Saturday, August 26, 2006
RepublaJoe Lives!
Tried to leave this at ConnecticutBLOG, but my browser crashed on HaloScan.0 comments
Anyway, I cross-post it here. I'll try to re-cross-post it there when I can get through.
G.N.
===============================================================
STOP!
It's important for all of us to stop asking philosophical questions about what Joe Lieberman's future decisions might be!!!
FOCUS!
Accept it.
The prom king broke up with us.
Joe is now the Republican Party candidate for Senate in CT.
Period.
We no longer have time to fret about what Joe may or may not do in the future. Joe doesn't even know all he's capable of, for pete's sake. Face facts. Karl Rove doesn't need to send us a press release.
AS OF NOW, we go after Joe AS THE REPUBLICAN! With everything that implies. Fine, Joe wants to court R's, then he's going to get everything the other R's will be getting.
We are now going after the Republican incumbent for the Senate seat from CT.
Forget Iraq. That's old news. Been done. Even now, Joe's using it as a shield. You now use every other vote he's taken or speech or appearance he's made against him.
We have the best of all worlds here. While Joe's votes have been too conservative for us, they've been TOO LIBERAL for R's!!
Democrats and Independents will, most likely veer towards Ned Lamont.
Since he will draw his strength from Republican turnout, our goal is to make Joe anathema to Republicans.
Cease ALL talk of Joe and Democratic themes.
"Joe: Not good for Republicans?" is our new focus.
"Why aren't Republcans turning out for Joe?"
"Just how bad will Joe be for the Republican Party?"
It fits, whether you speak of either during the race itself, or if he wins, as a R Senator.
"Will the R's get stomped in Nov. in this anti-R environment by Joe's drawing out a rabid Dem crowd?"
"The coming anti-Joe tidal wave"
What if he were to win?
"Can R's stomach Joe's LIBERAL positions from over the years?"
"Is Joe TOO moderate for R's?"
"If Joe flushed the Dems down the toilet for his own ego, WHEN will he do the same to R's?"
Joe fought with D leaders, can he be counted on to support R leaders when it really matters to them? Or will he simply be a pain in the ass to R's as well?
Simply Joe-for-Joe's-sake -- as a R, as well as a D.
As a Republican, Joe officially becomes TOO LIBERAL!!!
Joe is WAY TO THE LEFT OF moderate R's Lincoln Chafee and Arlen Spector, who've had to fight off strong challenges from good ol' American, god-fearing conservative R's.
Get that lunatic fringe into the lather they so love being in!
Plus, Joe can't be trusted by good, conservative R's. This is just too iffy a bet, Joe's too much a loose cannon for conservatives to embrace him fully without the slime getting all over their own suits.
Remember, conservatives don't want Joe, George Bush wants Joe. But, then, Bush wants AMNESTY for illegal aliens!
Forget Iraq.
"Do you support AMNESTY for illegal aliens, Senator?"
Watch the R's take out the long knives.
Wrap EVERY SINGLE smelly piece of R fishwrap 'round and 'round the Joementum until he's fighting for air.
He's no longer Joementum, even.
He's now:
"RepublaJoe, The GOP Foe!"
If the DoD job rumors are true, can Bush afford a SoD who just botched his own campaign up so badly to take over the mess at Defense? Will Joe become an EVEN BIGGER Democratic pinata as SoD than Rumsfeld has been? Does Bush need all that much more bad press?
Ladies and gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!
You know what to do.
posted by Gotham 3:07 PM
Vox Populi
"So, Senator Allen, do you feel that your brand of lifelong racism hurts or helps you in your campaign for re-election in Virginia?"0 comments
posted by Gotham 1:27 PM
All Politics Is Inadvertent
Evolution Major Vanishes From Approved Federal List0 comments
Evolutionary biology has vanished from the list of acceptable fields of study for recipients of a federal education grant for low-income college students.
The omission is inadvertent, said Katherine McLane, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education, which administers the grants. “There is no explanation for it being left off the list,” Ms. McLane said. “It has always been an eligible major.”
Another spokeswoman, Samara Yudof, said evolutionary biology would be restored to the list, but as of last night it was still missing.
"Oops, oh my, however did THAT happen?" she said, clutching her pearls. (It's so nice that Republican women actually do have pearls to clutch. It makes their jobs so much easier.)
That's easy, ladies, you were hired to do it; you were encouraged to do it; you did it. Then you got caught.
And, according to page 726 of Karl Rove's Official Republican Bible & Handbook, the proper response upon being caught is to say:
"Oops, oh my, however did THAT happen?" Then look VERY concerned, clutch pearls and say to any reporter in earshot, IT WILL BE FIXED. Then, of course, be certain to not fix it.
Inadvertent, my ass.
This was by design, and has been since the Bushies came marauding into town.
