Cognitive Dissonance: News and politics

We've got guns too...

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:55:45 GMT

Movie pirates are cool, but the real thing pretty much sucks. This story came out about one captain's pre-planning, and happy ending.

Quote:

Red Dragon showing her mettle - .. .
Whilst transiting through the Gulf of Aden, we had three people on watch at all times as during the previous few weeks the Somalian pirates had been very active. Whilst in a position of approxi-mately 13 degrees North and 53 degrees East, we saw a large dhow change course at eight miles from us and head towards us. At four miles, they stopped and launched six fast boats with about three people in each towards us. This certainly got the heart racing and adrenalin pumping.
On arrival, they were surprised to find eight people in flak jackets with guns awaiting their arrival and decided that they would do better to wait for an easier, less prepared target. Six hours later a merchant vessel came under fire in the same location and 24 hours after that three ships were also hijacked in the same area and are at the time of writing all off the Somalian coasts awaiting ransom negotiations.

Sail World - Powerboat-world: Sail and sailing, cruising, boating news

Best Daily Kos posting ever

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:47:44 GMT

Kos is the best liberal politics site out there, but it is also filled with a bunch of really cool people in general. Today: Hummingbird photos.

Quote:

One of my favorite subjects to photograph is hummingbirds. They represent a real challenge: they move very quickly and do not stay in one place for long, plus they are smaller than any other birds I photograph.
This means that successfully photographing them requires a good combination of skill, careful planning and just plain dumb luck.
Most of these are smaller versions of images that will take you to a larger one. The image shown on the right, however, will take you to two animated images; one is of a ruby-thraoted hummingbird feeding one of her young (it's a 1.6mb file) and the other is a smaller file of a rubythroated hummingbird feeding from our nectar feeder.

Daily Kos: Surprise! Hummingbird Photo Break

Ron Suskind: The Forged Iraqi Letter: What Just Happened?

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:49:42 GMT

What else can you say?

Quote:

The Iraq Intelligence Chief, Tahir Jalil Habbush -- a man still carrying with $1 million reward for capture, the Jack of Diamonds in Bush's famous deck of wanted men -- has been America's secret source on Iraq. Starting in January of 2003, with Blair and Bush watching, his secret reports began to flow to officials on both sides of the Atlantic, saying that there were no WMD and that Hussein was acting so odd because of fear that the Iranians would find out he was a toothless tiger). The U.S. deep-sixed the intelligence report in February, "resettled" Habbush to a safe house in Jordan during the invasion and then paid him $5 million in what could only be considered hush money.
In the fall of 2003, after the world learned there were no WMD -- as Habbush had foretold -- the White House ordered the CIA to carry out a deception. The mission: create a handwritten letter, dated July, 2001, from Habbush to Saddam saying that Atta trained in Iraq before the attacks and the Saddam was buying yellow cake for Niger with help from a "small team from the al Qaeda organization."
The mission was carried out, the letter was created, popped up in Baghdad, and roiled the global newcycles in December, 2003 (conning even venerable journalists with Tom Brokaw). The mission is a statutory violation of the charter of CIA, and amendments added in 1991, prohibiting CIA from conduction disinformation campaigns on U.S. soil.

Ron Suskind: The Forged Iraqi Letter: What Just Happened?

With your remaining eye, do not look back into the laser beam...

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:01:46 GMT

How many fucking times to you need to make jokes about burning eyes with lasers until people get the point, not to look into lasers?

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Dozens of partygoers at an outdoor rave near Moscow last week have lost partial vision after a laser light show burned their retinas, Russian health officials said on Monday.
Moscow city health department officials confirmed 12 cases of laser-blindness at the Central Ophthalmological Clinic, and daily newspaper Kommersant said another 17 were registered at City Hospital 32 in the centre of the capital.

Ravers lose sight at laser show | U.S. | Reuters

Good Article - When Common Sense Is Unconstitutional

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:13:55 GMT

I like guns, but I'm really not an NRA type (they are funded by the mafia after all). But sweeping gun bans don't seem right. The article over at Truthdig seemed to hit it on the head.

Clip:

I’d like to be able to thunder about the injustice committed by an activist, arch-conservative Supreme Court that seeks to return our jurisprudence to the 18th century. I will, almost certainly, about some future outrage. But this time, I can’t.
The big problem, for me, is the clarity of the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the “right of the people to keep and bear arms.” The traditional argument in favor of gun control has been that this is a collective right, accorded to state militias. This has always struck me as a real stretch, if not a total dodge.
I’ve never been able to understand why the Founders would stick a collective right into the middle of the greatest charter of individual rights and freedoms ever written—and give it such pride of place, the No. 2 position, right behind such bedrock freedoms as speech and religion. Even Barack Obama, a longtime advocate of gun control—but also a one-time professor of constitutional law—has said he believes the amendment confers an individual right to gun ownership.
And even if the Second Amendment was meant to refer to state militias, where did the Founders intend for the militias’ weapons to be stored? In the homes of the volunteers is my guess.

Truthdig - Reports - When Common Sense Is Unconstitutional

After all, I think the era of rising against the standing army may be passed, but you never know when you might need defense as some highly armed group of paramilitary religious fundamentalist freaks come to invade your town.

No, Really. You've Got Mail...

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:56:50 GMT

Can I borrow a cup of astonishment? I'm all out.

From TPM:

What do you do if the Supreme Court rejects your legal position on greenhouse gas emissions and orders the EPA to make a ruling?
If you're the White House, you stall, delay, and then, when push comes to shove, you simply refuse to open the email from the EPA that contains the new ruling.

Talking Points Memo

Revealing Obama Email!

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:38:48 GMT

Wow! I got this email today and learned so much about Barack Obama, who knew!

