ThinkFast: June 2, 2008
ThinkFast: June 2, 2008
Australian troops “ended their main combat mission in Iraq on Sunday, handing over their responsibilities in southern Iraq to U.S. forces.” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was elected last November, “had pledged during campaigning to end his country’s frontline military role in Iraq.”
“American deaths in the Iraq war dropped to 19 in May, their lowest monthly level since the invasion in 2003, the United States military said Sunday.” But military officials are “reluctant to highlight the number as a milestone” because “there have been troughs in American casualty rates before, only to be followed by increases.”
Using information gleaned from statements by the “U.S. military, the Council of Europe and related parliamentary bodies, and the testimonies of prisoners,” human rights lawyers have said that the “United States is operating ‘floating prisons’ to house those arrested in its war on terror” in “an attempt to conceal the numbers and whereabouts of detainees.
A draft declaration shows that the “United States is blocking efforts to get next month’s Group of Eight summit to agree targets for cutting carbon emissions over the next 20 years.” The Bush administration is insisting climate action come only through its “Major Emitters” group.
“It is time for Michael Mukasey, the attorney general, to stand up for justice by enforcing Congress’s subpoenas,” the New York Times says of the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. “If he will not do that, Congress must ensure that its investigative authority is not thwarted. Mr. Rove seems willing to talk about this case everywhere except where he is required to.”
Worker advocates and lawmakers say the fact that “hundreds of workers have been sentenced but not one company official as yet faces any charges” following “the biggest immigration raid in U.S. history” is “typical of a federal government that is tough on employees but easy on owners.” Of the 389 workers arrested in the May 14 raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant in Postville, IA, 297 have pleaded guilty.
The U.S. State Department “has reinstated seven Fulbright grants offered to Palestinians in Gaza for advanced study in the United States, reversing a decision to withdraw the scholarships because of Israel’s ban on Palestinians’ leaving Gaza for study abroad.”
In the next several weeks, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “intends to call up a number of union-friendly measures,” including bills expanding “collective-bargaining rights for firefighters and other public safety employees” and requiring that “workers on projects to bolster renewable-energy facilities be paid the local prevailing wage.”
“Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions.” The practice suggests that “some of the nation’s neediest students will be hurt the most.”
And finally: Fox News host Bill O’Reilly has been whining that Scott McClellan hasn’t yet come on his show. O’Reilly has claimed that McClellan’s promotion strategy has been, “Go to the Bush-hater people and that’s where we’ll sell our books.” McClellan’s publishers claim that they tried to book McClellan on O’Reilly’s show, but his bookers balked at not getting the former White House press secretary first — before NBC’s Today Show. McClellan is now due to appear tonight.
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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When I read this, I thought I’d accidentally linked to The Onion. What alternate universe have we entered this year? I don’t know what to make of it.
Drudge Report keeps campaigns guessing
Now, as Obama and Senator John McCain look toward the fall, Drudge has emerged unexpectedly as more of a threat to the Republican than to the Democrat. This, combined with the rise of left-leaning sites such as Talking Points Memo and Huffington Post—both of which have proven effective in promoting and amplifying a Democratic message—reflects a major shift from the last two presidential elections, a matter of open alarm to Republican strategists and surprised satisfaction to Democrats.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/10744.html
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:06 amOn the subject of declining military casualties:
I’ve said to others recently that the Bush Administration was likely to “stand down” and hole-up hundreds of troops, basically benching them, to artificially bring down casualties in advance of the election so they can use it to propagandize “how well” the war is going. Violence might very well be down because there are fewer troops to shoot at.
I don’t know if this is the case or not, but it deserves looking into. If true, it greatly bolsters the argument that pulling troops out won’t “create” violence but reduce it.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 am“It is time for Michael Mukasey, the attorney general, to stand up for justice by enforcing Congress’s subpoenas,” -NYT
It’s time to get a real AG. Mukasey’s efforts, to date, have been pathetic. While Turdblossom rakes in dough talking about how smart he is, the joke is on Justice. Rove should be in a holding cell; not making money snidely hinting at how ‘good’ he was.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 amOh, & Schumer & Di-Fi, thanks for nothing. Your support of Mukasey just prolonged our Nation in having Justice restored.
Ex-lawmaker still may face prosecution in OSU ticket sales
State lawmakers have been warned at least three times in the past two years that they are not allowed to resell their Ohio State football tickets for a profit. Both Senate President Bill M. Harris and House Speaker Jon Husted said yesterday that members should have been aware of the law, which allegedly has been violated for years by former Rep. John Widowfield, a Cuyahoga Falls Republican who resigned Wednesday. He apparently purchased tickets with campaign money and sold them online for a profit.
His resignation followed a private meeting of the Joint Legislative Ethics Committee, which had begun investigating his alleged scalping activities. Widowfield’s departure doesn’t mean he has escaped legal trouble. Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien, who is responsible for handling potential criminal issues related to the Statehouse, said he met yesterday afternoon with Legislative Inspector General Tony Bledsoe and representatives of the secretary of state’s office to discuss the Widowfield situation.
Campaign reports show that Widowfield spent more than $7,700 on football tickets from 2002 to 2006. Buying tickets with campaign money is legal; reselling them for a profit is a violation of both state campaign-finance and ethics laws.
“Any legislator or legislative employee who obtains a ticket because of her status as a public official or employee may not sell that ticket in order to realize a personal profit,” Bledsoe wrote in a memo to lawmakers on Nov. 14, 2006, just before the Ohio State-Michigan game in Columbus, when the teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation.
Sources close to the Ethics Committee said Widowfield sold four tickets to that game, netting $6,000. He allegedly used a staffer to meet ticket-buyers at the Blackwell Hotel, near Ohio Stadium.
http://columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/05/30/widow30.ART_ART_05-30-08_B1_QVABPG9.html?sid=101
It is sad what politics and greed can do to someone that started out with wonderful ideas and good intentions. The seat for the 42nd District, which represents Hudson, Silver Lake, Cuyahoga Falls, Munroe Falls and Stow, is being sought by Hudsonites Richard Nero (R) and Mike Moran (D). I am not sure who will get this seat in my district, but other than Widowfield, people usually vote for the Democrat in this part of Ohio. Moran (D) said in a statement. “I would hope that they would follow the lead of Governor Strickland and appoint a nonpolitical person to hold the office until the voters choose.”
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 amAs much as I would like to see justice meted out to the w administration, what will be done with any information that rove may provide to a Congressional committee? pelosi knew that if she took impeachment off the table before the election the dems would lose in 2006. The election then put dems in place, but, in fact, as rove predicted, the rethugs actually won. I want rove to testify, but I doubt that anything worthwhile will come out of it.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:08 ambandwagon/Kilo:
I repeat: There is no good news from falsely occupying a sovereign nation that imposed no threat to anyone, killing hundreds of thousands of its citizens, murdering their nefarious leader in order to replace him with feuding religious sects, taking advantage of American soldiers who planned to defend our country from actual threats, and putting an entire nation nto teh position of having to choose between food and gas because your “war” wasted billions of their hard-earned tax dollars.
The ONLY possible good news will be “we’re leaving”.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:09 amTed Kennedy Undergoing Brain Tumor Surgery Today
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will undergo surgery Monday at Duke University Medical Center for his cancerous brain tumor, his office said. The 76-year-old senator was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an especially lethal type of brain tumor. A statement from the Massachusetts Democrat’s office said he would be operated on Monday morning in Durham, N.C., by neurosurgeon Allan Friedman, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Anthony Coley, a Kennedy spokesman, said the surgery is expected to begin around 9 a.m. It is expected to last about six hours.
After his treatment, Kennedy said, “I look forward to returning to the United States Senate and to doing everything I can to help elect Barack Obama as our next president.” Kennedy has endorsed Obama, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/06/02/ted-kennedy-undergoing-br_n_104612.html
Good Luck Ted, we can’t wait to see you back in the Senate.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 amIf Mukasey won’t do his job, exactly why are we paying him? He needs to be fired!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 amThat is unrealistic. It requires a spine to stand.
