Tuesday, July 31, 2007

S(urge)scalation

In an obvious desperate (and successful) attempt to fool the American people, the Pentagon took advantage of the fact that July came on the heals of the deadliest quarter in Iraq for Americans to claim success for Bush's "surge strategy" when the Law of Blood, Sweat and Tears ("What goes up, must come down") saw the pendulum of death swing down once again.

"This is what we thought would happen once we get control of the real key areas that are controlled by these terrorists," Odierno said at a press conference.
In the July 26 interview with then "only" 62 American casualties for the month, the administration was about to proclaim that it was the safest month for US forces the entire year (the "surge" began in January). The problem is that would have still been the deadliest July for Americans in Iraq, not to mention the Coalition-of-the-Still-There.

PeriodUSUKOtherTotalAvgDays
7-2007 627
1702.9224
7-2006 4312461.4831
7-2005 5431581.8731
7-2004 5413581.8731
7-2003 4810491.5831

The military's lamb went out like a lion though with July casualties topping out at 80 US and 8 UK. At $2 billion a month, Bush's surge has seen elevated levels of coalition casualties with no end to the carnage where bombings and murders continue at alarming rates. Civilian casualties in Iraq rose from 1,227 in June to 1,653 in July.

Update:
Roadside bomb attacks on American troops in Iraq reached an all-time high last month [July '07], accounting for more than one third of all combat deaths.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Coming Soon

Earn an extra $20,000 while defending your country and traveling abroad...

details tomorrow...

Saturday, July 28, 2007

red neck

From Wikipedia: Redneck, in modern usage, predominantly refers to a particular stereotype of people who may be found in many regions of the United States or Canada. Originally limited to the Appalachians and the American South, and later the Ozarks and Rocky Mountains, this stereotype is now widespread in other states and the Canadian provinces. The word can be used either as a pejorative or as a matter of pride.

I am in fact and Oregonian. I don't tan, i rust...

Friday, July 27, 2007

Rock Away

the surging waves crash
from Rockaway to Iraq
i hate George Bush... lots.
haiku

how lovely is when
at day's long end sets the sun
on blue Oregon

haiku


Click on me, will you?
For i am the wave you seek
to impeach George Bush.


Thursday, July 26, 2007

Iraq Redux

The on again, off again plan to extend the escalation in Iraq got the green light for extension today when top generals used the law of averages to claim victory for the surge policy given that fewer troops died this month as compared to last month. Never mind that this dip comes on the heels of the deadliest quarter in Iraq for coalition troops. Never mind that it is already the deadliest July for US forces since the conflict began. Nevermind that 4 more Americans died there today since the Pentagon's rosey pronouncement. There are lies, damned lies and statistics. Bush, Cheney & Co are going to use a statistical blip to continue this $2 billion / week boondogle.

Meanwhile Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq has testified that electricity in Baghdad is down to "an hour or two a day" as opposed to pre-surge levels which afforded residents up to 6 hours of electricity.

Blum and Gloom

Rally for Accountability
(Link to [Week 2])

John: I'm John Bradach.

Mike: I see you're holding a picture.

John: That's my nephew (Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall). He was killed on the the day Bush said "Bring'em on." In Karbala. Travis turned 21 in Kuwait. He survived the war and volunteered to stay on to work on cleaning up the munitions, and one blew up and killed him. My point is, he should not have been at that place at that time, but for the fraud of the administration in bringing this thing forward.

Mike: You know, my cousin (Col. Ted Westhusing) was over there and he committed suicide over the crap that was going on over there. He was was in Baghdad. He was one of the higher ranking officers, and he took his own life.

Martha: There and after they get home, it's just astounding.

Mike: We don't hear much about it.

Martha: It's underreported. Last summer when I was at Camp Casey, I talked to a young man home from Iraq and going back. And he's contemplating suicide. He's talking about it.

John: My parents may be the first suicides in this war. A week before the war went off my mom and my dad turned out in a burnt car on Mt. Hood... with Travis on the border in Iraq... So I'm motivated.



