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Sunday, August 31, 2008
They had 3 years, NOW all of a sudden it's important posted by Wally 11:45 AM Just over 3 years ago, while Dubya was pretending to play guitar and help John McCain (you've heard of that guy, right?) blow out his birthday candles, New Orleans was drowned by hurricane Katrina. Back then, even though they had been given a full week of warning, Bush and McCain had more important things to worry about than a silly little storm. Important things like fundraising to get John McCain re-elected. Since then, they've had three years to repair and rebuild New Orleans. After grand promises about rebuilding it better than before, Bush has done essentially nothing in the past three years. While the city is rising from the floodwaters, it is doing so primarily through the effort of volunteers, and the people who live and love in New Orleans. Bush and McCain ignored New Orleans while Katrina was looming on the horizon. The ignored New Orleans while Katrina was ravaging the city. And they've ignored it for the past three years since. How times change.... Now that Gustav is bearing down on New Orleans, all of a sudden Dubya is taking interest. In fact, he and Cheney feel that it's of such critical importance that they can't even be bothered to tap dance their way through Minneapolis for the Republican Convention. Bush, Cheney to skip Republican convention White House says president, vice president will focus on Hurricane Gustav President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney will skip the Republican National Convention because of mounting concerns about Hurricane Gustav, the White House said Sunday. His Homeland Security chief warned that Gustav could prove more challenging than Katrina and the nation's disaster response coordinator worried about New Orlean's fragile levees. About those fragile levees, what the fuck has the Bush administration and FEMA been doing for the past 3 years? It's not like these are back to back storms. It's been THREE FREAKING YEARS! All of a sudden now it's a number one priority? Bush planned to get an update on preparations for the storm, which could make landfall along the Gulf Coast as early as Monday Right on time for the RNC. Right on time to highlight and remind the voters of yet another grand failure of the Bush administration. Right on time to make them all rethink the past 8 years - to rethink it enough to not even want the Prez and Vice Prez to show up. What does it say when the President isn't even welcome at his own party's convention? And to James Dobson and his "Focus on the Family" group, and all those good "christians" who were praying for rain to fall during Obama's convention speech.... your prayers have been answered. Here's your rain. Lots of it. Right on time for the convention. More proof that, if there is a god, he (or she or it) is definitely not a republican. And STAY out!! Permalink :: 6 comments :: Post a Comment

Rut Roh - Cheney has got to be pissed! posted by Clyde 5:45 AM Iraq signs $3 billion oil deal with China Iraq has signed its first major oil deal with a foreign company since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, a spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry said Saturday. It was the first time in more than 35 years that Iraq has allowed foreign oil companies to do business inside its borders. The contract with the China National Petroleum Corporation could be worth up to $3 billion. It would allow the CNPC to develop an oil field in southern Iraq's Wasit province for about 20 years, Oil Ministry spokesman Assim Jihad said. Iraq's Cabinet must still approve the contract, but Jihad said that would happen soon and work could start within a few months. (Armageddon) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Back door power grab posted by Clyde 5:22 AM Bush Seeks to Affirm a Continuing War on Terror Tucked deep into a recent proposal from the Bush administration is a provision that has received almost no public attention, yet in many ways captures one of President Bush's defining legacies: an affirmation that the United States is still at war with Al Qaeda. Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mr. Bush's advisers assert that many Americans may have forgotten that. So they want Congress to say so and "acknowledge again and explicitly that this nation remains engaged in an armed conflict with Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated organizations, who have already proclaimed themselves at war with us and who are dedicated to the slaughter of Americans." The language, part of a proposal for hearing legal appeals from detainees at the United States naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, goes beyond political symbolism. Echoing a measure that Congress passed just days after the Sept. 11 attacks, it carries significant legal and public policy implications for Mr. Bush, and potentially his successor, to claim the imprimatur of Congress to use the tools of war, including detention, interrogation and surveillance, against the enemy, legal and political analysts say. Some lawmakers are concerned that the administration's effort to declare anew a war footing is an 11th-hour maneuver to re-establish its broad interpretation of the president's wartime powers, even in the face of challenges from the Supreme Court and Congress. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, August 30, 2008
If there was no other reason to oppose the Fart/Tart '08 ticket posted by Clyde 4:33 AM Bush 'energized and excited' by McCain VP choice US President George W. Bush said Friday he was excited by Republican White House hopeful John McCain's surprise choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. "I applaud Senator McCain for selecting Governor Palin. This decision is yet another example of why the American people can trust him to make wise decisions and to confidently lead this country," Bush said in a statement. "By selecting a working mother with a track record of getting things done, Senator McCain has once again demonstrated his commitment to reforming Washington," the US president said. The Arizona senator, the de-facto Republican nominee for the November 4 elections, shocked the US political establishment by choosing the little-known conservative Palin, 44, to be his running mate. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

War is just a game, right? posted by Clyde 4:14 AM Army opens virtual-reality recruiting center Across from the skate park at Franklin Mills Mall, the Army has opened a high-tech recruiting experiment to give potential sign-ups a taste of what military life is like. The 14,500-square-feet Army Experience Center features Disney-grade simulators that immerse visitors in missions aboard helicopters or a humvee. Visitors are briefed on their missions at the tactical operations center (TOC), which looks like a set from a Tom Clancy thriller. Banks of Xbox 360s with plush chairs include speakers in the headrests. Participants can play popular "shooter" games such as Call of Duty 3, or kick back and just play Madden 09 football. As younger generations become increasingly tech-savvy and their habits and routines change, Army recruitment strategies are changing as well. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, August 29, 2008
This didn't take long posted by Wally 9:12 PM Maybe they should have vetted her a little more thoroughly. You know, like by picking up a local newspaper. McCain's VP Pick Palin Facing Ethics Investigation For most of her tenure as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has enjoyed widespread popularity and a reputation as a maverick who refused to stand by fellow Alaska Republicans facing their own ethics scandals. But the 44-year-old Palin, who was selected as Sen. John McCain's running mate today, is now the focus of her own state ethics investigation as part of the so-called "Troopergate" scandal, a bizarre controversy involving the firing of a state police chief and his reluctance to fire an Alaska state trooper, Palin's former brother-in-law who has been involved in a bitter custody fight with her younger sister. Just two weeks ago, Palin revealed an audio recording of an aide pressuring the state's Public Safety Department to fire trooper Mike Wooten, the Anchorage Daily News reported. The accusations first surfaced via the blog of former Alaska state rep. Andrew Halcro, who unsuccessfully ran against Palin in 2006. (On Palin's selection as McCain's vice-presidential pick, Halcro wrote that "this shocking choice says more about McCain's desparation than it does about Palin's qualifications.") Surprise! She's a true Republican. Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Slogan time.... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:24 PM What's yours? Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

GOP base to McLame: "WTF?" posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:12 PM Analysis: Palin's age, inexperience rival Obama's John McCain's risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to "hockey moms" and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat. If Obama is an empty suit, as McCain has suggested, is Palin suited for the Oval Office herself? She is younger and less experienced than the first-term Illinois senator, and brings an ethical shadow to the ticket. A governor for just 20 months, she was two-term mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of 6,500 where the biggest issue is controlling growth and the biggest civic worry is whether there will be enough snow for the Iditarod dog-mushing race. ..... The price for that support could be high. Palin's lack of experience undercuts GOP charges that Obama is not ready to be commander in chief. McCain said in April that he was determined to avoid a pick like Dan Quayle, the little-known Indiana senator whom George H.W. Bush put on his ticket in 1988. The choice proved embarrassing. ..... Palin is 44, Obama 47. She served in her statehouse 20 months. Obama served in his statehouse for eight years. Obama and Palin are running less on their resumes than on they are on their promise. The promise of change and new politics. FAILin McCain's Cabinet choices: (Idiocracy) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Superbowl Numbers! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:06 PM 38 Million View Obama's Speech; Highest-Rated Convention In History Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for president on Thursday as an estimated 38 million viewers watched on television, setting a new record for convention viewership, according to Nielsen Media Research. Mr. Obama's speech - a historic one given his status as the first African American nominee of a major political party - reached significantly more viewers than the comparable addresses in 2004. Coverage of John Kerry's acceptance speech in 2004 had 24.4 million viewers; coverage of George W. Bush's convention speech that same year drew 27.5 million. The audience estimate of 38.3 million means that Mr. Obama's speech reached more viewers than the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, the final "American Idol" or the Academy Awards this year, the Associated Press notes. ..... The 38 million figure from Nielsen includes the audience on ten networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, FOX News Channel, MSNBC, BET, TV One, Univision and Telemundo. It does not include PBS or C-SPAN, which also carried the address live. PBS estimated that it averaged 3.5 million viewers between 8 and 11 p.m. Holy sh*t Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Gov. Sarah "Abuse Of Power" Palin posted by Dookie The Webmaster 9:41 AM McCain picks Palin as running mate Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, campaign officials told NBC News on Friday. She would be the first woman to serve on a Republican presidential ticket. The anti-abortion Palin would also be the first Alaskan ever to appear on a national ticket. Palin, 44, was elected Alaska's first woman governor in 2006. The state's voters had grown weary of career politician Gov. Frank Murkowski, whom she defeated in the GOP primary. ..... But Palin's seemingly bright future was clouded in late July when the state legislature voted to hire an independent investigator to find out whether she tried to have a state official fire her ex-brother-in-law from his job as a state trooper. Just like the Bush Administration Wow, being a one-term governor of a state with 560 people must have prepared her for the White House. Trollup? Thanks Dee: Anti-VP? In an interview just a month ago, she dissed the job, saying it didn't seem "productive." In fact, she said she doesn't know what the vice president does. Larry Kudlow of CNBC's "Kudlow & Co." asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain ticket mate. Palin replied: "[A]s for that V.P. talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the V.P. does every day? I'm used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that V.P. slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we're trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the U.S., before I can even start addressing that question." Permalink :: 12 comments :: Post a Comment

72: Happy Birthday old fart posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:11 AM Diabeetus! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

