ThinkFast: July 18, 2008
ThinkFast: July 18, 2008
According to internal Army documents, “shoddy electrical work” by private contractors at “American military facilities” in Iraq is causing more “deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged.” There were 283 fires between August 2006 through January 2007.
Maryland state troopers “infiltrated three groups advocating peace and protesting the death penalty,” according to documents obtained by the ACLU. “Information about the protesters and their activities was sent to seven agencies, including the National Security Agency and an unnamed military intelligence official.”
“Despite pleas from the White House and the State Department, as well as an international court order to review their cases, Texas will execute five Mexicans on death row.” “Mexico complained that the convicts, all men, had not been allowed a chance to talk to a Mexican consul after their arrests.”
“Climate change will pose ’substantial’ health threats including heat waves, hurricanes and pathogens in coming decades,” according to a new report from the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, “‘it is very likely’ that more people will die during extremely hot periods in future years, with the elderly, the poor and those in inner cities at the highest risk.”
On the trail today: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is traveling in Europe today. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will host an invitation-only town hall meeting at the GM Technical Center in Warren, MI this morning before “attending a fundraiser in Detroit” and appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
“Once a reformer and iconoclast, willing to take on lobbyists and special interests in his own party, McCain has become a vessel for unpopular and unprincipled right-wing policies,” write Center for American Progress President John Podesta and Senior Fellow John Halpin.
A report from Refugees International reveals that “U.S. aid to Africa is becoming increasingly militarized” resulting in “less attention to longer-term development projects that could lead to greater stability across the continent.”
“House Republicans blocked an…effort to pressure energy companies into drilling for oil on lands they already leased from the federal government, calling the legislation a sham.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has announced that she will not allow legislation authorizing new offshore drilling to be voted on in the House.
And finally: At this week’s Netroots Nation convention, representatives from Fox News will be branded with a “scarlet letter” of sorts. Event organizers will require Fox “to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.” A spokesperson for Fox News called it a “predictable stunt,” and said Fox would not be sending anyone to cover the event. Josh Ortan, the event’s political director explained, “Fox News calls itself fair and balanced, but it’s not.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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Judge Rules Against Wal-Mart in Labor Lawsuit
A judge has ruled against Wal-Mart in a class-action lawsuit, saying the discount retailer violated state labor laws 2 million times by cutting worker break time and forcing employees to work off the clock.
Dakota County Judge Robert King Jr. ordered Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Monday to pay $6.5 million in compensatory damages, but Wal-Mart could end up paying much more than that after a jury in October considers civil penalties and punitive damages. “We believe that this award not only helps the individual clients, but it also sends a message to Wal-Mart that it has to pay for its mistakes,” said Justin Perl, an attorney representing the former Wal-Mart employees named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore said the company disagrees with portions of the judge’s decision and is considering an appeal.
“Our policy is to pay every associate for every hour worked and to make rest or meal breaks available to every employee,” Moore said, adding that many Wal-Mart employees who testified during the trial said they were getting breaks and being paid properly. “That said, we’re always going to take seriously any sort of allegations of our policy not being followed,” she said.
The class-action part of the lawsuit represented 56,000 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club employees in Minnesota and covered a period from September 1998 through January 2004.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/judge-rules-wal-mart-labor-lawsuit/
This is fantastic news. It’s about time they had to pay for their unethical labor practices.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:06 amWhere are the criminal indictments against KBR and its subcontractors? The work being done is not just dangerous, it is systemic. Manslaughter charges at least should be on the table.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:07 amWhy Karl Rove Should Go To Jail
Again last week, former White House advisor Karl Rove not only refused to appear before the committee — let alone testify — but he defiantly left the country thereby blatantly ignoring his obligations under the congressional subpoena served on him.
After my ruling that Mr. Rove’s claims of immunity are not legally valid, Congressman Conyers and I gave him one last chance to comply with the law. He ignored us. As he let yet another deadline slip by this week. Mr. Rove needs to understand that he is not above the law and should obey a subpoena just like any other American is required to do.
I have recommended that we hold Mr. Rove in contempt of Congress. If we need to revive the inherent contempt procedure which gives Congress the authority to arrest those who defy Congressional subpoenas, then so be it. The courts have made clear that no one, not even the president, is immune from compulsory process. Any person who has committed an offense that is punishable by jail time should be put in jail. This includes Karl Rove.
Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez is the Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law. She represents the 39th Congressional District of California.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-linda-sanchez/why-karl-rove-should-go-t_b_113417.html
We have all waited long enough, just arrest him already. Rove has proven his contempt for the House Judiciary Subcommittee and the laws. I commend Congresswoman Sanchez for seeing that inherent contempt needs to be revived. I just ask one favor alert the media first before you arrest Rove. We all want it caught on video to savor the moment.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:09 amFitzgerald says Rove was trying to fire him during CIA leak probe
Marcy Wheeler
In a supplement to his responses to the House Judiciary Committee, Patrick Fitzgerald confirms what we’ve always suspected: Karl Rove was trying to have Patrick Fitzgerald fired while Fitzgerald was still investigating Rove for his role in leaking Valerie Wilson’s identity–and the timing lines up perfectly with the Administration’s efforts to fire a bunch of US Attorneys.
Remember back in June, when Fitzgerald publicly suggested he had more details to share with Congress about Rove’s efforts to get him fired?
“If I owe a response [about the putsch to remove him from his job], I owe it to Congress, first,” Fitzgerald said when asked about all this after the verdict.
Well, it turns out Fitzgerald did share those details with Congress. And those details make it clear that Fitzgerald learned Rove was trying to fire him while Fitzgerald was still actively investigating Rove’s role in the leak of Valerie Wilson’s identity.
http://rawstory.com//news/2008/Fitzgerald_says_Rove_was_trying_to_0717.html
**Remind me again why this crook is still out walking around and has not been handcuffed and frog-marched into the Capitol dungeons? This entire administration has gotten away with murder and conspiracy to commit murder yet our elected “representatives” do nothing except give them more time and opportunity to continue their criminal behavior. I will keep repeating that their lack of action at the very least make them complicit in these illegal activities and should be addressed at the ballot box.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:12 amSen. John McCain (R-AZ) will host an invitation-only town hall meeting at the GM Technical Center in Warren, MI this morning
I guess the events where you open it up to just anybody haven’t been working out for you, have they Johnny?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:13 amNancy P. was quoted “Bush is a failure on the economy, the war, just about any area”. Wonder who told her?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:14 amDoes that put imprechment on the table?
According to internal Army documents, “shoddy electrical work” by private contractors is causing more “deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged.” There were 283 fires between August 2006 and January 2007.
This is Bush & Cheney’s idea of supporting the troops. Which includes 12 soldiers that have died from electrocution since the start of the war. If it were their children over there, you can bet this would have been resolved.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:16 am“House Republicans blocked an…effort to pressure energy companies into drilling for oil on lands they already leased from the federal government, calling the legislation a sham.” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has announced that she will not allow legislation authorizing new offshore drilling to be voted on in the House.
Pelosi, as usual, gave an impressive interview to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about this issue. She was empassioned, confident and factual.
Although I agree with her stance on this issue, I was just wondering why she wouldn’t take this same approach on FISA or funding for the Iraq Occupation? Why not let those bills come up for a vote also?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:17 amWhy not NOT let those bills
July 18th, 2008 at 9:18 amSo left leaning political speech now causes a criminal dossier to be started. And we all know that these dossier’s follow people around for a life-time. It is also funny how right wing hate groups are never the target of infiltration operations. It makes one wonder if this was just another Karl Rove operation.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:18 amAnd Finally: At this week’s Netroots Nation convention, representatives from Fox News will be branded with a “scarlet letter” of sorts. Event organizers will require Fox “to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.”
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I like this idea and hope that event organizers will begin expanding this to all the other faux media outlets in this country.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:19 amProblems Persist With Red Cross Blood Services
For 15 years, the American Red Cross has been under a federal court order to improve the way it collects and processes blood. Yet, despite $21 million in fines since 2003 and repeated promises to follow procedures intended to ensure the safety of the nation’s blood supply, it continues to fall short.
The situation has proved so frustrating that in January the commissioner of food and drugs attended a Red Cross board meeting — a first for a commissioner — and warned members that they could face criminal charges for their continued failure to bring about compliance.
The problems, described in more than a dozen publicly available F.D.A. reports — some of which cite hundreds of lapses — include shortcomings in screening donors for possible exposure to diseases; failures to spend enough time swabbing arms before inserting needles; failures to test for syphilis; and failures to discard deficient blood.
In some cases, the lapses have put the recipients of blood at risk for diseases like hepatitis, malaria and syphilis. But according to the food and drug agency, the Red Cross has repeatedly failed to investigate the results of its mistakes, meaning there is no reliable record of whether recipients were harmed by the blood it collected.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/us/17cross.html?ex=1374033600&en=1259c8ce0c5f6bff&ei=5124&partner=digg&exprod=digg
Michelle Hoyte, a whistle-blower, spent six months pleading with various supervisors to report that a recall was needed for some 600 units of blood collected using improper methods. She was ignored and then fired. This is a very alarming situation; the FDA knows the American Red Cross has even falsified records. There has been a death of a patient contracting hepatitis from tainted blood that wasn’t properly screened and 134 cases of patients contracting hepatitis from 2000 to 2002 that the Red Cross never investigated. These are just the ones that have been identified. In 2005, 22,000 units were recalled, the problem is no one makes sure they all came back.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:22 amI thought the idea of a town hall meeting was that anyone could attend……sounds more like a back room meeting.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:24 amAt this week’s Netroots Nation convention, representatives from Fox News will be branded with a “scarlet letter” of sorts. Event organizers will require Fox “to wear credentials identifying them as opinion media rather than providing them with the regular press passes other news outlets will receive.” A spokesperson for Fox News called it a “predictable stunt,” and said Fox would not be sending anyone to cover the event.
