ThinkFast: June 15, 2009
ThinkFast: June 15, 2009
After initially declaring hailing the Iranian election outcome as a “divine blessing,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “ordered a probe” into the vote over concerns of fraud and irregularities. Meanwhile, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad rejected speculation that he might take a more moderate line during a second term. “It’s not true. I’m going to be more and more solid,” he said.
Iran’s reformist presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has called off a major rally to protest last Friday’s election results. Mousavi said, “I am under extreme pressure to accept the results of the sham election. They have cut me off from any communication with people and am under surveillance.” Responding to those concerns, Ahmedinejad dismissed them: “He ran a red light, and he got a traffic ticket.”
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that Dennis Ross will be relieved of his duties as U.S. envoy to Iran in the coming days and speculates that his removal may be a result of “Iran’s persistent refusal to accept Ross as a U.S. emissary given the diplomat’s Jewish background as well as his purported pro-Israel leanings.” But, a diplomatic source in Jerusalem suggested that perhaps Ross is looking for a “more enhanced role” at the National Security Agency.
Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major foreign policy speech yesterday, “offered conditional support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and refused to bring a halt to divisive expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.” Despite reports calling the move a “concession,” it is “simply a recognition of Israel’s past commitments.”
In a speech to the American Medical Association (AMA) today, Obama will “endorse the creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan operating alongside private coverage while maintaining existing relationships between doctors and patients.” The AMA has been critical of such an approach in recent days.
On CNN’s “State of the Union” yesterday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said there were not enough Senate votes to pass a public health insurance plan like the one President Obama has pushed for. “In a 60-vote environment, you’ve got to attract some Republicans as well as holding virtually all the Democrats together, and that, I don’t believe, is possible with a pure public option. I don’t think the votes are there,” Conrad said.
“Education Secretary Arne Duncan is offering federal cash incentives to achieve one of his priorities: developing national standards for reading and math to replace a hodgepodge of benchmarks in the states.” Duncan announced yesterday that the federal government would provide $350 million to help states develop tests to assess “common, internationally measured standards for student achievement.”
“Democratic allies remain at odds over provisions of a House climate bill and a Senate energy bill, even as congressional leaders and Obama administration officials are pressing to complete work on the legislation.” Various Democratic lawmakers are pushing for expanded offshore oil drilling, greater giveaways to the agriculture business, and either a stricter or looser renewable electricity standard.
After spending seven years at Guantanamo Bay and “four days after their surprise predawn flight to Bermuda,” four Uighur Muslim men are basking in their new-found freedom. “I went swimming in the ocean for the first time ever yesterday, and it was the happiest day of my life,” said Salahidin Abdulahat, 32.
And finally: Roll Call digs through the latest financial disclosure forms of members of Congress to find some interesting tidbits. For example, Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) won $2,500 in the New York lottery. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) reported receiving a painting from noted artist Jamie Wyeth worth more than $5,000. “Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) got two presents that sounded lovely from nonpolitical family friends: a ‘glass pumpkin’ worth $675 and a ‘seahorse ruby and diamond brooch’ worth $2,250.”
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Darn those traffic lights with cameras all to hell.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:05 amShorter Ahmedinejad: Im going to make chickenhawks happy.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:11 amWell, McNumbNuts has spoken! This morning he said that “the Iranian election was clearly rigged and Obama should be objecting”.
I suppose it could have been worse. He could have said, “Today, we are all Iranians.”
Just imagine what this knee-jerk idiot would be doing right now if he were president. If ever there were a clear demonstration of the difference between McNumbNuts (GDumbya-lite) and Obama, this is it!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:12 amI doubt the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is going to go back to Allah and ask “Are sure that was a divine blessing?”
June 15th, 2009 at 9:13 amIn a speech to the American Medical Association (AMA) today, Obama will “endorse the creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan operating alongside private coverage
Given the amount of coverage this very issue has been receiving of late, if President Obama is going to state that there will be public plan, there will be a public plan. Those who doubt his commitment and are sure he will acquiesce are going to have to rethink his power to enact his policy agenda.
