seen those reprehensible TV ads touting Bush's complicated and overly expensive Medicare prescription drug plan? The message of this ad is confusingly bifurcated: it tells the consumer to support the plan because 'it's working' while it also says 'let's give the plan a chance to work!' What Big Pharma front group put together this hash? If 'it's working' it doesn't need 'a chance to work' because it's already working; only things that aren't working need a chance to work, which this plan isn't. Sweet Jesus.
------------------------------------------
The Dirty Work of Empire
I wonder how many of our troops in Iraq feel exactly the same way as Orwell did.
"All this was perplexing and upsetting. For at that time I had already made up my mind that imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner I chucked up my job and got out of it the better. Theoretically -- and secretly, of course -- I was all for the Burmese and all against their oppressors, the British. As for the job I was doing, I hated it more bitterly than I can perhaps make clear. In a job like that you see the dirty work of Empire at close quarters. The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of the lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, the scarred buttocks of the men who had been Bogged with bamboos -- all these oppressed me with an intolerable sense of guilt. But I could get nothing into perspective. I was young and ill-educated and I had had to think out my problems in the utter silence that is imposed on every Englishman in the East. I did not even know that the British Empire is dying, still less did I know that it is a great deal better than the younger empires that are going to supplant it. All I knew was that I was stuck between my hatred of the empire I served and my rage against the evil-spirited little beasts who tried to make my job impossible. With one part of my mind I thought of the British Raj as an unbreakable tyranny, as something clamped down, in saecula saeculorum, upon the will of prostrate peoples; with another part I thought that the greatest joy in the world would be to drive a bayonet into a Buddhist priest's guts. Feelings like these are the normal by-products of imperialism; ask any Anglo-Indian official, if you can catch him off duty."
-- George Orwell, excerpted from "Shooting an Elephant," an essay on his short-lived career as a British police officer in Burma.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Just Another Day in the Empire: March 13, 2007
Through the Lens of CNN, the Most 'Trusted' Name in News:
Item 1: Susan Lisovich told viewers that for every stock that's going up, four are going down and Wall Street is facing a housing market meltdown. Still, that's no reason to panic.
Item 2: Reporting on the politically-motivated firings of eight federal prosecutors, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was shown in a clip telling the media that 'mistakes were made' and he was 'responsible' but won't resign because it was all the fault of his Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson, who has resigned. How eight senior Justice Department district attorneys could have been dismissed without Gonzales' knowledge and assent is a mystery for the ages. Perhaps he just doesn't pay much attention to his job, which isn't illegal, especially in the Bush Administration. End of story, right?
Item 3: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, revealed that, due to the way he was raised, he's uncomfortable with black people in the military, claiming they're 'immoral' -- wait, sorry, that's homosexuals in the military. Of course, his personal prejudices will not in any way affect the way he does his job.
Item 4: In a related item, Wolf Blitzer's first question to Dem presidential candidate John Edwards had to do with his reaction to Pace's remarks concerning gays in the military as if, since Coulter's backhanded reference to Edwards as a 'faggot,' he is now the spokesperson for gay men. Nice play, Wolf! Don't forget to pick up your swag bag from the RNC. When are you going to ask Rudy Giuliani, who frequently dresses up as a woman, if his party is really just a refuge for closeted self-hating gay men?
Item 5: US President [sic] George W. Bush finished up a whirlwind tour of Latin America with a sumptuous photo-op starring him, Laura, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Calderon's wife Margerita. No doubt, considering Bush's overwhelming popularity in Central and South America, a few heavily-guarded speeches and state dinners will suffice to bring those peons down there into line, especially with the news that the lion's share of US aid to the region goes to bolster the successful US War on Drugs. Take that, Hugo Chavez!
Item 6: Ads featured a man who wanted to have a love affair with the computer-generated female voice in his rental car's on-board GPS navigation system but was rejected, and headache sufferers who hated their favorite headache relief product's annoying TV commercials, but loved the product itself so much they were willing to appear in more annoying ads to inform the public of that fact.
Item 1: Susan Lisovich told viewers that for every stock that's going up, four are going down and Wall Street is facing a housing market meltdown. Still, that's no reason to panic.
Item 2: Reporting on the politically-motivated firings of eight federal prosecutors, US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was shown in a clip telling the media that 'mistakes were made' and he was 'responsible' but won't resign because it was all the fault of his Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson, who has resigned. How eight senior Justice Department district attorneys could have been dismissed without Gonzales' knowledge and assent is a mystery for the ages. Perhaps he just doesn't pay much attention to his job, which isn't illegal, especially in the Bush Administration. End of story, right?
Item 3: The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, revealed that, due to the way he was raised, he's uncomfortable with black people in the military, claiming they're 'immoral' -- wait, sorry, that's homosexuals in the military. Of course, his personal prejudices will not in any way affect the way he does his job.
Item 4: In a related item, Wolf Blitzer's first question to Dem presidential candidate John Edwards had to do with his reaction to Pace's remarks concerning gays in the military as if, since Coulter's backhanded reference to Edwards as a 'faggot,' he is now the spokesperson for gay men. Nice play, Wolf! Don't forget to pick up your swag bag from the RNC. When are you going to ask Rudy Giuliani, who frequently dresses up as a woman, if his party is really just a refuge for closeted self-hating gay men?
Item 5: US President [sic] George W. Bush finished up a whirlwind tour of Latin America with a sumptuous photo-op starring him, Laura, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Calderon's wife Margerita. No doubt, considering Bush's overwhelming popularity in Central and South America, a few heavily-guarded speeches and state dinners will suffice to bring those peons down there into line, especially with the news that the lion's share of US aid to the region goes to bolster the successful US War on Drugs. Take that, Hugo Chavez!
Item 6: Ads featured a man who wanted to have a love affair with the computer-generated female voice in his rental car's on-board GPS navigation system but was rejected, and headache sufferers who hated their favorite headache relief product's annoying TV commercials, but loved the product itself so much they were willing to appear in more annoying ads to inform the public of that fact.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Ann Coulter: Amazon Woman of the Loons Edition
The 'Heart and Soul' of the Fading Neoconservative GOP, She Just Announced the Bush Choice for the Party's Next Presidential Nominee
"I am happy to hear that after you hear from me, you will hear from Ann Coulter. That is a good thing. Oh yeah!"
-- Mitt Romney at the CPAC convention, March 2, 2007, as quoted by Jamison Foser at Media Matters.
"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards. But it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot' -- so I'm kind of at an impasse."
-- Ann Coulter in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, March 2, 2007. From Salon.com.
March 5, 2007 -- While the mainstream media have been grudgingly covering Coulter's using the offensive word 'faggot' in connection with John Edwards, and leading Republican presidential candidates Giuliani, McCain and Romney have belatedly denounced her 'witty' speech-closer at the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday, other notable news connected to her appearance at the event missed their attention.
First off, as CPAC attendee Andrew Sullivan has said: "When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young." Not only that, but she is the voice of the Bush family -- the ugly, dark side of elitist authoritarianism, rancorous homophobia, country club racism and vengeful bile that runs deep beneath the genteel political surface of the Bush clan.
Followers of Ann's fetid public career know that she never criticizes any Bush, at least not with the vituperation she reserves for Dems, liberals, Muslims, and Republicans who don't toe the neocon line. She has consistently been the shrill hateful voice of the far right, which has gained her what Glenn Greenwald calls "rock star-adoration by the party faithful." He also noted that "She is the face of what the hard-core Republican Party has become, particularly during the Bush presidency. That is why she holds the position she holds in that movement." Greenwald added:
"The more Ann Coulter says these things, the more popular she becomes in this movement. What this is about is that she reflects exactly what sort of political movement this is. She reflects its true impulses and core beliefs."
