Question for Bush/Cheney: Why has Jim Tobin Been Kept On?

Question for Bush/Cheney: Why has Jim Tobin Been Kept On?

According to Talking Points memo, Jim Tobin has resigned from his post as President Bush’s New England campaign chairman. Tobin was Northeast political director in 2002 for the Republican Senatorial Committee, the party operation working to elect Republicans to the Senate. He resigned last Friday over questions surrounding an election-tampering scandal which took place in 2002.

According to the Portsmouth Herald:

"Democrats and Republicans fought in court this week over whether Democrats could question GOP officials, including Tobin, as part of a lawsuit about the illegal jamming [ of Democrats' phone lines during the 2002 election]. Democrats won a ruling Wednesday that cleared the way for the questioning, but depositions scheduled for Thursday and Friday were called off after the Justice Department said it would seek to delay them.
The 2002 jamming consisted of computer-generated calls to get-out-the-vote phones run by Democrats and the nonpartisan Manchester firefighters’ union. More than 800 hang-up calls tied up phones for about 1½ hours."

You may be disturbed to learn that, according to witnesses in the case, it may not have been just a local affair, but possibly arranged by the Committee itself ( at least at a minimum, through its regional political director, Tobin).

Kudos to Josh Marshall for tenaciously keeping up with this story. In so many ways, he's doing the mainstream media's job for them.

This is a question of ethics and character as well as legality. We need to ask the Bush campaign why they had kept Tobin on in a senior position all this time, knowing he'd been implicated and knowing he'd be forced to resign once the alleged illegal activities were discovered and/or questioned.


Related stories:

Nashua Telegraph, Kevin Landrigan- Phone scandal may have Bush connection

New York Times-

"..Last summer, Chuck McGee, former executive director of the state Republican Party, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and admitted paying $15,600 to a Virginia company that hired another business to make computer-generated calls that jammed Democrats' phone lines for about 90 minutes. Mr. McGee acknowledged speaking to an unidentified official with a national political organization about the jamming. Democrats have said they believe that Mr. Tobin was the official."

Guardian- Bush's New England Campaign Chief Resigns

Plans to Attack Iran?

Plans to Attack Iran?

A senior intelligence officer in Tel Aviv revealed that President Bush "is now firmly convinced that Iran poses a greater threat to Israel than Iraq did". And a senior Pentagon official has further confirmed that a number of Department of Defence planners have recently travelled to Tel Aviv to discuss plans to attack Iran.
LINK

_______

"The best way to avoid the draft is to vote for me."

--GW Bush, October 16, 2004

Bush is a liar.
Why would you believe him now, given all you already know?



Talking Points Memo- An issue that deserves a lot of attention, but receives precious little

Every person in long lines for flu shots..

Every person in long lines for flu shots..
..and every person who can't get one will remember to vote for John Kerry in a couple weeks (if they're not in bed with a high fever--or six feet under).
Meanwhile, in merry olde England...

"Flu vaccine may be delayed in some locations, but the shortages America is seeing are not expected here, thanks in part to early action by British health officials.

Late this summer, at the first sign of new problems at the Chiron Corp.'s long-troubled plant, the British began searching for other suppliers of flu vaccine." LINK

Daily Kos- Swing State Front-Page News: Flu Shot Shortages!
"Maybe God, in the midst of telling George Bush to invade Iraq, forgot to mention that it might also be a good idea to look after the health of our grandparents."

Washington Post- How U.S. Got Down to Two Makers Of Flu Vaccine
Bottom line, there's not enough money in the business of protecting Americans from a life-threatening illness. The fruits of Bush's coddling of big business come home to roost with millions of unprotected Americans in the middle of flu season.

"Wyeth threw away 7 million unsold doses, for a loss of $30 million. It then quit making flu shots. It eventually closed the Marietta plant, which once employed 800 people..."

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism, Dave Neiwert, Orcinus

The Rise of Pseudo Fascism by Dave Neiwert, Orcinus

Excerpts from this must-read work:

"Today we have a milieu in which this administration's manifest incompetence is hailed as moral clarity; in which the torture of prisoners at American hands is dismissed as a fraternity prank; in which the internment of Japanese Americans in World War II is defended as a necessary step (that may need to be repeated); in which a policy to further denude America's forests is called the Healthy Forests Initiative, and the evisceration of the nation's public education system is named No Child Left Behind. We're relentlessly sold an image of Bush himself as strong and resolute, and yet when he appears for a national debate on TV, what we see instead is a "peevish and bored" caricature of a leader, a man more likely to remind us the feckless pointy-haired boss we all once had than an actual president....

...the movement not only makes reality a function of the movement's agenda; its agenda itself can shift rapidly according to the strategic needs of the movement in its acquisition of power. Thus, as described in Part 1, the conservative movement has come to resemble nothing so genuinely conservative at all but rather something starkly radical: profligate spending; incautious and expansionary wars, pursued unilaterally; the steady dumbing-down of the nation's education system. The neo-Confederate-laden GOP no longer has even a passing resemblance to the "party of Lincoln." Even at the micro-political level, in interpersonal debate, the famous conservative carefulness, politeness and reserve has utterly vanished...

..The conservative movement, as such, is an ever-shifting beast. Its drive is power, and as such it has gradually adopted the familiar architecture of another power-mad phenomenon of mass politics: fascism..."

READ MORE HERE

Articles/Columns You Shouldn't Miss

Articles/Columns You Shouldn't Miss

• William Rivers Pitt: Bearing Bloody Witness, Truthout, October 12, 2004
"I wanted to vomit because Bush and Cheney, since the release of the Duelfer report, have attempted to scramble towards a new rationale for the invasion. It was never about weapons of mass destruction, but about the possibility that someday - if the entire world decided to stop watching Iraq, and if the sanctions somehow magically disappeared - Hussein might maybe somehow make the stuff we've been looking for. I wanted to vomit because I have spent the last two years listening to things like this from George W. Bush and the members of his administration: 'Simply stated,' said Dick Cheney on August 26 2002, 'there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein now has weapons of mass destruction'...'We know for a fact that there are weapons there,' said Ari Fleischer on January 9 2003...'There is no doubt,' said General Tommy Franks on March 22 2003, 'that the regime of Saddam Hussein possesses weapons of mass destruction'....'We know where they are,' said Don Rumsfeld on March 30 2003, later denying to the press that he ever said such a thing. 'They are in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad'...'We have sources that tell us,' said George W. Bush on February 8 2003, 'that Saddam Hussein recently authorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons'...'Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt,' continued Bush on March 17 2003, 'that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised'...In his February 5 2003 speech to the United Nations, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned of the 'sinister nexus between Iraq and the Al Qaeda terrorist network'."