I hope.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 9:15 amShorter Conrad: Insurance lobbyists have bought votes on both sides of the aisle.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:16 amNetanyhu’s two conditions for talks with the Palestinians is a non-starter. Excepting the Israeli state is a must, but condition two is unacceptable to Palestinians. Asking Palestinians to give up all weapons before talks can start is dishonest on Netanyhus part. Israel knows Palestinians will never agree to this. The rightwing in Israel will trash any hopes for peace.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:18 amOkay, why do we need more subsidies for agriculture business?
The oil companies have reduced the number of rigs and shuttled projects, why would they drill more now when they want to keep prices high?
June 15th, 2009 at 9:27 amOn CNN’s “State of the Union” yesterday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said there were not enough Senate votes to pass a public health insurance plan like the one President Obama has pushed for. “In a 60-vote environment, you’ve got to attract some Republicans as well as holding virtually all the Democrats together, and that, I don’t believe, is possible with a pure public option. I don’t think the votes are there,” Conrad said.
And this is precisely why this bill needs to be passed under the reconciliation process, where a simple majority vote will suffice (like it used to).
June 15th, 2009 at 9:28 amNetanyhu’s two conditions for talks with the Palestinians is a non-starter.
It’s a lot like Bush’s approach: a precondition to “talks” is that the other side conceed everything we want before we will be willing to sit down and talk.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:32 amSen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), who believes that the federal Treasury needs the money from drilling in federal waters.
Odd that
June 15th, 2009 at 9:32 amOn CNN’s “State of the Union” yesterday, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said there were not enough Senate votes to pass a public health insurance plan like the one President Obama has pushed for. “In a 60-vote environment, you’ve got to attract some Republicans as well as holding virtually all the Democrats together, and that, I don’t believe, is possible with a pure public option. I don’t think the votes are there,” Conrad said.
So now we are to operate with a total disregard for democracy by not putting ideas up for vote unless one is certain to have 60+ votes? This is not how a democracy operates.
While the brunt of his comment has truth to it (you must attempt to woo votes for or against an issue), the precedent of not even voting on something just because it is “believed” that there are not enough people who will vote for it is inherently wrong. It also has the effect of shielding the “no” and “yes” votes on any issue from having to make an official stance: you can’t say so-and-so voted “no” on heathcare reform when there was no vote. There is a difference between rhetoric and speeches and actual votes.
But where does this precedent lead? Voting is practically a sham in such an evironment, since nothing is put forward unless one is confident that the votes will approve the measure. The votes become merely a confirmation of negotiations.
This is not how a democracy works. Make your cases, for and against, and put the item up for a vote. The politicians who determine policy should be doing so by making their stance publicly known through their votes on the measures. Not even voting at all on the issue because it is believed that there aren’t enough votes to pass the measure allow the “no” voters to win by default, and with the political advantage of never having to make an “official” stance (i.e. a “vote”). Which is major BS.
Put it out there. If healthcare reform fails to pass the vote, and the majority of “we the people” actually want such reform, then those who voted “no” will be held accountable, at the least in their next election.
Just my thoughts.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:33 am… Netanyahu [...] “offered conditional support for the establishment of a Palestinian state and refused to bring a halt to divisive expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.”
aaah… i didn’t hear about that last part… not getting much air time…
June 15th, 2009 at 9:36 amhuh.
Winddancer,
What the Democrats could do, and what they will do, are two different things. They are like the hapless good-guy who moans “gee, I’d like to get all these wonderful things done, but the big, bad bullies won’t let me.”
For 8 years, they sat back and acquiesced to Bush and the Republicans ramming everything through- giving lip service to impeachment UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY HAD THE POWER TO IMPEACH.
