Sunday, August 31, 2008

The Worst Vice Presidential Nomination in U.S. History

This excellent analysis lists all the reasons why Sarah Palin is the poorest choice McCain could have made:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-j-elisberg/the-worst-vice-presidenti_b_122491.html
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Check out MSNBC Dateline UFO show online

This program was shown tonight -- interesting!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24695796/
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The Hollow Man

An essay by William Rivers Pitt that lays out the truth about McCain--the hollow man.
http://www.truthout.org/article/the-hollow-man

EXCERPTS:

Nothing much can be said about a man who now supports the repeal of Roe v. Wade, a repeal he once opposed. Nothing much can be said about a man who opposed the indefinite detention of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, and then decided he actually supported the policy, and then went on to publicly denounce a Supreme Court ruling on the matter that was exactly in line with his prior opinion. He used to support diplomatic engagement with Hamas, but not any more. He used to support diplomatic engagement with Syria, but not anymore. He used to believe the NRA should not be allowed to play a role in the setting of GOP party policy, but not anymore.

Nothing much can be said about a man who has given his support to the NSA's warrantless wiretapping surveillance program which was initiated by the Bush administration, which has violated the Constitutional rights of millions of American citizens, and which McCain once believed was entirely illegal. This man helped to establish the legal legitimization of torture, and looked on mutely while Mr. Bush and his people not only ravaged the entire Department of Justice in the name of politics and personal protection, but went further into the realm of abject criminal corruption by refusing to honor every legally issued subpoena they were served with.

Bluntly, [the] Palin choice not only failed to prop up his outsider credentials, but has also raised serious concerns about whether his basic judgment and understanding of simple reality can be relied on under any circumstances. This ugly reality is McCain's well-earned, supremely deserved reward for deciding to abandon any pretense of character or integrity, with deliberation and intent, while crowing to all within hearing about the importance of character and integrity. Everything he abandoned had nothing at all to do with what he believes or doesn't believe as an American or as an elected representative. He abandoned these things because he wants to live in the White House, period. He wants this with every...unprincipled fiber of his being; and through this has become a living, pathetic, abhorrent example of the damage to heart and soul such lust for personal gain can cause.

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Let's Hear from an Alaskan on McCain's Choice

The following blog by an Alaskan is a must read for people looking to get factual  information and background on Sarah Palin. It has several well sourced,  footnoted articles on McCain's VP choice.   Make sure you scroll down far enough to see the picture of fabulous downtown Wasilla, the town where Sarah Palin was Mayor.  It really puts the "Executive Experience" argument into perspective.  http://mudflats.wordpress.com/   
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McCain -- SAVED by the STORM!!!

The Republicans couldn't figure how to exclude Duhmbya from the convention -- after all, he is the seated president of their party, albeit THE. WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER. So what were they ever going to do with him? Well, they had to have him speak if he attended, so they scheduled him for Monday, the first day -- and as far away from McCain (on Thursday) as possible. And then....GUSTAV appeared on the horizon to save them. Even though Gustav is causing all kinds of trouble to millions of others, it provides a handy excuse for Bush not to attend the convention. If the Repubs are smart, they'll insist Cheney use the same excuse. Have you noticed we haven't seen hide nor hair of Cheney/Igor for months now? They probably have him chained in the cellar--where you can't hear him snarling.

From the AP wire: Concerns over the hurricane led the White House to announce Sunday that it is unlikely President Bush will attend the Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

He was scheduled to speak to the RNC in St. Paul on Monday night. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said alternate plans are being prepared.
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Friday, August 29, 2008

Interesting comments from Americans on McCain's choice

http://caffertyfile.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/29/mccain-vp-pick-younger-less-experienced-than-obama/
For fun, you might want to read these comments from ordinary citizens. Some approve -- more disapprove, but I like to read the comments from the common folk like me....here are a few samples:

It was a bold move by John McCain to reach out to the Eskimo vote, which has been totally ignored by the media.

She’d better learn how to spell “potato…” (a reference to Dan Quayle--Poppy Bush's VP pick. Quayle questioned a student's correct spelling of potato -- telling him it should be potatoe.) Quayle gave us tons of laughs, just as Duhmbya Bush Jr. has with his stupidity and gaffes -- but we don't need any more laughs. We need leadership!!!)

It shows me once again he lacks the judgment to be commander in chief. Is he for real? And what an insult to all the real Republican qualified women he could have chosen from. I guess poor Mitt is pissed, all that sucking up for nothing!

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McCain's Choice

Just the fact that she pronounces nuclear the same as Bush (nuke-yu-ler) is enough to make me scream, ENOUGH! Four more years of that kind of linguistic torture would be TOO MUCH for anyone to bear!

Ready to Lead?: McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as VP

From www.crooksandliars.com August 29, 2008 Wow. This one came out of left field. Sen. McCain today chose first-term governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate.

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The choice is problematic for McCain on a number of fronts.

  • Palin is the least qualified and experienced running mate in the history of the office, having served a total of 20 months in office, and none on the national level.
  • Does anyone really want Sarah Palin a heartbeat away from the Presidency should McCain become unable to serve?
  • Although known as a reformer, Palin is a product of the corrupt Alaskan political machine, and is even under criminal investigation herself for abusing the power of her office.
  • Can she possibly face off against Joe Biden on any issue?
  • She pronounces “nuclear” like George Bush. I knew that the GOP ticket wanted to continue Bush’s policies….but four more years of Bushisms too!?
  • She supports Obama’s energy plan, all but undercutting the one supposed strength she brings to the ticket.