CNN thinks it's Palin for McCain's VP posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:34 AM A plane from Alaska, landing in Ohio. (No link yet) Alaska's Palin Faces Probe by Jim Carlton (Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2008) Now, one of the bright new stars in the Republican Party has suddenly become tarnished. The state legislature this week voted to hire an independent investigator to see whether Ms. Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper. "This is a governor who was almost impervious to error," says Hollis French, a Democratic state senator. "Now she could face impeachment, in a worst-case scenario." ..... "People see her as the symbol of purity in an atmosphere of corruption," says Anchorage pollster Marc Hellenthal. "She is almost Saint Sarah." Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Sarah Palin (R-AK)? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:30 AM McCain settled on VP pick, sources say Sen. John McCain has decided on his running mate and will inform the person Thursday night, sources close to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said. A Republican source said the matter was settled at a meeting of McCain's advisers Wednesday. Plans are in place for the senator from Arizona to reveal his pick for the GOP vice presidential nominee at an Ohio rally Friday, the day after Sen. Barack Obama formally accepts the Democratic presidential nomination. The McCain campaign is hoping to have 15,000 people at the Ohio event, roughly five times the size of his largest crowd to date. Palin? Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Why help now? Oh yeah, election year posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:28 AM GOP Considers Delaying Convention Republican officials said yesterday that they are considering delaying the start of the GOP convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul because of Tropical Storm Gustav, which is on track to hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans, as a full-force hurricane early next week. The threat is serious enough that White House officials are also debating whether President Bush should cancel his scheduled convention appearance on Monday, the first day of the convention, according to administration officials and others familiar with the discussion. For Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, Gustav threatens to provide an untimely reminder of Hurricane Katrina. A new major storm along the Gulf Coast would renew memories of one of the low points of the Bush administration, while pulling public attention away from McCain's formal coronation as the GOP presidential nominee. Senior Republicans said images of political celebration in the Twin Cities while thousands of Americans flee a hurricane could be dubious. "Senator McCain has always been sensitive to national crisis," said McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds, noting that the senator postponed announcing his presidential candidacy in 2000 because of the war in the Balkans. "We are monitoring the situation very closely." Eat your cake Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Olbermann Slams AP Writer Who Didn't Like Obama's Speech posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM MSNBC's Keith Olbermann made his support for Barack Obama even clearer Thursday when moments after the junior senator from Illinois accepted his party's nomination as president, the "Countdown" host assailed an Associated Press writer for having the nerve to not be as enthralled with the Messiah's address as he was. In Olbermann's crosshairs on this occasion was Charles Babington who penned an article that largely mirrored the opinions offered on Fox News by liberal contributors Juan Williams and Nina Easton: the speech was short on specifics. Newsbusters Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Speech of the night: Barney Smith posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:15 AM Barney Smith takes on Smith Barney at DNC In the leadup to Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech last night, a series of plain-spoken Americans testified about their support of the Democratic nominee. It was a nice show of average Americans explaining their passion for the campaign. Without a doubt the supporter who had the biggest laugh line was Barney Smith, a displaced manufacturing worker from Marion, Ind., who took a shot at the brokerage firm Smith Barney. .... "We need a president who puts Barney Smith before Smith Barney," Smith said. Smith left the stage to the chants of 75,000 Democrats, yelling "Barney, Barney!" Nice shot, Barney! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, August 28, 2008
He's right posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:16 PM Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates. In an exclusive interview with CNN's Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia. Putin told CNN it was done to benefit a presidential candidate -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush. Putin said Russia had no choice but to invade Georgia after some of its peacekeepers in South Ossetia were killed. He told Chance it was to avert a human calamity. ..... He also announced economic measures which he said were unrelated to the fighting with Georgia. Nineteen U.S. poultry meat companies would be banned from exporting their products to Russia because they had failed health and safety tests, and 29 other companies had been warned to improve their standards or face the same ban, Putin said. McLame wants WWIII Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Guitar lessons instead? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:12 PM Bush might not speak at RNC on Monday because of Gustav President Bush is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Monday, but with Tropical Storm Gustav expected to hit Gulf coast, the White House is beginning to hint that President Bush might not speak that day. Fox News' Bret Baier reports today that there "are conversations underway" at the White House about whether Bush "will in fact speak on Monday." Nero Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Should we expect a telegram? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:57 AM McCain selects his VP John McCain has chosen his running mate and the person will be notified on Thursday, a senior campaign official said. A friend said McCain had pretty much settled on his selection early this week, and it crystallized in the past few days. Campaign manager Rick Davis flew to McCain's cabin in Sedona, Ariz., a few days ago to confer, and another meeting about the choice was held with top aides Wednesday. The news leaked on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, detracting attention from speeches by former President Bill Clinton and the Democratic ticket mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware. McCain's selection process has been conducted mostly in secret, but officials said he was considering one or more candidates who support abortion rights. The disclosure set off a fracas on the right wing, with talk-show host Rush Limbaugh saying such a selection would destroy the party. Please be Lieberman! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Bring 'em on! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:13 AM Barack Obama Official Democratic Party Nominee Barack Obama, claiming a prize never held by a black American, swept to the Democratic presidential nomination on Wednesday as thousands of national convention delegates stood and cheered his improbable triumph. Former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton asked the convention delegates to make it unanimous "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory." And they did, with a roar. Competing chants of "Obama" and "Yes we can" floated up from the convention floor as Obama's victory was sealed. Obama was across town as the delegates he won in the primaries of winter and spring cast their votes. Aides left open the possibility that he would briefly visit the Pepsi Center to thank his supporters, a routine event at recent national conventions. His formal acceptance speech Thursday night was expected to draw a crowd of 75,000 at a nearby football stadium where an elaborate backdrop was under construction. McToast Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Poor PUMA posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:54 PM Clinton frees delegates, Obama roll call next Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton released her remaining convention delegates on Wednesday as Democrats were poised to formally deliver the party's presidential nomination to Barack Obama, making him the first black nominee of a major party. As many in the room yelled, "No," Clinton said that, while she was releasing the delegates she had won in the primaries, "I am not telling you what to do. You've come here from so many different places having made this journey and feeling in your heart what is right for you to do." Suspense still remained over the voting process — and whether and when a planned roll-call vote would be cut off to give Obama the nomination by acclamation. Obama planned a mid-afternoon arrival in the convention city after campaigning in Montana. Get over it Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

*2008 Republican Platform: Clusterfck posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:44 PM McCain, GOP's platform at odds** The Republican Party released a draft of its 2008 platform that differs from candidate John McCain on issues including immigration, stem-cell research and climate change, while endorsing his ideas for economic growth and free trade. The document, still untitled, is being debated over the next two days and may be altered before being passed at next week's Republican convention in St. Paul, Minn. McCain aides have said they don't plan to engage in a fight over platform positions. Members of the party's conservative wing have been wary of McCain, in part because of his stances on immigration and global warming. Donald Devine of the American Conservative Union said he was satisfied with the draft. Clashes over the platform during the convention can accentuate splits in the party and distract presidential candidates from projecting an image of party unity. "It's certainly a vast improvement over the 2004 document," said Devine, vice chairman of the advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va. POW Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Seducing rich women half your age is hard work posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:36 PM Romney: McCain earned his homes; Obama didn't Former governor Mitt Romney, perhaps continuing his audition to be John McCain's running mate, attacked Barack Obama today for making an issue out of McCain's many homes. Speaking to reporters at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, Romney said that while McCain deserved his houses because of the "hard work" of himself and his family, "Barack Obama got a special deal from a convicted felon." "I think it was a strange thing for Barack Obama to seize upon," Romney said. "If homes is going to be the topic of discussion that Barack Obama is going to end up on the short end of that one." But Romney's attack stretches the truth. He was referring to Tony Rezko, a political fixer in Chicago and former Obama fund-raiser who was convicted by a federal jury earlier this year on corruption charges. It's true that Obama bought a piece of land from Rezko's wife to expand the yard of his $1.65 million Chicago home while Rezko was under federal investigation; Obama has since said the deal was a "bone-headed move," given the cloud that was already surrounding his former patron. Mitt-the-Bitch Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Holy POW, Batman! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:00 PM DNC on Monday Draws Nearly 22.3 Mil. Viewers An audience of nearly 22.3 million viewers tuned in Monday night (Aug. 25) for the opening salvo of the Democratic National Convention, a night that saw the torch being passed to a new generation of news networks. According to Nielsen Media Research data, the three cable nets posted remarkable increases versus the previous DNC opener, with CNN leading the pack with an average prime time delivery of 3.7 million viewers, an improvement of 85 percent versus its July 26, 2004 numbers. ...snip... All told, ABC, CBS and NBC lured 12.2 million total viewers in the one hour that all three broadcasters devoted to convention coverage, an aggregate loss of 1.34 million viewers versus four years ago. While NBC was up 7 percent, ABC dropped 14 percent to 3.78 million viewers and CBS fell 23 percent (3.52 million). On the night (8 p.m.-11 p.m. EDT), CNN averaged 1.37 million members of the core news demo, up 127 percent from 2004. Meanwhile, Fox News averaged 3.02 million total viewers, for an increase of 84 percent, while drawing 776,000 adults 25-54, up 42 percent. We're watching Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Hillary knocks it out of the park! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM Clinton: 'No way, no how, no McCain' Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton answered skeptics Tuesday night by issuing a ringing call for her supporters to rally behind Sen. Barack Obama, saying Democrats cannot afford to stay home in November and let another Republican administration ruin the economy. "Barack Obama is my candidate," Clinton said in the final speech of the second night of the convention that will nominate Obama for president. "No way, no how, no McCain," she declared in a speech that both blasted the presumed Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and put forth Obama, her colleague from Illinois, as the man "who must be our president." .... "We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines," she added. "This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win." .... "We don't need four more years of the last eight years," Clinton said, hammering McCain on numerous issues, including health care, high fuel prices, job outsourcing, home foreclosures and the war in Iraq. "It makes perfect sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities," she said. "Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart." Awesome speech Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Tuesday, August 26, 2008
"Wake Up America!" posted by Wally 11:00 PM Dennis Kucinich speaks at the DNC Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention posted by Wally 9:48 PM Part I Part II Part III Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Lies, lies, and more lies posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:22 PM Whoops Top Republican Admits That GOP Is Running "Ministry Of Truth" Against Obama Wow -- a leading Republican appears to have just inadvertently admitted that the GOP's spin machine set up to counter Barack Obama during the convention is a propaganda machine spewing nothing but lies. The GOPer in question is Colorado GOP chairman Dick Wadhams, who accidentally made the admission when describing the GOP's war room in Denver set up to hammer Obama during convention week. Wadhams described the GOP's outfit thusly to the Denver Post: "Just consider this the Ministry of Truth." Um, as anybody who has ever read George Orwell knows, the Ministry of Truth exists to disseminate false propaganda about how great the ruling regime is, continuously rewriting both history and the present-day facts in order to maintain total control over the population. 1984 Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

A noun, verb, and POW posted by Dookie The Webmaster 9:47 AM Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

