The Press Could Learn From Bush

Our press could learn something from George W Bush. Bush is notorious for not answering the questions he is asked. Instead, he rambles on vaguely coming close to the topic upon which the original question was based, but in the end, he avoids the question.

For example, here is how Bush answered a question regarding the Iraqi civil war: (from ThinkProgress.org)

Q Mr. President, thank you, sir. What is the difference between what we’re seeing now in Iraq and civil war? And do you worry that calling it a civil war would make it difficult to argue that we’re fighting the central front of the war on terror there?

PRESIDENT BUSH: You know, the plans of Mr. Zarqawi was to foment sectarian violence. That’s what he said he wanted to do. The Samarra bombing that took place last winter was intended to create sectarian violence, and it has. The recent bombings were to perpetuate the sectarian violence. In other words, we’ve been in this phase for a while. And the fundamental objective is to work with the Iraqis to create conditions so that the vast majority of the people will be able to see that there’s a peaceful way forward.

Wow! See what I mean. He did not come anywhere near answering those questions.

Now let's see what happens when Bush asks a question: (from the Washington Post)

At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him.

"How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq.
"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.

"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?"

"That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly, ending the conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House.

Man! What a journalist! Did you see that. Bush didn't get an direct answer to his question, and he simply stated, "That's not what I asked you." Then he asked the question again. Amazing. He did not care that he was being rude and inconsiderate or even feel any guilt or remorse that he was the reason Webb's son was in senseless and failed war where Webb's son's life is in constant danger.

Perhaps Bush is in the wrong job. (Obviously.) Maybe he should resign and get a job as a reporter. I bet he could get a president to answer a question.

Sarcasm aside, the press has done a very poor job of questioning this administration, and Bush, in all his lack of compassion and lack of self-awareness, has shown just how easy it is.

Michael Savage: Super Fascist

Fascism

Main Entry: fas·cism
Pronunciation: 'fa-"shi-z&m also 'fa-"si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control {early instances of army fascism and brutality -- J. W. Aldridge>

Facsism is what Dr. Michael Alan Weiner (a.k.a. Michael Savage) advocated on his radio show on Monday, November 27th, 2006: (courtesy of Media Matters for America)

SAVAGE: The Islamists smell weakness in the West and are attacking us on several fronts at once: one, through outright war; two, through immigration; three, through their propaganda disseminated through the liberal media and four, through the liberal courts. Only a devastating military blow against the hearts of Islamic terror coupled with an outright ban on Muslim immigration, laws making the dissemination of enemy propaganda illegal, and the uncoupling of the liberal ACLU can save the United States. I would also make the construction of mosques illegal in America and the speaking of English only in the streets of the United States the law.

[...]

SAVAGE: Now, this thing at the airport last week was a complete and total assault upon our civil rights and those who did it used the Trojan horse of civil rights. These so-called imams, if you want to call them that -- I don't know what they're imams of -- but the so-called scholars who put that stunt on used the Trojan horse of civil rights in order to assault our civil rights. Make no mistake about it. We have to get rid of these kind of Islamic radicals. There is no question in my mind that this was an illegitimate assault upon our civil rights and upon our own survival.

Now, we need the FBI to be strong against them. We need the Justice Department to stand up to these imams and possibly throw them out of the country for having staged this attack at the airport against US Airways specifically to impose Muslim views on society through civil rights and diversity training. I know exactly what I am talking about. I know exactly who these people are and I am not going to be bowed by these radicals. I want the FBI to investigate the planning for this assault upon US Airways. How about you?

[...]

SAVAGE: Right, this was a Trojan horse assault upon our defenses. They were using religion as a Trojan horse to overthrow our civil rights and to penetrate us for a future attack. That's how I look at it. If I was the FBI, I would investigate their fingernails for any trail of a conspiracy to do this and I'd slap those imams into irons if I had to, once I found out that that's what they were doing. I can guarantee you there's an email trail about how to do this and it goes right into the ACLU and the other subversive organizations.

That's right. Michael "Savage" Weiner wants us to be fascists and restrict the civil liberties of anyone who disagrees with him.

He wants us to ban immigration for people of one religion. That is religious dicrimination.

He wants us to "uncouple" the American Civil Liberies Union and thinks that civil liberties are a "Trojan horse." So he is against civil liberties for people other than himself. (Civil liberties, by definition, are supposed to be for everyone.)

He wants the FBI to remove anyone from the country if they are Muslim and they use their civil rights. That is blantant fascism.

Weiner is a facsist, and his brand of faux-patriotism is anti-American. Our ancestors did not fight in the Revolutionary War so that a demagogue like Weiner could try to take away the freedoms they won. Our fathers and grandfathers did not fight the fascists in World War II so that Weiner could try to make our country a fascist state.

Weiner likes to call other people anti-American when he and his ilk are the ones who are truly anti-American because they are against American ideals like civil liberties, civil rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion.

