Right Wing Consp-air-acy?

From Wonkette, via Joe Trippi:

Many of you are familiar with the lawsuit that Air America filed against MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting Inc. after MultiCultural pulled Air America off the air in Chicago. Air America won a temporary restraining order against MultiCultural, forcing them to put Air America back on the air. . . It turns out there's more to MultiCultural than meets the eye. The CEO Arthur Liu, a Republican supporter, retained the firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher -- a firm that lists Ken Starr and Ted Olsen as its alumni.
This is a right-wing blackout, and we can't let it happen.

Many Happy Returns to Atrios

The mighty Atrios celebrates two years of blogging today.

Gorelick's Life Threatened

Oh, lovely:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Jamie Gorelick, a member of the commission investigating the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, said Saturday that she received death threats this week after a number of conservatives alleged that her former work in the Justice Department may have contributed to failures leading to the attacks.

Ah, the FBI's investigating. I feel much better. I mean, anyone who ultimately works under John Ashcroft is just so righteous, right?

Frankly, I'm far more afraid of what can happen to this country under Ashcroft than I am about Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, the North Korean madman, and Courtney Love combined.

The Plot to Implode the Middle East

Or that's certainly what it seems like between Iraq, Bush and Sharon's summit this week (in which Bush gave every impression of kissing Sharon's posterior), the small-scale suicide bomber yesterday, and Israel's "protective" measure of assassinating the new head of Hamas (after killing the old, old one last month).

I guess this is just another skirmish in the battle to win the hearts and minds of the Islamic world, eh?

More on CNN's Poll

I presume CNN did not like the results it got on last night's question: "should pictures of hostages be broadcast", which was overwhelmingly "yes", because they're out with a new poll this morning that simply twists the first:

Does the media coverage of hostages in Iraq encourage the kidnappers?

This, of course, has 83% of respondents saying, "Yes!"

Perfect example of the framing of a question to get the results you want vs. the results you don't.

Speaking of Rush

Think I should interview him for my book on the dangers of online prescription ordering? hehehe

Nah, he probably didn't buy online. They usually don't sell in quantities of 10,000. I'm still amazed he simply didn't buy a pharmaceutical company and eat the profits.

Gorelick Asked to Resign by 9/11 Head Keane?

That's what Steve at NoMoreMister (Nice Blog) reports Rush Limbaugh is alleging. If it's true - and I hope it's not - it's a sad day.

Not Surprised. Just Shocked.

From Josh Marshall yesterday:

Beyond belief? How about way, way beyond belief.

This from the Associated Press ...

Some Iraqi nuclear facilities appear to be unguarded, and radioactive materials are being taken out of the country, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog agency reported after reviewing satellite images and equipment that has turned up in European scrapyards.
...

According to ElBaradei's letter, satellite imagery shows ``extensive removal of equipment and in some instances, removal of entire buildings,'' in Iraq.

In addition, ``large quanitities of scrap, some of it contaminated, have been transfered out of Iraq from sites'' previously monitored by the IAEA.

CNN Poll Tonight

I'm not a big poll person, because there are so many ways to sway the answer or to make it almost impossible for a thoughtful person to answer.

Examples:

Do you have a problem with "God" being used in the classroom, on money, and in the courts?
uh...
Will you vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger?
For what? If governor of California, no... and only partly because I live in Vermont. For president? Sure, he'd make a great president of the "I'm smarter than I look" Club or the one for men with IQs exactly matching their neck size.
Should moth balls be banned?
Excuse me?

But CNN's tonight is one that's provocative and also a bit hard to answer, at least in some respects. The question: should images of American hostages be broadcast? Clearly, this is in reference to the 20-year-old Batavia, OH private.

However, while I don't like the see anyone exploited and I ache for the guy - and Hamill and others - every time I see or hear about him, we do have to see these images. Especially those of GIs and civilians because we placed them there (the GIs specifically and the civilians.. well... we brought war to them). We have to see the effects of what we've done.

Another American Hostage

The image of the young private from Batavia, OH being held by the Iraqi Resistance as a hostage is heart-wrenching. He says he came to Iraq to free them but didn't go willingly, just wanted to be home with his child.

This comes with a government reminder that we don't negotiate with terrorists. Now, I understand that. I do. But I wonder if the young private's family finds that comforting.

Karl Regrets Banner

In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Karl Rove admitted he wished that the "Mission Accomplished" banner had never appeared behind Bush in last May's "victory" speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Gee, Karl, I bet the hundreds of Americans who've died since then, coupled with other coalition force, contractors, humanitarian works, and civilians regret it, too. Now go take an anger management course, Karl.

Blair

Much as I listened to the joint Bush-Blair press conference today (and man, does Bush like to act like der fuhrer with the press in such situations) and Blair's post-summit interview with Tom Brokaw tonight, I'm not fully sure what was accomplished or how this improves either man's standing. At this point, Blair would need to bitch slap Bush on international TV to improve his status back in GB.

"Kill Her, Fine. Just leave the TV Alone!"

In a "feel good" story sure to be retold on Mother's Day and straight from the warm, wonderful land of Jeb Bush comes this story of a teenager who hired a hitman to kill his mom but cautioned the would-be hitman to do anything he wanted except damage the family TV.

Charming child. Almost makes one wish Roe vs. Wade was retroactive.

From CNN on Tony Blair

I'd generally agree with the assessment CNN provides on the meeting between Blair and Bush tomorrow. Tony may be running out of cat lives at this point unless he's able to push Bush forward. I wonder how Tuesday's presidential press conference played in the European press.

From the article:

Blair, who meets Bush at the White House Friday, must prove wrong those critics who say London's cherished "special relationship" with Washington is a one-way street, analysts say.

..."Blair has to try and demonstrate that he can have some influence on Bush, to get him to see the subtleties of the Iraq situation," said Wyn Grant, politics professor at Warwick University.

The impression that Blair can restrain Bush and his troops or can help secure a United Nations resolution on Iraq would give his standing a much-needed boost, analysts say.

In the Somebody's Doing Better, But it May Not Be Us Department

Right now, 63% of respondents to a CNN poll asking if the War in Iraq is making al Qaeda strong or weaker says the organization is stronger now.

To believe it's weaker almost requires you buy the argument given by the Pentagon that the "tiny fraction of dead-enders acting up" is just the last gasp of bad behavior before it's extinguished. But we not only have a terrible situation in Iraq, Bush made sure that Arabs were doubly incensed by (what to all appearance seems like) the total capitulation of Bush to Sharon in ways that will not benefit the Palestinians.

Oh yeah, and drug crops look like they're in for another record year in Afghanistan. Every year since we bombed them, drugs have been produced in quantities unknown before our arrival.

John Kerry

Let me return to a refrain that may be familiar to a few of you: the ... ahem... charisma of John Kerry.

Now, please, before you send death threats or offers of free psychoanalysis, understand that there is not one shred of question in my mind that Kerry will be a much better president than Bush. However, Bush is an abnormally low standard upon which to test anything except sheer audacity and fibbing. In my mind, I can literally off the top of my head name at least one hundred people just in politics who would be great improvements over Bush, and some of them are even Republican.

But I wish Kerry were a little less of a fence rider and so careful a man. I find it hard to be passionately for Kerry. I admit, however, that he's not the fresh change I saw in Howard Dean (Dean wasn't perfect, but I preferred him). Nor did I feel passionately for Clinton or Gore.

Yet here's another admission: right now, I suspect it would be very tough to feel as passionately for another candidate as I feel passionately opposed to even the possibility of another term of Bush. Unfortunately, I think probably the majority of the people for Kerry right now are more anti-Bush than pro-Kerry. I'm not sure I like that.

Granted, charisma isn't vital for the presidency.

April 25th

A message from Howard Dean:

George Bush and his right-wing allies are waging a systematic campaign to roll back a woman's right to choose. And we cannot stand for it.

That's why I am traveling to Washington for the March for Women's Lives on April 25th.

Americans from across the country will converge on the National Mall to stand together and show that we will not let politicians get in the middle of decisions between a woman and her doctor. Join me and represent the Democracy for America grassroots in Washington, D.C. on the 25th:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/dfadelegation

You can also view a special video message that I have recorded with Kate Michelman, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. Please take a look and pass the link along to your friends:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/choicevideo

This administration has pursued dangerous, extremist policies that put women's lives at risk -- both at home and abroad. Those who care about choice and freedom must stand up and be heard. And we will -- I hope you'll join us in Washington, D.C. on April 25th.