[video h/t Joe Anybody]

02-Jul-2003
| US: 1 | UK: 0 |
US Corporal Travis J. Bradach-Nall - ordnance accident

03-Jul-2003 | US: 2 | UK: 0 |
US Private 1st Class Edward J. Herrgott - small arms fire
US Private 1st Class Corey L. Small - weapon discharge (suicide)

04-Jul-2003 | US: 1 | UK: 0 |
US Master Sergeant James Curtis Coons - suicide

06-Jul-2003 | US: 2 | UK: 0 |
US Sergeant David B. Parson - ambush
US Specialist Jeffrey M. Wershow - small arms fire

07-Jul-2003 | US: 2 | UK: 0 |
US Staff Sergeant Barry Sanford Sr. - Non-hostile - weapon discharge
US Sergeant Chad L. Keith - bomb

[Week 2]

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Steve Novick

"I can beat Gordon Smith!"

Just getting back from the WashCo Dems meeting where Novick spoke after a lustige introduction by KPOJ's Carl Wolfson. This was the first time i heard Novick speak in person, and he didn't disappoint. He scored easy supermajority applause breaks for his support of ending the Iraq occupation and impeaching Bush, Cheney, Gonzo & Co. The room was full, some 120 or so with a few standing for the duration of the 2 hour meeting. With so much gray hair seated in the chairs, it was a good thing Novick could speak to the Eisenhower generation, in a way that makes that liberal Republican sexy even to Clinton era kids.

I was originally attracted by Novick's bio. I knew already of his victories in in the Love Canal case, but learned just tonight of his successes as a watchdog over Bill Sizemore (hereafter referred to as "BS"). Imagine the advertisement value! The way he pushed through lottery reform for the benefit of Oregon schools (seemingly over the opposition of then Lottery Commission Chairman Kerry Tymchuk - currently Gordon Smith's State Director?)... You know he's fought the good fight, and won time and time again.

There's a David and Goliath thing here. You're drawn in to root for the little guy. (Novick's sense of humor is genuine and disarming. He plays openly with the clichés of being the best candidate to fight for the little guy. A fighter with a hard left hook, as in votehook.com) My comments here aren't meant as a love letter to Steve. I welcome Merkley's presumed bid and look forward to a race that (between these to Oregon public servants at least) promises to rally the State against Smith even as it organizes Oregonians for a cohesive, progressive sea change.

What i got tonight for the first time was Steve Novick on the stump. "I can beat Gordon Smith!" In the end, you have a notion that he just might be right. Deep, deep down you really, really want him to be right.

P.S. Lee, did i see you there seated (aptly) to my right?

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Plaid is the new Black

In a followup to yesterday's news that England is running out of troops comes this report from the Daily Scotsman that come Autumn, 1 in 4 service members from the UK in Afghanistan and Iraq will be in fact from Scotland.

"The Scottish contingents will amount to more than 25 per cent of the eight major infantry units serving in the two war zones."
The UK saw it's highest casualty counts last quarter in Iraq since the pre-emptive invasion back in March of 2003.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Britain's Army

"We're almost, well... out"
Britain almost out of troops, memo reveals

The Daily Telegraph revealed the shocking truth today. Quoting a secret memo, the head of Britain's army
Gen Sir Richard Dannatt warns of a dire situation which not only calls in to question the UK's commitment to continue the fight in Iraq (troop drawdowns were announced this week), but also Britain's ability to defend the country at home.

"We now have almost no capability to react to the unexpected," Her Majesty's top General bemoans.

Scotland yard is on altert for religious extremists of all sorts. (Because nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.)

While you were sleeping

In Washington DC, Fridays have long been known as good days to bury stories. If it's a scandal that needs breaking, a trial balloon that needs floating or anything newsworthy that needs leaking followed by immediate covering up, Friday is your day.

So it was last Friday. I managed to blog on Bush's brown shirts, the latest Iraqi goalposts shifting in the sand and Cheney's plan to be President for a day.

