So Broad in Our Narrow-Mindedness

From Tresy at Corrente:

Manzanar, here we come:

Nearly half of Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim Americans, according to a nationwide poll.

The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.

Of course they do. This isn't something important, like "God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Gotta have priorities, you know.

Frigid

Er... no, I'm not talking about myself or even my love life. Any similarity to me/sex interpreted here is purely coincidental.

The weather up here in the Socialist Republic of Vermont has turned downright nasty, where day time highs (unseasonably) don't always make it in the double digits. Glacial, man!

NetPolitik

If you haven't been over to see Nick, Mick and the gang recently, do so. It had been awhile for me, and I left feeling informed (not a bad blog template redesign either). Hey, it beats holiday shopping, especially if your idea of shopping involves malls (I haven't been to one in six or more years). But NetPolitik is far better than all of that, so it's hard to put the two in the same league (for a myriad of reasons).

Hypocrisy, Thy Name is Pro-Life Right Wing

From Atrios:

Among them is Van Golden, a Christian, anti-abortion Texan who has sold his house so that he can travel to communist, atheist China and have Huang inject a million cells from the nasal area of a foetus into his spine. According to Golden's doctors, his spine was damaged beyond repair in a car crash last Christmas. The damage to his nervous system was so bad that he has been in a wheelchair and racked by spasms ever since. But Golden refused to give up, even if it meant having to compromise his values. "This is the only place that offered us any hope," he says. "Everyone else offered only to help make me sufficient in that chair. But the chair is not my destiny. It is not ordained."

Pursuits Indeed

Karlo at SwerveLeft presents some information, followed by this observation:

I recently read that the US is going into the red the equivalent to $5500 per household per year ! Instead of the “pursuit of happiness,” it sounds to me like the Republican plan should be called “Pursuit of a Free Lunch.” (Later it can be renamed “Pursued by Creditors.")

Tell it, brother.

Go read.

Rumsfeld

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is a tough nut and not one who wants to be cracked.

But what amazes me is that all the criticism recently is entirely centered on his performance at the ad hoc "town hall" style meeting between troops, something Bush never would have allowed for himself because his audiences are always so carefully vetted.

Rumsfeld's shortcomings, failures, and outright disasters began long before that meeting and his poor answers. Knowing that, Bush chose to keep him on in the role.

If you decide to flush Rummy, then flush him for the right reasons: not listening to the troop needs, underestimating what would happen in Iraq, blowing off the results that occurred, not finding Osama in Afghanistan, and so much else. Don't just oust him because it's popular.

All this will do is have Bush replace him with someone even worse. That town hall meeting was telling. I guarantee you the next Defense Secretary won't allow this to happen (oh, the circumstances yes, but not a meeting where the troops can call him out on it).

Horrific Pictures and More

The eloquent Diana from Democracy for California shares a blog link for some extremely graphic pictures from Fallujah. I have seen this stuff before but I warn you that it's not for the faint of stomach. However, we are the war; we have to own what's being done in our name. If it revolts us enough, perhaps we can stop it.

She also shares a link for IHatePatRobertson. I don't hate him. I just want him evicted from the American dialog and landscape. He's a symbol of all that is wrong with today's America: promoting violence in the name of "good Christian values", promoting hatred, and lining his pockets with the blood and despair of others.

Until We See/Hear From You Again, Bill Moyers

Tonight is Bill Moyers' final night on PBS, leaving he says to spread the word that the right wing has taken over the dialog, that there is little or no liberal media in this country.

I credit Bill with helping to take me from uneducated, red-leaning hick to socially conscious human being who cares little of the tags of political party while being far more concerned with Americans as a whole. Yes, there was a time when I went to Young Republican meetings (twice) in college because as a low income hick, I assumed that's where I was supposed to be.

Our best to you, Bill. Thank you.

Condolences to the Gores

Al's mother died the other day. Our best wishes go out to the family at this difficult time.

Uh... Was There a Kerik Nanny?