From: [Redacted]
To: [Redacted]
Subject: WHO IS BARACK OBAMA?
There are many things people do not know about BARACK OBAMA. It is every American's duty to read this message and pass it along to all of their friends and loved ones.
Barack Obama wears a FLAG PIN at all times. Even in the shower.
Barack Obama says the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE every time he sees an American flag. He also ends every sentence by saying, "WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL." Click here for video of Obama quietly mouthing the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in his sleep.
A tape exists of Michelle Obama saying the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE at a conference on PATRIOTISM.
Every weekend, Barack and Michelle take their daughters HUNTING.
Barack Obama is a PATRIOTIC AMERICAN. He has one HAND over his HEART at all times. He occasionally switches when one arm gets tired, which is almost never because he is STRONG.
Barack Obama has the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE tattooed on his stomach. It's upside-down, so he can read it while doing sit-ups.
There's only one artist on Barack Obama's iPod: FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American.
Barack Obama goes to church every morning. He goes to church every afternoon. He goes to church every evening. He is IN CHURCH RIGHT NOW.
Barack Obama's new airplane includes a conference room, a kitchen, and a MEGACHURCH.
Barack Obama's skin is the color of AMERICAN SOIL.
Barack Obama buys AMERICAN STUFF. He owns a FORD, a BASEBALL TEAM, and a COMPUTER HE BUILT HIMSELF FROM AMERICAN PARTS. He travels mostly by FORKLIFT.
Barack Obama says that Americans cling to GUNS and RELIGION because they are AWESOME.

OK, that's actually from Slate.

Rumors Barack Obama's campaign shouldn't try to correct. - By Christopher Beam - Slate Magazine

Note to Creationists/Intelligent Design Morons

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:24:00 GMT

F-U

From The Article

A major evolutionary innovation has unfurled right in front of researchers' eyes. It's the first time evolution has been caught in the act of making such a rare and complex new trait.
And because the species in question is a bacterium, scientists have been able to replay history to show how this evolutionary novelty grew from the accumulation of unpredictable, chance events.
Twenty years ago, evolutionary biologist Richard Lenski of Michigan State University in East Lansing, US, took a single Escherichia coli bacterium and used its descendants to found 12 laboratory populations.
The 12 have been growing ever since, gradually accumulating mutations and evolving for more than 44,000 generations, while Lenski watches what happens.
...
In the meantime, the experiment stands as proof that evolution does not always lead to the best possible outcome. Instead, a chance event can sometimes open evolutionary doors for one population that remain forever closed to other populations with different histories.
Lenski's experiment is also yet another poke in the eye for anti-evolutionists, notes Jerry Coyne, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Chicago. "The thing I like most is it says you can get these complex traits evolving by a combination of unlikely events," he says. "That's just what creationists say can't happen."

Bacteria make major evolutionary shift in the lab - life - 09 June 2008 - New Scientist

Father's Day McCain Golf Pack

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 04:35:37 GMT

Sometimes you need to monitor the comments on your site. Since I assume that someone will notice soon: I grabbed the relevant part of the page. Right off of John McCains page. Heh

Father's Day McCain Golf Pack

MUST OWN! MUST USE!
June 10, 2008
Reviewer: LazyMF from Texas
Bag is handy. Will hold 2 Vietnamese skulls.
Was this review helpful to you?
I love John McCain's balls!
June 10, 2008
Reviewer: Ron Burgundy from , Los Angeles
Perfectly dimpled, John McCain's balls fly straight into the hole every time!
I only wish that I could buy a John McCain ball-washer so that I could wash John McCain's balls, my balls, and all my buddies' balls with that signature John McCain ball-washing gusto.
John McCain's balls. Now there is change we can believe in!
McCain roolz!!! Obama droolz!!!
Was this review helpful to you?

Do your duty!
June 10, 2008
Reviewer: Anonymous person from asdf, AK United States
We are at war. Support the troops and go golfing. Oh, and oppose the GI bill, so the soldiers don't get so much money for college. Otherwise, they'll cut and run to some liberal university!
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Balls!
June 10, 2008
Reviewer: Al Bundy from San Francisco, CA United States
Dear Senator McCain,
I see you have supplies for golf, but how about bowling? I take the measure of a man by his ability to bowl. The black guy cannot, it seems, bowl his way out of a paper bag containing a 40 ounce. The woman, obviously is unfit for the office, bowling or no.
So, Senator, it seems you are the only white male sportsman representing the Grand Old Party. You've got my vote, as long as you bowl better than a 200.
Golf is for sissyboys, sir, throwing a rock you can put your fingers in is a manly GOP sport.
Go Republicans!
Al
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Golf You Can Believe In!
June 10, 2008
Reviewer: McCain Fan from Highbrow Street, United States
Whenever I get angry at how elitist the limousine liberals are, I have the chef make me some Cindy McCain Ahi Tuna with Napa Cabbage Slaw, then I take my John McCain golf gear out on the country club, where I can be with real, hardworking Americans. Also, white people.
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Father's Day McCain Golf Pack

Heh

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:29:37 GMT

Daily Kos: State of the Nation

I love this bridge

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 16:43:06 GMT

Once again, some mentally retarded drive slammed their truck or bus into the 9 foot underpass at the Arboretum. This happens all the time, but you only get a really spectacular one once a year or so. The Road has huge warning signs, lights everything, but it just never helps.

Fucking retard. Glad the kids are OK, hope the driver is fired.

The driver of a charter bus carrying the Garfield High School girls' softball team that smashed into a pedestrian overpass in the Washington Park Arboretum Wednesday, has been cited by police for "hitting a structure with impaired clearance."

Bus hits low overpass, shearing off its roof

Lies are News, Truth is Obsolete

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:53:59 GMT

Daily Kos: Memo Signed By Bush, AUTHORIZING TORTURE, Surfaces

Calling Sgt. Retard....

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:37:29 GMT

Un. Fucking. Real.

Quote:

During a videoconference with U.S. military and civilian personnel yesterday, President Bush praised the troops fighting in Afghanistan, claiming he was “a little envious” of their “romantic” fight:

“I must say, I’m a little envious,” Bush said. “If I were slightly younger and not employed here, I think it would be a fantastic experience to be on the front lines of helping this young democracy succeed.”
“It must be exciting for you … in some ways romantic, in some ways, you know, confronting danger. You’re really making history, and thanks,” Bush said.

But isn’t Bush already fighting the war? In June 2007, then-White House Press Secretary Tony Snow claimed, “The President is in the war every day…On the frontlines, wherever.”

