ThinkFast: January 24, 2007
ThinkFast: January 24, 2007
President Bush used the word Iraq 37 times in his State of the Union last night, more than any other year. He said the word “freedom” just three times, fewer than any other year. (Compare word usage with this interactive graph.)
Bush said yesterday he has a “goal of reducing U.S. gasoline usage by 20 percent in the next 10 years.” The Washington Post notes the fine print: “Administration officials said that the goal is 20 percent below projected annual gasoline usage, not off today’s levels,” meaning “that carbon dioxide emissions from transportation fuels will drop only slightly from today’s levels; other parts of the economy produce the other two-thirds of greenhouse gases.”
“Democrats took the first step toward a wartime repudiation of President Bush on Wednesday, convening the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to approve nonbinding legislation saying an increase in troops in Iraq is ‘not in the national interest.’” Senators are working to combine two bipartisan anti-escalation measures to ensure maximum support.
The House yesterday joined the Senate and voted to strip pensions from lawmakers “convicted of crimes such as bribery, fraud and perjury.”
“As chaos has deepened” in Iraq, the Iraqi Parliament “has been at a standstill.” “Nearly every session since November has been adjourned because as few as 65 members made it to work,” and officials fear “that members were losing confidence in the institution and in the country’s fragile democracy.”
Just two weeks after President Bush announced his escalation plan for Iraq, sectarian “violence in Iraq’s capital has spiked in recent days, even as the first US and Iraqi government military reinforcements have deployed into the embattled city.” 100 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead and another 56 were wounded yesterday.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, “on his first overseas trip as head of the world body,” “will pressure Sudan’s president next week to speed up the peace process in Darfur, which has been delayed by months of wrangling over the makeup of a larger peacekeeping force.”
“Pregnant polar bears in Alaska, which spend most of their lives on sea ice, are increasingly giving birth on land, according to researchers who say global warming is probably to blame.”
And finally: President Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter: If that’s your idea of comedy, you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy” show, which is already taping episodes. Limbaugh crowed about his cameo during his radio show last week. “It’s hilarious. The whole thing is hilarious.” One source at the taping told Radar the taping was “hit and miss — some stuff was inspired, and some was droppable, to say the least.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Hello, do we have a connection, is this thing on?
January 24th, 2007 at 10:10 amSounds like the Iraqi government is ready to stand up any time now. Hell 65 at work, maybe next week they’ll get 70 or even 75.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:11 amThe House yesterday joined the Senate and voted to strip pensions from lawmakers “convicted of crimes such as bribery, fraud and perjury.â€
Cool.
Let’s see Chimpy whip out the veto pen on this one. :-D
January 24th, 2007 at 10:14 amPresident Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter: If that’s your idea of comedy, you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy†show, which is already taping episodes.
Guys, if you want to be funny, just keep doing what you normally do. That’s comedy enough.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:15 am“As chaos has deepened†in Iraq, the Iraqi Parliament “has been at a standstill.†“Nearly every session since November has been adjourned because as few as 65 members made it to work,â€
Look on the bright side…they’re already doing better than the 109th Congress… ^_^
January 24th, 2007 at 10:18 ami’m trying to find a link to a story that sam seder was talking about…
January 24th, 2007 at 10:20 amseems a good buddy of dubya’s will benefit VERY handsomely from the oil reserves proposal…
anyone?
Let’s see Chimpy whip out the veto pen on this one. :-D
Comment by Zooey
Just let me know when he’s about to whip anything out. I want to turn away.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:20 amIt may not be so bad that the Parliament isn’t doing anything. If no one shows up, no one can enact the law giving the oil profits to the US and UK oil companies.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:21 amWhipping out a pen is one thing; it’s vomit time if he whips anything else out….
January 24th, 2007 at 10:26 amJust let me know when he’s about to whip anything out. I want to turn away.
Comment by ForTruth
You think I’d be looking!? We need a point man…
January 24th, 2007 at 10:27 amIn that picture it looks like Nancy’s got caterpillars crawling on her.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:28 amThe House yesterday joined the Senate and voted to strip pensions from lawmakers “convicted of crimes such as bribery, fraud and perjury.â€
Yes, yes, yes, sign it, now.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:29 amYou think I’d be looking!? We need a point man…
Comment by Zooey
“Point man” yeah thats about the size of it.