A blue Alaska? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:12 AM Alaska underscores GOP troubles The Senate's longest-serving Republican, Alaska's Ted Stevens, heads into a primary election today at a time when he is fighting for his political life and his party is struggling to hold onto its Senate seats. The possibility of a solidly Republican state going to the Democrats underscores the party's precarious position in the Senate this year. Republicans have a little more than half the money and nearly twice as many Senate seats to defend than the Democrats, who are expected by non-partisan experts, such as the Cook Political Report, to increase their one-vote majority. Cook Political Report senior editor Jennifer Duffy predicts Democrats will gain five to seven seats - including possibly in Alaska, which the Cook Report rates as leaning Democratic. "I don't dismiss the possibility that it could be higher, but that's the very likely scenario," Duffy said. The stress on the Republican side showed last week, when the head of the GOP Senate fundraising committee lashed out at his colleagues for not raising enough money. It could happen Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Off to a great start posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:08 AM Senator Kennedy and Michelle Obama Electrify Democratic Convention Two of Barack Obama's most important allies, his wife Michelle and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, spoke emotionally about his candidacy and his character on the opening night of the Democratic National Convention, electrifying delegates with their improbable presence. Potentially the first African-American first lady, Michelle Obama was given an unusually prominent speaking slot, an opportunity she used to tell a series of personal stories about her South Side Chicago upbringing and marriage to the presumptive Democratic nominee. Kennedy, who is battling brain cancer, cast the Illinois senator as the heir apparent to the legacy of the most famous family in Democratic politics. "I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America. To restore its future, to rise to its best ideals, and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States," Kennedy said in a speech that brought cheering delegates to their feet at Denver's Pepsi Center. "This November the torch will be passed again to a new generation of Americans." Kennedy's presence was something of a surprise given his failing health. And, until moments before he appeared on stage there were questions about whether he would or could speak. But he told the delegates, "Nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. I have come here tonight to stand with you, to change America."... Awesome Michelle's speech: Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Monday, August 25, 2008
Leno: How many houses do you have? McCain: I was a POW. posted by Wally 10:03 PM This is the kind of thing that Dookie, Clyde and I would make up for a good laugh after a couple hours at our favorite watering hole, not the kind of thing you'd expect from the guy trying to become the most powerful man in the world. Leno: "For a million dollars, how many houses do you have?" McCain: "Could I just mention to you, Jay, that, at a moment of seriousness. I spent five-and-a-half years in a prison cell. I didn't have a house. I didn't have a kitchen table. I didn't have a table. I didn't have a chair. And I didn't spent those five-and-a-half years because, not because I wanted to get a house when I got out. You know, I'm very proud of Cindy's father. He was a guy that barely got out of high school, fought in WW Two in the Army Air Corps, came home and made a business, and made the American dream. And so somehow, you've had Cindy on this show, and, uh, the fact is that she's extremely generous. She goes around the world doing humanitarian stuff. She's in now in Georgia as we speak, looking at the humanitarian aspects of the results of this Russian invasion. So, I'm proud of my life and my record, and we spend our time in a condominium in Washington, in a condominium in Phoenix, sometime over here in the state of California and we have a place up in northern Arizona. And, my friends, I'm proud of my record of service to this country. And it has nothing to with houses. What it has to do with putting Americans in houses and keeping in their homes. And that's what I'm gong to do." Leno: "That sounds like five houses." You're fucking kidding me John. Pathetic Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Where's Johnny? posted by Wally 9:05 PM Where in the world is John McCain? Hint: He's not on the main page of the GOP's own website. Could it be that they're embarrassed by the crazy old sonofabitch they've elected to represent them? McShame Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

"I am Hillary Clinton and I do not approve that message" posted by Dookie The Webmaster 11:58 AM Take note Hillary supporters: Clinton Dismisses McCain Ads In what could be a preview of her Tuesday night address, Hillary Clinton defiantly dismissed John McCain's new television commercials that encourage her former supporters to support his campaign. "I'm Hillary Clinton and I do not approve this message," Clinton said of the ads to loud cheers at the New York Democratic Party's delegation breakfast this morning at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver. "Let there be no mistake about it. We are united. We are united for change. We are, after all Democrats, so it may take awhile. We're not the fall in line party. We're diverse. Many voices. But make no mistake, we are united. "I ask each and every one of you to work as hard for Barack and Joe Biden as you worked for me," she said to her fellow delegates, some of whom waved "Hillary Made History" placards. ..... "If you voted for me, you have much more in common with Senator Obama on every issue I campaigned on, on every cause that I have stood for, than you do with Senator McCain," she said when asked what she thought of her former supporters considering a McCain vote. This means YOU, Lynn Samuels! Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Time to go! posted by Clyde 10:58 AM Iraq demands deadline for pullout of all US troops Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Monday no security agreement with the United States could be reached unless it included a "specific deadline" for the withdrawal of all American troops from Iraq. Last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the two sides had agreed tentatively to a schedule which included a broad pullout of combat forces by the end of 2011 with a residual U.S. force remaining behind to continue training and advising the Iraqi security forces. But al-Maliki's remarks Monday suggested that the Iraqi government is still not satisfied with that arrangement. An aide to the prime minister said Monday that Iraq remained adamant that the last American soldier must leave Iraq by the end of 2011 - regardless of conditions at the time. The official, like others who spoke about the specifics of the debate, spoke on condition of anonymity because the text had not been approved by either government. (Buh-Bye) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Quick, someone grab a loofa! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 10:11 AM Part of Pepsi Center flooded by sprinkler system A sprinkler system partially flooded part of the Pepsi Center Monday morning. The Denver Fire Department, which has a crew stationed at the center all week, was able to respond quickly before 5 a.m. when the sprinkler went off. The sprinkler was located on the club level in a skybox which had recently been renovated to host a news crew. It appears the skybox belongs to Fox. After going off, the sprinkler released 50 to 100 gallons of water per minute and 9NEWS crews estimate it was on for around 5 minutes. The cause of the sprinkler is under investigation but early reports indicate it was likely bumped or the heat sensor may have been affected by equipment in the room. Sh*t happens Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Anti-War Protesters Meance Intrepid Fox News Reporter! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:41 AM Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Convention time posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:23 AM Anxious Party Hopes to Show Strong Obama Democrats gathering here for their nominating convention are significantly more nervous about Senator Barack Obama's prospects this fall than they were a month ago, and are urging him to use the next four days to address weaknesses in his candidacy and lingering party divisions from the primary fight. Mr. Obama's aides said they had learned from what they described as the mistake of the 2004 Democratic convention - when aides to Senator John Kerry's campaign sought to forbid convention speakers from going after President Bush - and would use their time to draw contrasts with Senator John McCain, particularly on the economy and his opposition to abortion rights. "The stakes of this election will be made very clear," said David Axelrod, Mr. Obama's chief strategist. "We are going to define the choice." At the same time, acknowledging persistent unease with Mr. Obama among a significant segment of voters, his aides said they would use speeches and presentations during the next four days, including having Al Gore introduce Mr. Obama for his acceptance speech Thursday night, to offer a fuller biography and a more detailed plan of what he would do as president. Define McLame Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Screw conservatism! posted by Clyde 5:15 AM As Democrats gather, liberal positions gaining in popularity As they meet for their national convention Monday through Thursday, Democrats are poised to shift their party's course - and the country's. They're turning to the left - deeply against the war in Iraq, ready to use tax policy to take from the rich and give to the poor and middle class, and growing hungry, after years of centrist politics, for big-government solutions, such as a health-care overhaul, to steer the nation through a time of sweeping economic change. They are, in short, more liberal than at any time in a generation and eager to end the Reagan era, which dominated not just the other party, but also their own, for nearly three decades. "Every generation . . . there are changes in people's relationship with government," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. This, he said, is such a time. (Link) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

What more does Pelosi need? posted by Clyde 4:57 AM PR Push for Iraq War Preceded Intelligence Findings The U.S. intelligence community buckled sooner in 2002 than previously reported to Bush administration pressure for data justifying an invasion of Iraq, according to a documents posting on the Web today by National Security Archive senior fellow John Prados. The documents suggest that the public relations push for war came before the intelligence analysis, which then conformed to public positions taken by Pentagon and White House officials. For example, a July 2002 draft of the "White Paper" ultimately issued by the CIA in October 2002 actually pre-dated the National Intelligence Estimate that the paper purportedly summarized, but which Congress did not insist on until September 2002. A similar comparison between a declassified draft and the final version of the British government's "White Paper" on Iraq weapons of mass destruction adds to evidence that the two nations colluded in the effort to build public support for the invasion of Iraq. Dr. Prados concludes that the new evidence tends to support charges raised by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan and by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in its long-delayed June 2008 "Phase II" report on politicization of intelligence. (Criminal) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Tell us something we didn't know posted by Wally 5:17 AM How Bush Destroyed the Republican Party A president driven by ideology. A Congress rife with corruption. A political party hellbent on a "permanent majority." A leading scholar examines the radicals who hijacked the GOP — and wrecked the longest conservative ascendancy in American history The failure of the administration of George W. Bush - and the accompanying crisis of the Republican Party - has caused a political meltdown of historic proportions. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Bush enjoyed the greatest popularity ever recorded for a modern American president. Republicans on Capitol Hill, under the iron rule of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, fattened their coffers through a fearsome operation overseen by corporate lobbyists and GOP henchmen that functioned more like an empire than an old-fashioned political machine. "Republican hegemony," the prominent conservative commentator Fred Barnes rejoiced in 2004, "is now expected to last for years, maybe decades." Now, only four years later, Bush is leaving office with the longest sustained period of public disapproval ever recorded. No president, at least in modern times - and certainly no two-term president - has risen so high only to fall so low. Indeed, Bush's standings in the polls describe one of the most spectacular flameouts in the history of the American presidency - second only, perhaps, to that of Richard Nixon, the only president ever forced to resign from office. And in Congress, the indictment and downfall of DeLay and a host of associated scandals involving, among others, the Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, have badly damaged the party's image. The supremacy of the GOP, once envisioned by party operatives as a "permanent majority," may be gone for a very long time to come. Good riddance Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

We have our candidates posted by Clyde 3:58 AM Obama chooses Biden as running mate Barack Obama named Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate early Saturday, balancing his ticket with a seasoned congressional veteran well-versed in foreign policy and defense issues Biden, who has served in the Senate since being elected at the age of 29, is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. Obama's decision leaked to the media several hours before his aides planned to send a text message announcing the running mate, negating a promise that people who turned over their phone numbers would be the first to know who Obama had chosen. The campaign scrambled to send the text message after the leak, sending phones buzzing at the inconvenient time of just after 3 a.m. on the East coast. A statement on Obama's Web site said Biden "brings extensive foreign policy experience, an impressive record of collaborating across party lines, and a direct approach to getting the job done." (Link) Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Country first? posted by Clyde 3:46 AM McCains Bought Second Beach Condo At Around Time McCain Said Struggling Homeowners Needed To Skip Vacations Here's a fun little find that is likely to give Dems more ammo to blast away at John McCain's number-of-houses gaffe. It turns out that a few months ago, a McCain family corporation closed on a second multi-million-dollar beach condo in the same building in exclusive Coronado, California -- at around the same time that John McCain offered his somewhat tone-deaf observation that struggling homeowners were "working at second jobs" and "skipping a vacation" in order to make mortgage payments on time. Cindy McCain discussed the timing of the second condo purchase in a June interview with Vogue magazine (not online) that's newly relevant in light of the explosive controversy over John McCain's inability to recall how many homes the McCains own. And in another fun fact that could pour fuel on this controversy, Cindy told her interviewer that the reason they needed a second beach condo in the Coronado building was that the first was too crowded because her kids were staying there and as a result she "couldn't get in the place." (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, August 22, 2008
The Daily Show puts up a billboard for the RNC convention posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:44 PM Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Time Magazine: It's Mitt posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:22 AM Halperin: McCain Settles On Romney: TIME's Mark Halperin cites two unnamed Republican sources saying that McCain has settled on Romney as his VP nominee: Two Republicans who know say McCain has settled on Mitt Romney as his running mate. Developing... Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

No more rosaries on your ovaries posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:18 AM More Americans Question Religion's Role In Politics Some Americans are having a change of heart about mixing religion and politics. A new survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters. For a decade, majorities of Americans had voiced support for religious institutions speaking out on such issues. The new national survey by the Pew Research Center reveals that most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. Four years ago, just 30% of conservatives believed that churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics. Today, 50% of conservatives express this view. As a result, conservatives' views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared. There are other signs in the new poll about a potential change in the climate of opinion about mixing religion and politics. First, the survey finds a small but significant increase since 2004 in the percentage of respondents saying that they are uncomfortable when they hear politicians talk about how religious they are - from 40% to 46%. Again, the increase in negative sentiment about religion and politics is much more apparent among Republicans than among Democrats. Jesus rode a donkey Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, August 21, 2008
*Can you say "Btchslap"? posted by Dookie The Webmaster** 9:39 AM It didn't take long for the Obama camp to release this new ad. I love it: Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

