NYC to GOP: Drop Dead

The whole thing is here. By Ted Rall.

Tourists are pleasantly surprised when New Yorkers act as friendly and polite as the people back home in Maybury. However, delegates to this month's Republican National Convention shouldn't expect to be treated to our standard out-of-towner treatment. The Republican delegates here to coronate George W. Bush are unwelcome members of a hostile invading army. Like the hapless saps whose blood they sent to be spilled into Middle Eastern sands, they will be given intentionally incorrect directions to nonexistent places. Objects will be thrown in their direction. Children will call them obscene names. They will not be greeted as liberators.

Well aware that it is barren soil for their party's anti-urban, anti-immigrant, anti-feminist, overtly racist ideology, Republican leaders have wisely avoided New York City as a convention site for the past 150 years. Even as the rest of America turns red, we New Yorkers remain as liberal as the people's republic of San Francisco: fewer than 18 percent of the citizens of New York's five boroughs (which include relatively conservative places like Staten Island) cast ballots for Bush/Cheney in 2000. But White House strategist Karl Rove sees the continued exploitation of 9/11 for partisan political gain as Bush's key to victory in November. That means bringing the big bash three miles north of the hole where the Twin Towers used to stand, where most of the victims of 9/11 were burned, suffocated, impaled and pulverized.

Making hay of the dead is also the point of this confab's timing. The 2004 Necropublican National Convention is being held a full month later than normal, from August 30 to September 2. The original plan was to have Bush shuttle between Madison Square Garden and Ground Zero for photo ops to coincide with the third anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Bush's visits to the Trade Center site were quietly canceled a few months back after 9/11 survivors expressed revulsion at the idea. But it was too late to change the date.

Anti-Republican sentiment is rising to a fever pitch here as the dog days tick down to the dreaded affair. A poll cited by the local ABC affiliate shows 83 percent of New Yorkers don't want their city to host the RNC. And many of them are planning to do something about it.

Iraq Police Threaten to Kill Reporters

Nice to know that we are in Iraq to turn it into a democracy.

But why the hell would any sane person believe that Bush favors democracy?

"IRAQI police have threatened to kill every journalist working in the holy city of Najaf, where US forces are locked in a tense stand-off with Moqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army.

After a series of veiled warnings to leave on Sunday, two marked police cars pulled up at dusk outside the Sea of Najaf hotel on the outskirts of town, where Arab and Western journalists are staying.

Ten uniformed policemen walked into the hotel and demanded that the al-Arabiya, Reuters and AP correspondents go with them.

Journalists told them they were not there, but the policemen found and arrested Ahmed al-Salahih, the al-Arabiya correspondent, who the day before had been given a special exemption from the earlier eviction orders.

A uniformed lieutenant then told the assembled journalists and hotel staff: "We are going to open fire on this hotel. I'm going to smash it all, kill you all, and I'm going to put four snipers to target anybody who goes out of the hotel. You have brought it upon yourselves."

"For all the talk about polarization, I find a startling agreement [from] everybody I talk to. Nobody seems to like George Bush very much. The Democrats I talk to hate him and the Republicans aren't very enthusiastic about him." - Bob Novak, Conservative

The Church of Fools has a sermon by Tony Campolo. Too often, Americans don't know what the rest of the world thinks, and don't care. That's arrogance. Seeing yourself as others see you is a learning experience.

"I recently was in on an interview with a journalist from Indonesia. An American asked him the same question that you and I are asking: "Why do so many people around the world hate the United States?"

The journalist answered, "Because you have disappointed us. We expected better of you than you have demonstrated over the past few years. We used to think that America was the ideal nation. Yours was a country in which there was justice for all and your people showed us a generous spirit. That no longer seems to be the case. Whether it is true or not, we now see America as an arrogant bully, using its power to impose its will on other nations."

I feel sorry for the Republicans.

First, they couldn't find Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

Then, they couldn't find WMDs in Iraq.

Now, they can't find a black Republican in Chicago.

The Wrong Reverend Jeb Bush decided to wax theological and explain what REALLY was behind the destruction, devastation and death from Hurricane Charley:

"This is God's way of telling us that he's almighty and we're mortal."

I honestly can't find the words for how totally appaling this is.

For one thing, it's plain blasphemy.

For another, it's totally disgusting.

For a third, it's insanely arrogant.

Does Jeb Bush actually believe that every now and then, God up and kills a bunch of people just to show who's boss?

If so, I don't know WHAT to call the spirit that he believes in, but it certainly isn't God.

If THIS is an accurate representation of the sort of religion believed in by the Radical Right - God help us all.

Let us pray that come November, the Good Lord will send them an unmistakable message telling them what pride goeth before.

And now, from the "I-don't-believe-how-bizarre-this person-is" file, we have Alan Keyes.

Apparently, believe that he didn't look bad enough when compared to Barak Obama, he went on record as being opposed to Senatorial elections.

It seems that Alan All-Keyed-Up wants us to return to the pre-1913 days when citizens didn't get to vote for Senators, but they were chosen by the State Legislature. As Dave Barry would say, I am not making this up:

"Alan Keyes said Friday he would like to end the system under which the people elect U.S. senators and return to pre-1913 practice in which senators were chosen by state legislatures.

The Republican Senate candidate in Illinois, asked about past comments on the election process, said the constitutional amendment that provided for popular election of senators upset the balance between the people and the states.

"The balance is utterly destroyed when the senators are directly elected because the state government as such no longer plays any role in the deliberations at the federal level," Keyes said at a taping of WBBM Newsradio's "At Issue" program.

Keyes' Democratic rival, state Sen. Barack Obama of Chicago, issued a statement saying he supports popular election of U.S. senators.

"I certainly trust the people of Illinois to choose who they want to represent them in the U.S. Senate," he said. "That is the very basis of our democracy."

Keyes said he did not consider repealing the 17th Amendment a high priority.

"But if I ever see an opportunity in politics to promote it, I will," he said.

I'll go on record as saying that I think the Republican Party has insulted every resident of Illinois in general and black voters in particular by importing this absurd crank and putting him forward as a serious candidate.

I find this surprising, but it appears to be the case: John Kerry has been drawing HUGE crowds for his appearances. Look at these shots from some recent ones:

"Fire officials estimated the crowd at Kerry's rally in Waterfront Park at between 40,000 and 50,000 people, the largest turnout for a political speech in Portland in at least a decade." - AP

Bush? Well, um, he hasn't:

"Bush met with 300 small business owners Friday morning, and 2,300 supporters in a town hall-style gathering at a Beaverton school that also attracted a few hundred protesters to a police cordon a few hundred yards away." - AP

But to be fair, you significantly reduce turnout when you make it clear that not every one is welcome.

"And there's no question here that's been scripted, I don't have any idea what you're going to ask and I look forward to that. I don't want them scripted. I think Americans need a president who's willing to talk to everybody, I don't care if you're a Republican, Democrat or independent." - John Kerry Attribution

There ARE some Democrats who aren't afraid to be totally blunt about this administration.

Tom Harkin is one of them.

"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil. Those of us who served and those of us who went in the military don't like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's kids. But not when it was his turn to go."

There ARE a few Senators with the courage to tell the truth. Tom Harkin is one of them:

"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it makes my blood boil," Harkin said. "Those of us who served and those of us who went in the military don't like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's kids. But not when it was his turn to go."

Spitting on Veterans

Written by an anonymous person who only identifies as "Chookie."

Who's spitting on Veterans now?

In the early seventies, when our country was as bitterly divided over issues as it is today, there were disturbing stories circulating about how returning Viet Nam veterans were being taunted and spat upon by peace activists. While these stories are believed to be popular myths disseminated to discredit the antiwar movement, alas, in recent days, vicious attacks on combat veterans are in fact occurring with alarming frequency in the homeland.

