ThinkFast: December 14, 2007
ThinkFast: December 14, 2007
Roughly half the Hispanics polled in a new Pew survey “said the heightened attention to immigration had had a directly negative impact on them, in some cases making it harder for them to find jobs or housing.” The number who “had a personal experience of discrimination in the past five years” increased by 10 percent since 2002.
House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has “called baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, players union leader Donald Fehr and former Sen. George Mitchell — who wrote the bombshell report on steroid use — to testify on Dec. 18.”
The Senate passed a “pared-down” energy bill on Thursday “after the oil industry and utilities succeeded in stripping out” $13 billion in tax increases on oil companies “and a requirement that utilities nationwide produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.”
Complaints from current and former employees about “overspending and mismanagement” by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction have “prompted four government probes into” the office, “including an investigation by the FBI and federal prosecutors into the agency’s financial practices and claims of e-mail monitoring.”
As he did over Thanksgiving, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is considering “keeping the Senate in session during the Christmas-New Year’s break” in order to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
“South Korea brought home 195 army medics and engineers Friday from Afghanistan, ending its five-year deployment to help rebuild the war-ravaged country at Washington’s request … Separately, South Korea plans to extend its military presence in Iraq for another year after downsizing the number of troops 600 by the end of the month.”
Congressional Democrats criticized the “National Labor Relations Board Thursday, saying its recent decisions had favored employers over workers.” Sixty-one board decisions issued in September “made it harder for unions to organize workers and harder for illegally fired employees to collect back pay.”
“The U.S. military paid a Florida company nearly $32 million to build barracks and offices for Iraqi army units even though nothing was ever built, Pentagon investigators reported.”
And finally: FEMA’s #1, taking the top spot in this year’s Top Ten PR Blunders List by San Francisco’s Fineman PR after it “‘truly fumbled‘ when it had staffers play reporters at a phony news conference to hail the agency’s efforts during the recent California wildfires.”
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“The U.S. military paid a Florida company nearly $32 million to build barracks and offices for Iraqi army units even though nothing was ever built, Pentagon investigators reported.â€
So get them to pay it back and throw them in jail. This is a position that even our trolls can get behind.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:11 amI wonder how many of the Hispanics Pew polled were in this country legally? People often forget that not all Hispanics are “illegals”. Yet I can see how the legal ones would get tarred with the same bigotry brush.
Illegal residents (Hispanics and all others) tend to keep a low profile, keeping in their own communities and finding low-paying work from the many employers willing to hire them. If they don’t find work, they have no reason to stay and they return from whence they came.
Legal residents generally attempt to assimilate with the rest of America, find jobs with paychecks that aren’t insulting, and live their lives like everyone else. These are the ones most likely to bear the brunt of “anti-immigration” discrimination.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:12 amThe Senate passed a “pared-down†energy bill on Thursday “after the oil industry and utilities succeeded in stripping out†$13 billion in tax increases on oil companies “and a requirement that utilities nationwide produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources.â€
Can somebody get congress a set of dentures along with the set of balls that was backordered? They seem to lack teeth as well as cojones.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:15 amAs he did over Thanksgiving, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is considering “keeping the Senate in session during the Christmas-New Year’s break†in order to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
Why bother, Harry? You confirm everybody anyway. It’s the holidays–take a break from ALL that hard work.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:17 amReid caves on FISA, energy, war funding, etc., and thinks a no-recess appointments grandstand will save his rep? Can him and get some real, progressive leadership. Or get out of the way–the Progressive wave is coming!