Oh. And bite me, Chuck Schumer.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 amhey bandwagon, kilo, gigi et al, it’s almost safe enough for you chickenhawks to go and fight, right?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:13 am“Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions.” The practice suggests that “some of the nation’s neediest students will be hurt the most.”
College should be FREE. If we would examine other countries who provide free college education, we would notice that doing so would IMPROVE our country.
The stats show how the more education a person has, the more money he or she will make over the course of a lifetime. Shouldn’t that in and of itself be enough of an appeal to conservatives who put earned income above all else?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 amno, bobwurst, it is NEVER safe enough for Typical Republican Cowards that are hiding under Dubya’s cheerleading skirt to be protected from imaginary threats and bogeymen.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 amReuters reported: “Karzai says Western forces bungled war on Taliban”
International forces in Afghanistan have mismanaged the fight against the Taliban, leading to a rise in violence, and now risk losing people’s goodwill, President Hamid Karzai told an Indian news channel.
http://in.reuters.com/article/southAsiaNews/idINIndia-33863420080602?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:14 amBilly Krisco’s NYT op-ed this morning disses Obama for not including the military as an American ‘career choice’.
This from a little chickenshithawk that never served. In fact, the only thing Kristol has ever served is bullshit, and he’s managed to serve enough of that to fill an all you can eat buffet line.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 amDisplaced by Katrina and Edged out of FEMA Trailer Parks
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, pressed by reports of potentially hazardous formaldehyde levels in trailers, is rushing to close its last six emergency trailer parks by the first day of hurricane season. FEMA says that no one will be kicked out of their trailer parks if they haven’t found a place to stay. With 27 of the 575 units at Renaissance Village in Baker still occupied Saturday, an agency spokesman acknowledged it might take a few more days to empty the park.
Yet critics accuse the agency of pressing residents to leave before they have found permanent housing. With affordable apartments in short supply, some are relocating to motels — they can stay there for up to 30 days while they hunt for a new residence. Even those who have found rental apartments and houses do not necessarily have a plan for paying the rent when the government’s emergency subsidies run out.
Moving is an immense challenge for residents without access to transportation or phones. At midweek, with the deadline looming, there were almost as many recovery workers and caseworkers at the park as residents. They scrambled to help people tour apartments, fax leases to landlords, track down copies of birth certificates.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/01/9344/
These people just keep getting the shaft from this administration.
Howard accused of war crimes over Iraq troop deployment
A legal brief has been sent to the International Criminal Court (ICC) alleging former prime minister John Howard committed a war crime by sending troops to Iraq. A loose alliance of peace activists, lawyers, academics and politicians is behind the brief, organised by the ICC Action group in Melbourne. Organiser Glen Floyd says Mr Howard should be held accountable for sending troops to a war not sanctioned by the United Nations. “This action has been taken to hold those accountable for their action, so it’s essentially our prime minister – he was the one at the time [who] was the executive of government, made the decision,” she said. ‘It wasn’t put to the Parliament and as we all know, it turned out to be unjustified.” A similar brief has been sent by a group from the United Kingdom regarding former prime minister Tony Blair. The United States is not a signatory to the court.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/02/2262414.htm?section=australia
Other countries are starting a campaign to hold their leaders responsible for the invasion of Iraq. The tide is changing for the good.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:17 amZimzone Says: This from a little chickenshithawk that never served. In fact, the only thing Kristol has ever served is bullshit, and he’s managed to serve enough of that to fill an all you can eat buffet line.
They’ve raised the age limit again – Kristol should suit up and stand as an example – or simply shut up.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 amIn other news, in her latest tactic to secure the Democratic nomination for president, Hillary Clinton is going after Obama’s superdelegates:
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:19 am
A draft declaration shows that the “United States is blocking efforts to get next month’s Group of Eight summit to agree targets for cutting carbon emissions over the next 20 years.” The Bush administration is insisting climate action come only through its “Major Emitters” group.
This is reprehensible. What has this country become.
Hopefully the first thing Obama will do when he takes office will be to right these wrongs. I also hope that he apologizes to the world for the sins of the Bush Administration.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:20 amThe Great Oil Swindle
How much did the Fed really know?
The Commodity Futures and Trading Commission (CFTC) is investigating trading in oil futures to determine whether the surge in prices to record levels is the result of manipulation or fraud. They might want to take a look at wheat, rice and corn futures while they’re at it. The whole thing is a hoax cooked up by the investment banks and hedge funds who are trying to dig their way out of the trillion dollar mortgage-backed securities (MBS) mess that they created by turning garbage loans into securities. That scam blew up in their face last August and left them scrounging for handouts from the Federal Reserve. Now the billions of dollars they’re getting from the Fed is being diverted into commodities which is destabilizing the world economy; driving gas prices to the moon and triggering food riots across the planet.
For months we’ve been told that the soaring price of oil has been the result of Peak Oil, fighting in Iraq, attacks on oil facilities in Nigeria, labor problems in Norway, and (the all-time favorite)growth in China. It’s all baloney. Just like Goldman Sachs prediction of $200 per barrel oil is baloney. If oil is about to skyrocket then why has G-Sax kept a neutral rating on some of its oil holdings like Exxon Mobile? Could it be that they know that oil is just another mega-inflated equity bubble—like housing, corporate bonds and dot.com stocks—that is about to crash to earth as soon as the big players grab a parachute?
There are three things that are driving up the price of oil: the falling dollar, speculation and buying on margin.
The dollar is tanking because of the Federal Reserve’s low interest monetary policies have kept interest rates below the rate of inflation for most of the last decade. Add that to the $700 billion current account deficit and a National Debt that has increased from $5.8 trillion when Bush first took office to over $9 trillion today and it’s a wonder the dollar hasn’t gone “Poof” already.
According to a January 4 editorial in the Wall Street Journal: “If the dollar had remained ‘as good as gold’ since 2001, oil today would be selling at about $30 per barrel, not $99. (today $126 per barrel) The decline of the dollar against gold and oil suggests a US monetary that is supplying too many dollars.” Wall Street Journal 1-4-08
The price of oil has more than quadrupled since 2001, from roughly $30 per barrel to $126, WITHOUT ANY DISRUPTIONS TO SUPPLY. There’s no shortage; it’s just gibberish.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=9138
**I have been so puzzled that the markets have stayed relatively unaffected with all the bad economic news. I felt someone had to be throwing money in the market — and it looks like that is what’s going on. If they are continuing to trade their worthless mortgate money it’s going to continue being a house of cards and will probably collapse with even worse consequences. The economics of greed will be the bane of us all.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:21 amalso contributing to the fall of the dollar is the M2 money supply. It’s going up at an alarming rate.
http://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/h6/current/
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:This is reprehensible. What has this country become.
I’m beginng into think that the pedulum has swung so far to the right – almost as far as it can swing to the right in fact – that it’s simply a matter of inevitability that it is now beginning to swing back toward the left… I just hope that this time, we do a better job keeping it closer to the center (left of center that is).
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:25 amOur Nation’s Self-Respect Demands Impeachment
I wept to see Sami al Haj embrace his young son for the first time after six years in Guantanamo prison. Sami al Haj, a Sudanese news cameraman, was seized in Pakistan while working for al Jazeera News. He was imprisoned, tortured and brutalized by Americans while there. Like most prisoners held at Guantanamo, al Haj was never tried or charged. After his release, Sami al Haj arrived in Sudan and was immediately rushed to a hospital by ambulance, weakened by his 438-day hunger strike in Guantanamo. His message to our government: “Torture does not stop terrorism, torture is terrorism.”
The U.S. government evidence against him says, “He was trained in the use of cameras by al Jazeera News.” The American people have a choice ahead of them. They can continue to be shamed as a nation of torturers, or they can put a stop to this administration’s ongoing crimes against humanity. The administration is already expanding prisons around the world, where the abuse of human rights will continue. A new 40-acre prison is under construction in Afghanistan.
