Happy New Way Forward, Everyone!
In early December, White House sources implied that President Bush would deliver a speech on a "new way forward" in Iraq before Christmas, but he decided to delay it until the New Year. When explaining why he chose to wait, he said, “I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision." ”I’m the Decider”, and I decide when I will announce my strategy…don’t rush me. Immediately, stories hinting that he will stay with the status quo; possibly even send in more troops, or “double down”, began to circulate. Let’s gamble with the lives of soldiers, sounds like an idea…..Bush would have. Happy New Year!
Mr. President, if you already have an idea of what your "new" strategy will be, why would you "torture" the tired, homesick troops and their families by making them wait until after the holidays to find out what you have in store for them? Why postpone the inevitable? I will attempt to answer for our “war-time President”, or Dictator in Chief, as I like to call him. It all comes down to political pandering. Act like you care about the troops during the holidays; throw them and their families a bone (or serve up a plastic turkey); make them think that the recent election results have shown you the light. Smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand all designed to create the illusion of an empathetic Commander in Chief. I’m not afraid to call him what he is, a liar.
If we indeed were living in a democracy (you know…that ideology he wants to spread around the Middle East), the President would order the beginning of redeployment of troops in Iraq, and allow the Iraqi citizens to form their own government without the U.S. holding the puppet strings. Let’s cut those strings and walk away briskly. Not surprisingly, Bush continues to live in a state of denial, ignoring the ultimate message sent by voters recently. The midterm election was a referendum on Iraq, and obviously Americans want this illegal war to end. Maybe we, the people, who voted, should dip our fingers in purple ink, maybe then he’ll finally look at this election “as a chance to re-engage and learn from our mistakes" (a quote from Bush on the Iraqi elections).
Ultimately, Bush not only wants to send in more troops, but he also wants to “increase the size of the U.S. military so it can fight a long-term war against terrorism”. It sounds to me like they plan on reinstating the draft. In fact, The Selective Service plans to test its operational system in case the United States again opts to draft young American men into military service
Bush said his decision to increase the size of the armed forces was in response not just to the war in Iraq, but to the broader struggle against Islamic extremists around the globe. "It is an accurate reflection that this ideological war we're in is going to last for a while and that we're going to need a military that's capable of being able to sustain our efforts and to help us achieve peace," he said.
Bush is playing with the lives of the brave men and women in Iraq as if they were nothing more than toy soldiers. My son played with them when he was young, as many children do. He would stage small battles in the backyard, his army sustaining many casualties in the process. Some lost limbs on the battlefield, while others went MIA, usually turning up later, buried in the dirt when tossed aside carelessly, much as our Commander in Chief has done to nearly 3000 souls.
Children have short attention spans, as does our Commander in Chief. His original reason for invading Iraq in the first place, weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, was soon replaced with yet another reason, then another, until we don't even know why we are there. “Mission Accomplished” was soon replaced with "Iraq's the central front of the war on terror". Bush and his puppet masters orchestrated events, speeches, sound bites, slogans and talking points, even the toppling of statues, to wage their war on innocent Iraqi citizens and the U.S. Constitution. They infiltrated the hearts and minds of trusting Americans, to ensure that patriotism spread, thus guaranteeing them loyal followers. Now, finally, the smoke is clearing, and the public is beginning to see the truthiness through the haze.
Supposedly, Bush has been listening (rarely asking questions) to all sorts of people recently, to get ideas. Bush said "Some of the ideas I heard would bring about defeat in Iraq". "I reject those" Chimpie added with a smirk and a "he he he" (actual quote). “Our troops deserve the solid commitment of the commander in chief and our political leaders and the American people," Bush said. "You have my unshakable commitment in this important fight to help secure the peace for the long term." I ask you...what is the definition of victory in Iraq? What does he mean by secure the peace for the long term? Iraq was a sovereign nation when we began the bombing. From “shock and awe” to “secure the peace”; talk about flip-flopping.