Well, to turn the tired argument that they always use against them, if they don't like the American freedom and the American liberties that our ancestors fought and died for, then they can get out. Leave America, Weiner. Move to North Korea where your facsist views are welcome.

America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and I plan on keeping that way.

Sanity Prevails

Peace sign brings spat, affirmation

Last week, a couple were threatened with fines of $25 a day by their homeowners association unless they removed a 4-foot wreath shaped like a peace symbol from the front of their house.

The fines have been dropped, and the three-member board of the association has resigned, according to an e-mail message sent to residents on Monday...

In its original letter to the couple, Lisa Jensen and Bill Trimarco, the association said some neighbors had found the peace symbol politically "divisive."

A board member later told a newspaper that he thought the familiar circle with angled lines was also, perhaps, a sign of the devil.

Peace wreath apology

Homeowner Lisa Jensen told The Associated Press that the board of directors of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association had apologized, called the incident a misunderstanding and had withdrawn its request for the wreath's removal.

Jensen was ordered to take the wreath down when some residents in her 200-home subdivision saw it as a protest of the Iraq war. Bob Kearns, board president, also said some saw it as a symbol of Satan.

CIA: "Whoops! Tortured the wrong guy. Sorry. Our bad."

This is one of many reasons why we should not use torture. Again, I am appalled that this is even something I have to argue against.

Torture is wrong, like murder, like rape.

There should not be any further discussion of this, and yet right-wing nutcases like Limbaush, Hannity, Coulter, and Savage still get paid for their insane opinion that torture is okay.

The people that pay them, listen to them, or support them should be ashamed. I know that I am already ashamed for them.

The Wronged Man
Unjustly Imprisoned and Mistreated, Khaled al-Masri Wants Answers the U.S. Government Doesn't Want to Give

Khaled al-Masri was supposed to have been disappeared by black-hooded CIA paramilitaries in the dead of night. One minute he was riding a bus in Macedonia, the next -- poof -- gone. Grabbed by Macedonian agents, handed off to junior CIA operatives in Skopje and then secretly flown to a prison in Afghanistan that didn't officially exist, to be interrogated with rough measures that weren't officially on the books...

Current and former CIA officials say Masri was believed to have a fake passport and the same name as someone else they were looking for...

He spent five months in a filthy secret prison set up by the CIA and guarded by Afghans. He was made to drink water so putrid it made him vomit. He slept on a single blanket, shivered through the cold months and was fed chicken bones and skin. He was beaten and interrogated many times, sometimes by people he believes to be Americans. He went on a hunger strike, lost 60 pounds.

Eventually the CIA caught up with its mistake.

German detained by CIA asks judge to revive lawsuit


Man Seeks Apology For Alleged US Torture


Man Mistakenly Abducted by CIA Seeks Redress

Semantics (NBC Calls It What It Is: Civil War)

This is so insulting (on both ends):

Bucking White House, NBC says Iraq in 'civil war'

WASHINGTON -- NBC's "Today Show" host Matt Lauer yesterday told millions of American television viewers, many sitting at their breakfast tables, that the network would buck the White House and from now on describe the Iraq war as a "civil war."

So NBC had decided to call the situation in Iraq a "Civil War."

Well... how can I put this eloquently... DUH!

What took them so long? Coming to this conclusion so late is insulting. Of course, even more insulting is the decision by others, especially the Bush administration, to say it is anything but a civil war.

Let's look at the definition:

civil war

Main Entry: civil war
Function: noun
: a war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country

That could not be more clear, and you would have to be an idiot (e.g. George W Bush) not to know that the conflict in Iraq fits that definition.

Now, I know that there is more involved in the semantics of this. Politically, if the Bush administration called it a civil war, they would be admitting failure which they would never do (unless you believe in torture like they do, but I do not and am 100% against it).

However, we need to call it a civil war because we cannot respond to and try to stop a civil war if do not even admit that it exists.

Semantics are important when they have implications over life and death, and those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

Semantics played an important role in the failure of the world to stop the Rwandan Genocide.

Ambassador Rawson stayed in Rwanda for ten days after the genocide was first unleashed, before returning to Washington. It was only on April 28-a full three weeks into the slaughter- that he officially declared a "state of disaster." Then he characterized the genocide as tribal killings-exactly the description the killers wanted as a smokescreen for their program of extermination. Had he or any other official invoked the word "genocide," all nations who were signatories of the 1948 convention on genocide would have been obligated by the terms of that treaty to condemn the slaughter and act to stop it...

Secretary of State Warren Christopher, an accomplished lawyer, instructed his staff to avoid calling the situation in Rwanda genocide, but merely to say that "acts of genocide may have been committed." Ambassador Rawson went one better: "As a responsible government, you don't just go round hollering 'genocide. 'You say that acts of genocide may have occurred and they need to be investigated." The media rightly mocked this piece of legal obfuscation, and Christopher disingenuously conceded, "If there is any particular magic in calling it genocide, I have no hesitancy in saying that." (Rawson has since compared the killings to a war crime, carefully avoiding the term "genocide.")