December 14th, 2007 at 9:17 amHarry Reid is bringing up the Senate Intelligence Bill (aka the Rockefeller/Cheney Bill) which grants telecom immunity and expands government spying today. Chris Dodd is flying back to place a hold on it, which Reid is probably going to ignore! Reid could have brought of the Senate Judiciary Bill, which limits spying and does NOT grant telecom immunity. Reid is a sack of crap.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:19 amSpecial Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction have “prompted four government probes into†the office, “including an investigation by the FBI and federal prosecutors into the agency’s financial practices and claims of e-mail monitoring.â€
Good luck on that one. It has become very evident that no one in the Bush Administration is ever going to be held accountable for their actions. We have been lied to, cheated and stolen from by the Bush Crime Family and we are just supposed to suck it up and move on.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:20 amAs he did over Thanksgiving, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is considering “keeping the Senate in session during the Christmas-New Year’s break†in order to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
It is very sad that we have to do things like this just to stop the mad-man who is occupying the White House.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:20 amImpeach Cheney, then Bush, PLEASE. Haven’t we had enough of Republicans raping this nation?
Only 402 days too many. IMPEACH!
December 14th, 2007 at 9:22 amCongressional Democrats criticized the “National Labor Relations Board Thursday, saying its recent decisions had favored employers over workers.
Whenever I read about something like this, I think back to when the Greenies supporting Nader told everyone, in 2000, that there was really no difference between Bush and Gore. If those people had only done the right thing and voted for Gore, our long nightmare would never have occurred.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:22 amAnd finally: FEMA’s #1, taking the top spot in this year’s Top Ten PR Blunders List by San Francisco’s Fineman PR after it “‘truly fumbled‘ when it had staffers play reporters at a phony news conference to hail the agency’s efforts during the recent California wildfires.â€
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Finally, FEMA can break out their foam fingers and party! They beat out the Cartoon Network’s ad campaign that got mistaken for terrorist bombs and Arnold Schwarzneggar’s telling a group of Spanish-language media people that Spanish speakers need to “turn off the Spanish channel” in order to learn English more quickly (not a bad idea, just the wrong audience).
December 14th, 2007 at 9:23 am“The U.S. military paid a Florida company nearly $32 million to build barracks and offices for Iraqi army units even though nothing was ever built, Pentagon investigators reported.â€
More theft from the US taxpayers and no one is being held accountable. I certainly hope that our new Democratic President launches an investigation into all the Iraq contracts and prosecutes people who have stolen from our government. I also hope that they attempt to recover the stolen funds.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:24 amCongressional Democrats criticized the “National Labor Relations Board Thursday, saying its recent decisions had favored employers over workers.â€
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The NLRB has (along with corporate America) been screwing workers ever since the Reagan administration. When Reagan fired the air traffic controllers, he essentially said to employers, “it’s OK to get rid of your labor annoyances.” Ever since then, labor has had no teeth.
It’s a good thing that unions gave us a reasonable work week, child labor laws, safety protection on the job, and other laws protecting workers (that non-union employees enjoy today) when they had the chance.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:27 amIllegal residents (Hispanics and all others) tend to keep a low profile, keeping in their own communities and finding low-paying work from the many employers willing to hire them. If they don’t find work, they have no reason to stay and they return from whence they came.
This is so true. If there were not jobs here for them, they would not come. And yet the anti-immigrant people blame the immigrants and not the source of the problem, the US employers who hire them knowing they are illegal.
I would truly love to see every “illegal” immigrant leave this country tomorrow. Do you know how much economic trouble that would cause in this country? The anti-immigrant people think that they are a drain on our finances. In reality, they give much more than they get. The anti-immigrant people will say, “but they are criminals, they came into this country illegally”. The only “crime” they are guilty of is trying to provide for their families by doing mostly dirty, nasty jobs that people in this country won’t do.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:28 am“The law firm of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is set to collect more than $52 million to help the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey monitor leading manufacturers of knee and hip replacements.â€
How much monitoring does $52 mil get? Do they open every box and go–yup, that one’s a knee. That one’s a knee. Hey! How did this elbow slip in?
December 14th, 2007 at 9:29 amAs he did over Thanksgiving, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is considering “keeping the Senate in session during the Christmas-New Year’s break†in order to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
dont do us any favors mr. “im getting ready to cave on telecom immunity”
harry is DAMAGED GOODS.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:33 amI wrote here the other day that Nancy Pelosi is no longer accepting e-mails as Speaker of the House. If you go to her contact page and send her an e-mail, it bounces. I then went to her California site and sent her an e-mail, using my former California address. Guess what! I got a canned reply that if I am not “registered” at her site as a resident of the State of California, she will not read my e-mails.