McRich: Obama campaign hits back posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:45 AM McCain unsure how many houses he owns Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own. "I think - I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where - I'll have them get to you." Counting houses John McCain was unsure in an interview with my colleagues Mike Allen and Jonathan Martin how many houses he owns -- and the response offers the Obama campaign a chance to take Chuck Schumer's advice and try to paint McCain as an out-of-touch rich guy. "This story about John McCain losing track of how many houses he owns is a telling moment that helps to explain why he still thinks 'the fundamentals of our economy are strong' and why he offers just more of the same economic policies that we've gotten from President Bush for the last eight years," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. Nice! Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Tear him apart Obama posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:01 AM Obama camp links McCain to Abramoff scandal; Second negative ad in 24 hours Barack Obama's campaign is linking John McCain to the infamous Jack Abramoff scandal that ended several Republicans' political careers three years ago in a new campaign ad hitting Georgia airwaves Wednesday. The 30-second spot is the Obama campaign's second negative ad in the past 24 hours. It attacks the Arizona senator for his association with former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed, one of the Republicans implicated in the scandal. The ad also seems to suggest McCain didn't call Reed to testify before a Senate panel he chaired in return for political favors. "When the Senate investigated, the senator in charge never even called Reed to testify....And that senator? John McCain. And who's now raising money for McCain's campaign? Ralph Reed," the ad's narrator says. "For 26 years in Washington, John McCain's played the same old games. We just can't afford more of the same."... Keep going Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
RIP Steph? (Updated) posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:11 PM Stephanie Tubbs Jones has died, sources say Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, a Democratic superdelegate, died today after suffering an aneurysm, Democratic sources told CNN. Update: CNN says she's still alive: Ohio congresswoman Tubbs Jones hospitalized Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, a Democratic superdelegate and one of Hillary Clinton's most ardent supporters, was hospitalized in critical condition Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm, the hospital said. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, suffered an aneurysm Tuesday evening. Dr. Gus Kious, chief of staff at Huron Hospital in East Cleveland, Ohio, said that Tubbs Jones had "very limited brain function" and that the aneurysm is in "an inaccessible part of her brain." "She remains in critical condition at present in our intensive care unit. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this very difficult time," Kious said. Earlier reports had said Tubbs Jones had died. Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Cindy McLiar posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:08 PM Cindy McCain's Half Sister A controversy has erupted over John McCain's wife Cindy. Turns out, she has a half-sister, even though she said otherwise on CNN last month. National Public Radio says Mrs. McCain's half-sister is Kathleen Portalski who says they have the same father. This means Mrs. McCain is not an only child, as NPR had initially reported. Portalski says while she was growing up she saw her father and sometimes her half-sister on holidays and birthdays. She says now all she wants is an apology from Cindy McCain, and acknowledgment that they are half-sisters. McPlasticCindy Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

The Dems will F it up posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:02 PM Forces align against Republicans in Senate races Even the top Republican in charge of the party's Senate campaigns concedes that the GOP will lose seats this year - the only question is how many. With President Bush's ratings at rock-bottom, fewer Republicans signing up to vote, and voters nationally gravitating toward Democrats in public polls, the GOP is bracing for defeats in November that will expand Democrats' now razor-thin 51-49 majority in the Senate. Democrats have solid chances of winning five seats, according to strategists in both parties and public polls, and realistic shots at picking off another three to five Republican senators. Republicans have only one good opportunity for replacing a Democrat, in Louisiana. A quirk of the political calendar - Republicans are defending 23 seats this year to Democrats' 12 - put the GOP at a disadvantage from the start. Worse still, those include five Republican retirements - which typically make it harder to keep a seat - compared to none among Democrats. The scent of defeat threatens to become a self-fulfilling prophecy: Republican donors are sitting on their hands, giving Democrats a nearly 2-to-1 advantage in fundraising that limits the GOP's ability to defend key seats. But, but POLLS! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Strip him of his committees, NOW! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:27 AM Sen. Joe Lieberman to speak at GOP convention A Republican official tells The Associated Press that Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman will be speaking at the Republican National Convention. The GOP official said Wednesday that Lieberman would deliver a speech as Republicans gathered in St. Paul to nominate John McCain for president. The official requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to make an announcement. Lieberman was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee but is now an independent. He has been one McCain's strongest supporters and is considered a contender to be McCain's running mate. Traitor Joe Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Why not just announce on Friday? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:13 AM Obama To Announce Running Mate on Saturday Barack Obama heads to Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, where he is expected to announce his running mate. The two will appear at a rally at the Old State Capitol, kicking off a pre-convention tour. On Friday evening, the campaign will send out a mass text message and email to supporters announcing the Vice Presidential nominee. Two weeks ago, campaign manager David Plouffe e-mailed supporters asking them to sign up for the V.P. announcement. The campaign had hoped that the V.P. pick would not be leaked to the press before the announcement actually occurs. However, authorities at the Illinois state capitol told Chicago reporters that they were preparing for an Obama visit, prompting the campaign to confirm that the presumptive Democratic nominee will be there on Saturday. In the days leading up to his convention speech, Obama will be traveling to several battleground states presumably with his running mate. Why? Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Congrats Rachel! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:09 AM Rachel Maddow to Replace Dan Abrams on MSNBC Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host –- and one-time general manager of the network - Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel. The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams's last program on Thursday. After MSNBC's extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8. MSNBC is highlighting the date, 9/8/08, connecting it to the start of the Olympics on 8/8/08, as a way to signal what the network's president, Phil Griffin, said "will be the final leg of the political race this year." He added, "We making that Rachel's debut." Mr. Abrams, who is well liked at MSNBC, is expected to remain at both that network and at NBC News, where he is the chief legal correspondent. He will also serve as an anchor during some of MSNBC's daytime coverage, as well as a substitute host on NBC's "Today" show, Mr. Griffin said. Sweeeet! Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Olbermann chastises McCain: Grow up! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 7:21 AM Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

It's down to 3 posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:14 AM Joe Biden gets V.P. buzz We should know by the end of this week who will join Barack Obama in the race for the White House. The Democrats start their convention in Denver in just one week. The first term senator's choice for Vice President is a critical decision. And tonight, the buzz is about Joe Biden. It's still a guessing game at this point. But Joe Biden is on the short list, and with his trip to Russian-occupied Georgia over the weekend, at their governments request...there is a buzz about Biden right now and one Quad City woman is hoping its for real. Word that Senator Joe Biden's stock shot up this week as Barack Obama's possible running mate is good news for Sharon Holle of Davenport. "I think it would be a very wise choice for Barack Obama to pick Joe Biden," Holle said. Holle knows the senior senator, and his family. Better than Bayh Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

How convenient posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:09 AM Scientists: FBI destroyed Ivins' matching anthrax sample Contrary to initial reports, Bruce Ivins did give investigators a sample of the anthrax the FBI has identified as the same type used in the attacks, but they destroyed it because it didn't meet their standards for evidence. FBI scientists released that information Monday in a briefing at FBI headquarters, where researchers who assisted in the investigation discussed the scientific process they used to track the anthrax used in the 2001 mailings back to Fort Detrick and Ivins. Two weeks ago, the Justice Department named Ivins as its sole suspect in the mailings, which killed five people and left 17 others hospitalized. Ivins' attorney has maintained Ivin's innocence. The noted scientist committed suicide on July 29, just before media reports revealed investigators were preparing to indict him for the mailings. In documents released Aug. 6, the Justice Department stated that Ivins had failed to cooperate with investigators as they gathered samples of anthrax from labs for comparison with that used in the mailings, and cited that as one factor behind its naming him as a suspect. Investigators have said they have a strong circumstantial case against Ivins, but have conceded they have no hard evidence linking him to the crime. It's always the cover up Permalink :: 7 comments :: Post a Comment

Didn't they learn from Walter Reed? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:03 AM Soldiers: Mold infests Okla. barracks for wounded Mold infests the barracks that were set up here a year ago for wounded soldiers after poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center triggered a systemwide overhaul, soldiers say. Twenty soldiers, who spoke to USA TODAY early last week, said their complaints about mold and other problems went unheeded for months. They also said they had been ordered not speak about the conditions at Fort Sill. Officers at the Army base last week ordered that ventilation ducts in two barracks be replaced and soldiers be surveyed, anonymously if they wished, about any concerns. Maj. Gen. Peter Vangjel, the commanding officer, said it was "inappropriate" for soldiers to be ordered not to talk about the mold. "We're going in and we're going to take care of this for these guys," he said over the weekend. Images of mold growing on walls of wounded-soldier bedrooms at Walter Reed last year, along with issues of bureaucratic delays in health care, led to an overhaul of the Army's wounded-care system. Warrior Transition Units (WTU) were created to expedite the care and treatment of wounded and ailing soldiers. Support our troops! Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Monday, August 18, 2008
Biden, Clinton, Kerry......? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 10:15 AM Obama VP choice likely this week American voters should know this week who will join Barack Obama as No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ballot, a critical decision for the first-term senator who is fighting off Republican John McCain's bid to paint off him as untested and unready for the White House. Democrats open their national convention a week hence in Denver, and Obama's choice of a running mate remains the primary unanswered question as the party gears up for the final push to oust the Republicans from the executive mansion. Top contenders for the vice presidential spot were Evan Bayh, a middle-of-the-road Indiana senator with an extensive Democratic pedigree; Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who leads a Republican-leaning state that Obama needs to put in his column in the Nov. 4 election, and long-serving Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee who undertook a weekend trip to Russian-occupied Georgia. Get it right Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

'Bout Time posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:11 AM Musharraf says he will resign Pakistan presidency Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday after weeks of pressure on him to relinquish power. President Pervez Musharraf has until now stubbornly resisted pressure to resign. Musharraf told the nation in a televised address that he would step down -- nearly nine years after he seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999. It was unclear what the future would hold for Musharraf. He quit just as the ruling party was taking steps to remove him in what would have been the first impeachment of a president in Pakistan's history. Local media reports said Musharraf has been granted "safe passage" out of the country. A spokeswoman for the ruling Pakistan People's Party, which has taken steps to impeach Musharraf, did not rule out that possibility. Take note, Democrats Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, August 17, 2008
A good read! posted by Clyde 5:05 AM Obama and the Politics of 'Presumptuousness' Given the extent to which the self-definition of elite Washington reporters depends not only on their access to power but also on their role in reinforcing its prerogatives, it would be odd if eight years of a limitlessly corrupt, pathologically dishonest and lawless presidency did not leave its mark. And while we might have hoped that these actions would help the press to stiffen its collective backbone, unfortunately it has done just the opposite. Republicans are running a presidential campaign at a moment of historic unpopularity for their party and with a candidate who has a panoply of potentially negative associations for voters. In the first place, John McCain's stances on the issues, while consistent with the desires of his party's base, are at odds with the professed wishes of the American people. Second, while he bills himself as a man of principle, he has in fact changed his position--"flip-flopped"--repeatedly on fundamental issues such as immigration, taxes, campaign finance, reproductive choice, etc. (See "Loving McCain," July 7.) Third, owing to the inheritances of the woman with whom he conducted an adulterous affair before leaving his disabled first wife, the Republican enjoys eight separate residences across the country as well as the corporate jets she puts at his disposal, and he ambles around in shoes costing more than $500 a pair. At 71, he would be the oldest first-term President in US history if elected; and on the campaign trail he frequently becomes confused, loses his temper and sings songs about bombing Iran. He has engaged in discussion with supporters about that "bitch" Hillary Clinton. On one occasion in 1998, he joked that Attorney General Janet Reno was the "father" of the "ugly" teenager Chelsea Clinton. His opponent has no such liabilities. His party is on an upswing. His positions are popular. He has never been associated with personal scandal; has earned, together with his wife, all of his family's money himself; is young, vivacious and without McCain's mean streak. But Barack Obama is black, and burdened with a Muslim-sounding name, in a country that has yet to transcend the racial horrors of its past or the reflexive parochialism and xenophobia of much of its populace. McCain must depend on these two factors to remain competitive in an election year when all indications suggest that a conservative Republican would have little to no chance of victory. (Link) Permalink :: 8 comments :: Post a Comment