Today, we see this same sort of parsing of words over the genocide in Darfur and the civil war in Iraq.

While we argue over the meanings of words, people are dying.

So congratulations, George W Bush. Once again, by your words and your lies, you are responsible for the deaths of thousands. It is true what they say; when Clinton lied, nobody died. Yet he was still impeached... for nothing.

Well, let me be clear in my words so that there can be no confusion or parsing:

Torture is wrong.

Waterboarding is torture.

Iraq is in a civl war.

Those murdered in Darfur are victims of genocide.

Bush is a liar.

IMPEACH BUSH.

Rumsfeld Signed Off On Torture

Honestly, how many more stories like this do we need before this country does something about this Pro-torture Excutive Branch.

Rumsfeld okayed abuses says former U.S. general

MADRID (Reuters) - Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the prison's former U.S. commander said in an interview on Saturday.

Former U.S. Army Brigadier General Janis Karpinski told Spain's El Pais newspaper she had seen a letter apparently signed by Rumsfeld which allowed civilian contractors to use techniques such as sleep deprivation during interrogation.

Karpinski, who ran the prison until early 2004, said she saw a memorandum signed by Rumsfeld detailing the use of harsh interrogation methods.

"The handwritten signature was above his printed name and in the same handwriting in the margin was written: "Make sure this is accomplished"," she told Saturday's El Pais.

(H/t to SusanG at DailyKos.)

Evidence Against Bush

No president deserves impeachment more than Bush, and that includes Nixon. I do not think that we really need more evidence against Bush to explore the option, but if this story leads to more, then it will speed up our advancement toward the inevitable.

(h/t to CrooksAndLiars.com)

CIA acknowledges Bush signed secret directive on interrogating terror suspect

The contents of the documents were not revealed, but one of them is "a directive signed by President Bush granting the CIA the authority to set up detention facilities outside the United States and outlining interrogation methods that may be used against detainees," the civil liberties union said, based on its review of published accounts.

The second document, according to the group, is a Justice Department legal analysis "specifying interrogation methods that the CIA may use against top Al Qaeda members."

Civil liberties lawyers said they would urge public disclosure of the contents of the documents. "We intend to press for release of both of these documents," Jameel Jaffer, a lawyer for the group, said in a statement. "If President Bush and the Justice Department authorized the CIA to torture prisoners, the public has a right to know."

Glenn Beck: Super Bigot

Glenn Beck is evil. He promotes intolerance and bigotry on his show on CNN Headline News. I find myself regularly disgusted by the things he says. I do not watch his show but Media Matters for America gives us updates on Beck's insensitive and stupid statements.

There are many others like Beck including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, and Ann Coulter, but these people are not employed by CNN, which is supposed to be a news source. It is one thing for the Fox News Propaganda Channel to employ these liars for hire, but CNN's employment of Glenn Beck is the reason I am boycotting both CNN Headline News and the main CNN channel.

Once you are already boycotting or not watching a channel, there is little more that you can do when they make you even angrier. Not that my one man boycott is doing anything anyway, but this latest example of insulting behavior by Beck is just too much. I wrote a message to CNN to register my displeasure, and I told them I would continue to campaign for the removal of Glenn Beck from their payroll.

Below I will include a few links regarding what Beck said that made me so irate:

This link is for the Media Matters' article which includes the video of Beck's show:
CNN's Beck to first-ever Muslim congressman: "[W]hat I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies' "

This link is for another Media Matters article, but this is about The Daily Show's response to Beck plus the video:
Jon Stewart on Beck's remark to Keith Ellison: "Finally, a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking"

And another link for another MMfA article about and video of Countdown with Keith Olbermann's recent segment on Beck:
Olbermann awarded Beck "Worst Person" for saying he "feel[s]" like asking first Muslim congressman to "prove to me that you are not working with our enemies"

The following is the message (not 100% verbatim) that I sent to CNN Headline News:

I was disgusted when I saw Glenn Beck say the following:

"With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, 'Let's cut and run.' And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.'"

Is this really the type of bigotry CNN wishes to promote?

Shame on you CNN for giving this hate-monger a show in the first place. I already stopped watching CNN when Beck was first hired, but I continue to get reports of the racist, unbalanced, and conservatively biased rhetoric from Media Matters for America and the blogs I read.

How much longer will CNN continue to pay for this insensitive bigot? Because that is how long I will assume CNN supports this sort of bigotry. That is how long I will continue to avoid watching CNN or supporting its sponsors. That is how long I will promote to my friends and family that they do the same.

CNN has chosen to give Beck a platform to spew his hatred. Well, after this, I intend to voice my opinion to my family, to my friends, at work, on my blog. It may not be much, but I feel I must do what I can until people like Beck are no longer paid for their prejudice.