The scars of some veterans are being re-examined lately, with charges that they are really not that big or bad after all, inferring that the veterans who bear them are unworthy of the Purple Heart medal they were awarded – as has happened to John Kerry. A veteran who lost both legs and his right arm to the blast of a grenade in Viet Nam has been called a traitor and compared to a Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden and even mocked by a suggestion he foolishly received his grave injuries on the way to a beer party -- as happened to Senator Max Cleland. A veteran who spent 5 years of his youth in one of history’s most infamous POW camps, tortured and abused, one day found himself whispered about as having been a "weak-minded coward" driven mad by his ordeal and perhaps even a Communist agent —as happened to Senator John McCain.

Today’s soldiers serving their country in the field should note well that what really matters these days is not the fact that they served honorably – indeed, one can stay stateside voluntarily during a war one fervently supports and only fly training missions over one’s home state and be said to have served "honorably". It doesn’t matter if you served courageously, or with distinction, or that you were maimed, or disabled fighting for your country – what matters these days is that you think as you ought to think. Be aware that your opinions will be monitored for correctness, and that your attitude will be noted…and you better get it right or else. Many have called for their fellow Americans to "Support Our Troops!", but why aren’t these same individuals or organizations denouncing the defamation of veterans like Kerry, McCain, or Cleland? Where’s the outrage? I don’t think it’s because the Viet Nam war is ancient history, as veterans of the Greatest Generation, like "Flyboy" George HW Bush, are still regularly praised for their bravery in combat service.

Could it be politics? What all the veterans I have named above have in common is having run against GW Bush in an election or having opposed some aspect of his policies. In the past, it was alleged to be the shameful behavior of the antiwar movement, but who is spitting on veterans now?"

More Cambodia:

The UK Telegraph seems to have blown the "Cambodia" smear out of the water:

"Mr Brinkley [Kerry's biographer] rejected accusations that the senator had never been to Cambodia, insisting he was telling the truth about running undisclosed "black" missions there at the height of the war.

He said: "Kerry went into Cambodian waters three or four times in January and February 1969 on clandestine missions. He had a run dropping off US Navy Seals, Green Berets and CIA guys." The missions were not armed attacks on Cambodia, said Mr Brinkley, who did not include the clandestine missions in his wartime biography of Mr Kerry, Tour of Duty.

"He was a ferry master, a drop-off guy, but it was dangerous as hell. Kerry carries a hat he was given by one CIA operative. In a part of his journals which I didn't use he writes about discussions with CIA guys he was dropping off."

So Kerry said it was Christmas of 1968. It was more likely January of 1969.

The Republicans, THAT'S a scandal.

As opposed to lying so you can start a war.

In case you have heard the controversy of whether Kerry was in Cambodia in 1968, and thought it might be nice to have some plain facts to sort it all out, here is a LONG (and very well done) examination of the subject by Balta

Cheney has been trying to make hay out of the fact that Kerry had the nerve to use the word "sensitive" when referring to the war.

This sort of shows desperation and the need for the Republicans to spin EVERYTHING. Because what Kerry said was not only defensible - it was absolutely undeniable, at least if you're a grownup.

"I believe I can fight a more effective, more thoughtful, more strategic, more proactive, more sensitive war on terror that reaches out to other nations and brings them to our side."

Ok?  "Sensitive" means "reaching out to other nations and bringing them to our side." He was obviously referring to our dealing with the other nations of the world - not the terrorists.

GOOD IDEA.  I wish BUSH would try it instead of just antagonizing the whole world.

"I defended our country as a young man when others chose not to and I will defend it as president of the United States. I will not hesitate to use force when it is necessary, with the right intelligence, with swiftness and with certainty."

"This vice president's lack of sensitivity is precisely what led this administration to ignore the advice of the professional military and rush to war (in Iraq)," Kerry spokesman David Wade said. "We can't afford another four years of their failed, insensitive foreign policy."

 

Maybe Cheney, instead of lying and pretending that Kerry has somehow pledged to be soft on terrorism should quote THIS instead: 

"We will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to make sure that [9/11] never happens again, not to our America.

"We will build and lead strong alliances and safeguard and secure weapons of mass destruction. We will strengthen our homeland security and protect our ports, safeguard our chemical plants, and support our firefighters, police officers and EMT's. We will always use our military might to keep the American people safe.

"And we will have one clear unmistakable message for al Qaida and the rest of these terrorists. You cannot run. You cannot hide. And we will destroy you." - John Edwards

"You cannot run. You cannot hide. And we will destroy you."

That what Kerry and Edwards ACTUALLY said about terrorists.  As opposed to what Cheney WISHES they said.

Why the hell don't these clowns ever try to honestly figure out the consequences of anything they do BEFORE they do it?

From Al-Jazeera:

Najaf officials quit in protest

Several Iraqi officials working within the interim government have resigned in protest of the US-led assault on Najaf and Kut.

Sixteen of Najaf's 30-member provincial council resigned in protest at the US-led assault on the Najaf as fighting between the al-Mahdi Army loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr and US occupation forces entered its eighth day.

"We have decided to resign due to what has befallen Najaf and all of Iraq from the hasty US invasion and bombardment of Najaf," the council said in a statement to the press.

"I resign from my post denouncing all the US terrorist operations that they are doing against this holy city," Jawdat Kadam Najim al-Quraishi, deputy governor of Najaf, said on Thursday morning.

These were our FRIENDS over there.

No more.

The Democrats should do more to explain their economic positions to people. The Republicans' "Supply-side" and "trickle-down" have become common lingo, while the Democrats have done little to explain that wealth trickles UP, not down, and that the DEMAND side drives the economy much more than the supply side.

Anywho, Paul Krugman helps to fill that hole in the Times today:

"A new Bush campaign ad pushes the theme of an "ownership society," and concludes with President Bush declaring, "I understand if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of America."

Call me naïve, but I thought all Americans have a vital stake in the nation's future, regardless of how much property they own. (Should we go back to the days when states, arguing that only men of sufficient substance could be trusted, imposed property qualifications for voting?) Even if Mr. Bush is talking only about the economic future, don't workers have as much stake as property owners in the economy's success?

But there's a political imperative behind the "ownership society" theme: the need to provide pseudopopulist cover to policies that are, in reality, highly elitist."

Military Men Speak Out

“We are deeply disappointed by the tone and tenor of President Bush and Vice President Cheney’s personal attacks on John Kerry, a decorated combat veteran who served his country with courage and honor. John Kerry is talking about his plan to address the most pressing issues facing our nation – jobs, the economy, health care, the war on terror, the war in Iraq. George Bush and Dick Cheney have chosen to take their campaign to the gutter. We call on President Bush and Vice President Cheney to stop the irresponsible personal attacks and tell us where they want to take the country. Tell us how they plan to win the peace in Iraq. Tell us how they plan to get us back on track with the war on terror. Tell us where they plan to lead the country. The American people and our troops deserve better.”

Signed by:

Admiral William J. Crowe (United States Navy, Retired)
Admiral Stansfield Turner (United States Navy, Retired)
General Wesley K. Clark (United States Army, Retired)
General Merrill “Tony” A. McPeak (United States Air Force, Retired)
General Joseph Hoar (United States Marine Corps, Retired)
General Johnnie E. Wilson (United States Army, Retired)
Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn (United States Navy, Retired)
Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy (United States Army, Retired)
Lieutenant General Donald Kerrick (United States Army, Retired)
Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca (United States Army, Retired)

"Well, I had just been told by Andrew Card that America was under attack. And I was collecting my thoughts." - Bush, explaining why he sat there for 7 minutes

You were collecting your thoughts? In a classroom? What thoughts were you collecting, since you obviously knew no details about what had happened? You hadn't previously had any plan for how to respond to an attack?