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/06/01/9347/
With the political propaganda machine working on all the networks, I believe that is what caused many of the citizens to not cry out for Impeachment over a year ago. Now the problem we face, which is a big concern, if proceedings start will Bush give blanket pardons before he leaves office or will someone else who takes office after him. Which if history repeats itself, Ford’s pardon of Nixon, is this justice? That isn’t justice that is a free pass — get out of jail card– with no accountability. This administration’s atrocities,(human rights violations, torture, invasion of privacy, spying on citizens, and the trashing of the Constitution) are unparalleled to any previous Presidency. Only if they get jail sentences to fit the crime can this nation hold it’s head up high again.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 amBriseadh na Faire Says:
In other news, in her latest tactic to secure the Democratic nomination for president, Hillary Clinton is going after Obama’s superdelegates.
Hillary is playing a dangerous game encouraging super delegates to change their minds. Why? Because it’s more likely that Hillary’s super delegates are going to defect to Obama than vice versa. That would be the ultimate humiliation for Hillary Rove Clinton.
Oh well, after Tuesday she will become irrelevant. The news is going to ignore her and follow Obama’s fight with McCain. The only way she will be able to get news coverage is to throw another hissy fit and that won’t garner her good coverage.
So TP, are you going to wait until after the convention to start covering Obama’s run for the White house?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 am>I guess Toilet Paper “TP” was forced to say something >positive about the Iraq War.
Its hot outside. Sadr called a truce. If that equals “something positive”, well…theres several trillion american tax dollars well spent.
oh, and what did you ignore, TP? I’ve mailed this to you and posted it repeatedly, no clue why you think it isnt worthy of its own thread:
Murdoch predicts McCain will lose, calls him unpredicatable
and ignorant:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/29/murdoch-predicts-mccain-will-lose/
“While calling himself a friend of McCain, Murdoch said his lengthy stint in Congress has led the Arizona senator to make so many compromises that it is not clear where he stands on the major issues. He also called McCain “unpredictable,” and questioned his knowledge on economic issues. “
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 ambandwagon Says
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
I guess Toilet Paper “TP” was forced to say something positive about the Iraq War.
________________________________________
1. Think Progress (and this is what TP stands for, since it’s obvious you are clueless) has always reported it when American deaths are lower. Also when they are higher.
2. 19 fatalities in Iraq is still 19 too many. While it’s certainly better than a higher number, I would hardly call it “positive” when our occupation is still getting our soldiers killed. Ask those 19 families who just lost a loved one how “positive” this is.
3. Your “Toilet Paper” moniker might have had about one degree of cleverness the first time you used it, IF you were the first one who thought of it (and you weren’t). However, your using it over and over has become wearisome. I would suggest that if your opinion of this site is so low, perhaps you should go bother people elsewhere.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am“It is time for Michael Mukasey, the attorney general, to stand up for justice by enforcing Congress’s subpoenas,” the New York Times says of the prosecution of former Alabama governor Don Siegelman. “If he will not do that, Congress must ensure that its investigative authority is not thwarted. Mr. Rove seems willing to talk about this case everywhere except where he is required to.”
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!? “Congress must ensure that its investigative authority is not thwarted.” They did that when Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein voted for Mukasey. They insured that the President wouldn’t be held accountable.
If the Attorney General wont do his job, then IMPEACH HIS A*S!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:28 am>bandwagon/Kilo
hey UB, curious to know what leads to you beleive bandwagon is Kilo..that dude was incapable of expressing anything in sentences less than a paragraph long. sorta the inverse of the monoslyabic trolls around here..
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:30 amThis administration’s atrocities,(human rights violations, torture, invasion of privacy, spying on citizens, and the trashing of the Constitution) are unparalleled to any previous Presidency. Only if they get jail sentences to fit the crime can this nation hold it’s head up high again.
That had to be said again.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:30 amChocolate Jesus Says: hey UB, curious to know what leads to you beleive bandwagon is Kilo..that dude was incapable of expressing anything in sentences less than a paragraph long. sorta the inverse of the monoslyabic trolls around here..
Kilo was making the exact same argument yesterday. They’ve already cleaned up his mess he made about this in the thread about MoveOn.org petitioning Scott McClellan to donate proceeds from his book to Iraqi War Vets.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 amWhich U.S. Cities Contribute Most to Global Warming?
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=which-us-cities-contribute-most-to-global-warming
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:34 am
unbelievable
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:36 amI read Drudge every day — it’s somewhat masochistic, I know, but I often find, among the inane “sludge,” choice bits of news BEFORE any other source. I mentally noted to myself recently that I must be mistaken, but it seems Drudge is advocating Obama — a departure from all other news sources who want to keep Clinton in the running because the Repugs are frothing at the mouth to run against her.
“Fox News host Bill O’Reilly has been whining that Scott McClellan hasn’t yet come on his show.”
_____________________________________________
I say let Bill-o whine. Unfortunately, Scotty caved and will be on tonight. However, he’s probably become used to the wingnut bashing and will have his responses prepared for Bill’s salvos.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:37 amUsing information gleaned from statements by the “U.S. military, the Council of Europe and related parliamentary bodies, and the testimonies of prisoners,” human rights lawyers have said that the “United States is operating ‘floating prisons’ to house those arrested in its war on terror” in “an attempt to conceal the numbers and whereabouts of detainees.
***********************************************************
From the article:
“Ships that are understood to have held prisoners include the USS Bataan and USS Peleliu. A further 15 ships are suspected of having operated around the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which has been used as a military base by the UK and the Americans.”
Am I the only person who sees something horribly ironic and twisted in the fact that the name of this ship is the same as that of a region in the Philippines where one of the most infamous of WWII Japanese war crimes — the Bataan Death March, in which over 600 of the US soldiers taken prisoner died en route — took place? For that matter, am I the only person who fails to perceive the logic in naming a ship after a battle which we lost??
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:39 am“Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions.” The practice suggests that “some of the nation’s neediest students will be hurt the most.”
For-profit titans refusing to finance for-profit educational institutions?
While I understand that federal aid (Pell Grant) and state aid (or as they’re called in my state, the Commonwealth Award Program) stretches further in the community college system, yanking any type of funding from community colleges is a steap back. Take, for example, our presidential candidate, Barack Obama. He supports community education and believes it’s vital to sustaining a well-prepared workforce.
By “less competitive,” the financial titans must think that there’s not enough paper-shuffling at the admissions offices. True, there’s a higher attrition rate at the community college system, but it goes to show that the academic programs are strong regardless of the students they attract. First come, first serve. If you leave, you can always come back when you’re ready to meet the rigorous demands.
Community colleges are more appropriately described as “democracy colleges.” They’re easier to diversify, especially in terms of age and race, and you can go from a bad student in H.S. to a person equipped to complete a degree at an undergraduate institution, or you can recieve a two-year technical degree and head straight into the workforce.
Our government, when Obama takes office, needs to tell off the private companies and provide full-force investment in community colleges and public and private colleges and universities. Program maximization, clean-cut access and affordable costs should do it. The modern GI bill is a great example.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
The only way she will be able to get news coverage is to throw another hissy fit and that won’t garner her good coverage.
____________________________________________
I suppose she could always cry again…
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:40 amA chilling global warming forecast
New reports about climate change should have us all sweating about the future.
