Archive for January, 2007

Anyone still think W is above contempt?

Sunday, January 21st, 2007

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Doug Mills/The New York Times

‘Bush to Urge New Tax Plan for Health Care Coverage
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and ROBERT PEAR
Published: January 21, 2007
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20 — President Bush intends to use his State of the Union address Tuesday to tackle the rising cost of health care with a one-two punch: tax breaks to help low-income […]

The Satellite Killer–A Special Three Night Movie Event on NBC

Saturday, January 20th, 2007

Questions deepen over satellite-killer test
-MSNBC.com. January 19, 2007 headline
WILL DNA PROVE ITS INNOCENCE?

‘January 20, 2007
News Analysis
China Shows Assertiveness in Weapons Test
By JOSEPH KAHN
BEIJING, Jan. 19 — China’s apparent success in destroying one of its own orbiting satellites with a ballistic missile signals that its rising military intends to contest American supremacy in space, […]

Try the low maintenance burgundy cape.

Saturday, January 20th, 2007

Tin Horn Torquemada wore the brown suit because the dry cleaner was attempting to rid his hooded black robes of caked blood.
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Looney Tunes had an answer for everything!
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“Bush: No Retreat on Spying
By Dan Froomkin
Special to washingtonpost.com
Friday, January 19, 2007; 1:08 PM
On Wednesday, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales wrote a letter to senators announcing that […]

It worked with Oral Roberts.

Friday, January 19th, 2007

About one thousand years ago, I played around with Terry Southern’s Magic Christian concept which would be a great idea for bad television. I called it “WHAT’S YOUR PRICE?”  
While it has taken the television industry theses many years to catch up with my tongue-in-cheek reality melodrama, I had expanded the vistas of the […]

Do you think any of W’s 152 were innocent?

Friday, January 19th, 2007

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Dallas County records 12th DNA case
By JEFF CARLTON, Associated Press Writer 38 minutes ago
DALLAS - In a case that has renewed questions about the quality of Texas justice, a man who spent 10 years behind bars for the rape of a boy has become the 12th person in Dallas County to be cleared by DNA […]

Tell us something we don’t know.

Friday, January 19th, 2007

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Condolerazade
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Ex-Rice speechwriter: She doesn’t have ‘vaguest notion’ of Middle East history
Michael Roston
Published: Friday January 19, 2007
An ex-State Department speechwriter today told the Wall Street Journal that his former boss Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice lacked a clear understanding of modern Middle Eastern history.
The article by Neil King, Jr. takes up the tendency of Secretary […]

He can’t stop lying.

Friday, January 19th, 2007

FACT CHECK: Bush Has Cut Funding For Cancer Research
Health officials reported yesterday that cancer deaths in the United States dropped for the second year in a row. President Bush teed off this news with a speech at the National Institutes of Health, touting the increased funding for cancer research since 2001:
First, I’m pleased that we’re […]

That’s the tie–satellite TV.

Friday, January 19th, 2007

 This story streamed at the bottom of the MSNBC screen this morning while the anchor covered the story of some dust-up between two television show actors. All the anchor had to do was look over her desk to see that an important story was breaking.
Concern grows over China’s satellite-killing missile test
By Chris Buckley
Reuters
Friday, January 19, […]

Nice hat!

Friday, January 19th, 2007

A friend in Chicago thinks the charge will be misdemeanor-terrorism, but I heard al-Sadr’s alibi is solid because he was out of the country doing Mission brand fig promos.
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(AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)
Main aide of Muqtada al-Sadr arrested
By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 58 minutes ago
BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces arrested one […]

The Straight-Talk Express takes a bus plunge.

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

McCain no longer rocks in Granite State
By Brett Arends
Boston Herald Business Columnist
Thursday, January 18, 2007
As Mitt, Hillary, Barack and a dozen others jump into the presidential stampede, something interesting is happening in New Hampshire.
For seven years, conventional wisdom has said that the state’s pivotal independent voters would line up behind maverick Sen. John McCain, as […]

It’s called bi-partisan compromise.

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Mass Republican defection for ’scaled down’ student loan relief bill
Michael Roston
Published: Thursday January 18, 2007

Student loan relief passes with large GOP defection
House Democrats on Wednesday drove through H.R. 5, “The College Student Relief Act of 2007,” which works to make college more affordable by gradually reducing the interest rate on subsidized federal student loans. The […]

Just don’t run as a radio host.

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

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Comedian Al Franken smiles during his radio show in Washington, Feb. 10, 2005.
(AP Photo/Haraz Ghanbari)**FILE PHOTO**
Franken seeks advice for possible bid
By FREDERIC J. FROMMER, Associated Press Writer Wed Jan 17, 6:14 PM ET
WASHINGTON - Comedian Al Franken has reached out to Democratic lawmakers from Minnesota in recent days, seeking advice on a possible Senate run […]

Shame me once, fool on me?