Talk about being a very large piece of chickenshit! She is no longer even taking messages from her constituents. I wonder why that is? Could it be that she is getting blasted daily about the lousy job she is doing?
I really do wish that there was some way that “we the people” could have some way of throwing these people out of the positions they hold when they are not up to doing the job of the people.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:35 amI’ve been asking myself this question…
What if the NIE stating that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapons program wasn’t released. Or Cheney was successful at censoring it. And then we wake up one morning to discover Bush has attacked Iran, with a small tactical nuke. And Russia and China were pissed and WW3 started. And that too turned nuclear. And half the human race was destroyed.
Then I go back to thinking…if only Nancy Pelosi hadn’t taken impeachment off the table. If only she had proceeded with impeachment. And gotten rid of these thugs last year. Or at least attempted to. And tied their hands so they were impotent. WW3 could’ve been avoided. The human race saved.
Then our worst suspicions were confirmed. Pelosi kept silent because she was witness to planned torture techniques. She was probably set up. Cheney probably targeted her, made her accessory so he could control her. Own her. Impeachment was off the table, unless she wanted to indict herself too. And of course, she’d never do that. Never.
So Pelosi was willing to sacrifice us all. The whole planet. Humanity itself. So that her complicity in the crime of torture would remain a secret. Even though she knew, like we knew, that Bush was marching us toward WW3.
This is my perspective on Pelosi.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:36 amIf that’s the way they want to play it, after the next election let’s push for a 25% Renewable Portfolio Standard and 50 Billion in tax repeals and other fees on oil and gas to fund renewables.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:38 amHow much monitoring does $52 mil get? Do they open every box and go–yup, that one’s a knee. That one’s a knee. Hey! How did this elbow slip in?
Comment by Menehune — December 14, 2007 @ 9:29 am
I read the article linked in this item and my eyes opened wide at the breakdown of the prices — $895 an hour for basic attorney work, plus six digit figures every so often for “expenses” (presumably expenses not included in the basic attorney fees?).
And everybody associated with this is claiming what a “bargain” it is. I apparently live on a different planet, because this is a culture I cannot relate to at all.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:43 amRe 19
And we should deport every CEO of every oil co that moves it’s corporate offices overseas to avoid paying taxes in the US. And that includes haliburtion.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:44 amImpeachment was off the table, unless she wanted to indict herself too. And of course, she’d never do that. Never.
So Pelosi was willing to sacrifice us all. The whole planet. Humanity itself. So that her complicity in the crime of torture would remain a secret. Even though she knew, like we knew, that Bush was marching us toward WW3.
This is my perspective on Pelosi.
And it is a correct assessment. But, we probably won’t have to worry about Pelosi after the 2008 election. I suspect that the people of California are going to throw her out on her ear, if she has someone running against her in the primary. I certainly hope that is the case. Even Cindy Sheehan, with no political experience, would be an improvement over Pelosi.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:46 amBilbo @ 10,
I can’t blame the Greenies for Gore’s loss (or unrewarded win), even though I, too, voted for Gore. I think people should vote for the candidate that best addresses their concerns. It is up to the candidates to convince us.
There is way too much “voting for the one who is going to win” going on already. There are many who feel it is more important to be seen as supporting the winner than as voting for their interest. I do see a difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, but not enough of one for my taste. One way to get more liberal positions from Democrats is to show them just how many of us there are to their left.
The corporate media is all too willing to portray us as a giant mass of “blue-dogs” who may, at any moment revert to being Republicans. Personally, I can’t understand anyone supporting those criminals who isn’t watching only Fox, listening only to their preacher and drinking only kool-aid. The only die-hard Republicans left are those so deluded or complicit that we’ll never win them over.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:50 amAs he did over Thanksgiving, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is considering “keeping the Senate in session during the Christmas-New Year’s break†in order to prevent President Bush from making recess appointments.
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It’s the least he can do.