There are many upsetting things in Beck's back catalogue, and MMfA has documented a lot of them. If you have some spare time and are looking to be really infuriated, you can do a search for "Beck" on their website. I plan on writing more about Beck in the future, and I plan on continuing to do so until he is no longer employed by CNN.

In closing, here is one more link to a MMfA article and video about Beck's bigotry just because I feel like including one more:
Beck characterized letter criticizing Al Qaeda as "surprising," because "the man who wrote it is a Muslim"

Leave In Silence

Yesterday, General Abizaid told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that we should not pull our troops out of Iraq. Well, here are two reasons why we should:

Marine sentenced over Iraq civilian killing

A US marine has been sentenced to 18 months' jail in a Californian military court over his role in the kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi man in April.

US soldier admits Iraq girl rape

A US Army soldier has pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and helping murder her and her family.

Our country has done everything wrong and nothing right when it comes to Iraq.

Our country believed Bush when he said Iraq had WMDs, a nuclear weapons program, and ties to al Qaeda and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. We let Osama bin Laden get away so that we could attack Iraq.

We disbanded the Iraqi military which created thousands and thousands of angry, unemployed men with guns. We did not send enough of our own troops to secure the country. We allowed looting. We did not secure Iraqi Army weapons and ammunitions which were and are being used by insurgents to kill US soldiers and marines. We allowed looting.

We allowed Halliburton and Bechtel to rip us off by giving them no bid contracts and letting them do inadequte reconstruction. We allowed those companies to operate without congressional oversight which allowed war profiteering. We let those companies do the work of reconstruction rather then let Iraqi people do the work which led to more hostility and unemployment.

We gave everything to the Shiites and the Kurds and nothing to the Sunnis (because Saddam was a Sunni) which led to more sectarian strife and violence. We did not secure the borders of Iraq which led to foreign terrorists entering the country to commit acts of terrorism against US troops, UN organizations, and the Iraqi people.

We created an environment for criminal acts like the ones in the articles cited above and Abu Ghraib to occur.

We mismanaged reconstruction funds. We put young Republicans with no experience in charge of reconstruction simply because they were Bush loyalists. We hired companies who did disastrously poor or incomplete work on building medical clinics and municipal buildings.

You name it, we botched it.

They say that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. In this case, it seems we led the horse to water, and now we are drowning it. If we continue to "stay the course" in Iraq, we are going to end up with a dead horse, and you know what they say about beating one of those.

It is over for us in Iraq. By staying there, we can only make things worse, and when you hear the Bush administration say otherwise, just remember that all their other predictions turned out to be WRONG. There is no reason to believe that they would be right this time. In fact, we have every reason to believe that they are wrong about this. We need to stop following that broken compass.

If I only knew the answer
Or I thought we had a chance
Or I could stop this
I would stop this thing
From spreading like a cancer

What can I say
I don't want to play anymore
What can I say
I'm heading for the door
I can't stand this emotional violence
Leave in silence

-Martin L Gore, from Depeche Mode's Leave In Silence

That Was Didn't Take Long

I knew we could not trust Bush when he said he would work with Democrats and for bipartisanship, but he has proven those words to be empty far faster than I would have guessed. I am not really surprised by this, but I am still disappointed.

Bush revives stalled judicial nominations: Six of his conservative judicial picks return, angering Democrats.

But several Senate Democrats were angered by the news that Bush wanted approval of some controversial nominees.

They include the Pentagon's general counsel, William J. Haynes II of Virginia, who was criticized for approving the harsh interrogation methods at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; former mining industry lobbyist William G. Myers III of Idaho, who has been targeted for defeat by environmentalists; and U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, who has been opposed by civil rights advocates.

"Democrats have asked the president to be bipartisan, but this is a clear slap in the face at our request," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.).

ACLU Urges Senate to Reject New Specter NSA Legislation, Bill Would Face Reconciliation with Flawed Wilson Measure

The following may be attributed to Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office:

"Last Tuesday, the American people spoke clearly - they want a Congress willing to serve as an independent branch and stand up to the president’s ongoing abuse of power. President Bush insists on congressional approval of his warrantless spying program while the Republicans still have control. He wants Congress to cover his tracks and provide immunity to those that broke the law. Congress should be investigating this illegal program, not approving it.

Bush Will Push Bolton Nomination in Lame Duck Session

At today’s White House press conference, Tony Snow revealed that the White House has officially renominated John Bolton as U.N ambassador and plans to push for his confirmation during the lame duck session of Congress. Bolton, who has repeatedly failed to gain Senate confirmation, is one of Bush’s most divisive nominations. The move comes one day after Bush pledged to “to work with the new Congress in a bipartisan way.”

Better Late Than Never

Kofi Annan criticizes Global Warming skeptics and urges immediate action:

UN chief issues climate warning

Mr Annan told delegates the phenomenon was as grave a threat as conflict, poverty and the spread of weapons.

