Top Focus Before 9/11 Wasn't on Terrorism (washingtonpost.com)

OOPS! seems Condosleezza Rice wasn't exactly on top of middle east terrorism in 2001. here you can see her on thoughts about what our real threats were BACK in 2001 and how she thinks we should deal with them. this doesn't make her look too 'on top of her game' as they say.

An FYI from Harpers

It was found that health-care lobbyists spent $237 million lobbying Congress in 2000, more than every other industry combined; drug companies spent $96 million, quite a bit more than other medical sectors.

A Mouse in the House: Part 2

Mr. Mooch and i were FINALLY about to call it a night. just as we were headng down the call Mr. Mooch heard something. it was our cat SOCKS chasing the mouse. now, this is my first time to actually see a cat chase a mouse, and let me tell you....it was PATHETIC! it was an OJ style stroll. i'm thinking, "CRAP! is this cat trying to figure out what to do?" about that time, the mouse turns up the heat. She starts to FLY down the hall, when...oop. she falls down the vent for the floor heater.

DAMN! that mouse HAD to have eaten some of the poison we put out. now its down in some crack, and we'll have to take the damn thing apart just to get it out again. I don't mind pest, but i do have an aversion to corpses of most types. damn! I'm leaving this job for Mr. Mooch!

Paying the Cost to be the Boss...

I had a great weekend.

With the wife out of town on her job, i decided to go visit my family in The Mississippi Delta and then ease on up to one of my favorite places--MEMPHIS. I'd planned to see the Stax Museum, but McLemore Ave. is having some MAJOR construction done, so i couldn't physically get to it. a Disappointment.

Before i left Jackson, i had my FILTHY car washed to a red that looked like wet nail polish it was so pretty. I hit the road beaming, dead set on having a good time. when i got into memphis, i had an experience that bordered on the surreal. I often head up 3rd Street which leads to the Stax Records Museum and studio. not supprisingly, if you leave the "crossroads" around my home town of Clarksdale and travel on HWY 61, it turns into 3rd Street and runs right into the heart of Memphis Soul Music at Stax (both literally, figuratively, and metaphysically). Its not a great part of town, but its not as bad as others. foolish or not i've never really been uncomfortable in the 'bad' parts of town. the first chance i get, i put down the top and drive into memphis.

I love the city. i like the way it looks, even the worst parts. i like the people. i just like it. I'm cruising up 3rd and i'm playing some James Brown:

Paying the Cost to be the Boss
I'm paying the cost, to be the BOSS....

as i pass through intersections, something is happening. Some people are noticing me. I seem to be sticking out. Some of it is obvious. I'm the only one in a bright red car. i'm the only white face. i'm the only one playing JB loud enough to be heard on the sidewalk. I'm the only one who's tag reads "DEMCRAT". For various reasons, i'm drawing attention, and you know what? its all good. people are smiling and waving at me from the sidewalk. people in cars are rolling down their windows to wave at me and say "hi!"

Then there's the capper. I'm at a red light, just before i get to Stax. A mustang pulls up beside me. the driver looks over at me. he nods. i smile and nod back. James Brown is still singing:

Look at me.
Know what you see?
You see a BAD mother!

At this point, the guy's buddy makes him open the door. the guy gets out of the Mustang and comes to me for the sole purpose of reaching over to slap me five.

Jesus. I felt so cool i was getting self-conscious about it. a damn fine day.

Look at me.
Know what you see?
You see a BAD mother!

Demonstrators Swarm Around Rove's Home

"Several hundred people stormed the small yard of President Bush's chief political strategist, Karl Rove, yesterday afternoon, pounding on his windows, shoving signs at others and challenging Rove to talk to them about a bill that deals with educational opportunities for immigrants.

The crowd then grew more aggressive, fanning around the three accessible sides of Rove's house, tracking him through the many windows, waving signs that read "Say Yes to DREAM" and pounding on the glass. At one point, Rove rushed to a window, pointed a finger and yelled something inaudible. "

Palacios said that Rove was "very upset" and was "yelling in our faces" and that Rove told them "he hoped we were proud to make his 14-year-old and 10-year-old cry."

A White House spokesman said one of the children was a neighbor.

Palacios, trembling and in tears herself, said, "He is very offended because we dared to come here. We dared to come here because he dared to ignore us. I'm sorry we disturbed his children, but our children are disturbed every day.


I'm sure Karl Rove isn't used to this sort of reaction. its nice to see him getting some heat from the people who suffer under his policies.

HOLY CRAP!!

For all his religious pandering, i find it funny that the Bush Campaign gets upset when Kerry uses scripture in campaigning. Bush Spokesman Steve Schmidt says, "was beyond the bounds of acceptable discourse and a sad exploitation of Scripture for a political attack."

So what's the HORRIBLE line Kerry used? It's James 2:14, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?"

someone feeling a little guilty?

This campaign talking about the exploitation of Christianity for political gain is utterly laughable.

Condi's Secret

OK, Condoleeza Rice has refused to testify before the 9/11 commission because the questions asked might get into national security issues. So why is she on EVERY network under the sun talking about the VERY things she can't talk about with the 9/11 commission? it was 60 minutes tonite. Sorry Condi, this just isn't passing the smell test.

Delay Indictment

Seems Tom DeLay (R-TX) may be stepping down from his role as House Majority leader if he is infact indicted on campaign finance abuses. According to Roll Call, there are "quiet discussions with a handful of colleagues about the possibility that he will have to step down from his leadership post temporarily if he is indicted by a Texas grand jury investigating alleged campaign finance abuses."

Evidently DeLay's PAC has been spending hundreds of thousands more than they are reporting. oops!

Couldn't happen to a worse guy.

Gotta Leave that 9 to 5 up on the Shelf...

I like Off the Wall by Michael Jackson. it makes me think of eating at Wendy's in the 70s where i could get little cups of ketchup where i could dip my fries. it seemed like they always played the singles from that album...oh, and Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder. man they always played those tunes.

I also like the old wendy's tables. they were coverd with these old print ads from way back when. i was facinated.

ANOHTER DAY AT THE CAPITOL...


I work with Mr. Mooch at the capitol. he likes it there because it's pretty and there's lots of places to climb under the dome. Besides that, it's where he and I earn our money. We try to keep an idea of what's going on with Bills that might help or hurt consumers and then steer them to their proper demise (or salvation). Our Governor wants to cut the healthcare of about 65 million poor people in this state, and they're none to happy about it.

The AARP had a BIG rally there at the capitol today and this came at the same time as the State Community Colleges. both together pretty much had the capitol filled to the dome and made it nearly impossible for me to do my job, this i retire back her to the CPU to dispatch some digital persuasion to the folks that need it. Mr. Mooch can do this stuff better than i can. i operate much better in person.