We should have pity on Bush, after all, this child-president didn't have a war during his youth that he could have gone and fought, in order to spread Democracy. Oh wait...

Think Progress » Blog Archive » Bush: I’m ‘envious’ of troops on ‘romantic’ front lines.

Cartoon - President McCain

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:57:24 GMT

What more can I say?

Truthdig - Cartoons - President McCain

Hello, Ralph Nader, We Are Anonymous

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:09:54 GMT

I shall admit, I am one of those "lesser" people who hasn't turned the other cheek at Ralph Nade, and still hold him responsible (at least in part) for our last few years of political ineptitude. But anger never gets me anywhere.

Fortunately, mockery helps.

Over at Truthdig, they linked to someone's spoof of the Anonymous video, but instead of Scientology, it's after Nader this time.

Sure, it's immature to laugh at someone who did great service to the public for years, and then decided to immolate any goodwill by becoming a complete self-serving douche. But that's better than stewing about it forever.

Truthdig - A/V Booth - Hello, Ralph Nader, We Are Anonymous

Colbert turns NY Times' McCain story into a dirty limerick

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 17:42:56 GMT

Ha!

There once was a man named McCain
Who had the whole White House to gain
But he was quite a hobbyist
Of boning his lobbyist
So much for his oh-eight campaign

The Raw Story | Colbert turns NY Times' McCain story into a dirty limerick

McCain: Wily Fox, or Wile E. Coyote?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:55:17 GMT

Oh! What fools we liberals have been! We slept while McCain napped, and look how he has outflanked us. A one-two punch to our gut, and we are all left reeling.

We have been fools to think that conservatives wouldn't have a plan to show that McCain was one of them. THere can be little doubt now that this story in the New York Times was a plant, a plant by conservatives to help bring out McCain's Conservative Bona Fides,

His Corruption.

John McCain has been presenting himself for far too long as the clean maverick, and this ill-advised plan has been isolating him from the base that he so desperately needs.

But look now! Covered in mud of his own creation, John is embraced by those who reviled him only a day ago!

But not one to rest on his laurels, John is working overtime to make sure that Conservatives know what he is made of; on Public Financing, on Ballot Rules, on Torture, and more.

We Liberals should fear now, for while this may hurt John with the Independents that he actually needs to win, it will shore up his base with those he truly needs, the Conservative Base.

Now known as The 19%

Well sure, so many of us think that that you actually need 51% to get elected (or 49% + 5 Judges), but we should expect to hear about the new strategy soon. A strategy that will blow us all away.

19% + 1

Then again, John might just stand on top of a really big cliff and try to drop a rock on us. That would work too.

Obama has experience too? really?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 03:44:25 GMT

Kirk Watson made me think.

In the wake of his big goof on TV, being a big supporter who couldn't rattle off Obama's Legislative achievements for Chris Matthews, I was really prompted to think. I saw the great backlash on this site about how Obama supporters need to memorize the list of legislation and achievements, to be able to whip out at a moment's notice, and I liked that. It is really a great thing to know the detail of your candidate's record, and understand it.

But someone out there made me realize that the record isn't the only important part of the candidate.

That person is George W. Bush.

I love wonks. Wonkiness rules. I liked Gore, I liked Kerry, and I liked Hillary too. (and two of those people even won the presidency!)

They all give great policy speeches with detail, facts, and show a true understanding for what they are talking about. All of them look smart as hell on stage. Period. And all of them have great, big records to run on.

So then why do I look to Curious Gorge, the child president, for insight? Because he had none of that to run with. He's not smart, doesn't read, and looks the fool. He has a lousy record to run on, at best. But to the average joe, he had two things going, Passion and Inspiration.

(As we all know, Bush wasn't actually inspired by anything, and personally, I think he fakes his passion on everything, except perhaps money, and riding his bike.)

But the point was he had literally nothing to run on, except those things, and he beat us soundly. Up until 2004, Most folks felt they could trust Bush, and he was listened to by a majority of people. This was a powerful gift, it got him elected.

Fast Forward to today. Both our candidates have experience. Both are talented legislators, both are very smart. But only one is presenting us with the passion and trustworthiness that I feel is needed to get people interested in the first place. Once people are listening, then they will be much more receptive to ideas.

Hillary showed some of this passion when she broke down before new Hampshire, and it opened her up to people (much to my own surprise). But she didn't seem to take her own lesson to heart.

It is the inspirational effects of Obama that are really impressing me, more than the wonk, more than anything else at this point.

Now this doesn't mean that you should throw your support behind any charismatic candidate, some candidate that talks a good talk but is totally disinterested in doing the actual job, and just sees this as some sort of personal trip, for their benefit alone. A candidate like that would be just like, say, George W. Bush.

But the skills that make a candidate able to go up, and persuade a crowd are valuable. Inspiration isn't just an election tactic, but a skill that can translate into bringing forth compromise and diplomacy. Passion, guided with actual wisdom for a change, can be an agent of transformation.

This is why I think it was easy for Kirk Watson to look the fool, because he may not have been thinking past the intangibles (but I bet he is now!)

These ethereal qualities Obama really are important, and while not more important than his record, makes him a much more formidable candidate for the election, and I feel would make him a better President overall.

So, thanks Kirk!

Aw Crap. I just agreed with FOX News on Objective Journalism

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:12:56 GMT

I'm sure this was just some "Blind Pig Finding an Acorn" type of moment, but it really creeped me out just the same. There really is no end to the utter blather coming out of FOX News, and so many of the utter moonbat comments end up as headlines elsewhere. But this time, FOX is correct. I doubt the know why they are correct, and the probably reached their conclusions through some leaps in logic worthy of Monty Python's Holy Grail, but nevertheless, They got it.

Rawstory had the link on their site, here

If journalists vote, are they saddled with professional bias? A FOX News panel discussed the topic and came up with some strange analogies.

I immediately clicked on this link to get into this story, as I am very personally opinionated on this topic. It went on:

A column on the Politico written by journalist Mike Allen prompted the debate. "I'm part of a minority school of thought among journalists that we owe it to the people we cover, and to our readers, to remain agnostic about elections, even in private," he wrote. "I figure if the news media serves as an imperfect umpire, neither team wants us taking a few swings."