Reaping what was sown posted by Clyde 4:55 AM Forces align against Republicans in Senate races Even the top Republican in charge of the party's Senate campaigns concedes that the GOP will lose seats this year - the only question is how many. With President Bush's ratings at rock-bottom, fewer Republicans signing up to vote, and voters nationally gravitating toward Democrats in public polls, the GOP is bracing for defeats in November that will expand Democrats' now razor-thin 51-49 majority in the Senate. Democrats have solid chances of winning five seats, according to strategists in both parties and public polls, and realistic shots at picking off another three to five Republican senators. Republicans have only one good opportunity for replacing a Democrat, in Louisiana. A quirk of the political calendar - Republicans are defending 23 seats this year to Democrats' 12 - put the GOP at a disadvantage from the start. Worse still, those include five Republican retirements - which typically make it harder to keep a seat - compared to none among Democrats. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, August 16, 2008
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise! posted by Clyde 3:58 AM Top CEOs give 10 times more to McCain than to Obama The top executives of America's biggest companies are more willing to open their wallets for John McCain than his Democratic rival, donating 10 times as much to the Arizona senator's campaign as to Barack Obama's. Obama's campaign seized on the findings of The Hill's review of campaign finance records to suggest that the gap was due to "special favors" McCain has given corporations. The presumptive GOP nominee has received $208,200 from the chief executive officers of the 100 biggest Fortune 500 corporations, according to a review of campaign finance reports. Obama has taken in $20,400 from the same group of people. "It is not surprising that a Washington celebrity like John McCain would be able to collect contributions based on 26 years of special favors provided to individual businesses," said Jason Furman, Obama's economic policy director. (Link) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Just another police state! posted by Clyde 3:43 AM U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules More Federal Intelligence Changes Planned The Justice Department has proposed a new domestic spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years. The proposed changes would revise the federal government's rules for police intelligence-gathering for the first time since 1993 and would apply to any of the nation's 18,000 state and local police agencies that receive roughly $1.6 billion each year in federal grants. Quietly unveiled late last month, the proposal is part of a flurry of domestic intelligence changes issued and planned by the Bush administration in its waning months. They include a recent executive order that guides the reorganization of federal spy agencies and a pending Justice Department overhaul of FBI procedures for gathering intelligence and investigating terrorism cases within U.S. borders. Taken together, critics in Congress and elsewhere say, the moves are intended to lock in policies for Bush's successor and to enshrine controversial post-Sept. 11 approaches that some say have fed the greatest expansion of executive authority since the Watergate era. (Link) Permalink :: 10 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, August 15, 2008
What do we tell the children? posted by Clyde 10:31 AM Peter Pan, Snow White arrested at Disneyland Cinderella, Snow White, Tinkerbell and other fictional fixtures of modern-day childhood were handcuffed, frisked and loaded into police vans Thursday at the culmination of a labor protest that brought a touch of reality to the Happiest Place on Earth. The arrest of the 32 protesters, many of whom wore costumes representing famous Disney characters, came at the end of an hour-long march to Disneyland's gates from one of three Disney-owned hotels at the center of a labor dispute. Those who were arrested sat in a circle on a busy intersection outside the park holding hands until they were placed in plastic handcuffs and led to two police vans while hundreds of hotel workers cheered and chanted. The protesters were arrested on a misdemeanor count of failure to obey a police officer and two traffic infractions, said Sgt. Rick Martinez of the Anaheim police. They were cited and released, Sgt. Chris Schneider said. (Link) Permalink :: 4 comments :: Post a Comment

Too Funny! posted by Clyde 10:28 AM GOP (Ohio) crying foul over law it passed In trying to close a brief window that will allow simultaneous voter registration and absentee voting, Ohio Republicans are engaging in "blatant voter suppression," a leading legal expert on voting said yesterday. "This is exactly what the law says and what it allows," said Daniel Tokaji, a professor at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. "If the Republicans are trying to close the window, they would be violating the law they wrote." Tokaji, a frequent critic of Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, said she is "absolutely right on this one. ... It could be the best thing she's done in office." Partisan battle lines are being drawn over Brunner's directive to county boards of elections, clarifying that state law allows a five-day overlap during which Ohioans can register to vote and vote by absentee ballot at the same time. (Bwahahaha) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, August 14, 2008
Troops don't want 100 years posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:09 PM Obama Tops in Donations from Troops The Center for Responsive Politics has found that the presidential candidate with a record as a bona fide war hero is garnering far less financial support from the troops than the Harvard-trained lawyer. "Democrat Barack Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than has Republican John McCain, and the fiercely anti-war Ron Paul, though he suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination months ago, has received more than four times McCain's haul," the report said. The report also included this surprise: "Members of the armed services overall -- whether stationed overseas or at home -- are also favoring Obama with their campaign contributions in 2008.... Although 59 percent of federal contributions by military personnel have gone to Republicans this cycle, of money from the military to the presumed presidential nominees, 57 percent has gone to Obama." $$$ Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

WHAT!!!!!!! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 11:58 AM Court: Saudi Arabia not liable in Sept. 11 attacks A federal appeals court has ruled that Saudi Arabia and four of its princes cannot be held liable in the Sept. 11 attacks. The appeals court issued the ruling Thursday, saying the Saudi defendants are protected by sovereign immunity. It also agreed with a lower court that a Saudi banker and a charitable organization cannot be held liable. How many hijackers? Permalink :: 6 comments :: Post a Comment

Why? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 11:53 AM Hillary Clinton's name to be placed in nomination Hillary Rodham Clinton's name will be placed in nomination along with nominee-in-waiting Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, an emblematic move intended to unite the party after a divisive primary. During the Denver gathering, Democrats will officially choose Obama to run against Republican John McCain this fall, but the state delegations will do a traditional roll call for their nominee's vanquished primary opponent as well. Obama and Clinton - fierce rivals then, reluctant allies now - agreed to the arrangement after weeks of negotiations between their respective aides. The two sides made the announcement Thursday in a collegial joint statement. "I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton's historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion," said Obama, an Illinois senator. FUBAR Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

So NOW they want to pull the trigger posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:23 AM Lieberman's Days Are Numbered House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blasted Sen. Joe Lieberman today for making what she called "totally irresponsible" remarks about Democrat Barack Obama, which she warned could prompt Senate Democrats to strip him of his committee chairmanship. [snip] "You're right," Pelosi said. "Joe Lieberman has said things that are totally irresponsible when it comes to Barack Obama. Here we have a leader for the future, really a great leader for the future and one that comes along only every now and then, and they know it so they have to undermine him. And one of their best weapons, of course, is someone who is considered by some to be a Democrat." Pelosi bluntly explained that Senate Democrats are leery of challenging Lieberman because his vote is crucial to maintaining the Democrats' 51-49 majority in the Senate. But she warned that Lieberman's top spot on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee could be in jeopardy next year if the Democrats gain seats in the Senate in November. "The Democrats in the Senate are in a tough spot. They have 51 votes. Joe Lieberman organizes with them," she said. "In 85 days or something, they will have five more Democrats they won't need him to make the majority. And it will be interesting to see what the leadership in the Senate, the Democratic leadership in the Senate, does at that point in terms of Joe Lieberman's chairmanship of his committee." FU Joe! Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

