You Know We're Never Gonna Survive...

... unless, we're Alito bit crazy.

• Yes, Bush caved to the crazies on the radical right by tapping Alito to be the next failed Bush nomination to the Supreme Court. He not only passes their abortion litmus test with flying colors, but to sweeten the deal for the far right, he's tough on minorities and the disabled. I look forward to the confirmation hearings.

• CNN v. Fox News (The text of the stories - identical. The headlines - quite different.)

• Query: will the right wingers who purportedly hate "activist judges" have any problem with Alito's opinion that judges, not Congress, should decide whether employees should have the right to unpaid family medical leave. (Luckily Rehnquist shut him down on that one.)

• Having failed with his "appoint a crony" move, Bush resorts to his other patented move: "divide, divide, divide." Of course the Alito nomination will create a firestorm. It's supposed to. This is good for Bush for two reasons: (1) it will put all the Republicans back together again fighting for a common cause - they have been drifting around, and even (gasp!) criticizing Bush for his failures; and (2) it will divert attention from the criminal charges brought against Scooter and the pending criminal investigation of Rove.

Halloween

Can anyone give me a few Halloween costume ideas? I was thinking about going as "Revenge of the Pinata". Buy a pinata at a local store, slice it down the back and wear it like a shirt. I would then have blood running down my face and a stick in my hand while I ran after people throwing candy at them and hitting them.

Iraq Burn Rate Comparisons

As an American this article simply dissapoints me. Here is an excerpt:

Republican members of Congress, have lambasted Bush for shortchanging the nation's true homeland security needs. Below, a sample of those needs, along with Bush's budget allocations, compared with the time it takes to burn through the same amount in Iraq.

Amount needed for basic security upgrades for subway and commuter trains in large cities: $6 BILLION
(Iraq spending equivalent: 20 days)

Bush budget allocation for train security: $100 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 8 hours)

Amount needed to equip all U.S. airports with machines that screen baggage for explosives: $3 BILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 10 days)

Bush budget allocation for baggage-screening machines: $400 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 32 hours)

Amount needed for security upgrades at 361 U.S. ports: $1.1 BILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 4 days)

Bush budget allocation for port security: $210 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 17 hours)

Amount needed to buy radiation portals for U.S. ports to detect dirty bombs in cargo: $290 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 23 hours)

Bush budget allocation for radiation portals: $43 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 3 hours)

Amount needed to help local firefighters preparefor terrorist attacks: $36.8 BILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 122 days)

Bush budget allocation for firefighter grants: $500 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 40 hours)

Amount needed to get local emergency medical crews ready for terrorist atttacks: $1.4 BILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 5 days)

Bush budget allocation for emergency medical training grants prior to eliminating program altogether: $50 MILLION
(Iraq equivalent: 4 hours)

Sources:

All Bush allocation figures taken from administration estimates of FY 2005 budget

Climbing The Gallows

Paul Begala tells us what it's like to work in a White House under investigation.

How fun.

McDonald's: Marketing Genius

I found myself in the McDonald's drive thru this morning for the second time in three days. For a reason I can't explain, every time the Monopoly game is on, I find myself stopping in at least twice a week. I don't usually eat fast food, but the Monopoly marketing draws me like a magnet. This year McD's has a new feature that allows you to play online by entering codes at the bottom of each property piece you collect. It's pretty damn fun and, of course, I seem to always be missing one property of a particular set. I have probably played this game more often than not in the last decade and I have never won anything but a few free hashbrowns and cheeseburgers. This realization made me do what any normal person would do; I spent an hour on the internet and researched previous winners. I found this FBI press release which might be genuine. I also found that there are many people who post the pieces that are "rare" for this year's game. As I read the tips and pondered, I soon realized that I was dumb enough again to think that when I peeled off Park Place this morning, I might have won the $1,000,000.......

"My Feet Are Tired, But My Soul's At Rest"

When we are really honest with ourselves we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice.
Cesar Chavez after a three week fast

Rest in peace Rosa Parks, thank you for helping make this world a little better.

Be Your Own Evil Genius

The superb Wolcott whispers in Scooter Libby's ear -

Look at how the press talks about Rove. He's the nervous system of the White House staff, the chief architect of Republican dominance, the 7200 rpm hard drive of the Bush machine, the jolly pirate who guides the ship of state; without Rove, Bush will be reduced to wandering around the White House bumping into walls like a robot on the blink.

Rove is considered indispensable, irreplaceable. But you, Scooter? You're being treated as not just dispensable but disposable. Rove is Bush's evil genius. Dick Cheney doesn't need an evil genius. He's his own evil genius. Once your nameplate has been removed from your desk, Burns will simply find himself another Smithers to pledge groveling obedience.