Rahm Emmanuel pretty much sums it up:

“After trying to make experience the issue of this campaign, John McCain celebrated his 72nd birthday by appointing a former small town mayor and brand new Governor as his Vice Presidential nominee. Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the Presidency? Given Sarah Palin’s lack of experience on every front and on nearly every issue, this Vice Presidential pick doesn’t show judgement: it shows political panic.”

Andrew Sullivan says:

(C)ompare McCain’s pick with Obama’s: a man with solid foreign policy experience, six terms in Washington and real relationships with leaders across the globe.

One pick is by a man of judgment; the other is by a man of vanity.

She may be a fine person, but she’s my age, she has zero Washington experience, and no foreign policy expertise whatsoever.

McCain has just told us how seriously he takes the war we are in. Not seriously at all.

MSNBC has a good pro/con rundown.

Crooks and Liars » Ready to Lead?: McCain taps Alaska Gov. Palin as VP#more-32310#more-32310#more-32310

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Racism in our country simmers in this election

This Washington Post article from May of this year shows that ignorance prevails in many sections of our country. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/12/AR2008051203014_pf.html

In the 21st century, this is very sad news. Growth in consciousness takes place extremely slowly, which is why it takes so long for things to really change. Bigotry, prejudice, and intolerance are handed down from generation to generation. Tragically, the song You've Got to be Carefully Taught from the broadway show South Pacific, written more than 50 years ago, still reflects the beliefs and actions of a too-large portion of America's white citizens:

You've got to be taught to fear and hate,
You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught!

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear,
You've got to be carefully taught.


I am praying that America's more open-minded citizens, after witnessing the great relationship between the Obama family and Biden family as they stood together onstage last night -- and after hearing the incredibly uplifting and INTELLIGENT speech by Obama, will realize the shade of one's skin is not the measure of a man. I realize there will always be some who are unable to change their spots and are ruled by old belief systems instilled in them by their parents and grandparents. But I have faith that enough Americans are willing to look and listen--and really see and hear what is in front of them, rather than following like sheep ("dittoheads") after loud-mouthed bigots like Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, and Ann Coulter.

After enduring the barren wasteland of Bush's Brain for the past eight years, isn't it WONDERFUL to hear intelligent articulation and wisdom from a man who will--hopefully--soon be our next president?
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Sarah Palin is a former beauty queen

...and is still an attractive woman. That might be enough to get her the white male Republican votes. She's also a hunter, a member of the NRA, and likes to drive a snowmobile. And she's in the midst of a political scandal in her home state of Alaska. Plus, she thinks creationism should be taught in our schools. In the eyes of some Republicans, these will be good qualifications for someone a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Oh, but....did someone mention something about foreign policy experience?....I think this McCain choice kinda' takes that subject off the table. Thank you, John McCain, for being a real maverick and giving a boost to the Obama/Biden ticket.

To see Sarah's beauty queen photos, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/29/sarah-palin-former-beauty_n_122400.html
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McCain's VP pick: What else? A woman

She's someone most have never heard of -- the Governor of Alaska. But she's a woman. It's obvious the desperate McCain is trying to attract the Hillary lovers. Lots of luck on that one, McCain. Hillary lovers within the Democratic party are smart enough to see that four more years of Bush policies will go along with the woman on your ticket. So I think most of them will say, Nice try, but no thanks. We've had ENOUGH! Furthermore, white men of the conservative Republican persuasion are not going to be at all happy with the pick of a woman to be in the No. 2 slot with a president who is elderly and has a history of melanoma cancer -- and might die while in the White House. The male Christian fundamentalists of that party still like to keep their women barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. They're not going to be thrilled with the pick of a Hillary wanna-be who could step into the Oval Office and--God forbid!--tell them what to do. ;-)

So, lotsa' luck to McCain and Company on this one. It will be fascinating to see how they fit Bush and Cheney into their convention agenda. (~.~) And isn't it interesting how a major hurricane is heading to the U.S. during the time of their convention, after Republicans were being urged by a fundamentalist Republican minister to pray for rain to wipe out Obama's big night at the Dem convention? Why, it's almost like an answer from God to their prayers -- only not quite in the way they expected. =-O That said, I do hope the hurricane veers away from the U.S. -- one thing we don't need is another Katrina disaster on top of all the other disasters Bush/Cheney have wrought upon us for the last 8 years!
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Dennis Kucinich's WAKE UP AMERICA! speech

Kucinich tells it straight and true in his speech at the Dem.
convention! WAKE UP, AMERICA!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVp9cWOcZ7g
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Important news video on cell phone dangers

This news video is Australian, but neurosurgeons in America are saying
the same thing. Brain tumors are on the rise -- now killing more
children than leukemia! The interview with the neurosurgeon on this
video should give all parents pause. I was amazed when the surgeon said
he had lost the battle in his own family and that his 12-year-old
daughter won the fight to get a cell phone. It sounded as though the
mother may have backed the child -- and rather than get a divorce and
lose his family, the father gave in. Having raised teenagers myself, I
know how powerful their arguments can be, and I also know that when you,
as a parent, know the risks and can't get your message across, it can lead
to a tragedy. Sadly, some people just have to learn all their lessons the
hard way: by experience.

It does appear that some people are more susceptible to the radiation waves
constantly surrounding us in this electronically souped-up world of ours.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/08/26/cell-phone-dangers-what-they-don-t-want-you-to-see.aspx?source=nl

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Jack Cafferty -- on the Clintons: A GREAT ESSAY!