Well, George, while you were "collecting your thoughts" another plane was heading toward the Pentagon, and would strike it 20 minutes later.

And you were OUT of it.

We're turning the corner

Cheney has been attacking Kerry, like some stupid-assed high school kid, because Kerry used the word "sensitive" in describing what should be our approach to foreign policy:

"Senator Kerry has also said that if he were in charge he would fight a 'more sensitive' war on terror. America has been in too many wars for any of our wishes, but not a one of them was won by being sensitive." - Dick Cheney

Ooooooooooooooops:

Bush in 2001: "We help fulfill that promise not by lecturing the world, but by leading it. Precisely because America is powerful, we must be sensitive about expressing our power and influence." (Bush Remarks at USS Regan Ceremony, 3/4/01)

What a pack of stupid clowns.

Bush's Big Blunder: Chalabi

Be still my beating heart. It's actual critical reporting about Bush from a major media outlet:

In January, when President Bush delivered his State of the Union speech to Congress celebrating the success of the "pre-emptive" war against Iraq, a controversial Iraqi exile named Ahmad Chalabi sat in a place of honor behind First Lady Laura Bush.

The symbolism was no accident: Despite being a fugitive from Jordan for a conviction in absentia on bank fraud charges, this darling of neoconservative hard-liners was the Pentagon's and White House's favored and well-paid advisor on all things Iraq -- including weapons of mass destruction, ties with al Qaeda and the odds for a post-invasion insurgency. As is now apparent, he and his cronies seemed to have lied spectacularly about it all.

The Reverend Francesca, who usually has the good sense to write about higher matters, decided to temporarily leave the heavenlies and blog in the mundane political muds.

It's a common assumption of the right-wingers that we who oppose their crapola do so because we "just don't understand" how serious it is, or "have forgotten" 9/11. The good Rev. refutes this nonsense without even thinking about it:

"[T]his IS a matter of life and death. Especially for New Yorkers who know that our city (the bullseye on the Muslim extremists' target) has been placed in ever-more-grave peril by the actions (and inactions) of the present administration."

We oppose Bush because we RECOGNIZE the danger, not because we are ignoring it. And because it is obvious that President All-Hat-And-No-Cattle isn't doing a damned thing but INCREASING the danger.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Shame

Jim Rassmann, the guys whose life Kerry saved in Vietnam published an Op-Ed in today's Wall Street Journal condemning the shameless, dishonourable attacks on John Kerry's actions in Vietnam. It warrants beng read and spread.

I don't even know who these guys are. Does anybody? Apparently some group (a comedy troupe?) figured that the Bushies acted like a bunch of street punks, so let's make it more obvious:

fucknewyork

I had forgotten about this, and atrios reminded me. Despite all the Sturm and Drang about where AWOL-boy was when he was supposed to be reporting for duty, there is no question that he flat lied about his service in his book. Conason:

"George W. Bush lied about his military service record. The lie can be found in his own 1999 campaign autobiography (as written by Karen Hughes), where he dramatically describes his experience as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. On page 34 of A Charge to Keep, Mr. Bush claims that, after learning to fly the F-102 fighter jet, he was turned down for Vietnam duty because "had not logged enough flight hours" to qualify for a combat assignment. Before going on to recall the "challenging moments" that involved close formation drills at night during poor weather, he adds: "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years."

Bush flew for another 22 months - not several years.

John Kerry and the Electras

John Kerry was in a rock-n-roll band when he was in high school back in 1961, and they cut an album. (Which is not fair. I've never cut an album.) And some entrepreneurial person has re-released the thing, and you can order it here. It's straight rock-n-roll, no vocals, like they were trying to do a Ventures sort of a thing. They have sound clips, and it's not all that good, but really not bad, either, especially for high school kids.

The piano player (Jack Radcliffe) actually sounds damned good, and I notice he's still playing. Hey, John, how about inviting him to play at your inauguration? I know, it will be crowded stage, what with Springsteen, Mellencamp and the Dixie Chicks and all, but you can probably find room for an old high-school chum.

"I know what I'm doing when it comes to winning this war." - George W. Bush.

George?

I glad you know what you're doing, because nobody ELSE knows what the fuck you're doing.

"When they say they served with Kerry in Vietnam, what they really mean is that they were in Vietnam at the same time. Kind of like how Snoopy served with the Red Baron." - Jon Stewart, on the "Swift Boat Veterans for Bush."

Blogger Matt Gunn claims to have access to a transcript of an outtake from Fahrenheit 911. If accurate (and I trust Matt implicitly), it's dynamite:

INTERVIEWER: [Y]ou come from intelligence. This is what you did, this is what you know.

REP. GOSS: Uh, that was, uh, 35 years ago.

INTERVIEWER: Okay.

REP. GOSS: It is true I was in CIA from approximately the late 50’s to approximately the early 70’s. And it's true I was a case officer, clandestine services officer and yes, I do understand the core mission of the business. I couldn't get a job with CIA today. I am not qualified. I don't have the language skills. I, you know, my language skills were romance languages and stuff. We're looking for Arabists today. I don't have the cultural background probably. And I certainly don't have the technical skills, uh, as my children remind me every day, 'Dad you got to get better on your computer.’ Uh, so, the things that you need to have, I don't have.

– Rep. Porter Goss, March 3, 2004, Washington, DC

Republican Convention Schedule

New York, NY

6:00 PM Opening Prayer led by the Reverend Jerry Falwell

6:30 PM Pledge of Allegiance

6:35 PM Burning of Bill of Rights (excluding 2nd amendment)

6:45 PM Salute to the Coalition of the Willing

6:46 PM Seminar #1 Getting your kid a military deferment

7:30 PM First Presidential Beer Bong

7:35 PM Serve Freedom Fries

7:40 PM EPA Address #1: "Mercury, it's what's for dinner."

8:00 PM Vote on which country to invade next

8:10 PM Call EMTs to revive Rush Limbaugh

8:15 PM John Ashcroft Lecture: The Homos are after your children

8:30 PM Round table discussion on reproductive rights (men only)

8:50 PM Seminar #2 Corporations: The government of the future

9:00 PM Condi Rice sings "Can't Help Lovin Dat Man"

9:05 PM Second Presidential Beer Bong

9:10 PM EPA Address #2 Trees: The real cause of forest fires

9:30 PM Break for secret meetings

10:00 PM Second prayer led by Cal Thomas

10:15 PM Lecture by Karl Rove: Doublespeak made easy

10:30 PM Rumsfeld demonstration of how to squint and talk macho

10:35 PM Bush demonstration of trademark deer in headlights stare.

10:40 PM John Ashcroft demonstrates new mandatory Kevlar chastity belt

10:45 PM Clarence Thomas reads list of black Republicans

10:46 PM Third Presidential Beer Bong

10:50 PM Seminar #3 "Education: a drain on our nation's economy."

11:10 PM Hilary Clinton Pinata

11:20 PM Second Lecture by John Ashcroft: Evolutionists: The dangerous new cult

11:30 PM Call EMTs to revive Rush Limbaugh again.

11:35 PM Blame Clinton

11:40 PM Laura serves milk and cookies

11:50 PM Closing Prayer led by Sun Myung Moon and Prince Bandar

12: 00 midnight Nomination of George W. Bush as Holy Supreme Planetary Overlord

12:10 AM Presentation of 100 gazillon $'s by Haliburton to Dick Cheney for services rendered (backroom ceremony)

From yesterday:

"Few people know that George W. Bush is the only President to ever authorize federal funding for embryonic stem cell research." - Laura Bush

Laura? "Few people know it" because it isn't true.