• Philip Gourevitch: Reality Check: John Kerry's Iraq Attack, The New Yorker, October 18, 2004 issue
"Despite a pre-debate "memorandum of understanding" between the Bush campaign and the Kerry campaign that there would be no televised "cutaways" or reaction shots, more than sixty-two million Americans watched George W. Bush appear to come unglued while hearing, for the first time, John Kerry's forceful voice of opposition. Bush's face betrayed him on the very first cutaway. He had insisted that the focus of his initial encounter with Kerry, in Coral Gables, Florida, be foreign policy and national security-the issues on which, as a self-proclaimed "war President," he believes himself to be strongest, and on which he has staked his bid for a second term-yet, barely a minute into the debate, he had been subjected to more direct criticism than he had endured in public in the previous four years, and it soon became obvious that he couldn't take it. . . . Now, faced for the first time in his Presidency with an inescapable adversary, he appeared to experience the debate as an insult. At times he sulked, at times he winced, as Kerry picked apart the Administration's catastrophic Iraq adventure. "I didn't need anybody to tell me to go to the United Nations," Bush protested. "I decided to go there myself." And, a bit later, 'Of course I know Osama bin Laden attacked us. I know that.' "



Seen in Austin, TX
credit: freewayblogger.com


• kid oakland/Daily Kos- Making History, October 15, 2004
"I firmly believe we will make history this November. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it was so. And, I guess, this diary is, in a way, a kind of time out from that to reflect on something that I feel the need to remember:
I firmly believe that we share this nation with people who don't agree with us. It's all of ours. Together. Hell, some of us are related. And, right now we are all just trying to figure how better to run our government.
History is weird. We might have one perspective on things now...and see it changed by events outside our control.
The one thing we do control...is our integrity...staying true to ourselves and our values. Standing up for our principles. Paying authentic witness to our times, no matter who we are or where we find ourselves. Our stories, collectively, are what make history. And we must never forget that, because, in a way, that is the basis of our politics."


• Paul Krugman: Checking the Facts, In Advance, New York Times, October 12, 2004
" The point is that Mr. Kerry can, at most, be accused of using loose language; the thrust of his statements is correct. Mr. Bush's statements, on the other hand, are fundamentally dishonest. He is insisting that black is white, and that failure is success. Journalists who play it safe by spending equal time exposing his lies and parsing Mr. Kerry's choice of words are betraying their readers."
(Related: Robert Kuttner's "How Kerry Can Win")


• Media Matters- On Nightline, Vietnamese witnesses further debunked Sinclair exec's report on Kerry's Silver Star
"An October 14 report on ABC's Nightline strongly refuted claims by opponents of Senator John Kerry, including Sinclair Broadcast Group vice president Mark Hyman and the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, that, in Hyman's words, Kerry "shot a wounded teenager retreating from battle" when he was in Vietnam.
In a September 13 televised commentary titled "Kerry and the Killing," Hyman purported to discredit Senator John Kerry's account of events that led to his receipt of the Silver Star. Hyman claimed that an "official after action report" obtained "[i]n an exclusive" from U.S. Navy archives contradicted Kerry's account and supported the account of "eyewitnesses" that "allege Kerry shot a wounded teenager retreating from battle." Similarly, in the book Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry (Regnery, August 2004), co-authors Jerome R. Corsi and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth co-founder John E. O'Neill described the man Kerry killed is described as "a lone, wounded, fleeing, young Vietcong in a loincloth." Media Matters for America noted at the time that the Navy document Hyman cited did not contradict Kerry's account.
Hyman's commentaries, called The Point, appear on many of the 62 TV stations Sinclair owns or operates."
(Related: MyDD- Nightline---Wow! SVFT Exposed as Liars!
and
ABC News Story)


• Imagining the Danger of 2000 Redux By John M. Broder
NYT, October 17
The danger may be greater than 2000: Could the country stand another Florida?


• Winning the War for Muslim Minds: What Bush can learn from The Battle of Algiers DVD, Slate, October 14 by Fred Kaplan
"Gilles Kepel notes, "The most important battle in the war for Muslim minds during the next decade will be fought not in Palestine or Iraq but … on the outskirts of London, Paris, and other European cities, where Islam is already a growing part of the West." Most of these Muslims emigrated to the West not to export terror, but to earn a living. If they're given an opportunity, maybe Muslims everywhere will take notice and wonder if the West is really as bad as the Bin Ladens say."

• Military probing whether unit in Iraq refused dangerous mission Boston Globe, October 17
"The grandfather of an Army Reserve soldier whose platoon refused to deliver supplies in Iraq said his grandson told him Saturday that he and other soldiers had been detained by military authorities but were later released. Meanwhile, military officials said commanders reassigned five members of the unit. Some in the platoon had told relatives they refused to deliver tainted helicopter fuel in poorly maintained vehicles by traveling a dangerous supply route without an armed escort.
The Army is investigating up to 19 members of the platoon, which is part of the 343rd Quartermaster Company based in Rock Hill, S.C. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones."


• A three-hour election show from film-maker Michael Moore has been dropped by In Demand cable TV company. BBC, October 16
The Michael Moore Pre-Election Special, including the first TV showing of his film Fahrenheit 9/11, was to be shown on pay-per-view channel In Demand. The company said the decision to axe the show the night before the November 2 elections was due to "legitimate business and legal concerns." "Apparently people have put pressure on them," said Moore. Moore said he signed a contract with In Demand last month and is now considering legal action.