The Clintons are NOT team players -- it always has to be about them, or they won't play. These two ego-maniacs are an embarrassment to the Democratic party.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/25/cafferty.clintons/index.html
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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Fearless Prediction: A Brighter Future!

By Jaime O'Neill
You might want to clip this column and save it until November because I'm going to make a prediction about the future, and if I'm wrong, a few right wing zealots may wish to gloat about that. If I'm right, however, a majority of Americans will see the fulfillment of my prediction as a cause for celebration and rejoicing.

We are witnessing a historic movement in the United States that will result in the election of Barack Obama to the highest office in the land. And when that happens, we will have voted, in overwhelming numbers, for the reclamation of our nation. With the election of Barack Obama, the citizens of this country will be casting their votes for hope, for a reunification of a divided people, for a return to the values that made us what we were at the best of times in our history.

With that Obama victory will come a firm renunciation of the Bush policies that have shamed and degraded the image of the United States throughout the world.

See entire article at: http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/16636
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Obama Chooses Biden: a GREAT CHOICE!

by Brent Budowsky
Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen

In his first truly presidential decision, Barack Obama acted like a president and chose a presidential-caliber candidate for vice president. I recently wrote that this choice would speak volumes about the kind of president he would be, that if he chose one of the heavyweight contenders, such as Sam Nunn or Joe Biden, over the less-qualified candidates it would be an enormously positive sign. Obama came through, big time. Joe Biden's arc began when his first wife and one of his children were sadly killed in a tragic auto accident before he was sworn into the Senate; today his son is headed to Iraq in uniform: Biden is a military dad.

Here is a big thought about Barack Obama: He usually takes a while, but then gets the big decisions right. The pundits will soon label Biden "the good Cheney," but the truth is far different. Obama has a world vision; now he has a proven statesman to make it happen. The world will soon see what those of us who have seen Biden up close have seen: Joe is a regular guy. He not only commutes by Amtrak back home, almost every night, instead of living in Washington, but he knows the conductors on a first-name basis, and many are his pals. Little things often tell us big things.

Joe Biden is a family man, a real guy, a Catholic who will have enormous appeal in the Rust Belt and heartland of America. Joe Biden has an international reputation as a serious, thoughtful and substantial man with deep knowledge of the world, boasts of long relationships with many world leaders, and would be described in the JFK tradition of "idealists without illusions.”

No knock on Evan Bayh or Tim Kaine, but their choice would have been very troubling to me and I could not have written these words about them. This was the first and only presidential decision Barack Obama would make from the moment he announced his candidacy until the moment voters choose in November.

In his first presidential decision, Barack Obama acted like a president. Barack Obama chose a vice president of presidential stature, substance, experience and depth. The voters will like Joe Biden, trust Joe Biden, and think even more highly of Barack Obama for making a decision worthy of a president.

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The Anatomy of a Deception

How the McCains Changed Their Baby Adoption Story Just Before the 2008 Campaign Began
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-nickolas/the-anatomy-of-a-deceptio_b_120381.html
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Voting Machines Still a BIG Problem!

OH voting machines contain critical vote-dropping glitch

From www.crooksandliars.com

How are these things still legal?

WaPo:

A voting system used in 34 states contains a critical programming error that can cause votes to be dropped while being electronically transferred from memory cards to a central tallying point, the manufacturer acknowledges.

The problem was identified after complaints from Ohio elections officials following the March primary there, but the logic error that is the root of the problem has been part of the software for 10 years, said Chris Riggall, a spokesman for Premier Election Solutions, formerly known as Diebold.

The flawed software is on both touch screen and optical scan voting machines made by Premier [formerly known as Diebold] and the problem with vote counts is most likely to affect larger jurisdictions that feed many memory cards to a central counting database rapidly.

It never ceases to amaze me that eight years after the whole Florida debacle, and four years since the shady Ohio vote count, that virtually nothing has been done to fix all these voting “irregularities.” It’s really inexcusable.

For an idea of how easily these electronic machines are hacked, see HBO’s Hacking Democracy.

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The George Bush Tour

Two short videos on George Bush's administration. Biting humor,
much deserved by the worst president our country has ever seen.
See them at: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/362.html
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McCain: $500 shoes, $100 Million Assets, Can't Remember How Many Homes He Owns

WHO IS THE REAL ELITIST?
By Brent Budowsky

This is hilarious: The guy who makes the phony-baloney charge that Barack Obama is elitist can't remember how many houses he owns! He tells reporters: "I'll have my staff get the number and get back to you"!!!

It is four? Is it six? Is it 11? Do we count only those houses McCain lives in, properties he and his wife own and can hang out in, or all of them? Do you know how many houses you own? If not, ask your staff!

What a guy, this McCain. He puts on his $500 shoes, with over $100 million of assets (speaking of first wives, and second wives, I might add -- for those interested in double standards after the John Edwards case -- that this $100 million was not earned income by McCain, you understand).

The guy with so many houses he can't count them, the $500 dollar shoes and the $100 million of assets that are not earned income -- this guy calls Obama an elitist?! Obama, who grew up in a single-parent home, worked his way through law school, earned his success the old-fashioned way, and worked with churches to help jobless workers find jobs?

What a class act, this guy who launches cheap-shot personal attacks against Obama; who is so out of touch he can't remember how many homes he owns.

Anybody check his shoe closet recently?

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Amazing stunts--beyond words!