Fortunately for us, the Speaker of the House is a good man and he makes our job a lot easier. this is not to REMOTELY say he's 'for us' or that he's even 'on our side'. he's not really...at least not as much as he's for doing the RIGHT THING. Luckily we just happen to both be trying to DO the right thing and i benefit from that stroke of luck. i like the speaker, and the speaker...well, i have no idea if he likes me. he stays above the political fray (which its my job to be in) and you know what? that's fine with me.

FUNNY

oh, his is GREAT!! (toon)

It's the Tax Cuts, Stupid!

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published some of its calculations last week. It shows that the budget deficit is, for the most part, a result of Bush's Tax Cuts and Spending Increases.

"But what about the economic turn-down?" you ask.

Well, the CBO estimates that around 6% is from economic weakness.

oh, and while in case you missed it...

Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency EPA revealed that the administration will not perform scientific studies to determine the effects of its new mercury emissions policy. Oddly, the policy was written, for the most part, by the industries
responsible for most mercury pollution.

Ah, it must feel good to simply trust.

Taken for a ride by Bush

Seems Aleksander Kwasniewski, the president of Poland, had this to say about the Bush Whitehouse:

"That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride."

Guess he's part of the coalition of the duped.

RECUSAL REFUSAL--Motions, Motorcycles and the Mississippi Supreme Court Create Controversy

An ABA Journal ereport BY STEPHANIE FRANCIS WARD

Justices on the Mississippi Supreme Court are revved up about a motorcycle-riding ex-colleague and his son-in-law's recusal request.

It all started in 2001 with a $71 million verdict against Washington Mutual Finance Group. A jury found that the institution had asked customers to renew loans without disclosing additional charges.

The lawyer for the plaintiff customers, Shane F. Langston of Jackson, is the son-in-law of C.R. "Chuck" McRae, who until January 2004 was a judge on the Mississippi Supreme Court. Which in itself is not remarkable, except that Washington Mutual is appealing the verdict to the state high court.

After McRae left the court, a motion for recusal was filed. Which in itself is not remarkable, except that it wasn't filed by Washington Mutual on the basis of Langston's relation to McRae. Langston filed the motion, claiming in part that the court was biased against him because of bad blood between him, McRae, five other justices on the court and his wife, Rebecca Langston, McRae's daughter.

Here's what happened: Last year, Chief Justice Edwin Lloyd Pittman filed a complaint against McRae with the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. Joining him in the complaint were four other justices. Rebecca Langston, who practices law with her husband Shane, represented her father before the commission.

The complaint alleges that after losing his bid for re-election to the court, McRae allegedly said to Pittman, "I have 369 days left in my term, and I
intend to have fun on every one of them. I'm going to call you 'Li'l Tadpole' every day that I can." The complaint goes on to allege that McRae threatened to whip Pittman, disrupted the court and refused to step down in matters that involved his family members.

Nevertheless, the court is unbiased and capable of judging the issues, Pittman says. He wrote the Feb. 5 decision denying the recusal motion in Washington Mutual Finance Group v. Blackmon, No. 2001-CA-01911-SCT. The opinion focuses on case law that presumes judges are qualified and unbiased, unless a party can offer evidence that produces reasonable doubt about the validity of that presumption.

"Unless the antagonism is extreme and clearly demonstrated, or unless the animosity so demonstrated is coupled with other prejudicial circumstances, recusal is not mandated," Pittman wrote for the court. "The recusal mechanism must be guarded carefully to check its use as a weapon to be wielded in a campaign to maneuver onto more favorable fields of battle."

The court also rejected Langston's allegations that the five justices are biased in favor of another lawyer, W. Scott Welch III, who submitted an amicus
> brief for the Mississippi Bankers Association on behalf of Washington Mutual. Langston contended the five justices sought Welch's services after McRae served subpoenas on them in the matter before the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance.

Ultimately, Welch's law firm declined to represent the five, but not before he ghostwrote two motions for them, according to Langston. One sought a protective order, and another asked the commission to appoint Welch and his law partner as special counsel for the McRae matter. Welch would not comment on the case.

Meanwhile, the commission is still deciding whether McRae should be sanctioned, says Brant Brantley, executive director of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance. The agency found the evidence was insufficient to warrant an interim suspension of McRae, however, in findings of fact issued last Halloween.

The commission said evidence did not support allegations that McRae had refused to recuse himself in matters involving his family. And while the commission did conclude that McRae threatened to whip Pittman, the chief justice did not feel threatened, the opinion said. The commission also concluded that McRae's colleagues were partly to blame for the situation, citing admissions by McRae, Pittman and a third justice that they all had used inappropriate language.

Brantley would not say if the commission is considering sanctions for other supreme court members.

The controversy hasn't broken McRae's stride-or his spirit. He is currently undertaking the "Chuck McRae World Tour," traveling across the globe on a tricked-out motorcycle.

Before leaving the bench and the state, however, McRae donned an American flag-print bandanna and a leather vest and drove his cycle through the marble halls of the courthouse, posting photos of his deed on his personal Web site, chuckmcrae.com. Also posted is a photo of Pittman looking agitated and holding a copy of Forbes magazine, which features McRae on his motorcycle.

Meanwhile, Langston says he plans to petition the court for rehearing, saying he will never get a fair hearing from the five justices who filed a complaint against McRae.

And for the record, Langston says he does not know if McRae actually did call Pittman a "Li'l Tadpole."



©2004 ABA Journal

OPERATION IGNORE!

A handy little graph to guide you through the White House actions in "Operation Ignore"!

Center for American Progress

A Myth vs. Fact sheet from The Center for American Progress:

CLAIM #1: “Richard Clarke had plenty of opportunities to tell us in the administration that he thought the war on terrorism was moving in the wrong direction and he chose not to.” - National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04

FACT: Clarke sent a memo to Rice principals on 1/24/01 marked “urgent” asking for a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with an impending Al Qaeda attack. The White House acknowledges this, but says “principals did not need to have a formal meeting to discuss the threat.” No meeting occurred until one week before 9/11. - White House Press Release, 3/21/04

CLAIM #2: “The president returned to the White House and called me in and said, I've learned from George Tenet that there is no evidence of a link between Saddam Hussein and 9/11.” - National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04

FACT: If this is true, then why did the President and Vice President repeatedly claim Saddam Hussein was directly connected to 9/11? President Bush sent a letter to Congress on 3/19/03 saying that the Iraq war was permitted specifically under legislation that authorized force against “nations, organizations, or persons who planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11.” Similarly, Vice President Cheney said on 9/14/03 that “It is not surprising that people make that connection” between Iraq and the 9/11 attacks, and said “we don’t know” if there is a connection.