Several news outlets are questioning this, including The Times, and Kerik's mother-in-law says this is the first she's heard of the family ever having a nanny.

Truth is just a buzzword concept to the Bush-Giuliani crew.

More on Kerik

NY news stations are reporting that no real paperwork was filled out by Kerik to become NY's top cop OR take that fortune in fees from Giuliani Partners. He could have been Osama for all anyone knew. How does this happen?

At this point, if Giuliani couldn't follow the rules for hiring either as mayor or contractor, I think Giuliani's groups SHOULD NOT get any more awards from the Dept of Homeland Security. He breaks too many rules.

Bush Goes On and On About Frivolous Lawsuits

Yes, there are too many lawsuits. They do clog the courts. Some people decide that the way to earn an income is by suing someone else.

But let's get real. What if that contaminated flu vaccine had made its way here? What about the Vioxx cases where Merck and the FDA both knew about problems significantly before the patients taking it?

The president wants to free up courts to allow corporations to sue individuals. Period. It's time to say a big, resounding No to this man.

There have to be better ways to deal with the current problems with frivolous lawsuits or runaway jury awards than to remove a consumer's right to take action.

Damned Shame

Heard on the radio this morning that homeless shelters and soup kitchens are beginning to see their first waves of vets from this war. Lovely.

The Bush Twins are sloshed everynight and folks are buying them a half million dollar condo (at minimum) but the folks sent to fight this insane war are coming back homeless and hungry.

Really, Really

I'm way overdue in updating the template, poll, list of blogs. Let me see what I can pull off in the next few days.

Another Welcome

Say hello to Common Ground, Common Sense.

Say Hello

To Media in Trouble, the blog. It may not be new, but I just discovered it tonight in a Trackback.

Bushies Remove Clinton's Portrait

That's what "JOE KLEIN" (not Joe Klein - don't ask me to explain; I don't begin to drink enough alcohol to comprehend this myself) at Wonkette tells us. I'd love to hear if it actually makes it back up after Christmas. But that'll happen the day after Bush admits a mistake, which will be a quarter past never.

Fake Bomb Lost During Airport Security Training

Gee, I feel so safe with the Bushies in charge.

Imagine the Terror Alert Color Codes if Kerik Did Become Homeland Security Chief

Blue = Bernie forgot to refill his Cialis 'script
Green = No worries; Bernie's Rudy's bitch tonight
Yellow = Elevated; Bernie watched that tape of Rudy dressed up as a woman on SNL and it made him amorous
Orange = Uh oh - Bernie had raw oysters as an appetizer and he's been watching Arnold the Gropinator's obnoxious GOP honcho training films
Red = Hide everyone; Bernie's in heat

The Missile InDefense-ible Program

Another test failed. But Bush will push, push, push this through even with wide international outrage over it.

It wouldn't have saved us on 9/11 - and Bush certainly did not - and it won't defend us in the future either.

Judith Regan: Stunningly Attractive

Did you notice that all accounts of Bernie Kerik's mad love trysts refer to publisher and former Faux Snooze sleeze Judith Regan that way?

Gee, did she write that herself? I mean, she's not unattractive, but stunningly? I'm only stunned that someone would say stunningly. As I believe Roger Ailes pointed out on his blog (and my apologies if it was actually the General or someone else), when Regan did the show on Faux, the camera lens was three inches deep with Vaseline which usually means you're not quite up to sharp focus. That was a few years' back.

And from what I can tell, Bernie hasn't been all that choosy. A couple of reports yesterday indicated that his second marriage may have started before his first one was legally terminated. And then to find out today that the love nest overlooked Ground Zero and had been used as a rest spot by 9-11 emergency workers just seemed to add a new level of creepy to the story. I dunno, I don't perform my most ably in bed thinking about the towers coming down. But maybe Bernie's such a stud muffin, it doesn't matter.

Iraq civilian and prisoner abuse

Karlo at Swerve Left reminds us that even if no one is paying attention to it here, crap still goes on there.

Justice DeLay-ed

The General writes Tom about the Sodomites.

(If you haven't experienced General J.C. Christian, baptize yourself in His blog immediately. He's righteously sharp.)

Zell (is for zealot) Miller and Faux Snooze

Well, Bill ("my vibrator's shaped like a penis but that doesn't mean I'm a homo")O'Reilly won't be the only crazy person working besides Geraldo working at Faux anymore. Zell Miller is going to become a "contributor".

I wanna see him challenge Greta van Sustern to a duel. What a nut case!

Let Me Get Out My Violin

The wife of the lottery winner who took home the richest undivided jackpot in U.S. history says she regrets his purchase of the $314.9 million ticket that has thrust her family into the public spotlight.

"I wish all of this never would have happened," Jewel Whittaker told The Charleston Gazette for Tuesday's editions. "I wish I would have torn the ticket up."

Since winning the lottery two years ago, her husband, Jack Whittaker, has been arrested twice for drunken driving and has been ordered into rehab. He pleaded no contest Monday to a misdemeanor assault charge for attacking a bar manager, and is accused in two lawsuits of making trouble at a nightclub and a racetrack.

Gee, I feel so badly for this clown. Mind you, my lack of sympathy isn't because he's wealthy. I imagine coming into money like that truly is very difficult. But all this man has done is get arrested, call the police, and act like a juvenile delinquent since he won it. And he was the one who kept inciting God when he was getting his prize.

But then, the people who always want to use Christ like a club over your head are always the ones who turn out to be true creeps in their real life. Like the president's plan for faith-based social security. Erp.

Candy that tastes like pot?

The NY news is reporting that NY lawmakers are trying to get candy that tastes like pot out of local stores.

Um... candy that tastes like pot? I can't say I've ever eaten it, but I've smelled it. Why would anyone want candy that tastes like it? Perhaps I'm drawing a mental blank here, but as long as it doesn't contain actual pot (it contains hemp but no THC), how is this worse than candy cigarettes? Gee, I'd almost think pot-flavored candy would keep kids away from the real stuff.

I have eaten hemp candy, come to think of it. Some place in Seattle was selling a hemp and nuts energy bar that I tried. I think I still have the chip in my tooth and that incident was better than the taste.

"There's a lot of Queens in George Tenet"

Wow, so we now give out the Medal of Freedom, the so-called highest award the country can bestow, three times today as hush money to those Bush would prefer not to speak?

We're like a bad caricature of ourselves.

Demand Government Transparency

See here.

Conyers: Ohio Stonewalling on Recount

Here.

Now almost no one is discussing this, gleefully reporting on the mainstream today that Mr. Bush actually gained a vote when the Electoral College voted today.

No Kiss Under the White House Mistletoe for Rudy

Gee.

Should we really be paying Giuliani's firm huge chunks of millions in security consulting fees when he couldn't even figure out that his chief of police was usually in trouble or consorting with the wrong people?

And why is it the people charged with all this moral certainty are never too certain or too moral? Rudy was involved with at least two women while married to the previous Mrs. Giuliani, whom he cheated with after leaving the first Mrs. Guiliani.

Giving the Finger for His Country

You know, CNN was running this real heart wrencher of a story yesterday of a young enlisted man who - when faced with losing a finger or having his wedding ring cut off - said he loved his wife so much he could rather lose his finger.

Except the heart-wrenching part for me was that a) the soldier was 19 b) appears to have kids already besides being married c) is probably in the war because that's his only job option d) statistically speaking, it's a good bet he and his current wife won't even know each other in 10 years while there's no rebate on the finger and e) you figure the ring was an under $50 WalMart special.

BTW, the Army hospital personnel then lost the ring the soldier gave his anatomy for.

Please Remember

We go to trumped-up war with the creepy, deadender Defense Secretary we got and not the efficient, careful Defense Secretary we want.

Who Knew...

Bernie Kerik was such a STUD? Two affairs at once while married? And one of them to a Faux Snooze host for whom he sent a phalanx of homicide detectives to threaten people over her lost cell phone.

That's soooo touching (wiping tear)...