There’s always a new report about global warming, but the one released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with its charts on optimal temperatures for soybeans and peanuts, is downright creepy in its detail. This isn’t your usual futuristic fodder, with vague but dire predictions. The USDA report is more frightening because it states matter-of-factly the practical changes in farming, forestry and water that are transforming the landscape now and will do so again over the next few decades.
snip
The prognosis for California is especially discouraging. With a smaller snowpack and less rain, the state will experience longer and more severe droughts. Some crops in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys might find higher temperatures intolerable, threatening the state’s status as a food bowl for the nation. California, though stymied by federal regulators, has led the nation in trying to combat greenhouse gases. But it has been slower to take practical steps to adapt to the warming it can’t prevent. The state cannot put off water conservation measures, and with longer and more dangerous fire seasons, it cannot afford to permit increased sprawl into forests and brush areas.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-warming2-2008jun02,0,5120050.story
**So now we are reporting on what the damage is going to be. Will we be able to respoind in time or will we all be dramatically be changing our lifestyles just to survive? I tend to think even our survival is in question unless we at least try to minimize these emissions.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 amzimzone
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 amThe chutzpah and arrogance of the always-smug Kristol is astonishing.
>Kilo was making the exact same argument yesterday
ah ok…I see he’s digressed from his “im being incredibly cryptic and will make my point my refusing to divulge exactly what im referencing” style of “arguing”..notice i use that word in parenthesis because it was extremely cumbersome and difficult to even comphrehend what the dude was trying to say, beyond the basic “im right and you’re too dumb to know you’re agreeing with me” argument.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 amMarie Says: I mentally noted to myself recently that I must be mistaken, but it seems Drudge is advocating Obama — a departure from all other news sources who want to keep Clinton in the running because the Repugs are frothing at the mouth to run against her.
I know what you mean – it has surprised me to see so many staunch conservatives supporting the most liberal candidate. Feels a bit like the Twilight Zone…
Limbaugh has never been one for maturity, but perhaps, some of the less rabid conservatives recognize that Barack Obama is the best candidate – for all the people. And, that because they realize that after the mess the Republicans made that they are going to get a Democrat this year, so it might as well be Obama who doesn’t have grudges against them and truly wants to unite the country?
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 amThe Clinton campaign has really ticked me off — I doubt she can be the nominee, but the scorched-earth tactics of her campaign has done real damage and I don’t think I can ever forgive her, if these shenanigans help to elect McCain.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 amShe will be a pariah in the Senate if she keeps this up, staining her reputation forever.
It’s going to be very interesting, when we eventually do find evidence of life on another planet:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/06/01/phoenix.mars.ap/index.html
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:47 amMinn. mom fights church ban on her autistic son
Carol Race thinks it’s important for her 13-year-old son to be in church on Sundays for Catholic Mass. Leaders of the Church of St. Joseph once felt the same way, but not anymore. They say Race’s autistic son Adam is disruptive and his erratic behavior threatens the safety of other parishioners. The northern Minnesota church has obtained a restraining order to keep Adam away, an action that has been deeply hurtful to the Race family.
Autism is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate and interact with others. The Races have received support from other parents, including Chris and Libby Rupp, who brought their autistic daughter from St. Paul on Memorial Day weekend and sat in the church’s back pew normally occupied by the Races. “I think this case is mostly about not understanding autism,” Libby Rupp said. “I wanted to show them another example. Ultimately, we just need more people to truly understand autism.”
http://www.rawstory.com/news/mochila/Minn_mom_fights_church_ban_on_her_a_06012008.html
This is why Autistic children get kicked out of schools also. Lack of understanding and compassion for these children with disabilities is a constant problem. Because of society’s treatment (children making fun, educators displaying cruel treatment, public perception that they have behavior problems) of these special and gifted children puts undue pressure on the parents. Is one of the main factors that the divorce rate is 85%. Hopefully one day, society will not let ignorance overshadow human decency.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 amChocolate Jesus Says:it was extremely cumbersome and difficult to even comphrehend what the dude was trying to say, beyond the basic “im right and you’re too dumb to know you’re agreeing with me” argument.
It’s amusing when they take our insults against them, and then try to use them, albeit out of cntext, against us – especially when they don’t know what they are talking about. LOL. Silly trolls.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 ambandwagon Says:
I guess Toilet Paper “TP” was forced to say something positive about the Iraq War.
Can you enlighten us as to what positive news you are talking about? I don’t see any. Iraq is still an out-of-control mess with no functioning government and 5 million displaced people. Bin Laden is still on the loose, and Afghanistan is being recaptured by the Taliban.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:53 amMugsy says:
I’ve said to others recently that the Bush Administration was likely to “stand down” and hole-up hundreds of troops, basically benching them, to artificially bring down casualties in advance of the election so they can use it to propagandize “how well” the war is going.
They have done precisely this same thing in the past. The first comment by bandwagon proves that it works on the 29%ers.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 amWho Thinks Wexler Should Be Vice President?
I do.
Brad does.
These people might.
This St. Petersburg Times blogger does.
The Palm Beach Post has noticed Wexler in its own sick twisted way.
The Politico too.
You?
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/
**These are my thoughts as well. I thought his statement during the Rules meeting was awesome. He has actively tried to keep impeachment on the table. He has rallied many of us who have felt we have no voice (or that no one is listning. I think he would be a powerful populist representative in the new administration.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 amOkay, what Bush is trying to do is include China and India and other emerging economies into a Kyoto type agreement.
If you’re really concerned that earth is warming at an alarming pace, the emissions from developing nations is just as hazardous as from developed nations.
China has apparently become the leading emitter of greenhouse gases. Why should we exempt them?
When many of us lament the U.S. economy, don’t we point to the trade deficeit with China and the jobs going to India? If we impose expensive carbon taxes on U.S. companies and exempt Chinese and Indian companies, where will more of the production and jobs go?
If Americans truly want a healthier planet and a strong domestic economy, the presiden’t drive to include China and India seems to make sense.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 am# 47 listning=listening. sorry!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 amMinn. mom fights church ban on her autistic son
Another shining example of Christian love and tolerance… Sigh.
One of my cousins has an autistic son. He, his wife and their children are pretty much prisoners in their own home because they get this sort of treatment whenever they go places.
Unfortunately, I read some where that there is an alarming increase in autism in our country – especially California.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 amAnd while McCain was proclaiming the so called “success” of the surge with the peace in areas of Iraq as validating his own misguided support of same, there were three bombings in those areas.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 amThe number of dead Americans is now 4085. No end in sight.
That “only” 19 died in May is what sort of consolation to the families of those nineteen?
Agree, Marie. Good morning.
I think it’s especially stupid, now that she knows the chances of her winning the nomination are slim, that she’s using Karl Rove’s map to “prove” that she’s the better candidate against McCain. I believe Karl Rove’s map is wrong, and I find it outrageous that she’s even citing any of his drivel. This is in addition to her taking comfort in Republican rules for determining their nominee, claiming that she’d be the nominee if the DNC had their rules in effect.
States like Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, Rove’s map has those in the McCain isle. Nonsense. Virginia, for example, is not a swing state this year, it’s a blue state. Mark Warner, a very popular former governor, will be on the ticket for U.S. Senate, the seat being vacated by John Warner. This is not a year for mix-n-match voting. Mark Warner will win the Senate seat by a wide margin. With that in mind, this is not a year for mix-n-match voting. A vote for Mark Warner in the same booth will be a vote for Barack Obama for president of the United States.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 amunbelievable. Your list of cities is interesting. Honolulu is great because the since the weather is usually the same (and perfect), theirs not much need to condition the air. And most things are close enough to walk, and it reduces the transportation needs.
I watched a news program yesterday that suggested there could be more of a move back to cities (from suburbs) based on the rising price of gas. Commuters are trading in SUVs for smaller cars and might trade their house in the suburbs for something downtown.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 am#50 unbelievable Says:
Minn. mom fights church ban on her autistic son
Another shining example of Christian love and tolerance… Sigh.
One of my cousins has an autistic son. He, his wife and their children are pretty much prisoners in their own home because they get this sort of treatment whenever they go places.
Unfortunately, I read some where that there is an alarming increase in autism in our country – especially California.
When my son was diagnosed 15 years ago, there were 1 in every 10,000 children with Autism. Today it is 1 in every 150 children have Autism. My son is 17 years old.