As opposed to the totally “unpredictable” nature of FAUX on a daily basis …….That spokesperson is an unintentional comedic genius……..
July 18th, 2008 at 9:26 amWayne A. Schneider Says: I guess the events where you open it up to just anybody haven’t been working out for you, have they Johnny?
Just like Bush, he cannot handle criticism. Those extremely fragile Conservative egos being what they are…
July 18th, 2008 at 9:27 amI watched Nancy ‘Betty Crocker’ Pelosi’s speech yesterday.
I find it extremely difficult to believe anything she says now.
She knew about the illegal spying first hand, yet said nothing.
Now, she’s trying to act ‘above it all’ & blame others.
Nancy, you’re a part of the problem. Deal with that fact first, before you go telling others what they should be doing, OK?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:28 amFirst al-Bashir, Next … Bush?
by Mark Levine
While there is little chance Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president, will ever be brought to trial following his indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the charges brought against him nevertheless offer hope for anyone concerned about human rights around the world.For Americans, however, the ICC indictment should offer a moment of sombre reflection not merely for our relative inaction with regard to years of mass murder in Sudan.
It is equally disturbing that much of the al-Bashir indictment could just as easily be applied to George Bush, the US president.
Here is part of what the indictment says:
“Bashir was directly responsible [for the activities of the militias]. He is the president. He is the commander-in-chief. Those are not just formal words. He used the whole state apparatus. He used the army; he enrolled the militia/Janjaweed. They all report to him. They all obey him. His control is absolute.”
In such context, Bush is also directly responsible for the horrific disaster in Iraq.
Bush’s imperial presidency, with its “Unitary Executive” and arrogation of the right to declare war from the constitutionally-appointed Congress, has similarly “used the whole state apparatus” to wage the Iraq war. He “enrolled” our soldiers and his military commanders who “all report to him”.
For Bush, like al-Bashir, “they all obey him. His control is absolute”.
Read this entry:
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/07/17/10434/
**I am sickened that all my hopes now lies with the international communities. What has happened to us, once respected as the nation that was respected as the nation that was founded on the principles of human rights and rule of law for all? If, in fact, the international court has to be the one that finally brings charges against this despot, I might feel there is a little hope globally since there seems to be little hope here.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:31 am…the Bushstapo rides again…
July 18th, 2008 at 9:35 amTruther21, I don’t remember the Reagan rebates, can you refresh my memory?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:35 amtruther21 Says: I find this interesting that Pelosi is now calling for another $50 billion stimulus package. It appears that liberal leaders have finally realized that tax cuts and rebates that put money back into the hands of taxpayers actually help the economy. It took a long time for liberals to embrace Reaganomics, but better late than never.
Reaganomics wasn’t about tax cuts for the middle class, it was all about the opposite – Trickle Down Theory (which doesn’t work) and selling dangerous weaponry to terrorists (i.e. Osama bin Laden, Iran contras, etc.)
Liberals have always believed that the middle class drives the Economy and that Trickle Down just makes the rich richer. WE were right. Glad to see you admit that even if you are trying to pretend it was your position all along.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:37 amtruther21 Says:
raygunomics is tax rebates for citizens? your moniker is shaking on my screen. Why are these rebates necessary? Oh yeah, trickle down is failing…again.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am#4 And the beat goes on Says:
Fitzgerald says Rove was trying to fire him during CIA leak probe
**Remind me again why this crook is still out walking around and has not been handcuffed and frog-marched into the Capitol dungeons?
Good morning And the beat goes on :)
We are on the same wavelength this morning. I couldn’t agree with you more. I would even volunteer my services to help arrest him if that would speed up the process. I’m get impatient.
Great post as always!!
July 18th, 2008 at 9:38 amFlagged the troll. He’s just here to disrupt, not contribute. As usual.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:40 amTruther21, Nice dodge.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:40 amThere are stupid trolls, and there are really stupid trolls. This one is obviously one of the latter.
Where does your cited passage say anything about “tax cuts”?
A “stimulus package” which is simply a big shot of cash into the hands of consumers, is a short-term stimulus, like a can of Red Bull, it’s all borrowed money, and it does nothing to solve the economic problems that eight years of Bushonomics have brought us.
If “Reaganomics” were so great, how come it always results in huge deficits, massive additions to the National Debt, and wider gaps between the rich and poor?