Somehow, i missed this gem. After expanding his dictatorial powers last week by banning any activities deemed to harm the Iraq effort (the Treasury Department is authorized to confiscate all your assets), the our Great Leader, in a feat of rhetorical gymnastics so convoluted it will make your head implode, claimed that White House officials are immune from congressional contempt charges anytime the President invokes executive privilege.

Bush's reasoning is that since a US attorney is the one who must bring a charge of contempt of Congress to a grand jury, he has the authority block their actions since they are part of the executive branch and subject to the will of the Decider in Chief.

Bill Clinton must be shaking his head, wondering who you have to blow in this town in order to get impeached.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Changing History

And odd thing happened on the way to the last Friday dump of information out of the Bush white house...

No sooner had i posted on the administration's trial balloon to push the the September 15 deadline for political progress in Iraq to November, when Bush's spokesman (sensing the immediate push back to the plan) took to the podium at the the press corps' new media room denying the obvious with the claim: "This is not an attempt to buy more time."

"We're not trying to change -- we're not trying to sort of change the ball game."
What's even more disturbing is how the story of the latest attempt at adding extra innings to this major league game of whack-a-mole was then removed from mainstream media sources. The AP source i quoted was still googleable:

but the link takes you to an "updated" story.

CNN went so far as to replace their original story and headline with Tony Snow's revision of recent history (from earlier the same morning). The original report on CNN was clear:

General: Iraq 'surge' assessment not likely till November

The new story from the White House is (and they're stickin' to it) as reported by CNN:

Pentagon clarifies Iraq appraisal plan

General Odierno was quoted Friday morning as saying, "In order to do a good assessment I need at least until November."

Later that same morning, Tony Snow (aware that the general had already been forced to recant) offered this account: "What he said is that he would have a more robust ability to measure things in November." So is it the Pentagon's plan to deliver a bad assessment in September?

I'm not surprised that Bush & Co. tried again to escalate the Iraq war. It's also to be expected that they would put political pressure on their hand picked flag officers. But it bothers me that the original story was simply quashed.

He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future, George Orwell, 1984

Tortured Words

coming soon...
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/20/bush.terrorism.ap/index.html

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Sick of CNN

Last week i wrote on the dust up between Michael Moore Wolf Blitzer on CNN's the Situation Room. Before the actual (July 8th) interview began, CNN aired a 4 minute segment attacking Moore's new film "Sicko." (He was originally supposed to be interviewed on Larry King Live, but was bumped at the last minute so that Larry could mine the depths of Paris Hilton's intellect, for the hour, upon her release from jail.) Using alternate data (as well as a few false facts) CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta made repeated claims that Sicko "fudged" the numbers. Moore took issue.

The first salvo of sorts came from CNN a week earlier in a post on June 30th. The headline read: "Analysis: 'Sicko' numbers mostly accurate; more context needed" a a sort of back handed compliment while retaining their authority as the arbiter of truth.

July 8, Wolf Blitzer eventually interviews Michael Moore, but precedes it with an error riddled hit job (called a "reality check"!), leaving Moore no chance to face his accuser, the venerable Dr. Sanjay Gupta. You can hear Sanjay's verbal quotation marks around the word "facts" refering to Moore's movie as he then implores, "Do they all check out?"

Who needs to see anything more? Obviously CNN has the dirt on Moore's movie. Sanjay continues:

"Keeping them honest, we did some digging. And we started with a biggie. 'The Unites States slipped to #37 in the world's health care systems. " And What was Sanjay's verdict (the switch hitter goes from being a physician to being prosecuting judge and jury.
What say they all? "True" !!!

Despite being correct on this "big" fact, Sanjay goes on to criticize Moore for taking Americans to Cuba to check out their health care system. Cuba ranks 2 spots lower on the health care list. Sanjay breaths life into a straw man and doesn't even have the decency to challenge Moore in person on the "facts."