Mugsy's Mugshot

Looks like he's campaigning from the jailhouse, doesn't it? Maybe he's the next Traficant.

In 2002, Traficant was indicted and tried on federal corruption charges for taking campaign funds for personal use

After his expulsion, Traficant ran as an independent candidate for another term in the House while incarcerated in a federal prison in White Deer, Pennsylvania. He received 15 percent of the vote (27,487 votes) and became one of only a handful of individuals in the history of the United States to run for a federal office from prison.

WELL BEAM ME UP, MR. SPEAKER!!

Update: Some speculate that the Beaming Speaker has been under the knife. HT Sully.

Crash Into Me, Yeah.

If you haven't seen last year's film "Crash," I highly recommend it. It's a gritty, no bullshit story which explores the current state of race relations in the United States. There are no good guys, and nobody comes out clean.

One of my friends disagrees:

Saw Crash last night- hated it. It was either so stupidly cliché or the most sickeningly anti-white racist crap I have ever seen. The only potential bright spot, Don Cheadle, had such a small part it didn't help much. I'm guessing I'm the minority on this one (no pun intended), as the critics or whatever also gave decent reviews to what I rank as the second worst movie of all time- The Cooler. Even Gods and Heroes wasn't this bad. Colors- now that was a good movie about LA, racism, bad cops, etc., (the same storyline as Crash), and it was done in the effin 80's. Crash was about as cutting edge
as a movie about how racially tense Atlanta was in 1860. Yeah, we get it. The white characters were so predictably upper class evil- was this payback for all the bad stereotypes of minorities over the years? Goebbels would have been proud of this one.

I pointed out that I don't get how anyone could call it "anti-white" when it is pretty much equal opportunity in its portrayal of races. His response:

The villains were:

Matt Dillon, the sexually assaulting bad racist cop

Brendan Fraser, the wealthy DA who wants to use Don Cheadle for his own PR crap

Sandra Bullock, the paranoid wealthy DA's wife

Tony Danza, the bad racist producer who manipulates the black man into stereotypical roles against his will

Ryan Phillipe, Dillons first partner, the naive young cop who ultimately kills an innocent black man and dumps his body

In general, by trying to show how "racist" we all are at heart, it was in fact just that- playing upon the stupidest stereotypes ever. All that was left out was actually showing the Korean's shop in da hood, or a star of david around Tony Danza's neck to show that he was in fact the jewish producer. If this show is to "teach" us about racism, it was intended for third graders in 1986. Boo.

Discuss.

Texas State Rep. Resigns: Connection to Delay

Texas State Rep. Todd Baxter announced his resignation today. This is shocking considering how hard his campaign fought to gain that seat. It appears corruption in the Republican Party flows down to every level. Baxter received funds from Delay's money laundering service. Here is the story and here is an excerpt:

Baxter received money from the Republican National Committee, which has been at the heart of the recent indictments of U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land. DeLay and his associates are accused of laundering the money through the Republican group to illegally funnel corporate money to seven Texas legislative candidates, including Baxter.

Baxter was not charged with any wrongdoing.

The Texas Association of Business, which, like DeLay, is under indictment for its involvement in the 2002 elections, also paid for advertisements attacking Baxter's opponent, former Rep. Ann Kitchen, in 2002.

"Probably Todd saw the writing on the wall and the Republican establishment, my assumption is, moved in and said, 'Mr. Baxter, you're not going to win this race and so let's put somebody in there that doesn't have the baggage you have,' " said Chris Elliott, chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party. "But any candidate they put in there, Ben Bentzin or whoever else, is going to be a product of the same Republican establishment that has been inept in the way they run this state."

Oh No...

Who will run the country?

"I wish I could be there to see you face to face and thank you personally. Probably a little early for me to go to Tikrit. Perhaps one of these days the situation will be such that I'll be able to get back to Iraq."

Next week, Bush paints his face blue and white and runs back and forth in front of the video screen hollering the pre-battle speech from Braveheart, before retiring to his office to eat pretzels and cuddle with his dog Barney.

HT-atrios

Love Letters and Such

This is just weird.

Stay the Course in Iraq

Opine as you wish with regards to rushing to war in Iraq, but we must stay the course now and win this war decisively and here is why. And it is such a difficult balance, on one hand Iraqis want us out ASAP (and are killing to prove this), on the other, we cannot allow the perception of us cutting and running. Wouldn't it be great if the world was in black and white or "good" v. "evil", we would already have "mission accomplished".

Heh.