More and more, I am convinced that the election of Obama merely gave us a false sense of hope that there would be change: that we would extricate ourselves from war, wean ourselves off petroleum, and provide for the common welfare with universal health insurance.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:37 amYanno, the more these profiticians protect special interests profits, which are quite high, the less the people have to spend which will keep the economy, the real one, from recovering.
Americans’ stock holdings plunged 5.8% to $5.2 trillion and mutual funds holdings slid 4.1% to $3.3 trillion, while their home value dropped 2.4% to $17.9 trillion. The nation’s households have now seen their net worth shrink for seven straight quarters.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:38 amIn a sign of growing concern in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government over U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies, Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled proposed Israeli sanctions on the U.S. in a letter to cabinet ministers on Sunday.
Okey Dokey
June 15th, 2009 at 9:42 am“Democratic allies remain at odds over provisions of a House climate bill and a Senate energy bill, even as congressional leaders and Obama administration officials are pressing to complete work on the legislation.” Various Democratic lawmakers are pushing for expanded offshore oil drilling, greater giveaways to the agriculture business, and either a stricter or looser renewable electricity standard.
If you read the entire article, you’ll see that the Dems are all over the map with this one. Some are pushing for the expanded offshore oil drilling and agriculture issues, but more are concerned about the watered-down quality of the bill, which is far from what is really needed. One provision, for instance, “The draft measure would also ease restrictions on the use of crude from Canadian oil sands, which produce more greenhouse gases than ordinary petroleum and which could face obstacles under the renewable fuel standard adopted last year. The amendment passed by voice vote. The “committee correctly recognized the importance of Canadian oil to our nation’s energy and economic security,” said Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute. He said oil companies would expand and upgrade refineries to handle the Canadian crude and would create thousands of new jobs.”
Most of the environmental groups are also opposed, for instance: “Josh Dorner, a Sierra Club spokesman, said the bill had already “suffered death by a thousand cuts” and had “ended up in a disturbing place.”"
June 15th, 2009 at 9:44 am“Education Secretary Arne Duncan is offering federal cash incentives to achieve one of his priorities: developing national standards for reading and math to replace a hodgepodge of benchmarks in the states.”
Obama wants to decide what your kids will learn! He wants to set up re-education camps! He’s probably going to make soccer compulsory too! Glen Beck needs to warn EVERYONE. From his Doomsday Room!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:47 amWon’t somebody think of the children?:
tom @3 – if McNumbNuts HAS won, the iranian people would not have known such hope, to have demonstrated as they did…
my guess…
June 15th, 2009 at 9:49 am5th estate, do you have some links to Obamas re-education camps? Take your time trying to find any, because there isn’t any you fool.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:54 amWasnt the NCLB a cash incentive method?
June 15th, 2009 at 9:55 amGood Morning youngsters,….Good posts. thank you…Just another Manic Monday, think I will pass on making a comment, go hug the trees and walk the Bear instead…..Nothing I can do will make any change…Happy posting…Peace, Blessings & Justice…
June 15th, 2009 at 9:55 am5th Estate Says:
Obama wants to decide what your kids will learn! He wants to set up re-education camps! He’s probably going to make soccer compulsory too! Glen Beck needs to warn EVERYONE. From his Doomsday Room!
Won’t somebody think of the children?:
Soccer? Are you nutz? They’ll be forced to play an elitist game like lacrosse or polo. They’ll have to learn to speak muslumeese, and be taught how to properly oppress the white man.
THE APOCOLYPSE IS HERE!!!! Everyone run naked in the streets so you can be ascended to heaven!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH!!!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:55 amShorter McCain: Rigged elections! Bomb Bomb Bomb!
June 15th, 2009 at 9:58 am5th estate, soccer? Obama hates soccer. He’s going to make all our kids play basketball. Also, thank the gods you are not in power to look after our childeren.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:59 amFrom Malkin:
“The Obamacare government takeover plan has provided a welcome stimulus of creativity and fighting spirit on the Right. Last week, we featured Rounds One and Two of the Obamacare photoshop poster contest. They just keep getting better. Print, save, and fax your favorites to your congressional reps.”