More idiocy from a “Borrow and Spend” conservative.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:41 amI don’t know why you say that. A tank of gas almost costs that much thanks to you and the red staters.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:41 am“A report from Refugees International reveals that “U.S. aid to Africa is becoming increasingly militarized”
Gee, just what the people of Africa and other struggling nations need: More guns and bombs and grenades and land mines and rockets in order to keep the people under the thumbs of the thugs that the U.S. has installed as kings and presidents. Exporting ‘democracy’ ? Yeah, right.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:41 am#6 trollsbwild Says:
Nancy P. was quoted “Bush is a failure on the economy, the war, just about any area”. Wonder who told her?
Does that put imprechment on the table?
Good morning trollsbwild:)
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 amI wish that impeachment would be back on the table. She talks a good game only because election time is around the corner. Pelosi is hoping all her constitutients get selective amnesia about all her failures.
I remember ‘trickle down’ economics very well.
But. Instead of trickling down, I just got pissed on.
Reagan & Bush do have 1 thing in common; they’re both bad actors.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 amThe ratios of CEO salaries to the salaries of the average employee in the same company:
Britian 24:1
France 15:1
Sweden 13:1
United States 475:1
Question: Which country above is simultaneously in a Recession, mortgage crisis, Inflationary period, and has over 15,000 homicides a year?
Yeah, the one utilizing Trickle Down Theory.
Socialism is coming… Because it works best to put PEOPLE first, not money.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:46 amtruther21 Says:
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Is it true that admission into Netroots Nation f/k/a the YearlyKos is $500? sheesh. You almost have to be an elitist to attend, or at least funded by one.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:38 am
As opposed to McStupid’s “invitation only” town hall meeting , eh dipshit ?
Nice to see McDepends really “distance” himself from Chimpy the Wonder Monkey , by following in the loser’s every footstep………
July 18th, 2008 at 9:47 amDon’t forget the predictable financial debacle that always accompanies the republicans being in office…..S&L, Sub-prime.
Don’t forget the ineveitable recession/depression that always accompanies the republicans being in office.
Just adding to your list Ralph. I’m sure the op knows these things but we need to be sure to slam them hard for lying.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:48 amZimzone Says:
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I remember ‘trickle down’ economics very well.
But. Instead of trickling down, I just got pissed on.
Reagan & Bush do have 1 thing in common; they’re both bad actors.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 am
As well as 2 of the laziest , most unintelligent and dishonest pieces of crap to ever walk the planet ; they were also the worst pair of presidents in US history………..
July 18th, 2008 at 9:49 amtruther21 Says
July 18th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Is it true that admission into Netroots Nation f/k/a the YearlyKos is $500? sheesh. You almost have to be an elitist to attend, or at least funded by one.
____________________________________________________________
Nice sidestep away from your economic stimulus blunder, but $500 isn’t out of line for a four-day conference. Having worked as an event planner, I can say that’s a pretty good rate for an event of this caliber. And yes, right-wing conferences of similar magnitude probably have a similar entry fee.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:55 amtruther21 Says:
Truther must not have gotten the memo….you know, the one that says we (republicans) should not speak about failed policies in the next few months. Bush is following Obama’s advice and talking to Iran. The FDA is acting like they care, ect.
hint: truther….time for you guys to act like liberals for a while if want your republicans re-elected. The rest of your ilk seems to be getting that….what’s your problem, add?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:57 am#35 MCMetal Says:
As well as 2 of the laziest , most unintelligent and dishonest pieces of crap to ever walk the planet ; they were also the worst pair of presidents in US history………..
Good Morning McMetal :)
That reminds me of when they wanted to put Ronald Reagans picture on the one dollar bill and replace George Washington. My first thought when I heard that was, the guy is a criminal and you want to reward him… Who the hell thought of that one? I agree with you McMetal they are hands down the two worst presidents in history.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:58 amI would like nothing better. Jimmy Carter put solar panels on the white house and raygun’s first move was to take them down…..think that was good leadership in retrospect?
July 18th, 2008 at 10:00 amtruther21 Says
July 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Sounds like you are describing the USA under Jimmy Carter with a misery index (inflation plus unemployment) of 20% as opposed to the 10% it is at today. Do you really want a second Carter term? (Oh and btw, the homicide rate is lower now too than it was under Carter).
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When Americans were unhappy with the economy during Carter’s term, they voted Carter out and Reagan in. Historically, this is what happens when the economy tanks. Hoover out, FDR in, for example.
This is why the GOP will be given their walking papers in November. Because we DON’T want another term of this.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:00 amtruther21 Says:
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unbelievable Says:
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Question: Which country above is simultaneously in a Recession, mortgage crisis, Inflationary period, and has over 15,000 homicides a year?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:46 am
_______________________________________
Sounds like you are describing the USA under Jimmy Carter with a misery index (inflation plus unemployment) of 20% as opposed to the 10% it is at today. Do you really want a second Carter term? (Oh and btw, the homicide rate is lower now too than it was under Carter).