But she also represents the core beliefs of the Bush family and the Money Men of the GOP, which is why she's backing ersatz 'moderate' Mitt Romney:
"What do I think of Governor Romney's candidacy for presidency? I think he's probably our best candidate." [...] "And you have to say about Romney, he tricked liberals into voting for him. I like a guy -- I like a guy who hoodwinks liberals so easily."
-- Ann Coulter, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference March 2, 2007, as quoted by Media Matters.
(Sure she does. She also likes people who hoodwink conservatives, as she's been doing for years.)
In Florida, Bush operatives have lately been pumping state party insiders for Mitt and even though Jeb himself has aristocratically stayed out of the fray, it's obvious he's behind Romney's coronation. Coulter, still popular among the dwindling seethers of the neocon GOP, got her Bush-stamped marching orders and delivered her endorsement speech to CPAC -- watch now as the former Massachusetts Governor's numbers start moving up. The Bushes could never back that 'nasty little man' McCain who has said so many terrible things about President Junior, and Giuliani's much too liberal to be nominated by the party faithful, so the nominee's victory sash is awarded to plucked-from-near-obscurity Romney, a monkey who will gladly dance to the Bush corporatist tune.
Another incident involving the woman who thinks a 'little local facism' is a good thing was the unceremonious removal of Dan Borchers from the CPAC convention hall by Ann's goon squad, as reported at the Lydia Cornell website. Four burly men shoved and wrestled Borchers out of the place, cutting his hand while they tried to rip the convention credentials from around his neck, with a camera tagging along to record the gory details. (At what neo-American Bundt conclave will that video be shown?) When Borchers asked the thugs why they were doing this to him, they replied, "You are not permitted to be here."
Borchers is a conservative Christian military veteran and lifelong Republican, reportedly a humble and mild-mannered man who has written articles critical of Coulter's penchant for plagiarism and believes the bilious hate-speech typified by the amoral Coulter is ruining the Republican Party. His apparent crime against Ann that night was asking another conservative author what he knew regarding Coulter's connection to the Paula Jones lawsuit against Bill Clinton, the case that first brought her to national attention.
Coulter's been fairly quiet since the November 2006 election, and her audience is shrinking along with Bush's popularity as the nation rejects the failed neocon ideology. She can still draw a crowd, but the crowds are smaller and less enthusiastic. Like Britney Spears, she is now reduced to staging increasingly outrageous publicity stunts to spark up her dying career and sell her remaindered books.
What's she going to do next to attract headlines? Maybe she'll shave her head and go into rehab for using the 'N' word to describe Barack Obama.
Will Fox News chuckle about her 'outrageous' behavior then, I wonder -- and will NBC welcome her on The Today Show to trade quips with Matt Lauer?
"I am happy to hear that after you hear from me, you will hear from Ann Coulter. That is a good thing. Oh yeah!"
-- Mitt Romney at the CPAC convention, March 2, 2007, as quoted by Jamison Foser at Media Matters.
"I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards. But it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'faggot' -- so I'm kind of at an impasse."
-- Ann Coulter in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, March 2, 2007. From Salon.com.
March 5, 2007 -- While the mainstream media have been grudgingly covering Coulter's using the offensive word 'faggot' in connection with John Edwards, and leading Republican presidential candidates Giuliani, McCain and Romney have belatedly denounced her 'witty' speech-closer at the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday, other notable news connected to her appearance at the event missed their attention.
First off, as CPAC attendee Andrew Sullivan has said: "When you see her in such a context, you realize that she truly represents the heart and soul of contemporary conservative activism, especially among the young." Not only that, but she is the voice of the Bush family -- the ugly, dark side of elitist authoritarianism, rancorous homophobia, country club racism and vengeful bile that runs deep beneath the genteel political surface of the Bush clan.
Followers of Ann's fetid public career know that she never criticizes any Bush, at least not with the vituperation she reserves for Dems, liberals, Muslims, and Republicans who don't toe the neocon line. She has consistently been the shrill hateful voice of the far right, which has gained her what Glenn Greenwald calls "rock star-adoration by the party faithful." He also noted that "She is the face of what the hard-core Republican Party has become, particularly during the Bush presidency. That is why she holds the position she holds in that movement." Greenwald added:
"The more Ann Coulter says these things, the more popular she becomes in this movement. What this is about is that she reflects exactly what sort of political movement this is. She reflects its true impulses and core beliefs."
But she also represents the core beliefs of the Bush family and the Money Men of the GOP, which is why she's backing ersatz 'moderate' Mitt Romney:
"What do I think of Governor Romney's candidacy for presidency? I think he's probably our best candidate." [...] "And you have to say about Romney, he tricked liberals into voting for him. I like a guy -- I like a guy who hoodwinks liberals so easily."
-- Ann Coulter, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference March 2, 2007, as quoted by Media Matters.
(Sure she does. She also likes people who hoodwink conservatives, as she's been doing for years.)
In Florida, Bush operatives have lately been pumping state party insiders for Mitt and even though Jeb himself has aristocratically stayed out of the fray, it's obvious he's behind Romney's coronation. Coulter, still popular among the dwindling seethers of the neocon GOP, got her Bush-stamped marching orders and delivered her endorsement speech to CPAC -- watch now as the former Massachusetts Governor's numbers start moving up. The Bushes could never back that 'nasty little man' McCain who has said so many terrible things about President Junior, and Giuliani's much too liberal to be nominated by the party faithful, so the nominee's victory sash is awarded to plucked-from-near-obscurity Romney, a monkey who will gladly dance to the Bush corporatist tune.
Another incident involving the woman who thinks a 'little local facism' is a good thing was the unceremonious removal of Dan Borchers from the CPAC convention hall by Ann's goon squad, as reported at the Lydia Cornell website. Four burly men shoved and wrestled Borchers out of the place, cutting his hand while they tried to rip the convention credentials from around his neck, with a camera tagging along to record the gory details. (At what neo-American Bundt conclave will that video be shown?) When Borchers asked the thugs why they were doing this to him, they replied, "You are not permitted to be here."
Borchers is a conservative Christian military veteran and lifelong Republican, reportedly a humble and mild-mannered man who has written articles critical of Coulter's penchant for plagiarism and believes the bilious hate-speech typified by the amoral Coulter is ruining the Republican Party. His apparent crime against Ann that night was asking another conservative author what he knew regarding Coulter's connection to the Paula Jones lawsuit against Bill Clinton, the case that first brought her to national attention.
Coulter's been fairly quiet since the November 2006 election, and her audience is shrinking along with Bush's popularity as the nation rejects the failed neocon ideology. She can still draw a crowd, but the crowds are smaller and less enthusiastic. Like Britney Spears, she is now reduced to staging increasingly outrageous publicity stunts to spark up her dying career and sell her remaindered books.
What's she going to do next to attract headlines? Maybe she'll shave her head and go into rehab for using the 'N' word to describe Barack Obama.
Will Fox News chuckle about her 'outrageous' behavior then, I wonder -- and will NBC welcome her on The Today Show to trade quips with Matt Lauer?
Friday, March 02, 2007
Re-Reviewing the GOP 2008 Presidential Candidates Edition
Predictions to be taken in the spirit in which they were made -- with a rim of salt and a slice of lime.
"We made too many wrong mistakes."
-- Yogi Berra
What's changed with the Republicans since the last time I did this?
In alphabetical order, starting with the three major players:
-- Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City:
Has he officially announced? Is the Pope a Catholic who doesn't believe in divorce?