So she’s encouraging her readers to fax propaganda posters to congressional offices–which will of course tie up the fax machines and waste a lot of ink whilst they print the graphics.
That sounds like interfering with the government’s normal business. Does anyone know if there is a law against that?
June 15th, 2009 at 10:00 amWitch1 Says:
Nothing I can do will make any change
Now, that is not true, on any level (political, social, or otherwise). Every individual can make a lot of change. Think of potential, not limitations. And smile — smiles go a long way. :)
June 15th, 2009 at 10:00 amXisithrus Says:
In a sign of growing concern in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government over U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies, Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled proposed Israeli sanctions on the U.S. in a letter to cabinet ministers on Sunday.
Do you have a link for this? Quite amazing if true.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:00 amBriseadh na Firefly Says:
It’s a lot like Bush’s approach: a precondition to “talks” is that the other side conceed everything we want before we will be willing to sit down and talk.
very similat to the repugs idea of “bi-partisan”…
June 15th, 2009 at 10:00 amangels81 Says:
5th estate, do you have some links to Obamas re-education camps? Take your time trying to find any, because there isn’t any you fool.
This is snark, my friend.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:03 amI think 5th Estate was being sarcastic in #18.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:03 amangels81, 5th Estate is one of our Chief Snarkologists, a role well earned.
But you’ve probably figured that out by now.
PEACE
June 15th, 2009 at 10:04 amangels81 Says: thank the gods you are not in power to look after our childeren.
You mean the ones which is learning?
Yeah , the nation really dodged a bullet when I totally forgot to run for office as the “education president”.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:05 amNo, that’s just what Obama wants you to think. He had to pretend to be a normal Christian American who loves basketball and cheeseburgers so that he could get elected and turn us all into soccer-loving islamo-fascists and force us to put Dijon mustard on our burgers!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:07 amSorry if I read 5th estate wrong. Just ignore my posts if this is the case. Sorry for the F**kup on my part 5th Estate.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:08 amangels81,
Sorry if you were taken-in by my ‘comedic stylings’, but well done on calling bull$hit anyway. :D
June 15th, 2009 at 10:09 amIt’s time for someone to invent a “snark” font to keep the confusion to a minumum :)~
June 15th, 2009 at 10:10 amno worries, angels81–watch out for ralph the amazing arthropod too, if you aren;t yet familiar with him yet.
and thanks, spencers mom! :D
June 15th, 2009 at 10:12 amLook, y’all, we cain’t larn nuttin’, lessin’ thars a bunch of monies all tied up innit an all, also, you bet. See, these here edjimicatin’ types are all libruls and stuff what wants’ta maken all our kids be like them. Also. Because.
‘haint no better edjicashun then home schoolin’, an biblin’, an a couple a playboy magazines, an a good beatin’ every couple a days, tew tech them kids all they needs ta know.
So’s what we needs’ta dew is git a bunch of money from the gubbmint, not from us hard workin’ people and all, also, and pay them kids fer grades and stuff.
Also because you betcha.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:13 am5th Estate Says:
angels81,
Sorry if you were taken-in by my ‘comedic stylings’, but well done on calling bull$hit anyway. :D
June 15th, 2009 at 10:09 am
__________
I must agree – it was a very impressive defense of the fact-based community. Let’s just consider it a training session in the political dojo, preparing angels81 to face the Agent Trolls in the real TP Matrix.
You think that’s snark you’re breathing now?
June 15th, 2009 at 10:14 amExit Stage Left
I thought no ALL CAPS was the ’snark font’. :D
June 15th, 2009 at 10:14 amVarious Democratic lawmakers are pushing for expanded offshore oil drilling, greater giveaways to the agriculture business, and either a stricter or looser renewable electricity standard.