Bush's rhetoric is so baffling, that I believe he has ceased even attempting to sound logical. He's nothing but a blithering idiot, spouting bullshit just because he can. Does anyone even believe his lies anymore? As apparent by the recent Democrat insurgency in congress, the ship of fools (aka the few Bush supporters left) has sailed. Even Rumsfeld has jumped ship. I look forward to reading his memoirs one of these days…truthiness will set you free, Rummy. I wish someone would grow a pair, and tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about the impeachable crimes Bush and his administration have committed. We can’t rely solely upon Cindy Sheehan to stand up to them, possibly blocking their motorcade of deception and death all alone.
Mr. Cheney, Mr. Bush, it is time to acknowledge the fact that the year 2007, the beginning of accountability, is just around the corner. So, enjoy your holiday in Crawford, surrounded by family, warm and secure; take cover from the storm while thousands of Americans serve at your mercy in Iraq. Our soldiers are being killed at a rate of 3 or more per day. Will the total reach 3000 today? Do you even care? Stop playing with people's lives...maybe take up a safer hobby. Barbara, tell your little boy to trade in the plastic green army men for some Matchbox cars, they're fun to play with, and unlike real cars, they don't require fuel, so maybe he can work on breaking our addiction to foreign oil, which is, in fact, the central reason for unilateral American hegemony in the Middle East. Dick Cheney recently visited Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah who told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in a war against Iraqi Shiites, if the US withdraws from Iraq. Still, more political maneuvering, and yet another reason for us to be in Iraq, to protect the Saudi oil oligarchy.
Incontrovertibly, Bush is considering expanding the military simply because he plans on invading or nuking Iran next.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command is aggressively planning a naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, including the addition of a second aircraft carrier, in response to a series of aggressive actions by Iran, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday. The attempt at "gunboat diplomacy" is in its final planning stages. Although it has not been approved yet, it appears likely the increase in U.S. warships into the Gulf could come as early as January, the officials said.
For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16281057/
Sounds more like Swiftboating diplomacy, to me.
“All of us told the president, 'Your Army is in disastrous shape, its equipment is broken, it's not prepared to fight another enemy," retired General McCaffrey recently said.
And Gerald Ford posthumously said: "Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq."
One final question on this New Year’s Eve, when will we try Bush and his administration for crimes against humanity? Three words: Get a rope.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Happy New Way Forward, Everyone!
In early December, White House sources implied that President Bush would deliver a speech on a "new way forward" in Iraq before Christmas, but he decided to delay it until the New Year. When explaining why he chose to wait, he said, “I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision." ”I’m the Decider”, and I decide when I will announce my strategy…don’t rush me. Immediately, stories hinting that he will stay with the status quo; possibly even send in more troops, or “double down”, began to circulate. Let’s gamble with the lives of soldiers, sounds like an idea…..Bush would have. Happy New Year!
Mr. President, if you already have an idea of what your "new" strategy will be, why would you "torture" the tired, homesick troops and their families by making them wait until after the holidays to find out what you have in store for them? Why postpone the inevitable? I will attempt to answer for our “war-time President”, or Dictator in Chief, as I like to call him. It all comes down to political pandering. Act like you care about the troops during the holidays; throw them and their families a bone (or serve up a plastic turkey); make them think that the recent election results have shown you the light. Smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand all designed to create the illusion of an empathetic Commander in Chief. I’m not afraid to call him what he is, a liar.
If we indeed were living in a democracy (you know…that ideology he wants to spread around the Middle East), the President would order the beginning of redeployment of troops in Iraq, and allow the Iraqi citizens to form their own government without the U.S. holding the puppet strings. Let’s cut those strings and walk away briskly. Not surprisingly, Bush continues to live in a state of denial, ignoring the ultimate message sent by voters recently. The midterm election was a referendum on Iraq, and obviously Americans want this illegal war to end. Maybe we, the people, who voted, should dip our fingers in purple ink, maybe then he’ll finally look at this election “as a chance to re-engage and learn from our mistakes" (a quote from Bush on the Iraqi elections).