From Harvard Magazine:

"President Bill Clinton, after asking his national bioethics advisory commission for a report on human stem cells, issued an executive order clarifying an existing congressional ban on the use of federal funds to create or destroy human embryos.

His order did allow federal funding for research on human stem-cell lines, but not for creating them."

Remember what I said: they lie about EVERYTHING.

An update on the rugby thing, coutesy of This Modern World. Apparently, Bush did play some rugby in college, but it sure wasn't varsity. They've dug up this photo showing that Bush was a total asshole even back then:



The caption is from the original photo in the Yale yearbook.

Grabbing an opponent by the back of the head and punching him in the face.

What a charmer.

You know, I have said before that the astonishing thing about Bush isn't that he lies, but that he lies about EVERYTHING, even if it's trivial. You remember a few months ago, when they actually were petty enough to lie about a kid yawning during one of Dubya's speeches?

Well, corrente picked this up from the Daily News. The guy even lies about playing rugby.

Like a typical punk, his whole life is a quest to prove his pathetic manhood.

"With all the controversy about John Kerry's Vietnam medals and ribbons, who'd have thought that loyal George W. Bush aide Karen Hughes would be the one to catch the President fibbing about a supposed varsity letter? In her new book, "Ten Minutes From Normal," Hughes recounts a conversation with Bush after Russian President Vladimir Putin grilled him on his Yale days.

"President Putin knew you had played rugby, but he didn't have the context. I mean, you just played for one semester in college, right?" Hughes said.

Bush corrected: "I played for a year, and it was the varsity."

Yesterday, a Yale spokeswoman confirmed that there's no such thing as varsity rugby at Yale - not when Bush was an undergrad in the 1960s and not today."

It's sort of bizarre that the right-wingers claim that Kerry is "the most liberal member of the Senate" while at the same time claiming that he's a "total flip-flopper." I mean, if he's "the most liberal member of the Senate" he must be consistently liberal, right? How can he be consistently and reliably liberal, and at the same time be a flip-flopper? Saying that he's one, and then saying that he's the other - isn't that a gigantic flip-flop itself?

But don't expect logic from the Republicans. If a focus groups tells them to say it, they will say it, even if it's total horseshit that makes no sense at all.

It's a sad, sad state of affairs when a comedian (Jon Stewart, of course) is one of the only real journalists around. They have figured that out in Canada. From the Toronto Star:

"The Bush administration continues to massacre the truth with almost no contradiction from the media. Last week, there was Vice-President Dick Cheney, lying again, in a speech in Minnesota, where he repeated the popular Republican refrain of how Kerry and Edwards are the number one and four "most liberal'' members of the Senate.

It's a line that the right has been using to beat up the Kerry-Edwards ticket for weeks — but never had I seen it explained or sourced by anybody on TV. Not, at least, until last Tuesday's Daily Show.

Stewart interviewed the too-slick-for-his-own-good Texan congressman Henry Bonilla, who worked on the Republican's truth squad during the convention. It was his job to counter the Democrat spin."

Here is a clip from the interview that they are talking about.

And Stewart, of course, is right. The standard RNC Talking Point is that Kerry "ranks" as the most liberal member of the Senate, and Edwards "ranks" fourth. But has ANY journalist (except comic Stewart) asked WHERE those rankings come from and WHO, exactly, ranked them?

And if not, why not?

The sheer cynicism takes one's breath away.

"Bush also said high taxes on the rich are a failed strategy because "the really rich people figure out how to dodge taxes anyway."

Asked about that comment, Jonathan Beeton, spokesman for Kerry's campaign in Virginia, said "George Bush can speak with authority about really rich people. ... That's his base, so I'm sure he knows what he's talking about. But that doesn't make it right."

T-Shirts for sale. No, I'm not getting a cut.

Shower of Babble

"Sovereignty means that. It's sovereignty."

How bad IS it when reporters are actually openly laughing at the President of the United States? To his face?

Click here to listen to Bush babbling total inanities, and sounding like a six-year-old being unexpectedly called on by the teacher.

This is just outrageous.

The White House, deciding to play public relations with terrorism, tried to justify raising the terror alert last week. They were worried that doing so was generating too much negative P.R.

So they revealed the name of their source.

"Until U.S. officials leaked the arrest of Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan to reporters, Pakistan had been using him in a sting operation to track down al Qaeda operatives around the world, the sources said."

Now they've lost that source. Muhammad Naeem Noor Khan was apparently giving them information that had already led to several Al Qaeda arrests, but they dried up after his name was revealed:

"Law enforcement sources said some of the intelligence gleaned from the arrests of Khan and others gave phone numbers and e-mail addresses that the FBI and other agencies were using to try to track down any al Qaeda operatives in the United States.

Then on Friday, after Khan's name was revealed, government sources told CNN that counterterrorism officials had seen a drop in intercepted communications among suspected terrorists."

Only Bush: he keeps things secret that the public has the right to know, and only reveals information when doing so will place the public in danger.

Check this out:

"The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power. ... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda.'" - Tom Cobun, republican US Senate candidate from Oklahama

Who, you may ask, IS this disgusting clown?

He's the guy George W. Bush picked to head the Presidential AIDS Commission.

Just when you think Bush can't POSSIBLY be more offensive, he proves you wrong.

Human Rights Abuses in Iraq

Kos has a report and pictures which should be on the front page of every newspaper in the country. So of course the story is practically invisible.

Keyestone Kop

Speaking for myself, I rather look forward to seeing Alan Keyes rail against affirmative action while being forced to admit that the only reason the Republican Party is importing him to Illinois is the color of his skin.

And, of course, there is the difficult-to-deny charge of hypocrisy considering the following, from three years ago:

"I deeply resent the destruction of federalism represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it." - Alan Keyes

What a difference an opportunity makes, eh, Alan?

Alan Keyes is a fine speaker. He is one of the most articulate defenders of the rather extreme conservative wing in the Republican Party. Which is part of the reason that the Republicans are making a serious mistake with this one.

Quite a few years ago now, another speaker delivered a dynamite speech at a Democratic Convention, and was immediately spoken of as Presidential timber: Mario Cuomo.

What happened to Mario? Nothing. He stayed Governor for a while and was eventually defeated in an election for no MAJOR reason except that voters wanted a "change."

He delivered MANY terrific speeches after that - I attended a few - but nobody much noticed, because they weren't on a national stage. His big spotlight never translated into a Presidential run.

But by importing Keyes to challenge Obama, the Republicans are making this election a national stage,and giving Obama more attention and more exposure - which is exactly what they DON'T want to do.

And Keyes, despite his gift of elocution, really doesn't stand a chance.

For one thing, while he is a good speaker, he's not as good as Obama. He's in the mode of a fiery emoter: good phrasing, sharp expression. But there isn't a lot of substance.

Obama, on the other hand, is a real rarity for a speaker: he engages the heart AND the head simultaneously. Cuomo was able to do that, too. Make you think while at the same time exciting you. He doesn't just excite you, he convinces you.

And the other thing is that Keyes really IS rather extremist, and Obama really IS quite moderate. The national attention that this race gets is liable to bring to America's attention just how far off of one edge the Republicans have gone, while highlighting the inherent reasonableness of the Democratic position, which most Americans actually favor.

And Obama already has a major base.

So the result will be a win for Obama. That will quench any political future Keyes might otherwise have had. That's rather sad, because he really does deserve something better than being made into a sacrificial lamb. But that's what the Republicans will do with him.

And it will make attention stay on Obama. And give him even more momentum than he has now.

So Obama will gain momentun, Keyes will see his political career end, and the American people will get a daily reminder of just how extremist the Republicans are.

I'm looking forward to this.