December 14th, 2007 at 9:57 amIf Palosi and Reid had done their job and started impeachment against bush and cheney they woulden’t have to play baby sitter during their lengthy break’s…..Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 10:00 amNeed a Friday morning chuckle – from the Dem. Underground:
http://blimptv.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-bush-coins.html
December 14th, 2007 at 10:01 amWe have been lied to, cheated and stolen from by the Bush Crime Family and we are just supposed to suck it up and move on.
Comment by bilbobaggins — December 14, 2007 @ 9:20 am
some consolation that i heard on randi rhodes yesterday…
she and brent budowsky were talking on this subject and she brought up impeachment and he said, “… [bush] has already been psychologically impeached by most of the country and the world…”
it’s not nearly the same, not does it bring about the same consequences,
December 14th, 2007 at 10:02 ambut it IS true… and that is something…
…
Good morning, Witch1 !
December 14th, 2007 at 10:04 amNeed a Friday morning chuckle – from the Dem. Underground:
http://blimptv.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-bush-coins.html
Comment by Marie — December 14, 2007 @ 10:01 am
That’s hysterical!
Well, depressing, too. But funny.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:05 amBilbobaggins,
December 14th, 2007 at 10:06 amI have also been very frustrated with the inability to contact congressional members out of my district.
I believe, particularly if a member holds a seat on a committee, or other ranking position, that they should be hearing from all constituents around the nation.
Although the Dem debate was as boring as the Rep debate, Obama did catch Hill’reh flat footed, stating that he was looking forward to hearing her advice when he is president. All Hill’reh could do was cackle, looking more like she didn’t get the joke, than her really trying to shake off a solid hit. We all need to face up that she is no Bill Clinton.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:07 amGood Morning Marie, Thank’s for the funny clip….Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 10:07 amIsn’t it a shame?
The USA has a President that has to be monitored this way to prevent him from commiting crimes against decency. This is just a bush-it administration.
Hope the voters learned something from this administration. Did they???
December 14th, 2007 at 10:10 amOne way to get more liberal positions from Democrats is to show them just how many of us there are to their left.
Peter C
So, are you willing to award the Republiscums the Presidency again? I don’t care who the Democratic candidate is, I will vote for that person even if I hate them. And why would I do that? Because this country can’t survive another 4 years of Republiscum rule.
I would love to live in a world where we have the privilege of voting for the person we like best. Unfortunately with the way our system is designed, we rarely have that privilege. And by voting for Nader, the Greenies gave the election to George Bush (along with the Supreme Court).
December 14th, 2007 at 10:11 amJMH,
December 14th, 2007 at 10:12 amI didn’t think the Dem debate was boring at all — they touched on a number of important topics, and there was no food fight. Unlike the Repugnicans who seem to be able to talk about nothing but “my religion is better than your religion.”
…I think people should vote for the candidate that best addresses their concerns. It is up to the candidates to convince us.
There is way too much “voting for the one who is going to win†going on already. There are many who feel it is more important to be seen as supporting the winner than as voting for their interest.
Comment by Peter C — December 14, 2007 @ 9:50 am
WRONG… not at these times…
something i heard sam seder explain, beautifully, the other day:
“Voting is not about self-expression – not about expressing your conscience – it must be pragmatic…”
give the democrats the white house and a real majority in congress – and hold them responsible – is the only way to save the country at this time…
OVERWHELMING DEMOCRATIC VOTER TURNOUT.
IF IT’S NOT CLOSE THEY CAN’T STEAL IT.
worry about the other changes AFTER getting these criminals out of d.c.
…
besides, until the electoral college is abolished, there is no chance of a 3rd party win… and public financing is a start to all that…
December 14th, 2007 at 10:13 am…
#34 bb
December 14th, 2007 at 10:15 amWell said.
Any one of the dems would be far, far superior to our suffering under another pseudo-religious, war-mongering, death-to-the-middle class repugnican.
Just looking at the stage full of them is enough to turn my stomach – not one of them is worthy of running this nation, much less returning what has been stolen and destroyed by Bush&Co for the past 8 years.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — December 14, 2007 @ 10:07 am
First time I’ve agreed with you in a long time.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:23 amSo remind me once again, which party has the majority?