What are his chances? Let's call it right now: Rudy Giuliani's not going to be the next President of the United States. If he makes it through the primaries, he'll be slaughtered in the general election. While he'll quickly wear out his 'anti-terrorist hero of 9/11' shtick, in a bit of table-turning, he'll be the 'Dem Light' on social issues in the general election, and voters might as well vote for a real Democrat instead of someone who pretends to be one. If, on the other hand, he steers far right on both the War on Terra and social issues, he's going to lose anyway; Americans are sore from the side-effects of the right-wing agenda. It's been rumored this guy was afraid to face Hillary for the Senate seat from New York, and used illness as a cover story. He's one good scandal away from being cooked, and the potential burners are lit and ready. America's Mayor might as well throw away his transfer right now -- his campaign bus is never going to arrive at the White House.
-- John McCain, US Senator from Arizona:
Has he officially announced? Perhaps appropriately, considering the low comedy his campaign has become, he announced Feb. 28 on The David Letterman Show.
What are his chances? John McCain's not going to be president either in 2008, or ever. He's squandered all the good will he built up in his 2000 campaign, alienating that combination of sane Republicans, conservative Democrats and moderate independents he might have been able to ride into the White House next year. What has he received in return? Affiliation with a loathed president bottoming out in the polls, a lost war, and a rep as a lap dog for Jerry Falwell. McCain has also further debased himself by hiring Bush operatives, trained by Mr. Karl Rove himself, to run his campaign, so look for things to get mighty nasty in the primaries. The last few speeches by McCain, he didn't look well: wan, weak and wrinkled like Dorian Gray's portrait come to life. His voice sometimes quavers when he delivers his most onerous lines, and he looks down at his shoes a lot. The kind of teeth-aching hypocrisy Johnny has engaged in the past few years will do that to a man. Once he was a Straight-Talk Viet Vet hero; now, even with the puzzling adulation of the corporate media, he's just a puling public embarrassment, the corporate logo of the craven pol who'll say anything to get elected, with his lip prints on the gluteus maximus of President Junior, a man he reportedly privately despises.
-- Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee, but he's running.
What are his chances? Mitt Romney's a Twinkie mixed in a blender with a vanilla shake: sweet and bland on a wide range of issues, with empty linguistic calories to spare. The secret favorite of the Bush family -- Jeb's in his corner -- Candidate Jello quivers around but damned if anyone can figure out what he really stands for, aside from the usual 'strong national defense and protecting everyone from everything that polls well, God bless America.' Romney's no brain trust -- which, obviously, does not disqualify from being president -- and he's got that smiling coal-eyed look of easy villainy that doesn't inspire confidence in voters. He's a male model mannequin, a Church of the SubGenius "Bob" with a Betty Bowers minivan wife straight out of RNC Central Casting, perfect for the tight-sphincter suburban honkies of the 'new' GOP. Mitt needn't worry about his Mormonism losing votes; his innate overly-ambitious assholishness will take care of that. With the Bushes help, he'll collect some big corpo money and stay afloat; between him and the rightie media, there will be enough crap spread thick to likely hand him the GOP nomination. No matter -- a toasting will await Mr. White Bread in November of '08. (Damn if writing this didn't make me hungry for some reason.)
'Second-tier' candidates:
-- Sam Brownback, US Senator from Kansas:
Has he officially announced? Yep.
What are his chances? With the country trending liberal, Brownback is a flaky neocon fossil, though not quite 6,000 years old. His 'All God No Gays' patooie may sell well enough in the GOP primaries to keep him alive past his expiration date, but the Big Money is going elsewhere. President Sam he am not.
-- Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida:
Has he officially announced? No, and he won't.
What are his chances? Unlike his older brother, Jeb reads the polls and newspapers and he knows the Bush name is the kiss of death in national politics for the foreseeable future. May be biding his time, hoping that a Dem in the Oval Office will bungle cleaning up after Dubya so badly that the stage will be set for a Jeb run in 2012, the same year, coincidentally, that the Mayans predicted the end of the world. The Bush Who Should Have Been President If Not For &*%$!@# Karl Rove (go ahead and cry, Poppy) may be content to sit back and play kingmaker behind the scenes, as he's doing with Mitt Romney. Jeb might very well be in and out of courtrooms the next few years if the Dems ever launch an investigation of the voting improprieties in Florida in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Could happen. It's said he's got a slush fund in reserve to defend himself should any such investigation take place. Mentioned as a possible VP candidate in '08, but that's just crazy talk.
-- Jim Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Gilmore is not even a distant sail in the Republican primary sunset. His 'vanity candidacy' will be over shortly and he'll go back to harassing his relatives at Thanksgiving with tales of past glory. "Pass me the rolls, Grandpa." "Here. Say, boy, did I ever tell you about the time I was Governor of Virginia and..."
-- Newt Gingrich, former US House Speaker from Georgia:
Has he officially announced? No, but he's been busy acting like he will.
What are his chances? Newt's the stain on the GOP crotch that won't dry. He's spouted so much crazy crap the last 14 years, even most Republicans think he's batty. What's left of the GOP neocons may resurrect him, furiously trying to keep their agenda alive, but the torpedoes are in the water to sink Mr. Bismarck should he head to open water in the primaries. Newt's still what he's always been: a hypocritical bore with a half-cocked leaf-blower for a mouth. It's said Bob Dole once joked Newt's House office in the 1990's was packed with filing cabinets marked "Newt's Ideas" and, in the corner on top of one cabinet, there was a small shoebox labeled "Newt's Good Ideas." The unfortunate thing about Gingrich, for Republicans, is that he mostly spouts nonsense from the filing cabinets. If he catches fire, it will only be his pants burning, and you know what causes trousers to spontaneously burst into flame.
-- Chuck Hagel, US Senator from Nebraska:
Has he officially announced? Not yet.
What are his chances? Hagel could surprise in the late rounds. His anti-Bush slaps could play well in a Republican Party that would like to return to its conservative 'small government, stay the hell out of foreign entanglements' roots. His previous connections to voting machine companies are troubling, but he seems sane at any rate. If the Classic Goldwater Conservatives wrest the GOP from Ralph Reed's Crazy Christians as is likely, Hagel's their man. Still, he's not going to win the WH in 2008 unless the Dems really screw up -- it's just not a Republican year.
-- Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Mike Huckabee is a former Baptist Minister and was once president of the Baptist State Convention. Kinky Friedman had a good take on the Texarkana version of that Christian sect: "I even went so far as to become a Southern Baptist for a while, until I realized that they didn't hold 'em under long enough." Huck's not the worst of the worst, but he hasn't got a prayer, even if a Republican God lived in Little Rock. Mike's lost a 100 pounds so he'll get the Weight Watchers vote, but that won't mean much in pork-belly-over-the-belt Iowa. Next stop: Late night infomercials for his new diet shake,"Good for Your Heart Huckabee's." (Yes, and the fourth word will be a heart shape.)
-- Duncan L. Hunter, US Representative from California:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? The day George Bush gets a brain and Cheney gets a heart, Hunter will get the presidency. He's rumored to be such a nasty piece of work staffers scurry in terror at his approach. Stray dogs on the street growl at him and children scream in fear. If he kissed a baby on the campaign trail, the kid would be in therapy for life. Has been mistaken for an angry Russian general and a rabid bulldog by foreign leaders. Might have a future, though, if Hollywood needs a new Ming the Merciless.
-- George Pataki, former Governor of New York:
Has he officially announced? No, but he has a couple of toes in the water.
What are his chances? He's shown up in Iowa and New Hampshire, but most of the audience were there for the free pizza rolls. "Pataki who?" should be on his bumper sticker. Not likely he'll run, but if he does, he'll be in a marathon with his shoelaces tied together. In 2008, if by some miracle he's gets the nomination, he wouldn't carry his home state of New York. Most of all, America's not ready to elect another diddle-de-dumb Republican president named 'George.'