Not Too Swift

The Scumboat Vets for Innuendo, Half-Truths and Lies and their ad is not something I much want to go into. It is already backfiring - badly - and why would you commit homicide on someone who's committing suicide? So let's just recap the last 24 hours or so:

They released the ad of a bunch of Swift Boat Vets making outrageous charges about John Kerry, and trumpeted it to the skies. An analysis of these guys was posted by Matt Gunn back in May when these clowns first surfaced, and is still quite relevant.

And John McCain - who I don't like politically, but is at least an honorable human being - put a pin in their balloon by attacking the ad, calling it "dishonorable" and saying that the same slimy tactics were used on him. And almost immediately the story became the slimy tactics being used AGAINST Kerry, instead of the false accusations themselves.

Then they went on CNN and Larry Thurlow - one of the Swift Boat Vets - got his clock cleaned by Jim Rassmann, the guy whose life Kerry saved, for which action Kerry received the Bronze Star.

"RASSMANN: Mr. Thurlow is being disingenuous. I don't know what his motivation is, but I was receiving fire in the water every time I came up for air. I don't recall anybody being in the area around us until I came up maybe five or six times for air and Kerry came back to pick me up out of the water."

Then alert bloggers pointed out that Thurlow received a Bronze Star on the same day for the same action. From David Brinkley's report on Kerry:

"Kerry and the other wounded men received medical attention aboard a Coast Guard cutter, which was the closest ship capable of treating them. Along with a third Purple Heart for the injury to his right arm, Kerry was also awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery, as was Larry Thurlow."

If Kerry's Bronze Star was bogus, so was Thurlow's.

And finally, one of the Swift Boat Vets admitted that he was lying.

Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star.

''I still don't think he shot the guy in the back," Elliott said. ''It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."

Cardhouse built.

Cardhouse fallen.

"He that diggeth a pit shall fall in it."

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - George W. Bush Attribution

The only problem with the Will Ferrell video is that you CAN'T make Bush look stupider than he does naturally.

Will Ferrell

This is great. Must see:

America Coming Together has an ad featuring Will Ferrell doing his absolutely uncanny George W. Bush, and - well - he brutalizes him. This made me laugh my head off:

Straight Talk from White House West in Crawford, Texas. Featuring Will Ferrell:

Window Media Player Hi Speed

Windows Media Player Low Speed

QuickTime Hi Speed

QuickTime Low Speed

Bruce Springsteen's endorsement gives us one more reason to vote for Kerry: if Kerry wins, there will be one hell of an inaugural ball.

Springsteen wrote an Op-Ed for the New York Times today. Thought I'd share it:

Chords for Change
By BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

A nation's artists and musicians have a particular place in its social and political life. Over the years I've tried to think long and hard about what it means to be American: about the distinctive identity and position we have in the world, and how that position is best carried. I've tried to write songs that speak to our pride and criticize our failures.

These questions are at the heart of this election: who we are, what we stand for, why we fight. Personally, for the last 25 years I have always stayed one step away from partisan politics. Instead, I have been partisan about a set of ideals: economic justice, civil rights, a humane foreign policy, freedom and a decent life for all of our citizens. This year, however, for many of us the stakes have risen too high to sit this election out.

Through my work, I've always tried to ask hard questions. Why is it that the wealthiest nation in the world finds it so hard to keep its promise and faith with its weakest citizens? Why do we continue to find it so difficult to see beyond the veil of race? How do we conduct ourselves during difficult times without killing the things we hold dear? Why does the fulfillment of our promise as a people always seem to be just within grasp yet forever out of reach?

I don't think John Kerry and John Edwards have all the answers. I do believe they are sincerely interested in asking the right questions and working their way toward honest solutions. They understand that we need an administration that places a priority on fairness, curiosity, openness, humility, concern for all America's citizens, courage and faith.

People have different notions of these values, and they live them out in different ways. I've tried to sing about some of them in my songs. But I have my own ideas about what they mean, too. That is why I plan to join with many fellow artists, including the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, Jurassic 5, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, in touring the country this October. We will be performing under the umbrella of a new group called Vote for Change. Our goal is to change the direction of the government and change the current administration come November.

Like many others, in the aftermath of 9/11, I felt the country's unity. I don't remember anything quite like it. I supported the decision to enter Afghanistan and I hoped that the seriousness of the times would bring forth strength, humility and wisdom in our leaders. Instead, we dived headlong into an unnecessary war in Iraq, offering up the lives of our young men and women under circumstances that are now discredited. We ran record deficits, while simultaneously cutting and squeezing services like afterschool programs. We granted tax cuts to the richest 1 percent (corporate bigwigs, well-to-do guitar players), increasing the division of wealth that threatens to destroy our social contract with one another and render mute the promise of "one nation indivisible."

It is through the truthful exercising of the best of human qualities - respect for others, honesty about ourselves, faith in our ideals - that we come to life in God's eyes. It is how our soul, as a nation and as individuals, is revealed. Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.

Guess George doesn't have anything important to do:

"Bush Reality TV: Fishing With George!

It doesn’t get any better than this.

On Friday, Aug. 6, for an entire hour, you can watch President George W. Bush sit in a boat on a pond in Crawford, Tex., and fish for bass.

The Outdoor Life Network will air a very special episode of Fishing with Roland Martin, featuring the award-winning professional bass fisherman. The Bush family confidante (and official fishing pal of George père) will be tossing out gossamer line with Dubya in hopes of bringing in Billy the big-mouthed bass.

Does the President catch one?"

August 6. What a coincidence. The same day in 2001 when George read a briefing entitled "Bin Laden determined to strike in US" - and didn't interrupt his vacation.

Strength

Here's a new ad for John Kerry. Take a look at it and send it to your friends.

Hmmmmmmm

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- First Lady Laura Bush, New York Governor George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg visited the headquarters of Citicorp (C) on Monday, a day after Homeland Security officials issued a terrorist alert for the financial company's offices, Cable News Network reported.

Hey George, if this terror threat is real, how come you're sending your wife to campaign at one of the targets?

No retreat, baby. No surrender.

Directly entering partisan politics for the first time, rock icon Bruce Springsteen will join a loose coalition of high-profile musicians in an unprecedented early October concert blitz aimed at mobilizing opposition to President Bush.

The concert tour ranks among the most ambitious efforts ever by entertainers of any kind to influence the outcome of a presidential race. The effort, announced this morning, will send over 20 artists to perform more than 34 shows in nine battleground states during a single week in early October, hoping to not only raise money but attract publicity and sway voters.

Besides Springsteen, those participating include the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., the Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor and John Mellencamp. Many of these artists have been politically active before. But Springsteen has held back from overt partisan activities, although his music has long explored working-class frustrations and other social themes in spare and poetic language.

"What we are doing here is the direct outgrowth from the ideas that I've tried to sing about for the past 25 years," Springsteen said in an interview. "Hopefully we have built up a lot of credibility with our fans over the years. There comes a moment when you have to spend some of it. This is that moment."

Yes, Bruce, you certainly have. And it probably is.

"Senior government officials said Tuesday that new intelligence pointing to a current threat of a terrorist attack on financial targets in New York and possibly in Washington - not just information about surveillance on specific buildings over the years - was a major factor in the decision over the weekend to raise the terrorism alert level."

Translation: "The press called us on our bullshit, so we'd better change our story."

The Bush administration denied any suggestion that raising the terror alert in New York and Washington so quickly after the Democratic convention was politically motivated. "We don't do politics in the Department of Homeland Security," Ridge said. Attribution

Then what's THIS,Tom?

"We must understand that the kind of information available to us today is the result of the president's leadership in the war against terror," Mr. Ridge said.

"But White House and Bush campaign officials have long said that the details [of counterterrorism proposals] matter far less than the pictures and sounds of Mr. Bush talking in any way about his campaign against terrorism, which polls show is still his strongest card against Mr. Kerry.