He was harassed by a Speech Therapist when he was in second grade, by a pre-school teacher that didn’t want any child with disabilities in her class. He has had bus drivers reduce him to tears when he was in first grade, on a daily basis because he liked to sing. The list goes on and on. The great part is he accepts everyone, and has a great sense of humor. Which is very rare in Autistic children and teenagers, because humor is a concept.
I’m sorry that your cousins have had to put up with this kind of intolerance. I work with Autistic Teenagers, it is wonderful to view the world through their eyes. They don’t hate, hold grudges, make fun of others, or lie. They are truly the most misunderstood people.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 amunbelievable Says:
Unfortunately, I read some where that there is an alarming increase in autism in our country – especially California.
**My grandniece, who was born with a cleft palate, was diagnosed with autism at about 18 months. Talk about a double whammy. We live in northern California. She has been in rehab for about 8 months and has become a bit more social. My nephew and his wife don’t take her out that often because it just overloads her system. It has taken a toll on our entire family and is heartbreaking.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 amMcWars Says: States like Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia, Rove’s map has those in the McCain isle. Nonsense.
Black voter turn-out will definitely change some traditional benchmarks this year. As will the youth vote. I think the Republicans, and Hillary, might be surprised to see that we are playing a very different game this year.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:17 amSome think the autism link is to high levels of mecury in the increasing amount of vaccinations given to young children.
My son isn’t autistic, but highly ADHD. We homeschool him because of it and he’s doing a lot better, because he’s not dealing with the daily aggravation of being with people that don’t understand and think he is only misbehaving.
Why this woman would want to fight a ban so she can stay in an intolerant place; confuses me.
There are tolerant people out there. I think she’d be better off trying to find a new church.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 amMarie is right. The death toll is very sad but please don’t forget the ones who survived and will never be the same. Good news my ass. The trolls here have no f*ing clue about reality and should either grow up or head back to their parents basement and grab their Wii Wii.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 amg’morning… just started reading… off the bat, this:
“American deaths in the Iraq war dropped to 19 in May, their lowest monthly level since the invasion in 2003…”
compared with this, from C&L:
VetVoice:
While U.S. hostile fire fatalities in Iraq last month dropped to their lowest level since December, the news has been far grimmer coming out of Afghanistan. In terms of enemy fire, May 2008 was the second deadliest month of the war since hostilities began in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11. This also marked the end of the deadliest 12-month period for U.S. troops in combat in Afghanistan since the war began nearly seven years ago.
talking to my neighbor the other day… she’s busy with wedding plans for her son… and then he’s off to afghanistan… until reading this, i was hopeful…
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:21 am“they’re needed there”, i thought…
backup,
I was surprised to see El Paso on the list. I’ve been there. It’s nothing like the other top ten cities. :D
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 amthe “United States is operating ‘floating prisons’ to house those arrested in its war on terror” in “an attempt to conceal the numbers and whereabouts of detainees.
A legacy of shame. Thanks an effing lot, BushitCo, for fu(king up our country, it’s heritage, reputation and standing in the world community.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 ambackup says:
If Americans truly want a healthier planet and a strong domestic economy, the presiden’t drive to include China and India seems to make sense.
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 am
_______
Agreed. I think the agreements should include more than just China and India, though. Countries such as Indonesia are causing just as much environmental damage by clear-cutting rain forest to plant palm trees for biofuel – and they’re also not covered by Kyoto due to their “developing nation” status..
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amHi bandwagon?
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amWanna discuss age after any point you make gets totally destroyed by the toughtful people? The tioloet paper deal is sort of tired and juvenile don’t you agree?
not one company official as yet faces any charges” following “the biggest immigration raid in U.S. history” is “typical of a federal government that is tough on employees but easy on owners.”
And the ONLY way to stop the flow of undocumented workers is to shut off the employment spigot.
Put the corporate officers in JAIL!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amspeaking of NYT (mukasey), did i miss this mess at TP?:
NYT has second thoughts about “Sharia smear” on Obama
Reuters – 3 hours ago
Thank you, Clark Hoyt. The public editor (ombudsman) of the New York Times has torn apart Edward Luttwak’s op-ed piece on Barack Obama supposedly being a Muslim apostate, right in the Grey Lady’s pages.
The Public Editor Entitled to Their Opinions, Yes. But Their Facts? New York Times
Where Facts are Made-Up Atlantic Online
Counterterrorism Blog – Politico – DemocracyArsenal.org – Commonweal
[...]
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amThe Times Op-Ed page, quite properly, is home to a lot of provocative opinions. But all are supposed to be grounded on the bedrock of fact. Op-Ed writers are entitled to emphasize facts that support their arguments and minimize others that don’t. But they are not entitled to get the facts wrong or to so mangle them that they present a false picture.
[...] -NYT
I’m glad you’re seeing progress in your son, backup.
The public can be cruel and intolerant. Any parent who sees that light and chooses to administer a solid curriculum to their child(ren) in the comfort of their own home, is a solid parent. I think the stigma of homeschooling is cancelled where the parent is well-educated and well-prepared to take on the task of teaching, to the level of a quality public school.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 amtheir objective observation of the positive implications of a democratic outcome.
If such an outcome were possible, likely, or feasible, that would be one thing.
In a nation with NO history, or culture, or institutions that democracy needs to be successful, it is NONE OF THE ABOVE.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 amFreedom Rebel Says: He was harassed by a Speech Therapist when he was in second grade, by a pre-school teacher that didn’t want any child with disabilities in her class. He has had bus drivers reduce him to tears when he was in first grade, on a daily basis because he liked to sing. The list goes on and on. The great part is he accepts everyone, and has a great sense of humor. Which is very rare in Autistic children and teenagers, because humor is a concept.
I’m so sorry to hear that. What did you do? What do you do?
There was a student in the school system where I used to teach (I start teaching college next week) who is Autistic. Teachers weren’t allowed to tell the other students that this student was “special ed”, but, well, like their stupid rules ever stopped me. I couldn’t stand to see them pick on him as they did – which was mercilessly. As soon as the students learned that he was Autistic and what that meant, they stopped harrassing him and were actually much nicer to him. Ignorance about this subject is dangerous.
I’m sorry that your cousins have had to put up with this kind of intolerance. I work with Autistic Teenagers, it is wonderful to view the world through their eyes. They don’t hate, hold grudges, make fun of others, or lie. They are truly the most misunderstood people.
It’s sad how willing we are to abuse people we don’t understand.
I read a fascinating study about certain monkeys who refused to electrically shock other monkeys to get food, even if it meant that they themselves went hungry. In comparision to human behavior, it was noted that we actually get off on hurting other people – unlike the monkeys. Doesn’t say much about us as a species in general…
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 amAnd the beat goes on,
Sorry to hear that.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 ambackup Says: Why this woman would want to fight a ban so she can stay in an intolerant place; confuses me.
Exactly!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:35 amheh. bandwagon thinks…
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 amI’m sorry, but this post is so disgusting, and even though it’s been deleted, I will not let it go:
bandwagon Says
June 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 am
I guess Toilet Paper “TP” was forced to say something positive about the Iraq War.
19 families forever changed is NOT positive.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am19 husbands or wives never coming home is NOT positive.
19 mothers and father burying their sons/daughters is NOT positive.
How your petty little brain can register deaths of our brave men and women as positive is unacceptable.
How you can justify an occupation based on lies is unacceptable.
How you continue to support this a$$ of a supposed leader is unacceptable.
“American deaths in the Iraq war dropped to 19 in May, their lowest monthly level since the invasion in 2003, the United States military said Sunday.” But military officials are “reluctant to highlight the number as a milestone” because “there have been troughs in American casualty rates before, only to be followed by increases.”
The simple fact that there appears to be no resolution in the forseeable future over the clusterfu(k created there by Chimpy and Co doesn’t help , either…………
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 ambandwagon Says:I think everyone with this site is so caught up in the black and white aspect of the war debate that it blinds their objective observation of the positive implications of a democratic outcome.