Ultimately, Bush not only wants to send in more troops, but he also wants to “increase the size of the U.S. military so it can fight a long-term war against terrorism”. It sounds to me like they plan on reinstating the draft. In fact, The Selective Service plans to test its operational system in case the United States again opts to draft young American men into military service
Bush said his decision to increase the size of the armed forces was in response not just to the war in Iraq, but to the broader struggle against Islamic extremists around the globe. "It is an accurate reflection that this ideological war we're in is going to last for a while and that we're going to need a military that's capable of being able to sustain our efforts and to help us achieve peace," he said.
Bush is playing with the lives of the brave men and women in Iraq as if they were nothing more than toy soldiers. My son played with them when he was young, as many children do. He would stage small battles in the backyard, his army sustaining many casualties in the process. Some lost limbs on the battlefield, while others went MIA, usually turning up later, buried in the dirt when tossed aside carelessly, much as our Commander in Chief has done to nearly 3000 souls.
Children have short attention spans, as does our Commander in Chief. His original reason for invading Iraq in the first place, weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, was soon replaced with yet another reason, then another, until we don't even know why we are there. “Mission Accomplished” was soon replaced with "Iraq's the central front of the war on terror". Bush and his puppet masters orchestrated events, speeches, sound bites, slogans and talking points, even the toppling of statues, to wage their war on innocent Iraqi citizens and the U.S. Constitution. They infiltrated the hearts and minds of trusting Americans, to ensure that patriotism spread, thus guaranteeing them loyal followers. Now, finally, the smoke is clearing, and the public is beginning to see the truthiness through the haze.
Supposedly, Bush has been listening (rarely asking questions) to all sorts of people recently, to get ideas. Bush said "Some of the ideas I heard would bring about defeat in Iraq". "I reject those" Chimpie added with a smirk and a "he he he" (actual quote). “Our troops deserve the solid commitment of the commander in chief and our political leaders and the American people," Bush said. "You have my unshakable commitment in this important fight to help secure the peace for the long term." I ask you...what is the definition of victory in Iraq? What does he mean by secure the peace for the long term? Iraq was a sovereign nation when we began the bombing. From “shock and awe” to “secure the peace”; talk about flip-flopping.
Bush's rhetoric is so baffling, that I believe he has ceased even attempting to sound logical. He's nothing but a blithering idiot, spouting bullshit just because he can. Does anyone even believe his lies anymore? As apparent by the recent Democrat insurgency in congress, the ship of fools (aka the few Bush supporters left) has sailed. Even Rumsfeld has jumped ship. I look forward to reading his memoirs one of these days…truthiness will set you free, Rummy. I wish someone would grow a pair, and tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about the impeachable crimes Bush and his administration have committed. We can’t rely solely upon Cindy Sheehan to stand up to them, possibly blocking their motorcade of deception and death all alone.
Mr. Cheney, Mr. Bush, it is time to acknowledge the fact that the year 2007, the beginning of accountability, is just around the corner. So, enjoy your holiday in Crawford, surrounded by family, warm and secure; take cover from the storm while thousands of Americans serve at your mercy in Iraq. Our soldiers are being killed at a rate of 3 or more per day. Will the total reach 3000 today? Do you even care? Stop playing with people's lives...maybe take up a safer hobby. Barbara, tell your little boy to trade in the plastic green army men for some Matchbox cars, they're fun to play with, and unlike real cars, they don't require fuel, so maybe he can work on breaking our addiction to foreign oil, which is, in fact, the central reason for unilateral American hegemony in the Middle East. Dick Cheney recently visited Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah who told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in a war against Iraqi Shiites, if the US withdraws from Iraq. Still, more political maneuvering, and yet another reason for us to be in Iraq, to protect the Saudi oil oligarchy.
Incontrovertibly, Bush is considering expanding the military simply because he plans on invading or nuking Iran next.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command is aggressively planning a naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, including the addition of a second aircraft carrier, in response to a series of aggressive actions by Iran, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday. The attempt at "gunboat diplomacy" is in its final planning stages. Although it has not been approved yet, it appears likely the increase in U.S. warships into the Gulf could come as early as January, the officials said.