-- Ron Paul, US Representative from Texas:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Although I don't always agree with him, libertarian Ron Paul has some good ideas, but he's too sane to be president this time around, at least as a GOP candidate. He's another one who's not likely to go the distance, but he'd make the debates worth watching. The man is fearless and well-informed. After the Republicans revamp their party following the 2008 elections and boot out the crazies, Paul might emerge as a formidable candidate for president.
-- Tom Tancredo, US Representative from Colorado:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? If I were Tom Tancredo, I wouldn't stay in hotels or motels, or eat at restaurants without a food taster. Most of the Hispanic people he wants to jail and deport work at these places for low wages and would likely make Tom's life a living hell in a hundred different ways. Since he can't travel and campaign, it would pretty much obviate any chances he might have to be president. Well, that and his really shitty personality.
'Third-tier' candidates who actually represent the GOP 'base':
-- Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States:
Has he officially announced? He says absolutely no, he's not running, but we all know what a liar he is.
What are his chances?Incredibly, there is a group within the GOP that really likes this guy -- he personifies all they hold dear: Profit over people, greed uber alles, the government should operate for the benefit of the wealthy and, if you don't like it, peon, go fuck yourself! Bush is the softer, gentler frontman for the Plutocracy; Cheney is its pacemakered, quadruple-bypassed heart and cat-turd soul. For these Dick lovers, nobody but the original will do, so they've formed a 'Draft Cheney' movement, and they don't mean to send the sneering old codpiece to the streets of Baghdad to drive a Humvee -- they think the most hated, deceitful and delusional Veep in US history would actually be a good president. These people are, of course, just as corrupt and sociopathic as their white-haired Mr. Potter idol, but Cheney does represent a good part of the corporate GOP base, as base as they may be. Not a chance of him running though, it would be beneath him; nope, Cheney's going to collect his profits and bunker down somewhere outside the country to dandle his ill-gotten millions on his knee, unless in the next two years BushCo cracks down and we're all wearing armbands and swearing fealty to Alberto's New World Order to protect our freedom from the terrorists.
-- Saint Michael Jesus Archangel, US Fruitcake from Michigan:
Has he officially announced? He's in it to win it, brethren and sistern.
What are his chances? Nothing wrong with this guy: The former Philip Silva, who changed his name legally in 1996, claims that he's known from boyhood that "I was God and Michael the Archangel, but I didn't dare tell anyone, not even anyone in my family because I knew that the devil, Satan, was going to try to murder Me, and indeed he did try, four separate times." He also alleges that he's a Vietnam Vet and that he once worked as an unpaid "volunteer Secret Agent for the Central Intelligence Agency." Although some may call him delusional, many of his opinions are shared by the Dominionists and the Falwell/Robertson fringe of the GOP -- he believes America should be a Christian theocracy and he calls himself a "radical conservative Republican." The only crimp in his march to the White House might be his arrest for attempted murder and other felony charges last March, which prompted the arresting officer to opine, "As a matter of fact, he is crazy. Anyone in their right mind can see that." Being a crazy accused felon, though, shouldn't be an impediment to 'St. Michael' receiving a ton of votes in the GOP primaries -- he's the logical choice of the conservative Jesus kooks. If you'd like to find out more about 'God and Michael the Archangel' (he just couldn't make up his mind), go to http://ArchangelMichael.info but be prepared to read long passages that resemble the ravings of a lunatic. He has a chance, if the Christo-fascists vote with their hearts instead of their empty heads.
-- Michael Savage, Radio Talk Show Host:
Has he officially announced? He's talking about it. Here's what he told NewsMax: "I know it sounds bizarre, but when you consider the people running for the Presidency, none seems to be qualified ... A non-politician who has a very large following, who is very conservative, and who believes in a simple message of borders, language, and culture, has a great chance of electrifying the American people." Yes, 'electrifying' -- like a cattle prod up the old wazoo.
What are his chances? Savage is as toxically nutty as a jar of recalled Peter Pan, but his opinions at least reflect the crazed right-wing bigots in the Republican Party; he's Ann Coulter with a smaller penis. Of course, he couldn't get elected dog catcher, but his appearance in the debates would force the other candidates to either disavow his crackpot ideas -- and lose votes, or dump on him -- and lose votes. A lose-lose situation, which is why the GOP Tower of Power who holds his leash will never let him run. (He'd be fired from his only source of income, his fetid radio show.) At least the former Michael Weiner's seen one thing clearly: "[The Republicans have] virtually no chance of winning right now."
Coming soon: A Tattlesnake re-review of the Dem choices.
"We made too many wrong mistakes."
-- Yogi Berra
What's changed with the Republicans since the last time I did this?
In alphabetical order, starting with the three major players:
-- Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City:
Has he officially announced? Is the Pope a Catholic who doesn't believe in divorce?
What are his chances? Let's call it right now: Rudy Giuliani's not going to be the next President of the United States. If he makes it through the primaries, he'll be slaughtered in the general election. While he'll quickly wear out his 'anti-terrorist hero of 9/11' shtick, in a bit of table-turning, he'll be the 'Dem Light' on social issues in the general election, and voters might as well vote for a real Democrat instead of someone who pretends to be one. If, on the other hand, he steers far right on both the War on Terra and social issues, he's going to lose anyway; Americans are sore from the side-effects of the right-wing agenda. It's been rumored this guy was afraid to face Hillary for the Senate seat from New York, and used illness as a cover story. He's one good scandal away from being cooked, and the potential burners are lit and ready. America's Mayor might as well throw away his transfer right now -- his campaign bus is never going to arrive at the White House.
-- John McCain, US Senator from Arizona:
Has he officially announced? Perhaps appropriately, considering the low comedy his campaign has become, he announced Feb. 28 on The David Letterman Show.
What are his chances? John McCain's not going to be president either in 2008, or ever. He's squandered all the good will he built up in his 2000 campaign, alienating that combination of sane Republicans, conservative Democrats and moderate independents he might have been able to ride into the White House next year. What has he received in return? Affiliation with a loathed president bottoming out in the polls, a lost war, and a rep as a lap dog for Jerry Falwell. McCain has also further debased himself by hiring Bush operatives, trained by Mr. Karl Rove himself, to run his campaign, so look for things to get mighty nasty in the primaries. The last few speeches by McCain, he didn't look well: wan, weak and wrinkled like Dorian Gray's portrait come to life. His voice sometimes quavers when he delivers his most onerous lines, and he looks down at his shoes a lot. The kind of teeth-aching hypocrisy Johnny has engaged in the past few years will do that to a man. Once he was a Straight-Talk Viet Vet hero; now, even with the puzzling adulation of the corporate media, he's just a puling public embarrassment, the corporate logo of the craven pol who'll say anything to get elected, with his lip prints on the gluteus maximus of President Junior, a man he reportedly privately despises.
-- Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee, but he's running.
What are his chances? Mitt Romney's a Twinkie mixed in a blender with a vanilla shake: sweet and bland on a wide range of issues, with empty linguistic calories to spare. The secret favorite of the Bush family -- Jeb's in his corner -- Candidate Jello quivers around but damned if anyone can figure out what he really stands for, aside from the usual 'strong national defense and protecting everyone from everything that polls well, God bless America.' Romney's no brain trust -- which, obviously, does not disqualify from being president -- and he's got that smiling coal-eyed look of easy villainy that doesn't inspire confidence in voters. He's a male model mannequin, a Church of the SubGenius "Bob" with a Betty Bowers minivan wife straight out of RNC Central Casting, perfect for the tight-sphincter suburban honkies of the 'new' GOP. Mitt needn't worry about his Mormonism losing votes; his innate overly-ambitious assholishness will take care of that. With the Bushes help, he'll collect some big corpo money and stay afloat; between him and the rightie media, there will be enough crap spread thick to likely hand him the GOP nomination. No matter -- a toasting will await Mr. White Bread in November of '08. (Damn if writing this didn't make me hungry for some reason.)