He said sceptics were "out of step, out of arguments and out of time".

And let's welcome Pakistan to the world of 18th Century Women's Rights:

Pakistan amends `unjust' rape laws

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's lower house of parliament passed amendments to the country's rape laws Wednesday, eliminating the death penalty for extramarital sex and revising a clause on making victims produce four witnesses to prove rape cases...

Consensual sex outside marriage remains a crime punishable by 5 years in prison or a $165 fine, said a parliamentary official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media...

Hina Jillani, a leading female Pakistani human-rights activist, praised the government for taking practical steps to amend the rape laws but demanded more legislation to protect women's rights...

The amendments include dropping the death penalty and flogging for people convicted of having consensual sex outside marriage and giving judges discretion to try rape cases in a criminal rather than Islamic court.

In The News

IAEA finds traces of plutonium in Iran

The
International Atomic Energy Agency report detailing the discovery also faulted Tehran for not cooperating with the U.N. watchdog's attempts to investigate other suspicious aspects of Iran's nuclear program.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a two-hour news conference in Tehran, asserted the world has no choice but to "live with a nuclear Iran," although he conceded his country was "still in the first stages" of its uranium enrichment program.

But, hey, we got Saddam, right?

Bush Administration: No Constitutional Rights for Guantanamo Detainees

The Bush administration says terrorist suspects being held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have no constitutional right to challenge their detention in U.S. civilian courts.

In court papers filed Monday, the Justice Department asked an appeals court to dismiss hundreds of cases by detainees at the prison camp.

The founding fathers must be so proud.

Fla. Judge Delays Voting Machines Audit

Electronic voting machines in Sarasota County reported 18,382 people _ about one in eight voters _ did not vote for either Republican Vern Buchanan or Democrat Christine Jennings, but made choices in other races. That rate was much higher than other counties in the district.

Bush so desperately wanted to spread democracy in the Middle East. Well, our democracy still needs work here in our own country. If Bush had spread some of that democracy in 2000, he would not have become president. Ironic, n'est-ce pas?

Rumsfeld faces lawsuit for alleged war crimes in Iraq

Mr Rumsfeld has become a prime target for international human rights activists since resigning last week from his post as defence secretary - his immunity from prosecution will soon lapse and, under German law, a non-German can be prosecuted for war crimes committed outside Germany.

Why stop with Rumsfeld?

S Africa approves same-sex unions

South Africa's parliament has voted to legalise same-sex weddings - the first African country to approve such unions.

The controversial Civil Union bill was passed by 230 votes to 41.

So, let me get this straight. The country that became infamous for the prejudicial system known as Apartheid, has legalized same-sex civil unions before us? If that does not signify how behind we are, then I do not what will.

Vatican Cardinal Criticizes US Border Fence

A senior Roman Catholic cardinal at the Vatican has criticized a U.S. plan to build an 1,100-kilometer fence along the border with Mexico.

Cardinal Renato Martino called the project "inhumane" Tuesday during a news conference to discuss Pope Benedict's annual message to migrants.

Remember when President Reagan said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." Good times.

Urgent Notice: Provisional Ballots

From Mary Jo Kilroy's campaign website:



Mary Jo Kilroy is the Democratic candidate in my district, and like several races around the country, her race is currently undecided. She is currently behind in the race by about 3,000 votes, but there are about 10,000 absentee ballots and 10,000 provisional ballots that have not yet been counted. Kilroy still has a chance to win this election.

If you cast a provisional ballot when you voted, your voting process is not complete. I am not sure how it works in other states, but if you live in Kilroy's district, be sure to follow her website's instructions to ensure that your vote gets counted.

As Yogi Berra said, it ain't over 'til it's over.

Patience With Impeachment

I recently started seeing signs saying "IMPEACH", "IMPEACH BUSH", or "THE WAR IN IRAQ IS A LIE" posted randomly around Columbus. I like seeing those signs. I like the idea of impeaching Bush. I like that impeaching Bush will become theoretically possible simply because the Democrats will control Congress in a few weeks, but I think we need to be patient.

I have heard a lot of talk of impeachment or calls for impeachment since the Democrats were projected to control both houses of Congress, and I personally want Bush to be impeached as much as any liberal pro-impeach-Bush person for his illegal warrantless wiretapping, the war in Iraq, and many other things that I have written about previously. In fact my first post on this medium was about impeaching Bush, but slow down, people.

We have a lot of work to do before impeachment will be a viable option, and I do not think that it becoming a viable option is guaranteed.

When the Democrats take control of Congress in January, they will finally have subpoena power and be able to investigate and do oversight. If those powers lead to the discovery of information that will prove Bush's guilt and convince the majority of the public that he should be impeached, then impeachment can occur. However, that process can take a very long time.