For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16281057/
Sounds more like Swiftboating diplomacy, to me.
“All of us told the president, 'Your Army is in disastrous shape, its equipment is broken, it's not prepared to fight another enemy," retired General McCaffrey recently said.
And Gerald Ford posthumously said: "Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq."
One final question on this New Year’s Eve, when will we try Bush and his administration for crimes against humanity? Three words: Get a rope.
In early December, White House sources implied that President Bush would deliver a speech on a "new way forward" in Iraq before Christmas, but he decided to delay it until the New Year. When explaining why he chose to wait, he said, “I'm not going to be rushed into making a difficult decision." ”I’m the Decider”, and I decide when I will announce my strategy…don’t rush me. Immediately, stories hinting that he will stay with the status quo; possibly even send in more troops, or “double down”, began to circulate. Let’s gamble with the lives of soldiers, sounds like an idea…..Bush would have. Happy New Year!
Mr. President, if you already have an idea of what your "new" strategy will be, why would you "torture" the tired, homesick troops and their families by making them wait until after the holidays to find out what you have in store for them? Why postpone the inevitable? I will attempt to answer for our “war-time President”, or Dictator in Chief, as I like to call him. It all comes down to political pandering. Act like you care about the troops during the holidays; throw them and their families a bone (or serve up a plastic turkey); make them think that the recent election results have shown you the light. Smoke and mirrors and sleight of hand all designed to create the illusion of an empathetic Commander in Chief. I’m not afraid to call him what he is, a liar.
If we indeed were living in a democracy (you know…that ideology he wants to spread around the Middle East), the President would order the beginning of redeployment of troops in Iraq, and allow the Iraqi citizens to form their own government without the U.S. holding the puppet strings. Let’s cut those strings and walk away briskly. Not surprisingly, Bush continues to live in a state of denial, ignoring the ultimate message sent by voters recently. The midterm election was a referendum on Iraq, and obviously Americans want this illegal war to end. Maybe we, the people, who voted, should dip our fingers in purple ink, maybe then he’ll finally look at this election “as a chance to re-engage and learn from our mistakes" (a quote from Bush on the Iraqi elections).
Ultimately, Bush not only wants to send in more troops, but he also wants to “increase the size of the U.S. military so it can fight a long-term war against terrorism”. It sounds to me like they plan on reinstating the draft. In fact, The Selective Service plans to test its operational system in case the United States again opts to draft young American men into military service
Bush said his decision to increase the size of the armed forces was in response not just to the war in Iraq, but to the broader struggle against Islamic extremists around the globe. "It is an accurate reflection that this ideological war we're in is going to last for a while and that we're going to need a military that's capable of being able to sustain our efforts and to help us achieve peace," he said.
Bush is playing with the lives of the brave men and women in Iraq as if they were nothing more than toy soldiers. My son played with them when he was young, as many children do. He would stage small battles in the backyard, his army sustaining many casualties in the process. Some lost limbs on the battlefield, while others went MIA, usually turning up later, buried in the dirt when tossed aside carelessly, much as our Commander in Chief has done to nearly 3000 souls.
Children have short attention spans, as does our Commander in Chief. His original reason for invading Iraq in the first place, weapons of mass destruction, which were never found, was soon replaced with yet another reason, then another, until we don't even know why we are there. “Mission Accomplished” was soon replaced with "Iraq's the central front of the war on terror". Bush and his puppet masters orchestrated events, speeches, sound bites, slogans and talking points, even the toppling of statues, to wage their war on innocent Iraqi citizens and the U.S. Constitution. They infiltrated the hearts and minds of trusting Americans, to ensure that patriotism spread, thus guaranteeing them loyal followers. Now, finally, the smoke is clearing, and the public is beginning to see the truthiness through the haze.