Remember all the brouhaha in 2001 and early 2002 when Bush was pushing out all the obscure, unknown experts with seniority in every Department and Agency in Washington? The great bureaucratic purge that went on? Replacing department lifers with young, wild-eyed true believers? Apparatchiks, five to ten levels down into the very works of every agency, instead of the usual one to three levels of patronage jobs each administration installs when hitting town.
Here it is in action. This is being done to you on a daily basis. Across the board. Throughout the federal government.
We're going to be turning over rocks like this for the next ten to twenty years, finding all the various ways this insane administration has ruined day-to-day American life. It will take decades to repair the damage, and ferret out all the incompetent radicals they've installed.
The crap that's on the news is just the easily seen stuff. This is the hidden stuff that really effects your life.
Until it's entirely uprooted.
posted by Gotham 11:23 AM
Friday, August 25, 2006
Wow...
Wow...1 comments
When Republicans go off the reservation, they just kinda start running with scissors, don't they?
Wow...
GOP candidate says 9/11 attacks were a hoax
GOP congressional candidate Mary Maxwell kinda leaves me in the dust on the political spectrum.
She's further left than any "wild-eyed liberal" that Nancy Pelosi has in her camp these days.
I kinda like that in a Republican.
posted by Gotham 6:46 PM
It Must Be Hell...
...On the president's overburdened staff, whenever George Bush changes locales for his next six-month vacation.0 comments
Just think of how hard it is to always be dragging around all that "brush" Bush likes to use in his photo ops. Just to show us all that he's "working hard," clearing brush.
Of course, clearing rocks in Maine would give a unique insight to the future of this whole administration. Unless Bush hands out full pardons as lovely parting gifts to everyone in 2009.
posted by Gotham 6:26 PM
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Clear Kentucky Cesspool
Yes. We saw this one coming, boys and girls.0 comments
This proves the axiom once again, that, in true George Romero fashion, you can only fend off your basic Republican politician ghoul with a bullet through the brain. Nothing else will stop them until they eat your very soul.
Charges Against Kentucky Governor Dismissed
There was not enought infomation to express this in my earlier post, but now we see ethics violations should at least be investigated against this judge. This smells to high heaven, and has tiny "crooked judge" fingerprints all over it.
"With prejudice," my ass.
And the DA, Dumbo, Stumbo, whatever his name is, who now sees himself as a Democratic standardbearer for governor, is the last type of weak, deficient low-life character the Dems need as they look to position themselves as the anti-corruption party.
The fact that he casually went along with this charade of "justice" says all you need about his lack of ethics and fitness for his current job, let alone his unfitness for higher office.
posted by Gotham 6:37 PM
Downturn In Upstate
AP: Upstate GOP congressmen face fresh attacks on Iraq0 comments
Whatever for?
Just because this is a Republican plan? Republican-devised, -drooled-over, -marketed, -led, -promoted and signed-off on?
Just because the GOP's hands are oozing blood from the just under 3,000 dead across the U.S. on 9/11, the just under 2,700 dead American service personnel in Iraq and the staggering amount of the Iraqi citizenry who've been liberated from this mortal coil?
[Republican Rep. Randy] Kuhl spokesman Robert Van Wicklin accused [Eric] Massa[, a retired Navy commander challenging Kuhl,] of trying to score political points from the war.
"The only person using Iraq as a political issue is this Massa guy," said Van Wicklin. "The fact is that according to Iraq's National Security Advisor, attacks in Iraq are down 45 percent since mid-July."
Political and sectarian violence in Iraq claimed 3,500 lives in July, making it the deadliest month since the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.
Hmmm...
Ummm...
"GOPer uber alles!?"
Ummm...
("Maybe Iraq's NSA isn't wiretapping all their citizens as we do here, so they're not up on what's happening?")
Ummm...
OK, just because the GOP hasn't a single clue as to how to clean up this horror show they've created?
Boy, rough crowd.
New To-Do list:
Time to call James Baker.
Call Diebold.
posted by Gotham 1:18 PM
GOP: The Next Generation
From New York's "Senate race," a peak into the Republcan Party's vaunted farm system, already developing strong talent for the future.0 comments
[Kathleen Troia "KT"] McFarland suspended campaign activities on Monday after the arrest of her 16-year-old daughter on shoplifting charges. McFarland had canceled some press events, including a televised interview.
Her 16-year-old daughter, [...], was charged with two counts of petty theft and possession of stolen goods.
So, there we have it.
It seems, perhaps, that GOPers may just be lonely, spoiled rich kids, crying for attention.
Going from fundraiser to fundraiser, thinking this may be the night I get a hug.
You think that's what's behind Karl Rove's whole NSA spying thing?
That it's just that lonely cry in the rain?
A sad desire to see how the simple folk live?