Thank you.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

The President's NEXT Fake Speech and Press Conference

Good evenin'
Now, I won't say ladies and gentlemen because Karl tells me lots of you folks ain't neither. We expected a bit more respect out 'a the lotta you considerin' how careful we honed you since before I was selected president.

But, with ev'rybody belly-achin' about how ooohhh Iraq is so bad and look, there the prezdent goes on vacation again, I figured I better paint you suckers a pitcher...er... pitcher.

OK, here's the way it's goin' down. It occurred to all good Christians - and by that, I mean o' course me an' Karl - and Karl's a great Christian even if he says the word fuck a lot - and the rest o' the Carlisle Group that what we got in Iraq is maybe a war with all o' Islam. Now, we've said it isn't but for some Goddamned reason, the Islamisists think it is. It also occurred to us that maybe gettin' more than a billion of these smelly, smarmy people mad at just a little group of fat, white, Christian-talking oil billionaires prob'ly ain't too good. Y'know, they might retaliate and then it could affect US, the important people, and not just poor, lazy regular Americans.

So, on June 30th, I've decided to turn the whole damned thinking mess over to Jerry Falwell, to bring Christianity to the middle east, with Ariel Sharon as his closest advisor. See, puttin' Sharon in is smart 'cos he'll give me the Jew vote in Florida and those Islamasisticsists who don't wanna get dunked in the great hot tub of Christianity can become Jews. And it's good for Sharon, too, cause he's got a place he can send all those ungrateful Palestinians.

Trust me, it's a win-win situation.

Before y'all start to whine again, yeah, I'm takin' the summer off again even though you think the war is going badly and that we're under significant threat. But a man's gotta rest sometime, and spending more than 40% of my time sitting on my ass eatin' pretzels at one o' my retreats is mah due. Anybody who don't agree with that is, o' course, a terrorist or somebody who loves a terrorist or at least is willin' to have unChristian-like sex with 'em.

And no, Helen, I'm not takin' your question. I decided I don't take questions from mean little old ladies. 'Sides, Condi waitin' up to read me Chapter 4 from, "The Power of Positive Thinking."

Now get outta my White House 'fore I call a military tribunal on your ass.

The Charges of Partisanship on the 9/11 Panel

The last few days, the air waves and other media have been filled with calls of partisanship and bias on the 9/11 panel. All of the complaints, of course, have been about Democrats on that panel.

But this should come as no surprise. After all, for weeks, we've heard about the "partisan" members of the panel from the mainstream media itself, and the only partisans they were talking about, clearly enough, were the Democrats, as if a) 9/11 is strictly political - and it's not or wasn't until Bush's handlers got hold of it (or worse, if you listen to the conspiracy theorists who believe Cheney, Carlisle, some entity besides bin Laden alone engineered that horrific day) b) that the Republicans were the one true voice and everyone else were complainers and c) that Thomas Keane, a Republican although a fairly moderate one, had not encouraged all the members of the panel - and not just Dems - to sit down for interviews.

Me thinks the GOP is gearing up for what it sees as criticism of our feckless leader who stayed on vacation during a time of grave warnings, and then tried to roll the day into part of his "great legacy".

August 2001 Was Hotter Than Usual

Fred Kaplan tells quite a story in Slate this week. Go check it out, with this to whet your appetite:

National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has made a big point of the fact that Tenet briefed the president nearly every day. Yet at the peak moment of threat, the two didn't talk at all. At a time when action was needed, and orders for action had to come from the top, the man at the top was resting undisturbed.

Throughout that summer, we now well know, Tenet, Richard Clarke, and several other officials were running around with their "hair on fire," warning that al-Qaida was about to unleash a monumental attack. On Aug. 6, Bush was given the now-famous President's Daily Brief (by one of Tenet's underlings), warning that this attack might take place "inside the United States." For the previous few years—as Philip Zelikow, the commission's staff director, revealed this morning—the CIA had issued several warnings that terrorists might fly commercial airplanes into buildings or cities.