Supposedly, Bush has been listening (rarely asking questions) to all sorts of people recently, to get ideas. Bush said "Some of the ideas I heard would bring about defeat in Iraq". "I reject those" Chimpie added with a smirk and a "he he he" (actual quote). “Our troops deserve the solid commitment of the commander in chief and our political leaders and the American people," Bush said. "You have my unshakable commitment in this important fight to help secure the peace for the long term." I ask you...what is the definition of victory in Iraq? What does he mean by secure the peace for the long term? Iraq was a sovereign nation when we began the bombing. From “shock and awe” to “secure the peace”; talk about flip-flopping.
Bush's rhetoric is so baffling, that I believe he has ceased even attempting to sound logical. He's nothing but a blithering idiot, spouting bullshit just because he can. Does anyone even believe his lies anymore? As apparent by the recent Democrat insurgency in congress, the ship of fools (aka the few Bush supporters left) has sailed. Even Rumsfeld has jumped ship. I look forward to reading his memoirs one of these days…truthiness will set you free, Rummy. I wish someone would grow a pair, and tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about the impeachable crimes Bush and his administration have committed. We can’t rely solely upon Cindy Sheehan to stand up to them, possibly blocking their motorcade of deception and death all alone.
Mr. Cheney, Mr. Bush, it is time to acknowledge the fact that the year 2007, the beginning of accountability, is just around the corner. So, enjoy your holiday in Crawford, surrounded by family, warm and secure; take cover from the storm while thousands of Americans serve at your mercy in Iraq. Our soldiers are being killed at a rate of 3 or more per day. Will the total reach 3000 today? Do you even care? Stop playing with people's lives...maybe take up a safer hobby. Barbara, tell your little boy to trade in the plastic green army men for some Matchbox cars, they're fun to play with, and unlike real cars, they don't require fuel, so maybe he can work on breaking our addiction to foreign oil, which is, in fact, the central reason for unilateral American hegemony in the Middle East. Dick Cheney recently visited Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah who told the Bush administration that it might provide financial backing to Iraqi Sunnis in a war against Iraqi Shiites, if the US withdraws from Iraq. Still, more political maneuvering, and yet another reason for us to be in Iraq, to protect the Saudi oil oligarchy.
Incontrovertibly, Bush is considering expanding the military simply because he plans on invading or nuking Iran next.
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Central Command is aggressively planning a naval buildup in the Persian Gulf, including the addition of a second aircraft carrier, in response to a series of aggressive actions by Iran, U.S. military officials told NBC News on Tuesday. The attempt at "gunboat diplomacy" is in its final planning stages. Although it has not been approved yet, it appears likely the increase in U.S. warships into the Gulf could come as early as January, the officials said.
For more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16281057/
Sounds more like Swiftboating diplomacy, to me.
“All of us told the president, 'Your Army is in disastrous shape, its equipment is broken, it's not prepared to fight another enemy," retired General McCaffrey recently said.
And Gerald Ford posthumously said: "Rumsfeld and Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq."
One final question on this New Year’s Eve, when will we try Bush and his administration for crimes against humanity? Three words: Get a rope.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Let's party like it's 2006!
We won! There should be dancing in the streets.
We should be rejoicing our victory, instead some would rather look at the glass, and say it is empty. I realize there is still a lot to be accomplished, however, we won!! We didn't have to don orange and storm the capital in order to achieve this goal. We simply cast our ballots and their house of cards began crumbling around them.
Nancy Pelosi recently told Wolf Blitzer, "Impeachment is off the table". That does not mean that it is off the table forever. At this time of upheaval and change, it seems that she may be attempting to tread lightly. She understands, as do all of the new members in the House and Senate, that this election was a referendum on Iraq and the President. However; she wants to be smart about it, and conduct oversight thoroughly and above-board.
There is so much at stake, such as the upcoming 2008 Presidential election, not to mention the lives of the soldiers who are still in Iraq. When the Judiciary Committee, headed up by John Conyers, begins looking into the crimes of this administration, and subpoenas are issued, then we can fight to make sure that justice is done. No justice, no peace! Already, Henry Waxman, who takes over the Government Reform Committee, has talked of the investigations which will be undertaken. His main dilemma now, it seems, is choosing where to start; which unlawful offense should be investigated first?