FBI Ruh roh posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:20 AM Hair Samples in Anthrax Case Don't Match Federal investigators probing the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks recovered samples of human hair from a mailbox in Princeton, N.J., but the strands did not match the lead suspect in the case, according to sources briefed on the probe. FBI agents and U.S. Postal Service inspectors analyzed the data in an effort to place Fort Detrick, Md., scientist Bruce E. Ivins at the mailbox from which bacteria-laden letters were sent to Senate offices and media organizations, the sources said. The hair sample is one of many pieces of evidence over which researchers continue to puzzle in the case, which ended after Ivins committed suicide July 29 as prosecutors prepared to seek his indictment. Authorities released sworn statements and search warrants last week at a news conference in which they asserted that Ivins was their sole suspect. But the materials have not dampened speculation about the merits of the investigative findings and the government's aggressive pursuit of Ivins, a 62-year-old anthrax vaccine researcher. Conspiracy theories have flourished since the 2001 attacks, which killed five people and sickened 17 others. Yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee announced it will call FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III to appear at an oversight hearing Sept. 17, when he is likely to be asked about the strength of the government's case against Ivins. A spokeswoman for Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), a vocal FBI critic, said he would demand more information about how authorities narrowed their search. The House Judiciary panel, meanwhile, is negotiating to hold a separate oversight hearing in September with bureau officials, in a session that could mark the first public occasion in which Mueller faces questions about the FBI's handling of the anthrax case. Friends and former colleagues of Ivins, who died before he could see the full array of evidence prosecutors had gathered, continue to demand information about the DNA advances that authorities say led them to a flask in Ivins's lab. Defense lawyer Paul F. Kemp yesterday said he wonders "where Ivins could have possibly stored this anthrax without any employees seeing it, or if he took it home, why there was no trace" of the deadly spores, despite repeated FBI searches over the past two years of Ivins's car, his work locker, a safe-deposit box and his house. Nice try Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Counting money will do that to you posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:19 AM Cindy McCain sustains minor hand sprain Republican John McCain's wife was treated Wednesday for a "minor sprain" after someone at a campaign event in Michigan shook her hand firmly. A campaign spokeswoman said Cindy McCain left the West Bloomfield, Mich., campaign event Wednesday for X-rays at a local hospital after an enthusiastic supporter squeezed too much. McCain's wife has had previous surgeries for carpal tunnel syndrome and the handshake exacerbated the condition. Spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker said Cindy McCain will return to the campaign trail later Wednesday. Fragile old people Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Poor McLame posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:04 PM Two Republicans endorse Obama Barack Obama likes to talk about "Obamacans" -- Republicans who he says approach him at political events and quietly pledge their support for his presidential candidacy. On Tuesday, he snagged two more Republicans, but these were high-profile politicians willing to speak out on his behalf. The first was former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach of Iowa, who endorsed him during a conference call with reporters. Leach said he was concerned about the "current philosophy of government" and worried that John McCain would be "more of the same." "I'm convinced that the national interest demands a new approach to our interaction with the world," he said. GObama! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Why not $2 per gallon? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:03 PM Fewer Americans hit the road in June As summer vacation season kicked in, Americans got out of their cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier. The 4.7 percent decline, which came while gas prices were peaking, was the biggest monthly driving drop in a downward trend that began in November, the Federal Highway Administration said Wednesday. "Clearly, more Americans chose to stay close to home in June than in previous years," said Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Overall, Americans drove 53.2 billion fewer miles November through June than they did over the same eight-month period a year earlier, according to the highway agency's latest monthly report on driving. That's a larger decline than the 49.3 billion fewer miles driven by Americans over the entire decade of the 1970s, a period marked by oil embargoes and gas lines, the agency said. Exxon $$$ Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Not a bad pick posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:01 PM Mark Warner to Give Keynote Speech at Democratic Convention Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia who is running for the U.S. Senate, will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic convention, as Democrats try to win the state for the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson. President Bush carried Virginia twice, by as much as 9 percentage points, but the campaign of Democrat Barack Obama is putting thousands of volunteers into the state and is opening campaign offices in the hope of capturing the 13 electoral votes at stake. Democrats are counting on the success of Warner who won the governorship and whose popularity in the Senate race is expected to help Obama against Republican rival John McCain. In recent years, Democrats won one Senate seat, held by Sen. Jim Webb, and have held on to the governor's office with Timothy Kaine. Warner is to speak on Aug. 26, the second day of the convention and the same day as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Obama's rival during the primaries. Obama's vice presidential nominee, who is yet to be named, is slated to speak the following day. Warner's alright Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Imagine that posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:00 PM McCain adviser got money from Georgia John McCain's chief foreign policy adviser and his business partner lobbied the senator or his staff on 49 occasions in a 3 1/2-year span while being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the government of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. The payments raise ethical questions about the intersection of Randy Scheunemann's personal financial interests and his advice to the Republican presidential candidate who is seizing on Russian aggression in Georgia as a campaign issue. McCain warned Russian leaders Tuesday that their assault in Georgia risks "the benefits they enjoy from being part of the civilized world." On April 17, a month and a half after Scheunemann stopped working for Georgia, his partner signed a $200,000 agreement with the Georgian government. The deal added to an arrangement that brought in more than $800,000 to the two-man firm from 2004 to mid-2007. For the duration of the campaign, Scheunemann is taking a leave of absence from the firm. No surprise Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Another Limbaugh listener? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:58 PM Arkansas Democratic Party Chairman Shot At State Party Headquarters The Arkansas Democratic Party says the chairman, Bill Gwatney, is hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting at party headquarters in downtown Little Rock. Little Rock police say a suspect in the shooting was shot after after a chase that ended near Sheridan in Grant County. A sales clerk at a flower shop across street from the party headquarters said that around noon, Gwatney's secretary ran into the shop and asked someone to call 911. She said a man had come into the party headquarters and shot Gwatney several times. The suspect reportedly entered the party headquarters and asked to speak with Gwatney before firing three shots. The 1300 block of West Capitol was shut down after the shooting, just blocks from the state capitol in downtown Little Rock. The FBI, along with the Arkansas State Police are also involved in the shooting investigation. Sad Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
McCold War Part Deux posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:24 PM McCain: We are all Georgians now Republican White House hopeful John McCain Tuesday stepped up a fusillade against Russian "aggression" and declared that today, "we are all Georgians." Addressing voters in Pennsylvania, McCain said he had spoken by telephone earlier with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who he said wanted to thank the American people for their support. "I told him that I know I speak for every American when I say to him, today, we are all Georgians," said the Republican, a hardliner against Russia who wants the mighty nation expelled from the Group of Eight club. McRaygun Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

No ethics, as usual posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:22 PM Mukasey Won't Pursue Charges in Hiring Inquiry Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Tuesday rejected the idea of criminally prosecuting former Justice Department employees who improperly used political litmus tests in hiring decisions, saying he had already taken strong internal steps in response to a "painful" episode. Two recent reports from the Justice Department inspector general and its internal ethics office have found that about a half-dozen officials at the Justice Department - all but one now gone - systematically rejected candidates with perceived "liberal" backgrounds for what were supposed to be non-political jobs and sought out conservative Republicans. We can do it too next year! Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Sorry Johnny posted by Dookie The Webmaster 2:20 PM REPUBLICANS CROSS OVER FOR OBAMA The Obama campaign hopes to attract hundreds of thousands of Republicans to support the Democratic candidate in November, said three GOPers who hosted a conference call this morning. The three Republicans -- former Iowa Rep. Jim Leach (who formally endorsed Obama today), former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee, and former White House intelligence advisor Rita E. Hauser -- announced the formation of "Republicans for Obama," which will launch a Web site in the coming days that will be a clearinghouse of information for Republicans who want to learn more about the Illinois Democrat. The site will highlight the differences between Obama and McCain on the issues and let them know where they can go to see the candidate and how they can help in his election effort. "From my perspective, this is simply not a time for politics as usual," said Leach, arguing that the portfolio of issues that will be passed on to the next president would be as daunting as any since World War II and would therefore require "inspiring, new, political leadership" and the kind of change he believes Obama's platform offers. Hahaha! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

The "librul media" posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:21 AM The Media-Created Myth That Veterans Love McCain Of all the over-blown media-created narratives in this presidential race, one of the most easily debunked is the notion that John McCain (R) is very popular among veterans, just as Barack Obama (D) is especially popular with young voters, or that Hillary Clinton (D) was with older female voters, or as Mike Huckabee (R) was with Evangelical voters. First, anecdotally, check out yesterday's story in the Las Vegas Sun following McCain's event with disabled veterans in Las Vegas on Saturday. The title of the story is McCain's Attacks On Rival Fall Flat With Vets Group. And what did the actual veterans have to say about Maverick? Other veterans, such as James Jewett and Jay Johnson of Texas, expressed misgivings about McCain using the occasion to attack his opponent so fiercely. Duke Hendershot, a double amputee retired Marine who served in Vietnam, supported McCain's run for president in 2000 but is undecided this year. "John just isn't the same as he used to be. He's not his own man," said Hendershot, who lives in San Antonio, Texas. "A lot of that has to do with how he's wanted this job so bad for so long that he's tied himself to President Bush." He said McCain's embrace of Bush, whom Hendershot called a "draft-dodging coward," is even more perplexing because of the rivalry between the two candidates during the 2000 campaign. Hendershot also criticized McCain for taking swipes at Obama in his speech. "He should have been talking about veterans issues, not his opponent," he said. By contrast, he praised Obama for keeping his remarks tightly focused on veterans. The Democrat gave taped remarks via video. McToast Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

That was quick posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:04 AM Russia 'ends Georgia operation' Russia's president has ordered the military to cease its military operation in Georgia and the breakaway regions of South Osetia and Abkhazia, according to the Kremlin. Dmitry Medvedev gave the order on Tuesday, as Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, was due to arrive in Moscow in an attempt to secure a ceasefire. "I have taken the decision to end the operation to force Georgian authorities into peace," he was quoted as saying at a meeting with defence officials. Bush will take credit Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Monday, August 11, 2008
Why not, we're made of money right? posted by Clyde 10:27 AM Gates Wants $17B to Expand Afghan Army Defense Secretary Robert Gates has endorsed a new five-year, $17 billion plan to increase the size of the Afghan army by about 50,000 troops. The move follows a proposal from the Afghanistan government, and the price tag includes the costs for routine Afghan Army combat operations and upgrading the air corps, beginning in 2010, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Friday. He said it generally costs about $1 billion a year to increase forces by 10,000, and another $100,000 to sustain them. Officials are currently looking at ways to finance it. Options include seeking money from NATO allies. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

So much for the success of the surge! posted by Clyde 10:25 AM Report: US using 'money as a weapon' in Iraq A U.S. Army program in which soldiers pay cash to Iraqis to help with expenses, large and small, has spent $2.8 billion in five years, The Washington Post reported Monday. The Post reviewed records of the Commander's Emergency Response Program, which was intended for short-term humanitarian relief and reconstruction. The field manual laying out the guidelines for the program is called "Money as a Weapon System," pointing up the effectiveness of cold hard cash in winning over the hearts and minds of Iraqi civilians. The largest sum of CERP money, $596.8 million, was spent on water and sanitation projects, the Post reported. Three other categories each received more than $300 million: electricity, protective measures (such as fencing and guards), and transportation and roads. (Bribing terrorists) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Tough talk from a loser! posted by Clyde 10:22 AM McCain warns Russians of "severe, long-term negative consequences" Hoping to further burnish his commander-in-chief credentials while his rival is on vacation and the president is abroad, John McCain appeared before cameras this morning to offer a lengthy primer on the crisis in the Caucasus, explain why it matters to America and outline steps that he thinks the U.S. and West should take to halt the violence. McCain, speaking in Erie, Pennsylvania, before a bus trip of the state, also used the opportunity to send a warning shot to the Russians. "Russian President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin must understand the severe, long-term negative consequences that their government’s actions will have for Russia’s relationship with the U.S. and Europe," McCain said. And, describing the Russian assaults that have gone beyond the disputed territory and into sovereign Georgia as "Moscow's path of violent aggression," the GOP nominee suggested that Putin's aim may be to overthrow the pro-U.S. government in Georgia. (Warmonger) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, August 10, 2008
Get Over It! posted by Clyde 5:43 AM Democrats derail effort by Clinton backers to ban caucuses Devoted Hillary Clinton supporters urged the Democratic party Saturday to get rid of caucuses, the town hall meetings in states such as Iowa where Clinton's presidential campaign stumbled and Barack Obama launched his march to the nomination. "We need to get rid of caucuses," said Melissa Whitener, a waitress from Conneaut, Pa., who traveled to lobby the Democratic National Committee as it prepared its party platform. "Caucuses are inherently unfair," she said. "I work in a restaurant. I can't take off a whole shift to go sit in a caucus. We need to all be on the same primary system. Why should 2,000 people in Iowa have the same say as 2 million in Pennsylvania?" Whitener and a small group of Clinton supporters planned to press the Democratic National Committee's platform committee Saturday to call for an end to caucuses. They attended as guests. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Sometimes apologies are not enough! posted by Clyde 5:36 AM FBI Apologizes to Post, Times FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III apologized to two newspaper editors yesterday for what he said was a recently uncovered breach of their reporters' phone records in the course of a national security investigation nearly four years ago. Mueller called the top editors at The Washington Post and the New York Times to express regret that agents had not followed proper procedures when they sought telephone records under a process that allowed them to bypass grand jury review in emergency cases. The Justice Department's inspector general, who is reviewing the bureau's procedures in such cases, uncovered lapses that allowed FBI agents in 2004 to obtain telephone records of Post staff writer Ellen Nakashima, who was based in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the time. The FBI also obtained telephone records of an Indonesian researcher in the paper's Jakarta bureau, Natasha Tampubolon. Records of New York Times reporters Raymond Bonner and Jane Perlez, who worked in Jakarta in 2004, also were compromised, the Times confirmed yesterday. (Fascism) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, August 9, 2008
Betrayal Complete! posted by Clyde 5:22 AM Lieberman 'on McCain short-list' Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic vice-presidential nominee who has endorsed John McCain, is being vetted as a potential running mate for the Republican presidential hopeful, according to an adviser to Mr McCain's campaign. Mr Lieberman, who has campaigned for the Arizona senator, has long been considered an unconventional but plausible choice for Mr McCain. Although Democrats have rejected Mr McCain's image as a maverick politician, Mr Lieberman's support for the presumptive Republican nominee has, much to the chagrin of his former colleagues, helped to boost Mr McCain's reputation as a bi-partisan legislator with friends on both sides of the aisle. Mr Lieberman, a staunch supporter of Israel, could also help Mr McCain win over Jewish voters. "[McCain] loves Lieberman. And he is on the [short-]list because Lieberman has never embarrassed anyone, never misspoken. The first rule is, don't take someone who costs you votes," said one McCain adviser. (Link) Permalink :: 5 comments :: Post a Comment