Republican strategist Christine O'Donnell differed wildly in her interpretation of the journalist's civic role. "Remember the first free elections in Afghanistan? The Taliban actually threatened death. They said that any woman who voted would have their fingers chopped off," she said. "Yet you saw news reports of women lined up around the polling places -- even if it meant that the terrorists were going to later chop off their fingers -- because they know what it means to vote in a free election."

"And then to hear journalists say, 'I cannot be objective if I vote,' then you should not be a journalist," she added.

FOX News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. was almost as adamant as O'Donnell. "I think it's ridiculous," he exclaimed. "In fact it bothers me because it goes with the moral superiority that so-called journalists have, that their duty -- which is not codified, not written in any law, or not understood by most people -- is a higher responsibility than exercising the vote."

"I’m disturbed by it," he continued. "I think they should get real and act like real Americans."

I was stunned. While the last line from the FOX host was their typical brand of cookie-cutter bravado, I agreed with his main point.

Impartial Journalists? Please.

No one, no one, is truly impartial. Everyone has opinions. Unless, of course, you know nothing about the topic at hand, then, and only then, you can be impartial, truly an objective observer. If you completely avoid learning about something, avoid any analysis of what you hear or see, and simply write what is told to you and print it as such, then, I guess, that would be impartial, it would be objective. But it wouldn't be Journalism.

That's called Stenography.

I get so bent about this because it isn't a new concept to understand. Take my favorite source for Journalism: Hunter S. Thompson. His take?

So much for Objective Journalism. Don't bother to look for it here — not under any byline of mine; or anyone else I can think of. With the possible exception of things like box scores, race results, and stock market tabulations, there is no such thing as Objective Journalism. The phrase itself is a pompous contradiction in terms.

And Hunter from an interview here

MH: How will history remember Bill Clinton?

HST: I don't know about history. I don't get any satisfaction out of the old traditional journalist's view -- "I just covered the story. I just gave it a balanced view." Objective journalism is one of the main reasons American politics has been allowed to be so corrupt for so long. You can't be objective about Nixon. How can you be objective about Clinton?

MH: Objective journalism is why politics have been corrupt for so long?

HST: If you consider the great journalists in history, you don't see too many objective journalists on that list. H. L. Mencken was not objective. Mike Royko, who just died. I. F. Stone was not objective. Mark Twain was not objective. I don't quite understand this worship of objectivity in journalism. Now, just flat-out lying is different from being subjective.

Hunter's last line really makes the sticking point on the whole topic.

We become frustrated with the coverage we see on organizations like FOX, because they have have opinions, don't pretend to be objective, and then go and use that as an excuse to flat out lie and make shit up.

Their justification is that they claim they are balancing out the impact of the "Liberal Media". (Why lies balance out uncomfortable facts, I still don't know)

The Mainstream Media in turn, has tried to counter this perception of Liberal Bias with the inclusion of a counterpoint of every argument in every story. We have seen this grow more and more ludicrous for years, where we now have a voluntary "Fairness Doctrine" self-imposed by the leading "journalists" where no fact or opinion can get reported without an opposing view treated equally. (shout out to Joe Klein!)

I remain shocked that we haven't gotten to the point of reporting stories about child-rapists, where we cut over to someone who says "Well, you know, we have our next guest who thinks that child-rape isn't so bad..."

But I digress...

Peter Johnson Jr. was right. Journalists should vote, they should have opinions, and be honest about them. But he and I split there. It isn't about being patriotic, or being a "Real American".

If your job is to report the facts, you have to have learn about the facts. You have to research. You have to understand what is true and what is not, and you need to report that. Journalists need to know themselves as well, and be open about their bias. Honest, open bias can be understood by the reader, and doesn't invalidate the writing, when is is coupled with honest, verifiable facts.

Those facts are what we need, not fake balance, and not propaganda either.

At least that is MY opinion. Honestly.

Double QOTD:

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:23:46 GMT

A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned how to walk forward.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.
John Kenneth Galbraith

Daily Kos: State of the Nation

The Constitution and God's Word II

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 02:52:58 GMT

I don't normally like his writings, but Alan Dershowitz really hit one out of the park earlier today. Huckabee had been working overtime to make an ass out of himself (not that that is hard work). He has certianly been placing himself at the forefront of the "Christian America" bandwagon, and here comes Mr. Dershowitz to let some more air out of his tires, this time, with the Ten Commandments.

He writes:

The Ten Commandments have been amended on numerous occasions, especially by Hukabee's personal savior, Jesus. Let's start with the Commandment that mandates a day of rest. It specifically mandates the Seventh Day, namely Saturday, as "a Sabbath unto the Lord." And it gives a specific reason for picking Saturday: "For in Six Days the Lord made Heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."

Along came Christianity and amended that Commandment, changing the day of rest from the seventh day to the first day -- Sunday. The reason for sanctifying Sunday was also changed.

Jesus also amended the prohibition against adultery. When God told the Jewish people not to commit adultery, He was very clear about its definition. It prohibited sex with or by a married woman. Married men, however, were totally free to have sex with as many single women as they chose. Jesus improved on that and made the adultery prohibition gender neutral.

And what about the Commandment that says: "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation on them that hate me." When's the last time a minister quoted that commandment? As Thomas Jefferson pointed out, it is the most un-American of all commandments since we believe in personal guilt and not guilt being passed from generation to generation. Indeed our constitution specifically prohibits Bills of attainder which are based on the Ten Commandments.

Finally, the Ten Commandments mentions slavery twice, requiring that slaves be given a day of rest and prohibiting the coveting of a neighbor's slave. You don't see those commandments ever quoted in full in the bumper sticker version that adorns churches and synagogues and that the Hukabees of the world want to see in our schools and courtrooms.

Yes!, once again, the Bible shows itself to be a document much older than our current sensibilities might prefer. In mentioning Thomas Jefferson, Dershowitz brings up another reinforcement that most ovberlook against the "Christian America" meme. Jefferson, in addition to being one of the core Founders, and a Deist, he edited out his own version of the bible, "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth"

(the text of Jefferson's Bible can be found here)

Now in a funny way, that actually brings him closer in a way to the actions of Huckabee and other Christian revisionists, but instead of using his beliefs as a lever and forcing them on others, he only shared his ideas with his closer friends. He did not allow this to be published in his lifetime.