CLAIM #3: "[Clarke] was moved out of the counterterrorism business over to the cybersecurity side of things." - Vice President Dick Cheney on Rush Limbaugh, 3/22/04

FACT: "Dick Clarke continued, in the Bush Administration, to be the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and the President's principle counterterrorism expert. He was expected to organize and attend all meetings of Principals and Deputies on terrorism. And he did." - White House Press Release, 3/21/04

CLAIM #4: “In June and July when the threat spikes were so high…we were at battle stations…The fact of the matter is [that] the administration focused on this before 9/11.” – National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04

FACT: “Documents indicate that before Sept. 11, Ashcroft did not give terrorism top billing in his strategic plans for the Justice Department, which includes the FBI. A draft of Ashcroft's ‘Strategic Plan’ from Aug. 9, 2001, does not put fighting terrorism as one of the department's seven goals, ranking it as a sub-goal beneath gun violence and drugs. By contrast, in April 2000, Ashcroft's predecessor, Janet Reno, called terrorism ‘the most challenging threat in the criminal justice area.’” - Washington Post, 3/22/04

CLAIM #5: “The president launched an aggressive response after 9/11.” – National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, 3/22/04

FACT: “In the early days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Bush White House cut by nearly two-thirds an emergency request for counterterrorism funds by the FBI, an internal administration budget document shows. The papers show that Ashcroft ranked counterterrorism efforts as a lower priority than his predecessor did, and that he resisted FBI requests for more counterterrorism funding before and immediately after the attacks.” – Washington Post, 3/22/04

CLAIM #6: "Well, [Clarke] wasn't in the loop, frankly, on a lot of this stuff…” - Vice President Dick Cheney, 3/22/04

FACT: "The Government's interagency counterterrorism crisis management forum (the Counterterrorism Security Group, or "CSG") chaired by Dick Clarke met regularly, often daily, during the high threat period." - White House Press Release, 3/21/04

CLAIM #7: "[Bush] wanted a far more effective policy for trying to deal with [terrorism], and that process was in motion throughout the spring." - Vice President Dick Cheney on Rush Limbaugh, 3/22/04

FACT: “Bush said [in May of 2001] that Cheney would direct a government-wide review on managing the consequences of a domestic attack, and 'I will periodically chair a meeting of the National Security Council to review these efforts.' Neither Cheney's review nor Bush's took place.” - Washington Post, 1/20/02

Charlize Theron is about to play Jinx, based on the comic by Brian Michael Bendis.

So You Want to Be an Author?

Interesting insights from someone in the industry. VERY eye opening if you ever just thought about writing a book.

2004 NCAA Tournament

With my Bulldogs out of it and Kentucky getting bounced too, only a handful of the "Top" teams in the nation are still alive. I guess this is the year of the underdog. ok, here's my picks:

I'm pulling for Vanderbilt and Alabama from the SEC with a sympathetic nod to vandy for losing so much in Football. outside that, you gotta love UAB for being a giant slayer.

That being said, the safe money is on Duke and St. Joe, which i don't care for. Duke IS from the south, but they've won enough of these things! i'm pulling for the underdogs for now.

More from Richard Clarke and 60 Minutes

I figured i'd post some of these sour nuggets:

"Clarke was the president's chief adviser on terrorism, yet it wasn't until Sept. 11 that he ever got to brief Mr. Bush on the subject. Clarke says that prior to Sept. 11, the administration didn't take the threat seriously.

'We had a terrorist organization that was going after us! Al Qaeda. That should have been the first item on the agenda. And it was pushed back and back and back for months.

'There's a lot of blame to go around, and I probably deserve some blame, too. But on January 24th, 2001, I wrote a memo to Condoleezza Rice asking for, urgently -- underlined urgently -- a Cabinet-level meeting to deal with the impending al Qaeda attack. And that urgent memo-- wasn't acted on.

'I blame the entire Bush leadership for continuing to work on Cold War issues when they back in power in 2001. It was as though they were preserved in amber from when they left office eight years earlier. They came back. They wanted to work on the same issues right away: Iraq, Star Wars. Not new issues, the new threats that had developed over the preceding eight years.' "


Al Franken goes into GREAT detail regarding all these matters in his most recent book. it's a little suprising just how informed that book is concerning the dates and actions of various members of the Bush Administration. Clarke confirms that some of the most important meetings were put off until it was too late:

Finally, says Clarke, "The cabinet meeting I asked for right after the inauguration took place-- one week prior to 9/11."

This further cements my view that being wrong, being THIS wrong, has made the VP irrational in his willingness to see terrorists behind every tree. the zealousness he shows, comes out of the fear he's going to miss it again and so he overreacts in all the wrong directions. this is why he almost seems in denial about WMD and the Iraq-Al Qaeda connections. he's been scared and he wants to see those connections regardless of what the reality. its like a man in shock, rocking himself, saying some reassuring fact to himself over and over so that he can find some certainty.

i exaggerate, but in a way i do not. speaking of life in denial:

As for the alleged pressure from Mr. Bush to find an Iraq-9/11 link, Stephen Hadley (Bush's National Security Council) says, "We cannot find evidence that this conversation between Mr. Clarke and the president ever occurred."

When told by Stahl that 60 Minutes has two sources who tell us independently of Clarke that the encounter happened, including "an actual witness," Hadley responded, "Look, I stand on what I said."

Sure you do Stephen, and America thanks you for watching out for us.

CBS News | Did Bush Press For Iraq-9/11 Link? |

a somewhat frightening look from the nation's top counter terrorism expert. He goes into detail about how the white house operates and how despertate they were to connect 9/11 to iraq--no matter what the facts actually said.

SI.com - No. 7 Xavier drills 13 3s to stun No. 2 Miss. State

Seems we are one of the 3 upsets this week. there's always next year for the MSU bulldogs!

MOUSE!

for the first time in my life i have a mouse in the house. Mr. Mooch refuses to deal with it and my cat 'socks' seems to have lost its previous killer instinct (once killing a GIANT Rat and leaving it in our toilet -- GOOD MORNING!). well, tonite, the mouse (i assume) brushed past my foot and scared the bu-jezus outta me. i have to get a trap. damn mouse!

NEW RULE

It's Bill Maher it's funny and it's technically true. that's all i'm going to say. click the link.

Great Fight Leading into the Big Bout

You know, i got to thinking...assuming we get a strong VP candidate (and we better), i can't WAIT to see the Cheney v. ________ VP debates. that guy rarely comes out of his "secured undisclosed location" long enough for anyone to question him on the last 4 years worth of policy he's been hawking. He's been one of the strongest proponents of every bad move this nation has made in the last 4 years and i cannot wait to hear ANYONE take him to task for it. i'm getting excited just thinking about it.

Reading this article by Joe Conason got me thinking about all of this. most noteworthy is this sum-up of some very striking flaw's in the VP's attempts to do his job:

In his speech at the Reagan Library, Cheney insinuated that the likely Democratic nominee would prove "entirely inadequate" in the fight against international terrorism, because he supposedly doesn't realize that we are "at war" with al-Qaida. In fact, Cheney himself is deeply vulnerable on this very point, if the Democrats have the courage to mention what he did -- or, more important, didn't do -- in the months before Sept. 11, 2001.