This is completely unnecessary as well as totally inadequate to solving the problem. A better plan would be to get the oil companies to open up the refineries they shut down. Perhaps we should impose a tax on all unused oil refineries, so that it wouldn’t be economically preferable to keep them closed in order to jack up the price of oil and gas. Because right now, it simply doesn’t pay for them to open the refineries and refine all the oil that’s sitting in ships offshore. We need to make it pay for them to do that. Even though this would result in lower prices to the consumer, the volume sold would increase and make up for the profits they lose otherwise.
Keep something else in mind – they could lower the prices we consumers pay and they would still be one of the most profitable businesses in the country. There is no reason to acquiesce to their greed.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:16 amWayne Ant Schneider Says:
There is no reason to acquiesce to their greed.
Unless you just happen to be profiting off their greed (“accidnetally” in the case of politicians, of course….)
June 15th, 2009 at 10:18 amangels81 Says:
Asking Palestinians to give up all weapons before talks can start is dishonest on Netanyhus part. Israel knows Palestinians will never agree to this. The rightwing in Israel will trash any hopes for peace.
June 15th, 2009 at 9:18 am
___________
Peace ain’t profitable. Security, on the other hand, is a $4 billion industry growing at 10-15% a year. Peace with the Palestinians would be catastrophic for their business.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:19 amOh my God! Jimmy Bug Balls makes so much more sense now!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:20 amAny Democratic Senator who votes against a public plan is ensuring my financial support for their next primary election opponent.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:21 am5th Estate, Cagey Credit and Ralph – great snark today, and Cagey — your “homily” (#39) was especially hilarious. Thanks for the laughs!! We need them!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:23 amWayne says: Various Democratic lawmakers are pushing for expanded offshore oil drilling, greater giveaways to the agriculture business, and either a stricter or looser renewable electricity standard.
This is completely unnecessary as well as totally inadequate to solving the problem. A better plan would be to get the oil companies to open up the refineries they shut down. Perhaps we should impose a tax on all unused oil refineries, so that it wouldn’t be economically preferable to keep them closed in order to jack up the price of oil and gas.
I remember some discussion within the Congress (probably the House) maybe 6 months ago about nationalizing the oil refineries. I think that would be an excellent idea, since the petroleum industry enjoys jacking the American consumer over. Gasoline here in Florida (for regular) is heading straight for $3 per gallon, with increases every couple of days.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:27 amwinddancer Says:
5th Estate, Cagey Credit
Whoops! I meant CageyCretin! Sorry!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:29 amoy… 19. katy Says: tom @3 – if McNumbNuts HAS won,…
should be HAD… but you knew that…
June 15th, 2009 at 10:33 amYou guys want laughs? I’ll give ya laughs!
I’m not normally much into Olbermann’s “Worst person” rankings, but here’s a good clip of Rush claiming that, contrary to the President’s assertion that getting people to exercise regularly can help save a lot of health care resources, it is in in fact those very “exercise freaks” that are straining the system!
June 15th, 2009 at 10:34 amwinddancer Says:
Thanks.:) Your pleasure is my business. Though some say that business is pleasure, while others know no business but pleasure. So, I will show you my business, if it is your pleasure.
(slightly plagarized. A big bag of cookies to anyone who knows where from).
And as to this CageyCredit mix-up… well, that’s the finance company that sold me my home…. the name should have told me something….. live and learn.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:46 amI’m not normally much into Olbermann’s “Worst person” rankings, but here’s a good clip of Rush claiming that, contrary to the President’s assertion that getting people to exercise regularly can help save a lot of health care resources, it is in in fact those very “exercise freaks” that are straining the system!
I understand now how so many bicycling and cutting brush f#cked the mind of Bush, and therefore, the whole world.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:50 amralph the wonder locust Says:
You guys want laughs? I’ll give ya laughs!
I’m not normally much into Olbermann’s “Worst person” rankings, but here’s a good clip of Rush claiming that, contrary to the President’s assertion that getting people to exercise regularly can help save a lot of health care resources, it is in in fact those very “exercise freaks” that are straining the system!