The unAmerican Sinclair Broadcasting Network:

• FCC Chairman Powell Won't Block Anti-Kerry Election Propaganda, Boliek
• Kerry Team Demands Equal Time From Sinclair, Kurtz
• Sinclair's slander, bg ed
• Backlash Begins Against Sinclair Broadcasting, wd
• Unreality TV: Ohioans Try To Survive An Attack By Swift Boats, Harkavy
*thanks to BushWatch.org
• Jay Rosen/Press Think- Agnew with TV Stations: Sinclair Broadcasting Takes On John Kerry and The Liberal Media
• Sinclair Action Constitutes "Sovietization" of U.S. Television, Buzzflash, Oct 17


• READ WHAT I WROTE ABOUT SINCLAIR LAST APRIL--Be sure to see their political contribution record linked at my post.



To be continued

Review-Vote For Change Concert Oct 11 in DC

Review-Vote For Change Concert
October 11, 2004
MCI Center, Washington D.C.

"I am a patriot
and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
With people who understand me
I got nowhere else to go

And I ain't no communist, and I ain't no capitalist
And I ain't no socialist
and I sure ain't no imperialist
And I ain't no democrat
And I ain't no republican either
And I only know one party
and its name is freedom
I am a patriot.."

-from the song I Am A Patriot (and the river opens for the righteous) by Little Steven Van Zandt, sung by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb Mo at the Vote For Change concert finale, October 11, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

The sun was shining on a clear Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C. The mall was sprinkled with people tossing footballs and frisbees, tourists strolling the sculpture garden at the Hirschorn Museum, and students reading their schoolbooks at the Starbucks on 7th Avenue. You could tell which people were headed to the Vote For Change concert finale at the MCI Center either by their Kerry-Edwards T-shirts or anti-Bush statement shirts. If you listened carefully, you may have heard some say jovially to one another "So, have you heard the rumors on the internets?"

A few hours before the show, four or five Freeper-types stood across the street, one with a Saddam Hussein costume on, another holding a sign saying something ludicrous like "MoveOn.org rocks for Osama" and "Saddam-Aid 2004". I waved to them while happily, thinking about the great music they were never going to be hearing that evening while they backed Bush the loser whose big-name entertainment supporter is Wayne Newton.

As concert time drew near, a large crowd gathered outside the MCI center. There were people handing out flyers and stickers, groups looking for volunteers to travel to swing states, and 'Billionaires for Bush' looking dapper and darling. Inside the arena, a large crowd swarmed the T-Shirt concession area, lining up six-deep to gaze upon the Vote For Change merchandise.

By the time the show started, at 7pm sharp, most people were not yet in their seats. By the time the first artist, John Mellencamp, had taken the stage, the crowd had quickly gotten into their assigned places to enjoy the show, which had been sold-out 30 minutes after tickets had gone on sale last month.

Before Mellencamp sang, a group of artists came out to make a brief political statement. Bruce Springsteen, Emily Robison (of the Dixie Chicks), Dave Matthews, Michael Stipe, and Eddie Vedder came onstage together. Without mentioning Bush or Kerry, Springsteen said, "We're here to raise our voices loud and clear...we want to change our government."

Eddie Vedder added, "We want government that's open, rational, responsible for the citizenry, and humane."

I enjoyed Mellencamp's set. I'd seen him at a small club when he was still John Cougar Mellencamp back in the 80s, and watching him at the MCI Center, I realized he has never lost his energy or his spirit through the years. He set the tone for the night with a solid acoustic performance. Mellencamp's rootsy band included a drummer, two guitarists, violin, accordian, upright bass, and background singer. Songs performed:

1. In my time of dying (blues version)
2. Paper in Fire
3. Walk Tall (prefaced by the statement, "This next song is about what the Devil can do if you don't keep your eye on him.")
4. Authority Song
5. Pink Houses

By the time Mellencamp had finished his set, the crowd was on its feet with an energy that would last the whole night long.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds was next, doing one smooth, blues-injected song, "Change the World" (a hit song written by Eric Clapton, produced by Babyface).

Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and KebMo were next, performing the following songs together:

1. Worlds in Motion
2. For What It's Worth
3. I am a Patriot
4. Stand up and be Strong

At the end of the set, Bonnie Raitt stated, "America, we'll see you at the polls!"

"I am a Patriot" was one of my favorites of the concert. It was written by Little Steven Van Zandt, and I believe its lyrics and reggae spirit stayed closest to the theme of the raucous evening of political rock for change.

Jackson Browne came back to the stage after a short break as the stage was rotated to a new set and he introduced the hip hop act, Jurrassic 5.
1. I Am Somebody
2. And you Don't Stop
3. Freedom
After the performance, members of the group stated, "It starts with you first."; "Don't point the finger at no one else."; "Vote yes on Proposition 66"

At about 8:30pm, REM took the stage. I was thrilled as it was my first opportunity to see them in concert. It was a dream-set with stellar guest-singers. REM gave a CD-quality performance of the following songs:

1. The One I Love
2. Begin the Begin (with guest singer Eddie Vedder)
3. Leaving New York (an excellent new song)
4. Losing My Religion (oh, man, this was great)
5. Man in the Moon (with Bruce Springsteen)

Pearl Jam was next.

1. Grievance
2. Save You
3. New World (by X) (with guest singer Tim Robbins)
4. Bushleaguer
5. Master of War (The Bob Dylan song, and Vedder sang the tune with a decided high-lonesome Appalachin feel, a bone-chilling rendition--one of the best performances of the night.)

Vedder was heard saying, "I guess now everyone is going to vote" Also, Vedder remarked that everyone is talking about November 3rd--how the work will have just begun on November 3rd. He said he was worried people would forget the actual day they need to vote and he asked the audience to raise their hands for the television cameras and show them the day they have to vote. The 2nd sign doubled for the peace sign, and Eddie Vedder was pleased with the resulting visual mass statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swim and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--James Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pardon my adolescent-sounding admiration, but I was blown away by James Taylor.

1. The Secret of Life
2. Hold Them Up

(Out came the Dixie Chicks to join Taylor for a couple songs)

3. Sweet Baby James (A sweet rendition with Natalie Maines on vocals and Taylor on harmony--the audience went wild with appreciative applause after the song.)
4. Shower the People

James Taylor made the most astute remarks of the evening:

--"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swin and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--"We started the tour on the eve of the first debate and I've been asked 'What advice do you have for undecided voters?' You take a look at the two candidates; you study 'em real close... and YOU CHOOSE THE SMART ONE. You choose the smart one."