December 14th, 2007 at 10:24 am#39 It appear’s it’s all one big party, all the time and on our dime…..That’s the problem.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:30 am#38, missmolly,
Careful, bobwurst will get jealous if you lavish such attentions on me, and try to horn in on the conversation. That, or he really is trying to bed my mother.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:37 amI t seems to me that the Democratic party is now the party of the dog-licking-up-the-crumbs-after-the-party party. Wow are our expectations low. Just don’t give me a republican. What a winning attitude.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:37 amThat, or he really is trying to bed my mother.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — December 14, 2007 @ 10:37 am
Don’t worry. She told him to take a number and wait his turn.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:43 amReid needs to keep the congress in session over the holidays to thwart chimpy’s sleazy appointments.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:45 am#43, RoS,
Nice one. It seems you’ve learned the rules of improvisation. Now, try to give bobwurst some lessons, before he cries again.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:47 amThis is the reason to register Independent following the primaries. Neither party is accomplishing anything – they’re in gridlock and acting like children. They’re in bed with the special interest groups and have been blackmailed by Bush’s illegal spy program. They’ve been rendered impotent.
The independent party is growing rapidly and has outnumbered the republican party at this point.
You will see a definite focus on independents once the primaries end which is the main reason to change your affiliation – to return the power back to the people.
If the parties are concerned about your votes, they will begin to listen to your requests. There’s power in numbers and the independents will determine our next president.
Besides, if you’re upset with the dems and hate the hapless, criminal-enabling republicans then you will notice a burden lifted from your conscience when you become independent. You will no longer have to feel responsible by association or complicit yourselves.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:49 am#44 If Reid and Palosi would do their job of impeachment they woulden’t have to play these stupid game’s…..Kind of like leaving hall moniter’s on duty after school let’s out..Bunch of GD candy assed looser’s watching over the other thieve’s while they go on vacation…..What a mess, and they would rather play tough than do their job’s….Pitaful….
December 14th, 2007 at 10:51 amkaty: this is the only reason the repukes didn’t steal the midterms. They just couldn’t cook the books and they cannot unless the numbers are pretty even. the next president will win by a landslide, despite the anticipated and obvious corrupt manipulation by the GOP and their voting machine companies.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:51 amNow, try to give bobwurst some lessons, before he cries again.
Comment by Jason M. Hendler — December 14, 2007 @ 10:47 am
Bobwurst will figure it out on his own. TP is a great training ground.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:51 amwitch1: I hear that Wexler is bringing impeachment hearings on GWB to the floor next week so I think it’s coming. Kucinish already has articles in place for Cheney and is now working with Wexler on articles to bring against bush.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:52 am#46, patooty,
… so which Independents are you hoping for? Lou Dobbs, Bloomberg, Ralph Nader, Ross Perot, Colin Powell ….
What type of independent are you looking for? Green, Libertarian, Socialist, Communist?
December 14th, 2007 at 10:53 amBluedahlia: You’re absolutely right and it’s called GOP “blackmail”. You know all of the illegal information obtained by bush’s highly illegal wiretapping program? That’s what’s keeping dems silent.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:53 amTrust me, Jason – None of the ones you’ve mentioned happen to be the one we’re looking for. Frankly, you don’t want to know the one we’re looking for because he would win by a landslide. He’ll appear on the radar soon enough and save this country from itself. He’s the only one who can do it, as we all so well know. Why does it frighten you so that the Independents now number a good 10 percentage points higher than your scumbag party, the Republicans? Guess it must really make you feel depressed, eh?
December 14th, 2007 at 10:55 amHendler: Communist? Now that’s fascinating since Bush does business with Communists every day of the week – China. And, they happen to hold, thanks to bush, l/3 of our national debt. Thought we didn’t do business with Communists?
December 14th, 2007 at 10:57 amPlease don’t get me wrong Bilbo and Katy,
I voted for Gore and I campaigned VIGOROUSLY for Kerry and a Democratic candidate for the house in 2006 from a neighboring district (my home district has always been solidly liberal). I will support (and campaign for) the nominee, for exactly the reasons you cite.