That little bomb appeared near the bottom - the thirteenth paragraph - of an article in the New York Times by Elizabeth Bumiller about the proposal to name a new intelligence chief.

My question: how the hell can any reporter write a sentence like the above and not realize that THAT'S the real story and the real scandal?

The press knows that the White House treats counterterrorism as though image matters more than reality, and that's just fine?

July Surprise

But isn't THIS odd? Published in the July 19th New Republic.

But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

That's exactly when it WAS announced.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Benefit of the Doubt

The possibility of terrorist attacks is obviously serious business, and because of the seriousness of it, I've decided to give the bastards in the White House the benefit of the doubt, even while being aware that what they have earned is suspicion, not trust.

There are many people who believe that George W. Bush would politicize terror. They believe that for a very good reason: he already HAS. So I almost feel bad about giving them the benefit of the doubt, but, believing it to be necessary, I have.

But then I see this:

"Reports: Material Behind New U.S. Alert Is Years Old

Much of the information obtained by al Qaeda that led the United States to raise terror alerts in Washington and New York was at least three years old, and U.S. officials are unsure if the group's surveillance continues, according to published reports on Tuesday.

The Washington Post and The New York Times reported in Tuesday editions that officials were still analyzing documents seized late last month after a raid in Pakistan that showed al Qaeda surveillance of specific U.S. targets.

Much of the information that resulted from the arrest was compiled before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, The New York Times reported, citing intelligence and law enforcement officials.

Federal authorities said they are unsure whether al Qaeda's surveillance continues, the newspapers reported.

"You could say that the bulk of this information is old, but we know that al Qaeda collects, collects, collects until they're comfortable," a senior government official was quoted in the Times as saying. "Only then do they carry out an operation. And there are signs that some of this may have been updated or may be more recent."

So I don't see much choice but to behave as though I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt while mentally being suspicious as hell of their actions and motives.

Only one thing is certain:

If there really IS danger, these clowns are the LAST people you want in charge.

SOMEBODY is in big trouble (I hope). The question is - who? An FBI Whistleblower appears to have started naming names:

Open Letter To Thomas Kean – Chairman Of The 9/11 Commission - From FBI Whistleblower Sibel Edmonds.

Excerpt:

After the terrorist attacks of September 11 we, the translators at the FBI’s largest and most important translation unit, were told to slow down, even stop, translation of critical information related to terrorist activities so that the FBI could present the United States Congress with a record of ‘extensive backlog of untranslated documents’, and justify its request for budget and staff increases. While FBI agents from various field offices were desperately seeking leads and suspects, and completely depending on FBI HQ and its language units to provide them with needed translated information, hundreds of translators were being told by their administrative supervisors not to translate and to let the work pile up ...

Over three years ago, more than four months prior to the September 11 terrorist attacks, in April 2001, a long-term FBI informant/asset who had been providing the bureau with information since 1990, provided two FBI agents and a translator with specific information regarding a terrorist attack being planned by Osama Bin Laden. This asset/informant was previously a high-level intelligence officer in Iran in charge of intelligence from Afghanistan. Through his contacts in Afghanistan he received information that: 1) Osama Bin Laden was planning a major terrorist attack in the United States targeting 4-5 major cities, 2) the attack was going to involve airplanes, 3) some of the individuals in charge of carrying out this attack were already in place in the United States, 4) the attack was going to be carried out soon, in a few months. The agents who received this information reported it to their superior, Special Agent in Charge of Counterterrorism, Thomas Frields, at the FBI Washington Field Office, by filing “302” forms, and the translator translated and documented this information. No action was taken by the Special Agent in Charge, and after 9/11 the agents and the translators were told to ‘keep quiet’ regarding this issue.

Just wanted to draw people's attention to a column by theatre critic and blogger par excellence Michael Dale, pointing out a so-far unthought-of problem with the coming Republican National Convention in New York.

"On August 29th there'll be eight Broadway musicals...giving special 5PM performances for audiences made up entirely of Republican delegates. Now, I have no hard facts to confirm this, but from what I understand it's quite possible that the companies of some Broadway musicals may contain one or two homosexuals. And out of these one or two homosexuals per production, it's quite possible that a smattering of them (and perhaps even their co-workers) might feel a little resentful finding out that a requirement of their employment is to provide an evening's entertainment for an audience made up entirely of people who wish to re-elect a president who recently tried to pass a constitutional amendment that would restrict their civil rights. Of course, I'm just guessing here."

Bush wants to implement some intelligence reforms.

Gee, George, it sure took you long enough. But I guess that just wasn't as important as occupying Iraq, now, was it?

He finally decided to do it once it became politically untenable NOT to.

It's a shame that that's obviously the basis on which he makes decisions that risk our LIVES - but it is.

John Kerry is absolutely right, and I hope he keeps saying it:

"A lot of it is about two and a half years too late. I mean, where have they been?

"I think this administration has dropped the ball on homeland security. I think they are now moving to catch up. But what America wants is leadership that's ahead of the curve, that doesn't have to be told by an independent commission -- which they, incidentally, fought to prevent."

The terror threat has been raised. They believe that they have credible evidence of attacks on New York and Washington, with financial institutions specifically targetted. Lower Manhattan looks like occupied territory. I don't know if they are taking the same major measures at the Citibank building up around 57th Street, but they are fools if they don't.

And the National Guard? Thanks to Bush, they're all in IRAQ when they should be HERE.

Bush Campaign Practices Racial Profiling

Do you think that the behavior of the Bush administration couldn't possibly get more outrageous? Think again:

President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney.

The Star refused to provide the information.

A rally organizer for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign asked Teri Hayt, the Star's managing editor, to disclose the journalist's race on Friday. After Hayt refused, the organizer called back and said the journalist probably would be allowed to photograph the vice president.

"It was such an outrageous request, I was personally insulted," Hayt said later.

Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the president's re-election campaign, said the information was needed for security purposes.

You know the story "My Pet Goat"? That was the children's book that Bush was reading to the classroom when he was informed that the US was under attack. As you probably know, instead of doing anything, he sat stupidly for 7 minutes.

Here's the actual reader review of the book on Amazon.com:

Presidential material, through and through!
After reading the enclosed story "The Pet Goat," I was stunned by its lyrical beauty and easy cadence. The tempo, the choice of words, and the layout on each page captured my imagination so much that it took me about seven minutes to recover my bearings.

Today Bush actually SAID this:

"The impact of our growing economy is being felt in Washington, where estimates of government deficits are shrinking. Because of my policy of strengthening the economy while enforcing spending discipline in Washington, we remain on pace to reduce the deficit by half in the next five years."

Is he actually delusional, or does he actually believe that people are THAT stupid?

"Yesterday, the president said to Americans that we were turning the corner, referring to the economy. Well, let me ask you, if you're one of those 44 million Americans that don't have health insurance are you turning the corner? If you're one of those people who has a job ... that's been forced overseas, are we turning the corner for those folks?

The last time we had a president who ran on a slogan of turning the corner was Herbert Hoover, and he ran on the prospect that prosperity was just around the corner. I don't want to run talking about turning the corner. I'm running to climb the mountain and get to the top." - John Kerry

Bush says the economy is on the upswing.

He says that at least once every six months. Hasn't been true yet.

But he's basically admitting that his reign has been one look economic downswing.

He won't do anything different, though.

So why the hell would it change?

Remember when the Republicans claimed to be against "big government." Does anyone actually believe that anymore?

Apparently, Bush regards himself as ONLY the President of his supporters. Has any other President, in all of American history, had such an imperial attitude? None that I can think of.