A performance on the Russian Bar, recorded for Chinese television at the Circus Festival of Monte Carlo. The final stunt is unbelievable!


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Friday, August 22, 2008

Say goodbye to more of your rights

FBI wants power to investigate citizens “without any basis for suspicion”

From www.crooksandliars.com

Because everyone knows the terrorists win if we don’t forfeit our Fourth Amendment rights…

New York Times:

A Justice Department plan would loosen restrictions on the Federal Bureau of Investigation to allow agents to open a national security or criminal investigation against someone without any clear basis for suspicion, Democratic lawmakers briefed on the details said Wednesday.

The senators said the new guidelines would allow the F.B.I. to open an investigation of an American, conduct surveillance, pry into private records and take other investigative steps “without any basis for suspicion.” The plan “might permit an innocent American to be subjected to such intrusive surveillance based in part on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, or on protected First Amendment activities,” the letter said. It was signed by Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

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Thursday, August 21, 2008

Bush and Cheney don't think McCain was tortured

Agabuse

In all the discussion of John McCain's recently recovered memory of a religious epiphany in Vietnam, one thing has been missing. The torture that was deployed against McCain emerges in all the various accounts. It involved sleep deprivation, the withholding of medical treatment, stress positions, long-time standing, and beating. Sound familiar?

According to the Bush administration's definition of torture, McCain was therefore not tortured.

Cheney denies that McCain was tortured; as does Bush. So do John Yoo and David Addington and George Tenet. In the one indisputably authentic version of the story of a Vietnamese guard showing compassion, McCain talks of the agony of long-time standing. A quarter century later, Don Rumsfeld was putting his signature to memos lengthening the agony of "long-time standing" that victims of Bush's torture regime would have to endure. These torture techniques are, according to the president of the United States, merely "enhanced interrogation."

No war crimes were committed against McCain. And the techniques used are, according to the president, tools to extract accurate information. And so the false confessions that McCain was forced to make were, according to the logic of the Bush administration, as accurate as the "intelligence" we have procured from "interrogating" terror suspects. Feel safer?

The cross-in-the-dirt story - although deeply fishy to any fair observer - is in the realm of the unprovable. But the actual techniques used on McCain, and the lies they were designed to legitimize, are a matter of historical record. And the government of the United States now practices the very same techniques that the Communist government of North Vietnam once proudly used against American soldiers. When they are used against future John McCains, the victims will know, in a way McCain didn't, that their own government has no moral standing to complain.

Now the kicker: in the Military Commissions Act, McCain acquiesced to the use of these techniques against terror suspects by the CIA. And so the tortured became the enabler of torture. Someone somewhere cried out in pain for the same reasons McCain once did. And McCain let it continue.

These are the prices people pay for power.

The Daily Dish By Andrew Sullivan

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Monday, August 18, 2008

Getting the Word Out on the Real John McCain

"Most working families today do not have homes that have anywhere near ten rooms. John McCain has ten houses. Many working people in America have to work two and three jobs to provide for their families and pay their car loans. John McCain hops on a private jet. Is it any wonder why McCain champions a George Bush agenda of cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy, helping oil companies turn record profits, and leaving working families to fend for themselves? McCain's velvet world leaves him utterly unprepared to make the tough choices we need to restore the middle class and ensure that everyone in America has quality, affordable health insurance."

- Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

John McCain is soaring to new heights of hypocrisy on his wife's personal jet. He flies around the country bent on duping the public into believing he's "one of them," a regular guy who can empathize with Americans facing an overwhelming economic crush. What's more, he disparages those who oppose his ridiculous policy proposals as "elitist." But who's the real elitist?

The REAL McCain is a multimillionaire who owns ten luxurious homes. The REAL McCain backs President Bush's tax cuts for big corporations. The REAL McCain empathizes only with the interests of our nation's wealthy minority, not its money-strapped majority. But far too many are buying into McCain's deceit because the corporate press won't present the whole picture, so we created this video to educate the public about the REAL McCain.

Watch the video and send it to everyone you know.

Together, you have been a force in making sure The REAL McCain videos have been seen by nearly 6.5 million people. But as Frank Rich noted in his NY Times column yesterday, 40% of Americans hear too little about McCain from the mainstream media, meaning "the public doesn't know who on earth John McCain is." That's why it's crucial you ensure this video is seen by as many as possible, and that we use each and every tool at our disposal to get the word out. Send this on to five friends and family members, and tell them to send it to five people they know. Get it to your local news outlets and blogs and networking sites like Digg. Raise hell about McCain's economic duplicity!

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney summed it up best when he said McCain "simply doesn't understand the challenges America's working families are facing because he isn't remotely affected by them." It's up to us to tell people who McCain really is, a jet-setting elitist more concerned with corporate lobbyists than hard-working Americans.

From Robert Greenwald and the Brave New team

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Thursday, August 14, 2008

What Bush is REALLY saying in his speeches

This is EXCELLENT! Exactly what Bush is really embracing as his policies -- Sorry, though, about the lewd and crude title of this short video, which doesn't match its content. It is not what I would have called it (although I might be thinking it (~.~)). Just look past the title and view the video -- I think you might agree the Idiot is finally telling the truth, albeit with a little help from a talented video creator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2hIhXrRTk&feature=related
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It's-all-about-us Clintons take over the Dem. convention

A good column by Maureen Dowd re. the Clintons taking over the Democratic convention:  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/opinion/13dowd.html

Dowd has it right.  I'd love to see Obama lower the boom on these two hog-the-limelight spoiled brats.  Between them and John Edwards, the Dems are having to look at the narcissists in their midst -- who are trying to take down Obama.  It's not a pretty picture.