It’s a historical fact that black people generally haven’t been voting because they don’t think it matters. Black voter turn out in the Primaries has shown what a tremendous voting block they are. It has nothing to do with them being black, but about the ramifications of their recent involvement that WILL make a difference in November – just as the Latino block not voting would make a difference. Just the reality of it.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amWell at least someone has come to their senses. I wish Dictator Bush would do the same. What are we wasting BILLIONS of dollars there on Bushes personal agenda and Global Domination effort?
JJ
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 amIs your ISP watching you?
bandwagon. you’re right. the war in iraq is a completely polarizing issue.
It you think logically about it, most things in life are imperfect. There are positive aspects and negative ones; to almost every issue. They are not black and white.
The polarization of this war leads us (on both sides) to more need jerk reactions than to reasonable debate or a true consideration of what’s really happening in Iraq, and what is really in our best interest and the best interest of the Iraqi people.
The situation in Iraq is not black and white. There are good arguments to keep troops there for some period of time to help stabilize the new democracy. There are also good reasons to believe that our continued presence is only further inflaming tensions in the middle east and only cost us thousands of more soldiers and hundreds of billions of dollars for a lost cause.
We don’t spend much time in an honest debate of the issue, because we are in opposing camps that seem less interested in real solutions of the situation as it is today and more interested in confirmation of positions that we took up 6 years ago.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 amI have an Asperger’s student this semester. Luckily it is the second course he has taken with me so I am used to working with him. Despite the totally brutal nature of children at times, this young man has always been a part of the school district and his peers have grown up with him and understand that he is who he is. We rare exceptions he is just another kid. Admittedly he is on the highly functional end of the spectrum but still I just wanted to note that it is not impossible for these learners in the traditional setting. Man was he a riot at the prom. A young lady who had promised him way back in the 7th grade followed through and made his night. He also was given dancing lessons by a number of others
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:42 ambandwagon Says:
——————————————————————————–
unbelievable Says:
Your name says it all!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:42 am
——————————————————————————–
Your idiocy and Chimpy adoration says a lot more ………
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:44 ambandwagon Says: Your name says it all!
Thank you. (You are aware that unbelievable means ‘amazing’?)
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 amUnfortunately, I read some where that there is an alarming increase in autism in our country – especially California.
While it is certainly possible that the actual cases of Autism have risen over the years, don’t discount the possibility that more children are being diagnosed with Autism simply because pediatricians are better able to recognize it.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 amI see I misinterpretted bandwagon’s rant. Usually when neocons say ‘black and white’ they mean black people and white people.
And it’s usually the neocons who are the absolutists…
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:49 am#68 unbelievable Says:
I’m so sorry to hear that. What did you do? What do you do?
There was a student in the school system where I used to teach (I start teaching college next week) who is Autistic. Teachers weren’t allowed to tell the other students that this student was “special ed”, but, well, like their stupid rules ever stopped me. I couldn’t stand to see them pick on him as they did – which was mercilessly. As soon as the students learned that he was Autistic and what that meant, they stopped harrassing him and were actually much nicer to him. Ignorance about this subject is dangerous.
In my case, I made sure the Speech Therapist that was harassing my son and other Autistic children was terminated. She went out of her way to taunt these children all the time. I started driving my son to school to get him away from the bus drivers, he now rides the bus. But he is 6 foot 2 inches now, and they don’t push the limit. I like to call him my gentle giant.
I basically try to educate people about Autism to help them understand. We have Autism awareness month in all the elementary schools to cut down on the teasing and cruelty. It has helped more with the children than with the teachers. I take my son everywhere, he is my buddy. When he does something unusual (in public)we laugh about it and it sends a message to people around us, think before you make a judgement call. I know he still gets looks and comments, one day at a time is how I have approached it.
But I realize that many parents are prisoners, for many reasons. Occupational Therapy can help in many cases. Also, most autistics benefit from joint compression. My son and I hike all the time to get this. It mellows out these kids, and they have a better attention span.
Have a great day unbelievable!!!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 amI want my country back. Neocons, you’d better be planning for a long, long vacation after November. There’s gonna be hell to pay for what you’ve done to this nation.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 ambackup Says:
We don’t spend much time in an honest debate of the issue, because we are in opposing camps that seem less interested in real solutions of the situation as it is today and more interested in confirmation of positions that we took up 6 years ago.
You’ve made it pretty clear that you’d like nothing better than to talk every issue to death, but the reality is that the “issue” has been debated over and over again and after five years there is no resolution and no change.
It’s the proponents of the occupation that are now whining about “discussion” because their approach has demonstrably failed and they’re no longer in the position of denying that the opposition has a leg to stand on. Too late.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 ambackup Says:
——————————————————————————–
I think everyone with this site is so caught up in the black and white aspect of the war debate that it blinds their objective observation of the positive implications of a democratic outcome.
bandwagon. you’re right. the war in iraq is a completely polarizing issue.
It you think logically about it, most things in life are imperfect. There are positive aspects and negative ones; to almost every issue. They are not black and white.
The polarization of this war leads us (on both sides) to more need jerk reactions than to reasonable debate or a true consideration of what’s really happening in Iraq, and what is really in our best interest and the best interest of the Iraqi people.
The situation in Iraq is not black and white. There are good arguments to keep troops there for some period of time to help stabilize the new democracy. There are also good reasons to believe that our continued presence is only further inflaming tensions in the middle east and only cost us thousands of more soldiers and hundreds of billions of dollars for a lost cause.
We don’t spend much time in an honest debate of the issue, because we are in opposing camps that seem less interested in real solutions of the situation as it is today and more interested in confirmation of positions that we took up 6 years ago.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
What in the fu(king hell are you talking about ?
I know for a FACT that myself , and probably most , if not all of the progressives here , were dead set against illegally invading Iraq right off the bat.
As I , and I’m sure others here have stated numerous times , there is not 1 positive to reflect on the last 7 + years of the Chimpy (miss)administration ; for you to be prattling on now about a “grey area” when there was never any quarter given to those who voiced our dissent/displeasure with everything about this criminal admimistration , is disingenuous at best , and outright dishonest if truth be told.
It took almost 6 years of death and destruction in a sovereign foreign nation for you to finally come around and admit that invading Iraq was dubious at best ; why would anyone who still supports this proven group of incompetent criminals be taken seriously on any level whatsoever ?
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:55 amdbadass Says: A young lady who had promised him way back in the 7th grade followed through and made his night. He also was given dancing lessons by a number of others
Don’t you live in a blue state ? :D
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:55 amMcWars. Thanks. Homeschooling is obviously not for everyone. And public schools work for most people. But, from the anecdotal evidence on this tread, a lot of people don’t understand autism (and autism type conditions).
I don’t blame the people or the schools. They just don’t understand. And because they don’t understand; they chalk it up to bad parenting or misbehaving kids.
By schooling him at home, we now have peace. Peace from the judgement of those that don’t understand. And peace for my son. Peace from constantly being told he is a bad person because of his behavior.
For those out there dealing with similar situations and force to deal with people that don’t understand, my heart goes out to you. To say it’s frustrating, is a monumental understatement.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 amunbelievable and Freedom Rebel
Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 amFreedom Rebel Says:But I realize that many parents are prisoners, for many reasons. Occupational Therapy can help in many cases. Also, most autistics benefit from joint compression. My son and I hike all the time to get this. It mellows out these kids, and they have a better attention span.
Great story of overcoming a challenge. One day at a time is a great approach. I’m sure your son is a great kid. He’s lucky to have you!
Have a great day unbelievable!!!
You too!