But who? Hendler?
January 24th, 2007 at 10:30 amHe used the word “evil” in the first couple of minutes then I turned it off. I watched Webb, though. He had Brooks flabbergasted.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:32 amSo what state is the Union in? I mean do we use a Lickert scale of something?
January 24th, 2007 at 10:32 amPresident Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter
Oy, I feel like impressing Jodie Foster.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:33 amGuys, if you want to be funny, just keep doing what you normally do. That’s comedy enough.
Comment by TripMaster Monkey
Without humility there can be no comedy. But I’ll bet they’re too arrogant to realize that.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:35 am. . . you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy†show, which is already taping episodes.
I can’t wait. My prediction is that this show will quickly degrade to jokes involving bodily functions. After all, this is the same crowd that made Larry the Cable Guy a success. “Hoo-doggie, that’s as funny as it kin be.”
January 24th, 2007 at 10:37 amWhat I found truly amusing, aside from Dick’s “get a load of this guy” smirk, was Dummy’s tough guy, Eastwoodesque, squint that I am damn sure he practiced for hours in front of a mirror. He used it throughout the whole SOTU. Check out first lady, she looks like a scary manequin in all of her shots. The camera men were obviously freaked out because they stayed away from her as much as possible.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:40 amAnd finally: President Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter: If that’s your idea of comedy, you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy†show, which is already taping episodes.
One would have to expect lots of “jokes” about killing people (like Supreme Court Justices). After all, that’s conservative humor at it’s finest. Ann Coulter told me so.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:41 am“..violence in Iraq’s capital has spiked..”
Just as I “imply” and you “infer” DUHbya “surges” and the Iraqis “spike.” Who’d ever thunk it?
January 24th, 2007 at 10:43 amWow. Look at the difference in the Chimp from last year’s SOTU to this year.
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/01/23/bush-energy-sotu/
He’s starting to look like the portrait in his attic.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:50 amHas anyone actually heard of a “strategy” for deploying the surged up troops?
Are they going to just do more roadblocks?
More “raids” against “suspected insurgents” (read Sunni neighborhoods)
Station four troops in each household?
Kill anyone still breathing?
Oh, they can’t tell us, or else they’d have to kill us too.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:52 amRight.
Ok,
Exley is point man then.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:54 amWhaddaya make of Dick’s smirk?
It looks shady.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:55 amI thought Bush’s demeanor in this speech was was less belligerent then I have seen in past speeches. The realization, that it was not a hand picked crowd, must have bruised his ego. I am glad Webb took him to task. I just hope that they will have the balls to do it.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:55 amExley is point man then.
Comment by ForTruth
Perfect. Sorry RUCerious, we have a more suitable candidate for point man.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:56 amOh, they can’t tell us, or else they’d have to kill us too.
Right.
Comment by RUCerious
what I’ve heard, before I start screaming at my radio, is that the troops are supposed to embedded with Iraqi forces and that they’ll be going house to house asking the Iraqi people to love us.
Something like that.
It’ll be like shooting fish in a barrel.
January 24th, 2007 at 10:58 amTP. you have to have a thread about Chuck Hagel’s uprising today in the Senate hearings.
I’d vote for that man.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:03 amI love this site. : )
January 24th, 2007 at 11:03 amone thing he DIDN’T say – the usual “the state of our union, is strong”…
instead, “the right of custom brings us together”…
i watched the video below, up to when he started lying about the economy, and didn’t hear it…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:06 amhis acknowledgements to MADAM speaker pelosi saved him from having to tell that outrageous lie…
And finally: President Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter: If that’s your idea of comedy, you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy†show, which is already taping episodes.
I do hope they use a chyron to let people know that it’s supposed to be humor. Fox viewers are notoriously gullible and might think that the comedy bits are actually news items and should be taken as fact. Actually, that’s the problem they have already with their “news” programs.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:06 amLooks like the same ol from TP. No mater what, bash Bush.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:08 amGreat job with all the fact collecting on this entire page. Great job!
January 24th, 2007 at 11:09 am#33 – I love this site. : )
Comment by IseFire
Cool site, IseFire. I like your story about your grandpa.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:16 amHmnmm, double-speak on gasoline usage. Who’d a thunk Georgie reads Orwell?