The Dixie Chicks performed the next set on their own:

1. Some Days You Gotta Dance (with guest James Taylor)
2. Truth No. 2
3. Mississippi (Bob Dylan song)

Natlaie Maines' comments included:

"Gosh, I hope y'all show up to our next tour." and "After 'the incident', people asked me if I wanted to take back what I'd said. I thought, well, no, because after that, Bush would just call me a flip-flopper." The audience cheered with amused delight.

At about 10:20, the Dave Matthews Band took the stage. Their set list:

1. Don't Drink the Water
2. One Sweet World
3. Joy Ride
4. Ants Marching
5. So Much to Say
6. Too Much

Bruce Springsteen took the stage a bit past 11:00.

1. The Star Spangled Banner (guitar version)
2. Born in the USA
3. Badlands
4. No Surrender

John Fogerty was introduced by Springsteen as the Hank Williams of our generation. Fogerty, along with the E Street band, started with a new song called Deja Vu. It was another one of my favorites of the night. It sounded as if the song was written just for the evening. It was a fresh look at what's happening today through the eyes of someone who's lived long enoughto have seen it all before. Shades of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Fogerty then performed a rousing version of "Fortunate Son" to a responsive and enthusiastic crowd.

Springsteen continued on with his set.

5. Because the Night /with Michael Stipe (It was GORGEOUS.)
6. Mary's Place (From the post-9/11 CD "The Rising", a song which contained the key line for the whole album, "How do you live brokenhearted," with a juxtaposition of sad lyrics and complete party music with Clarence Clemons playing a mean, mean sax).

Public Service Annoucement -Bruce Springsteen, in a televangelist preacher style, called all believers to their television screens and asked them to touch the screen and chant (three times) a healing: "Halliburton, Halliburton, Halliburton". ;) Springsteen then got serious and it was the one and only time he mentioned his confidence in and support of John Kerry and John Edwards, which he expressed with a serious yet hopeful patriotic tone.

7. Born to Run (with Peter Buck and Mike Mills of REM--and just about every member of the audience!)

I can't begin to tell you about the energy that was running through the arena by this time. It was more intense than I'd ever experienced at a concert in the past--and I've attended many a concert in my day. The E Street band sounded like they did in the late 70s/early 80s, with a vibe that sent shivers down my spine.

It was time for the finale. All the stars came to the stage to join in singing:

8. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding? (With Michael Stipe and Eddie Vedder playing air guitar and bouncing joyously.)

11. People have the Power

I watched the finale from the stage left door looking directly onto the singers onstage. It's a moment I wish I could have recorded by means other than memory. It's a sight I'll never forget. I only hope the message sent by these fine, conscientious performers will travel straight to the hearts of Americans and will be translated to their hope--our hope---which is new leadership in the capital of the nation we all love so much.

Jon Stewart Slams Tucker Carlson/CNN's Crossfire

Jon Stewart Slams Tucker Carlson/CNN's Crossfire

SEE CROSSFIRE VIDEO HERE

I can't begin to tell you how much I respect Jon Stewart. At Salon.com, there's a brief rundown about Jon's appearance on Crossfire today. You'll need a subscription or one-day pass to read it.

Excerpts:

"..I think you're a lot more fun on your show," said Tucker Carlson to "Crossfire" guest Jon Stewart this afternoon. "And I think you're as much of a dick on your show as on any other," Stewart shot back. It wasn't the faux avuncularity we've come to expect from Stewart on "The Daily Show" but there, of course, he's playing a role. Here he was himself -- and he wasn't buying any of it...

...Carlson tried to counter Stewart's criticism by pointing out that during John Kerry's recent appearance on "The Daily Show," Stewart asked the candidate softball questions. "If you want to measure yourself against a comedy show," Stewart said, "be my guest..."

..."I thought you were going to be funny," Carlson said toward the end of the interview. Stewart responded, "No, I'm not going to be your monkey."

LINK-Salon.com

Related Stories:

MTV- Jon Stewart Bitchslaps CNN's 'Crossfire' Show
"..I watch your show every day, and it kills me. It's so painful to watch...What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery...You have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably....The thing is, we need your help...Right now, you're helping the politicians and the corporations and we're left out there to mow our lawns..."

Alternet- Jon Stewart to Tucker Carlson: "You're a dick"

Wonkette- BREAKING: TUCKERGATE TRANSCRIPT (I WOULD POST MORE ON O'REILLY BUT THE NEWS CYCLE MOVES REALLY FAST!!!)

Why the shame, Cheneys? Why the Shame?

Mary

Why the Shame, Cheneys? Why the Shame?

"Senator Kerry could have made his point about gay and lesbian Americans without mentioning the Vice President's daughter. However, this shouldn't distract us from the fact that President Bush, Karl Rove and other Republicans have been using gay and lesbian families as a political wedge issue in this campaign."

--Patrick Guerriero, Log Cabin Republican Executive Director

It's time we started discussing the issue of being gay in America straight up. *pun intended*

I cannot believe, with the way the Cheneys are acting, that they could be proud of their daughter Mary. As an American with many gay friends and relatives, that really disturbs me. I feel embarrassed for Mary for having been put at the center of this controversy. The ones mostly responsible are her own parents.

Why are the Cheneys acting as if they are ashamed of their girl? Why?

Is it because they think it will get them extra votes from Bible-thumping redneck gay-bashers in swing states? If so, the dirty shame is upon them, not Mary.

What on earth is wrong with someone referring to a third party as a lesbian?

If that person is a self-avowed lesbian, what is politically "cheap" about referring to her as such?

If someone lives their life proudly as a gay American and fights for the rights of other gay Americans (as Mary Cheney does), why should they (or their proud family) be offended by the very mention of the fact they're gay?

If the Cheneys respected all of our gay sons and daughters and wanted the best life for them and all gay Americans, why would they take pot-shots at people in public life who have shown particular interest in and promotion of gay rights?

Why hasn't Cheney been a better public spokeperson and politician for his own daughter's (and all gay American's) interests? Why have the Cheneys given the gay rights issue only lip service while exploiting their own child for the wedge issue they're purposefully dumping on the electoral doorstep?