Watching Bush squirm during his press conference the day after the election, was the ultimate vindication. The piece de resistance came when he announced the dismissal of their latest fall guy, Don Rumsfeld. I expected Bush to say "You done a heck of a job, Rummy" at some point. Isn't it ironic that both Rumsfeld and his good buddy Saddam Hussein both received harsh sentences in the same week? The King of the house of cards cried "off with their heads!" in well-timed manipulative fashion.
Robert Gates, another Bush crony and a member of the "bipartisan" Iraq Study Group, will most likely be Rumsfeld's successor (meet the new boss, same as the old boss). A simple Google search brings up many interesting facts on Gates, a former CIA Director appointed by Bush's Daddy. I'm hopful that the now powerful Democrats will fight this nomination.
The comedy of errors which is the Bush Administration is better than any aspiring writer could ever hope for; the punchlines just write themselves. Truth (or their facsimile of) is truly much stranger than any fiction could ever be. Case in point: who could have ever created a plot line involving the head of FEMA having no qualifications other than being a former Commissioner for the International Arabian Horses Association? Approximately 230 books have been written about this administration during Bush's 6 years as President, compared to 157 published on the Clinton presidency from 1993 to 1998. I would be willing to wager that a vast majority of the Bush books have had a negative view of our now Lame Duck President.
The levee has been breached, and the sea of change is on it's way.
We won! There should be dancing in the streets.
We should be rejoicing our victory, instead some would rather look at the glass, and say it is empty. I realize there is still a lot to be accomplished, however, we won!! We didn't have to don orange and storm the capital in order to achieve this goal. We simply cast our ballots and their house of cards began crumbling around them.
Nancy Pelosi recently told Wolf Blitzer, "Impeachment is off the table". That does not mean that it is off the table forever. At this time of upheaval and change, it seems that she may be attempting to tread lightly. She understands, as do all of the new members in the House and Senate, that this election was a referendum on Iraq and the President. However; she wants to be smart about it, and conduct oversight thoroughly and above-board.
There is so much at stake, such as the upcoming 2008 Presidential election, not to mention the lives of the soldiers who are still in Iraq. When the Judiciary Committee, headed up by John Conyers, begins looking into the crimes of this administration, and subpoenas are issued, then we can fight to make sure that justice is done. No justice, no peace! Already, Henry Waxman, who takes over the Government Reform Committee, has talked of the investigations which will be undertaken. His main dilemma now, it seems, is choosing where to start; which unlawful offense should be investigated first?
Watching Bush squirm during his press conference the day after the election, was the ultimate vindication. The piece de resistance came when he announced the dismissal of their latest fall guy, Don Rumsfeld. I expected Bush to say "You done a heck of a job, Rummy" at some point. Isn't it ironic that both Rumsfeld and his good buddy Saddam Hussein both received harsh sentences in the same week? The King of the house of cards cried "off with their heads!" in well-timed manipulative fashion.
Robert Gates, another Bush crony and a member of the "bipartisan" Iraq Study Group, will most likely be Rumsfeld's successor (meet the new boss, same as the old boss). A simple Google search brings up many interesting facts on Gates, a former CIA Director appointed by Bush's Daddy. I'm hopful that the now powerful Democrats will fight this nomination.
The comedy of errors which is the Bush Administration is better than any aspiring writer could ever hope for; the punchlines just write themselves. Truth (or their facsimile of) is truly much stranger than any fiction could ever be. Case in point: who could have ever created a plot line involving the head of FEMA having no qualifications other than being a former Commissioner for the International Arabian Horses Association? Approximately 230 books have been written about this administration during Bush's 6 years as President, compared to 157 published on the Clinton presidency from 1993 to 1998. I would be willing to wager that a vast majority of the Bush books have had a negative view of our now Lame Duck President.
The levee has been breached, and the sea of change is on it's way.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Mission Accomplished
by zoee2102
Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 04:05:32 PM PST
Americans have spoken; it's time for a change of course.