It was Cheney who dismissed the warnings of truly imminent danger from the previous administration's national security officials. It was Cheney who ignored the years of painstaking work by the Hart-Rudman Commission, insisting that he would chair his own anti-terror task force. It was Cheney who failed to act on that pledge between May 2001, when the president announced that he would head the administration's counterterror effort, and September, when catastrophe struck. No wonder he tried to bully the Congress into abandoning any investigation of 9/11.

very good joe, very good.

Scandal after scandal after scandal

Remember all your GOP pals saying Clinton had the most scandalous Presidency in history? Well, the Carpetbagger Report put together a little GOP list for us:

* Cheney's secretive Energy Task Force was investigated by the GAO and the case is currently pending at the Supreme Court.

* The Plame Game is under investigation by the Justice Department.

* Bush's Medicare scam and the circumstances that led the administration to lie to Congress about the cost of the legislation is under investigation by the HHS inspector general's office.

* The massive intelligence failure that led Bush to lie to the world about the Iraqi threat is under investigation by a congressionally-authorized independent commission (which Bush fought the creation of).

* Bribes offered on the House floor to Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) in exchange for his vote on Bush's Medicare plan are under investigation by the House Ethics Committee and the Justice Department.

* Attorney General John Ashcroft was under investigation by the Federal Election Commission for violating campaign finance laws in 2000, and the FEC concluded that Ashcroft accepted $110,000 in illegal contributions.

* An investigation into House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's criminal fundraising schemes in Texas -- which allegedly used corporate funds to help state GOP lawmakers -- is already before a Texas grand jury.

* Republican staffers on the Senate Judiciary Committee were investigated for stealing thousands of confidential memos from Dem computers, a matter that has now been referred to the Justice Department for a possible criminal probe.

* Republican Connecticut Gov. John Rowland is under a criminal investigation (and an impeachment investigation) after he lied about prominent state contractors and several government aides paying for refurbishments to his lake-front cottage.

* Former Rep. Bill Janklow (R-S.D.) was under investigation for vehicular manslaughter, a crime for which he was later convicted.

* The Pentagon launched a formal investigation into well-armed evangelist and three-star General William "Jerry" Boykin, Bush's pick for deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and his record of extreme religious rhetoric.

* The circumstances that led to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 are under investigation by a congressionally-authorized independent commission (which, again, Bush fought the creation of and then later resisted cooperating with).

* And honorable mentions should go, of course, to investigations into Halliburton (Dick Cheney's former company) and Enron (George Bush's biggest corporate supporter).

um, remember the one unifying theme of the Clinton scandals? they didn't actually have an effect on the lives of everyday americans. These on the other hand...

Oh, while you're at it, look here for the Washington Post's list of GOP slime, just in the Congress.

Abortion

The Bush Justice Department is trying to prosecute people who provide abortions. keep that in mind if you plan to vote this year.

Terror expert: Rumsfeld urged Iraq bombing over 9/11

I'm going to beat a few more dead horses here. It seems Richard A. Clarke, former White House Counter-Terrorism coordinator reveals Donald Rumsfeld planned an attack on Iraq immediately after 9/11. What's the most interesting exchange between clarke and Rummy?

'Rumsfeld was saying we needed to bomb Iraq,' Clarke said. 'We all said, 'But no, no, al-Qaida is in Afghanistan.'

Rumsfeld complained in the meeting that "there aren't any good targets in Afghanistan and there are lots of good targets in Iraq."


i have to wonder if our soldiers get to die anywhere else because the targets look good. He continues:

"I think they wanted to believe that there was a connection" between Iraq and the al-Qaida attacks in the United States, Clarke said in an interview segment that CBS broadcast Friday evening. "There's just no connection. There's absolutely no evidence that Iraq was supporting al-Qaida."

Clarke will be on 60 Minutes this Sunday.

OH, on a side note, look at this little nugget of strategery from Bush:

"One of the things I wasn't going to allow to happen is, that we weren't going to let their previous experience in this theater dictate a rational course for a new war," Bush told Woodward for his 2002 book, "Bush at War."

yeah georgie, what in the world would THEY know about Iraq.

one word: incompetent

The 'Coalition of Willing' Ain't so Willing!

3 more countries seem to be moving towards leaving our little quagmire in Iraq.

MADE IN BURMA!

OH, this is RICH! Bush is personally helping the out-sourcing of america by selling Bush/Cheney '04 goods made in BURMA! "So he won't buy american, big deal?" you say...Wellll, the big deal is that the Bush White House made it ILLEGAL to buy such goods from Burma as punishment for their dictatorship's actions in the past. How Pro-American is that? he won't 'buy american' and he will buy from the very country he's trying to punish!

heh.

Rummy Plays Dumb.

Big Gray asked before if the White House really said that Iraq was an immanent threat. At the time i found a random quote or 2 and mentioned that the exact word 'immanent' was used, but added that it didn't matter because that was the clear position stated over and over by the white house, and it would be semantical to get into the use of the particular word.

Well, Donald Rumsfeld was asked that question on Face the Nation this week. I saw the clip and read the transcript--its pretty funny to watch him squirm, actually--and i decided to add it here. at this point it seems like i'm piling on, since it's been posted elsewhere, but here you go:

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, let me just ask you this. If they did not have these weapons of mass destruction, though, granted all of that is true, why then did they pose an immediate threat to us, to this country?
RUMSFELD: Well, you're the--you and a few other critics are the only people I've heard use the phrase 'immediate threat.' I didn't. The president didn't. And it's become kind of folklore that that's--that's what's happened. The president went...
SCHIEFFER: You're saying that nobody in the administration said that.
RUMSFELD: I--I can't speak for nobody--everybody in the administration and say nobody said that.
SCHIEFFER: Vice president didn't say that? The...
RUMSFELD: Not--if--if you have any citations, I'd like to see 'em.
TOM FRIEDMAN: We have one here. It says 'some have argued that the nu'--this is you speaking--'that the nuclear threat from Iraq is not imminent, that Saddam is at least five to seven years away from having nuclear weapons. I would not be so certain.'
RUMSFELD: And--and...
FRIEDMAN: It was close to imminent.
RUMSFELD: Well, I've--I've tried to be precise, and I've tried to be accurate. I'm s--suppose I've...
FRIEDMAN: 'No terrorist state poses a greater or more immediate threat to the security of our people and the stability of the world and the regime of Saddam Hussein in Iraq.'
RUMSFELD: Mm-hmm. It--my view of--of the situation was that he--he had--we--we believe, the best intelligence that we had and other countries had and that--that we believed and we still do not know--we will know.

I'm sorry, but this isn't faulty intelligence and this isn't getting caught up on your words. this is Rumsfeld, the guy known for being so no-nonsense, and he's outright lying to cover his rear. at what point do we finally say that the emperor isn't wearing any clothes?

Mr Mooch for Senate!!

As Some of you know, Mr. Mooch is planning on running for State Senate in the very near future. I was bouncing some ideas off him last nite and I think he wants to go with a Saul Bass/Catch Me If You Can inspired look for his signs and logo. maybe a Blue, lighter blue and white sign with an Arrow in it somewhere pointing to the right.

my reservation for Mr. Mooch? I'm afriad of campaign Signs that aren't red, white, and blue. i'm always afraid they are bad luck. maybe a red union bug? that might do the trick!

Powell Reassures India on Technology Jobs

THANK GOD someone from the administration put India's fears to rest. Nope, you don't have to worry, India, we have PLENTY of technology jobs to send your way! we'll just busy ourselves constructing burgers.

Sen. Joe Biden says he would support a Kerry-McCain ticket

Well, it seems more than one person is talking about John McCain (R, AZ) as a VP nominee in a "Unity ticket". Now THAT would be unprecedented. while the likelyhood is low, this illustrates how good it would be to wait on picking a VP. you have time to build anticipation. when you pick a VP they can start to attack him, but until then, its all giddy anticipation. from the show:

"Matthews: Let me ask you. Do you think McCain is seriously - and I mean this
professionally - flirting with the idea of accepting a second place on the
ticket with John Kerry, and creating a fusion ticket to run against the
President.

Biden: .....I think that this is time for unity in this country, and maybe it
is time to have a guy like John McCain - a Republican - on the ticket with a guy
he does like. They do get along. And they don't have fundamental disagreements
on major policies.

Matthews: Would you support that ticket ... for President?

Biden: I would. Yeah. If John Kerry said that's who he wanted, and McCain -
I'd encourage McCain to say yes. I doubt whether John would do it. I doubt
whether John McCain would do it. But, you know, we need some unity here, man.
The red states and the blue states - we got to have something to coalesce around
here.

Matthews: Well hearing you now Senator, he may say yes. Thank you very much.
Senator Joe Biden of Delaware. Ranking Democrat on Foreign Relations.

Biden also claims that foreign leaders have told him personally that they want a
change of administration..."

I know it may be politically embarassing (especially if they get cold feet later on and deny it) but i'd like to see the names of these foreign leaders that want bush out. Bush's response so far has been "WHO ARE THEY?" like a kid wondering who's gossiping on the playground about him! i'll give you a hint bushie...its the bulk of the world's leaders that would prefer to deal w/ anyone but you.

It's like a LIE rollodex!

Congressman Waxman (D, Ca) has put together a database of the administration's lies on Iraq. you can even select your liar, subject, or keyword for ease of use!

Mississippi Courts in the New York Times:

Justice Diaz of the MS Supreme Court has been indicted by a federal prosecutor on bribary charges. The case is quickly revealing itself as bogus and political, but the NYTimes does a fine job illustrating this in one sentence:

"The government's theory is that Justice Diaz reciprocated indirectly, by joining a unanimous ruling in favor of Mr. Minor's father, who was a defendant in a libel case."

so let me get this straight, the PAYOFF was to join in a case where his opinion could sway nothing? and this case did not involve the person accused of making a payoff? I'm sorry, but when the Judge's actions can in no way effect the matter...well, this just doesn't pass the smell test.

ONE HOUR

The Commission looking into 9/11 wants to talk to the President about what happened. after stonewalling for over a year, he agreed to meet, but ONLY with the Committee Chair and Vice Chair, and only for an hour. There has been a great outcry from many sectors over these limitations which culminated in John Kerry recent comment. Kerry noted that the President had more time for a Rodeo Photo Op than he did for the 9/11 commission.

Well, it looks like Kerry's charge on the President hit him right where it hurt--in the Opinion Polls. I guess that doesn't sell to well in Peoria. the time limit has now been removed.

Bush just can't help himself!

Back in 2002 the President announced:

"I have no ambition whatsoever to use this as a political issue."

If you were still holding on to the idea that this is the truth, you can let go now. we are now 3 weeks into the President's first ad campaign using the images of 9/11 as a selling point for his re-election. in this case, he pitches himself while images of a fire fighter's flag-draped stretcher is carried out of Ground Zero. nice.

"WAIT!" you say. sad as it is, that's news and you can't expect the president to avoid talking about the real issues of the day? right?
Okey Doke. So, it turns out this scene was actually filmed using ACTORS. so does it get a disclaimer saying "No real vitims were used in the exploitation of this tragedy"?

Oh, but wait. there's more. Bush attends the Groundbreaking for the 9/11 memorial site THEN held a $1.6 million campaign fundraiser at the very same park that very same day.

You have to wonder how it feels to try to ride into office on the backs of the dead.

BLACKLISTED for getting hurt by a Doctor!

Seems a TX company was creating an internet blacklist of patients that have won Medical Malpractice awards. this was to be a tool to help doctors avoid treating these people. Of course this comes from the assumption that any malpractice plaintiff was wrong or lying. These doctors would be better served pointing the magnifying glass at their own ranks in order to weed out the bad eggs. think that'll happen?

Sadly, this is one of many such Blacklist websites out there. some of the worst target Doctors who've testified against Defendant Doctors who've been found to have maimed or killed their patients.

Missteps Worry Bush Supporters:

It seems that each week comes with a new blunder for the president and each one is weighing him down. the White House's chief economist says job "outsourcing" is a good idea when millions are unemployed, a new Manufacturing Czar is to be named and then we find he's been moving his own business's jobs to Red China, and reports that he threatened to fire Economists if they told anyone he was knowingly using budget numbers that were hundreds of billions of dollars off in order to sell it. Furthermore, THAT's just the economic mis-steps.

Many of these items may be small potatoes on their own, but the fact that they keep piling on is making some real trouble for the supporters who really like the guy, even though they may not drink the Kook-Aid, if you know what i mean. Personally, i Feel this is the President's M.O. catching up with him. you can only pander to the politically expedient for so long. you can only act without real justification for a certain length of time before someone starts to catch on...and decides they don't like it.

FOR EXAMPLE, TAX CUTS: in 2000 it was what we 'deserved' because 'its your money' and the govenment had 'over collected' (nevermind the debt we weren't paying off). after 9/11 the same cuts were to boost the sagging economy. when that didn't happen and we fell into the worst recession since the Great depression, we heard "whew! think how bad it would've been if we didn't have these tax cuts!"

I'm not against tax cuts, per se...what i am against is the revolving rationale to do things that might just be irresponsible. you keep that up and you're going to be doing something for the wrong reason, inevitably. For the sake of staying on message, the White House has gutted itself of its (arguably) bright minds, or made them powerless (Powell, Whitman, etc). this has made for a cohesive administration, but also one devoid of real analysis and creative problem solving. It is as if someone thought reading a political flier over and over was somehow a subsitute for actually governing.

Missteps Worry Bush Supporters:

It seems that each week comes with a new blunder for the president and each one is weighing him down. the White House's chief economist says job "outsourcing" is a good idea when millions are unemployed, a new Manufacturing Czar is to be named and then we find he's been moving his own business's jobs to Red China, and reports that he threatened to fire Economists if they told anyone he was knowingly using budget numbers that were hundreds of billions of dollars off in order to sell it. Furthermore, THAT's just the economic mis-steps.