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McCain: "In the 21st century nations don't invade other(s).."

That he doesn't even realize the outrageous ridiculousness of his statement shows the man is not fit to be president. He stands there, as an American, knowing that Bush and Cheney, the White House leaders he seems to so much admire, DID INVADE another nation in the 21st century--without cause, using lies to justify that invasion. The whole world looks on, scoffing and pointing their fingers at us -- yet "leaders" like McCain, Bush, and Cheney have no sense of shame about their unjustifiable words and deeds. They live in a dark bubble of their own imagination.

McCain To Russia: "In The 21st Century Nations Don't Invade Other Nations"

From The Huffington Post

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Our Dingbat Pretzledent does it again...

Can't even be embarrassed anymore -- we've come to expect this kind of thing from him...

George W. Bush, American Idiot

(click for larger image)

BEIJING - AUGUST 10: President of the United States, George W. Bush holds up the American Flag the wrong way before wife Laura Bush instructs him to turn it around at the swimming arena at the National Aquatics Center during day 2 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 10, 2008 in Beijing, China.

Write your own caption.

From Crooks and Liars

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Short video that Karl Rove should watch, but won't

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4V4nb6OTG0

Do you remember the repulsive 2000 campaign blitz against McCain by Rove/Bush in the South Carolina primary? Rove thought it would be grand fun to worry the South Carolinians that McCain was the daddy of a black child. (McCain and Cindy had adopted an orphan from Bangladesh.) Oooo, man!...the thought of McCain being the daddy of a black baby really riled up all those self-proclaimed "Christians" down there! They went right to the polls and voted for Bush, because he is a good "Christian" man...and his daughters are pearly white. And he's just the kind of guy you love to have a beer with down at the corner bar, which makes him perfect material for being President. Rove also put rumors out and about in that state that McCain was not in his right mind -- and guess what? The "Christians" bought that one, too! No wonder Rove now thinks he can get away with anything.... so far, he has! And he's not the type to get all teary-eyed and guilt-ridden on his deathbed, like Lee Atwater did. See 3 minute video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4V4nb6OTG0 No, Rove will just keep on lying and tyrannizing others--and getting great joy from it--until he passes through the Pearly Gates (or whatever is their equivalent down below).

Don't you just love that McCain, who hated Rove and Bush for doing the terrible dirty tricks to him, now is cozy with both of them and has Rove working on his campaign, putting together more flagrant lies against Obama, similar to the ones Rove dreamed up about McCain in 2000? The black irony of it all makes me.....GAG!

It saddens me greatly that there are so many racists in this country...who will never, ever vote for a black man, or even a white man with a black adopted child -- or even a black and white man like Obama. Low consciousness prevails in many areas of the U.S. I will not live to see an overall change to a higher consciousness in our countrymen, but I hope my grandkids do. They are being raised by their parents to look beyond outer differences to see the soul inside.
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A video that the govt. doesn't want you to see

Here is an Excellent video that the powers-that-be don't want us to see.... Many won't want to believe this information. The government does its job well in putting out cover stories that the majority of the public are only too ready to swallow without investigation and without any curiosity towards finding the truth. Sad, but that's the way it is in this world of ours in the 21st century. This video has been removed from the internet many times and may not be viewable for long, so if you want to see it, you should click on it now. It is less than 10 minutes long...

http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/92.html

I could easily believe that the "witness" who speaks to the reporters was a plant by the government. He is not at all shocked or dazed in any way -- just chock full of information that he spiels off as though it had been memorized and was his part to play. And the "expert" who speaks with Dan Rather spiels off his information in the same way -- well rehearsed, already written to be fed to the public, even though it is only 33 minutes after the planes hit the buildings.

There is so much we will never know. This government, owned and run by the corporations and wealthy families who run our country and the world, will keep its secrets. Just as the UFO secrets have been kept for so many years, and the truth about the JFK, RFK, and MLK assassinations -- they will keep these secrets, too. And anyone who tries to get to the truth will be ridiculed, humiliated, and--if they persist too long--gotten rid of. I am disheartened that we the people have no control whatsoever--not even in the voting process. The corporations own the machines that supposedly "count" our votes -- and will manipulate those machines to the outcome they want. I have very little hope that Obama will be elected. McCain is the choice of the corporations that have gained so much under the Cheney/Bush administration. They are not about to let a "liberal" guy in the White House with ideas about balancing the national budget by paring down their tax breaks and other goodies granted them by the Republicans. And wars are good for the corporations -- we can't have someone in there who is going to want to try diplomacy instead of "SHOCK AND AWE" attack.

I believe McCain will be the "winner" no matter how many of us cast our votes for Obama. There will be no way for us to prove the count was wrong, because--guess what?--we don't have control over the machines. THEY do -- and we have to take their word for the vote count. That was proven to us in the past two selections, in which Gore and Kerry were the true winners. In what should be a sweeping year for the Democrats after the eight intolerable years of Bush and Cheney, you would think we'd be heading for a landslide victory for sure in this (s)election. But you'd be wrong. If you read your corporate-owned newspapers and listen to your corporate-owned TV channels and radio stations, you will hear time and again how McCain and Obama are running neck-and-neck. Those corporate owned journalists are reporting that news to you now, just as they will be reporting to you the victory of McCain over Obama in November.