July 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Based upon which polling ?
This administration’s ?
Yeah , there’s sure a lot of credibility there , chowderhead.
BTW
The violent crime rate under Ronnie Retard and Shrub the 1st were both higher than under Carter’s presidency , you nitwit……..
July 18th, 2008 at 10:01 amFreedom Rebel Says:
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#35 MCMetal Says:
As well as 2 of the laziest , most unintelligent and dishonest pieces of crap to ever walk the planet ; they were also the worst pair of presidents in US history………..
Good Morning McMetal :)
That reminds me of when they wanted to put Ronald Reagans picture on the one dollar bill and replace George Washington. My first thought when I heard that was, the guy is a criminal and you want to reward him… Who the hell thought of that one? I agree with you McMetal they are hands down the two worst presidents in history.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Mornin’
And they both aren’t just the worst ; they sucked ass , and are the 2 most dishonest and CRIMINAL in US history…….
July 18th, 2008 at 10:03 amYou show a complete lack of understanding of what trickle down is. Actually, you have shown a complete lack of understanding on every topic you have commented on, either that or willfull ignorance, or malice.
You should rethink your method….maybe start with some semblance of a fact and work from there.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:03 amThe stimulus rebate just harkens back to Keynesian economics: tax in good times, spend in bad times. So the repugs are running back to the economist that is anathema to them, but trying to hide this under other names (reagan economics).
July 18th, 2008 at 10:05 amI think Romney’s going to get the VP slot. Just think, then we’ll have…
McChimp & McMoney
Republics, your day is waning & your whining has just begun.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:06 amtruther21 Says:
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misshusseinmolly Says:
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truther21 Says
July 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
Sounds like you are describing the USA under Jimmy Carter with a misery index (inflation plus unemployment) of 20% as opposed to the 10% it is at today. Do you really want a second Carter term? (Oh and btw, the homicide rate is lower now too than it was under Carter).
_____________________________________________________________
When Americans were unhappy with the economy during Carter’s term, they voted Carter out and Reagan in. Historically, this is what happens when the economy tanks. Hoover out, FDR in, for example.
This is why the GOP will be given their walking papers in November. Because we DON’T want another term of this.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
________________________________________
There is much truth to what you say, which explains why some liberals don’t want the economy to improve, at least not too fast, and will do whatever they can to talk the economy down.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Your statement is not only laughably incorrect , but also borderline insane.
The SIMPLE FACT is that the US economy has always done BETTER IN EVERY WAY , under a Democratic president ; the 5 biggest deficits ever accumulated are all under the last 3 shitty , criminal GOP presidents : Ronnie Retard , Shrub the 1st , and Chimpy the Boy Blunder………
July 18th, 2008 at 10:08 amtruther21 Says
Do the terms sub-prime or 100 banks expected to close in the next month mean anything to you? Those are not liberal talking points they are facts as reported by the US government…….you know bush and the gang are finally having to admit that things aren’t working out for the rest of us as well as they are for them.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:08 amtruther21 Says:
(Oh and btw, the homicide rate is lower now too than it was under Carter).
July 18th, 2008 at 9:54 am
_____
True – and you can thank Roe v. Wade for that.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:13 amFootprints In the Sands of Iraq
One night John McCain had a dream,
July 18th, 2008 at 10:15 amHe dreamed he was walking through
the sands of Iraq with the George Bush.
Across the sky flashed
scenes from his troubled presidential campaign.
For each scene he noticed
two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to him and
the other to the Bush.
When the last scene flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.
He notice many times in his campaign there was
only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened to be at
the very lowest and deceitful times in his miserable campaign.
This really bothered him and
he questioned the President about it.
“George, you said once I decided to follow You and your neocon friends,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my campaign,
there is only ONE set of footprints.
I don’t understand why
when I needed You the most
You would leave me.”
The President replied:
“John, my precious friend,
I support you and I would never leave you.
During your times of flip-flopping and confusion,
When you see only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”
53. That treasure should be hung on the wall of every American home.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:18 amBearCountry Says:
The stimulus rebate just harkens back to Keynesian economics: tax in good times, spend in bad times. So the repugs are running back to the economist that is anathema to them, but trying to hide this under other names (reagan economics).
July 18th, 2008 at 10:05 am
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That’s not truly Keynesian economics, though. Keynes advocated government spending on infrastructure as a means to stimulate the economy and encourage investment. The stimulus rebate is just an injection of cash into the market that people will either horde, spend on staples, or use to pay off debt. It’s about as laissez-faire as you can get.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:20 amAccording to internal Army documents, “shoddy electrical work” by private contractors at “American military facilities” in Iraq is causing more “deaths and injuries from fires and shocks than the Pentagon has acknowledged.” There were 283 fires between August 2006 through January 2007.