I saw that clip that evening…and all said while Rush jiggled like jello around in his chair, plucking at his shirt because he evidently sweats like a pig.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:51 amIn a speech to the American Medical Association (AMA) today, Obama will “endorse the creation of a government-sponsored insurance plan operating alongside private coverage while maintaining existing relationships between doctors and patients.” The AMA has been critical of such an approach in recent days.
In my country, Spain (Europe for the ones who think we are somewhere in Central America), we have universal healthcare for employees and workers, so we are quite well with it.
But, in the case of auto insurance, which originally wasn’t regulated by the government, we had a problem similar to the private one that has the healthcare insurance system. Auto insurance is mandatory, yet it’s provided by private insurers. Well, young bikers weren’t accepted as insureds by none of the private insurers due to their high rate of accidents. OK, free market, personnal choice, whatever. The problem arises when one thinks of the function of the auto insurance: to pay for the accidents of the biker AND other the people affected by the biker’s accident. So, if an insured biker had an accident, affection innocent people, that innocent people was left with nothing.
Result: government was obliged by the insurance companies policies to create a government insurance to cover young bikers.
So now the AMA is whining? Well, in a great share is your guilt.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:03 am…Rush jiggled like jello around in his chair, plucking at his shirt because he evidently sweats like a pig.
Evidently he sweats more than a pig. Or, we should say, “swine”.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:04 am“Education Secretary Arne Duncan is offering federal cash incentives to achieve one of his priorities: developing national standards for reading and math to replace a hodgepodge of benchmarks in the states.” Duncan announced yesterday that the federal government would provide $350 million to help states develop tests to assess “common, internationally measured standards for student achievement.”
And Republicons keep thinking in their self centered egos. A national standard is the best to raise the standards of the lazy states, and keep the pace with the rest of the world. That, or you will end counting with abacus (probably too high tech for one-toothed states, and a foreigner one), while the rest of the world uses quantum mechanics computers.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:07 amWayne Ant Schneider Says:
…Rush jiggled like jello around in his chair, plucking at his shirt because he evidently sweats like a pig.
Evidently he sweats more than a pig. Or, we should say, “swine”.
Reminds me of the guy at the restaurant at “The Meaning of Life”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Bs1ZZ-7b8&feature=fvst
Beware: explicit puking.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:16 amWhat amazes me about these demonstrations is the fact that they happen. In a country so repressive the people have the guts and courage to take to the streets. Can you imagine this being done here on such a scale. We have long since forgotten how to fight for change. Not since the wholesale marches during the Vietnam war have we done the same kind of demonstrations. Even in Mexico during one of their contested elections, they demonstrated for weeks.
We are out of the habit. When demonstrations against the start of the Iraq war went on, people were vilified, spied on and generally demonized by the right wing radio. If we had made a larger fuss, we could have stopped a great deal of what happened over the last eight year administration. Instead we rolled over and acquiesced. And that was how the Bush crime family managed to take away our rights and shred the Constitution. Evidently here in America, we don’t find much to fight for. The next time we speak about how repressive it is in other country’s, we might want to remember just how lazy we are here about protecting our own rights.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:25 amEvil Spaniard,
That’s one of my favorite movies. Muchas gracias.
June 15th, 2009 at 11:56 amhttp://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371046569&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Here winddancer for the Peled sanction thang
June 15th, 2009 at 12:04 pmMalkin is just wasting time and ink and paper and hot air.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:05 pm#59 curious, good post but maybe not all together correct…Thousands of us marched for the end of the Nam war and again the beginning of bull shits bushs madness….Many of the same older marchers like myself are just plane warn out…Many others were scared off, fear is a big deterant when their phones were tapped their peace groups were harrased and even many were arrested…The government won out through fear, smear, isolating and controling the air way’s…
My thinking is, those of us that were in the Nam group raised a lot of tec. kid’s busy with new toys and not the least bit interested in changing much except through the vote…..It’s just my opinion of course but from what I have seen and been involved with the majority are not as comitted as we were during Nam, half because of age, one quarter because they are not faced with a draft and a mixed bag of the last quarter thinking the it won’t make any diffrence any way and they are warn out just trying to stay alive and keep a roof over their head’s..We were after all hit on a lot of front’s with the bush regime..