I get the feeling that some people want impeachment hearings to begin on the first day of the new Congress (and to be honest, the angry part of me wants that too), but let us be realistic. That would be insane for many logical, legal, and political reasons.

It is okay to hope for, work for, or promote impeachment, but be prepared for disappointment. It is very possible that it will not happen at all, so don't hold your breath.

If it happens and it happens for the right reasons, then we can be satisfied that justice will prevail and prove that no man is above the law. Until then, be patient.

A Brief Period Of Rejoicing

"We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead."
-Winston Churchill

I used that quote to end my last post, and I like it so much I am using again to start this post.

(If you are unfamiliar with it) it is something Winston Churchill said regarding the Allied victory of Germany in World War II. Now to be clear, I use this quote to remind Democrats, liberals, progressives, et cetera that we still have a lot of work to do following our success in the 2006 midterm election, but I am NOT comparing Republicans and conservatives to our enemies in WWII. (I say this because I know that there are people crazy enough to draw such a ridiculous conclusion.)

I allowed myself "a brief period of rejoicing" last week after the Democratic victory last week. I was burnt out from staying up late on election night, waiting to hear about who would control the US Senate, recovering from the shock of the news that Democrats would control both houses of US Congress (Happy Birthday to me!), and not knowing which candidate won the US Representative race in my district. It is now one week later, and I still do not know who won that race. Unless the Democratic candidate wins after they count all the absentee and provisional ballots, my rejoicing is essentially over. That is not because I will have to put up with my Republican Representative for at least another two years but because it is time to get back to work.

We have a lot of work to do. The Republicans still control Congress for the rest of the year, and there is a lot of damage they can do in the time they have left. There are still a few undecided races out there. If you cast a provisional ballot, be sure you do what you need to do to make sure your vote is counted. Iraq is still a horrific mess. Bush is still trying to legalize his law breaking and get the Senate to confirm John Bolton as our representative to the UN. There are still corrupt politicians in Congress which we still need to go after. Voter fraud and intimidation this cycle needs to be investigated and prosecuted to help ensure that it does not happen again. Our work is not anywhere near done.

Getting rid of corrupt Democratic Representaive William Jefferson (the guy with all the money in his freezer) is one thing we should work on right away. His race has yet to be decided because it is headed to a runoff election on December 9. Blue Majority is raising money for his opponent, Democrat Karen Carter. Do not ask me how there are two Democrats in a runoff election or even how they are having a runoff election (I personally think all our elections should go to a runoff elections if no candidate gets above 50%, but most areas of the country do not have them). I have no idea how they run elections in Louisiana. Regardless, visit the Blue Majority page for more information.

Remember, now is not the time to let our guard down. By succeeding in this year's elections, we have merely opened the door to changing our country for the better.

Now, the real work begins.

This Morning

I have not yet posted anything since the election because I have been busy. I am still busy, but there is a lot I would like to talk about regarding the election results last week. Right now, I have to get ready for work, but I wanted to do this post about the following articles before I forget about them.

For the past few days, I have been reading about a lot of deaths in Iraq, and then, on top of all that, I see this article this morning:

Up to 150 people kidnapped in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen wearing Iraqi police commando uniforms kidnapped up to 150 staff and visitors in a lightning raid on a government research institute in downtown Baghdad on Tuesday, the largest mass abduction since the start of the U.S. occupation.

Then I read this one:

US: Immigrants may be held indefinitely

WASHINGTON - Immigrants arrested in the United States may be held indefinitely on suspicion of terrorism and may not challenge their imprisonment in civilian courts, the Bush administration said Monday, opening a new legal front in the fight over the rights of detainees.

In court documents filed with the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., the Justice Department said a new anti-terrorism law being used to hold detainees in Guantanamo Bay also applies to foreigners captured and held in the United States.

Ali Saleh Kahlah Al-Marri, a citizen of Qatar, was arrested in 2001 while studying in the United States. He has been labeled an "enemy combatant," a designation that, under a law signed last month, strips foreigners of the right to challenge their detention in federal courts.

Basically, Iraq is a mess on such a huge scale, and our own country needs a lot of cleaning up itself. Simply putting the Democrats into power in Congress is a good first step, but the road ahead will be long and difficult. Our work is far from over. Once the Democrats control Congress, we have to ensure that they do what we voted them into power to do. Now is not the time to be complacent.

"We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead." -Winston Churchill

Update:Reports on the mass kidnapping in Iraq have been coming in with different numbers. I have seen the number of kidnapped victims range from anywhere between 50 to 150. I saw another report that said 20 people have been released. I have yet to see a conclusive number.

Vote! Vote! Vote Democratic! Call For Change

It's Election Day.

This is our last chance to stop Bush from destroying our Constitution, violating our laws, infringing upon our rights, taking away some of our freedoms, invading our privacy, suspending habeas corpus, and engaging in torture.