And you thought you lived in a democracy? Perish that thought for once and all.
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A response from my congressman, Sam Farr


I wish all of Congress shared my congressman's views! I am disgusted with Nancy Pelosi's taking impeachment "off the table" and would like to see her defeated in the election in her district.

August 12, 2008

Thank you for contacting me regarding your frustration with the many failures of the Bush Administration.

They have wreaked havoc on this country through both their domestic policies and their international policies. Their warrentless domestic spying program, their poorly prioritized budget, the Patriot Act, their defiance of the international community in stubbornly continuing operations at Guantanamo, their condoning of torture of prisoners, their lying to the American public to get the US into Iraq and their continued mismanagement of the war, their elimination of habeas corpus - to name just a few among their many other abuses, have taken this country down a path that it will take years to recover from.

In addition to their domestic policy failures, the Bush Administration has totally alienated the US from the rest of the world. They completely disregard the opinions of other countries and have continually acted unilaterally and have jeopardized our goodwill throughout the world. The next Administration, Republican or Democrat, will need to make it a priority to restore America's standing in the world.

I share your frustration over the many failures of the Bush administration. Let me assure you that I have fought them every step of the way and will continue to work to hold this Administration accountable.

Thank you for contacting me concerning this important issue and please feel free to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,

SAM FARR

Member of Congress


Please be sure to visit my website at www.farr.house.gov.




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Monday, August 11, 2008

Large snake slithers into reporter's pants - wanted to stay there

This one is funny--such a strange world we live in (~.~)
See video: http://www.kcci.com/video/17135208/index.html
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Heartwarming story -- Pair meet and wonder: Could they be twins?

So many stories in our news these days are disheartening -- finally,
here is one to uplift the spirit:

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1146758.html

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More Constitutional Rights Going Down the Drain Soon?

Looks like the neocons feel they haven't yet done enough shredding of our Constitution, and are planning to take away even more of our rights.  Supporters of Bush, Cheney, and McCain are blind to what is being done to us, just as the Germans were blind to what Hitler was doing to them in the 1930s. Here is a forewarning from credible people in the know.  Just as Eisenhower warned us about the dangers of the military-industrial complex when he left the presidential office, we are now being warned about Internet additions to the "Patriot" Act being planned for us. 

Law Professor: Counter Terrorism Czar Told Me There Is Going To Be An i-9/11 And An i-Patriot Act

EXCERPT: 

Lawrence Lessig, a respected Law Professor from Stanford University told an audience at this year's Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference in Half Moon Bay, California, that “There’s going to be an i-9/11 event” which will act as a catalyst for a radical reworking of the law pertaining to the internet.

Lessig also revealed that he had learned, during a dinner with former government Counter Terrorism Czar Richard Clarke, that there is already in existence a cyber equivalent of the Patriot Act, an “i-Patriot Act” if you will, and that the Justice Department is waiting for a cyber terrorism event in order to implement its provisions.

The Patriot Act, as well as its lesser known follow up the Domestic Security Enhancement Act 2003, also known as USA Patriot Act II, have been universally decried by civil libertarians and Constitutional scholars from across the political spectrum. They have stripped back basic rights and handed what have been described by even the most moderate critics as “dictatorial control” over to the president and the federal government.

Many believed that the legislation was a response to the attacks of 9/11, but the reality was that the Patriot Act was prepared way in advance of 9/11 and it sat dormant, awaiting an event to justify its implementation.

In the days after the attacks it was passed in the House by a majority of 357 to 66. It passed the Senate by 98 to 1. Congressman Ron Paul (R-Tex) told the Washington Times that no member of Congress was even allowed to read the legislation.

Now we discover that exactly the same freedom restricting legislation has already been prepared for the cyber world.

READ MORE:
See: http://www.prisonplanet.com/law-professor-counter-terrorism-czar-told-me-there-is-going-to-be-an-i-911-and-an-i-patriot-act.html


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Sunday, August 10, 2008

EXCELLENT Advice for Obama! I hope he takes it!

How Obama Should Respond to the “Celebrity” Charge

By: Anonymous Liberal (From Crooks & Liars site)

Over at the The New Republic, Michael Crowley writes:

More handwringing about Obama’s optics: I see that tickets for his acceptance speech at Denver’s Invesco Field stadium sold out instantly. In light of the apparent traction Republicans got with their ‘Celebrity’ meme you have to wonder if the Obama team is reconsidering the wisdom of this move. I would recommend any possible stagecraft to minimize the event’s scale.

No. No. No. Crowley’s instinctive response here demonstrates much of what’s been wrong with the Democratic approach to politics over the last decade or so. Obama’s ability to draw large enthusiastic crowds is one of his chief political strengths. It is ludicrous not to showcase that strength just because your opponent has–in classic Rovian style–tried to turn it into a liability. That’s how you lose elections.

The way to deal with the “celebrity” charge is not to lower your profile; it’s to turn that charge back around on McCain. If I were advising Obama, I’d tell him to get up there in front of that sold out stadium and say the following:

My opponent has taken to calling me a “celebrity” in all of his commercials. The suggestion, I can only assume, is that all of you (gesturing to the crowd) show up at events like this and donate your time and your money to this campaign because you’re all adoring groupies who are obsessed with me. Now, that would certainly be flattering if it were true, but I’m not going to delude myself. The reality is I can’t act, I can’t sing, and my personal life is incredibly boring.

