Today in Bush Reality (Surreal to Most of the World)

... Cheney is expected to speak publicly about his shooting of a man in Texas.

Right. Through whom? Sean Hannity? Bill O'Reilly? Someone else who will phrase it, as Bob Schieffer on CBS did last night, that poor Mr. Cheney was the victim of an accident?

... The GOP is getting mighty concerned about Cheney as a liability. From WaPo:

Marlin Fitzwater, a former Republican White House spokesman, told Editor & Publisher magazine that Cheney "ignored his responsibility to the American people."

Yeah, they're just trying to protect the (cough) boy king, Bush, not to mention the 2006 mid-term elections.

... John Perkins, author of "Confessions of an Economic Hitman", says that he has proof that had Saddam agreed to give the Bushie-friendly oil companies really cheap oil priced in dollars and NOT Euros, he would still be president of the occupied Iraq. Perkins also says we're sending economic hitmen in to threaten Evo Morales in Bolivia.

Sadly, I really don't doubt this at all.

Liberal Media? Fair and Balanced? Yeah, Sure, Right

From Media Matters:

... as this study reveals, conservative voices significantly outnumber progressive voices on the Sunday talk shows. Media Matters for America conducted a content analysis of ABC's This Week, CBS' Face the Nation, and NBC's Meet the Press, classifying each one of the nearly 7,000 guest appearances during President Bill Clinton's second term, President George W. Bush's first term, and the year 2005 as either Democrat, Republican, conservative, progressive, or neutral. The conclusion is clear: Republicans and conservatives have been offered more opportunities to appear on the Sunday shows - in some cases, dramatically so.

Among the study's key findings:

The balance between Democrats/progressives and Republicans/conservatives was roughly equal during Clinton's second term, with a slight edge toward Republicans/conservatives: 52 percent of the ideologically identifiable guests were from the right, and 48 percent were from the left. But in Bush's first term, Republicans/ conservatives held a dramatic advantage, outnumbering Democrats/progressives by 58 percent to 42 percent. In 2005, the figures were an identical 58 percent to 42 percent.

Counting only elected officials and administration representatives, Democrats had a small advantage during Clinton's second term: 53 percent to 45 percent. In Bush's first term, however, the Republican advantage was 61 percent to 39 percent -- nearly three times as large.

In both the Clinton and Bush administrations, conservative journalists were far more likely to appear on the Sunday shows than were progressive journalists. In Clinton's second term, 61 percent of the ideologically identifiable journalists were conservative; in Bush's first term, that figure rose to 69 percent.

In 1997 and 1998, the shows conducted more solo interviews with Democrats/progressives than with Republicans/conservatives. But in every year since, there have been more solo interviews with Republicans/conservatives.

The most frequent Sunday show guest during this nine-year period is Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who has appeared 124 times. Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) has been the most frequent guest since 2003.

In every year examined by the study -- 1997 - 2005 -- more panels tilted right (a greater number of Republicans/conservatives than Democrats/progressives) than tilted left. In some years, there were two, three, or even four times as many righttitled panels as left-tilted panels.

Congressional opponents of the Iraq war were largely absent from the Sunday shows, particularly during the period just before the war began.

In short, the Sunday talk shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC are dominated by conservative voices, from newsmakers to commentators. The data from the Clinton years indicate that the disparity cannot be explained simply by the fact that Republicans currently control the government.

Congress Continues to Shirk Its Duties While Forever Voting Itself Raises

Lifted from O'Franken Factor:

Rep. Henry Waxman's Comm on Government Reform:

One of Congress' main constitutional responsibilities is to conduct oversight to check abuses of power by other branches of government. During the last four years, however, Congress has failed to conduct meaningful investigations of allegations of serious misconduct involving the Bush Administration. As described below, Congress has failed to investigate:
• The role of the White House in promoting misleading intelligence about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and ties to al-Qaeda;
  
• The responsibility of senior Administration officials for the abuses at Abu Ghraib;
  
• The role of the Vice President's office in the award of Halliburton contracts;
  
• The role of the White House in withholding the Medicare cost estimates from Congress;
  
• The identity of the energy industry campaign contributors that met with the Vice President's energy task force;
  
• The role of White House officials in leaking the identity of a covert CIA agent;
  
• The influence of industry lobbyists in writing EPA regulations;
  
• Allegations of conflicts of interest at multiple federal agencies and the White House; and
  The role of Attorney General Ashcroft in illegal campaign finance activities.

Very Expensive Lipstick on Those Pigs!

Posted by Pudentilla at Skippy International (which sports a revised look):

it may be lipstick on a pig,

bush admin. spent over $1.6 billion on advertising and p.r. since 2003, gao finds - today rep. henry a. waxman, democratic leader nancy pelosi, rep. george miller, rep. elijah e. cummings, and other senior democrats released a new government accountability office report finding that the bush administration spent more than $1.6 billion in public relations and media contracts in a two and a half year span.

And THAT'S in addition to the billions in "royalty free" oil drilling we're giving energy companies this year that already received BILLIONS more in "incentive" tax breaks. You know, for companies that PAY no taxes.

Remember Enron paid no taxes for years while it got big tax breaks.

Praise to Jesus! And His General!

PatriotBoy is writing letters again!

Dear Pastor Mowery,I just recently learned about the good work you're doing with kids there at Combat for Christ. We need more programs like it. It's certainly the only program I'm aware of where a young "Christian Soldier" can receive the weapons training needed to "engage and eliminate [Jesus'] greatest enemies."

That said, I have a couple of concerns. First, you seem to be missing something in your firearms training. Although your web site features photos of kids firing pistols and shotguns, I couldn't find a single picture of one of these junior Christian soldiers executing the Cheney "swing around and shoot the guy behind you" maneuver. That raises a big red flag for me. I can't trust a man who doesn't show proper respect for the Deputy Leader's innovative shooting style.

Funny, my savior doesn't carry a gun. Why's that?

Do I Hear One Million?

According to The Times of London, the English language will soon anoint its one millionth word. Gee, that only took some centuries.

Please, dear Lord, don't let the millionth word be:

1) Truthiness
2) Nipplegate
3) Nukular
4) Any other Bushism

Now excuse me while I go find a downloadable version of "Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life".

Why the Sudden Interest in Farris Hassan?

I notice the searches are going wild for him.

For those who have forgotten, he's the creepy Florida repugnantcan teen who cashed in his stocks (I don't think kids under 18 are supposed to own any) to go to Baghdad expecting America to protect him so he could become the media darling of the far right nut wing. Anyone who gives him anything more than a smack is a fool.

Duck! It's Dick!

Uh... so the fellow we were told just had a tiny bit of birdshot (the kind of thing where you go to the emergency room, they dig the stuff out, and send you home) and would go right home has now been moved BACK (did we hear he was there in the first place? Uh no...) to ICU because he had a heart attack with shot lodged IN his heart. Now he's expected to be in the ICU for at least another week.

Now, granted, Dick Cheney could never be hurt that way. He has no heart.

But I also noticed that White House medical staff is being widely consulted on the case, which means we're ALL picking up the tab for Dick's dickyness.

Man said he had "much bigger priorities" during Vietnam but loves those guns now.

There is, however, a much bigger issue here. If Cheney lies and counterfeits a shooting incident, what the hell else will he do?

The more this Administration plays out, the less I feel I know about 9/11 and the "official" version we have been given. I'm not even sure how much anyone in Afghanistan - Osama bin Laden Forgotten included - had to do with it. We already know they lied us into Iraq - and continue to lie their way through that "cakewalk" - and are using the exact SAME lies to bring us to Iran. And Iran will open up a whole new can of whoopass that may make these Muslims-Against-Danish-Mohammed-Cartoons riots seem like a game of ring-around-the-Bush-rosy.

Vermont Daily Briefing

I happened on Vermont Daily Briefing today and it's good. Non-Vermonters will enjoy the artwork (gotta love the Rove and Cheney caricatures), but stick around to read the commentary. A lot of non-Green Mountain cash and political clout is being used to turn Vermont's one US Senate opening (with the departure of GOP-turned-Indy) and its ONLY US House of Representatives seat (now held by Indy/Socialist Bernie Sanders who is going after Jeffords' seat) into a showcase for more of the right-wing nutcases we see elsewhere. Not good. Not good at all.

Also say hello to The Peace Garden.

Words of (Cough) Wisdom from Henry Kissinger

"Who controls the food supply controls the people; who controls the energy can control whole continents; who controls money can control the world."
~ Henry Kissinger

*************************************************
"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth...for my part, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst; and to provide for it." -

Patrick Henry

Smoldering Embers...

You know, I was convinced today was going to go better. But after the chimney fire a little while ago - and my outrage that the Bushies stage scripted another day (apparently successfully), I think I'll just go up to my smoky bed for the first time before midnight since... well... I suspect I was 9.

Toodles.

Oh yes, and congratulations to fellow Vermont blogger, Cathy Resmer, and her significant other on the birth of their new baby boy.

Irony, Another Word Bush Does Not Know

Does anyone find it YET another irony that men like Cheney - and Bush, and Scalia, and Tom DeLay, and Clarence (hardly Darrow) Thomas, et al - did everything in their power to avoid wars they're happy to start themselves (yet not fight in) while they also then can't WAIT to pick up a gun against pheasants and, oh yes, doves?

Yes, the creepy VP loves to shoot doves.

Why am I not surprised?

Only thing a good Bush Republican won't do apparently is pick up a gun to fight in a war he starts. That's always someone else's - like a poor person's (and hopefully for the most rabid GOPers, some "shiftless wetback" or "colored") - cross to bear.

Montpelier and Peace

For those who failed to notice, more than 300 Vermonters braved very cold weather on Saturday to call for an end to the War ON Iraq. I have no doubt many of them included people, like me, whose previous marching and letter writing resulted on us appearing on government watch lists.

Nothing scarier than people who don't believe guns are the answer to everything, of course, and MUCH better to have a draft-dodging gun nut like Cheney in charge.

Impeachment Buzz, Wiretaps, and More

From John Conyers' blog:

First, I see in today's New York Times that Senators Kennedy and Feingold have also made inquiry of telecommunications firms concerning their involvement in the NSA wiretap scandal. I released a letter to numerous firms on the date of our Democratic hearing last month, but am glad to see that others are weighing in to help us get to the truth.

Second, I see the impeachment buzz is not abating. The New York Times writes on the issue (in the context of noting that the DOJ inquiry in the the so-called leak of the story is growing).

John Nichols of the Nation writes on the subject as well, with an extensive discussion of my resolution to investigate Bush Administration wrongdoing and make recommendations regarding impeachment.

Even the nitwit Heather Wilson (GOP, Planet Mud) - remember her? - is also starting to shout for a look into the NSA wiretap debacle.

On Impeachment? Please do!

White House Held News of Cheney's Half-Assed Shooting Incident for More Than 24 Hours...

And now we learn that all control for how things were handled to the public came not from Pennsylvania Avenue but from Cheney on his long, long weekend of shooting. Barf.

Fellow Vermont Blogs I Have Not Noted Before

Say hello to Vermonters First where you can find good stuff on Lake Champlain (the other great lake), Vermont National Guard honcho Martha Rainville's bid for Jeffords' seat, and the endorsement by Dean's Democracy for America of Bernie Sanders for US Senate and State Senate pro tem leader Pete Welch for Bernie's vacating seat).

(Me? I'm still shuddering at the Rich Tarrant - I'm from Florida... wait, NO! I'm from Vermont! Hey, I can buy my way out of tax trouble, too - candidacy for Bernie's current spot. He's already got $2M to "buy" this cheap seat and I do not like him one bit. Vermont only gets ONE US Congressman; let it NOT be Tarrant! I would also LOVE to see Jim Douglas sent back under his rock but 67% of Dems voted for this pompous Bushie ass last time out.)

Also say hello to Vermonters Against the Death Penalty. Vermont does not have the death penalty but the feds forced a death penalty case through up here with - of course - the predictable result of sentencing death. Anyone who has watched fed cases in the era of Ashcroft and Gonzales probably knows exactly how that works. The point with cases in New England was to "reduce the northeast's shyness about executing people. I'd rather just eliminate men like Ashcroft and Gonzales, and not in the death chamber either (TYVM).

Eventually - meaning when I find time and less chaos in my life - I'll get these progressive blogs onto the blogroll.

What is it With the Bushes and Cheneys?

Laura Bush, as a teenager, joy rides over another teenager - there was some question whether Laura and her friend in the car were drunk at the time and I've heard the victim they ran over died. Laura of course was NOT charged, the delicate little flower. Makes you realize how close to the tree Dubya and Laura's twins fell.

NOW VP Dick Cheney shot a friend and fellow hunter not once but SEVERAL times in one of his privileged, energy/oil company funded hunting trips of his. The victim, expected to survive, was a major donor to Bush/Cheney in 2000 and 2004.

The former I feel sorry for; the latter perhaps got what he deserved.

Of course, Mr. Cheney will face no charges either.

It's so nice to be privileged.

Feds Start Massive Data Mining Effort on Us All

Lovely story out of the Christian Science Monitor (Jill Carroll, our hopes are with you).

Funny, the Bushies get ALL the intelligence wrong but they have to know when our last bowel movement was.

Answering Email Including About the Appeal

Since my email is still a bit... uh.. non-functional, let me respond to a few emails here.

First, no, that was no joke in comments about John Bolton being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. There is always a loon somewhere willing to nominate a Bushie.

Second, yes, I am aware that former VP candidate John Edwards is in Vermont for an anti-poverty conference. I'm just too poor to attend. ;)

Third, Olympics? Sorry, I don't watch sports. :>

I also did not catch Tanya Hardin's miracle Hollywood makeover, Sheryl Crowe's breakup with the "energy enhanced" Lance Armstrong (Texas boys feel obligated and privileged to cheat), or the actual cartoon that spawned the Mohammed protests. I did catch O'Reilly once this week, however, and I'm still wretching because of it.

Fourth, no, my emergency situation that resulted in my appeal is not resolved. I was able to cobble together a temporary line but it's running over snow and negative temps so I do not expect it to last more than a day. I could be back offline by Monday but.. who knows...

Four people were very generous of their time, their hopes, and their finances, and it is appreciated. Hopefully, all four have received notes.

If you have money - and please do not try to give if your straits are as dire as mine - and want to donate, there is Paypal.com (address: katejchase@cut-to-the-chase.net) and my Amazon honor box on the lower right sidebar. Doing so will help keep another independent voice speaking. Thank you.

For Someone Who Can't Remember Ever Meeting Disgraced Man Who Bought Washington Jack Abramoff

Our belubbed president, George W. Bush, certainly had his picture taken often enough with lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his clients.