January 24th, 2007 at 11:16 amKevin sez:
I’ll tell you what, Kevin. The instant Chimpy does something that doesn’t make patriotic, honest Americans sick to their stomach, you let us know, OK?
January 24th, 2007 at 11:20 amMarie sez:
Apparently, there’s a graphic novel version of 1984 out there somewhere…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:21 amNo red meat for Red Staters.
Just one of the “Top 10 State of the Union Highlights.”
January 24th, 2007 at 11:23 am#42, TMM
January 24th, 2007 at 11:26 amLots of pictures with very short captions.
Kevin,
Just cause and effect, my man. (Pun intended)
January 24th, 2007 at 11:27 amI think I threw up in my mouth last night- and I wasn’t even playing the drinking game. Wasn’t this crap a re-run from five years ago? YAWN…
January 24th, 2007 at 11:30 amKevin,
You could always go somewhere else.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:35 amI think my most frequent utterance during the SOTU speech was “yeah, right”. Bipartisanship, “yeah, right”. A sound economy, “yeah, right”. Protect the environment, “yeah, right”. ETC, ETC, ETC.
This was one of Bush’s least energetic speeches. He’s got nothing left to sell because less people are buying. “Highlights” of his previous SOTU speeches could have been projected on a screen and been as meaningful. The only different and positive parts were Madame Speaker Pelosi, the Democratic majority, and Jim Webb’s fantastic, real SOTU speech.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:41 amSOTU Speech: Fantasy And Lies!
24th of January 2007
by Jay Randal
According to the US Constitution the President once a year is supposed to submit a report on the State of the Union to entire Congress, the House and Senate, detailing the factual needs and problems in the nation.
The address is supposed to detail the actual conditions of the nation, and NOT foist fantasy NOR bogus lies onto the Congressional membership, so the President is required to proclaim the truth and NOT a wish list.
President George W. Bush last night basically told a pack of lies, so tried to conceal his blatant falsehoods with surreal platitudes, and attempted to bamboozle the nation with a bizarre wish list cloaked in fantasy.
He claimed that the lousy economy is booming, which on its face is completely crazy because most American workers are NOT doing well, and home foreclosures are forcing thousands of Americans into destitution.
And Bush failed to mention that the Iraq Debacle War is bankrupting the Federal government, so funding for Social Security, Medicare, etc. is at risk for everyone.
( Jay Randal, political activist and writer in Georgia, USA.)
January 24th, 2007 at 11:49 amForTruth
I thought Kevin already was “somewhere else”.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:50 amBush says he will lower the use of gasoline in the US. How do you suppose he plans to do that?
My bets are allow the oil companies to increase the price so that you cannot afford as much. Either that or he will increase the taxes on gas. Either way you know he plans to stick it to the working class.
Don’t let him use lack of affordability to cut programs. Until he re-enstates the tax breaks he gave the rich should you accept any financial more responsibility. In the US 90% of assets are owned by 1% of the population. That 1% should be paying 90% of the cost to opperate the government. Those who benefit need to pay. So in the event gas taxes are increased there must be no price increase to the consumer at the gas pump. The large corporations need to still pay the full gas taxes.
January 24th, 2007 at 11:57 amI noticed Dick Cheney making some peculiar faces last night and Nancy Pelosi was chewing on her lip, as though there was some odor in the air. Perhaps President George W. Bush was cutting loose with some of those stinking farts for which he is so famous. That “man” just curdles my innards!
January 24th, 2007 at 12:05 pmJust to make one thing perfectly clear.
I didn’t volunteer to be point dude.
Mistress Z ~
“they’ll be going house to house asking the Iraqi people to love us.”
Yeah, they’ll be tearing the furniture apart looking for IED factories, hauling off any males of military age for “questioning”, and other “cleansing” activities, then reminding the family, that
January 24th, 2007 at 12:08 pm“we know where you live”
Oh the love!
#48 L in NM –
January 24th, 2007 at 12:10 pmI thought it was fart “jokes” he was famous for?
Maybe he just is a fart joke.
I noticed Dick Cheney making some peculiar faces last night…
Comment by Liberal in New Mexico — January 24, 2007 @ 12:05 pm
looks like darth was in some kind of discomfort…
January 24th, 2007 at 12:15 pmhe took something from his pocket and put it into his mouth…
what could it be? … i’m guessing a TUMS or such…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCNWFGWgd30
#50- Bush is actually “famous” for farting in front of newly appointed pages. He thinks that it’s funny to freak them out and embarrass them. What a bag of stinky air.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pmJust to make one thing perfectly clear.