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

The problem with W arises from the fact that
he’ll cut off our noses to spite his face.
Last Updated: Thursday, 18 January 2007, 10:55 GMT
Washington ’snubbed Iran offer’
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Iran offered the US a package of concessions in 2003, but it was rejected, a senior former US official has told the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
Tehran proposed ending support for […]

Beware the Nebraska conservative bearing gifts.

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Before you become too excited about Senator Chuck Hagel, R-NE, take a look at his stances on everything other than the war.
The war is a huge national problem, but there are many more for which Hagel’s domestic voting has not helped.

Buffalo Bob Smith always knew the time!!

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Last Updated: Wednesday, 17 January 2007, 14:44 GMT
Climate resets ‘Doomsday Clock’
By Molly Bentley
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Industrial scene (BBC)
Experts have added climate change as a great threat
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Experts assessing the dangers posed to civilisation have added climate change to the prospect of nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats to humankind.
As a result, the group has moved the minute hand on […]

An Extra From Soylent Green

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

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PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer

W says Americans are sacrificing for the war when they see those awful pictures on them big TEEVEE screens, but he’s not going to ask for more sacrifice than that–as in raising taxes to pay for this chaos.

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Please find the story and video at Think Progress.

Where do they get these guys?

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

The country has become very stupid, very fast if it believes Cully’s advice was not to have a desired effect.
THE WASHINGTON POST published this ‘mea cully’ from the man who made statements challenging the right of accused and–in this case–non-accused to have representation of council. Tears welled in my eyes as I read about […]

SFBA: Part II

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

 Age is not a factor in the “$#!+ for Brains Award”
Va. lawmaker draws fire for slavery comment
Legislator says that blacks should ‘get over’ slavery; colleagues appalled
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IMAGE: Frank Hargrove
Del. Frank Hargrove, right, defends his remarks on slavery as Del. David Englin listens Tuesday during the House session at the Capitol in Richmond, Va.
Steve Helber / AP
Updated: […]

Hey, Kids. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

 There are more hijinks about the rule of law from Tin Horn Torquemada and his bosses–The Bush League Tyrants.
Democrats complain that ‘little known’ Patriot Act amendment allows the Bush Administration to ‘circumvent’ Senate with US Attorney ’swaps’
Brian Beutler
Published: Tuesday January 16, 2007
Print This Email This
A little-known, year-old amendment to the USA Patriot Act is […]

Plus you meet classier folk in a POW camp.

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

McCain should have quit as a war hero instead of as a retired Madame.
DNC: McCain Spends MLK Holiday Pandering to the Far Right
WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Nearly 24 years after
voting against creating a holiday honoring Martin Luther King, John McCain
is spending today at the inauguration of Alabama Governor Bob Riley who is
a member […]

He has a dog, too!

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

It’s not that this regime makes mistakes, it never does anything right. 
I only wish it could be as inventive as one of–if not the–greatest car salesmen in the world. Cal Worthington!!

AP: Iran gets army gear in Pentagon sale
By SHARON THEIMER, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 33 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - The U.S. military has sold forbidden […]

Who’s in charge here?

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

In case you may have missed Dan Froomkin’s White House Briefing blog of last Friday, he has a very interesting take on the what may have happened to the trial balloon of sending US troops to fight al-Qaeda in Anbar province whIle allowing the Iraqis to fight it out in Baghdad. As a hard stance, […]

Decoder Rings & Ransom Olds.

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

 Would that there were more stories like this
instead of socio-pathic carnage.
NewsTrack - Top News
Reports: $56,000 got judge his job
NEW YORK, Jan. 14 (UPI) — Two New York newspapers say a deposed Brooklyn politician allegedly sold a judgeship for at least $50,000 in cash and another $6,000 in stamps.
($6,000 in stamps?! Was he going to send […]

Keep those cards & letters coming.

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

One has to concede that Our Fearless Decider
certainly knows the ins & outs of morale. 
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Fifty active duty officers to deliver Iraq pullout petition to Congress
Brian Beutler
Published: Tuesday January 16, 2007
Print This Email This
Just before noon today, a petition signed by about a thousand members of the military will be delivered to Congress by about […]

Scrabble Players Unite!

Monday, January 15th, 2007

This would have caused consternation to any number of U.S. adherents to the Nation of Islam and would have certainly precluded Riyadh as a venue for the Professional Bowlers Association matches.
“Will Saudis Ban the Letter ‘X’?
(My old electric Smith-Corona did this with much less fanfare.)
By YOUSSEF IBRAHIM
January 15, 2007
The letter “X” soon may be […]

I especially like the last line posted.

Sunday, January 14th, 2007

‘Bush: Iraq troop boost ‘going forward’
By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer 17 minutes ago
Digging in for confrontation, President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney say they will not budge from sending more U.S. troops to Iraq no matter how much Congress opposes it.
“I fully understand they could try to stop me,” Bush said of the […]

A few days ago, I asked the following…

Sunday, January 14th, 2007

In the realm of news story nicknames, which is more prevalent?
BUTCHER OF _________________________? (Pick a Place)

or
________________________TO THE STARS? (Pick an Occupation)
I Googled ‘Butcher of’ to find references. In the first ten pages of 7,390,00 citations, I found the following:
1. Butcher of the Congo–King Leopold II of Belgium (Baffour Ankomah via New African))
2. […]

Thank goodness Ms. Beckham arrived!