Terrorist Appeasement posted by Clyde 5:11 AM Libyan, U.S. envoys trade hugs and kisses at U.N. Ambassadors from the United States and Libya exchanged hugs and kisses at the U.N. Security Council on Thursday in an unusual public display of affection between former arch enemies. U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and his Libyan counterpart Giadalla Ettalhi embraced after a meeting of the council on Iraq. A reporter asked Khalilzad if the show of affection meant that good relations between the two countries had reached a new high. Washington's Afghan-born envoy said his Libyan colleague had just returned from a long absence and his son had gotten married. Khalilzad said it was a tradition to congratulate the groom's father and ask him if his pockets are empty. (Link) Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, August 8, 2008
Little Johnny posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:46 PM Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today. In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her. Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test. Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father. Poor Elizabeth Permalink :: 9 comments :: Post a Comment

Darth Lord to speak posted by Dookie The Webmaster 12:02 PM Cheney to Speak at Republican Convention Vice President Cheney will speak at the Republican convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul on the same day as President Bush, contrary to reports earlier in the week that he was not seeking a slot at the gathering, officials said today. "The Vice President looks forward to participating in the Republican National Convention and continuing to work for the election of Senator McCain and other Republican candidates in the coming months," Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said. The announcement suggests the controversial vice president's enduring popularity within the Republican base overcame concerns from some GOP insiders that his appearance would pose a political complication for McCain, who has sought mightily to distance himself from the current White House. McCain=Bush=Darth Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Now he's the Anti-Christ posted by Dookie The Webmaster 11:57 AM They will stop at nothing. An Antichrist Obama in McCain Ad? It's not easy to make the infamous Willie Horton ad from the 1988 presidential campaign seem benign. But suggesting that Barack Obama is the Antichrist might just do it. That's just what some outraged Christian supporters of the Democratic nominee are claiming John McCain's campaign did in an ad called "The One" that was recently released online. The Republican nominee's advisers brush off the charges, arguing that the spot was meant to be a "creative" and "humorous" way of poking fun at Obama's popularity by painting him as a self-appointed messiah. But even this innocuous interpretation of the ad - which includes images of Charlton Heston as Moses and culled clips that make Obama sound truly egomaniacal - taps into a conversation that has been gaining urgency on Christian radio and political blogs and in widely circulated e-mail messages that accuse Obama of being the Antichrist. The ad was the creation of Fred Davis, one of McCain's top media gurus as well as a close friend of former Christian Coalition head Ralph Reed and the nephew of conservative Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe. It first caught the attention of Democrats familiar with the Left Behind series, a fictionalized account of the end-time that debuted in the 1990s and has sold nearly 70 million books worldwide. "The language in there is so similar to the language in the Left Behind books," says Tony Campolo, a leading progressive Evangelical speaker and author. McPussies Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Is this a good idea? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:20 AM Bill Clinton to speak at Democrats' convention Former President Clinton will speak at the Democratic National Convention this month, settling a lingering question about the role he will play in Barack Obama's nomination. A senior Democrat familiar with convention plans said Thursday that Clinton would address delegates on Wednesday, Aug. 27, the day before the Illinois senator is to formally accept the nomination. Since Hillary Rodham Clinton ended her presidential campaign in June, it has been unclear whether her husband would even appear at the Denver event. Bill Clinton campaigned actively for his wife and was angered about the way they were treated during the primary season. Though he was a favorite of the African American community, the two-term president was criticized by some black leaders for seeming to marginalize Obama. Don't start anything, Bill Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Oh no she Di'in't! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:16 AM Rice: US would be safe under Obama US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the nation would be safe under a Barack Obama presidency and that she is ruling out a shot at the vice presidency under either Obama or Republican John McCain. In an interview with Politico and Yahoo News released Thursday, Rice was asked if she would feel secure with a president Obama. "Oh, the United States will be fine," she responded. "I think that we are having an important debate about how we keep the country safe," she said, pointing to the Middle East and Iraq. "Those are important judgments for the American people to make." LMFAO Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Thursday, August 7, 2008
*You Republican are sick fckers! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:34 AM MO: State rep charged with assaulting teen Missouri state Rep. Scott Muschany, R-Frontenac, was indicted today in connection with a reported sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl on May 17, the day after this year's Legislative session ended. The alleged victim is the daughter of a state employee. The girl's mother and Muschany -- who is married and has two children -- were romantically involved, the woman said. ..... Muschany surprised many in political circles by announcing in late May that he was not running again this November. At the time he said he wanted to spend more time with his family. ..... Muschany was chairman of three House committees. This year, he was involved in the push to approve tax credits for autistic children who want to attend private schools. In 2006, Muschany was a co-sponsor of legislation that toughened sex offender laws.** Pound-Me-In-The-Ass-Federal-Prison Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Two Americas; Two sets of children posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:11 AM This photo is so fake. It doesn't even look like him. Hell, my camera phone takes better pictures than that. Sue 'em John! The Edwards Love-Child Old Media Doesn't Want You to See The NATIONAL ENQUIRER is releasing the photograph that the world has been waiting for - the first-ever picture of John Edwards and his love child! The stunning "spy photo" shows the former presidential contender holding his infant daughter Frances Quinn Hunter at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles - where the ENQUIRER caught him visiting the baby's mother, his mistress Rielle Hunter. Bullsh*t Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

McHahahahhaha! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:08 AM Straight Talk Express Involved In Collision, Carries Obama Bumper Sticker (PICTURES) Florida has not been treating John McCain's campaign vessel, the Straight Talk Express, very well in the past two days. Since Tuesday the bus has been involved in a collision with a minivan and was photographed carrying a bumper sticker for Barack Obama. On Wednesday, the Express ran over a minivan, in a botched right turn. Car blog Jalopnik has photos. Senator McCain was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash, but Senator Joe Lieberman was. Lieberman was on his way out of an interview with Florida news outlet Local 10. On Tuesday, one day before the collision, the Express was seen carrying an "Obama '08" bumper sticker, as photographed by The New Argument. The source of the sticker is unknown. See images of both incidents below: HuffPost Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Not much better posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:02 AM Saudi Arabia prisons to replace Guantanamo bay Saudi Arabia is to build five modern prisons in the kingdom to replace US Guantanamo detention facility, a new report has revealed. Jordanian daily quoted unnamed sources as saying that US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Saudi officials are cooperating to construct the prisons which are to replace Guantanamo and US secret prisons in Europe. Riyadh is to spent about two billion Saudi Rials for the project which can accommodate up to 18000 inmates, they added. Bin laden firm and with the help of German engineers will build the prisons in the Saudi cities of Mecca, Haer, Demmam, and Qasim. The US has been under pressure due to violating individual rights in its detention camps in Europe and Guantanamo Bay. UN human rights investigators have urged the White House to shut down the Guantanamo camp. Very fishy Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Bravo Paris, bravo! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 8:13 AM Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

"It's like, it's like these guys take pride in being ignorant!" posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:24 AM Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

God Warrior DA loses in Kansas! posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:11 AM For once, we're proud of our county. This guy is Karl Rove with an obsession of women's uteruses: Anti-abortion D.A. loses big in Kansas primary contest Steve Howe defeated incumbent Phill Kline Tuesday night for the Republican nomination for district attorney in Johnson County, Kansas. Howe collected 60 percent of the vote to Kline's 40 percent, according to complete but unofficial returns. He'll face Democrat Rick Guinn in November. Kline made his reputation seeking to prosecute abortion providers in Kansas as the state's attorney general. He lost his bid for re-election in 2006 after the Kansas Supreme Court overturned his subpoenas for abortion records. The Republican Party then appointed him to finish out a term as district attorney in Johnson County, a well-off Kansas City suburb, where he sought to prosecute the local office of Planned Parenthood. Howe campaigned as pro-life, but he stressed during his campaign that routine law and order issues, not abortion, would be the centerpiece of his tenure, were he to be elected. GooooooooodBYE! Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Even Nascar fans know this posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:06 AM McCain takes air out of tire pressure debate Republican John McCain appeared to back down on Tuesday in his dispute with his opponent Barack Obama over tire pressure. .... The surprise came during a telephone town hall meeting McCain held on Tuesday with voters in Pennsylvania. "Obama said a couple of days ago says we all should inflate our tires. I don't disagree with that. The American Automobile Association strongly recommends it," McCain said. But he kept up his broad criticism of Obama on energy: "I...don't think that that (inflating tires) is a way to become energy independent." The United States' energy challenges will be a central factor in the months leading up to the election. But when it comes to how far to inflate your tires, the air seems to have gone out of the dispute. What a moron Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

Your tax dollars, their pocket posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:03 AM Iraq Government has $79 Billion in Unspent Cash The soaring price of oil will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year's end an American federal oversight agency has concluded in an analysis released on Tuesday. The unspent windfall, which covers surpluses from oil sales from 2005 through 2008, appears likely to put an uncomfortable new focus on the approximately $48 billion in American taxpayer money devoted to rebuilding Iraq since the American-led invasion. Over all, the report from the Government Accountability Office estimates, Iraqi oil revenue from 2005 through the end of this year will amount to at least $156 billion. And in an odd financial twist, large amounts of the surplus money is sitting in an American bank in New York - nearly $10 billion at the end of 2007, with more expected this year, when the accountability office estimates a skyrocketing surplus. The report was requested by two senior senators, Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan, and John W. Warner, Republican of Virginia, and on Tuesday they were quick to express strong dissatisfaction over the contrast between American spending on reconstruction and the weak record of spending by Iraq itself, in spite of the colossal surpluses. While OUR roads/schools crumble Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
This has to be true posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:09 AM Book says White House ordered forgery A new book by the author Ron Suskind claims that the White House ordered the CIA to forge a back-dated, handwritten letter from the head of Iraqi intelligence to Saddam Hussein. Suskind writes in "The Way of the World," to be published Tuesday, that the alleged forgery - adamantly denied by the White House - was designed to portray a false link between Hussein's regime and al Qaeda as a justification for the Iraq war. The author also claims that the Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official "that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq - intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion." The letter's existence has been reported before, and it had been written about as if it were genuine. It was passed in Baghdad to a reporter for The (London) Sunday Telegraph who wrote about it on the front page of Dec. 14, 2003, under the headline, "Terrorist behind September 11 strike 'was trained by Saddam.'" Warmongers Permalink :: 5 comments :: Post a Comment