When the “Public” gets fed up enough to do what’s right and make the polatician’s do the same then they may react like we did in the past….Not likely I will see that happen but I hope it will all turn around….Do I think President Obama and this administration will do that.?..Sorry, no I do not…..Blessings
June 15th, 2009 at 12:18 pmRemember that DHS report? You know, the one about extremist right-wing groups recruiting soldiers? Here’s a new wrinkle. Apparently since the GWOT started, neo-Nazis have been getting into the military left and right (despite rules against it).
June 15th, 2009 at 12:27 pmElBruce Says:
Apparently since the GWOT started, neo-Nazis have been getting into the military left and right (despite rules against it).
Well to paraphrase Rumsfeld: You fight with the bigoted racists you have, not with the bigoted racists you want.
June 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pmJust a comment on snark. I think that if you have to adverise it as snark, it loses its punch. Snark should make you think, at first, that the writer is a real troll, but good snark will somehow have within it a hint of what is really meant. Would the Colbert Report be more appreciated if there were a sign behind him that said “this is snark?”
June 15th, 2009 at 12:33 pmen son videolar
June 15th, 2009 at 12:54 pmen son videolar
Speaking of Iran: Iran should condemn George W. Bush’s murder of Margie Schoedinger.
_______________
SCANDAL! SCANDAL! SCANDAL!
EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!
George W. Bush continuously criminally stalked Margie Schoedinger to the point that she could not get away from it, and she committed suicide in desperation to escape: he murdered her.
“In her suit, Margie Schoedinger states that George W. Bush committed sexual crimes against her, organized harassment and moral pressure on her, her family members and close relatives and friends. As Schoedinger said, she was strongly recommended to keep her mouth shut. . . . Furthermore, she alleges that George Bush ordered to show pressure on her to the point, when she commits suicide” (blog of drizzten).
“One of those ‘very leasts’ [was] George Bush’s personal complicity in the death (murder to be precise) of my friend Margie Schoedinger in September of 2003. Determining the exact whereabouts and contacts of [then] president-elect George Bush on September 21 thru 22, 2003, should be entirely lacking in difficulty” (Leola McConnell—Nevada Progressive Democratic Candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010).
McConnell is correct: Bush applying pressure (continuously criminally stalking Margie Schoedinger) purposefully to force Schoedinger to commit suicide does in fact constitute murder where it culminated in her death.
Bush is a racist hate criminal and hates black people (please feel free to see my “GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” blog: andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com). (Schoedinger was an African-American woman.)
BEWARE: If the president of the United States hates one—for whatever reasons—he can continuously criminally stalk one to the point that one cannot get away from it, and one ultimately commits suicide in desperation to escape. He can murder people in this way.
Bush is getting away with his murder of Schoedinger—with no sheriff, prosecutor, or court willing to uphold the rule of law.
Bush’s method of murdering Schoedinger cannot exist in a vacuum: he must have murdered other people in the same way.
Bush should confess, come out with the names of all of the people whom he murdered in the disgusting way he murdered Schoedinger, undergo execution, and accordingly find himself at the intersection where he would be free.
(There are thousands of copies of the information above on the Internet. It exists very extensively in all major search engines. Please feel free to go to any major search engine, type “George W. Bush continuously criminally stalked Margie Schoedinger to the point that she could not get away from it, and she committed suicide in desperation to escape: he murdered her” or “Bush applying pressure (continuously criminally stalking Margie Schoedinger) purposefully to force Schoedinger to commit suicide does in fact constitute murder where it culminated in her death,” hit “Enter,” and find innumerable results.)
June 21st, 2009 at 6:26 pm_______________
Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
(a.k.a. “THE DISSEMINATING MACHINE”)
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993