'Second-tier' candidates:
-- Sam Brownback, US Senator from Kansas:
Has he officially announced? Yep.
What are his chances? With the country trending liberal, Brownback is a flaky neocon fossil, though not quite 6,000 years old. His 'All God No Gays' patooie may sell well enough in the GOP primaries to keep him alive past his expiration date, but the Big Money is going elsewhere. President Sam he am not.
-- Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida:
Has he officially announced? No, and he won't.
What are his chances? Unlike his older brother, Jeb reads the polls and newspapers and he knows the Bush name is the kiss of death in national politics for the foreseeable future. May be biding his time, hoping that a Dem in the Oval Office will bungle cleaning up after Dubya so badly that the stage will be set for a Jeb run in 2012, the same year, coincidentally, that the Mayans predicted the end of the world. The Bush Who Should Have Been President If Not For &*%$!@# Karl Rove (go ahead and cry, Poppy) may be content to sit back and play kingmaker behind the scenes, as he's doing with Mitt Romney. Jeb might very well be in and out of courtrooms the next few years if the Dems ever launch an investigation of the voting improprieties in Florida in 2000, 2002 and 2004. Could happen. It's said he's got a slush fund in reserve to defend himself should any such investigation take place. Mentioned as a possible VP candidate in '08, but that's just crazy talk.
-- Jim Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Gilmore is not even a distant sail in the Republican primary sunset. His 'vanity candidacy' will be over shortly and he'll go back to harassing his relatives at Thanksgiving with tales of past glory. "Pass me the rolls, Grandpa." "Here. Say, boy, did I ever tell you about the time I was Governor of Virginia and..."
-- Newt Gingrich, former US House Speaker from Georgia:
Has he officially announced? No, but he's been busy acting like he will.
What are his chances? Newt's the stain on the GOP crotch that won't dry. He's spouted so much crazy crap the last 14 years, even most Republicans think he's batty. What's left of the GOP neocons may resurrect him, furiously trying to keep their agenda alive, but the torpedoes are in the water to sink Mr. Bismarck should he head to open water in the primaries. Newt's still what he's always been: a hypocritical bore with a half-cocked leaf-blower for a mouth. It's said Bob Dole once joked Newt's House office in the 1990's was packed with filing cabinets marked "Newt's Ideas" and, in the corner on top of one cabinet, there was a small shoebox labeled "Newt's Good Ideas." The unfortunate thing about Gingrich, for Republicans, is that he mostly spouts nonsense from the filing cabinets. If he catches fire, it will only be his pants burning, and you know what causes trousers to spontaneously burst into flame.
-- Chuck Hagel, US Senator from Nebraska:
Has he officially announced? Not yet.
What are his chances? Hagel could surprise in the late rounds. His anti-Bush slaps could play well in a Republican Party that would like to return to its conservative 'small government, stay the hell out of foreign entanglements' roots. His previous connections to voting machine companies are troubling, but he seems sane at any rate. If the Classic Goldwater Conservatives wrest the GOP from Ralph Reed's Crazy Christians as is likely, Hagel's their man. Still, he's not going to win the WH in 2008 unless the Dems really screw up -- it's just not a Republican year.
-- Mike Huckabee, former Governor of Arkansas:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Mike Huckabee is a former Baptist Minister and was once president of the Baptist State Convention. Kinky Friedman had a good take on the Texarkana version of that Christian sect: "I even went so far as to become a Southern Baptist for a while, until I realized that they didn't hold 'em under long enough." Huck's not the worst of the worst, but he hasn't got a prayer, even if a Republican God lived in Little Rock. Mike's lost a 100 pounds so he'll get the Weight Watchers vote, but that won't mean much in pork-belly-over-the-belt Iowa. Next stop: Late night infomercials for his new diet shake,"Good for Your Heart Huckabee's." (Yes, and the fourth word will be a heart shape.)
-- Duncan L. Hunter, US Representative from California:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? The day George Bush gets a brain and Cheney gets a heart, Hunter will get the presidency. He's rumored to be such a nasty piece of work staffers scurry in terror at his approach. Stray dogs on the street growl at him and children scream in fear. If he kissed a baby on the campaign trail, the kid would be in therapy for life. Has been mistaken for an angry Russian general and a rabid bulldog by foreign leaders. Might have a future, though, if Hollywood needs a new Ming the Merciless.
-- George Pataki, former Governor of New York:
Has he officially announced? No, but he has a couple of toes in the water.
What are his chances? He's shown up in Iowa and New Hampshire, but most of the audience were there for the free pizza rolls. "Pataki who?" should be on his bumper sticker. Not likely he'll run, but if he does, he'll be in a marathon with his shoelaces tied together. In 2008, if by some miracle he's gets the nomination, he wouldn't carry his home state of New York. Most of all, America's not ready to elect another diddle-de-dumb Republican president named 'George.'
-- Ron Paul, US Representative from Texas:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? Although I don't always agree with him, libertarian Ron Paul has some good ideas, but he's too sane to be president this time around, at least as a GOP candidate. He's another one who's not likely to go the distance, but he'd make the debates worth watching. The man is fearless and well-informed. After the Republicans revamp their party following the 2008 elections and boot out the crazies, Paul might emerge as a formidable candidate for president.
-- Tom Tancredo, US Representative from Colorado:
Has he officially announced? Exploratory committee.
What are his chances? If I were Tom Tancredo, I wouldn't stay in hotels or motels, or eat at restaurants without a food taster. Most of the Hispanic people he wants to jail and deport work at these places for low wages and would likely make Tom's life a living hell in a hundred different ways. Since he can't travel and campaign, it would pretty much obviate any chances he might have to be president. Well, that and his really shitty personality.
'Third-tier' candidates who actually represent the GOP 'base':
-- Dick Cheney, Vice President of the United States:
Has he officially announced? He says absolutely no, he's not running, but we all know what a liar he is.
What are his chances?Incredibly, there is a group within the GOP that really likes this guy -- he personifies all they hold dear: Profit over people, greed uber alles, the government should operate for the benefit of the wealthy and, if you don't like it, peon, go fuck yourself! Bush is the softer, gentler frontman for the Plutocracy; Cheney is its pacemakered, quadruple-bypassed heart and cat-turd soul. For these Dick lovers, nobody but the original will do, so they've formed a 'Draft Cheney' movement, and they don't mean to send the sneering old codpiece to the streets of Baghdad to drive a Humvee -- they think the most hated, deceitful and delusional Veep in US history would actually be a good president. These people are, of course, just as corrupt and sociopathic as their white-haired Mr. Potter idol, but Cheney does represent a good part of the corporate GOP base, as base as they may be. Not a chance of him running though, it would be beneath him; nope, Cheney's going to collect his profits and bunker down somewhere outside the country to dandle his ill-gotten millions on his knee, unless in the next two years BushCo cracks down and we're all wearing armbands and swearing fealty to Alberto's New World Order to protect our freedom from the terrorists.
-- Saint Michael Jesus Archangel, US Fruitcake from Michigan:
Has he officially announced? He's in it to win it, brethren and sistern.