I am furious that our voting technology is so compromised and I fought tooth and nail to try to prevent DREs being purchased by my county. I am also simmeringly mad that Kerry didn’t more actively contest Ohio; all of the opposition and push for investigation after the Ohio vote came from the greens and the libertarians.
And, I’m increasingly angry with my party’s leaders. I don’t feel they are listening; I, too, have had difficulty with Pelosi’s e-mail, and when I (hand) wrote her a long letter and sent it snail-mail, I got back NOTHING, not even the usual crap about “not being in her district”. All of her published reasons for opposing impeachment seem facile, insultingly disengenuous, and easily countered with sound logic and tactics. I see this administration as criminals and I want the Democrats to fight them instead of buying into their frame and playing nice with them.
So, again, while I disagree with the greenies about tactics (and agree with you), I can’t blame them for feeling even more ignored and marginalized than I feel, and I don’t think anger toward them will help bring them back.
Also, my comments about “voting for the winner” were intended to be a criticism of the media’s focus on the “horserace” and its promotion of a “WE’RE NUMBER ONE! YOU GUYS ARE SCUM!” triumphalism surrounding politics. Politics has become too much of a spectator sport and not enough about voting for those who protect our interests by sound positions on actual issues.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:59 amJay, I can’t help but notice that you chose to abandon your pointless point about libs being the vicious ones. And instead you hide behind your mommy, again. typical repubican.
December 14th, 2007 at 10:59 amPatooty, Yep! I knew that about the impeachment…What’s distressing to me is the way the dem’s are going along with the media and kicking their own to the curb…Note, Kucenich and Gravel dropped from debate’s…Les’t we forget what they did to Nadar and even Dean….Eating your own does not go well for election’s and the stage is being set by the dem’s as well as rep’s for a repeat performance of past lost election’s….
BTW, jason….becoming an independent doe’s not mean voter’s will vote for an independent as much as it show’s disapproval..I think the vast majority of the voter’s changing their party is ment to send a big message to their representative’s…..Time to shape up or get shipped out….Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 11:06 amWhosale prices jumped 3.2%…Not since Nixon in 1973 have they jumped this high…Note also people getting job’s have taken a 20% reduction hit on wage’s from their previous job’s…Gasoline price’s were a contributing factor in 73, same as now….Gee who would of thought we would continue to go back word’s and deeper in debt every time the rep’s are in…Blessings, we realy need them..Peace is the only answer.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:16 amHey, Sharon!! Nice reading you.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:18 amBack at ya Juan C…Have a wonderful day….Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 11:19 amgive the democrats the white house and a real majority in congress – and hold them responsible – is the only way to save the country at this time…
Comment by katy — December 14, 2007 @ 10:13 am
————–
This is the only way to get our country back on track. At least you have the majority of the Dem constituency holding both sides to account. The republican voters follow the leader; hook, line and sinker.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:37 amhttp://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=240
“The Iraqi government has ordered all policewomen to hand in their guns for redistribution to men or face having their pay withheld, thwarting a U.S. initiative to bring women into the nation’s police force.
The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued the order late last month, according to ministry documents, U.S. officials and several of the women. It affects all officers who have earned the title “policewoman” by graduating from the police academy. It does not apply to men in the same type of jobs.
Critics say the move is the latest sign of the religious and cultural conservatism that has taken hold in Iraq since Saddam Hussein’s ouster ushered in a government dominated by Shiite Muslims.”
December 14th, 2007 at 11:50 amhttp://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071213/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_ayatollah_al_sadr;_ylt=Akg3ZpS.A4P7mcHf7IawLp6s0NUE
“BAGHDAD – The leader of Iraq’s biggest Shiite militia movement has quietly resumed seminary studies toward attaining the title of ayatollah – a goal that could make firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army an even more formidable power broker in Iraq.”
December 14th, 2007 at 11:52 amDavid Michael Green —
Indeed, one could explain the public mood quite succinctly, as follows: The right sought power in America. They got it. They implemented their agenda.