When Moore makes the point that The US spends much more than Cuba for in some respect better results, Sanjay quibbles with Moore's numbers.

"Moore asserts that the American health care system spends $7,000 per person on health. Cuba spends $25 dollars per person. Not true. But not too far off. The United States spends $6,096 per person, versus $229 per person in Cuba."
Even if Sanjay's numbers had turned out to be more accurate (They didn't), they still would have supported Moore's underlying contention. Dr. Sanjay Gupta's report on CNN was flawed and petty.

July 10, During the first interview with Wolf Blitzer, Michael Moore promised to put all the numbers to the test up on his website. Amongst the lies, the damn lies and the statistics we see that Sanjay was all wet when he said: "But no matter how much Moore fudged the facts, and he did fudge some facts…"

July 10, With both sides smelling blood in the water and tasting ratings gold, Moore went head to head with Dr. Gupta on Larry King Live. The interview bore out th fact that Sanjay used different older stats and misquoted figures from Moore's movie.

July 14, Michael Moore used the victory in this verbal sparring battle as fodder for an open letter to CNN, pressuring them for an apology and to set the record straight and admit their errors (if not outright bias).

July 15, CNN responded with it's own open letter saying it had responded 6 days earlier, owning up to one mistake, claim it had corrected it and apologized. But to use a line from CNN, "But hold on." Sanjay's open letter to Moore does own up to one mistake. But this had already been proven. Nice of Sanjay to finally admit it. But where was the apology? Sanjay's response came off like a continued endictment.

July 17, Moore goads CNN with a second open letter.

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

July 20, I don't know what Yiddish is for chutzpah, but Wolf Blitzer takes the cake. Blitzer was blindsided by Moore in the first interview. He himself wasn't conversant with the facts (that's why he ran that sloppy piece by Sanjay) and when forced to back up the numbers he could only retort: "I don't if you're familiar with Dr. Sanjay Gupta's record with virtually anyone's record in the business... He's not only a doctor and a neurosurgeon but he's also an excellent, excellent journalist." Now they are spinning his interview as proof that "CNN's Blitzer tackles interviewees ready to put up a fight." This is revisionist history at its most recent.

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

Friday, July 20, 2007

Friday Dump

Dick Cheney to ASSume Presidency. No Shit!

In a last ditch effort to find weapons of mass destruction, President George W. Bush will undergo a colonoscopy during a weekend retreat at Camp David, said White Wash spokesman Tony Snowjob, whose own colon is not only cancer free, but WMD free as well. Vice President Dick Cheney will serve as acting President, a post slightly lower than the one he currently holds.

Film at 11. /// hat tip to my brother Marko, for the latter article!
.

Groundhog Day


\\\ BREAKING NEWS ////


Even as we wake up to headlines that the September deadline for progress in Iraq was being pushed to November, a top US general broke the sad and unexpected news today. Unless we keep the elevated troop levels in Iraq for another year, the war will be lost. Speaking to the Associated Press, Maj. Gen. Richard Lynch, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division said:

"It's going to take through [this] summer, into the fall, to defeat the extremists in my battle space, and it's going to take me into next spring and summer to generate this sustained security presence."
Every day we wake up to find that this administration has moved the goal posts in this war they are so desperately trying to win. The "surge" was begun in January. And from the earliest weeks, whenever an apologist for the government could point to a positive anecdote in this deadly game of whack-a-mole, the word went out, "The surge is working!" But the White House mouthpieces began to sing a different tune at the end of June in anticipation of the surge's first report card (mostly failing). On the heals of the deadliest quarter of the war for coalition troops (356 casualties, not counting Iraqis. Iraqis don't count.), Bush's surrogates began to argue that the surge had only just begun. Forget the six months since Bush announced his new, old way forward; staying the course, continuing to fight them over there so we wouldn't have to fight them over here. Forget the 600 troops that died in the course of this latest 6 month build-up.

Over thirty 18 year old American soldiers have already died in Iraq, and i often ask myself how long it took to train these fallen soldiers between their high school graduations and their orders to ship out to Iraq? America has sent tens of thousands of teenagers to the Gulf in the last 4 1/2 years. What's taking the Iraqis so long to train enough soldiers? The truth, of course, is obvious. Iraq has plenty of trained troops. The problem is that their guns are trained on each other...

and on US, as long as we leave our military in the cross hairs of Iraq.
.

1933-1984

Hey! 1933 called. Adolf wants his brown shirts back.

Chris Weigant over at the Huffington Post has leaked portions of a secret White House manual on crowd control. Here's a sample:

The formation of "rally squads" is a common way to prepare for demonstrators by countering their message. This tactic involves utilizing small groups of volunteers to spread favorable messages using large hand held signs, placards, or perhaps a long sheet banner, and placing them in strategic areas around the site.
This isn't fiction. It's a page out of the Nazis' play book, where the popular slogan among Hitler's bands of brown shirted thugs proclaimed, “Terror must be broken by terror.”

These squads should be instructed always to look for demonstrators. The rally squad's task is to use their signs and banners as shields between the demonstrators and the main press platform. If the demonstrators are yelling, rally squads can begin and lead supportive chants to drown out the protestors [sic] (USA!, USA!, USA!). As a last resort, security should remove the demonstrators from the event site. The rally squads can include, but are not limited to, college/young republican organizations, local athletic teams, and fraternities/ sororities.
The Brown Shirts were fond of saying, “all opposition must be stamped into the ground.” Is it really that far of a leap from "Free Speech Zones" (those corrals of demonstrators kept out of sight from Bush which shred the First Amendment) to the gulag of Guantanamo where POW's are being held without any rights at all.

Hermann Göring, commander of Hitler's Luftwaffe, made the following admission in the course of his trial in Nuremberg:

“Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger.”
Tell me if you've seen this movie already.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Delay Pro Immigration

Speaking to a gathering of College Republicans in the DC area, ex-Majority Leader and Texas crook Tom Delay admitted the need for immigrant labor.

"If we had those 40 million children that were killed over the last 30 years, we wouldn’t need the illegal immigrants to fill the jobs that they are doing today."
Since Delay recognizes that we currently have a labor deficit, maybe he can use his behind-the-scenes power to persuade some of his Republican friends to support immigration reform?

Of course, there is the dilemma over on the far-right. With former Education Secretary (and part-time high rolling gambler) Bill Bennett's observation that we could bring down crime in America if only we were to abort all the black babies (sounds biblical, dudn't it?), Delay may be willing to allow some abortions, even if it means letting in a few brown people.

Speak No Evil

Just as the Chinese began taking heat for all the tainted products coming out of their land (pet food, poison protein, tooth paste, etc.) comes this story of the steamed buns devoid of meat and filled with flavored cardboard instead (mmmmm. humbow flavor. mmmmm.)

Well, the journalist who broke the story has been arrested and has officially recanted, claiming now he made up the story. Word to the wise, comrades... our Great Decider will crush dissent as well. Don't forget he just made it illegal to undermine his efforts to "win" in Iraq.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

It can't happen here

and yet, it already did...

The Espionage Act of 1917 made it a crime to speak out against World War I if it be deemed that such speech hindered the success of the troops. (Sound familiar?) Within a year, presidential candidate Eugene Debs was convicted of "hindering recruitment" and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The Act was ammended by the Sedition Act of 1918 which outlawed "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" directed at the government, the flag or the troops. (Are you sure you haven't seen this movie?)

Yesterday, George W. Bush signed an executive order (ie. crafted his own law) which authorizes the government to seize all the assets of any American who conspires to "[threaten] the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq" or "[undermine] efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq."

My, my... How far we've come. It'll be a bumpy ride back.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Fit to be Tried

What is with the Oregon Democratic delegation in DC? Are they unaware of the crimes committed by the Bush regime? Or are they simply indifferent?

Bush has conspired to illegally spy on Americans, he's conducted international kidnappings and authorized the use of torture. He and his Department of "Just Us" are guilty of obstruction of justice in the treasonous scandals of the Valerie Plame outing, the US Attorney oustings and the theft of the Presidency through fraud and vote caging.

My Congressman, Earl Blumenauer sits in a safe (D)istrict and yet is seated next to Pelosi in taking impeachment off the table. His main argument appears to be that the Bush white house "is already on its way out the door." It would appear that Rep. Blumenauer is willing to excuse any president of everything in his or her last 18 months of office, a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, Blumenauer is oblivious to the fact that barring censure and/or impeachment, the damage caused to our system of checks and balances will outlive us all.

At the conclusion of Clinton's impeachment trial, Oregon's Democratic senator, Ron Wyden supported his vote to acquit with this lofty verbiage: "What I want to be able to tell my grandchildren is that this was the point in American history where we drew a line in the sand and said 'no more' to the excessive partisanship." Perhaps he would have better luck reigning in Bush's excesses and ending the war if he would again draw a line in the sand and say "enough is enough. This President will be held to account."

Of course our junior senator, Gordon Smith (R-OR) is engaging in his predictable brand of partisan hypocrisy. In voting to convict Clinton, he opined: "Perjury and obstruction of justice are high crimes, and they are utterly inconsistent with any Federal office." Yet for Scooter Libby, Smith has nothing but compassion and understanding for such a "decent guy," not to mention support for his bosses who conspired with him.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Wyden no Wimp?

The Impeachment Debate is raging over at Oregon's mainstream leftwing blog. In directing readers to a comment by Senator Wyden (D-OR) buried in Portland's free weekly paper, the BlueOregon editors think they're throwing some red meat to the masses storming the Bastille with the following headline:

Wyden would have "open mind"

The story behind the story is supposedly causing eyebrows to raise "in the nation's capital" but here at home i can only roll my eyes at such praise of mediocrity. All Wyden is doing is reluctantly being put on the record that, should the House leadership grow a spine and bring about Impeachment, he'd be willing to consider bringing Bush & Co. to justice. The People are leading, and our fine Senator is willing to follow. Swell. Doesn't the Democratic establishment understand why their poll numbers are so low?

*Update: The answer to that rhetorical would be a cautious, duck-and-cover "no."

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Bad Hair Day

Regression is a remorseful passage to observe.

When it finally seemed as if my baggage in the form a high school backpack was irreversibly lost like brain cells through the hour glass, boom... the regression.

Am i cool enough? Does this shirt make me look fat? Why won't she call me back?

Sitting at the foot of Pop's hospital bed, atop the open space left behind by the leg amputations (the downside of growing old with diabetes), "I've got nothing to say" is how i break the silence. "Then don't say anything," intones my father. Sage advice or the morning meds kicking in? So i stay as long as i can. Shedding silent tears. As if out of a leaky, achy broken heart.

I feel so empty.

-HM Robinson

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Bastille Day

On this day of freedom for the French, a look back at my reaction to the pre-war drum beat

3/18/03 BUSH TO FRANCE: TAKE YOUR LIBERTÉ AND SHOVE IT
You have to hand it to our pro-war France bashers. What they lack in loyalty, they make up for in shear ignorance. Sure, France supported our independence when we had that little spat with the Brits known as the Revolutionary War, but what have they done for us lately? So change French Fries (a Belgian dish originally) to Freedom Fries. Get rid of French Toast (the 1724 reinvention of Albany, NY tavern owner Joseph French). Let’s replace the Statue of Liberté (a gift from the French) with a sculpture of Laura Bush. And while we’re at it, down with démocratie. (Yes, we get the word from French.) Dubya doesn’t much have a hankering for democracy, anyway. Where would he be today if America had majority rule?