What are his chances? Nothing wrong with this guy: The former Philip Silva, who changed his name legally in 1996, claims that he's known from boyhood that "I was God and Michael the Archangel, but I didn't dare tell anyone, not even anyone in my family because I knew that the devil, Satan, was going to try to murder Me, and indeed he did try, four separate times." He also alleges that he's a Vietnam Vet and that he once worked as an unpaid "volunteer Secret Agent for the Central Intelligence Agency." Although some may call him delusional, many of his opinions are shared by the Dominionists and the Falwell/Robertson fringe of the GOP -- he believes America should be a Christian theocracy and he calls himself a "radical conservative Republican." The only crimp in his march to the White House might be his arrest for attempted murder and other felony charges last March, which prompted the arresting officer to opine, "As a matter of fact, he is crazy. Anyone in their right mind can see that." Being a crazy accused felon, though, shouldn't be an impediment to 'St. Michael' receiving a ton of votes in the GOP primaries -- he's the logical choice of the conservative Jesus kooks. If you'd like to find out more about 'God and Michael the Archangel' (he just couldn't make up his mind), go to http://ArchangelMichael.info but be prepared to read long passages that resemble the ravings of a lunatic. He has a chance, if the Christo-fascists vote with their hearts instead of their empty heads.
-- Michael Savage, Radio Talk Show Host:
Has he officially announced? He's talking about it. Here's what he told NewsMax: "I know it sounds bizarre, but when you consider the people running for the Presidency, none seems to be qualified ... A non-politician who has a very large following, who is very conservative, and who believes in a simple message of borders, language, and culture, has a great chance of electrifying the American people." Yes, 'electrifying' -- like a cattle prod up the old wazoo.
What are his chances? Savage is as toxically nutty as a jar of recalled Peter Pan, but his opinions at least reflect the crazed right-wing bigots in the Republican Party; he's Ann Coulter with a smaller penis. Of course, he couldn't get elected dog catcher, but his appearance in the debates would force the other candidates to either disavow his crackpot ideas -- and lose votes, or dump on him -- and lose votes. A lose-lose situation, which is why the GOP Tower of Power who holds his leash will never let him run. (He'd be fired from his only source of income, his fetid radio show.) At least the former Michael Weiner's seen one thing clearly: "[The Republicans have] virtually no chance of winning right now."
Coming soon: A Tattlesnake re-review of the Dem choices.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Is It Too Early for a Christmas List? Edition
Some holiday gift suggestions for our recently defeated friends on the neocon right:
-- For George W. Bush, a DVD of "The Candidate," a copy of "The Final Days," an edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," a thick rawhide saddle, and tickets to a rodeo not hosted by the GOP.
-- For Laura Bush, 500 hours of Primal Scream therapy and a dartboard with Barbara Bush's picture.
-- For Dick Cheney, a Player's Club International card, a copy of Gen. Smedley Butler's "War is a Racket," free medical care at a Baghdad hospital, and a deluxe Risk game.
-- For Lynne Cheney, an autographed edition of Rita Mae Brown's "Rubyfruit Jungle" and a DVD of "The Vagina Monologues."
-- For Don Rumsfeld, a copy of "The Peter Principle," a biography of Gen. George McClellan, and a month's vacation at the sunny paradise of Devil's Island, including a stay in the old prison torture rooms, just to make him feel at home.
-- For Karl Rove, a copy of "Math For Dummies," free tickets to "Death of a Salesman," a take-out dinner of Crow Tartar, and a hefty donation to National Public Radio in his name.
-- For Condi Rice, a gold-embossed edition of "Black Like Me," bound in $100 dollar bills, a case of Jheri-Curl, and a lifetime subscription to Ebony magazine.
-- For George Allen, the collected works of James Baldwin, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, and an easy-read edition of the Talmud.
-- For Michael Steele, a trade paperback of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," a coupon for the Hair Club for Men, and a case of Oreos.
-- For Conrad Burns, a book on etiquette and a case of lemons to suck on.
-- For Dennis Hastert, an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt, a hosting stint on TV's "The Biggest Loser," and a contract with the World Wrestling Federation, where he'll appear under the pseudonym "The Great White Whale."
-- For Mark Foley, a Bible signed by Ted Haggard with his phone number on the flyleaf, and a free lifetime membership in NAMBLA.
-- For Ted Haggard, a subscription to the Washington Blade, a copy of Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here," a massage table, and a 'Build Your Own Meth Lab at Home' kit.
-- For Ken Mehlman, a collection of Mark Foley Action Figures in various election-losing poses and a pink triangle.
-- For Bill O'Reilly, a Brillo-pad loofah, an autographed picture of Sen. Al Franken, and the Encyclopedia of American Facts and Figures.
-- For Sean Hannity, a comb with serrated steel teeth, a case of Brylcreem, and an animated cartoon version of "Das Kapital."
-- For Ann Coulter, an edition of "The Feminine Mystique," a copy of the Sermon on the Mount, a case of KY Jelly, and a slinky low-cut black straightjacket.
-- For Rick Santorum, an inflatable sex dog, a copy of "The Color Purple," and a DVD of "Angels in America."
-- For Don Sherwood, a DVD of "Bum Fight," and the number of a good dominatrix.
-- For Lewis Libby, a Monopoly game with no Get Out of Jail Free cards and a Vespa with bad brakes.
-- For George W. Bush, a DVD of "The Candidate," a copy of "The Final Days," an edition of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War," a thick rawhide saddle, and tickets to a rodeo not hosted by the GOP.
-- For Laura Bush, 500 hours of Primal Scream therapy and a dartboard with Barbara Bush's picture.
-- For Dick Cheney, a Player's Club International card, a copy of Gen. Smedley Butler's "War is a Racket," free medical care at a Baghdad hospital, and a deluxe Risk game.
-- For Lynne Cheney, an autographed edition of Rita Mae Brown's "Rubyfruit Jungle" and a DVD of "The Vagina Monologues."
-- For Don Rumsfeld, a copy of "The Peter Principle," a biography of Gen. George McClellan, and a month's vacation at the sunny paradise of Devil's Island, including a stay in the old prison torture rooms, just to make him feel at home.
-- For Karl Rove, a copy of "Math For Dummies," free tickets to "Death of a Salesman," a take-out dinner of Crow Tartar, and a hefty donation to National Public Radio in his name.
-- For Condi Rice, a gold-embossed edition of "Black Like Me," bound in $100 dollar bills, a case of Jheri-Curl, and a lifetime subscription to Ebony magazine.
-- For George Allen, the collected works of James Baldwin, a copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, and an easy-read edition of the Talmud.
-- For Michael Steele, a trade paperback of "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," a coupon for the Hair Club for Men, and a case of Oreos.
-- For Conrad Burns, a book on etiquette and a case of lemons to suck on.
-- For Dennis Hastert, an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt, a hosting stint on TV's "The Biggest Loser," and a contract with the World Wrestling Federation, where he'll appear under the pseudonym "The Great White Whale."
-- For Mark Foley, a Bible signed by Ted Haggard with his phone number on the flyleaf, and a free lifetime membership in NAMBLA.
-- For Ted Haggard, a subscription to the Washington Blade, a copy of Sinclair Lewis' "It Can't Happen Here," a massage table, and a 'Build Your Own Meth Lab at Home' kit.
-- For Ken Mehlman, a collection of Mark Foley Action Figures in various election-losing poses and a pink triangle.
-- For Bill O'Reilly, a Brillo-pad loofah, an autographed picture of Sen. Al Franken, and the Encyclopedia of American Facts and Figures.
-- For Sean Hannity, a comb with serrated steel teeth, a case of Brylcreem, and an animated cartoon version of "Das Kapital."
-- For Ann Coulter, an edition of "The Feminine Mystique," a copy of the Sermon on the Mount, a case of KY Jelly, and a slinky low-cut black straightjacket.
-- For Rick Santorum, an inflatable sex dog, a copy of "The Color Purple," and a DVD of "Angels in America."