The Cheneys must be hypocrites who are ashamed of their gay daughter. It's the only lesson I can take away from this turn of events.

I'm glad I don't have parents like Lynne and Dick Cheney. My parents would never think of doing this to me. If I were in Mary's place, the day after John Kerry made the comment about my life, I know my parents would have not exploited me. My loving parents would have made my life's hard work shine proudly in the face of any political hardship they were facing.

Poor Mary. My heart goes out to her and to all gay Americans who are being used for political sport. The way I see it, if you're going to be used as an example by a politician, you're best hope is that it's a politician who is actuallty fighting for what you've been fighting for.

Mary- John Kerry is on your side.


See Barbara O'Brien's commentary at American Street

Guardian- Mary Cheney has declined to comment on remarks John Kerry made during a presidential debate suggesting that her homosexuality was formed at birth.

Media Matters- Despite conservative accusations, Kerry didn't "out" Mary Cheney

Human Rights Campaign (HRC) responds to Lynne Cheney's comments

Lynne Cheney denied her daughter was gay four short years ago

The denial as reported at Salon.com

Salon.com- John Kerry's lesbian moment
"Dick and Lynne Cheney screamed foul when the Democratic candidate mentioned their gay daughter. But for gays and lesbians, what is most outrageous is the Cheneys' outrage"

Columnist Bart Whiteman's views on the situation
"Kerry now is a “bad man” in their eyes, not because he is trying to put them on the unemployment line, but because he said something actually supportive of their daughter in response to a purposely provocative question lobbed by moderator Bob Schieffer..Let's get one thing straight. It is not an insult to call a proudly public lesbian a lesbian. It's an insult to gasp when someone calls her a lesbian.."

Some Kerry supporters don't even like me talking about this

MyDD- H20 Cooler Talk-It's All About Mary

Buzzflash- Oh, Lynne Cheney, Stop Listening to Mary Matalin Feed You Whiny Character Attacks that Backfire Because Your Husband, Dick, is the Witness Against You -- And Himself

Hilary Rosen/WP- "The silent but admirable Mary Cheney has remained a loyal daughter and foot soldier in this homophobic campaign. I feel sorry for her.."


William F Buckley Jr- So Mary's Gay?

Why America Needs Rumi

This We Have Now

This we have now
is not imagination.

This is not
grief or joy.

Not a judging state,
or an elation,
or sadness.

Those come and go.
This is the presence that doesn't.

--Rumi

Why America Needs Rumi
by Maliha Masood

Excerpt:

"In the polarized tensions between Islamic militants, global terrorism, homeland security and national interests, the teachings of Rumi are all the more relevant in deflecting misunderstandings. It seems odd that the same poet is read with voracious intensity across America, Afghanistan and Iran. One would think that the World Trade center attacks would have also obliterated appreciation of Islamic literature and poetry in the US. But the Rumi resurgence in spite of or perhaps because of September 11, is a strong testament to Americans new found receptivity to learn more about Islam. Rumi is a necessary voice to bridge the gap between the Islam which stands for pluralism and tolerance and the belligerent abuse of religion branded by extremist factions, that gets the most media attention to distort public perceptions.

Since many Americans admire and relate to Rumi's philosophy, they can also learn to distinguish between Rumi's message of a peace loving Islam that embraces humanity and the misdirected Islam of bigotry and desperation that leads to violence."

LINK

BulgeGate / Third Debate

BulgeGate / Third Debate

Okay, people, what the hell was this thing on the president's back at last night's debate? It isn't a bunched-up shirt, so don't even try handing me that explanation again!




UPDATE- October 18, "At Each Ear a Hearer", Bush Bulge Bulletin

Signs Point to Bush Loss in November

Signs Point to Bush Loss in November

The signs are pointing to a Bush loss in November. (Unless desperate corruption steps into the free path of the American election).

LA Times Editorial

"It should be clear by now that Kerry is not for some Stalinist government healthcare system, that he won't give Paris a veto over U.S. foreign policy and that he doesn't think terrorism is merely a nuisance. He was thoughtful and firm in all three debates, despite his enduring stiffness. The shrillness of the Bush camp's attacks on Kerry betrays an unbecoming desperation, and adds to the sense that the challenger came out the convincing winner."

LINK

Thomas Friedman/NYT:

"I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I hear the president and vice president slamming John Kerry for saying that he hopes America can eventually get back to a place where "terrorists are not the focus of our lives, but they're a nuisance." The idea that President Bush and Mr. Cheney would declare such a statement to be proof that Mr. Kerry is unfit to lead actually says more about them than Mr. Kerry. Excuse me, I don't know about you, but I dream of going back to the days when terrorism was just a nuisance in our lives...

...I want a president who can one day restore Sept. 11th to its rightful place on the calendar: as the day after Sept. 10th and before Sept. 12th. I do not want it to become a day that defines us. Because ultimately Sept. 11th is about them - the bad guys - not about us. We're about the Fourth of July."

LINK

Informed Comment/Juan Cole: Bush v. Kerry: The Persian Gulf Empire and Perpetual War:

"The visions for the American future laid out by George W. Bush and John Kerry differ starkly on matters of war and peace, and the shape of American power in the Middle East.

Bush has put enormous resources into the Iraq war compared to those he has committed to fighting al-Qaeda. Kerry pledges to concentrate on stamping out al-Qaeda. The American public has a clear choice between a continued US push into the Middle East, with bases and very likely further wars, and between a calmer, more patient foreign policy that makes room to address the problem of practically fighting terrorism.."

LINK

Also at Informed Comment...6 US Troops Killed/Mass Grave Exhumed

"...the Kurdish mass grave is not only a testament to Saddam's monumental brutality. It is also a sad commentary on the immorality of US policies in the region in the 1980s under Reagan. It is not a legacy over which Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and other figures on the Right can take any pride in, or political comfort from"

LINK

Bush's OBL Debate Comment-BUSTED!

Bush's OBL Debate Comment-BUSTED!

In last night's debate:

KERRY: Yes. When the president had an opportunity to capture or kill Osama bin Laden, he took his focus off of them, outsourced the job to Afghan warlords, and Osama bin Laden escaped.

Six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, Where is Osama bin Laden? He said, I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned.