Many of these items may be small potatoes on their own, but the fact that they keep piling on is making some real trouble for the supporters who really like the guy, even though they may not drink the Kook-Aid, if you know what i mean. Personally, i Feel this is the President's M.O. catching up with him. you can only pander to the politically expedient for so long. you can only act without real justification for a certain length of time before someone starts to catch on...and decides they don't like it.

FOR EXAMPLE, TAX CUTS: in 2000 it was what we 'deserved' because 'its your money' and the govenment had 'over collected' (nevermind the debt we weren't paying off). after 9/11 the same cuts were to boost the sagging economy. when that didn't happen and we fell into the worst recession since the Great depression, we heard "whew! think how bad it would've been if we didn't have these tax cuts!"

I'm not against tax cuts, per se...what i am against is the revolving rationale to do things that might just be irresponsible. you keep that up and you're going to be doing something for the wrong reason, inevitably. For the sake of staying on message, the White House has gutted itself of its (arguably) bright minds, or made them powerless (Powell, Whitman, etc). this has made for a cohesive administration, but also one devoid of real analysis and creative problem solving. It is as if someone thought reading a political flier over and over was somehow a subsitute for actually governing.

Official Says He Was Told To Withhold Medicare Data:

More on Richard S. Foster--the Medicare chief forced to withold budget costs from congress. you know what the real kicker is? the main people Bush had to decieve were the budget haw republicans that have been left in a lurch by the free spending president. they have been left in the unfortunate position of explaining how the 'conservative' president is creating the biggest debt this nation has ever faced.

Who needs Proof?

Ottawa — Canadian officials say they challenged the U.S. to share secret intelligence showing that the Baghdad regime had dangerous weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the Iraq war, but Washington failed to deliver, thus cementing the Chrétien government's resolve to stay out of the conflict.

Washington's refusal to share raw intelligence with its close ally seemed puzzling at the time, one senior official said. But a year later, the reason now seems clear: "They didn't have any evidence."

The new Pentagon Papers

This was probably the most important thing i read all week. you should too if you haven't already.

SHHHH...or you're FIRED!

well, it seems some of Bush's medicare experts knew his Rx Drug Plan was a budget buster. so why didn't this guy TELL anyone that the president was keeping $100 Million in costs hidden? well, because bush wanted the bill passed and if anyone heard the TRUTH it might not fly...sooo...it turns out the real cost of the program was kept secret under the president's threat of a pinkslip!

yup. the staff was told: you report the facts (your job) you get fired.

great.

SEC: Vanderbilt stuns No. 4 Mississippi State

To my amazement, Vandy beat us. luckily this isn't the big dance...whew!

REALITY vs. BUSH

This Graph says it all. it shows the reality of where our jobs and payrates are going vs. what Bush claimed it would be...over and over and over. You don't even have to read the article. just look at the picture!

CIA Chief Claims Cheney Ignored Facts in Iraq

This story doesn't get much better for the White House. so when do we finally admit that they LIED to us about Iraq? From the article:

"But under sharp questioning by Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Tenet reversed himself, saying there had been instances when he had warned administration officials that they were misstating the threat posed by Iraq. "

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you what my interaction was ... and what I did and didn't do, except that you have to have confidence to know that when I believed that somebody was misconstruing intelligence, I said something about it," Tenet said. "I don't stand up publicly and do it."

Tenet admitted to Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the committee's senior Democrat, that he had told Cheney that the vice president was wrong in saying that two truck trailers recovered in Iraq were "conclusive evidence" that Saddam had a biological weapons program.


One repeated claim by the GOP is that the Dems knew about the risk to the nation and voted for action. John Warner, R-Va claimed, "Members of this committee, members of the Senate, as well as past and present administrations reached the same conclusions: Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction."

The Problem with that is that they were being fed the filtered intelligence which only pointed towards WMD's in Iraq.

Tempers flare over drilling legislation

THIS IS A RIOT!!

I was in the room when this went down. They were lobbying to lift some regulation off the companies that want to drill just barely off the beaches on our coast for Natural Gas. Everyone was pretty skeptical on this one (it removes some oversight in the operations). well, anyway, there were lots of questions about WHY this was necessary and some pretty lame answers given. so anyway, the lobbyist complains that 'the media' has stirred all the trouble up and its really not a big deal. Lobbyist Marvin L. Oxley elaborates for the Sun Herald:

"We quite frankly have not had opposition from anybody but tree huggers and Democrats," said Marvin L. Oxley, an oil and gas geologist who's helping lobby for the law changes. "Don't use that, say, 'environmentalists.' By Democrats, I mean the blacks. Don't write blacks. Were you in the Judiciary hearing? That's most of who had questions about this."

GOD i hope i see this idiot around the Capitol again. I hope i see this jerk Marvin L. Oxley sometime soon. i'd like to commend him for "coming out".

**here's an update. Seems a few folks are trying to distance themselves from this idiot. of course, you could guess he has ties to (go to hell) Ole Miss. (go bulldogs!)

MOVIES ON THE WAY!!

Some great movies are on the way. a few i wanna see:

Kill Bill 2
The Day After Tomorrow
The Village
Troy

UPDATES

Some updates from 3.4.04 have been added below under that date.

College for the Home-Schooled Is Shaping Leaders for the Right

I have mixed feelings about home schooled kids. I do not believe that they develop as anti-social nuts or as people that never learned to assimilate themselves into normal society (as many people claim). I do however think it is a way for partents to have complete control of what enters their children's lives. Certainly a parental presence is necessary for a well rounded child, but that does not mean the parent should be the only source of mental and social input. I have often wondered if this limited view was the cause of most such children

Of the children home schooled in the US, 2/3 are Evangelical Christians. To my experience, virtually all are. of course, this is a regoinal quirk. None-the-Less, this article describes how some colleges that really pull in the home schoolers are becoming feeders for GOP political organizations and elected officials. I say "what took you so long?" you have thousands of kids being home schooled because (in the eyes of their parents), the outside world (and schools) are too perverse and corrupting. Their heads can't be piqued by anything but the pre-selected dogma. just who in the world would be a better GOP neophyte than a home schooler? These kids have been removed from normal adolecent society so that (for the most part) their interacting with non-conservatives will be at a minimum. Its like a farm that exclusively grows kids opposed to change.

You're Just Saying That to Make Me Feel Better!:

Kerry made a trip down south this weekend. I skipped the Mississippi Shindigs. the day was too pretty. i just sat in the back yard and read! Gay Marriage reared its head (again) for Kerry, but he handled it pretty well. the thing that most impressed me was his taking the President to task for his record. In New Orleans, he made some strong points:

"You understand why he's doing that? He can't come out here and talk to you about jobs; he can't come out here and talk to you about protecting the environment,'' said Kerry. "He can't talk to you about balancing the budget.'' etc. and you know, its true. its the 'not my fault, look at anything but what i've done campaign and i feel good to be fighting a jerk like that.

A Kerry - Brokaw Ticket?

I find this somewhat suspect, but a few media outlets are bandying this around. It seems that SOME people are seeing Tom Brokaw of (NBC News fame) as a VP candidate with Kerry. Most everything i read seems to be from pals of Brokaw who'd LIKE to see him run. I am passing this along and think it would be pretty interesting, but i also believe its just wishful thinking.

Plus i get suspicious when someone at the Wall St. Journal Op/Ed page says ANYTHING
is a good idea for democrats!

Support for Bush Slumps:

It appears that Bush's first little foray into the 2004 campaign has been a little lack-luster. his polls have remained unchanged and he's still trailing. One problem is his advertisements. The running Theme is "its not my fault". they run through the gambit of trouble this nation faces but on each one, it's spun as to just how its not really Bush's fault (e.g. falsely claiming he inherited a recession). For someone that believes in personal responsibility, he sure is bad at applying those thoughts to himself. This poll described in the article shows Americans agree:


"A majority of Americans -- 57 percent -- say they want their next president to steer the country away from the course set by Bush, according to the survey."

I'm an Idiot.

I had a chance to go to Memphis this weekend and didn't take it. At this moment i cannot think of anywhere i'd love to disappear for a few days. Now i think it will be MONTHS at best before it get a chance to go again. I'm still working on that Memphis essay by the way...ugh.

ugh
...stuck at the office.

--Polly.

Mississippi State - SEC Champs!

Well, we won it outright for the first time in over 40 years! MSU is the South Eastern Conference CHAMPS! best part? we beat one of the TWO teams that beat us in the regular season this year to do it! Best of all, it was a great game. 82-81 was the score in the LAST SECOND of overtime!!
weehoo!

GO BULLDOGS!

OOP! (|span| gives the tip)

WASHINGTON — The federal grand jury probing the leak of a covert CIA officer’s identity has subpoenaed records of Air Force One telephone calls in the week before the officer’s name was published in a column in July, according to documents obtained by Newsday.

One has to wonder if this might have somewhere to go. it can't be too good if Bush is questioned about his administration's role in outing a CIA agent b/c her husband disagreed with them on Iraq AND involvement in stealing Democratic computer files.

I hope this turns into more amusing transcripts with the press and press secretary Scott McClellan!

Report Finds Republican Aides Spied on Democrats

Evidently there are some questions out about JUST HOW MUCH the white house knew about this and what they did in USING the information (if anything). While i don't believe this is a Watergate, i don't quite understand why its not.

Bush Campaigns Amid a Furor Over Ads

I guess its more than just Me. Heck, maybe i'm FINE with the ads. if he spends millions of dollars just to show how CRAPPY he is, how can i complain!?! as the Salon article said, "If Bush and the Republican Party want a war of words with the 9/11 families, they're well on their way."

Do they want that? I hope they do, because I'd pay to see THAT fight.

Also from the article:

For some 9/11 families, the Republican Convention in New York, scheduled later than usual this year to coincide with the third anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, is the true test of how far Bush will go to exploit their tragedy. From what they've heard, they're expecting the worst. News accounts have suggested Bush has plans to travel to ground zero during the convention, perhaps to give his acceptance speech, just as he used an aircraft carrier to prematurely proclaim the accomplishment of his mission in Iraq.

In Texas, Hire a Lawyer, Forget About a Doctor?

This Texas Website lists plaintiffs, witnesses, experts and various people involved in Medical Malpractice Lawsuits. This creates a searchable database so that you can have an easier time blacklisting anyone who's ever been involved in a Medical Malpractice legal matter. Furthermore the site makes no differentiation between the 'sham cases' and the real henious acts of medical neglect.

Sept. 11 and Nov. 2

I guess bush doesn't get it. its not OK to ride your campaign into November on the graves of the 9-11 victims. The GOP convention is late to build around 9-11, and now Bush just started running ads featuring 9-11 footage prominately. Who could possibly think it was OK to run self promoting ads featuring rescue workers removing BODIES from ground zero? Our national tradgedy is NOT the President's ad material. Campaign ads are, by nature, self-promotion. This is truly shameful.

While Kerry hasn't commented, his staff has been working the story. most noteworthy is a 2002 comment by the president stating: "I have no ambition whatsoever to use this as a political issue." the President's campaign responded:

"Are we on the Democrats' issue of health care, or are we on the Republican issue of national security?" said one Republican official with ties to the campaign. "On Wednesday we rolled out the spot — we changed the tone fundamentally. They missed the opportunity to tell the American people what the campaign is about. This is how the president has framed the question before the American people."

One has to wonder if its going THAT well for them. i for one don't care for the tone to which they fundamentally changed this campaign. Despite this, i am not suprised. this campaign will only work for Bush if its about diversion (iraq, gay marriage amendment, etc) or "Not Me"...as in "who's fault is it that every sector in this nation is in trouble? NOT ME! (bush cries). One has to wonder if the News Media would take this very well. With so many based out of New York, this really strikes a nerve.

The real 9-11 ad won't air. it shows Bush ignoring the Taliban to fight a vendetta in Iraq and Cheney with his head under the covers in an 'undisclosed location'...hiding from his role in 'operation ignore' (see al franken).

Batman News

here's the story for the new movie...supposedly!

MediasharX :: BATMAN Gets his Gordon!

Gary Oldman has signed on to play James Gordon in BATMAN BEGINS.

The film stars Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne and his cowled alter ego, Batman, as well as Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Michael Kaine, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, and Ken Watanabe as the terrorist Ra's al Ghul. BATMAN BEGINS is set to start filming March 16th. Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO) is directing with David Goyer (BLADE) writing.

Oldman is most famous for his villains, not the least of which is the title role in Francis Ford Coppola's version of Bram Stoker's DRACULA. He will also be playing Sirius Black in the third Harry Potter film, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

One of my favorite show's is returning due to BIG sales on the DVDs:

THE FAMILY GUY creator Seth MacFarlane has confirmed that the show will return to the airwaves with new episodes. New episodes are being produced to air sometime in 2005; there has not been a premiere date slated yet.

Robert Novak: Republican malaise I don't like Robert Novak. i think he's a GOP shill and i often think his insight is so bogged down in bias or spin that its nearly worthless. that being said, he can sometimes be HYPER critical of the GOP. not only can he be critical, but it often comes (to me) as a great suprise and seemingly without any real "you better shape up" sentiment that a wakeup call usually has. Here he's publicizing the idea that GOP memebers of the Legislature are mulling over the idea that a Bush defeat maybe wouldn't be so bad in the fall for the GOP. I sometimes wonder what's going through Robert "No Facts" Novak's head.

The Sun Herald | 03/04/2004 | New House rules are likely to kill tort reform plan: "majority vote to pull stalled bills out of committee for a vote of the full chamber. Previously, only a simple majority, 62, was required to pull out a bill that was facing death in committee.
The change left some supporters of Barbour's tort reform plan - mostly Republicans - angry at House Speaker Billy McCoy and other Democrats and vowing partisan war this legislative session. So far this session, McCoy, who was targeted in his last election by tort reform supporters, has proved a powerful foil to most every item on Republican Barbour's legislative agenda."

more to come...

djournal.com

OOH! this is RICH! the Hubris seems to be coming around. It seems that some genius at Capitol Resources let it be known that their lobbying group was going to simultaneously lobby issues with the (democratic) legislature and raise money/work to defeat the legislators with whom they currently court favor.

New MS Speaker of the House (and others) have pretty much made these people Persona Non Gratas at the capitol. Fine with me. these guys are slime.

MSNBC Reports:

"The President continues his effort to force Democrats to worry about California, while Kerry is down in Boston."

Mr. Mooch reports:

PLEASE, Mr. Bush, spend as much money as you can to fight it out in California. i'm SURE you could win there and that money CERTAINLY doesn't need to be spent elsewhere. Note to Democratic Staffers: Hire some Hackers to bust into GOP computers and steal private files. evidently that is OK now!

Creepy!

Bush's grad school prof. remembers his former student:

At Harvard Business School, thirty years ago, George Bush was a student of mine. I still vividly remember him. In my class, he declared that "people are poor because they are lazy." He was opposed to labor unions, social security, environmental protection, Medicare, and public schools. To him, the antitrust watch dog, the Federal Trade Commission, and the Securities Exchange Commission were unnecessary hindrances to "free market competition." To him, Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal was "socialism."

of course, he could be lying...

VP PICKS!!

I, for one, don't think we'll see a VP pick until May. that being said, there is a lot of talk about WHO it could be. i list a few of the high profile contenders:

John Edwards (N.C.) -- He was the leading contender and has a lot going for him in that he's ready for TV and a very POSITIVE force. I think Kerry wonders about his strength (while i may agree, can you name someone stronger?).

Howard Dean (Vt.) -- WAS very popular, but too volitile and may take the spotlight. Kerry won't even consider it. (wisely)

Bob Graham (Fla.) -- Strong in Florida. this is a strategic pick to up Kerry's chances in Florida. Graham had a lot of positives for him when running for Pres, but he just never got off the ground. this would also help the Dems chances in the Florida Senate race Problem? He's retiring and he may MEAN it.

Mark Warner (Gov., Va) -- This is another popular choice for a middle of the road guy that increases your chances in a GOP stronghold (Virginia). I like him, but I'd like to see JUST how safe a bet this guy is (a look at his poll numbers in Va. would be a start). Not a Bad Choice and maybe geographic proximity makes Kerry feel better...?

John Breaux (Sen., La.) -- This guy is going out of the Senate at the top of his game. respected by most everyone, he's a dead moderate and appeals to the middle where Kerry has exposure. Breaux also offers pull in the south as well as a long history of being able to mobilize black voters AND white voters. Question is, does he WANT it?

STATES' RIGHTS!!

Remember when Bush/Cheney said they believed Gay Marriage was a state issue? you know how conservative bush likes to keep the stinking federal government out of our States' business?

Doesn't it seem odd that he's now pushing for a Constitutional Amendment to ban Gay Marriage? I guess he was fine with 'leaving it to the states' until the states did something he didn't LIKE...then states' rights goes out the window!

This all assumes Bush is operating on principle rather than pander...i don't make that assumption.

Governor Haley 'Pork Chop' Barbour

OOPS!

Our ham-headed Governor went to an inner city elementry school this week and was asked a pretty tough question:

"when was the last time you visited an inner-city, K-12 School?"

*silence*

He didn't have an answer, but you know...that's ok. the told us more than any answer could have anyway.

(story as related by a teacher fromt he school)

Edwards is Out

I won't be-labor the obvious, but i do want to make a comment about the election results today.

Sadly, this marks the End of my 2 favorite candidates for Pres. I will support Kerry whole heartedly, but must say that I will miss Edwards and Clark in the race.

Kerry wins and I don't really get it. I can explain to you all the believable theories WHY, but you know what? I don't believe in what i'll tell you. I suppose there are things that draw people to Kerry that i don't see...and why not?

He truly has come back from the dead (politically), but he's not been under ANY scrutiny comparable to what is to come. While not as Liberal as some would say, He's definately Liberal. How do you win with that?

Remember the last time we elected a Liberal?
Scary.

New Batman Movie

It seems the new movie is going to be called BATMAN BEGINS, refering to the origin storyline this go 'round. Here are some details on the movie and costume that promises to be nothing like the hokey husks that came before it.

CONFLICTING STORIES?

Afghan president Hamid Karzai declared that the Taliban has finally been defeated, and Taliban soldiers were going house to house in the village of Shah Joy, in the Zabul province, searching for Karzai Supporters to kill.

The Great Bill Minor

Even Colin Powell thinks Bush was a bogus Chickenhawk in Vietnam. sad.

CRIB NOTES ON THE PAYROLL TAX:

*No matter what, everyone pays payroll tax until you make $85,000 a year.
*After that first $85k, the rest of your income is (payroll) tax free.

what does that mean? we let the majority of the MONEY MAKERS in this country get by with a cheaper contribution to Social SecuritY (as a percentage of your income). THIS is how you fix social security. you quit giving the rich a free ride when most every other american has to pay in a full cut.

I Got to Thinking...

Recently Alan Greenspan said that our deficits are getting to large. Moreover, he says Social Securityspending is out of control and must be cut back (this means cutting benefits for the elderly). He also announced that he approved of the tax cuts in recent years.

Funny thing is, recent studies show that the Social Security is currently spending as much as it brings in and at this rate will be fully financed until 2042. Part of the reason is that we raised Payroll Tax in the 80s. Now, can you guess who pushed for THAT tax increase? ALAN GREENSPAN! yep, Dr. Flip-flop himself!

Aides nurture Kerry's appeal

now THIS is the kind of FIRED UP Kerry supporter i see every day. The type of voter i expect to see hoist John Kerry up onto their shoulder and march on to victory:

"I like Edwards, especially his stance on trade, but I keep hearing that the race is over and Kerry is the best person to get that evil man out of the White House," said Dina Levi, a high school counselor in Oakland, Calif. "If I'm going to vote for Kerry, I'd like to feel good about it. I'm not quite there yet."

ahem. yeah. I'm not comfortable with this at all.

Bush Country!

Despite a career low right now, Bush is still polling at 58% in Florida. Also, when matched up against the democrats, he wins by 5-8 points.

Chavez Denounces Bush as Foes Fight Troops:

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called President Bush an '---hole' on Sunday for meddling, and vowed never to quit office like his Haitian counterpart as troops battled with opposition protesters demanding a recall referendum against him.

ahem.

Both Sides Court Black Churches in the Debate Over Gay Marriage

As Gorj is often quick to point out, African Americans are all over the map like anyone else when it comes to social issues.