Moreover, he sought the core philosophy of Jesus as a teacher, but chose not to take the divinity. I think that good ideas come from many sources, and don't need to be enforced from divinity, and I imagine that Jefferson thought along similar lines. He also kept other religion's texts, including the Koran used to swear in Rep. Keith Ellison.

Again, it isn't too hard to take these examples and knock down many of the BS arguments that we are Christian only - Christian first, and that it is embodied in our laws.

Our Laws run counter to "God's Laws" in far too many places. And for good reason. In 1776 great men understood that some ideas were past their prime (Theocracy and Monarchy), and throughout our history, as further ideas have aged as well, (Slavery, Women's Suppression) we have gone against "God's Laws". Perhaps Folks of Huckabee's ilk just need to be reminded a few more times of this.

Like every day.

crossposted at Daily Kos

The Constitution and God's Word

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:26:46 GMT

"I believe it's a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God,"

Goody.

It has taken me a bit to react to this particular comment from one of the many lunatics that we call Republican candidates (Huckabee in this case), but then I realized that this is a bit of an old call to arms. We have heard it before. And we have a response.

It was several years ago that Dr. Laura decided to go on a romp against homosexuals, all the while claiming that it was just following God's law. As some of you may remember, a response letter hit the Internet that took her to task, Here it is:

Dear Dr. Laura,

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind him that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some of the specific laws and how to best follow them.

a) When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odour for the Lord (Lev. 1:9). The problem is my neighbours. They claim the odour is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

b) I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

c) I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness (Lev. 15:19-24). The problem is, how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offence.

d) Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighbouring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

e) I have a neighbour who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obliged to kill him myself?

f) A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Lev. 11:10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality? I don't agree. Can you settle this?

g) Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here?

h) Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die?

i) I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

j) My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread. (cotton / polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Lev.24:10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Your devoted disciple and adoring fan

So why post this now? Because it has some great action items. If Huckabee and his followers want to implement a Christo-Sharia law in the United states, we should ask which laws they mean.

I have many friends who listen to the idea of "A Christian Nation" and think that you couldn't have a better plan. Well, the above give a few examples of why the actual founders of this nation wanted that pesky separation of church and state.

Religious books have some great parables of philosophy, but the laws went stale sometime before the fucking Renaissance. So Many Christian's are hot and bothered to make God's Word the law, just so long as they get to choose which of God's words to include, and which to exclude.

So take this action item for your own Project Mayhem. When your friends tell you that this is a Christian Nation, or that God's Law is full of kindness and light, grab a few examples from above. ask them with a straight face, and demand an answer.

Some folks may actually think. The rest will just get pissed off, but that's OK too. Because at least they should quiet down for a bit.

crossposted at Daily Kos

Rule 8: If this is your first night at the Democratic Primary, you have to fight.

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:27:59 GMT

One of the most interesting things about being left of center (politically speaking) is how "weak" those on the left are perceived to be, and how centrism and fair play add to that perception. Democrats get bullied on congress, get whipped with negative ads and are seen as whining about it later, and generally give off this air of not being strong.

Talking with a good friend of mine lately, he had no choice but to comment on how my choice of voting Democratic was going to result in a weak military and hurt America was a given. When I told him that my Grandfather, Mother, and Stepfather, all Veterans, vote Democratic as well, he was unswayed. naturally, he has never served in the military, but knows better than those who have.

Republicans bragging about voter suppression and caging is excused, because it makes up for Democratic phantom stolen votes that can't be proven, or even had examples shown in court. Cutting Veteran's benefits is OK because that money pays for the contractors to fight alongside our soldiers, without accountability or oversight. (cause that's what it takes!) Any action by those on the political right today can be excused, because it prevents some imagined action that would have been much worse from the left.

The facts are that if you look at almost all ranges of statistics, things are better under recent Democratic control, vs Republican control. I'm not talking about historical Republican activity, The example of Lincoln freeing the slaves has as much relation to Bush and Cheney and my cat does to that Tiger that tried to eat those irritating kids in that zoo recently. Nixon, Ford, Regan, Bush and Bush have used this country as their personal bidet, and left the rest of us to clean it out.

Part of the reason why I feel that has happened has been that the perception of Democrats has had some truth to it. We haven't been willing to do whatever it takes to win. Period.

And listening to liberal blogs whine recently about how nasty the Democratic candidates have been to each other is ludicrous. Some of Hillary's folks have made off color remarks bordering on racist. Obama's folks have made sly sexist remarks. Edwards is happy, clean, and coming in last.

Do I like seeing these folks lay dirty to each other? No, not really. I would be very happy to live in a world where that doesn't happen. But this isn't that world.

These candidates are doing whatever it takes to get nominated. I like that. I might not like the intermediate steps of what they say to get to that point. But I know that any of these folks will do the right thing in office, certainly a fair sight better that any of the Republicans in their goose-stepping polka to become the nominee.

Politics is blood sport. and Democrats lose because they want to be clean and not draw blood. Republicans aren't afraid to spill blood for their desires (just ask our soldiers in Iraq, who are doing the actual spilling.)

I'm glad to see our candidates beating on each other right now. It's like Democratic Fight Club. By November, I expect to see those bruises and scars healed. The self-inflicted bleeding knuckles will have calloused over, and hurt the next guy just that much more. And though they (and we regular Democrats ass well) have been beating each other silly in the basement, we are all friends after the fight, and exit to the street that much closer as a group.

So I'm going to wince at some of the internal nastiness on our side, but it just doesn't bother me much, as I see this as the warm up. The punches we take now will be nothing compared to what gets thrown in November, and if we want to win, we can't be afraid to strike back with the same passion.

More and Better Democrats effect for Hillary?

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:40:37 GMT

What a surprise to see Hillary leap ahead last night an pull off a big win! I would never have seen that coming, and even posted my feelings of her impending doom. But what shocked me the most was to hear from the pundits about the change in her actions that they thought helped swing things her way.