-- For Don Sherwood, a DVD of "Bum Fight," and the number of a good dominatrix.
-- For Lewis Libby, a Monopoly game with no Get Out of Jail Free cards and a Vespa with bad brakes.
Friday, November 10, 2006
What a Difference a Day Makes Edition
"It was a thumpin'."
-- George W. Bush on Nov. 8, 2006, noticing the bleeding obvious: Against the odds, the Dems had broken the GOP's kneecaps and won a majority in the House and the Senate.
"The cynics are right nine times out of ten."
-- H.L. Mencken. [Mencken is right, but this is that tenth time when he's wrong.]
The Era of Rove's Neocon Republicans is Over and the Country's in Clover as Visions of Sugarplum Fairies (from Pelosi's Frisco, Natch) Dance in My Head
November 9, 2006 -- Yesterday, as I returned to consciousness from my recurring nightmare of Dick Cheney with horns and a pitchfork popping up on the computers at the Casa de Tatty as an annoying Microsoft Word Assistant -- "Let me show you how to save this file -- oops, it's deleted, har, har, har!" -- I felt like the Robert Hays character from "Airplane!"
Yup, I would have been motivated to ask the guy next to me at the bar, if I'd been in a bar, to "pinch me" as I perused the news Wednesday: Dems win the House with more than twice the number they needed for a majority. Incredible! Indiana incumbent Reps. Chris 'Count' Chocola, Mike Sodrel and John Hostettler, Bush Republican family-values types from a Red-on-Red State, had fallen to the Dems. Amazing! Dem Nick Lampson picked up Tom DeLay's crimson Congressional seat in Texas, and Mark Foley's GOP district in Florida went Blue. Miraculous! Republican jackass Rep. J.D. Hayworth of Arizona and 12-term CT Rep. Nancy Johnson will have to find honest work as they both lost to sub-par Dem candidates. Wow! Even old GOP warhorse Rep. Jim Leach in Iowa succumbed to Dave Loebsack. a Democrat unknown with no money and no help from the DCCC, a college professor who'd never even run for office before. Fantastic! Three unindicted neocon co-conspirators and enablers -- Sens. Jim Talent, Mike DeWine and Satan's Imp Rick Santorum -- went down in flames early. Wonderful! Dem governors now control a majority of statehouses! Fabulous! Supposedly Bush didn't listen to his Dick for once and forced Don 'Bumsfeld' to quit! Awesome! And the electoral grip of Rove's kooky far-right Christian fanatics is finally broken! Un-freaking-real!
And the good news just kept on coming; by the time the AP confirmed Jon Tester's US senate win over incumbent Conrad 'Montgomery' Burns in Montana and Jim Webb's over Sen. Macaca Boy Allen in Virginia, I had run out of superlatives and exclamation points! (Except that last one.) Even the victories of Musclehead Schwarzenegger, Shifty Corker and Droopy Lieberman couldn't dampen my giddiness! I would have thrown on the dress whites and disco danced, if I had any dress whites and I didn't deplore disco music as a crime against humanity.
Think of it: In spite of no-paper-trail voting machines, GOP voter suppression tactics, despicable 'robocalling,' some of the nastiest RNC ads ever seen, and Rove's so-called 'genius,' a giant Blue tsunami had washed over the nation, rinsing away the far-right red stain of Bush Republicanism. (Side note: One of the Tattlesnake's vast circle of two friends claims Karl's Korps tried to steal the election, but the Dem turnout was so overwhelming they couldn't keep track of it all; appropriately, they lost by incompetence in the end.)
Even the Little King himself had to grudgingly acknowledge in a speech Wednesday that few were left to follow him in his long march off a short pier; now he was going to have to play nice with the Dems and let Daddy's friend Jim "I Stole Florida for Bush" Baker provide him with a face-saving 'cut and run' trapdoor for his debacle in Iraq.
For once, the Tattlesnake felt sorry for the Bush Boy, in the same way you'd feel pity even for a hated enemy who had been beaten to a bloody pulp; in a lifelong Oedipal fight with his father, he's proven to be a bigger failure as president than Poppy ever was as everything he's touched has turned to lead. One-term President Daddy has an aircraft carrier with his name on the stern; if two-term Dubya ever gets a US Navy ship named in his honor, it'll no doubt be a garbage scow.
In retrospect, George Junior might regret than Kerry didn't win in 2004; if he had, Bush and the neocons could have lived off the idea that if he'd only served a second term, he could have solved the world's problems, sustaining the notion that neocon nuttery would work and kept that faith alive. Now, it's all been exposed as an irredeemable disaster, a discredited ideology rendered as dead as slavery by Bush's incompetence and the results of November 7th.
Karl Rove boasted to an NPR reporter before the election that he possessed "THE MATH" that proved the GOP would retain their sway in Congress. That math must have come from the same drawer as 'THE PLAN' for Iraq, 'THE PLAN' to privatize Social Security, 'THE PLAN' to bail out New Orleans, 'THE PLAN' to save the economy, and 'THE PLAN' to make Bush a president that mattered with an eternal neoconservative Republican majority billowing his sails. Then reality happened Tuesday.
Karl Rove is finished as a force in politics, as is the fundamentalist Christian GOP voting bloc he helped create and manipulate. For the next two years Rove's invention will sit uncomfortably in the Oval Office as he and his administration are held accountable for six years of egregious deception, massive corruption and mind-numbing incompetence. I wouldn't be surprised if Rove resigns next; his potency is drained and his continued presence in the White House is only an embarrassing reminder of utter failure.
Future GOP candidates will take note of what happened on this election day in November and run to the center; the term 'conservative' itself will acquire the taint previously imposed on 'liberal' as the right-wing media attack machine withers in importance and the big media companies deal with the reality of an energized and progressive American public; even such neocon standard-bearers as Rush Limbaugh and Richard Perle have already begun moderating their cant and rewriting their history.
With a majority in both chambers of Congress, Dems will now decide which bills and judges come up for a vote and, if they keep their promises, we won't see any more of our laws written by lobbyists and ethical standards will be imposed. Saddled with a widely unpopular president and a lifeless neocon agenda, those Republicans interested in political self-preservation will side with the Dem majority on such issues as national health care, an increased minimum wage, educational funding for the poor and middle class, stopping future dumb Bush wars, and cancelling government giveaways to the wealthy and multi-national corporations. Maybe they'll even get around to repealing those Constitution-killing Patriot and Military Commission Acts, set fair national standards for verifying the vote count and voter eligibility, and insure that US citizens are detained legally and spied on only with a probable-cause warrant signed by a judge. At least real Congressional oversight should back Bush off his worst authoritarian tendencies.
It will be satisfying and ironic to see the Dem TV ads of 2008 slamming GOP opponents for voting against health care, constitutional rights or Pell grants, and having those ads impact the election.
There is a 12-year cycle in US politics which Rove should have anticipated, were he not blinded by his own ego: The neoconservatives take office, as Reagan did in 1980, promising lower taxes, smaller government, increased defense spending, and that they won't cut entitlement programs popular with the public. This unworkable scam is kept afloat for a while by expanding the deficit until the economy suffers and the public gets sick of the inevitable corruption brought on by tax breaks and other special favors for Republican-friendly corporations, defense contractors and campaign contributors. Then the Dems are voted in to clean up the GOP mess. During that period, the Republicans go on the attack against 'tax and spend Democrat liberals,' blaming them for all the problems the GOP set in motion in the first place, making the same empty neoconservative promises, pumping up their 'moral values,' and then the conservatives take power and the cycle starts all over again, as it did with Bush Junior.
But cycles, especially those unhealthy for a free constitutional democracy, can be broken; let's hope that Tuesday's election finally broke this one for good.