We need a president who stays deadly focused on the real war on terror.

SCHIEFFER: Mr. President?

BUSH: Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those.... exaggerations. Hh-eh-eh.(goofy grin/guffaw).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

13 march 2003 press conference:

Q: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that? [...]

BUSH: ... I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you [...]

Q: Do you believe the threat that bin Laden posed won't truly be eliminated until he is found either dead or alive?

BUSH: As I say, we hadn't heard much from him. And I wouldn't necessarily say he's at the center of any command structure. And, you know, again, I don't know where he is.

I'll repeat what I said: I truly am not that concerned about him.

*Thanks to Daily Kos
LINK

AND...

QUESTION: Mr. President, in your speeches now, you rarely talk or mention Osama bin Laden. Why is that?
Also, can you can tell the American people if you have any more information -- if you know if he is dead or alive. Deep in your heart, don't you truly believe that until you find out if he is dead or alive, you won't really want to make...

BUSH: Well, deep in my heart, I know the man's on the run if he's alive at all. And I -- you know, who knows if he's hiding in some cave or not? We hadn't heard from him in a long time.

And the idea of focusing on one person is really -- indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission. Terror's bigger than one person. And he's just -- he's a person who has now been marginalized. His network is -- his host government has been destroyed. He's the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match.

He is -- you know, as I mention in my speeches -- I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death. And he, himself, tries to hide, if, in fact, he's hiding at all.

So I don't know where he is. Nor -- you know, I just don't spend that much time on him really, to be honest with you. I'm more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well supplied, that the strategy is clear, that the coalition is strong, that when we find enemy bunched up, like we did in Shah-e-Kot mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did.

LINK

Rumor About After-Debate Bush-Kerry Conversation

Rumor About After-Debate Bush-Kerry Conversation

From Daily Kos:

"This is exactly what the Kerry blog entry said:

"anyway, I am new tonight... as you may not have seen me before in here.. just a FYI that I am deaf here and can read lips okay..
at the end of debate where Kerry and Bush shook hands.. Bush was asking Kerry, Can I talk to you later tonight? Kerry said sure then Bush said where would you be? I missed what Kerry said.

I wondered what Bush wanted to talk to Kerry about??

... not good. Not. Good. At all.
I watched them talk after, and it seemed like Kerry was surprised... something was off. I was wondering what was said...

When the president asks to talk to you, you don't not meet with him...

Whatever Bush says, whatever it sounds like, I wouldn't trust it worth a damn.

But Kerry's a senator... he knows the game."

If I had to guess, I would say that something is up with Bush's health. With all of the comments on how Bush's face is drooping on one side, and the lack of a physical until after the election, you really have to wonder what is going on."

Another Comment from Kos site by kfractal on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 08:58:46 GMT :

Bush: Can I talk to you (later tonight)?
Kerry: ???
Bush: Where you gonna be?
Kerry: ???
Bush: ... We'll find each other.

Kerry had his back to the camera for this.

Not that I have any clue what this means.

Another Comment from by Geotpf on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 09:17:29 GMT:

Could be Bush wants more debates

Could be Bush really has health issues (either mental or physical) and is about to drop out of the race (!!!)

Could be a security/terrorism thing

Comment from Akapl on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 17:43:20 GMT:

At the end of the debate.......

When they were shaking hands Bush clearly asks "Can we talk later" and Kerry a bit surprised seems to say yes and then U see Bush clearly say "Where you gonna be later".....
This was posted on the Kerry blog last night so I re-watched the end it absolutely DID happen. Is there any more info today about this??????
I'm wondering if there isn't something going on within the Bush family with someone's health....

Next Comment from smubbard on Thu Oct 14th, 2004 at 17:20:05 GMT:

questions

I have questions about his whole left side of his face. It wasn't even his mouth. His left eye looked drooping as well.
I was surprised that no one mentioned it last night.

Review-Vote For Change Concert Oct 11 Washington DC

Review-Vote For Change Concert
October 11, 2004
MCI Center, Washington D.C.

"I am a patriot
and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I want to be with my family
With people who understand me
I got nowhere else to go

And I ain't no communist, and I ain't no capitalist
And I ain't no socialist
and I sure ain't no imperialist
And I ain't no democrat
And I ain't no republican either
And I only know one party
and its name is freedom
I am a patriot.."

-from the song I Am A Patriot (and the river opens for the righteous) by Little Steven Van Zandt, sung by Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb Mo at the Vote For Change concert finale, October 11, 2004 in Washington, D.C.

The sun was shining on a clear Sunday afternoon in Washington D.C. The mall was sprinkled with people tossing footballs and frisbees, tourists strolling the sculpture garden at the Hirschorn Museum, and students reading their schoolbooks at the Starbucks on 7th Avenue. You could tell which people were headed to the Vote For Change concert finale at the MCI Center either by their Kerry-Edwards T-shirts or anti-Bush statement shirts. If you listened carefully, you may have heard some say jovially to one another "So, have you heard the rumors on the internets?"

A few hours before the show, four or five Freeper-types stood across the street, one with a Saddam Hussein costume on, another holding a sign saying something ludicrous like "MoveOn.org rocks for Osama" and "Saddam-Aid 2004". I waved to them while happily, thinking about the great music they were never going to be hearing that evening while they backed Bush the loser whose big-name entertainment supporter is Wayne Newton.

As concert time drew near, a large crowd gathered outside the MCI center. There were people handing out flyers and stickers, groups looking for volunteers to travel to swing states, and 'Billionaires for Bush' looking dapper and darling. Inside the arena, a large crowd swarmed the T-Shirt concession area, lining up six-deep to gaze upon the Vote For Change merchandise.

By the time the show started, at 7pm sharp, most people were not yet in their seats. By the time the first artist, John Mellencamp, had taken the stage, the crowd had quickly gotten into their assigned places to enjoy the show, which had been sold-out 30 minutes after tickets had gone on sale last month.

Before Mellencamp sang, a group of artists came out to make a brief political statement. Bruce Springsteen, Emily Robison (of the Dixie Chicks), Dave Matthews, Michael Stipe, and Eddie Vedder came onstage together. Without mentioning Bush or Kerry, Springsteen said, "We're here to raise our voices loud and clear...we want to change our government."