Sunday, January 14th, 2007

Yahoo News Headlines:
As of 11:00 a.m. EST
• Abbas opposes ‘temporary’ Palestinian state (video) Rice meeting
• Sen. Clinton meets with Karzai, U.S. troops
• White House defends pursuit of Iranians in Iraq
• Rarely seen King papers to go on display in Atlanta
• Seven killed after minivan hits truck in Oklahoma
• Medicaid plan would cut funding for rural […]

A “throw up in your mouth” moment.

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

Bush’s Best Democratic Buddy
Joe Lieberman gives the president a pass on Katrina.
No Oversight on Katrina?
Joe Lieberman gives the president a pass on Katrina.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball
Newsweek
Updated: 5:17 p.m. ET Jan 12, 2007
Jan. 11, 2007 - Sen. Joe Lieberman, the only Democrat to endorse President Bush’s new plan for Iraq, has quietly […]

That’s Oil, Folks!!!

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

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Bush’s legacy: The president who cried wolf
Olbermann: Bush’s strategy fails because it depends on his credibility
The president who cried wolf
Jan. 11: In a special comment, Keith Olbermann says Bush’s plan for Iraq is a failure because it is dependent on the president’s credibility.
SPECIAL COMMENT
By Keith Olbermann
Anchor, ‘Countdown’
MSNBC
Updated: 10:05 p.m. ET Jan 11, 2007
Keith Olbermann
Anchor, ‘Countdown’
• […]

W hoped to appoint the chainsaw inventor,

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

 but he was dead.
‘Senator Objects to Appointment Of New Forest Service Chief
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Paul Bunyan is the new head of the Forest Service.
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On the day of her appointment, the first female chief of the U.S. Forest Service came under fire from a Senate Democrat who represents her state.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Montana forester […]

Troubled by President Queeg?

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

 If there becomes a Congressional cry for impeachment,
I feel that the Republicans will lead the way.
House GOP Shows Its Fractiousness In the Minority
By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 14, 2007; Page A01
House Republican leaders, who confidently predicted they would drive a wedge through the new Democratic majority, have found their own party splintering, with […]

Aaaaghhhhh…hogs….

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

“Wires Reject Handout Photo Of Bush Speech
January 11, 2007
By Daryl Lang
Photo District News Online
The White House broke with tradition Wednesday night and refused to let photojournalists shoot still pictures of the president at the podium after his prime-time address on the Iraq war.
As a result, newspapers and wire services had little choice but to run […]

Whither this new thuggishness?

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

 The rotting fish stinks from the head.
“Official Attacks Top Law Firms Over Detainees
By NEIL A. LEWIS
Published: January 13, 2007
WASHINGTON, Jan. 12 — The senior Pentagon official in charge of military detainees suspected of terrorism said in an interview this week that he was dismayed that lawyers at many of the nation’s top firms were representing […]

John needs lipstick help.

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

I especially like the photo of Joe and John cozying up on the settee.
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“I was on Keith Olbermann last night discussing Joe Lieberman and his shared delusions with John McCain. They’ve become brothers in bloodshed. They can validate their misguided beliefs by pointing at the other and saying: “See, I’m not crazy.” They’re the […]

Kurds, Sunnis, Shiites & Skeptics!

Saturday, January 13th, 2007

I thought the Democrats (and Republicans) gave an alternative plan:
“No” and “Re-deploy” while al-Maliki proves on whose side his loyalty lands.
Associated Press
Bush Defends Iraq Plan Against Skeptics
By DEB RIECHMANN 01.13.07, 11:15 AM ET
President Bush on Saturday challenged lawmakers skeptical of his new Iraq plan to propose their own strategy for stopping the violence in […]

Dr. Irwin Corey is going to rebut 2 + 2.

Friday, January 12th, 2007

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Al Gore’s documentary about global warming may not be shown unless the teacher also presents an “opposing view.” (January 11, 2007) Credit: Paramount Classics
“Thursday, January 11, 2007
Federal Way schools restrict Gore film
‘Inconvenient Truth’ called too controversial
By ROBERT McCLURE AND LISA STIFFLER
P-I REPORTERS
NOTE: This story has been altered since it was originally published. The computer program […]

The “$#!+ for Brains” Award.”

Friday, January 12th, 2007

Our first 2007 nominee is.. 
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‘Kingston: Americans Should ‘Marry and Work Longer Hours’ To Escape Poverty »
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA) made headlines last month after complaining about Congress’ new schedule that requires members to work five days a week:
“Keeping us up here eats away at families,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.), who typically flies […]