Typical TP…Only telling the bad news…The good news is: At least KBR electricians were making $700/hour.
snark/off
July 18th, 2008 at 10:23 amOn the trail today: Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) is traveling in Europe today. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will host an invitation-only town hall meeting at the GM Technical Center in Warren, MI this morning before “attending a fundraiser in Detroit” and appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
FLIP FLOP ALERT!!
GAFFE ALERT!!
Set your dvr’s :)~
July 18th, 2008 at 10:25 amunbelievable Says:
The ratios of CEO salaries to the salaries of the average employee in the same company:
Britian 24:1
France 15:1
Sweden 13:1
United States 475:1
The US in 1980 was about 42:1.
Mr., toasterhead,
July 18th, 2008 at 10:27 amSociologist specializing in crime stats attribute the drop in homicides to the passing of Roe v. Wade about 17 years previously—-a big drop in the number of unwanted pregnancies.
Thanks Hussein Mccain. I saw Mcmwtal’s post @ 33 and was inspired by his last line: “Nice to see McDepends really “distance” himself from Chimpy the Wonder Monkey , by following in the loser’s every footstep………”
July 18th, 2008 at 10:28 am“Once a reformer and iconoclast, willing to take on lobbyists and special interests in his own party, McCain has become a vessel for unpopular and unprincipled right-wing policies,” write Center for American Progress President John Podesta and Senior Fellow John Halpin.
I was for it before I was against it… er uh…I mean I was against it before I was for it…er uh…What was it I was supposed to be for/against?…I smell BBQ…Who’s hungry?
July 18th, 2008 at 10:29 amI just ask one favor alert the media first before you arrest Rove. We all want it caught on video to savor the moment.
Am I too late to second Freb’s motion?
July 18th, 2008 at 10:33 amre: McCant’s “Town Hall” meeting. Like the character Indigo Montoya said to Vizzini in reference to his repeated use of the word “inconceivable” in “The Princess Bride”, “I do not think you know what that word means”.
A town hall meeting by the very definition is an open public forum. If he wants an invite only presser it should be called what it is. ANY description of this as a town hall meeting (TP included) is disingenuous.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:34 amKeith Says:
Mr., toasterhead,
Sociologist specializing in crime stats attribute the drop in homicides to the passing of Roe v. Wade about 17 years previously—-a big drop in the number of unwanted pregnancies.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:27 am
____
Yup – as do some prominent Freakonomists…
July 18th, 2008 at 10:38 amKBR was using more than just a few Iraqi subcontractors, and were using subcontractors from at least one neighboring country. They probably had very few if any of their own electricians on the job, that would cut into profit.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:41 am#61 Exit Stage Left Says:
I just ask one favor alert the media first before you arrest Rove. We all want it caught on video to savor the moment.
Am I too late to second Freb’s motion?
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
You are never too late. I’m betting that video would be the biggest hit for months to come.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:45 amMaryland state troopers “infiltrated three groups advocating peace and protesting the death penalty,” according to documents obtained by the ACLU. “Information about the protesters and their activities was sent to seven agencies, including the National Security Agency and an unnamed military intelligence official.
When I first read this, I thought; Is this a flashback to the Nixon regime? OMG, it is! We are still in Vietnam!
No … wait, it is the BushCo regime and we are still in Iraq.
Same difference, only the names and places have changed. Still a Police State.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:50 amFreedom Rebel Says:
#61 Exit Stage Left Says:
I just ask one favor alert the media first before you arrest Rove. We all want it caught on video to savor the moment.
Am I too late to second Freb’s motion?
Good Morning Exit Stage Left :)
You are never too late. I’m betting that video would be the biggest hit for months to come.
I bet the KKKarl Perp Walk would go viral on YOuTube in about 2 minutes and would be the all-time most viewed vid ever! …….
Until we see Dubya and Darth do their little dance.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:52 amBush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that “our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over.”
“My fellow Americans,” Bush said, “at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us.”
Bush swore to do “everything in [his] power” to undo the damage wrought by Clinton’s two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.
On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784?utm_source=onion_rss_daily
July 18th, 2008 at 10:53 amWhere is Harry Truman when you need someone to investigate war profiteering? Halliburton needs to be drummed out of business for what they’ve done to not only Iraq, but this country and its’ politics.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:58 amGood morning Freb…Are you taking care of Ohio until I get there? ;)
July 18th, 2008 at 11:05 amFreedom Rebel,
Just gotta love The Onion!