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Quagmire

"The commander in chief must rely upon the judgment of his military commanders" George W Bush, 7/12/07

Such was the pontification coming from the podium this morning, from Dubya who dubbed himself, "the Decider." With the supposed support of the majority, our military invaded Iraq in a preemptive war. Presumably this was to prevent war. He called the the pre-invasion bombing campaign "Shock and Awe" and let the missiles rain down. Were we trying to scare the terrorists or the civilians? Back home we flaunted our newest weapon, MOAB, a 20 ton bomb with a blast so large, it's been compared to a small nuclear weapon. We proved you don't need weapons of mass destruction to destroy masses of people. The Saddam regime has been toppled and it only cost $500 billion. Either you agree enough is enough or you need to be willing to keep paying for Bush's blunder (ca. 50-100 troops + $4 billion/month).

Waiting until Sep. '07 = $8 bill. + 150 dead Americans

Waiting until Apr. '08 = $40 bill. + 425 dead Americans

Waiting until Nov. '08 = $64 bill. + 1200 dead Americans

Waiting until Jan. '09 = $72 bill. + 1350 dead Americans

What are we waiting for? Iraq War Cost ###

Iraq-war-cost

Monday, July 9, 2007

herding cats

The right wing's media advantage is strengthened by the fact that they know how to stay on message. We on the left unfortunately have the tendency to eat our own. Many are masters of making the perfect the enemy of the good. From the internecine food fights between Randi Rhodes and Ed Schultz (progressive talk radio hosts) to the blue blogosphere where it's more important to be right than to defeat the right, left wing media has been clipping its own wings.

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Moore Eats Wolf

Michael Moore gave a hard hitting interview today on CNN's The Situation Room.

"[Michael Moore's] more of a left wing promoter than Hugo Chavez for crying out loud" Lou Dobbs, July 8, 2007

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Edwards Cut

John Edwards Cut Short by Hair Stylist

Unbelievable! It looks like the media had decided to make John Edwards' hairdo his albatros. No doubt the right wing noise machine has spun the spurned stylist's story into this perfect storm in a tea cup. Edwards now has his macaca moment and he won't be able to shake it.

By keeping the Libby cover-up scandal on the front burner until even the corporate media can no longer deny the groundswell of opposition to this band of thieves occupying the White House, Thom Hartmann and other progressive media types are helping We the People snatch justice out of the claws of injustice. The sooner we experience regime change, the sooner we can end our senseless and costly occupation in Iraq and make true and lasting progress on the great issues of the day here at Home. Any and every time Libby or Cheney or Bush is mentioned, words like treason and traitor must be part of the conversation. And always ask the question, why are the Republicans covering up these criminals.

Impeachment Enigma

wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in mystery...

Let me get this straight... After the revelations that the Bush administration was in violation of the US Constitution by conducting warrantless wiretapping on Americans, a group of citizens sought remedy in the courts. After a judge (who must have paid attention during Civics 101) struck down the illegal program, the fight went on to the federal court of appeals where 2 of the 3 judges ruled the litigants had "no legal standing" to challenge the veracity of the charges since they could not prove in advance they were the actual targets of the government espionage. With the case thus dismissed, the original order demanding the halt to this domestic spying has been lifted and the government is again "free" to break the law.

If the People can no longer rely on the judiciary, it will be up to Congress to rectify this injustice and that means impeachment! Friends, checks and balances still can work. If this People's House and Senate won't do the right thing then we may have to change the leadership of the Legislative branch even as we bring regime change to the White House.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." Fourth Ammendment, US Constitution

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Scooter Skates

Should Scooter toot? You must commute!

Bush and Cheney are on the mats, and we need to use events like the Libby get-out-of-jail-free card to keep punching the administration while it's down. Moments like this can become iconic. It's frustrating though that the Dems in the past have let such opportunities slip through their fingers. The Repubs have taken the Chicago strategy of "vote early and vote often" and twisted it into a message of mass destruction. They know how to use their media to stay on message: "Kerry flip flop" "Slick Willy". Every day since Bush taunted the terrorists with "Bring'em on" that quote should have been played over and over followed by the daily casualty count (DoD Confirmation List).