First Report On Long-Term Effects Of Breakdancing Released

NEW YORK—More than two decades after the breakdancing craze peaked, the first data on its long-term health effects was published Tuesday in the Strong Island Journal Of Medicine. "We've found permanent shoulder pop, elbow lock, and spin-neck in '80s-era breakdancers," said Dr. Young MD, the report's author. "For years, many subjects had thrown their hands in the air without exercising the proper care." Breakdancing researchers hope to further medical diagnostic advances pioneered by 1999's groundbreaking "Death Before And After Disco" study.

Miered In Sycophancy

Although Harriet Miers' opinions regarding the limitations that should be placed upon the commerce clause are unknown, her opinions of one George W. Bush are becoming more and more apparent.

She thinks he's "cool."

Back in Texas she thought he was the "greatest governor ever. "

She thinks George and Laura are "the greatest!"

I'm starting to wonder if this is really a parody.

Astros to NLCS!!

What a game yesterday between Houston and Atlanta. 18 innings and almost 6 full hours long. I watched the entire thing and loved every minute of it. There were two at bats that pulled this game off for the Astros, Berkman's grand slam homer that pulled Houston within 1 run and the game winning shot by Chris Burke. This kid caught both of those balls, what are the odds?

Did "God" Send Pakistan Earthquake?

Not too long ago after Hurricane Katrina, the Al-qaeda leader in Iraq, Al-Zarqawi, stated,

I believe the devastating hurricane that hit the United States occurred because people in Iraq or Afghanistan -- maybe a mother who had lost her son or a son whose parents were killed or a woman who was raped -- were praying for God and God accepted their prayers.

So Al-Zarqawi, was the earthquake in Pakistan, and more precisely the destruction in the Kashmir region, a response to American prayers to kill Muslims? Under your logic, shouldn't "God" protect this particular area with more vigor? Is this proof positive that Christianity is "right" and Islam "wrong" since "God" answered with more death to Muslims? The debate is now over, one religion has now won. My sarcasm is thick out of frustration for these assholes that kill in the name of "God".

The Islamization process in Kashmir has progressed throughout the decades, albeit slowly and at the cost of so many innocent people. It appears to me Al-Z, that Allah is thwarting your attempted power grab, maybe you should now declare jihad on him?? Maybe this unfortunate disaster will be an opportunity for various cultures to find a common understanding of each other.

Just a Few Facts to Be Aware Of...

(1) Gas prices are higher than I've seen them since I started buying gas.

(2) Last year, Exxon made more money than any other company. Ever.

(3) Oil companies have made $450 million in political contributions over the past six years.

(4) Republican leadership just strong-armed a bill through Congress (vote held open, no public hearings, final version of bill not released until day of vote, etc.) which allows oil companies to skirt environmental requirements when building new refineries.

The Loose Change

America









Bush Supporters






That's right. 37%

A Better Pick

You know who Bush should have appointed to SCOTUS? Bill Clinton. Seriously.

Think about it. It would have been his first real "uniter not divider" moment. Clinton went to Yale Law School and is undeniably brilliant. Plus, he's become buddy buddy with W's dad - so there's a certain closeness there. You can also bet that Clinton would be hip to claims of executive privilege, which Bush would appreciate in the next three years.

Also, Clinton is not some radical left winger. In fact, he was a strong moderate, who pulled the party hard center in his two terms. While the far right would piss and moan, Bush could likely get enough of the R's to go along with the D's to override a veto.

I guarantee that Bush's approval rating would go back over 50%. I'm serious.

Maybe if Miers gets shot down in the Senate as a crony, William will have a shot.

Lets Go Astros

Good Luck to the Houston Astros this postseason. As you guys likely remember, Houston was oh, so close last year to making it into the World Series. Pointing to their pitching staff, experts are predicting a World Series appearance by Houston.

The Pick

I think the best word for Ms. Miers so far is "unremarkable."

But I'll continue to listen to her side of the story.

She seems pretty excited!

Email Captain Fishback

If you haven't been following the story of the American hero Captain Ian Fishback, check out this piece by Sullivan in the Sunday Times.

Because he came forward to defend our American values after being continuously ignored by his superior officers, Fishback is now sequestered at Fort Bragg, being interrogated by military officials.

Also from Sullivan:

Another source informs that the word is around that Rumsfeld has taken a strong interest in this. He is quoted by some as saying "Either break him or destroy him, and do it quickly." And no doubt about it, that may be just what they are doing. Expect some trumped up charges against Fishback soon. . .

Send an email of support to Captain Fishback, whatever your political persuasion. The emails currently go to the captain's family, who has as of yet been unable to get in touch with Ian.

supportfishback@aol.com

I pass this along without comment.