My personal beef with Hillary has come from two things, she had that nasty "inevitable" vibe and attitude going, and she seemed unwilling to do more than the big canned speeches. Apparently, both of those changed yesterday.

On MSNBC, Chris Matthews was commenting on the swing about the sympathy effect for Hillary, which I was surprised to hear actually make a difference, but then I'm cynical and callous.

What shocked me was to hear how after her "leakdown", she started taking more ordinary questions, and began opening up to voters in general. For me, that was a shock, and a pleasant one to hear at that.

My problem with Hillary's campaign was my problem with Gore's and Kerry's, they never opened up on the campaign trail, and we (as ordinary folk) only got to see their warm and caring personalities once they were off script and at home. And how many times have you heard someone say how if they had only shown that side of themselves on the trail, they would have won? (by a large enough margin to beat the cheat)

For me, Hillary was running down that same path and I was having none of it. So to see her change and open up *now* makes a huge difference in my mind.

In 2006 we heard the mantra of "More and Better Democrats", and one of the impacts of that big push was to challenge bad democratic congresspersons in the primaries, to either replace them or change their behavior. And we saw both happen.

Maybe the Iowa shock had the Better Democrat effect on Hillary, and she will stay off script.

Then she'd win my vote, instead of getting it by default.

Tears of the Doomed

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:10:27 GMT

I have been working so hard today to try and conjure up some sympathy over hearing about Hillary's sudden onset of emotion and the aftermath of shock that has struck the media hereafter. But it just doesn't seem to be coming. I might feel callous about my lack of empathy over someone who appears to have had a genuine moment of reflection under the hot spotlight of the campaign trail, and temper my critical eye with the understanding that anyone can have a moment of emotion under this level of scrutiny and pressure, but no.

I simply am not buying into either side of this circus.

The two choices of "she's finally showing us her emotional and caring side" and "she's too weak to be president" both choose, willfully or not, to ignore what we know of our own human nature, and what we already know of Hillary from years of proximity and scrutiny.

I cry sometimes. When my close friend, Charles Lasseter, died from cancer, when I see truly tragic circumstances in the ruined lives of innocent people, even some movies pull tears from my eyes (when the wife isn't looking). Events that strike at the core human values of justice and fairness do this for everyone with a warm beating heart (this offer may not apply to all Republicans, please check your conscience for details and exclusions). But I saw no event of that emotional nature in Hillary's world today. Not in that interview, and not in her words of explanation.

She was claiming that the injustice in the process was too much. That the callousness of those in the running with her was unfair to the forgotten electorate, and that this has wide impacting effects on us and our children. And that that made her spill with emotion. And perhaps some portion of that response is truly genuine. But if so, then it makes me feel only more sad for her strange, detached state of being.

Throughout this whole, fast news cycle of Hillary's emotional exposure, the shocking thing has not been what she broke down about, but that she was capable of breaking down at all. She has kept herself on such a tight leash and so thoroughly scripted, that we began to buy into the whole Robo-Hilary meme, to the extent that any display of emotion in itself was shocking.

But look for a moment at what she said, and how she broke down. She was not feeling sympathy for some lost family or unfair turn of events for the average voter. It was a tragedy in the process. others did not take the running as seriously as she did, did not have the same reverence for the electoral game as she did. and while she gave good lip towards the end result of this process, and its eventual effect of the actual voters, her general remorse at the happenings speaks to me of the true source of her discontent.

She bought into her own inevitability, and can't handle the reality of Iowa well.

Maybe anything could have set her off at this point, but it wasn't a reaction of sympathy towards those that she hopes to govern that I saw, but self pity and doubt swelling to the surface. The first time that she perhaps had seen the chances of her nomination dropping, being pushed into third out of the gate, must have been devastating. Most any other candidate would have kept this in the back of their head, but I would gather that Hillary did not.

Perhaps she will use this event to take a second look at her actions towards her governed, and towards the soldiers and the families that her truly callous and calculating votes about the war have wrought, or perhaps this will just blow over in a day or so. But it is a glimpse inward into this candidate, and not all is well in the balance of her soul.

She is still far far better than any of the foul Republican challengers, who couldn't scrape their soul for a tenth of the emotion, self-serving or not, that Hillary showed. but Hillary should take this to re-evaluate herself a bit.

I certainly am doing just that.

[crossposted to dailykos]

Can You Imagine?

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:35:33 GMT

What else can I add?

From Daily Kos:

Can you imagine being gang-raped and then imprisoned by your employer?

Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone, the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.
"Don't plan on working back in Iraq. There won't be a position here, and there won't be a position in Houston," Jones says she was told.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court against Halliburton and its then-subsidiary KBR, Jones says she was held in the shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave.

Can you imagine being the father who got this phone call?

Finally, Jones says, she convinced a sympathetic guard to loan her a cell phone so she could call her father in Texas.
"I said, 'Dad, I've been raped. I don't know what to do. I'm in this container, and I'm not able to leave,'" she said. Her father called their congressman, Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas.

But as wrenching and outrageous as the individual human story is, the grotesque immorality of the system it reveals is harder still to wrap your mind around.

Daily Kos: KBR Rape: Can You Imagine?

The Rude Pundit on Mitt Romney

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:22:06 GMT

So I don't like any of the Republican Candidates, but Mitt is probably my second least favorite. His speech today that was supposed to ape JFK's speech from so long ago was a total wash for anyone who isn't an insane evangelical. But as always, The Rude Pundit, nails it:

From The Rude Pundit Blog:

Romney also cites a bit of writing by John Adams often used by right wingers hoping to shove religion up all our asses. In his letter to a brigade of the Massachusetts militia, yes, Adams did write, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
But in the rest of that letter, Adams says, "[S]hould the people of America once become capable of that deep simulation towards one another, and towards foreign nations, which assumes the language of justice and moderation while it is practising iniquity and extravagance, and displays in the most captivating manner the charming pictures of candor, frankness, and sincerity, while it is rioting in rapine and insolence, this country will be the most miserable habitation in the world; because we have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net."
Adams warned us not to be fucking hypocrites. He was talking about religion in its truest sense. Not as a way of saying that one is superior because one has religion, but in the sense that religion ought to be humbling, not a reason to preen like goddamn nit-filled peacock before the salivating hyenas of the media and the Republican base.