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 amdbadass Says:
I have an Asperger’s student this semester. Luckily it is the second course he has taken with me so I am used to working with him. Despite the totally brutal nature of children at times, this young man has always been a part of the school district and his peers have grown up with him and understand that he is who he is. We rare exceptions he is just another kid. Admittedly he is on the highly functional end of the spectrum but still I just wanted to note that it is not impossible for these learners in the traditional setting. Man was he a riot at the prom. A young lady who had promised him way back in the 7th grade followed through and made his night. He also was given dancing lessons by a number of others
I help supervise with another teacher all the teenagers with diabilities and Autism at the Prom last year. It was the most truly amazing time. They were so cute and had so much fun. The whole class rallied around the one boy who is a higher functioning Autistic while he danced the entire night away. It brought tears to my eyes; this was all he ever wanted. He got a night to remember.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:00 ambandwagon Says:
I think everyone with this site is so caught up in the black and white aspect of the war debate that it blinds their objective observation of the positive implications of a democratic outcome.
June 2nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
As of late, I had decided to not respond to trolls like you and simply report you for abuse. But this statement is so full of ignorance that I couldn’t let it go.
Where are you getting the idea that we on the left are “so caught up in the black and white aspect of the war debate”? It is we on the left who are looking at the subtlties and nuances of just about everything, something war supporters are refusing to do. Iraq war supporters refuse to look at the totality of the evidence that suggests the American People were lied to about its necessity, its cost, its duration, its rationale, and even its end purpose.
You do realize, don’t you, that even McClellan said that the Bush foreign policy was to use “coercive democracy” to convert the Middle East to a democracy. This was, and shall always be, an idiotic strategy. You can’t force people to be democratic by pointing a gun at them and telling them to “vote or die.” And it’s foolish to think that you can change thousands of years of history and just force tribal cultures to accept democracy. If they are ever going to become a democracy, they are going to have to be the ones who initiate it.
And, lastly, what on Earth has you so absolutely convinced that a Middle East with democratically-elected governments is going to like us any more than they do now? What about our friends, like Jordan? Jordan has been a good friend of the US since former King Hussein married one of our citizens (possbily before that, too.) Are you going to be the one to tell his son, King Abdullah, that he has to give up his throne and let his successor be chosen democratically?
Try to get your basic facts straight – it’s not democracy that people want, it’s freedom. And democracy is not the only way to get that. The United States has been a democracy since its founding, but not everyone within (like the slaves) has enjoyed freedom that whole time.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 amMCMetal Says: Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
I have a special soapbox just for that issue… Don’t get me started.
Living in a Red State, I can tell you that intolerance of others is perhaps the greatest dilemma of human awareness. It is the root cause of so many atrocities.
Dawkins suggests that we have “kin genes” that cause us to care for our relatives. Consciousness suggests that we individually define the word “kin”. Some of us limit it to those who share our last name, others don’t limit it at all, and every shade of grey in between. I’ve discovered that those who are too limiting of their definition of ‘kin’ are pretty nasty folks. Many of those people live in my state. It’s appalling.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:04 amAmen to that backup. I, too, need to learn more about Autism and its complexities. That’s in addition to my interest of American Sign Language.
If only we were more of a learning society, we’d be a truly great society.
The awareness rate of Autism is only going to increase, and public life will become more hospitable for those with the condition.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:08 amWayne A. Schneider Says: Try to get your basic facts straight – it’s not democracy that people want, it’s freedom. And democracy is not the only way to get that. The United States has been a democracy since its founding, but not everyone within (like the slaves) has enjoyed freedom that whole time.
Beautiful! And soooo true.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:08 am#89 MCMetal Says:
unbelievable and Freedom Rebel
Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
The intolerance, yes. What people don’t understand can make them afraid. At times it can be despicable. My son has been abused at the hands of others one too many times when he was younger and couldn’t defend himself. By school personnel that I wasn’t suppose to have to worry about. I was told after the fact in each case by witnesses.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 amFreedom Rebel Says:
——————————————————————————–
#89 MCMetal Says:
unbelievable and Freedom Rebel
Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
The intolerance, yes. What people don’t understand can make them afraid. At times it can be despicable. My son has been abused at the hands of others one too many times when he was younger and couldn’t defend himself. By school personnel that I wasn’t suppose to have to worry about. I was told after the fact in each case by witnesses.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am
What in the hell are adults ‘thinking’ when they abuse a special child ?
Scumbags………………
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:11 amMcMetal. you’re right. And in hindsight, I agree that we should have waited and tried other ways to deal with Saddam.
I wish I could have seen what you had seen. I did not.
But, when I look at the present situation in Iraq, I believe that we do provide some level of stability there. I believe the elected leadership in Iraq want us to stay for the present. And I have offered links on past threads that show increase levels of violence (beheadings, rapes) and repression of women in Basra after the British withdrew.
It may be the right thing for the U.S. to withdraw it’s troops. But, the reasoning I see here most often, is that we should withdraw because it was a mistake to go in to begin with.
I don’t understand that logic. I believe that we should withdraw our troops if it is in the best interest of the U.S. and in the best interest of the Iraqi people as it stands now. Not what we should have done 6 years ago.
I don’t believe that the reason we should withdraw should be based solely on the realization that it was a mistake to invade in the first place.
Have we considered what will happen in the vacuum of the troop withdrawal? Won’t we just as responsible for the victims of withdrawal as we are for the victims of the invasion?
Progressives will be running the show in ‘09. Progressives will make the decisions about whether we should pull out or stick around, at the request of the Iraqi leadership, to provide security. The mismanagement or poor judgement of the Bush administration won’t really have much relevance in terms of making the best decisions about what to do with the present situation.
Isn’t that where the discussion should go? I am asking you honestly. You’ve had good judgement in the past. What is the progressive plan for withdrawal?
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:17 ambandwagon Says:
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Go ahead and consume yourself with fairness and equality while the country falls further and further behind the rest of the world bogged down in socialism. We are getting run over with illegal immigrants while congress sits back and does nothing. We want the best and brightest not the best escape artist. I am hoping, rooting and voting for Obama to win so it will force the republicans back to what they used to stand for. Enjoy the next eight years (2 terms) of defending your parties’ short comings!
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
Hey chucklehead
The “best and brightest” and not the best “escape artist” ?
The last 5 GOP president have all been criminals who went free ; and are you going to claim that Ford , Ronnie Retard and the Shrubs I & II were anywhere near the “best and brightest” ?
Do you understand the meanings of “best” and “brightest” ?
Sure as shit doesn’t seem as if you do……….
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 amNo backup
Any so-called “security” we may be providing there is negated by our presence being the root cause of a lot of the animosity and violence there ; we need withdraw because our presence there is unnecessary (and always was) and it is a detriment.
End of story………….
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 amBandwagon:
You seem to view the two party system in very black and white terms. Does this interfer with your objectivity?
bandwagon Says:
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 amI think everyone with this site is so caught up in the black and white aspect of the war debate that it blinds their objective observation of the positive implications of a democratic outcome.
Dream on, bandwagon.
The roots of today’s republicans are warmongering and hypocrisy. Stately conservatives within the republican party are almost gone.
As for illegal immigration, I find posters here endlessly articulating themselves to right-wing trolls who raise the issue. I’m sure they’re tired of doing so. To recap, go after the private employers who are luring them here. Air your complaints there. The government is not encouraging illegal immigration as much as it’s burdened with the task of cracking down on it, in addition to building a useless and expensive fence.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 amMugsy Says:
On the subject of declining military casualties:
I’ve said to others recently that the Bush Administration was likely to “stand down” and hole-up hundreds of troops, basically benching them, to artificially bring down casualties in advance of the election so they can use it to propagandize “how well” the war is going. Violence might very well be down because there are fewer troops to shoot at.
I don’t know if this is the case or not, but it deserves looking into. If true, it greatly bolsters the argument that pulling troops out won’t “create” violence but reduce it.
Never thought about it,but wouldn’t surprise me a bit if that was the reason. Sounds like this administration.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:29 amMCMetal. Fair enough. But, because it’s not a black and white solution (not a perfect solution); are you willing to concede that whatever increased levels of atrocities and human rights violations (similar to what they have seen in Basra after the British withdrawal) that occur in the wake of withdrawal are acceptable to realize an America free Iraq?