Could it be that Dick Cheney's just looking for some semblance of love and understanding? And in not getting it, he acts out by shooting the Constitution in the face? Or telling our great nation to "Go fuck yourself"?
Such sad, rich children. With so much weighty governmental responsibility.
But fear not, sad children.
The adults are on their way.
posted by Gotham 12:35 PM
Kickback Nation
Your modern GOP in action.0 comments
Ever notice how the GOP morphs further into a crime syndicate with every passing day?
Indicted Ky. Governor in Negotiations
Just how, exactly, do you negotiate governmental corruption crimes? Usually, that's called plea-bargining. Trading the circumstantially unprovable murder case for two assault-with-intent charges you can make stick. Or tax evasion.
In corruption, you either screwed the law over or you didn't. It's fairly clear-cut. Any quid-pro-quo is a crime. Period. From there, it's a matter of scale.
What does Kentucky's Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher have to offer?
"I'll take back these twelve illegal jobs, and you can still be upset with me for these other four. OK?"
Is that what we're dealing with, here?
A special grand jury has been investigating whether the Fletcher administration broke state law by giving protected state jobs to political supporters. It indicted Fletcher in May on misdemeanors alleging conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination.
The judge in the case, David E. Melcher, has since ruled that Fletcher cannot be prosecuted while in office. [Attorney General Greg] Stumbo said the judge encouraged settlement talks.
"It's highly, highly unlikely that the governor will ever stand trial," the attorney general said Thursday.
Fletcher, who has pleaded not guilty, had already issued a blanket pardon exonerating anyone else in his administration charged in the scandal, and Stumbo said a pardon was still an option for Fletcher, as well. [Emphasis added.]
Corruption cases tend to be "he said, and this guy says, too!" type of cases. So, now all the people around Fletcher are off the hook legally. They can't be touched. They can all say they killed the Lindbergh baby, or JonBenet Ramsey, and not get a scratch. They're free to ease their consciouses and maintain their seat for the Rapture (which was supposed to arrive two days ago, BTW, but didn't, so they still have time to repent!) by doing the right thing and testifying.
Drive a wedge between them and Fletcher and get one of these bright lights to talk.
Unless Karl Rove has the photos/voice mails on all of them. Which he probably does. This, after all, is what the NSA spying is for.
Here's the part that gets up my nose, however.
By settling the matter, Fletcher can seek re-election next year without the shadow of criminal charges looming over him.
Like a true GOPer.
It's not whether Republicans are crooks, or not. We've long ago settled that one. No, the only issue facing the nation now is simply the matter of the time it takes them to get away with it. Whether these cases become annoyingly long, or inconvenient for our happy GOPer—whatever the nuisance charge that those uninitiated drones in law enforcement come up with. (NOTE: Before any notes start coming in, Duke Cunningham was excessive, and none too bright, even by GOPer standards.)
Crime? What Crime? Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along. Just your corruption dollars at work.
posted by Gotham 11:57 AM
Movin' On Up...
Glad to see that David Brooks got a new assignment.0 comments
AP: New York Times Names Perfume Critic
posted by Gotham 11:05 AM
Cluck-Cluck; Cluck-Cluck
Can we get everyone in the New York sports world to just relax, here? Or, maybe, grow up?0 comments
I'm getting a little tired of people, who might usually be found letting fellow humans die in the street, wailing over having their sensibilities offended by mere words—especially if those words have emotion-of-the-moment behind them.
Oh, forfend!
New York sports writers, barely less emotionally overwrought than your anchors at Fox News Channel on a good day, have a new hero to clutch their pearls over in this new kid, Kevan Barlow, whom the New York Jets just obtained from the San Francisco 49ers in a whirlwind 48 hours of official team misstatements from both teams, promises made only to be broken, hurt feelings, redeye flights, three-hour physicals on no sleep and ambush phone call interviews from three thousand miles away as you're about to hit your pillow.
No one likes being called names, no, of course not. But in the heat of a moment, people say stupid things, and they usually apologize privately, deal with any fallout or hurt feelings and move on. It usually doesn't become tabloid headline material for the underentertained. In passing, Barlow called his ex-boss a dictator; a Hitler.
Gosh. Gee-whillikers.
Cheesy, yes.
But if this is such a crime, more than half the American workforce is gonna end up in the newspapers.
In a winning-obsessed town like New York and in a greed-centric world like the NFL, if this kid starts racking up impressive 1,000-yard seasons, he could start calling everyone George Bush, for crissakes, and no one would mind.
Of course, however, if he doesn't deliver the hoped-for excellence, he will be officially reclassified as evil and the Jets will let him fend for himself without a paycheck in the world George Bush created. Bye. Slam.
If the enemy of the moron is my friend, then I've just become a Kevan Barlow fan.
posted by Gotham 10:06 AM
Where Are The Adults?