Polls mean nothing. This does: posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:06 AM G.O.P. Drops in Voting Rolls in Many States Well before Senators Barack Obama and John McCain rose to the top of their parties, a partisan shift was under way at the local and state level. For more than three years starting in 2005, there has been a reduction in the number of voters who register with the Republican Party and a rise among voters who affiliate with Democrats and, almost as often, with no party at all. While the implications of the changing landscape for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain are far from clear, voting experts say the registration numbers may signal the beginning of a move away from Republicans that could affect local, state and national politics over several election cycles. Already, there has been a sharp reversal for Republicans in many statehouses and governors' mansions. In several states, including the traditional battlegrounds of Nevada and Iowa, Democrats have surprised their own party officials with significant gains in registration. In both of those states, there are now more registered Democrats than Republicans, a flip from 2004. No states have switched to the Republicans over the same period, according to data from 26 of the 29 states in which voters register by party. (Three of the states did not have complete data.) In six states, including Iowa, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, the Democratic piece of the registration pie grew more than three percentage points, while the Republican share declined. In only three states - Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma - did Republican registration rise while Democratic registration fell, but the Republican increase was less than a percentage point in Kentucky and Oklahoma. Louisiana was the only state to register a gain of more than one percentage point for Republicans as Democratic numbers declined. Morons Permalink :: 5 comments :: Post a Comment

Monday, August 4, 2008
Just like a Bush posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:25 PM Thrown Off the Bus While the traveling press corps was shipped off to a barbecue restaurant here, John McCain charmed his way through an interview with a local TV reporter. Surae Chinn of KCTV posed such less-than-penetrating questions as "How important is Missouri?" and "Have you chosen a running mate?" and -- addressing the candidate's wife Cindy -- "How do you make your marriage work?" Moments later, though, the Republican candidate seemed to grow annoyed with the Kansas City Star's Steve Kraske, who pressed him on his recent comment that "nothing is off the table" when it comes to strengthening Social Security. When Kraske said that McCain presumably wasn't ruling out a payroll tax hike, McCain interrupted: "That's presuming wrong." When the reporter rephrased the question, McCain said: "If you want to keep asking me over and over again, you're welcome to." It was a brief moment of friction that highlighted how the captain of the Straight Talk Express is having a bumpier ride with journalists than when he ran for president eight years ago. The popular image of the campaign -- McCain bantering with national journalists in the back of his bus -- has, in practice, all but vanished. The traveling press is now routinely stiffed in favor of five-minute sit-downs with local reporters. McNoHardQuestions Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

The "General Motors" model posted by Dookie The Webmaster 1:20 PM Companies Tap Pension Plans To Fund Executive Benefits At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay. In recent years, companies from Intel Corp. to CenturyTel Inc. collectively have moved hundreds of millions of dollars of obligations for executive benefits into rank-and-file pension plans. This lets companies capture tax breaks intended for pensions of regular workers and use them to pay for executives' supplemental benefits and compensation. Layoffs for you! Permalink :: 1 comments :: Post a Comment

12 years in a majority posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:10 AM Now they want to do something... House Republicans Go Back On The Floor Monday To Talk Gas Prices Continuing with their guerilla tactics from last week, House Republicans will be back on the floor Monday to talk gas prices, even though Congress is in recess, and they may stay there all week. More than a dozen Republicans have already committed to make appearances, according to House GOP leadership aide, including National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Ga.). Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Mike Pence (R-Ind.), who lead Friday's five-hour talkathon after the House shut down for the August recess, are also expected to be there, according to this aide. "In an urgent memo sent to GOP Members and staff Saturday ("A Call to Action on American Energy"), Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) hailed Friday's action, which was led by Reps. Mike Pence (R-IN), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Tom Price (R-GA), and others, and encouraged House Republicans to return to the Capitol beginning Monday morning to help keep the historic effort going," said a press release just released by Minority Leader Boehner's office. "It's not a request we make lightly. But the American people are suffering," Boehner and Blunt said in the memo. "The consequences of continued congressional inaction on gas prices are unacceptable. We've called on the Speaker to call Congress back into an emergency session this month and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act. We must continue to make a stand until the Speaker complies." Drilling=More Exxon profit Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

The economy: Stupid posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:09 AM July planned layoffs rise 26 pct vs. June: survey Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent in July from June, depicting further deterioration in the labor market, a report showed on Monday. Planned layoffs at U.S. companies totaled 103,312 in July, compared with June's 81,755, employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc said. Announced job cuts at U.S. companies last month were the second highest total so far in 2008, more than double the 42,897 a year earlier, the report said. The transportation industry hurt by sky-high fuel costs accounted for the most planned cuts in July with 17,051. The financial sector battered by the credit crisis followed with 15,517 cuts. Retailers facing a pullback in consumer spending came next with 12,160 layoffs. Go shopping! Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Sunday, August 3, 2008
Death of the conservative agenda posted by Clyde 6:09 AM McCain's Problem Isn't His Tactics. It's GOP Ideas. At long last, the conservative juggernaut is cracking up. From the Reagan era until late 2005 or so, conservatives crushed progressives like me in debates as reliably as the Harlem Globetrotters owned the Washington Generals. The right would eloquently praise the virtues of free markets and the magic of the invisible hand. We would respond by stammering about the importance of regulation and a mixed economy, knowing even as the words came out that our audience was becoming bored. Conservatives would get knowing laughs by mocking bureaucrats. We would drone on about how everyone can benefit from the experience and expertise of able civil servants. They promised to transform stodgy old Social Security into an exciting investment opportunity that would make everyone wealthy in retirement. We warned about the scheme's "transition costs" while swearing that the existing program would still be around for today's younger workers. They offered tax cuts. We talked amorphously about taxes as the price of a civilized society. After Sept. 11, 2001, they vowed to strike hard at terrorists anywhere and everywhere without worrying about the thumb-twiddlers at the United Nations. We stood up for the thumb-twiddlers. But now, seemingly all of a sudden, conservatives are the ones who are tongue-tied, as demonstrated by Sen. John McCain's limping, message-free presidential campaign. McCain's ongoing difficulties in exciting voters aren't just a tactical problem; his woes stem largely from his long-standing adherence to a set of ideas that simply haven't worked in practice. The belief system and finely crafted policy pitches that enabled the right to dominate the war of ideas for the past 30 years have produced a relentless succession of governing failures, from Iraq to Katrina to the economy to the environment. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

The Economics of War posted by Clyde 6:04 AM Iraq arms sales request worth over nine billion dollars: Pentagon The Pentagon said Friday it has notified Congress of proposed military sales to Iraq valued at more than nine billion dollars, including helicopters, tanks and armored vehicles. The biggest proposed sale was for 392 Light Armored Vehicles, radios and anti-tank weapons at an estimated cost of three billion dollars, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency said. Congress also was notified of a possible sale of 140 upgraded M1A1 Abrams tanks as well as armored Humvees, tracked logistics vehicles, armored ambulances, vehicles to carry shelters and command posts, and trucks to transport heavy equipment. It was valued at 2.16 billion dollars. (Link) Permalink :: 0 comments :: Post a Comment

Saturday, August 2, 2008
The Truth Hurts posted by Clyde 4:56 AM White House unhappy with "mixed" jobless report The White House said on Friday it was not happy with data showing the U.S. unemployment rate has risen to 5.7 percent, but it described the report as mixed because wages increased by 3.4 percent over the past year. "We are displeased with this report and while the economy is not as strong as we would like, we are encouraged that the overall economy seems to be doing slightly better as the GDP report showed yesterday," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said, referring to gross domestic product growth figures. "I think you could fairly call this a mixed report as wages rose by 3.4 percent over the last 12 months," she added. The monthly employment report showing another 51,000 people had lost their jobs came a day after the Commerce Department said the U.S. economy grew at a 1.9 percent annual rate in the second quarter thanks to an emergency stimulus package passed earlier this year. (Link) Permalink :: 4 comments :: Post a Comment

Good News or Not? posted by Clyde 4:52 AM Economic models predict clear Obama win in November It really is the economy, stupid! Economic models that have correctly predicted the winner of almost all post-war U.S. presidential elections say recession fears will secure a victory for Barack Obama in November. Three separate studies showed the Democratic presidential hopeful winning between 52 and 55 percent of the popular vote on November 4, based on current gloomy economic estimates. Any further darkening in the economic outlook -- many analysts think things will get worse between now and November -- would reinforce that election outcome. "The economy is certainly not going to be a positive for the Republicans," said Ray Fair, an economics professor at Yale university who built the earliest of the models in 1978. (Link) Permalink :: 2 comments :: Post a Comment

Friday, August 1, 2008
It if were "Ground Zero" in New York..... posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:33 AM GOP hopes to skirt Minn. bridge issue It's a year today since the Minneapolis bridge collapse that killed 13 people, but don't expect Gov. Tim Pawlenty to showcase the reconstruction. Indeed, with the Republican National Convention in St. Paul just a month away and Pawlenty reported to be high on John McCain's running mate list, Republicans want to drive attention away from the infrastructure disaster that spotlighted the nation's crumbling bridges and from the criticism the governor faced for what some critics said was a slow response. The governor's staff reports there are no plans to hold any events near the site of the bridge collapse, about 10 miles from the convention hall. And GOP convention planners have organized hundreds of buses to ease the congestion expected when some 45,000 conventioneers, guests and media commute to the hall. .... Republicans say they would rather not dampen the convention by revisiting an old tragedy. 9/11 is still okay Permalink :: 4 comments :: Post a Comment

Britney's newest fan: Dookie? posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:24 AM Yup, if true: Britney Spears to sue McCain campaign over photo use? My inside Hollywood sources have hinted that Britney Spears is in discussions with her legal team about a possible lawsuit against John McCain for the unauthorized use of her photo in a recent political ad. Expect to hear about this soon through the traditional media. Let just see where this leads! Oops McCain did it again Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment

Made in China sweatshops posted by Dookie The Webmaster 6:11 AM Wal-Mart Warns of Democratic Win Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies -- including Wal-Mart. In recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized. According to about a dozen Wal-Mart employees who attended such meetings in seven states, Wal-Mart executives claim that employees at unionized stores would have to pay hefty union dues while getting nothing in return, and may have to go on strike without compensation. Also, unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise. The actions by Wal-Mart -- the nation's largest private employer -- reflect a growing concern among big business that a reinvigorated labor movement could reverse years of declining union membership. That could lead to higher payroll and health costs for companies already being hurt by rising fuel and commodities costs and the tough economic climate. The Wal-Mart human-resources managers who run the meetings don't specifically tell attendees how to vote in November's election, but make it clear that voting for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in, according to Wal-Mart employees who attended gatherings in Maryland, Missouri and other states. ..... Wal-Mart's worries center on a piece of legislation known as the Employee Free Choice Act, which companies say would enable unions to quickly add millions of new members. "We believe EFCA is a bad bill and we have been on record as opposing it for some time," Mr. Tovar said. "We feel educating our associates about the bill is the right thing to do." Unethical Permalink :: 3 comments :: Post a Comment