Halloween Horrors: A Third George Bush in Politics?

Image from Politico

If it were possible to type a blood-curdling scream, that's what I'd do! Another George Bush in politics? I can't take it. . . At least this one doesn't look like a drooling moron.

[Excerpt]

A Bush goes to War

Mentioning his last name is a sure way to harass liberals and acknowledging his half Mexican blood often challenges the temperament of the most extreme conservatives.

George P. Bush, the grandson and the nephew of two U.S. Presidents, is being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan as Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve, assigned to an intelligence unit. . .

Read more at: AOL News

Why Does the Bush Administration Get a Pass on 9/11?

Photo from Raw Story

The "Bush Legacy Project" is in full-swing, with Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Laura Bush, and George W. Bush himself trying to put a rosy glow on the past eight years. One of the biggest tales they've been trying to sell is that Bush has kept us "safe." We're told there hasn't been a domestic terrorist attack since September 11, 2001.

OK, that ignores the anthrax attacks. It disregards terrorist attacks elsewhere in the world that are likely linked to 9/11. It doesn't count the DC sniper attacks. And it pretends that September 11 didn't happen during Bush's reign. September 11 is regarded as the worst domestic terror attack since Pearl Harbor, and yet the Bush Administration has accepted no blame for it.

Why are Americans accepting this? Is it because Bush had only been on the job for eight months? Is that it? Because, I can't imagine screwing up that badly at any job I've ever had, whether I'd held it for eight years, eight months or eight days, and not being fired. Yet, we are being asked to pretend that Bush's job really started on September 12, 2001, instead of January 20.

And how can we even know that any attacks have been prevented? The ones that have been touted by the administration turned out to be extraordinarily lame pipe dreams by people that made Squeaky Fromme look competent.

[Excerpt]

Cheney defends Bush administration's decisions in interview with hometown paper

Vice President Dick Cheney, during an interview with the Casper Star-Tribune in his home state of Wyoming, defended his decisions during his two terms and dismissed the low poll numbers that have followed his administration with the continued occupation of Iraq and the tanking economy. He told his interviewer that a politician can't change his policy every time a new poll comes out. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Are You Ready for This? President. Jeb. Bush.

Image from source, CNN

No way. Just no way. While I don't for a minute believe that Jeb Bush would have much of a shot at the oval office in 2012, or 2016. . .what about after that? What if the next President (Barack Obama, please) can't fix all of the messes that the current President Bush has made? What if the country somehow warms to The Decider after many years out of the spotlight--even Dick Nixon had that happen.

I've got to believe we're not that dumb. Please prove me right, America!

[Excerpt]

Second President Bush floats prospect of a third

. . .President Bush was asked by a SkyNews correspondent whether the end of his term marked the end of the Bush presidential dynasty that began with his father’s Oval Office tenure 20 years ago.

In response, Bush singled out his brother, who has often been mentioned as a possible Republican presidential contender. "Well, we've got another one out there who did a fabulous job as governor of Florida, and that's Jeb,” he said. “But you know, you better ask him whether or not he's thinking of running. But he'd be a great president. . ."

Read more at: CNN

Soldiers "Honored" at Pet Crematorium

I cannot even begin to comment on this story. My comments would be a very dark shade of blue... Fuckers.

Since 2001, the U.S. military has cremated the remains of approximately 200 service members at Friends Forever Pet Cremation Service, a Delaware facility that primarily cremates pets. The practice was stopped yesterday, as the Washington Post reports:... Read more at ThinkProgress.org

... & more at The Washington Post

FOX "News" Hates Bush Mugshot Exhibit

Image from source, Raw Story

Wait, FOX "News" is upset about an exhibit of photos featuring that rogue's gallery, the Bush Administration in faux mug shots? Well boo-frickin'-hoo, I love it! It's a window into a possible future, or even confirmation of a weird feeling I get that we are in an alternate universe, and in the real world this is what happened! Hey, a guy can dream.

Anyway, what's it to FOX? Aren't they fair and balanced or something?