On Tuesday, November 7th, Americans came out in high numbers to take back their country. Together, we turned our backs on the dark side, and forced Republicans out of power. Voters nationwide chose to throw out the right wing rubber-stampers; kicking them to the curb. Whereas incumbent Democrats prevailed, making an obvious statement. This election was a referendum on the Iraq war, the questionable ethics in the formerly Republican-run Congress, and ultimately President Bush. Right up to the end of the campaign, "they" tried to change the subject. They implied that Democrats are soft on "terror". The Democrats would raise your taxes, they said. They were so desperate that they attacked John Kerry, who wasn't even running, for botching a joke. They think Americans are stupid, but we got it; study hard or you'll end up like our "C"-average President, and get us stuck in Iraq. In the end, the joke was on "them". Bush and his "brain", Karl Rove, lost big. Did he think he'd win over voters by vowing to keep Rumsfeld and Cheney through the end of his presidency? Oh rapture! The end is coming, Mr. Bush. Say goodbye to the rubber-stamping, and say hello to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the age of accountability.
Bushy, you have some `splaining to do.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/10/19532/777
by zoee2102
Fri Nov 10, 2006 at 04:05:32 PM PST
Americans have spoken; it's time for a change of course.
On Tuesday, November 7th, Americans came out in high numbers to take back their country. Together, we turned our backs on the dark side, and forced Republicans out of power. Voters nationwide chose to throw out the right wing rubber-stampers; kicking them to the curb. Whereas incumbent Democrats prevailed, making an obvious statement. This election was a referendum on the Iraq war, the questionable ethics in the formerly Republican-run Congress, and ultimately President Bush. Right up to the end of the campaign, "they" tried to change the subject. They implied that Democrats are soft on "terror". The Democrats would raise your taxes, they said. They were so desperate that they attacked John Kerry, who wasn't even running, for botching a joke. They think Americans are stupid, but we got it; study hard or you'll end up like our "C"-average President, and get us stuck in Iraq. In the end, the joke was on "them". Bush and his "brain", Karl Rove, lost big. Did he think he'd win over voters by vowing to keep Rumsfeld and Cheney through the end of his presidency? Oh rapture! The end is coming, Mr. Bush. Say goodbye to the rubber-stamping, and say hello to Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and the age of accountability.
Bushy, you have some `splaining to do.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/11/10/19532/777
Friday, November 03, 2006
The Unitary Executive
October 17th, 2006 is a date that will live in infamy. It is the day that President Bush was given absolute power by the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress. When he signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Bush wiped away many rights that we Americans took for granted for hundreds of years. Habeas Corpus has officially been suspended with the stroke of a pen. Prisoners suspected of being unlawful enemy combatants, will not be granted legal counsel during interrogations. The government now has the power to condemn without proof; evidence obtained without search warrants, hearsay evidence, and even coerced testimony can be admitted at trial. The President can define torture as he sees fit, including abusing prisoners up to the point just before they sustain 'serious mental and physical trauma'. He also decides who can be detained indefinitely. According to this “Torture Act”, the government is retroactively exonerated for acts of torture, for example, the horrors of Abu Ghraib prison. Any American can now be declared an "unlawful enemy combatant". Some say I am very “opinionated”, because I speak my mind, they know who they are. I could possibly be classified an unlawful enemy combatant by the administration if they view my dissent as “aiding terrorists”. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
The media is mute about this rape of our Constitutional rights. MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann is the only cable network news program brave enough to discuss this unconstitutional Act. The right-wing cable “news” pundits, such as Sean Hannity, who labeled Jimmy Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, an “appeaser”, are complicit in this war on the Constitution.
Sixteen protesters were arrested outside the Whitehouse as our Dictator signed the Act into law. History won’t be kind to Bush, or the citizens of America. Future generations will wonder; what did you do when this was signed into law? What can we do? We can get out and vote for a change of course on November 7th. If the Democrats win control of the House and Senate, there will be investigations into the crimes of this administration, and Bush will no longer have the Congress wrapped around his little finger. We can also work toward the ultimate goal of impeachment. There is a huge grassroots movement to bring about the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. There are Impeachment Teach-ins you can take part in, and spread the word. If the Democrats don't push for impeachment, the American citizens must!