The Rude Pundit

The Flying Car....

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:37:48 GMT

So I really like my Chrysler Pacifica, and I plan to keep and drive it for some time. But when I finally get myself a new car of some sort, I want an alternative fuel car. Hybrid, Electric, Diesel, something like that. And what's cool is that there are a lot of new ones coming. In several years, I can see having plenty of choices.

This article on Kos was pretty cool.

Daily Kos: The Surging American Auto Industry

From Daily Kos:

But there is another American auto industry, one that's full of innovation, rapid evolution, big risks, and possibly bigger gains. Like the alternative music industry, these guys have neither the press or the dollars of the big boys, but if you think it's all a bunch of basement tinkerers and backyard dreamers, you need to take another look. Within the next five years, you may well find yourself buying an American car, from a company that's headquartered a long way from Detroit.

I am a bad person.

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:46:02 GMT

I can't get the "Spider-man, Spider-man" song out of my head now.

Poor kid. From the UK:

Lakshmi Tatma was born joined to a 'parasitic twin' and will go under the knife at the hands of 30 surgeons to remove two of her useless arms and legs.
Scroll down for more...

Torment: Lakshmi can not walk or crawl and is unlikely to survive her teens without surgery
The headless 'twin' is joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis and has its own spinal column and kidney.

Toddler with eight limbs branded 'reincarnation of Hindu god' to undergo life-saving operation| News | This is London

No Al for you!

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:25:20 GMT

So no, I don't think Al Gore is going to run, although I like him a lot and would vote for him. I just think he has moved on and likes what he does. And it's not like the Democrats are clamoring for some good candidate, they have a lot of good ones, especially compared to the feces-throwing retards that the Repubs are trying to foist on the populace.

But as always the Rude Pundit writes an excellent article on this. and it's not even very rude this time, just good.

Excerpt:

The great failure of the United States to lead on this issue, to be the place where we create solutions that benefit the globe, keep economies humming, and raise humanity up in a way that might, truly, do more for peace than all the pre-emptive wars ever, rests squarely on the shoulders of George W. Bush and his administration.
It's the difference between a man who traveled and studied the world by choice in his life and a man who has to be dragged to different countries like a particularly incontinent dog is dragged out to the sidewalk on a snowy day.
Gore's not gonna run. Give that up. To go from speaking out about melting icecaps to being asked what he thinks about, say, a flag-burning amendment would be a degradation of what he's worked for the last six years.

Go read the whole thing: The Rude Pundit

That was irritating...

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:57:41 GMT

So I don't know what possesses someone to post comments on someone else's blog that are just political ads pointing at their own blog (supporting Ron Paul no less) but that's just rude.

The judicious use of the delete key was warranted in this case.

Not Every Story has Two sides

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 15:56:04 GMT

Holy crap. Now I'm a pretty firm believer that you need to hear people out, but some shit is just wrong. Like killing dogs for sport.

From WWTDD:

Yesterday on "The View", Whoopi Goldberg defended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty two weeks ago for his role in the fighting and execution of eight dogs. Rueters says:
"He's from the South, from the Deep South ... This is part of his cultural upbringing,"
"For a lot of people, dogs are sport," Goldberg said on the show. "Instead of just saying (Vick) is a beast and he's a monster, this is a kid who comes from a culture where this is not questioned."

Whoopi really might wanna rethink her "well they've done it in the deep south for years so it's cool" position. Uhh, they used to hang black people in the deep south too. What are your feelings on that, Whoopi? Is that cool too? Jesus, is there anything left on earth where everyone will say, wow, yeah, that's wrong. Does everyone have to argue everything. Or is life just some Japanese game show where we're all standing on logs over a river and smacking each with big foam bats all the dame time. This guy's an animal. Fuck him.

WHOOPI DEFENDS MIKE VICK - What Would Tyler Durden Do

Primary Delegates Gone Wild!

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:25:39 GMT

Ok, This is just funny. I think the parties trying to keep the Iowa and New Hampshire first is crap. This makes it even funnier.

RNC Planning Sanctions Against Five Primary States
The Republican National Committee is planning to strip at least half the delegates from five states — Florida, Michigan, Wyoming, South Carolina and New Hampshire — because of those states moving their primary dates ahead of the GOP's officially sanctioned calendar. A lingering question, however, is whether this is actually consistent with Republican doctrines. After all, they don't think sanctions work — the answer should be to invade and occupy the offending states.

Yet Another Great Cheney Article

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 23:25:10 GMT

Gotta love this week. A real page turner for folks who love their Dick.

Not too long ago, Mister Bush made a scary fool of himself in front of some of his friends by thumping his chest three times and saying, "I am the President." From a Psych 101 point of view, that apparently wild-eyed scene is more understandable now.
Because if George W. Bush is certain of one thing, it's that he's not the President. Not the Decider. Not the Commander Guy. When it comes to important matters on every subject of importance, Mister Bush is not the hand, he's the sock.

Go read the whole thing:

Source: Daily Kos: Cactus Jack Was Short on Vision

The Rude Pundit QOTD:

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 16:18:26 GMT

Quote:

Photos That Make the Rude Pundit Want to Snort Coke Off a Dead Man's Balls:

Why is it that we constantly have to be shown that Bush reads? Besides, just 'cause he's lookin' at words doesn 't mean that he's reading. If a baboon were holding this report, we wouldn't assume the baboon is giving it serious consideration. The baboon probably would do the same thing Bush did with it: put it in his mouth and then scratch his ass with it.

Source: The Rude Pundit

Political Wire: Bonus Quote of the Day

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 23:03:28 GMT

"I’ve learned one thing in listening to all the debates and reading about all these people running for office, and the one fact I’ve learned, I can’t get out of my mind, is that Rudy Giuliani has been married more times than Mitt Romney’s been hunting."

-- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), quoted by the New York Times.

Source: Political Wire: Bonus Quote of the Day

Daily Kos: Terrorism's biggest allies

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 18:01:13 GMT

Another smashing post today. God I love this site.

Quote:

Remember, the whole point of terrorism is to sow terror. Every time a conservative or the Bush Adminsitration freaks out at a potential act of terrorism, the terrorist win. They don't actually have to set off the bomb, they just need to scare people. So every freak out is a victory for the enemy. Fox News? One of the terrorists' biggest allies. The Bush Administration? The terrorists couldn't have done it without them. And those "manly men" conservatives that are perpetually wetting themselves in fear?
Well, when even the most hapless, incompetent, laughably unworkable plots get them riled up in a tizzy, you don't even need competent terrorists to be effective.
Conservatives are truly the terrorists' greatest allies.

Source: Daily Kos: Terrorism's biggest allies

Daily Kos: JFK terror plot

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:37:16 GMT

A good week over at the 'kos. This posting on the terror plot is dead on. Not long, but dead on.

Quote:

Poor wingnuts. The aborted (and laughably unrealistic) effort to attack JFK is a stark reminder that every line they've fed us about this war on terror is horse crap.

The attackers had no ties to Iraq. Nor the Middle East. Nor Al Qaida.
It was homegrown terrorism. (Of course, the perpetrators were brown, so this merits a lot more hand-wringing than white domestic terrorists, especially the ones bombing abortion clinics.)
No illegal wiretaps or torture were necessary to crack the case.
It was thwarted by good ol' police work -- an informant inside the cell, working with a joint FBI/NYPD task force.
Whatever happened to "fighting them over there, so we don't have to fight them over here"?
War in Iraq and elsewhere isn't ending terrorism. In fact, it's fueling it.

Now the usual suspects praying for more terrorist attacks to justify their apocalyptic world view seem to be pouncing on this case as some sort of validation. In reality, everything about this plot rejects their views on handling terrorism.
And this isn't an isolated case -- the morons who were going to take down the Brooklyn Bridge with a blowtorch and the "Fort Dix Six" were taken down by traditional law enforcement activities. While terrorism is bound to be a low-grade threat to our nation for pretty much ever, this is all proof that bombing them over there isn't doing anything to stop that that threat over here and that law enforcement can handle the task without surrendering our Constitutional liberties to authoritarian fear-mongers.

Source: Daily Kos: JFK terror plot

I would only add to this that no one ever remembers Oklahoma City when they talk terrorism. I mean, those guys were White, so, ya know that makes it, like, ok and stuff, right? How about the Anthrax attacks? Lead suspect is another White nutcase.

But remember, racial profiling saves lives, and shit.

UPDATE: From the comments on the KOS post: Keith Olbermann updates his disturbing timeline of how the Bush Administration has strategically used terrorism and fear to counter bad publicity, starting in 2002 all the way up to the most recent terrorist plot to blow up JFK airport. Here

Don't drop the soap, Beatch!

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:26:44 GMT

Finally one of these fucking criminals gets his just desserts. Let's hope it's not the last.

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby will go to prison for 30 months and will pay a $250,000 fine, in line with Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's suggestion. He will also face two years' probation. It's not clear yet whether Libby will skirt imprisonment during the appeals process.

Source: TPMmuckraker June 5, 2007 12:00 PM

Why Georgie Can't Lead

Wed, 30 May 2007 15:40:13 GMT

I have wanted to write a big post on why George, and Republicans in general, are incapable of governing when in power but just haven't found the words. It is so moch more than the typical "we are good, they are bad" schtick you hear from the radio. But Kos had a really bang-on post about it the other day. The full thing is worth a read. Money Quote:

This is it -- the reason Republicans can never govern. You have an entire party based on an ideology that says government isn't a solution.
So if you take over, and you actually govern well, you have shown that government can be a solution. In short, you have completely discredited the ideology upon which your party is based.
In this piece (the Goldberg piece in the New Yorker I referenced in my previous post), Newt is portrayed as a fiery insurgent who failed in the majority because of the challenges of governing. The sense I get is that Newt learned a lesson from his failed speakership, as opposed to DeLay, who never learned his lesson.
Republican orthodoxy is a great way to get elected when in the minority. There's always plenty of government waste, inefficiency, and corruption to campaign against, to paint government as a drain on the taxpayer's wallet. The problem is, governing like a Republican just exacerbates those problems. If Republicans don't care about government, they have even less incentive to make sure that the money is well spent and that government programs work. So they become even more inefficient, more wasteful, and more corrupt. Heck, it's almost a moral imperative that they screw up. The past two decades have borne that out. (And what better examples than appointing a horse lawyer to run FEMA, or Bush's incompetent and unqualified appointments to head the World Bank?)

Source: Daily Kos: Republican Implosion: Newt's assault on his party

Cognitive Dissonance: News and politics

We've got guns too...

Best Daily Kos posting ever

Ron Suskind: The Forged Iraqi Letter: What Just Happened?

With your remaining eye, do not look *back* into the laser beam...

Good Article - When Common Sense Is Unconstitutional

No, Really. You've Got Mail...

Revealing Obama Email!

Note to Creationists/Intelligent Design Morons

Father's Day McCain Golf Pack

Heh

I love this bridge

Lies are News, Truth is Obsolete

Calling Sgt. Retard....

Cartoon - President McCain

Hello, Ralph Nader, We Are Anonymous

Colbert turns NY Times' McCain story into a dirty limerick

McCain: Wily Fox, or Wile E. Coyote?

Obama has experience too? really?

Aw Crap. I just agreed with FOX News on Objective Journalism

Double QOTD:

The Constitution and God's Word II

The Constitution and God's Word

Rule 8: If this is your first night at the Democratic Primary, you have to fight.

More and Better Democrats effect for Hillary?

Tears of the Doomed

Can You Imagine?

The Rude Pundit on Mitt Romney

The Flying Car....

I am a bad person.

No Al for you!

That was irritating...

Not Every Story has Two sides

Primary Delegates Gone Wild!

Yet Another Great Cheney Article

The Rude Pundit QOTD:

Political Wire: Bonus Quote of the Day

Daily Kos: Terrorism's biggest allies

Daily Kos: JFK terror plot

Don't drop the soap, Beatch!

Why Georgie Can't Lead

With your remaining eye, do not look back into the laser beam...