Unfettered. It sucked. People hate it.
That’s really just about it.
And what kills me is how these guys are both such lousy winners and lousy losers. Maybe they’re just lousy, period. All I know is that they had it all – Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court. They had a national trauma which gave legitimacy to a stolen presidency and immediately jacked it up from its 50 percent approval rating and rapidly descending trajectory into stratospheric levels of support. They had the world loving America for the first time in a long time, and they had international support for attacking the country’s purported enemies.
Now it’s all gone. And, while you’ll hear rumblings about Dan Rather this, and Tom Daschle that, the simple truth is that the policies of the regressive agenda failed precisely because of the political success of the regressive movement.
That’s right. (Very right, actually.) These folks are very good at campaigning and complaining, and especially so in an environment in which no one pushes back. They can demonize like nobody’s business (except Wall Street’s business, of course). They can fearmonger better than any dimestore preacher or fire-and-brimstone pope. They can bully just like Tailgunner Joe McCarthy taught them so well how to do.
All of which means that if the press is too fearful to call them on it, and the ‘opposition party’ is hardly worthy of either word in that label, they can win elections.
But when they transition from the disloyal opposition to actually governing, they run into a small problem, which is that people don’t happen to like their policies.
December 14th, 2007 at 11:52 amKaty and wijg, I only agree in part of your post’s…..First off you are over looking the fact that Palosi knew before 9/11 about the bush wiretapping…I can understand her silence up to 2006 but not after…Next, Palosi and many other dem’s knew and approved of torture, the patriot act and to many item’s to list here..She took impeachment off the table, they lied to us and continue to….Supporting enabeler’s is the same as supporting the bush regime….Voter’s have another real challenge now, just like during our other lost election’s…..First we can not go for the pretty face or media lie’s and vote for a dem. no matter who as long as a dem get’s in…While the dem’s are kicking their own to the curb instead of standing up and showing back bone many of these dem’s are merely rep. lite….I’m for Kucenich, win, loose or draw…I will write his name in if need be and I don’t care what banner he chooses, he is the only candidate for the constitution, our country and her people..The only one to end the genocidal bush war’s……Ron Paul is running with terrible arien group’s and many of the other’s are in corprate pocket’s….Do as you choose and continue as you all have done in the past will get you what you got then…Remember how they kicked Dean to the curb, that went well, not..Remember what the dem’s did to Nader.? Another no win..Like I said before, do as you choose but remember the past and vote for your country not who you think has the best chance to win..I will never vote for the lesser of 2 evil’s or party only again……..Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 12:05 pmI’m sorry maybe I don’t get it, but I think I do. People still whining for impeachment are wrong, not because this administration does not deserve to be impeached and every last one of them sent to prison, it is because Impeachment proceedings would be a political victory for the republicans. Even if every bit of evidence was laid out and polling showed the public 70% in favor of impeachment. Even if there was no doubt about guilt or incompetence, Bush would not be impeached. There is no way that enough republican would stray from the party line in order to do what is right. They would hold the line, no one would lose their office. Afterwards the republicans would hold it out as a victory proving that Bush and co were not guilty of anything. It really is a no win situation for Democrats.
Ditto for trying to pass any meaningful legislation passed. Using the tools available to them the republicans are making a point of obstructing everything, even things they want. It portrays the democrats as bad at governance. The republicans do not care if anything gets passed, in fact they want nothing passed they feel it helps them. The democrats on the other hand can not and will not violate the rules and treat the republicans in a manner similar to how the dems were treated when they were the minority. For me I personally would like them to pull out all the shitty tools the republicans have used. But for the country I think it best that the dems rise above the strong armed unethical tactics that the republicans used to silence the minority party for so long. It is the only way to move forward. That being said I see how things are being handled in Washington and exactly who is the obstructionist party. Hopefully the rest of the people will see the same things I am seeing.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:19 pmSadly, severus….The public doe’s not see it that way,they see the dem’s being spinless, caving and lieing to the voter’s….The voter’s think most of the dem’s are merely rep. lite or just another side of the same coin…..Since the Dem’s have betrayed us and not fulfilled their promise of impeachment, ending the war and all the thing’s I mentioned in my post above they lost their credability….Further what they (Palosi and other’s) knew and allowed is disgusting…..On a personal level, betrayal and treason are one in the same, Palosi need’s to be impeached as well…..Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pm#53, Patooty,
You are right in that I have no idea as to whom you could be alluding, that could actually win over both Dem and Rep candidates. I see no one from the “progressive” movement that carries any national standing as a world leader, which a President has to be.