I didn’t volunteer to be point dude.
Comment by RUCerious
Sorry, I must have confused you with some other guy wh olooked like a point dude. :}
January 24th, 2007 at 12:25 pmKevin: “Looks like the same ol from TP. No mater what, bash Bush.”
Kevin, my suggestion is that you go to one of the many right-wing blogs. You will be much more comfortable there and we won’t have to deal with your absurd strawman arguments and non-sequitors. It’s a win-win, Kevin. Just go!
January 24th, 2007 at 12:28 pmMistress Z~
January 24th, 2007 at 12:29 pmOne thing I learned in Nam. You NEVER volunteer to be point dude.
You get enough chances without volunteering. Oh, yeah and the rest of your squad thinks you’re crazy, have a death wish, or are just plain sucking up to the louie…(perhaps all of the above…)
And now, for something completely different . . .
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7021202528388041252&q=donnie+davies
Notice how he never plays a note on the guitar. He doesn’t even try to fake it, just stands there holding a guitar.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:36 pmWhat’s wrong with bashing Bush? I like masterbating with my intellectual curiosity. Anyway, I didn’t ask Bush to run for President. He’s the one who apparently thought he had what it might take. Unfortunately for the rest of us, he was wrong, is still wrong and will forever be wrong. It’s in his nature.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:38 pmJudd is leaving Think Progress??
January 24th, 2007 at 12:40 pmone thing he DIDN’T say – the usual “the state of our union, is strongâ€â€¦
Comment by katy — January 24, 2007 @ 11:06 am
self correction: just heard on franken – he DID say it, at the end…
January 24th, 2007 at 12:44 pmwhat makes you ask that, marie???
January 24th, 2007 at 12:45 pmLet’s review. Bush bashed his way to the Presidency. Bush bashed into Iraq. Bush bashed the Constitution. Bush bashed his opposition with hostile labels. Bush threatens to bashed Iran.
I think we are all entitled, if not obligated, to bashed Bush with gusto.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:46 pmHello Chimpy! Wake Up! Americans are so mad at you they want to see you fail over and over again! We the people are against you! You call the shots …you get it your way always! So we want you to fail!!
January 24th, 2007 at 12:57 pmsend 20,000 30,000 40,000 knock yourself out the dispossesed will sit back grab some popcorn and watch you fall flat on your butt over and over again! That’s the price you pay for having it your way!
According to an E-mail from TP’s home Judd is leaving to guarantee Hilary is our next President.
January 24th, 2007 at 12:58 pmKaty, see #63 CtR
January 24th, 2007 at 1:14 pmGo to the Center for American Progress. He’s going to work for the Clinton campaign.
Marie > Judd wants to work for Hillary?
January 24th, 2007 at 1:16 pmPresident Rush Limbaugh and Vice President Ann Coulter: If that’s your idea of comedy, you’ll love Fox News’ new Daily Show-style “comedy†show, which is already taping episodes.
Even in comedy conservatives can’t stretch reality. I mean two boorish white men in the White House…..don’t we see this all the time from the Republicans?
January 24th, 2007 at 1:54 pmI like the photo you have at the top of this story. FOX News apparently doesn’t care for Pelosi being in the picture though. At the Hannity & Colmes webpage at FOX News, they’re going with a picture that had Denny Hastert in the background. No Nancy to be seen. A mistake? I think not.
http://www.foxnews.com/hannityandcolmes/index.html
January 24th, 2007 at 2:08 pm#54, What’s funny is that some of the Con blogs are ripping Bush harder than the traditional progressive blogosphere (long may she reign). Seems like nobody likes Dumbo anymore……Bush Legacy=Jack Shit.
January 24th, 2007 at 2:40 pmmarie, clyde, jay – yep… i opened my daily progress report and see the news… hmmmm…
judd – take care…
January 24th, 2007 at 3:21 pmI wish Judd the best and know he will be missed at TP. BUt with that said, if Hillary is elected, I will leave the country. Just like Alec Baldwin did.
January 24th, 2007 at 3:41 pmtest ™ ?
February 1st, 2007 at 3:19 am