[Excerpt]

Fox: Library's White House mug shots might confuse little kids

When the Daily News reported on an exhibit at the New York Public Library of photos of George Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, and Condoleezza Rice doctored to look like prison mug shots, it touched only lightly on the artistic purposes of the display and appeared to be deliberately aiming to stir up political controversy. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Say Goodbye to Your Privacy

Shhhh.... Big Brother is probably watching you read this... try not to look them in the eyes... and pull up your pants for Pete's sake. Remember this is all just for your safety.
Its 1984... and Orwell is this century's Nostradamus.

WASHINGTON (AP) - A top intelligence official says it is time people in the United States changed their definition of privacy.

Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguards people's private communications and financial information.

"It's like schizoidparanoia... It's Existential Blues." -Tom 'T-Bone' Stankus (Good Monkey)

Credit Bill Day

Schumer, Feinstein to Support Mukasey

Photo from source, TPMMuckraker

President Bush may be incompetent at most things, but there is one thing he's good at. Like a spoiled brat who knows just what buttons to push to get Mommy to give him a treat, Bush knows how to play Congress to get whatever he wants. It doesn't seem to matter what the issue is, Bush wins, even when he has a losing hand.

In this case, the replacement of Bush's best bud, Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, Bush didn't even have to try. Like a battered wife, Congress already knows what he'll do if they don't give him what he wants. Pathetic.

[Excerpt]

Schumer, Feinstein to Support Mukasey

Here's Schumer's explanation, via Roll Call (sub. req.):

“I deeply esteem those who believe the issue of torture is so paramount that Judge Mukasey’s views on it should be the sole determinant of our vote,” Schumer said in a statement. “But I must respectfully disagree.

“The Justice Department is a shambles: politicized and demoralized. The belief and hope [is] that Justice Mukasey, with his experience, independence and integrity, can restore the department motivates my vote.”

Read it at weep at: TPMMuckraker

Memory Hole: Iraq Benchmarks

If you've read George Orwell's 1984, you're familiar with the concept of the "memory hole." It is the recepticle in the Ministry of Truth where inconvenient truths are conveniently disposed of. During my sabbatical, I noticed a glaring, obvious example of the phenomenon. Do you remember the Iraq Report Card?

Initially, we were told this:

[Excerpt]

Report says zero benchmarks met by Iraq government

WASHINGTON - A draft report to Congress on the war will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Iraq has met none of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.

One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.

The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15, as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said.

Read more at: Journal & Courier


Then, we were told this:

[Excerpt]

Bush presents a mixed report on Iraq progress

WASHINGTON: Asking for patience with what he called "an ugly war," President George W. Bush on Thursday presented a mixed progress report on Iraq, with some military advances offset by persistent violence and halting movement toward political reconciliation.

In a news conference focused on the 25-page progress report issued Thursday, he said the Iraqi government had shown progress on only 8 of 18 "benchmarks" set by Congress, but that there was sufficient forward motion to give "cause for optimism." He also warned Congress against pursuing efforts to limit his war-fighting powers.

Read more at: International Herald Tribune

The news media quickly dropped the first story, and dutifully reported the White House spin practically verbatim. Are we that stupid? Forgetful?

This is sadly only one example of the phenomenon.

Bush: Executive Privilege Regarding Tillman Death

Photo from source, RawStory.com

OK, this is just weird.

[Excerpt]

White House, Pentagon cite executive privilege to hold up documents on friendly fire victim Tillman

Michael Roston
Published: Friday July 13, 2007

Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) revealed on Friday afternoon that the White House and Pentagon were holding up a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee investigation into the friendly fire death of former professional football player and Army Corporal Patrick Tillman.

"[T]he Committee wrote to White House Counsel Fred Fielding seeking 'all documents received or generated by any official in the Executive Office of the President' relating to Corporal Tillman's death," noted a press release from the Committee.

But the White House has apparently again invoked its executive privilege to hold up the documents sought by Waxman and Ranking Minority member Tom Davis (R-VA).

Read more at: RawStory.com

Drudge Turning on Bush?

I don't know if Matt Drudge is turning on Bush with this top story, or if it is just unintentionally funny. You decide.

Bush Approval Ratings: How Low Can He Go?