July 18th, 2008 at 11:06 amhttp://www.theonion.com/ content/ node/ 28784?utm_source=onion_rss_daily (continued):
Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge’s coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has “extensive experience” fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.
Freedom Rebel Says:
Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
Unfortunately, it would be way funnier if not so close to the truth.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:09 amMaryland state troopers “infiltrated three groups advocating peace and protesting the death penalty,” according to documents obtained by the ACLU. “Information about the protesters and their activities was sent to seven agencies, including the National Security Agency and an unnamed military intelligence official.”
Because you know how dangerous peace lovers and defenders of the Constitution are.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
July 18th, 2008 at 11:13 amtruther21 Says: Sounds like you are describing the USA under Jimmy Carter with a misery index (inflation plus unemployment) of 20% as opposed to the 10% it is at today. Do you really want a second Carter term? (Oh and btw, the homicide rate is lower now too than it was under Carter).
You should turn off Bill O’Reilly and join 2008.
Just because the Bush Regime tinkers with actual numbers (you know that ridiculous unemployment rate that only counts people currently receivingbenefits and no one else) doesn’t mean that people aren’t worse off now when salaries have not risen to keep up with the cost of living, the minimum wage is poverty for anyone working 40 hours a week and gas is 4% a gallon.
I’d rather have Jimmy Carter as President than George “Worst Presidemt ever” Bush. At least we’d have peace.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:17 amunbelievable Says:
I’d rather have Jimmy Carter as President than George “Worst Presidemt ever” Bush. At least we’d have peace.
And a president who could speak in complete, coherent sentences.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:18 amgummitch Says: And a president who could speak in complete, coherent sentences.
Can you imagine what future generations will think of us when they come across a book full of Bushisms?
July 18th, 2008 at 11:32 amI just ask one favor alert the media first before you arrest Rove. We all want it caught on video to savor the moment.
I have a better idea: make it a Pay-Per-View event and use the proceeds to pay off the national debt. ;o)
~A
July 18th, 2008 at 11:37 am“Maryland State Troopers infiltrated three groups advocating peace…
It’s baaaaaackk. Your favorite J. Edgar Hoover program…..COINTELPRO.
Antiwar groups are sooooooooo dangerous to the military-industrial complex.
Militarism has run amok…..again.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:01 pmJimmy Carter was a very intelligent man who inherited the nixon recession. His only real mistake was trusting republicans too much and leaving too many of them in place. He thought they would work with him in the interest of America……big mistake.
Jimmy carters IQ is double dubya’s and mcgrad at bottom of heap.
Time for intelligence to rule again….Bill Clintons IQ was also double dubya’s and mcgrad at bottom of the heap.
Jimmy Carter was also the most forward looking president we have had since JFK. Too bad so many wanted to take us backwards and were willing to undermine a standing president to achieve their goal.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:05 pmA Patriot Acting Says:
re: McCant’s “Town Hall” meeting. Like the character Indigo Montoya said to Vizzini in reference to his repeated use of the word “inconceivable” in “The Princess Bride”, “I do not think you know what that word means”.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:34 am
Iñigo ;)
July 18th, 2008 at 12:09 pmYou killed my father – prepare to die!!!!
July 18th, 2008 at 12:14 pmLeftside Annie Says:
You killed my father – prepare to die!!!!
July 18th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Being a lover of fantasy myself, I really enjoyed that wonderful novel :D
July 18th, 2008 at 12:20 pmtruther21 @ 82 – and your point (if you have one, which I doubt) is?
By the way, did you know that in 1983, under Reagan, there were 2,465 U.S. Military deaths? Hmm, that’s more than you cite for Carter … so your point is? Of those, 263 were killed by terrorists versus 1 during Carter’s last year. Hmm, I guess Reagan didn’t care about terrorists, huh? Did you also know that in 1981, Reagan’s first year, that 457 U.S. Military deaths occured due to illnesses? That’s the most recorded during the timeframe of available records (1980-2997). Hmm, I guess Reagan wasn’t concerned about the medical care of our soldiers, huh? Did you also know that the fewest U.S. Military deaths (758) occured in 2000, Clinton’s last year of office? That’s much less than under Reagan, Bush I, and King George. So, again, your point is?
July 18th, 2008 at 2:24 pm#69 Exit Stage Left Says:
Good morning Freb…Are you taking care of Ohio until I get
there? ;)
Of course I am. The only problem I’m having is re-educating the bottom half of the state that keeps voting for the worst Republicans in Congress.
Good to see you.:) I had to work no time to respond sooner. Sorry.
Have a great weekend Exit !!!
July 18th, 2008 at 8:21 pm#71 Exit Stage Left Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’
Unfortunately, it would be way funnier if not so close to the truth.
What got me to post that was, check out the date. Those guys wrote that political satire Seven Years Ago. That is what blew my doors when I found it. I couldn’t believe how Political Satire turned to almost exactly to Reality.