MoveOn.org is organizing a phone campaign, Blog For Change. Here is the info:


I just wanted to remind everyone about the upcoming election and how important it is that we vote for Democrats so that they can take majority control in the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.

For far too long the Republicans have had control of all three branches of government, and because of the lack of any opposition, they have gone mad with power. They have taken corruption to a new height in Washington, and unless we work to give at least one branch of government to the Democrats, that corruption will continue and continue to get worse. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and in the past several years, the Republicans have proven that phrase to be true.

This corruption is beyond the normal level for Washingtion, DC, and it is costing us the lives of out troops in Iraq. It is costing us money now and in the future. It is costing us our good standing in the world.

We need to turn it all around. Every evil and corrupt thing Bush and his cronies have done since he has been in office. If you don't know what those things are, again, I direct you to the rest of my blog and its links.

And if any of you still aren't convinced to vote Democratic, please consider that my birthday is this month, and there is nothing I could want for my birthday more than for the Democrats to have majority control of both houses of the US Congress. :)

Hey, Maine, Nevada, And Utah

If you live in Maine, Nevada, or Utah, please vote for Jean Hay Bright, Jack Carter, or Pete Ashdown for US Senate.

These Democrats are all headed towards being defeated in a landslide on Nov 7. So why not vote for them? You've got nothing to lose.

Even if you plan on voting for their Republican opponent, it won't make a difference if you vote for the Democrat instead. The Republican is going to win big, and that is just boring.

In sports, if one team is crushing the other team in a game, it is a boring game. Exciting games take place between more evenly matched teams. Don't you want an exciting election in your state?

So, remember, Maine, Nevada, and Utah: Let's make these elections exciting! Let's make this year's election one we'll never forget! Vote for Bright, Carter, or Ashdown for Senate!

Bush (Not Kerry) Owes An Apology

I will not soon forgive Kerry for apologizing for something he did not do. I will not soon forgive the Democrats who spinlessly sided with the lying Republicans who demanded an apology from Kerry. However, despite their lack of standing up for what is right on this issue, they are not the biggest offenders in this.

Georg W Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Tony Snow, John McCain, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter, Swiftboat Veterans for "Truth," Tucker Carlson, and all the other right-wing liars are the real offenders in this.

They lie. They lie about what Kerry said. They lie about a national hero who served this country with honor.

AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE LYING.

They what they are doing. There is no misunderstanding on their part of what Kerry said. They know Kerry was talking about Bush and not the troops. They know this, and despite this, they lie anyway. They lie because they know some people are stupid enough or willing enough to believe the lie and spread the lie themselves.

What they are doing is 100% intentional, and it is evil. These people, who claim to be Christian and moral, are deliberately lying, something which Christians are not supposed to do. They are hypocrites. They are defying their own religious beliefs (if they truly have them), and they do this all the time.

Remember the lie about the "global test"? During the 2004 presidential debates, Kerry passively spoke of "global test" which was nothing more than a reference to the idea that we should consider other people's, other nation's, feelings before we act. This was little more than an extension of the Golden Rule, but that did not stop the Right from twisting this idea into "Kerry would surrender to the enemy" or "Kerry won't make any decision unless the rest of the world says it is okay."

Whenever someone or something opposes them, the Bush administration and its syncophants lies about them.

They lied about Al Gore.
They lied about Iraq.
They lied about Joe Wilson.
They lied about Richard Clarke.
They lied about Howard Dean.
They lied about John Kerry.
They lied about John Edwards.
They lied about Michael Schiavo.
They lied about their lack of response to Hurricane Katrina.
They lied about Global Warming.
They lied about the Mark Foley scandal.
They lied about Michael J Fox.
They lied about John Kerry again.

And they continue to lie about all these things and more.

So who owes who an apology?

Bush owes Kerry an apology. Bush and his supporters owe Kerry an apopology for lying about what Kerry said. They owe Kerry an apology for demanding that he apologize for what he did not say.

They owe us all an apology for lying about Kerry. They owe us an apology for Iraq. They owe us an apology for not getting Osama bin Laden. They owe us an apology for torture. They owe us an apology for Guantanamo Bay. They owe us an apology for Abu Ghraib. They owe us an apology for violating the Geneva Conventions. They owe us an apology for ruining our country. They owe us an apology for increasing terrorism around the world. They owe us an apology for lowering every debate on every issue down to "Why do you hate America?". They owe us an apology for their version of McCarthyism. They owe us an apology for violating the Constitution.

They owe us an apology for lying about EVERYTHING.

I know what you may be thinking: "It's just politics." Well, I used to believe that, despite all the dirty politics, our country was basically good. While Bush is in office, I can no longer say that I believe that.

For that, Bush owes me an apology.

Vote For Democrats And Only Democrats

This is my endorsement for the 2006 Mid-term elections:

Vote for Democrats And Only Democrats.

We need positive change in this country, and we will not acheive that unless the Democrats control at least one house in Congress. I would really prefer it if the Democrats have majority control in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. If they take control of neither, then we are truly lost.