The truth is that no one would be paying any attention to me at all if I wasn’t talking about things that really matter to a lot of people. You’re not here tonight–and you’re not watching at home–because you want to be entertained. Lord knows there are plenty of things that you could be doing with your time right now that would be far more entertaining than listening to me. No, you’re here tonight because you love your country and you’re concerned about the direction it’s been heading over the last eight years.

You’re not here tonight to see what kind of outfit I’m wearing or to hear my latest hit single–and if you are, I think you’re probably going to be disappointed. No, you’re here because you want change, you want a government that fights for people like you and not on behalf of powerful special interests; you want a government that keeps you safe by pursuing a rationale foreign policy abroad and keeps your family secure by creating jobs, ensuring access to affordable health care, and fighting for energy independence.

That’s why you’re here. That’s why you’re volunteering your time at record levels. That’s why you’re contributing your hard-earned money in record amounts.

So remember, when John McCain and his surrogates call me a “celebrity,” they’re not insulting me; they’re insulting you. They’re insinuating that you are a mindless groupie rather than a concerned citizen, a fan rather than a voter.

But it’s not going to work. You know why you’re here, you know why you’re watching, and you’re much smarter than they give you credit for.

Crooks and Liars

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John McCain's Slips and Blunders

John McCain’s Greatest Campaign Hits

From time to time, I receive anti-Obama e-mails from McCain/Bush/Cheney supporters. Among many other outrageous accusations, they try to tell me that Obama is unable to speak without a teleprompter and will be done in by McCain in the debates. I consider this to be laughable (~.~), and I submit the following (from the Crooks & Liars site) as my response to them:

TPM put together this hilarious montage of John McCain’s blunders and awkward moments from the 2008 campaign trail. Do we really need four more years of this? (Haven't eight years of a dunderhead in the White House been enough?)

Can you spot any they may have missed? I can think of two: First, his creepy smirk after proclaiming at one of the GOP debates that he would follow bin Laden to the gates of hell (but presumably not into Pakistan. Go figure.); Second, his uncomfortable deer-in-the-headlights moment when he was asked about his contradictory Viagra position. Feel free to add your own via the comments.

Crooks and Liars

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Saturday, August 09, 2008

Forgery came from Cheney's office

Gee, what a surprise (NOT!) to hear that Cheney is a manipulating conniving liar who created a forged letter to justify the Iraq invasion! IMPEACHMENT should be on the table, Ms. Pelosi!!!

Tape: Top CIA Official Confesses To 9/11-Iraq War Forgery Came From White House

Raw Story:

A forged letter linking Saddam Hussein to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks was ordered on White House stationery and probably came from the office of Vice President Dick Cheney, according to a new transcript of a conversation with the Central Intelligence Agency’s former Deputy Chief of Clandestine Operations Robert Richer.

The transcript was posted Friday by author Ron Suskind of an interview conducted in June. It comes on the heels of denials by both the White House and Richer of a claim Suskind made in his new book, The Way of The World. The book was leaked to Politico’s Mike Allen on Monday, and released Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the White House released a statement on Richer’s behalf. In it, Richer declared, “I never received direction from George Tenet or anyone else in my chain of command to fabricate a document … as outlined in Mr. Suskind’s book.”

The denial, however, directly contradicts Richer’s own remarks in the transcript.

“Now this is from the Vice President’s Office is how you remembered it–not from the president?” Suskind asked.

“No, no, no,” Richer replied, according to the transcript. “What I remember is George [Tenet] saying, ‘we got this from’–basically, from what George said was ‘downtown.’”

“Which is the White House?” Suskind asked.

“Yes,” Richer said. “But he did not–in my memory–never said president, vice president, or NSC. Okay? But now–he may have hinted–just by the way he said it, it would have–'cause almost all that stuff came from one place only: Scooter Libby and the shop around the vice president.”

“But he didn’t say that specifically,” Richer added. “I would naturally–I would probably stand on my, basically, my reputation and say it came from the vice president.”

“But there wasn’t anything in the writing that you remember saying the vice president,” Suskind continued.

“Nope,” Richer said.

“It just had the White House stationery.”

“Exactly right.”

Later, Richer added, “You know, if you’ve ever seen the vice president’s stationery, it’s on the White House letterhead. It may have said OVP (Office of the Vice President). I don’t remember that, so I don’t want to mislead you.”

Suskind posted the transcript at his blog, saying, “This posting is contrary to my practice across 25 years as a journalist. But the issues, in this matter, are simply too important to stand as discredited in any way.” It was first picked up by ThinkProgress and Congressional Quarterly’s Jeff Stein.

But wait, there’s more…


(Read the rest of this story…)

Crooks and Liars

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Friday, August 08, 2008

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

You couldn't make this stuff up!

McCain suggests his wife Cindy could be Miss Buffalo Chips -- in a topless and sometimes bottomless contest. See videos:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/05/mccain-suggests-wife-part_n_117053.html

And, if that isn't ridiculous enough, how about the new Paris Hilton ad? (engendered by McCain's ad against Obama, using Paris and Britney Spears as "celebrities" to compare Obama to).
This is what we have sunk to in this latest presidential selection. Thanks, McCain! Instead of talking about the issues, with the economy falling apart, jobs gone, Iraq war still ongoing, Afghanistan war heating up, and the planet in dire straits in so many ways, we're hearing about Miss Buffalo Chips. Good GOD! This is what we can expect more of if the Republicans retain the White House, not to speak of the revelations being brought out in Ron Suskind's new book about how Bush/Cheney actually forged documents to create justification for their war against Iraq. We have gone way beyond the impeachment of Nixon, whose offenses were a small thing compared to what Bush/Cheney have done! No one died as a result of Nixon's lies and chicanery. Bush/Cheney are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR OUR CONGRESS TO GET OFF ITS DUFF AND REMOVE THESE EVIL MEN FROM OFFICE????