By the by, “springing” a candidate late on an electorate won’t buy you any advantage, and it’s better to vet them sooner, rather than later. I look forward to seeing your true messiah.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:41 pmwe’re “team effort” types Jason – no need for “messiahs”, nor any want.
did you ever notice that our country has “Founding Fathers”, and not a singular “founding father”??
“nation of laws, not of men” – -ever hear that one?
December 14th, 2007 at 12:56 pmyour mock superiority tone is improving though – with more practice, you’ll sound just as pompous and incoherent as Ol’bigfoot himself.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:57 pm#70…LOL..Good one…Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 1:01 pmIn Washington today, President Bush predictably decried the conclusion of the Mitchell report, proclaiming “steroids have sullied the game.” Even less surprising is Bush’s call to put the steroid scandal “behind us.” George W. Bush, after all, was the managing partner of the major league baseball’s Texas Rangers, a team that featured many prominent abusers of performance-enhancing drugs, including his good friend Rafael Palmeiro.
For the details, see:
December 14th, 2007 at 1:04 pm“Bush Plays Dumb on Mitchell Report, Own MLB Steroid Role.”
#69, 70, tommyboy,
Actually, George Washington is viewed as THE founding father, without whom, the other “fathers” wouldn’t have pulled it together. Next in importance, Washington’s right hand man, Alexander Hamilton, authored the Federalist papers, and with James Madison, wrote and lobbied for our current US Constitution. I would place Jefferson 3rd, but only for the sheer volume of his contribution, not the quality.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:07 pmNo – Washington is NOT seen as a single person without whom our country wouldn’t exist.
get a library card, and use it.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pma few people with a really shaky grasp on history probably do think that, but it doesn’t make it true.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:08 pmSenate passes CAFE standards, after removing electric power generation regulations and oil company taxes:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5imPz0z6szykAL-CAKZDEZOAiDREgD8TH4BO82
I hope that the Dem Congress revisits the electric power generation regulations, requiring a certain percent of power to be renewable. Perhaps with more thought and discussion, Dems and Reps can produce a bill that is fair to all states.
December 14th, 2007 at 1:11 pmCareful Angryone,….Next you will bring Exley out to play…LOL..Blessings
December 14th, 2007 at 1:12 pmY, J, that whole “renewable energy” thing is stupid, huh?
December 14th, 2007 at 1:19 pmThe U.S. military paid a Florida company nearly $32 million to build barracks and offices for Iraqi army units even though nothing was ever built, Pentagon investigators reported.â€
These Floridians are learning well from Hallilburton…
December 14th, 2007 at 1:21 pmFlorida. Wonder if Jeb Bush and hanging chads had anything to do with it ?
December 14th, 2007 at 2:01 pmWonderful posts Witch!
December 14th, 2007 at 2:27 pmBlessings to you as well.
Thank You, Bluedahlia……Good to read you here as well…Blessings~Peace.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:33 pmIllegal immigrant don’t affect the job market, whaaa??? How do we survive in Canada without illegal aliens then, I’m confused *scratching my head*
Go to http://www.contractortalk.com and you will see how bad illegal immigration has affected their wages and earning potential. These so called “jobs nobody wants to do” are a living for many many American families that these young hispanics come in to do for dirt cheap.
December 15th, 2007 at 10:41 pmAnd by the way, wages are rising very nicely in Canada without illegal immigrants.
Just bring in legal immigrants according to supply and demand restrictions and you wont see a stagnation in wages like we see in the U.S.
December 15th, 2007 at 10:44 pm