Some would-be spectators hoping to attend Vice President Dick Cheney's rally in Rio Rancho this weekend walked out of a Republican campaign office miffed and ticketless Thursday after getting this news:

Unless you sign an endorsement for President George W. Bush, you're not getting any passes.

The Albuquerque Bush-Cheney Victory office in charge of doling out the tickets to Saturday's event was requiring the endorsement forms from people it could not verify as supporters.

State Rep. Dan Foley, R-Roswell, speaking on behalf of the Republican Party, said Thursday that a "known Democrat operative group" was intending to try to crash Saturday's campaign rally at Rio Rancho Mid-High School.

However, some who left the office off Osuna NE without tickets on Thursday said they're not affiliated with an operative group and should have a right to see their vice president without pledging their allegiance to Bush.

"I'm outraged at this. I'm being closed off by my own government. It's crazy," said East Mountains resident Pamela Random, who added that she is an unaffiliated voter.

Gee, George, THAT'S the way to be a "uniter and not a divider." Decide that the people PAY YOUR SALARY don't have the right to see you if they don't belong to your party.

For God's sake, get these clowns out of the White House before they pervert democracy any further.

Some Americans still think of George W. Bush as "decisive." Me, I tend to think that that's ONLY a positive quality if you make good decisions. Going off half-cocked with dead certainty when you are dead wrong is pretty damned destructive.

But for those who are enamored of "decisiveness," let's make a REAL comparison:

Kerry earned his Silver Star when he rescued a fellow soldier who had been swept off their swift boat while under enemy attack. Without hesitation, Kerry turned the boat around, went back, and personally went out on deck to pull the man into the boat, with the enemy firing at them.

When George W. was told "The country is under attack," he sat there, unable to decide what to do or not knowing what to do, for SEVEN FULL MINUTES.

Which of these two, based on those two accounts, is more heroic and decisive?

And here's Ron, Jr

It's quite long. Heres' the whole thing.

"Does anyone really favor an administration that so shamelessly lies? One that so tenaciously clings to secrecy, not to protect the American people, but to protect itself? That so willfully misrepresents its true aims and so knowingly misleads the people from whom it derives its power? I simply cannot think so. And to come to the same conclusion does not make you guilty of swallowing some liberal critique of the Bush presidency, because that's not what this is. This is the critique of a person who thinks that lying at the top levels of his government is abhorrent. Call it the honest guy's critique of George W. Bush.

If ever there was a time for uniting and not dividing, this is it. Instead, Mr. Bush governs as if by divine right, seeming to actually believe that a wise God wants him in the White House and that by constantly evoking the horrible memory of September 11, 2001, he can keep public anxiety stirred up enough to carry him to another term.

I write and speak as nothing more or less than an American citizen, one who is plenty angry about the direction our country is being dragged by the current administration. We have reached a critical juncture in our nation's history, one ripe with both danger and possibility. We need leadership with the wisdom to prudently confront those dangers and the imagination to boldly grasp the possibilities. Beyond issues of fiscal irresponsibility and ill-advised militarism, there is a question of trust. George W. Bush and his allies don't trust you and me. Why on earth, then, should we trust them?

Fortunately, we still live in a democratic republic. The Bush team cannot expect a cabal of right-wing justices to once again deliver the White House. Come November 2, we will have a choice: We can embrace a lie, or we can restore a measure of integrity to our government. We can choose, as a bumper sticker I spotted in Seattle put it, SOMEONE ELSE FOR PRESIDENT."

Ouch.

Looks like Ron isn't the only member of the Reagan family who doesn't think very highly of Boy George.

"The widow of former President, and Republican icon, Ronald Reagan has told the GOP she wants nothing to do with their upcoming national convention or the re-election campaign of President George W. Bush.

Nancy Reagan turned down numerous invitations to appear at the Republican National Convention and has warned the Bush campaign she will not tolerate any use of her or her late husbands words or images in the President’s re-election effort.

“Mrs. Reagan does not support President Bush’s re-election and neither to most members of the President’s family,” says a spokesman for the former First Lady."

Corruption

Have you noticed that there is corruption and criminality in everything George W. Bush touches? First Halliburton, and now this:

A comprehensive examination of the U.S.-led agency that oversaw the rebuilding of Iraq has triggered at least 27 criminal investigations and produced evidence of millions of dollars' worth of fraud, waste and abuse, according to a report by the Coalition Provisional Authority's inspector general.

The report also says that U.S. civilian authorities in Iraq failed to keep good track of nearly $1 billion in Iraqi money spent for reconstruction projects and can't produce records to show whether they got some services and products they paid for.

George W. Bush murdered Iraq so his cronies could fatten themselves on the remains.

There is no other reasonable conclusion.

"Now I know that there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities. And I do, because some issues just aren't all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so.

As president, I will ask the hard questions and demand hard evidence." - John Kerry

Chalabi and Al Sadr

How badly has Bush screwed up foreign policy? So badly, it's hard to imagine it being any worse.

As evidence of how totally mismanaged this whole affair has been, look at Ahmed Chalabi, the fellow who was Bush's ally, chief source of information, and the fellow we had originally tapped to rule postwar Iraq. What's he doing now?

Forming an alliance with al Sadr - the leader of the insurgency that's shooting at us.

"At the same time, [Chalabi]is reaching out to Iraq's most prominent anti-American Shiite cleric, Muqtada Sadr, whose followers come mainly from Baghdad's urban underclass and the impoverished south of the country. Political analysts here believe that the new approach will eventually win support from a significant segment of Sadr's followers if Chalabi chooses to run for office — and, as expected, Sadr chooses to wield his power from the pulpit instead.

That would give Chalabi and his new organization, the Shiite Political Council, mass support that could yield considerable clout in the majority Shiite community."

Remember all that crap about how the Iraqis were going to be throwing flowers? Chalabi is where it came from. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld believed everything he said without question, despite his criminal history.

Now, he's buddies with the enemy.

Has Bush made ANY correct decisions?

Nobody will listen to Al Sharpton simply because he's Al Sharpton. Which is a shame, because when the man is on, he's on. And he was on. His response to Bush asking for the Black vote on the grounds that voting for Republicans would give blacks "leverage" was dynamite:

Mr. President, you said would we have more leverage if both parties got our votes, but we didn't come this far playing political games. It was those that earned our vote that got our vote. We got the Civil Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the Voting Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the right to organize under Democrats.

Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn't gained because of our age. Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of good men, soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us.

This vote can't be bargained away.

This vote can't be given away.

Mr. President, in all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale.

One thing the Democrats are doing that is quite good - and I think they should do more of it - is keep a strong focus on foreign policy. Yes, talk about the economy. Yes, talk about health care. But somewhere in the back of almost everyone's mind is the unsettling awareness of the fact that a terrorist attack can make all of that meaningless in a hurry.

That's why I think the most rivetting part of John Edward's speech - which was chock full of economic,"two Americas" stuff - was actually this:

"We're approaching the third anniversary of Sept. 11, and one thing I can tell you: when we're in office, it won't take three years to get the reforms in our intelligence that are necessary to keep the American people safe.... And we - John and I -we will have one clear unmistakable message for Al Qaida and these terrorists: You cannot run. You cannot hide. We will destroy you."

Bush has failed to do the job. Instead of destroying Al Qaida, he let them regroup and strengthened them by using their attack as an excuse to fight somebody ELSE.

Foreign Policy is NOT one of Bush's strengths. Edwards put it perfectly: it is THREE YEARS, and we STILL haven't reformed the intelligence failures that led to 9/11: these clowns are spinning thier wheels while danger gathers.

Kerry won't take the attention off of our REAL enemies to go fight a personal vendetta; that's Bush's specialty. And he won't use an attack on the United States as an excuse to test radical theories of warfare, like the neocons have done. And he won't leave our armed forces overworked, tired, and stretched too thin occupying ONE country while the REAL threat gathers someplace else.

George W. Bush has engineered a foreign policy disaster.

Foreign policy is not one of his strengths.

Domestic policy is not one of his strengths.

He has no useful strengths. The only real ability he has is the ability to smear his opponents.

And who the hell needs that in a chief executive?

Photos courtesy of www.moveleft.com, God bless 'em.

When John Kerry was touring Cape Canaveral, he was required to wear a space suit, which can look mighty stupid on a person, and he did.




The Republicans tried to make hay out of it by sending the stupid-looking photo to all the major newspapers.

The Kerry organization responded by sending this:

They also sent photos of Bush as a cheerleader and Bush picking his nose, but the Daily News, in a rare moment of reserve and delicacy, decided NOT to print these:

-----------
And here are more photos of Bush that it would be fun to see it the local newspaper.

Hey, if Bush makes people laugh, it might be the only positive he's ever accomplished. He should be thankful.

Reagan Snubs Bush

Apparently, it isn't just Ron Reagan, Jr., who doesn't think a whole lot of Boy Bush. Nancy feels the same way.

Much to the dismay of the Bush campaign, Nancy Reagan has just said no to appearing at the Republican National Convention next month.

GOP strategists had hoped the former First Lady and Hollywood actress would make a cameo appearance onstage after a video tribute to her late husband, particularly after her Bush-bashing son, Ron, agreed to speak at the Democratic convention last night.

GOP sources, meanwhile, confirmed his mother will not be at their Aug. 30-Sept. 2 convention - and some speculated her son might be behind the snub.

"I do not expect her at our convention but she knows she is welcome," Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie told reporters here yesterday....

A downcast senior GOP official confirmed Nancy Reagan had never committed to appearing at the convention, but was nevertheless dubious of the official explanation.

"The 'not feeling up to it' line is bull----," the official said. "Something happened in the last month, and whatever it was was real."

It looks like the ONLY convention this year that will feature a Reagan this year will be the Democratic one.

Poor right-wingers: trying to claim the mantle of a man who was certainly very conservative, but who would despise them if he were alive. Because he was conservative, not a lunatic.

The modern Republican Party is actually THAT extremist.

Bush Sets Record!

"The White House will project soon that this year's federal deficit will exceed $420 billion, congressional aides said, a record figure certain to ignite partisan warfare over President Bush's handling of the economy."

When Republicans claim that they believe in fiscal disciple, the ONLY appropriate response is mocking, derisive laughter.

A star rises

Barack Obama gave a speech - and flat set the convention on its ear. Unbelievable.



On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, Land of Lincoln, let me express my deep gratitude for the privilege of addressing this convention.

Tonight is a particular honor for me because – let's face it – my presence on this stage is pretty unlikely.

My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya.

He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack… his father – my grandfather – was a cook, a domestic servant.

But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son.

Through hard work and perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place – America – that stood as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many who had come before.

While studying here, my father met my mother.

She was born in a town on the other side of the world, in Kansas.

Her father worked on oil rigs and farms through most of the Depression.

The day after Pearl Harbor he signed up for duty; joined Patton's army and marched across Europe.

Back home, my grandmother raised their baby and went to work on a bomber assembly line.

After the war, they studied on the GI Bill, bought a house through FHA, and moved west, in search of opportunity.

And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter.

A common dream, born of two continents.

My parents shared not only an improbable love… they shared an abiding faith in the possibilities of this nation.

They would give me an African name, Barack, or “blessed,” believing that in a tolerant America your name is no barrier to success.

They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be rich to achieve your potential.

They are both passed away now.

Yet, I know that, on this night, they look down on me with pride.

I stand here today, grateful for the diversity of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my precious daughters.

I stand here knowing that my story is part of the larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even possible.

Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation – not because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military, or the size of our economy.

Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.

That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That is the true genius of America – a faith in the simple dreams of its people.

The insistence on small miracles.

That we can tuck in our children at night and know they are fed and clothed and safe from harm.

That we can say what we think, write what we think, without hearing a sudden knock on the door.

That we can have an idea and start our own business without paying a bribe or hiring somebody's son.

That we can participate in the political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will be counted – or at least, most of the time.

This year, in this election, we are called to reaffirm our values and commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we are measuring up, to the legacy of our forbearers, and the promise of future generations.

And fellow Americans – Democrats; Republicans; Independents – I say to you tonight: we have more work to do.

More to do for the workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour.

More to do for the father I met who was losing his job and choking back tears, wondering how he would pay $4,500 a month for the drugs his son needs without the health benefits he counted on.

More to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but doesn't have the money to go to college.

Don't get me wrong.

The people I meet – in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks – they don't expect government to solve all their problems.

They know they have to work hard to get ahead – and they want to.

Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted, by a welfare agency or the Pentagon.

Go into any inner city neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't teach kids to learn – they know that parents have to parent, that children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white.

No, people don't expect government to solve all their problems.

But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity remain open to all.

They know we can do better.

And they want that choice.

In this election, we offer that choice.

Our Party has chosen a man to lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer.

That man is John Kerry.

John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and sacrifice, because they've defined his life.

From his heroic service in Vietnam, to his years as prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two decades in the United States Senate, he has devoted himself to this country.

Again and again, we've seen him make tough choices when easier ones were available.

His values – and his record – affirm what is best in us.

John Kerry believes in an America where hard work is rewarded; so instead of offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he'll offer them to companies creating jobs here at home;

John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves...

John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage to the profits of oil companies, or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.

John Kerry believes in the Constitutional freedoms that have made our country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic liberties, nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.

And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world war must be an option, but it should never be the first option.

Awhile back, I met a young man named Shamus at the VFW Hall in East Moline, Illinois.

He was a good-looking kid, six two or six three, clear eyed, with an easy smile.

He told me he'd joined the Marines, and was heading to Iraq the following week.

As I listened to him explain why he'd enlisted, his absolute faith in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I thought this young man was all any of us might hope for in a child.

But then I asked myself: Are we serving Shamus as well as he was serving us?

I thought of more than 900 service men and women -- sons and daughters, husbands and wives, friends and neighbors, who will not be returning to their hometowns.

I thought of families I had met who were struggling to get by without a loved one's full income, or whose loved ones had returned with a limb missing or with nerves shattered, but who still lacked long-term health benefits because they were Reservists.

When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never– ever– go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect of the world.

Now let me be clear.

We have real enemies in the world.

These enemies must be found.

They must be pursued – and they must be defeated.

John Kerry knows this.

And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.

John Kerry believes in America.

And he knows it's not enough for just some of us to prosper.

For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga.

A belief that we are connected as one people.

If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.

If there's a senior citizen somewherewho can't pay for her prescription, and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother.

If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

It's that fundamental belief – I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper – that makes this country work.

It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family.

E pluribus unum.

Out of many, one.

Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.

Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America – there's the United States of America.

There's not a Black America and White America and Latino America and Asian America– there's the United States of America.

The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats.

But I've got news for them, too.

We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States.

We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.

There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it.

We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.

In the end, that's what this election is about.

Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or a politics of hope?

John Kerry calls on us to hope.

John Edwards calls on us to hope.

I'm not talking about blind optimism here – the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't talk about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it.

No, I'm talking about something more substantial.

It's the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs.

The hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores.

The hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta.

The hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy the odds.

The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.

The audacity of hope! In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation.

The belief in things not seen.

The belief that there are better days ahead.

I believe we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity. I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.

I believe that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us.

America!

Tonight, if you feel the same energy I do, the same urgency I do, the same passion I do, the same hopefulness I do – if we do what we must do, then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as President, and John Edwards will be sworn in as Vice President, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.

Thank you and God bless you.