Eddie Vedder added, "We want government that's open, rational, responsible for the citizenry, and humane."

I enjoyed Mellencamp's set. I'd seen him at a small club when he was still John Cougar Mellencamp back in the 80s, and watching him at the MCI Center, I realized he has never lost his energy or his spirit through the years. He set the tone for the night with a solid acoustic performance. Mellencamp's rootsy band included a drummer, two guitarists, violin, accordian, upright bass, and background singer. Songs performed:

1. In my time of dying (blues version)
2. Paper in Fire
3. Walk Tall (prefaced by the statement, "This next song is about what the Devil can do if you don't keep your eye on him.")
4. Authority Song
5. Pink Houses

By the time Mellencamp had finished his set, the crowd was on its feet with an energy that would last the whole night long.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds was next, doing one smooth, blues-injected song, "Change the World" (a hit song written by Eric Clapton, produced by Babyface).

Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, and KebMo were next, performing the following songs together:

1. Worlds in Motion
2. For What It's Worth
3. I am a Patriot
4. Stand up and be Strong

At the end of the set, Bonnie Raitt stated, "America, we'll see you at the polls!"

"I am a Patriot" was one of my favorites of the concert. It was written by Little Steven Van Zandt, and I believe its lyrics and reggae spirit stayed closest to the theme of the raucous evening of political rock for change.

Jackson Browne came back to the stage after a short break as the stage was rotated to a new set and he introduced the hip hop act, Jurrassic 5.
1. I Am Somebody
2. And you Don't Stop
3. Freedom
After the performance, members of the group stated, "It starts with you first."; "Don't point the finger at no one else."; "Vote yes on Proposition 66"

At about 8:30pm, REM took the stage. I was thrilled as it was my first opportunity to see them in concert. It was a dream-set with stellar guest-singers. REM gave a CD-quality performance of the following songs:

1. The One I Love
2. Begin the Begin (with guest singer Eddie Vedder)
3. Leaving New York (an excellent new song)
4. Losing My Religion (oh, man, this was great)
5. Man in the Moon (with Bruce Springsteen)

Pearl Jam was next.

1. Grievance
2. Save You
3. New World (by X) (with guest singer Tim Robbins)
4. Bushleaguer
5. Master of War (The Bob Dylan song, and Vedder sang the tune with a decided high-lonesome Appalachin feel, a bone-chilling rendition--one of the best performances of the night.)

Vedder was heard saying, "I guess now everyone is going to vote" Also, Vedder remarked that everyone is talking about November 3rd--how the work will have just begun on November 3rd. He said he was worried people would forget the actual day they need to vote and he asked the audience to raise their hands for the television cameras and show them the day they have to vote. The 2nd sign doubled for the peace sign, and Eddie Vedder was pleased with the resulting visual mass statement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swim and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--James Taylor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pardon my adolescent-sounding admiration, but I was blown away by James Taylor.

1. The Secret of Life
2. Hold Them Up

(Out came the Dixie Chicks to join Taylor for a couple songs)

3. Sweet Baby James (A sweet rendition with Natalie Maines on vocals and Taylor on harmony--the audience went wild with appreciative applause after the song.)
4. Shower the People

James Taylor made the most astute remarks of the evening:

--"I hate it when they say you shouldn't change horses in mid-stream. The horse can't swin and it's in way over its head and that horse shouldn't have crossed the stream in the first place, and there's a good democratic mule right there. So change that horse. Change it."

--"We started the tour on the eve of the first debate and I've been asked 'What advice do you have for undecided voters?' You take a look at the two candidates; you study 'em real close... and YOU CHOOSE THE SMART ONE. You choose the smart one."

The Dixie Chicks performed the next set on their own:

1. Some Days You Gotta Dance (with guest James Taylor)
2. Truth No. 2
3. Mississippi (Bob Dylan song)

Natlaie Maines' comments included:

"Gosh, I hope y'all show up to our next tour." and "After 'the incident', people asked me if I wanted to take back what I'd said. I thought, well, no, because after that, Bush would just call me a flip-flopper." The audience cheered with amused delight.

At about 10:20, the Dave Matthews Band took the stage. Their set list:

1. Don't Drink the Water
2. One Sweet World
3. Joy Ride
4. Ants Marching
5. So Much to Say
6. Too Much

Bruce Springsteen took the stage a bit past 11:00.

1. The Star Spangled Banner (guitar version)
2. Born in the USA
3. Badlands
4. No Surrender

John Fogerty was introduced by Springsteen as the Hank Williams of our generation. Fogerty, along with the E Street band, started with a new song called Deja Vu. It was another one of my favorites of the night. It sounded as if the song was written just for the evening. It was a fresh look at what's happening today through the eyes of someone who's lived long enoughto have seen it all before. Shades of "Won't Get Fooled Again". Fogerty then performed a rousing version of "Fortunate Son" to a responsive and enthusiastic crowd.

Springsteen continued on with his set.

5. Because the Night /with Michael Stipe (It was GORGEOUS.)
6. Mary's Place (From the post-9/11 CD "The Rising", a song which contained the key line for the whole album, "How do you live brokenhearted," with a juxtaposition of sad lyrics and complete party music with Clarence Clemons playing a mean, mean sax).

Public Service Annoucement -Bruce Springsteen, in a televangelist preacher style, called all believers to their television screens and asked them to touch the screen and chant (three times) a healing: "Halliburton, Halliburton, Halliburton". ;) Springsteen then got serious and it was the one and only time he mentioned his confidence in and support of John Kerry and John Edwards, which he expressed with a serious yet hopeful patriotic tone.

7. Born to Run (with Peter Buck and Mike Mills of REM--and just about every member of the audience!)

I can't begin to tell you about the energy that was running through the arena by this time. It was more intense than I'd ever experienced at a concert in the past--and I've attended many a concert in my day. The E Street band sounded like they did in the late 70s/early 80s, with a vibe that sent shivers down my spine.

It was time for the finale. All the stars came to the stage to join in singing:

8. What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding? (With Michael Stipe and Eddie Vedder playing air guitar and bouncing joyously.)

11. People have the Power

I watched the finale from the stage left door looking directly onto the singers onstage. It's a moment I wish I could have recorded by means other than memory. It's a sight I'll never forget. I only hope the message sent by these fine, conscientious performers will travel straight to the hearts of Americans and will be translated to their hope--our hope---which is new leadership in the capital of the nation we all love so much.

Tonight's Debate

Tonight's Debate- Transcript

The transcript is on CNN.

Bush looked like a victim of a stroke or Bells palsy. The corner of his lip seemed to sag deeply and unnaturally. Some people observed what appeared to be a bit of drool hanging at the same lip corner.

Both candidates wore similar ties. Even so, it was easy to tell them apart. All you needed to do was to spot the smarter one...the taller one..the one whose eyes weren't blinking at the speed of light. The one who didn't laugh like this: "Eh Eh Eh Eh Eh," while only moving the bottom of his chin, much like a marionette.


"Eh eh eh eh eh"

Bush was totally rude to CBS' Bob Schieffer by making the snide comment about the credibility of "leading news networks". (We know he meant CBS).

Bush quotes that Kerry could've had fun with:

"I was a border governor for a while... Borders are much better protected today than when I was governor of Texas".

To be continued...


10/14 UPDATE: Salon.com is now talking about the drooling and the stroked-out look on Bush's face.

Salon/Joyce McGreevey- Wednesday in the Dark With George: A theater review of the third presidential debate. "..Blinking, drooling and mugging his way in response to a query about vaccines.."

Buzzflash- Third Presidential Debate
"Bush was alternately babbling, snide, smirking, and, we think, drooling."

Bill O'Reilly Slapped with sexual harrassment lawsuit

Bill O'Reilly Slapped with sexual harrassment lawsuit


Bill's loofah fantasy here


After reading the complaint on Smoking Gun, I was most disturbed by this threat regarding Al Franken. I think it proves what a sick man O'Reilly really is and what a fantastic power trip he must be on.

O'Reilly is crying "extortion".

There may be taped conversations. This may get really juicy, dear readers.

Derrida and the Last Debate

Jacques Derrida

Derrida and the Last Debate

"Don't take the wrong side of an argument just because your opponent has taken the right side."

-- Balthasar Gracian, great advice from his timeless Art of Worldly Wisdom

Tonight is the last chance for George W. Bush to try to prove that John F. Kerry is wrong. He has not had success to date. After Kerry's impressive performance in the first two debates, there are fewer and fewer voters left to convince. The two sides are firmly ensconced. There are few minds left to be changed now. Unless Bush undergoes a lobotomy or Kerry uncharacteristically comes unprepared, it's a near-certainty that Kerry will be tonight's debate victor. In most instances, Kerry sounds "right" and Kerry makes more realistic sense, no matter how many times Bush takes the opposite side for the sake of drawing stark political distinctions with meaningless rhetoric.

We lost philosopher Jacques Derrida last week. Derrida warned that compositionists should be especially wary of what he called “rhetoricism”, which is 'thinking that everything depends on rhetoric.' Certainly, rhetoric is central to almost every facet of life, but Derrida warned that we must not attribute to rhetoric more power than it has. Rhetoric is not the last word. Derrida knew the full complexity of language; its power and its limitations.

George Bush has only his rhetoric left to defend his miserable failures. If Bush is re-elected, it will only mean that Americans have bought into the powerful fantasy of his rhetoric. It's a frightening thought.


DERRIDA Obituary

AndretheGiany blog on Derrida, usury, neo-cons

James Baker/Carlyle Group embroiled in controversy over Iraq debt

James Baker/Carlyle Group embroiled in controversy over Iraq debt

The Carlyle Group plans to cash in as Bush appointee James Baker asks countries to forgive Iraq's crushing debts while secretly proposing to try to collect $27 billion on behalf of Kuwait

LINK-Naomi Klein/Guardian

Read the documents here.

Related:
The Nation- James Baker's Double Life by Naomi Klein

Blair is sounding like Bush

-

What happened to him? His very image used to inspire respect and dignity. Now, knowing what we know, he resembles Howdy Doody.

Blair is sounding like Bush
A far more articulate Bush.

During his most recent weekly questioning period in Parliament, Tony Blair refused to accept responsibility for misleading Great Britain toward the unnecessary war in Iraq. Although he did apologize for the WMD misleading (retracting his '45 minutes' WMD claim), he said he wouldn't ever apologize for removing Saddam Hussein.

Funny, no one asked him to apologise for the idea of removing Saddam Hussein. He's beginning to sound like Bush. What disturbs Blair's fellow politicians is the wrong way he went about "protecting" his nation. At George Bush's side, he rushed to a war because of a supposed "imminent threat", and now says he's proud of changing the regime in Iraq, which was never the supposed rationale for war in the first place. He is using the recent discovery of a mass grave, found by US-led investigators, as his latest crutch to escape responsibility for his failure of leadership. There are mass graves now being required to bury innocent Iraqis caught in the middle of Bush and Blair's folly.

I could hardly believe my ears when I heard Blair say that his angry critics in Parliament were displaying an "inconsistency" in their positions on Iraq and playing politics in attacking him at this stage of the game. It's straight from the Bush administration playbook. The Big Cheese blames the underlings for his shitty decisions when it all falls apart. It's as if he and Bush are saying, "Why, oh why didn't you stop me before I led the nation to disaster?"

The war was outside the rule of international law. It was stupid, it was illegal, it was unjust, it was based on lies, it had deadly consequences for all loyal and trusting troops who were sent to Iraq. The most expert of politicians could never escape responsibility for such a dreadful move. Blair may or may not suffer political consequences in the UK. I think he should, but that's up to the citizens of the UK.

Here in the USA, I am becoming more and more confident by the day that Bush will suffer the consequences of his lies and weak, unrealistic defences for his proven lies when November 2nd rolls around.

Even though he'll never say, I know Blair will be relieved when Bush is thrown out of office by American voters. He said he would like to see the Middle East peace process revived now, but he said the reality is that it will be after the US presidential election in the next few weeks that he can make progress. We all know what that means, don't we?

"I think it was his battery."

BulgeGate

"I think it was his battery. I think tomorrow, before the debate, John Kerry ought to pat him down."

--jovial John Edwards, on Tuesday's Tonight Show

Joke of the day- Bush bulge busted!