Incidentally, H.L. Mencken also wrote another timely sentiment I agree with:
"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican."
-- H.L. Mencken
-- George W. Bush on Nov. 8, 2006, noticing the bleeding obvious: Against the odds, the Dems had broken the GOP's kneecaps and won a majority in the House and the Senate.
"The cynics are right nine times out of ten."
-- H.L. Mencken. [Mencken is right, but this is that tenth time when he's wrong.]
The Era of Rove's Neocon Republicans is Over and the Country's in Clover as Visions of Sugarplum Fairies (from Pelosi's Frisco, Natch) Dance in My Head
November 9, 2006 -- Yesterday, as I returned to consciousness from my recurring nightmare of Dick Cheney with horns and a pitchfork popping up on the computers at the Casa de Tatty as an annoying Microsoft Word Assistant -- "Let me show you how to save this file -- oops, it's deleted, har, har, har!" -- I felt like the Robert Hays character from "Airplane!"
Yup, I would have been motivated to ask the guy next to me at the bar, if I'd been in a bar, to "pinch me" as I perused the news Wednesday: Dems win the House with more than twice the number they needed for a majority. Incredible! Indiana incumbent Reps. Chris 'Count' Chocola, Mike Sodrel and John Hostettler, Bush Republican family-values types from a Red-on-Red State, had fallen to the Dems. Amazing! Dem Nick Lampson picked up Tom DeLay's crimson Congressional seat in Texas, and Mark Foley's GOP district in Florida went Blue. Miraculous! Republican jackass Rep. J.D. Hayworth of Arizona and 12-term CT Rep. Nancy Johnson will have to find honest work as they both lost to sub-par Dem candidates. Wow! Even old GOP warhorse Rep. Jim Leach in Iowa succumbed to Dave Loebsack. a Democrat unknown with no money and no help from the DCCC, a college professor who'd never even run for office before. Fantastic! Three unindicted neocon co-conspirators and enablers -- Sens. Jim Talent, Mike DeWine and Satan's Imp Rick Santorum -- went down in flames early. Wonderful! Dem governors now control a majority of statehouses! Fabulous! Supposedly Bush didn't listen to his Dick for once and forced Don 'Bumsfeld' to quit! Awesome! And the electoral grip of Rove's kooky far-right Christian fanatics is finally broken! Un-freaking-real!
And the good news just kept on coming; by the time the AP confirmed Jon Tester's US senate win over incumbent Conrad 'Montgomery' Burns in Montana and Jim Webb's over Sen. Macaca Boy Allen in Virginia, I had run out of superlatives and exclamation points! (Except that last one.) Even the victories of Musclehead Schwarzenegger, Shifty Corker and Droopy Lieberman couldn't dampen my giddiness! I would have thrown on the dress whites and disco danced, if I had any dress whites and I didn't deplore disco music as a crime against humanity.
Think of it: In spite of no-paper-trail voting machines, GOP voter suppression tactics, despicable 'robocalling,' some of the nastiest RNC ads ever seen, and Rove's so-called 'genius,' a giant Blue tsunami had washed over the nation, rinsing away the far-right red stain of Bush Republicanism. (Side note: One of the Tattlesnake's vast circle of two friends claims Karl's Korps tried to steal the election, but the Dem turnout was so overwhelming they couldn't keep track of it all; appropriately, they lost by incompetence in the end.)
Even the Little King himself had to grudgingly acknowledge in a speech Wednesday that few were left to follow him in his long march off a short pier; now he was going to have to play nice with the Dems and let Daddy's friend Jim "I Stole Florida for Bush" Baker provide him with a face-saving 'cut and run' trapdoor for his debacle in Iraq.
For once, the Tattlesnake felt sorry for the Bush Boy, in the same way you'd feel pity even for a hated enemy who had been beaten to a bloody pulp; in a lifelong Oedipal fight with his father, he's proven to be a bigger failure as president than Poppy ever was as everything he's touched has turned to lead. One-term President Daddy has an aircraft carrier with his name on the stern; if two-term Dubya ever gets a US Navy ship named in his honor, it'll no doubt be a garbage scow.
In retrospect, George Junior might regret than Kerry didn't win in 2004; if he had, Bush and the neocons could have lived off the idea that if he'd only served a second term, he could have solved the world's problems, sustaining the notion that neocon nuttery would work and kept that faith alive. Now, it's all been exposed as an irredeemable disaster, a discredited ideology rendered as dead as slavery by Bush's incompetence and the results of November 7th.
Karl Rove boasted to an NPR reporter before the election that he possessed "THE MATH" that proved the GOP would retain their sway in Congress. That math must have come from the same drawer as 'THE PLAN' for Iraq, 'THE PLAN' to privatize Social Security, 'THE PLAN' to bail out New Orleans, 'THE PLAN' to save the economy, and 'THE PLAN' to make Bush a president that mattered with an eternal neoconservative Republican majority billowing his sails. Then reality happened Tuesday.
Karl Rove is finished as a force in politics, as is the fundamentalist Christian GOP voting bloc he helped create and manipulate. For the next two years Rove's invention will sit uncomfortably in the Oval Office as he and his administration are held accountable for six years of egregious deception, massive corruption and mind-numbing incompetence. I wouldn't be surprised if Rove resigns next; his potency is drained and his continued presence in the White House is only an embarrassing reminder of utter failure.
Future GOP candidates will take note of what happened on this election day in November and run to the center; the term 'conservative' itself will acquire the taint previously imposed on 'liberal' as the right-wing media attack machine withers in importance and the big media companies deal with the reality of an energized and progressive American public; even such neocon standard-bearers as Rush Limbaugh and Richard Perle have already begun moderating their cant and rewriting their history.
With a majority in both chambers of Congress, Dems will now decide which bills and judges come up for a vote and, if they keep their promises, we won't see any more of our laws written by lobbyists and ethical standards will be imposed. Saddled with a widely unpopular president and a lifeless neocon agenda, those Republicans interested in political self-preservation will side with the Dem majority on such issues as national health care, an increased minimum wage, educational funding for the poor and middle class, stopping future dumb Bush wars, and cancelling government giveaways to the wealthy and multi-national corporations. Maybe they'll even get around to repealing those Constitution-killing Patriot and Military Commission Acts, set fair national standards for verifying the vote count and voter eligibility, and insure that US citizens are detained legally and spied on only with a probable-cause warrant signed by a judge. At least real Congressional oversight should back Bush off his worst authoritarian tendencies.
It will be satisfying and ironic to see the Dem TV ads of 2008 slamming GOP opponents for voting against health care, constitutional rights or Pell grants, and having those ads impact the election.
There is a 12-year cycle in US politics which Rove should have anticipated, were he not blinded by his own ego: The neoconservatives take office, as Reagan did in 1980, promising lower taxes, smaller government, increased defense spending, and that they won't cut entitlement programs popular with the public. This unworkable scam is kept afloat for a while by expanding the deficit until the economy suffers and the public gets sick of the inevitable corruption brought on by tax breaks and other special favors for Republican-friendly corporations, defense contractors and campaign contributors. Then the Dems are voted in to clean up the GOP mess. During that period, the Republicans go on the attack against 'tax and spend Democrat liberals,' blaming them for all the problems the GOP set in motion in the first place, making the same empty neoconservative promises, pumping up their 'moral values,' and then the conservatives take power and the cycle starts all over again, as it did with Bush Junior.
But cycles, especially those unhealthy for a free constitutional democracy, can be broken; let's hope that Tuesday's election finally broke this one for good.
Incidentally, H.L. Mencken also wrote another timely sentiment I agree with:
"In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican."
-- H.L. Mencken
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