July 18th, 2008 at 8:24 pmAccording to Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, president of The Israel Project, a nonpartisan group that helped plan Obama’s trip, the candidate intends to travel to Sderot, a city near the Gaza Strip that has been barraged by Qassam rockets fired from Palestinian territory.
Why go there?
July 20th, 2008 at 4:03 amBreaking: Undercover Investigation Shines Light on Bush Appointee’s “Dark Shadows.”
Today it was confirmed, by administration insiders — quoted anonymously, due to the sensitive nature of the allegations being made — that since April 2006, the Bush administration official responsible for revision (and oversight) of federal funeral industry licensing standards, has in fact been a vampire.
In response to, and on the basis of a six-month undercover investigation (which will be comprehensively covered in Sunday’s Washington section), it also now has been confirmed by corporate officials of Internovix, the Sweden-based international medical-supplies conglomerate, (whose American subsidiary is the Denver-based Purple Heart Products), that Hans-Neil Grolschlapper, recently-naturalized American citizen, former lobbyist for the consortium, and a confirmed political appointee of the Bush administration, is of the undead.
Individual eyewitness accounts vary, but Under-Secretary Grolschlapper has been seen (but never photographed) on numerous occasions in the company of suspected “twilighters” — or, those individuals rumored to be in the beginning stages of vampirism.
Accessing confidential Maryland police records spanning a six-month period, private investigators also were able to access numerous detailed explanations, made to municipal prosecutors by the Under-Secretary’s Administration-appointed attorneys, covering “accidental” late-night meetings with the aforementioned, “coincidental” police discoveries of exsanguinated corpes, found in the nearby vicinity of his Silver Springs home, and even Grolschlapper’s possession and use (according to neighbors), of a large, acetylene-fired, “backyard bar-b-que pit,” capable of reaching temperatures in excess of two thousand degrees fahrenheit.
Confronted last night by reporters, outside the office of his wife’s private Lamaze instructor, Grolschlapper termed the claims, “preposterous; allegations [spun] from environmentalist wholecloth [. . .]” — but his unauthorized autobiography does include mention of a lengthy stay at an Amsterdam address, short blocks from the location of another, recently-discovered pit, containing the identified remains of several missing young women, two members of the local clergy, and an as-yet anonymous, one-legged, male dwarf. (Due to the on-going nature of the investigation, their names have yet to be released to the general public.)
At Grolschlapper’s confirmation hearings, the nominee seemed at times combative “I don’t agree that the terms of my service specifically dictate what hours I must physically be present…” and at others, conciliatory — near to the point of obsequiousness:”My records will be open to all of you, should you need further reassurance of my performance while in office. I predict you will see an unswerving commitment the agency’s stated goals, and a willingness to employ all assets at my disposal to accomplish these goals” — an inconsistent attitude, that left a bad taste for many Senate democrats.
Further doubts arose, when the administration nominee refused to appear before Senate committee members except by video-feed, due to a claimed “highly-contagious skin disease” contracted while on a recent trip to Manila. In the poorly-lit video, little can be seen of the nominee’s features, as he is near-totally obscured by medical monitoring equipment, and heavy layers of cotton gauze.
Committee Democrats at first seemed in no hurry to confirm, given the nominee’s apparent physical condition, and seeming disdain for committee members — but they were swayed by the impassioned, last minute pleas of Sen. Joe Leiberman: “Friends and collegues, in this vote today, we seek to bury the mistakes of the past; to approve the president’s nominee, and let voters see the… to see that bipartisan compromise is still a hallmark of the US Senate. [. . .]”
This would seem the worst example yet uncovered, of the Bush administration’s well-established policy of promoting favored lobbyists (and other political contributors), into positions of power — a policy resulting in more than one prominent public-relations fiasco, such as the placing of a former, failed equestrian judge at the top of Fema a short time before Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf States; and appointing a former lobbyist for mining interests to regulate mine safety; a lobbyist who oversaw federal safety standards for the same financial interests who once had paid his salary. As numerous House and Senate investigations have confirmed, this corporatist agenda has also resulted in truly shocking political manuvers, whose details have caused even staunch American allies to reconsider linkages to the administration, and it’s policies.
Keeping true to form, Administration officials have yet to publicly acknowledge the raised suspicions (and mounting material evidence), of this, and other subsequently-related investigations. Seemingly, since the political finish line is so near, they intend to cross it at all costs — with their political enemies grasping at their heels, if need be.
Just kidding, folks.
July 21st, 2008 at 4:30 amThe Republicriminalssohbet don’t get a pass on this one. They have either liedBedava mp3 indir about conditions on the ground, or, they lied while attacking anyone who has proposed doing exactly what the Idiot in cetChief did today.
April 19th, 2009 at 2:02 pm