IMPEACHMENT NOW!
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Monday, August 04, 2008

Helen Thomas, my favorite journalist

Unlike all the other so-called "journalists," she is not afraid to ask the right questions. I wish we could clone her and tell the rest of the cowardly press corps to just go home.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, QUEEN HELEN
by Steve Young

The single word that strikes the most fear in the heart of George Bush's press secretaries, especially when it emanates directly from their own mouths:

"Helen..."

Because the next voice he'll hear is Helen's -- as in, Helen Thomas. And today the queen/dean of the Washington Press corp; the one person more than any other who has kept the spinning White House occupants and their surrogates' feet to the fire, turns a thoughtful and feisty 88 years.

You have to give Bush White House press secretaries a bit of credit for some nerve. Their boss doesn't seem to have any, because he won't dare call on Helen.

While it took most every member of the White House press corp, years of unquestioned submission to the lies supporting going into an illegal war before they began to rediscover their spine, it was Helen Thomas, one who never lost touch with hers, leading the way; even if, every so often, this president and his spokespeople forget to call on her.

"9/11 has made reporters fearful of being called unpatriotic if they asked tough questions," Thomas had told me. "Then, when we were in the war, if you asked tough questions you would be accused of jeopardizing the troops. At the same time you had some of the corporate (owners) breathing down their necks to not rock the boat."

Thomas has no question that we went to war without good reason. "It's clear that nothing was proved and you just don't send people to die without (absolutes). It's very clear this president wanted to go to war."

Thomas has never held back asking a question, but this White House has frozen her out like none other. Since Bush doesn't seem to want to go to battle with Helen, j'ever wonder what she might ask if she had the chance?

"I would ask him how he could go to war without cause," she says, obviously at the ready with the question. "How could you go to war without provocation? Of course, that's why he doesn't call on me."

And after the president evaded the question, what would be her followup?

"How could you? Don't you know what war is?" Nailed, Thomas style.

"The press is the last line of defense. If we don't ask the questions, this president could rule like a dictator. All presidents should be sassed. Who are they? We don't have to worship at their shrine. They're public officials. We pay them. They have to answer to us."

And so, thank you, Helen. Thank you for being there for the American people.

Ah, that we could have Helen Thomas around until White Houses stop spinning the truth.

That way, we'd have her forever.

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Sunday, August 03, 2008

Where Have You Gone, John?

Good column by Jonathan Alter in Newsweek: Where Have You Gone, John?
See: http://www.newsweek.com/id/150477

Many are asking the same question -- where is the "maverick" with personal integrity intact? Gone...gone...gone forever. Even his conservative supporters don't recognize him. They are just considering him the "lesser of two evils." I consider him to be a rerun of Bush/Cheney, and I agree wholeheartedly with Alter's assessment.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/150477
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McCain's War on Reality

You have to wonder about how "straight-talking" is a man who constantly gets facts wrong, misspeaks, and deliberately changes probably the most important and poignant story of his life--just to get votes. Is this really the kind of person we want in the White House? Haven't we already had a bumbling liar like that in the White House for the last EIGHT LONG YEARS???!!!!

(Read full article at: http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/16241)

McCain's War on Reality
By Allen Uthman

The guy has referred to “Czechoslovakia” at least four times this year, after it was already a minor gaffe for him in 2000. He’s called the Sudan “Somalia.” He’s referred to “President Putin of Germany.” He’s worried about the “Iraq/Pakistan border” -- perhaps an oblique reference to Iran? He doesn’t know Shiite from Sunnis, and thinks the Iranians are helping al Qaeda. He thinks the surge caused the Awakening. All of these mistakes would be deeply damaging to a less coddled candidate. But McCain is an elderly war hero, and there is a natural tendency to hold back on blasting him for his poor information retention.

But what about the football story? McCain has been telling a story, at least since he wrote it in Flags of our Fathers in 1999, of substituting the names of the Green Bay Packers defensive line for his squadron mates when pressed by Vietnamese interrogators. It’s a great story, as All-American as can be. He discussed it in 2005, when A&E did a movie version of the book, including the inspirational scene. Again in 2005, McCain used the story to illustrate how torture yields bad information. On July 9th, McCain told the story again at a press conference in Pittsburgh—only this time is was the Steelers defensive line.

Setting aside the rank stupidity of destroying a great piece of image work for a cheap hometown shoutout to a regional media market, this fib stabs at the heart of McCain’s straight-talking war hero mythology. It’s a breathtakingly brazen and completely unnecessary lie, at least as bewildering as Hillary Clinton’s “sniper fire” silliness, except that Hillary wasn’t running as a special forces agent. It calls into question every unconfirmed detail about McCain’s POW years—how many other stories is he just making up? And what kind of man would sully his service with such pointless embellishments? But, dissimilarly to Hillary’s sniper snafu, McCain’s Packers/Steelers switcheroo slid by largely unnoticed, chuckled at by the media momentarily and tossed away. And they’re in the tank for Obama?

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Friday, August 01, 2008

George Bush, War Criminal -- Not a Wild Theory Anymore

Watch this video! America, under Bush, has much to account for.
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/387.html
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Baby Moose Twins and a Sprinkler -- what a sweet video!!!




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