From MarketWatch, via Raw Story:0 comments
Recession will be nasty and deep, economist says
Of course it will be. Everyone knows that: there's Republican control of the government. There's always a recession under Republican presidents. Shrub actually gets to have his second one (the joy of two terms).
But, at least, we can look forward to having a Democratic team in place by 2007 in time to deal with this, with people who actually know and understand economic policy.
The adults are on their way.
posted by Gotham 12:29 AM
Makes Sense to Me...
Israel might be guilty of war crimes, Amnesty says0 comments
As any good friend of George Bush's would be.
posted by Gotham 12:05 AM
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
New CT Doings
Yes, exciting news, even if I am being a bit lazy here, by linking to a page that links to two sites. Yikes! A One-fer-Two-fer-One shot. Very difficult to acheive. I think I'll sit down now.0 comments
Lamont pulls within two points in two polls
Monica Lieberman, formerly George Bush's intern, running on both the Liebermantarian Party AND the Republican Party lines, had a wide, early lead over the Democratic Party candidate, Ned Lamont, after the Democratic primary. The Liebermantarian/Republicans then grabbed every media moment not previously reserved for JonBenet Ramsey, while Lamont said, "See ya!" and went on vacation.
That OTHER guy, the Just-a-Republican Party-candidate-who-should-not-be-named-or-Ken Mehlman-will-have-him-killed comes in with 3% of the vote, pointing to the continued strong showing among the Bill Bennett gambling wing of the Republican Party against insurmountable odds (which, obviously, is why they're in the race in the first place: that thrilling long-shot they can't walk away from).
Tabbing Dick Cheney as campaign chair for the Leibermantarian effort, to beat down those terrorists in New London and Ansonia, however, has struck some as unwise, since the Leibermantarians' large lead has dwindled to two scrawny points, well within the margin for error. So, they may actually be tied, or Lamont may actually be ahead by a point.
posted by Gotham 6:33 PM
Your Tax Dollars in Action
From the further tales of our young CEO driving yet another large concern into the ground...0 comments
He loves to cuss, gets a jolly when a mountain biker wipes out trying to keep up with him, and now we're learning that the first frat boy loves flatulence jokes. A top insider let that slip when explaining why President Bush is paranoid around women, always worried about his behavior. But he's still a funny, earthy guy who, for example, can't get enough of fart jokes. He's also known to cut a few for laughs, especially when greeting new young aides, but forget about getting people to gas about that.
Hat tip to Daily Kos.
So this is the face of the Class War.
posted by Gotham 6:10 PM
Have Your "WIN" Button On?
George Bush has clearly reasserted over the last few days that the whole wide world couldn't pry his fingers off of Iraq with a silver spoon.0 comments
He states that the U.S. will be in Iraq while he is in office. Period. Until he leaves office.
So we're looking at:
Until he is impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate sometime in 2007; or until he steps down orderly when his term ends in January 2009; or until he dissolves our Tri-Partite system of government and declares marshall law, at some time convenient to him. In any of these cases, THEN we'll be free and able to leave the killing fields of Mad Iraq: Thunderdome.
For now, he focuses insanely on "winning" in Iraq.
Ad nauseum, he says anyone who opposes him (i.e., the entire civilized world) doesn't want to "win." They want "the enemy" to "win." Those opponents are "losers." He only "wins." Those opponents, those "Democrat Party" people, are "wrong."
He is as fully tethered to the sands of Basra as he is to that piece of "brush" they have him "clear" repeatedly in Texas, to keep him busy during each of his half-year vacations.
John Aravosis of AmericaBlog, always one of my daily first-reads, has a good response to this dilemma today, overall.
However, John asks two questions I believe are off the mark, by accepting the words themselves, as defined by the White House, to be clear and universally embraced.
At different points in his post John asks, "But what if we can't win?" and "What if we never win?"
Both are horribly, murderously off the point.
Rather, the key questions, it seems to me, are "What does 'win' mean?" and "What the hell are they talking about?"
These are the questions that the world should demand answers to.
We know of The Fog of War, but Bush and every iteration of this administration have dealt in The Fog of Thursday. And The Fog of Monday. Only broken up by The Fog of Wednesday.
Historians will be hard-put to find ANY clear cut, unequivocal statement or stand on ANY issue within the bulk of Bush administration policy positions and communications.
The GOP has created a linguistic universe, which uses simple, common words, but is based in innuendo, equivocation and full-flown double-speak, which forces the listener to fill in all the blanks from their own viewpoints and prejudices. This is what the speaker banks on, and how they've set it up. This allows the White House (and by extention, the entire Party apparatus) to give their allies a general theme to pick up and run with; slander and destroy their opponents vaguely, making it all the harder to defend against; and always maintain the firm ground of, "(I / We) never said that." Despite all the video clip library to the contrary.
This goes far beyond Nixonian "plausible deniability" to full-bore "down the rabbit hole" policy management. If you say something hellish with a straight face every six seconds for three full news cycles, it's accepted fact.
First off, there is no "enemy."
Just 24 million people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds who really hate us. This, because our government destroyed their country so supremely, obliterating the lives they knew so utterly while "liberating" them, killing whole segments of their families in the process. Small stuff like that. Oh, and in adding insult, we've given them "deficit spending." Just so their lives never improve, and their children who missed getting killed are at least bankrupted for life.
So, in Bushspeak, what does "win" mean?
In English, what does "win" mean?
Have a clear, concise answer to that one?
Most people, I believe, would think in terms of a "surrender." Playground stuff on a global scale. We "won" WW II; Japan, Germany and Italy "lost" because they surrendered. We "lost" in Vietnam, since the North Vietnamese never surrendered. Although, we didn't actually "lose," since we never surrendered either. We just got the hell out.
When you think in terms of someone "giving," someone crying "Uncle!" it's easy to think that one or the other will be able to have bragging rights to "I beat you" or "I won."
That presupposes a clear, acknowledged opponent. In terms of warfare, that's usually an opposing king, queen, county, state or country: some other form of governmental authority which speaks for the populace. Which has the authority to commit the entire populace both to war and to laying down their arms and ceasing hostilities, accepting the dominion of the victors.
You see one in Iraq?
They had one. We destroyed that pretty easily back in 2003. As everyone, including Saddam, thought we would.
We've replaced that with cheesecloth. Dandelions are firmer.
So, a cobbled-together country the size of California that had approximately 25 million citizens before Shock 'n' Awe Night—now with a nearly toothless puppet government—has disintegrated into 24 million survivors of the greatest petrie dish of greed, stupidity, abuse, theft, incompetence, hatred, corruption, venal humanity, murder, rape and general fucked-up-ness the planet has ever experienced.
Here's the problem: before you can begin to assess who "won" and who "lost," just how do you determine that it's even over?
When you're dealing with 24 million fully armed and enraged governmental free agents—with a few war lords thrown in for fun—who signs the enforcible paper that says, "It's over"?
Update: Think of that the next time mental giants like Chris Mathews simplistically goad Gov. Howard Dean with "So, what's the Democrats' plan? Would you get out now? Hunh?" BTW, Dean held his ground and did just fine. Tweety can always use a bit of red to balance all that yellow.
It's pretty easy for most folks to tell that all is now lost. But how can you tell what it means to win? Or when you win? Or if you win. Or that you've even won?
There's no "I" in "team."
There's no "win" in "The Gates of Hell."
posted by Gotham 12:50 PM
Defense Post for Bush's Intern?
MSNBC'S Eric Alterman unlocks the madness of Connecticut, via Kos. This is the only scenario that makes sense, as horrifying as it may be. Karl Rove is like the football coach who is ALWAYS three to four plays ahead of the opposing coach.0 comments
Here’s my prediction: If Lieberman wins the election, he will not switch to the Republicans, as some fear. But he will do the functional equivalent, which is accept Bush’s appointment to replace Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense, resign his seat and allow the Republican governor of Connecticut to appoint a Republican in his stead. That is the implicit deal between the Lieberman camp and Rove, Cheney, Bush etc and the reason, that alone, in the entire country, this is the only race where this most partisan of political operations, refuses to support the Republican in the race. Bush, Rove and Cheney do not make political decisions on the basis of what they think is good for the country. They care only about their party and themselves. If Lieberman supporters are genuinely supporting him as a Democrat, is it not enough for him to pledge to vote with the party in the Senate. He must pledge that, under no circumstances, will he accept an appointment from Bush or resign his seat, so long as a Republican occupies the state House.
But whatever makes Eric think Monica will keep that promise any longer than his Judge Alito promise? Especially when there's a really cool toy dangling in front of him?
posted by Gotham 2:03 AM
Dems Should Eat A Few Of Their Young, Too.
The GOP Totalitarian Bund doesn't have the franchise on ugly humanity.0 comments
Gov. Howard Dean, Sen. Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi need to stomp on this corrupt situation in Alabama.
HARD.
NOW.
posted by Gotham 12:56 AM
It Gets Better...
It's now a solid THING! One can now safely assume all Republicans suck at their jobs.0 comments
So it's just not the White House, Homeland Security, Joe Lieberman's house, the Treasury Dept. and George Bush's economic advisors, and the TSA that are all filled with loyal, rabid, Republican apparatchiks of dubious, dismal (OK, no...) apparent ability or competance. (As we repeatedly hear, however, Joe gets points for being a nice guy, which is how he became Bush's Monica.)
Now we see it's the Karl Rove appointees at Justice who don't remember to grab the TP before heading for the toilet.
Judge throws out terror charge in Padilla case
The wiz kids at Justice thought they'd get multiple convictions if they simply charged Padilla multiple times for the exact same crime.
But, another of those uppity, sane judges basically ruled that if you think he did it only once, you can charge him only once.
You can smell the GOP engines overheating on that one.
posted by Gotham 12:49 AM
Monday, August 21, 2006
Cave Bush
George Bush is in awe of the simple life.0 comments
The simple pleasures.
That's why he is so in love with the idea of a free and independent Osama bin Laden.
Because bin Laden lives in caves. Successfully.
Bush wants to live in caves, too. He aspires for us all to be troglodytes.
[Merriam-Webster: troglodyte, n., 1: a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves; 2: a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes]
He's just looking out for our welfare. And his future.
He has spent his entire political career reversing the hands of time,forcingguiding us back to an easier, simpler time.
When knuckles scraped the ground, and no one asked anything of the more-dominant of the species. Folks kinda like him.
You can trace his run at reversing a milliennium or two of human progress by simply looking at his record. It sort of pops out at you.
Here's his latest gambit: Eliminate All Air Travel.
Except, of course, for Shrub One.
Using bogus "terrorist" plots, he has set up a landscape of total madness as you get up into, and down from, the skies. And made it thorourghly harrowing to simply get in and out of the airport.
A musician friend sends this tale of woe along, but it's pretty similar to stories told by anyone who has flown in the last week.
At this rate, all airlines should probably go belly up within the next year or so. Trains, buses and highway travel would be targeted next and then, eventually we'll only wander as far as a team of oxen can carry us, the next county, perhaps. As the oxen are then killed off, we'll wind up travelling only as far as our two legs can take us.
Here's their tale, cautionary, as it may be. Be afraid; be very afraid:
I returned from my summer Italy tour on Tuesday, Aug. 15. I had postponed my Sat. Aug. 12 flight because the connection was in Heathrow and I knew they would take my instruments away. I had a long talk with American [Airlines] and they assured me that if I waited till 8/15 and connected in Brussels, I would be able to carry instruments aboard. Another conversation on Monday 8/14 with American, turned up other info: it was fine with them to carry instruments aboard, but it would be at the discretion of each individual airport and there could be problems.
From Milan to Brussels was fine. In Brussels I went through security check once, and then was sent to my gate. At the gate, there was a stricter security check where you had to put everything from your purse, backpack or fanny pack into a transparent plastic bag, and carry it aboard that way (after throwing away all liquids, gels and the lunch I had prepared) and check the purse which you can't receive until the end of the trip.
But worst of all, they confiscated the tenor sax, and no arguing would do any good. They had already seized someone's Stradivarius and there are countless stories like this, especially flying towards Britain, the U.S. or Israel. I begged them to add a 'fragile' sign to it, which they did. They gave me a little receipt for my tenor, and one for my checked fanny pack.
When I finally got through customs in NY and got out to the baggage area, there was my tenor sitting there in plain sight for anyone to walk away with, and no guard, no one to check the little receipt I had been given. And there was my purse etc. and my suitcase. They really don't give a ...about customers' belongings.
My tenor still played, my flute was wrapped carefully inside my suitcase so it was still playing too, and I guess I was just damn lucky that no one walked off with either one.
Obviously these conditions are unsatisfactory and we all need to know about this happening. Even though I have no solutions for now, I want to spread the word.
The world according to George Bush has just gotten a lot smaller. The airlines are toast. No one will fly, if that's the crap you put up with on EVERY SINGLE FLIGHT for time hereafter.
Because George Bush doesn't know how to be a president; Michael Chertoff certainly doesn't know how to be a Cabinet Secretary; the good folks at TSA can't work at even a piss-poor level; and the airlines are so fucked up, that on a good day, they stand in awe of the neanderthal work level of the feds.
There is no one in this conga line who hasn't fucked up royally while doing their jobs.
Bush is determined to take us back to pre-Christianity, sandal days, so that HE can play the Savior this time.
It's good to have ambition.
posted by Gotham 6:27 PM
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Is Joe Too Moderate?
A new concern among GOP bigwigs:0 comments
That Joe Lieberman might be too moderate a Republican for the party's base.
Daily Kos: CT-Sen: NYTimes Labels Lieberman GOP Candidate
If Joe loses the Republican right, who feel he's too soft on social issues, and they stay home, he pins his hopes on other moderates who are polling more towards Ned Lamont at the moment.
Are Ken Melhman and Karl Rove too cute by half?
posted by Gotham 11:55 PM
Friday, August 18, 2006
Re: Cheney's Anti-American "Sun God" Law
Here is a call-to-action I received from True Majority, in response to Dick Cheney's attempts to overturn yesterday's court ruling against the administration's illegal domestic spying.0 comments
Dick just wants to do what Dick just damned well wants to do whenever and however Dick damn well wants to do it. And if you don't like it, "Go fuck yourself."
I've taken True Majority's core letter and, as they urge you to do, doctored it before sending it on to Hillary and Chuck.
I post it here.
Subject: Defeat Cheney's Spies
The Republican Party's leadership continues its attempts to destroy all Constitutional authorities held by the legislative and judicial branches, and to cede all, total and absolute power to the executive branch, thereby creating the exact model of government we fought the Cold War against the Soviets to defeat, as well as the hot war against the Nazi Party which had gained control of Germany.
This is impending totalitarianism in clear detail. No spin can help.
In the Senate, S. 2453, which can also be called the "Sun God" law, would enshrine in federal law the president's claim of inherent, exclusive power to wiretap Americans at will and indefinitely, without any individual, independent check. It would also empower GOP-led spies to monitor Americans' e-mails.
The GOP claims the Cheney-Specter and Cheney-Wilson bills are "surveillance we can live with," but that merely means that they, themselves, have no problem with these changes. Their statement should absolutely be taken literally. The American populace CANNOT live with these measures. The fact is these so-called compromises vastly expand the Republicans' power to spy on Americans without any individualized warrant, and surveillance would be approved without a court ever knowing the names of Americans to be spied on, or whether they've done anything wrong.
This would give the Karl Rove-run political wing full control to ferret out any and all opposition discourse, which can then be used along with the Patriot Act to snatch opposition leaders and imprison them without anyone knowing, and without recourse.
These Cheney-backed proposals would rewrite the provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to allow permanent and secret warrantless surveillance of Americans' international communications. Other statutes cover the same territory for domestic surveillance. But these rewrites aren't necessary, because FISA already gives intelligence agencies the power to begin a wiretap in an emergency and then get court approval if an American is aiding a foreign terrorist.
FISA doesn't require the administration to "hang up" if an al Qaeda operative calls someone in America. If the administration wants to target the communications of a U.S. person who is conspiring with al Qaeda, it can easily get a warrant from the FISA court. In fact, FISA has approved over 20,000 surveillance orders in the past 27 years, and turned down fewer than .0005 such requests.
So, this clearly has nothing to do with fighting "terror," or "terrorists" or "al Qaeda." This merely is to fend off the swelling anger of 60+% of the country's population who think they've screwed everything up and should be shown the door.
The stink of fear on this administration is overpowering.
An increasingly fascistic and desperate White House needs to denude FISA and the FISA court of ANY power or control over administration actions. They must wipe out ALL efforts at oversight on the part of non-administration figures.
As is obvious to all, there is no reason to go around the court unless the administration is hiding something. The only question to debate is: Just what are they so afraid of? Just what ARE they hiding? The nation's experience with this White House teaches us that they are ALWAYS hiding something. To the detriment of every American citizen. They live in constant fear.
Who would want to monitor people who are doing nothing wrong—which is fundamentally contrary to our core Fourth Amendment rights—unless you were doing something you knew was so wrong that you'd be hung for it?
This administration does live in fear.
Of being caught.
I respectfully request, in the name of all that America has come to mean to its citizens and people around the world over the centuries, that you work to defeat these Dick Cheney-forged measures in the Senate.
Thank you for your patriotism in these dark days.
Sincerely,
Me, address, etc.
Aside from all that, there ain't much goin' on.
posted by Gotham 3:02 PM
In for a Basra, in for a Gettysburg...
The romance of Civil War necessitates a spark, a clear starting point.0 comments
Civil wars tend not to creep into a land on tiny cat's paws.
There's usually a BOOM! or a confrontation, and off ya go!
In George Bush's eyes, the Iraq Civil War may not begin until, oh, perhaps, their version of Appomattox.
But, for the rest of us, we seem well past Gettysburg here, and The New York Times just supplied the Fort Sumter BOOM! with the words, "Full-Scale."
7 Killed as Full-Scale Sectarian Fighting Rages in Baghdad
Full-Scale means you're in.
It's officially a Civil War.
Period.
posted by Gotham 1:03 PM
As American As Apple Pie...
Not only have we brought the wretched souls of Iraq death and destruction they could never imagine under Saddam, we've taught them the GOP Zen of Deficit Spending!0 comments
Also on Thursday, the Iraqi government introduced a $39 billion draft budget for 2007 that a spokesman said would require significant borrowing unless daily oil production more than doubled.
Few details of the draft were available. Ali al-Dabagh, the government spokesman, said in an interview that it was being scrutinized by the cabinet and that most of the proposed $39 billion would pay for employees’ salaries and pensions.
“It is not enough for Iraq,” he said. “This is not a budget for investment; it’s just for the state’s basic expenses.”
The budget would nonetheless be likely to require deficit spending. Last year the government earned about $25 billion, mostly from oil; the rest was borrowed. To balance the budget, Mr. Dabagh said, Iraq would have to produce roughly 3.5 million barrels of oil a day at current prices. According to the International Monetary Fund’s latest report, Iraq produced 1.4 million barrels of oil a day for the first five months of this year.
Let's see...
The whole idea of going in there and taking over was to gain all those resources for ourselves. How bad must it really be if Corporate America is already letting them have the burned out husk of what's left?
The race to the bottom is on!
posted by Gotham 12:33 PM
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Yeah, I Got Some Issues...
Chris Cillizza had this post recently in his The Fix column in the WaPo, asking for readers' thoughts on various issues for the 2006 election.0 comments
My first thought was that this was simply lazy punditry. I still think so.
But here's my take:
On the subject of issues driving this election cycle, everyone misses one important truism:
All politics is local.
Very local.
Like pocket-local; purse-local; tip of your nose-local.
Despite all the various analytical approaches that will be tried by the punditocracy in the coming months, this is quite the simple political year.
It's the return of Richard Nixon's great Silent Majority.
Only this time, it's pointed in the opposite direction.
It's the war, Stupid. The Great Main Street / K Street War.
And it sits upon the very definition of governance.
Main Street thought these guys could govern better than the other guys. They failed. They're out. The math is simple.
The GOP thought they were truly special. Main Street thought they were simply different. They're not. They're actually worse. So, they're out.
Call this a civics class on steroids. America simply wants good government. It's what they've paid for. They haven't had it; they want it. Period.
Perhaps since 1994, but certainly since 2001, the average American, having voted to change things to make them work better, first paid no attention, then denied, then slowly began to understand, that this Republican-controlled government, despite its vast political power, has done NOTHING during these years to help make his or her Main Street life any better—in any way. In fact, most Americans have spent years watching things fall apart around them with increasing speed.
Awake and now paying attention, they clearly see that the ones who've prospered under GOP leadership are the money boys, and the rich guys, and the vast army of K Street lobbyists who shill for them. The world has been an exciting, enriching place for this group these last six to 12 years. Greed, corruption and indifference to suffering are now the coins of the realm in our nation's capital. It's a lobbyist party!
And Main Streeters are becoming aware that it is THEIR kids and grandkids who will end up footing the bill.
Main Streeters now fully realize that their voice no longer counts in Washington. That they are political chum. They know now that the K Streeters can and will break every law on every level to gain every legislative advantage for their corporations—the job of every good K Streeter is to eliminate any vestige of federal and state guidance or control over corporate malfeasance in the name of profit. And they're very good at their jobs—perhaps, the only truly competant people left in Washington.
When Ford Motor chose to pay off the population of dead and maimed Ford riders, since it was cheaper than fixing a core design flaw, Americans were outraged! Today, most Americans simply assume that that's how things always work. Your family dies, but a corporation will still flourish. Your sacrifice is duly noted, and appreciated. Here's a check.
A deeply moral lot, Main Streeters watch their country overridden by soulless people who think their corporate positioning carries more weight than the nation's quality of life. Or its very life.
Average Americans now know their water is dirtier; their job security non-existent; their most personal, intimate details will be dumped on the Internet by AOL or somebody else for the world to ogle; every physical object they come in contact with (cars, roads, bridges, toys, mineshaft safety materials, coffee containers) are more shabbily (cheaply) made and, therefore, more dangerous to themselves and their families. They see their world has gone toxic. And out of control. And nobody cares if they live or die.
And they clearly see that if they complain or question, they're called whiners, rather than heroes.
They see they can no longer afford to pull out of their driveway, let alone send their kids to college.
They see their lives diminished in every quantifiable way.
They also see large, gaudy Rolexes on GOP wrists. They see $3,000 suits. They see expensive cars.They hear GOP politicians talking to them like they're morons. They see houses worth $320,000 being happily snapped up at $1.3 million. Mostly, they see very connected, successful people running their lives, and now moving into their stable neighborhoods, forcing the prices of housing, retail goods and everything else through the roof. They sense the "Tough luck, loser; I've got mine" response from the new affluent neighbors when they offer a simple welcome. And they now know that their lives will be lessened in the months and years to come, until they're forced to move on, as their neighborhood becomes a rich-folk enclave.
What you see this year is glacial. Slow and very, very powerful.
It's called anger.
It's where people live.
In short:
"If MY life stinks, YOU'RE going down, bub, I don't care WHO you are. Or WHAT your philosophy is."
Politicians and pundits miss this at their peril.
The only thing that can stop this is a Diebold machine.
posted by Gotham 9:51 PM
0 comments
I'm back.
posted by Gotham 7:58 PM