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 amHere’s a CNN link to conditions in Basra after the British withdrawal:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/08/iraq.women/index.html
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 amJune 2nd, 2008 at 11:36 am
And here’s a video that describes that conditions for women in the wake of the British withdrawal:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/02/08/iraq.women/index.html#cnnSTCVideo
We can agree that it is the removal of Saddam that has made the the predictament worse for Basra’s women. And has exposed than more to the intolerance of Islamic fundamentalism. I’m not debating that.
But I don’t see how withdrawing prematurely (before the Iraqi security forces are adequate), will improve the situation.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 am#97 MCMetal Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
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#89 MCMetal Says:
unbelievable and Freedom Rebel
Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
The intolerance, yes. What people don’t understand can make them afraid. At times it can be despicable. My son has been abused at the hands of others one too many times when he was younger and couldn’t defend himself. By school personnel that I wasn’t suppose to have to worry about. I was told after the fact in each case by witnesses.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am
What in the hell are adults ‘thinking’ when they abuse a special child ?
Scumbags………………
I’m not sure. Power over someone that is helpless? I agree they are scumbags..
Have a great day McMetal!! Good to see you here this morning.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 amWayne. You’re post (around #92) was very strong.
It’s the first time it’s caused me to consider that democracy doesn’t necessarily equate to more freedom. The Jordan example was excellent.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:59 amBandwagon:
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 pmPlease clarify. What are you trying to say about Obermann? By the way he isn’t “mine” I don’t have tv. That random “I” is sort of interesting too
backup Says:
——————————————————————————–
Any so-called “security” we may be providing there is negated by our presence being the root cause of a lot of the animosity and violence there ; we need withdraw because our presence there is unnecessary (and always was) and it is a detriment.
End of story………….
MCMetal. Fair enough. But, because it’s not a black and white solution (not a perfect solution); are you willing to concede that whatever increased levels of atrocities and human rights violations (similar to what they have seen in Basra after the British withdrawal) that occur in the wake of withdrawal are acceptable to realize an America free Iraq?
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 am
How many human rights violations have “we” (actually , the Chimpy administration) already committed there ?
I’m not advocating more occurring ; but doesn’t it give us the righteousness we pretend to already possess if we are not the cause of human rights violations to begin with or are a part of them ?
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:09 pmFreedom Rebel Says:
——————————————————————————–
#97 MCMetal Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
——————————————————————————–
#89 MCMetal Says:
unbelievable and Freedom Rebel
Correct me if I’m wrong here ; but it seems as if these kids get their cue(s) on the way they treat others from their own parents ………….Pretty despicable if you ask me.
The intolerance, yes. What people don’t understand can make them afraid. At times it can be despicable. My son has been abused at the hands of others one too many times when he was younger and couldn’t defend himself. By school personnel that I wasn’t suppose to have to worry about. I was told after the fact in each case by witnesses.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:10 am
What in the hell are adults ‘thinking’ when they abuse a special child ?
Scumbags………………
I’m not sure. Power over someone that is helpless? I agree they are scumbags..
Have a great day McMetal!! Good to see you here this morning.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
And you , also ……….
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:10 pmbandwagon Says:
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dbadass Says:
Your boy Keith Obermann would be proud.
June 2nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
As would your pansy bully , Falafel O’Lielly of you , crapwagon………..
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 pmMCMetal,
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 pmI do know American Sign Language, but find it hard to post comments using it…(^~^)
MCMetal. I know you don’t want more abuse to happen and I know that our presence has caused and is causing abuses and inflamed tensions.
But, what I’m saying is this: The debate should now be: Are we causing more harm than good by being there? We want to leave, but is there jeopardy in pulling out to abruptly? Should we strive to help promote what democracy Iraqis have, or would it be more appropriate to let those in the region decide, even if it means a less tolerant Islamic theocracy in regards to human rights?
I understand the idea of self determination. The Iraqis should decide their leadership on their own terms. But, even that is not black and white, when you consider the Darfur example. Most agree we shouldn’t turn our backs on Darfur and allow genocide, even if it is their choice. Similarly, do we turn our backs on the victims of Islamic intolerance in Iraq, just because we believe it is the choice of the more powerful?
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pmZimzone Says:
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MCMetal,
I do know American Sign Language, but find it hard to post comments using it…(^~^)
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Post a “one-finger salute” to crapwagon for me………
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pmbackup Says:
But, what I’m saying is this: The debate should now be: Are we causing more harm than good by being there? We want to leave, but is there jeopardy in pulling out to abruptly? Should we strive to help promote what democracy Iraqis have, or would it be more appropriate to let those in the region decide, even if it means a less tolerant Islamic theocracy in regards to human rights?
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:42 pm
AGAIN
IT IS NOT OUR DECISION
Let the Iraqis vote on it ; you and the rest of the Chimpy backers were gushing over the “purple fingers” that actually didn’t amount to jack shit , save an increase in profits for soap companies to wash that stupid shit off.
BTW backup
How do you “promote” democracy , when you’re attempting to spread it initially at the tip of an M-16 ?
That doesn’t make a whole helluva’ lot of sense…………
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:46 pmWe fought the civil war for the freedom of slaves. It took guns to fight for the rights of black people.
Some people in Iraq don’t want democracy. The M-16’s are there to protect those that do.
Democracy is an institution that we cherish for good reason. It gives a voice to the less powerful. It’s not a bad thing to wish it for the Iraqis.
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pmbackup Says:
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How do you “promote” democracy , when you’re attempting to spread it initially at the tip of an M-16 ?
That doesn’t make a whole helluva’ lot of sense…………
We fought the civil war for the freedom of slaves. It took guns to fight for the rights of black people.
Some people in Iraq don’t want democracy. The M-16’s are there to protect those that do.
Democracy is an institution that we cherish for good reason. It gives a voice to the less powerful. It’s not a bad thing to wish it for the Iraqis.
June 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Umm , no
The Civil War’s originally WAS NOT FOUGHT OVER SLAVES OR TO GIVE THEM RIGHTS ; The War Between the States began because the South demanded States’ rights and were not getting them. The Congress at that time heavily favored the industrialized northern states to the point of demanding that the South sell is cotton and other raw materials only to the factories in the north, rather than to other countries. The Congress also taxed the finished materials that the northern industries produced heavily, making finished products that the South wanted, unaffordable.
The Civil War should not have occurred. If the Northern States and their representatives in Congress had only listened to the problems of the South, and stopped these practices that were almost like the taxation without representation of Great Britain, then the Southern states would not have seceded and the war would not have occurred.
Democracy , especially how we here in the US view it , has to be wanted ; the Iraqis have never claimed they all want a democracy similar to ours…………
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pmSorry
Should be “The Civil War”
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:05 pmMCMetal. I’ve got to split. I still feel that the withdrawal is not as black and white an issue as many here believe. (But, obviously, I’ve been wrong before). You make good points. Thanks for a civil debate.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:12 pmbackup Says:
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MCMetal. I’ve got to split. I still feel that the withdrawal is not as black and white an issue as many here believe. (But, obviously, I’ve been wrong before). You make good points. Thanks for a civil debate.
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
No sweat , I gotta’ jet , too.
Time to go work as a “Rock God”……….
June 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 pmDemocracy is an institution that we cherish for good reason. It gives a voice to the less powerful. It’s not a bad thing to wish it for the Iraqis.
No democracy has ever been successfully installed by and invader. Ever. Your wishing amounts to wishing Iraqis would just act like us, which ain’t gonna’ happen – ever. My question to you, is don’t you think you have squandered the right to be concerned about Iraq, after nearly six years of being proven wrong? All you’ve earned is the right to be silent, while others fix your ham-handed mistakes.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:56 pmbarfly. You’re sounding like a pre war conservative more and more every day.
June 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm