THE NUMBERS:

Forbes.com: US jobless claims fall in latest week: The total number of Americans filing initial jobless claims fell by 5,000 last week from a revised 391,000 the previous week, the government said on Thursday, in a sign of a convalescing U.S. job market. First-time claims for state unemployment insurance benefits fell to 386,000 in the week ended Oct. 25...
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ok, how in the world can you say jobless claims fell when 386,000 new claims were filed again for the first time this week? we didn't ADD jobs. we have MORE people unemployed than last week. just because our freefall slowed down by 2%, doesn't mean anyone from last week got a job. at this rate, we'll have 1 million more people on unemployment in 3 weeks. GO BUSH!

Life at FoxNews

anyone with a passing knowledge of foxnews should read this.

Zell Miller Endorses Bush

an utter shock. i always thought Zell was a bit to cozy with the GOP, but this sort of back stab is the capper. So why do this now, nearly a year out? Now guess who's selling a book where he puts down Howard Dean? pathetic.

Sharpton Calls Dean's Agenda 'Anti-Black' (washingtonpost.com)

OK. great. this helps no one.

THE FIRST SEAL HAS BEEN BROKEN

Evidently, the first real sign of the apocalypse is upon us. *shudder*

Democrat Clark blames President Bush for Sept. 11 intelligence failures

DAMN. the gloves are off. more thoughts on this later...

What Will Iraq Cost Bush?: When Newsweek runs a cover stating "Bush's $87 Billion Mess", its not good. if you are a republican.

i'm not.

None-the-less, i still get the mess.

thanks.

HIS GUILT CONTROLS HIS ACTIONS

From the article above:

"Cheney is always in Bush's ear, whispering `terrorism, terrorism, terrorism.' He's obsessed."

There’s been many stories about Cheney being more than a little concerned about terrorism...Paranoid being a better way to describe it. Maybe because the greatest terror attack in US history happened on his watch? Maybe he’s fearful of new attacks putting us all at risk? I say that’s possible, but it’s more than that. In the days and weeks after 9/11, Cheney went into hiding. Protective hiding. His whereabouts and presence has been little known and little felt in the 2 years after the attacks.

IT’S THE GUILT

You see, towards the end of the Clinton administration, after the attacks on the U.S.S. Cole, a counter terrorism plan was hatched. It was a major undertaking that was drawn up but not implemented (supposedly) because it would have been dumping a major offensive operation into the lap of an incoming administration. The plans were, however left for Bush and they were ignored. The plans were placed in the corner with no alternative vision implemented. In part I think this was because of the ‘anything but Clinton’ attitude. Over time they finally came around to reviewing the plans and deciding what parts to use themselves. This was the week of 9/11.

Now I’m not saying that they should have known, and I’m not saying that Clinton had the problem solved and 9/11 is all the GOP’s fault. What I am saying is that there was a plan out there and it was ignored. Nothing was done in its stead and then we get 9/11. No matter what, Cheney knows what he didn’t do. He knows that the administration was asleep at the wheel, regardless if he could have changed the outcome of events. For this, he feels guilt. The guilt has transformed into both a paranoia and a zealotry. His paranoid fear of being unprepared has directed him in almost every way since 9/11, but his zealotry in the matter has blinded him to a sensible way about it. As recently as the last 30 days, we have seen him AGAIN connect 9/11 and Saddam. AFTER bush admits there’s no proof. Cheney finds some perverse comfort in this lie–to us and to himself.

He is like a man in shock, curled in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, murmuring to himself some story that brings comfort (even if it’s not reality). This, I believe, is the bitter result for a man that had the responsibility of a nation dumped upon him by an incompetent President and an unconcerned Svengali (Karl Rove). He knew he could beat Iraq. He knew there was money in it. He knew he had to win at something. So we won the war...ignoring the one we need to fight.

New reports show that vital resources were taken from the war on the Al Qaida and aimed at Iraq. The Taliban are now stronger, and its our own fault.

Fox News Threatened to Sue The Simpsons

They just cannot get enough can they? Once again, Fox News shows how fragile they are by threatening to sue over an episode fo the Simpsons that makes fun of them. funny twist? the Simposons are ON FOX! i guess the best way to teach them(selves) a lesson is to sue them(selves). HAW! that's rich!

Fox let itself off with a warning and said that the Simpsons could no longer use a 'news crawl' at the bottom of the screen, because it might confuse the viewer into thinking they were watching Foxnews.

...Um...since when did FoxNews start broadcasting exclusively as a cartoon, risking this kind of confusion!?! heh.

Well, I've been down so Goddamn long...That it looks like up to me

that's the song i think about when i see this book....or when i wake up. I'm feeling righteously fed up, pissed off, and scrapping for a fight when it comes to politics right now.

The Governor's race is neck and neck and it shouldn't be for about 1000 reasons. Can Haley Barbour coddle enough of the racist-vote to get elected? wait and see!

I'm working with some people from Washington D.C. that may as well certified imbecles. While some of the work they are doing seems fairly good, almost anything that has to do with me seems so short sighted and weak minded, I wonder how they got their jobs or if they ever should get another job again. I’m sure they feel the same way about me, but rest assured, if I ever face the opportunity to work with these people again I will advise anyone within earshot to run away...fast. It’s a brutal sort of ego that will make your plans fail in order to make your resume look good. I’m not used to this sort of political pervert and son, I don’t want to be.

i'm thinking of jumping off this campaign raft and doing my own thing here renegade-style. i'm positive that anything i do without authorization cannot be nearly as bad as following orders. It can't be.

Bush's 'dream team' plagued by infighting, backstabbing

this is interesting. a few notable snips:

One U.S. diplomat, who asked not to be named, recalled what he said was Chinese exasperation over what they perceived as conflicting messages from the administration on North Korea. "We actually don't care what your point of view is. Just have one," he quoted his Chinese counterparts as saying.

This reminds me of some people i knew about 6 or 7 years ago. they hated clinton. they'd ask in mock-shock 'WHAT is his foreign policy? does it exist?'

One U.S. diplomat, who asked not to be named, recalled what he said was Chinese exasperation over what they perceived as conflicting messages from the administration on North Korea. "We actually don't care what your point of view is. Just have one," he quoted his Chinese counterparts as saying.

This reminds me of some people I knew about 6 or 7 years ago. They hated Clinton. They'd ask in mock-shock 'WHAT is his foreign policy? does it exist?' These were Int’l Relations wonks. I don’t see them much anymore, but I have to wonder how well they’d fare with the same questions today.

While many say we are directionless, I have to say that is not true. It seems that there is a policy of “Anything but what was done before.” Especially if “before” has anything to do with Clinton. Unfortunately, this isn’t a true policy, it’s a way running from ideas that aren’t your own and its irresponsible. While there are changes, the past 50 years of International Relations has been tossed. Even early on in this administration, Powell was admonished for saying that some points of policy were being carried over from the Clinton years. Karl Rove won’t have that.

this makes me uncomfortable. It’s not that I mind a differing view, it’s the fact that there seems to be no value produced by the administration’s semi-coherent theories.

2001 Nobel Prize (for economics) winner George Akerlof: "The worst government the US has ever had"

Ah, a student of logic would read this and say "you're using an appeal to authority! that argument is bogus!"

Rockets Hit Baghdad Hotel Where Wolfowitz Staying

It seems that maybe Iraq isn't as secure as we thought (even for those of us that thought it wasn't so secure anyway). the occupation is continuing and that's a failure in and of it self. We should be liberating and we are hardly able to do this because the administration did not have a solution for just who would take over. because of this they can't move on and we cannot move out...this makes us an occupying force, not a liberating force as the bush administration claimed we'd have. the 'wishful thinking' strategy has been a loser for us. its time for our president to get his act together.

Hate Group's chief calls flap over candidate photo 'amusing'

A Local Racist comments on whether Haley Barbour will lose votes by tying himself to the CCC (Council of Conservative Citizens):

"You really think this is going to hurt Haley Barbour? Only naive people think that."
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and as a fundamental part of "Haley's Plan" (outlined here earlier), you can see this man is right. Barbour can only win if he hits the lowest, least common denominator among republicans. its sad, and its shameful that he's doing it...but he has to do it. the only way we stop him is to bring out the voters that don't long for the bad ole' days. plain and simple.

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
--Hunter S. Thompson.

some folks make me want to avoid calling myself a "professional political consultant", which is what i am...sometimes.

I'm working on a project right now. i'm working with people that were in florida during the 2000 debacle. seeing some of these people in action here gives me a new insight on why things happened the way they did down there. I am not at liberty to elaborate on this, but you can best believe i will when that last paycheck is cashed.

The Rumsfeld Memo

Well, if you believe Yahoo! and most of the sites online today, you'd see that Donald Rumsfeld wrote a memo questioning our progress in Iraq, as well as in which direction we should go from here. All indications are that he had this document distributed.

BUT...that's not all.

If you read FoxNews, you can see that he's "Livid" over this 'leak'.

So which is it? a leak or something he handed out? mad or not? just like our foreign policy...god only knows what they're doing. i think the leak was so big that the public/press thought it was a release. heh.

Barbour's racist links tar Bush too

Well look at this! its a little more on "Haley's Plan" (to get the racist vote). he's in bed with TODAY's white supremacists and he makes no apologies for it.

why? you ask? because that's his base and that is what will elect him. if he wasn't relying on it, he wouldn't pander to them. it sickens me and makes me sad for all that this state has accomplished without the likes of him.

Haley, you're scum.

Partly Cloudy

I have been feeling a little odd lately. i have chocked it up to these self-imposed heart attacks that we political junkies have about this time of the year, 3 out of every for years (here). you may call them 'election days'.

heh.

Most people that know me know that i'm pretty damn optimistic. i'm not always happy, but i always think that i, or someone, can fix what's wrong. its just a matter of knowing what's really wrong and thinking hard enough on how to fix it. that doesn't make it easy, but rather that the means to make it all work just have to be found.

Two days ago, i saw a friend of mine named Morgan Shands. i've know morgan in various ways for 12 years, but i really only count the last 5. we were talking about work after election day and he said "So, what do you want to do?"

"So, what do you want to do?"

Morgan has a tone to let you know what he's asking isn't just chit chat. its a loaded question--if he's on your side. it isn't curiosity. its him saying "what do we need to make happen". i couldn't put a value on how that feels. all i know is that i left the room feeling like any damn thing in the world could happen...and it probably will...and it will be good. damn good.

SOUTHERN ROCK

I have no idea why, but i've been listening to Southern Rock (and Lynyrd Skynyrd in particular) a lot lately.

the Ballad of Curtis Lowe reminds me a lot of when i was a little boy. not really understanding race issues, just understanding what i liked(i was as right then as i am now).

Also been listening to one of my favorite Meloncholy songs: Melissa by the Allman Bros. i'm not down at all actually when i'm listening to that either. go figure.

Big Whoppers

I snagged this from Michael Moore:

'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.'
Or ...
'He has weapons of mass destruction -- the world's deadliest weapons -- which pose a direct threat to the United States, our citizens and our friends and allies.'

now, if both are lies, which is worse?