Sensing a trend? Check it out (and bookmark it): PollingReport.com

And a side-note: Do you notice that Fox's poll always skews a bit higher than the the lowest? Not so much as to be overly conspicuous, but it's never the lowest. Just an observation.

Top 10 Conservative Idiots, July 9, 2007

The new "Top 10 Conservative Idiots" is up at Democratic Underground, and this week's installment is a little different. It's an all Scooter Libby edition.

[Excerpt]

A Boatload Of Conservatives

In the wake of Our Great Leader's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence, Republican talking heads have had just one straw to clutch at - the infamous "Clinton did it too" defense. Clinton committed perjury! Clinton gave out dubious pardons! Whatever. If the "returning honor and integrity to the White House" administration wants to claim that at its best it's the same as the Clinton administration at its worst, that's fine with me. It must be a disappointment to the people who voted for them, but there you go.

Read more at DemocraticUnderground.com

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Night Night, It's Time for Bye Byes (Shock Treatment)

Photo from shocktreatment.net

The great thing about having your own blog, is sharing weird and odd things about yourself. One of those weird, odd things is this fact: one of my favorite movies is 1981's Shock Treatment. It was a quasi-sequel (or "Equel") to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Since Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon, the stars of the first movie, had moved on to bigger and better things, Cliff DeYoung (also in Protocol with Goldie Hawn) and Jessica Harper (of the cult flick, Suspiria) took over the roles.

The film is set in a TV studio in Denton, Ohio, the same town as Rocky Horror. The whole town basically exists within the studio. Considering that this was 1981, I'd say that Richard O'Brien (creator and songwriter) was darn near psychic. This is what America is on the road to. While the movie follows the further adventures of Brad and Janet, none of the characters from Rocky Horror is reprised, except for Ralph and Betty Hapschatt (happy shit!). The great thing though, is many of the ACTORS did reappear: Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn (once again playing incestuous brother and sister), Little Nell Campbell, and Charles Gray. Added to the mix was Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everidge) and Ruby Wax.

The movie takes a couple of viewings to grow on you, but the music is fantastic. "Breaking Out" by "Oscar Drill & the Bits" (apparently about coming out of the closet) could've been sung by Green Day. Other songs, "Bitchin' in the Kitchen," "Little Black Dress," and the title song "Shock Treatment" are nothing short of delightful. What got me to thinking about the movie was the song, "Lullaby," which has the characters turning in for the night, as I was going to do prior to writing this (lengthy) post. Here it is for your visual and aural pleasure.

And another clip that makes me think George Bush may have been a fan back in the day. I mean, can't you hear him saying, "You're not looking a King, you're looking at a goddamn ACE?




12/26/07 UPDATE: A warning folks, but is wont to happen with these clips, FOX has apparently pulled many of their videos. They've also pulled all of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Simpsons clips. I fail to see why, as all these YouTube clips do is keep interest going in their projects, and raise the profile of their properties. My site has made a whopping 81 cents since it debuted, and I can't even cash that out. I am not putting a dent in Rupert Murdoch's profits. Anyway, it probably won't be long until these are gone too.

06/13/08 UPDATE: Added a different clip, Bitchin' in the Kitchen, since You're Looking at an Ace has been removed.

Most Notorious Presidential Pardons

Hat-tip to Lesto for pointing out the Clinton Presidential pardons to me, regarding my focus on the Scooter Libby commutation. And he's right, I didn't mention it in my articles. My reasoning goes something like this (clearing throat):

If Bill Clinton posthumously pardoned Hitler and Hirohito, it would be irrelevant to the story. Why? Because Bill Clinton isn't President! Hasn't been for over six years now! Besides, if Bill Clinton jumped off a bridge, would that mean George W. would have to as well? The only real relevance Bill Clinton's actions would have on the matter would be in pointing out liberal hypocrisy. Having never been a Bill Clinton apologist myself, I don't much feel like a hypocrite.

In any event, the topic of Clinton's pardon of Mark Rich in particular will be a common refrain over the next few news cycles. That being the case, please take a look at this list from Time Magazine. It will show you that "Slick Willy" wasn't the only guy making controversial pardons. George H.W. had a hand at it too. . .

Read more at: The 10 Most Notorious Presidential Pardons at Time Magazine.