If Bush was not the president, I would tell people to vote for the best person in any given election, but this election is our last chance to stand up to the Bush administration and try to stop them from dragging our country down further. Only through true opposition and oversight can we try to stop all the evil Bush has wrought.

Be sure to check out your county's board of elections website for voting information. Get informed and vote Tuesday, Nov 7.

For those of you in Ohio (and Franklin County), I endorse and will be voting for:

Sherrod Brown for U.S. Senate

Ted Strickland for Ohio Governor

Marc Dann for Ohio Attorney General

Barbara Sykes Ohio Auditor of State

Jennifer L. Brunner for Ohio Secretary of State

Richard Cordray for Ohio Treasurer of State

Mary Jo Kilroy for U.S. Representative to Congress (OH-15)

William Michael O'Neill for Ohio Supreme Court

Ben Espy for Ohio Supreme Court

Ted Celeste for State Representative (OH-24)

Marilyn Brown for Franklin County Commissioner

Albert N. Donahey Franklin County Auditor

Bush Allows Iraq To Control Our Military

Military strength is just one more issue that the public trusts Republicans on for no good reason.

When the President of the United States takes orders from Iraq on what our military does or does not do, then we have truly lost control in Iraq. President Bush lied (as he always does) when he said he would never let a foreign power tell our military what to do.

The most upsetting thing about this is that I could only find a few articles on this topic, while I could find over 1,600 articles on the lies about the John Kerry joke.

He's A Soldier

Meet Ahmed Qusai al-Taei. He's an American. He's a soldier. And he's been kidnapped in Iraq.

He was kidnapped at gunpoint on October 23rd, when militiamen handcuffed him and shoved him into the trunk of a car. The military immediately set up roadblocks and checkpoints in Sadr City, a neighborhood of Baghdad where it was suspected the kidnappers were hiding the captured soldier. Every car in and out of the area was inspected for him. Houses were searched. Drones were used. The full force of the United States military demonstrated that it would not leave a man behind.

Until the Iraqi government forced us out of Sadr City. The military obeyed, and retreated. And the soldier's fate remains unknown.

A more important topic: Bush abandoned a U.S. soldier behind enemy lines

George Bush just abandoned a U.S. soldier behind enemy lines on the order of Iraq's government.

U.S. Obeys Order to Abandon Checkpoints

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. troops on Tuesday abandoned checkpoints around the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City on orders from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the latest in a series of moves by the Iraqi leader to assert his authority with the U.S. administration.

U.S. military abandons checkpoints

U.S. military abandons checkpointsset up to locate an abducted soilder on the orders of the Iraqi Prime Minister. The AP has the story:

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flexed his political muscle Tuesday and won U.S. agreement to lift military blockades on Sadr City and another Shiite enclave where an American soldier was abducted.

U.S. forces, who had set up the checkpoints in Baghdad last week as part of an unsuccessful search for the soldier, drove away in Humvees and armored personnel carriers at the 5 p.m. deadline set by al-Maliki.

LA Times, network news hyped Kerry comments, downplayed story about kidnapped U.S. soldier

Summary: On October 31, the network news led with coverage of the controversy surrounding Sen. John Kerry's "botched joke," downplaying a story on the U.S. military's accession to an order by Iraqi's prime minister to dismantle checkpoints around Sadr City that were part of an effort to locate a missing U.S. soldier. The Los Angeles Times ran the Kerry story on the front page of its print edition, relegating the story on Sadr City to Page 10.

After trumpeting Bush's defense of the troops, media have yet to challenge Bush decision to dismantle checkpoints and downgrade search for missing soldier in Iraq

Summary: The media have devoted substantial attention to Republican reactions to Sen. John Kerry's recent remarks on Iraq and the administration's accusations that they could hurt troop morale, but the media have not challenged the administration on its decision to dismantle military checkpoints related to the search for an abducted U.S. soldier or the effect that decision might have on morale.

John Kerry's Joke Was About George W Bush Being An Idiot

Currently, the truth is losing to the lie. The truth needs to be repeated until it is known by all:

Senator John Kerry's joke was about George W Bush being an idiot for getting us stuck in Iraq. He was not talking about the troops in Iraq.

Senator John Kerry's joke was about George W Bush being an idiot for getting us stuck in Iraq. He was not talking about the troops in Iraq.

Senator John Kerry's joke was about George W Bush being an idiot for getting us stuck in Iraq. He was not talking about the troops in Iraq.

Anyone who says otherwise is a liar, an idiot, or both.

For example:

John McCain: Liar

FOX "News": Liars and Propagandists

Sean Hannity: Shameless Liar

CNN: Idiots and Dupes

Tony Snow: Smarmy Liar

Rush Limbaugh: Drug-addicted, Soulless, Evil, Evil, Evil Liar

George W Bush: Liar and Idiot