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Keith Olbermann Asks Bush & Cheney to Resign

As promised: the video. Nothing to add, Keith says it FAR better than I ever could.

UPDATE: Though this was posted in the early evening on July 3, I think it deserves to be bumped up to the top of the roster. I may move it again. I'd like anyone who reads this blog to click the link and watch this. Go on, do it. . .

UPDATE II: Bumped again for the rest of the 4th. Continue reading below for newer posts. Thanks.

Happy Independence Day

Photo from Wikipedia

A busy day for me, considering it's a day off. Lots of chores and errands to run, and it's been around 147°. Anyway, settling in for a bit of news was a bit difficult, at least on the cable stations. I mean really, an O'Reilly Factor marathon? Who needs that?

But a quick perusal of the internets does turn up a few nuggets. Let's see what's happening today:

This can't be good: GM, Ford, Chrysler Sales Drop in June.

And anything out of this guy is bound to be depressing: Again, Bush calls for patience.

Uh, sure, whatever. And bad news for the guy who was actually elected President in 2000: Gore’s Son Is Facing Charges in California After Freeway Arrest. Well that's an inconvenient truth, right there. Fodder for FOX "News" for a couple of weeks at least. Don't count on them to dredge up President Bush's or Dick Cheney's similar run-ins, though (or the Bush girls', for that matter).

UPDATE: It occurred to me later that Al Gore III had better clean up his act. . .he only has 19 more years of "youthful indescretions" left, if he wants to be President some day!

Entertainment news has the very sad: Opera Star Beverly Sills Dies. But also, the unbelievable cool: Bladensburg 7-Eleven transforms into Kwik-E-Mart.

And of course there were explosions all over the sky across America tonight, but I just can't get festive tonight. Martina McBride and Lee Greenwood just make me think of Sean Hannity, and who needs that?

Keith Olbermann's Special Comment

The outstanding video is not available at the moment, but if you missed it, here is a link to the transcript. Just amazing. I agree with every word.

Talking about Olbermann: Bush, Cheney should resign - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com

Keith Olbermann on Bush & Scooter

This post from MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann sums up the whole sordid story in a fashion I couldn't possibly hope to add to. I intend to post Olbermann's "Special Comment," from tonight's show, after it airs. Please watch.

Click To Play

More (Much More) Scooter at Huffington Post

Photo from Source (HuffingtonPost.com)

One of my favorite writers has the top spot over at the Huffington Post this morning. Well worth the read.

[Excerpt]

Paul Begala BIO
George W. Bush is One Tough Hombre

Tough enough to execute Karla Fay Tucker -- and then laugh about it. Tough enough to sign a death warrant for a man whose lawyer slept through the trial -- and then snicker when asked about it in a debate. Even tough enough to execute a great-grandmother who murdered her husband -- after he abused her. A friend of mine at the time asked Bush to commute her sentence, telling him, "Betty Lou ain't a threat to no one she ain't married to." No dice.

Mr. Bush is tough enough to invade a country that was no risk to America, causing tens of thousands of civilian deaths and shedding precious American blood in the process. Tough enough to sanction torture. Tough enough to order an American citizen arrested and held without trial. But if you're rich and right-wing and Republican, George is a real softie. As George W. Bush demonstrated in giving Scooter Libby a Get Out of Jail Free Card, he is only compassionate to conservatives. Read more at: George W. Bush is One Tough Hombre at Huffington Post

Also at Huffington Post on the subject:

Bush Lets Libby Walk..."I Respect The Jury's Decision"...REACTION: Only 21% Of Americans Support...Pelosi: Bush "Is Not To Be Believed"...Clinton: "Cronyism And Ideology Trump Competence And Justice" For Bush...Reid: "Disgraceful"...Obama: Cements Bush Legacy "Of Cynicism And Division"...Edwards: Bush "Clinically Incapable Of Understanding" Consequences...Fitzgerald: "It Is Fundamental To The Rule Of Law That All Citizens Stand Before The Bar Of Justice As Equals"

Meanwhile at CNN:

A great roundup of what Washington insiderst think about the Scooter deal: Libby commutation: Washington responds