As you are reading this the U.S.S. Eisenhower, accompanied by other destroyers, is heading toward the Straits of Hormuz off Iran. The administration, with help from the duplicitous talking heads on CNN and Faux news are banging the drums of war again. They say our “intelligence”, what an oxymoron, has shown that Iran is the new threat. This president is planning on taking us into another war, a nuclear war in Iran, the next front in the “war on terror”. The real reason behind the over 2700 American deaths in Iraq, the 650,000 Iraqi deaths, and the future death toll in Iran is oil. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfield, the real axis of Evil, advocates a doctrine of permanent war. War in Iran will begin a trickle down effect, that trickle will be oil mixed with blood. When Iran fights back, firing missiles at oil tankers, the price of oil will skyrocket, and shortages will occur; bad for us, good for Bush’s cronies. More war brings more billion-dollar contracts to Halliburton and other military companies. Over 70 years ago Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself”. The Bush administration wants us to fear the “Islamo-fascists”. As long as we are kept in a state of fear, we will vote Republican in the upcoming election, that’s their Rove-ian strategy. Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert said the other day, "The Democratic plan would gingerly pamper the terrorists who plan to destroy innocent Americans' lives.” Be afraid. Be very afraid of our unitary executive government, and the mad man who wishes to be King.
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1945
October 17th, 2006 is a date that will live in infamy. It is the day that President Bush was given absolute power by the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress. When he signed the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Bush wiped away many rights that we Americans took for granted for hundreds of years. Habeas Corpus has officially been suspended with the stroke of a pen. Prisoners suspected of being unlawful enemy combatants, will not be granted legal counsel during interrogations. The government now has the power to condemn without proof; evidence obtained without search warrants, hearsay evidence, and even coerced testimony can be admitted at trial. The President can define torture as he sees fit, including abusing prisoners up to the point just before they sustain 'serious mental and physical trauma'. He also decides who can be detained indefinitely. According to this “Torture Act”, the government is retroactively exonerated for acts of torture, for example, the horrors of Abu Ghraib prison. Any American can now be declared an "unlawful enemy combatant". Some say I am very “opinionated”, because I speak my mind, they know who they are. I could possibly be classified an unlawful enemy combatant by the administration if they view my dissent as “aiding terrorists”. Welcome to the Fourth Reich.
The media is mute about this rape of our Constitutional rights. MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann is the only cable network news program brave enough to discuss this unconstitutional Act. The right-wing cable “news” pundits, such as Sean Hannity, who labeled Jimmy Carter, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, an “appeaser”, are complicit in this war on the Constitution.
Sixteen protesters were arrested outside the Whitehouse as our Dictator signed the Act into law. History won’t be kind to Bush, or the citizens of America. Future generations will wonder; what did you do when this was signed into law? What can we do? We can get out and vote for a change of course on November 7th. If the Democrats win control of the House and Senate, there will be investigations into the crimes of this administration, and Bush will no longer have the Congress wrapped around his little finger. We can also work toward the ultimate goal of impeachment. There is a huge grassroots movement to bring about the impeachment of Bush and Cheney. There are Impeachment Teach-ins you can take part in, and spread the word. If the Democrats don't push for impeachment, the American citizens must!
As you are reading this the U.S.S. Eisenhower, accompanied by other destroyers, is heading toward the Straits of Hormuz off Iran. The administration, with help from the duplicitous talking heads on CNN and Faux news are banging the drums of war again. They say our “intelligence”, what an oxymoron, has shown that Iran is the new threat. This president is planning on taking us into another war, a nuclear war in Iran, the next front in the “war on terror”. The real reason behind the over 2700 American deaths in Iraq, the 650,000 Iraqi deaths, and the future death toll in Iran is oil. George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Don Rumsfield, the real axis of Evil, advocates a doctrine of permanent war. War in Iran will begin a trickle down effect, that trickle will be oil mixed with blood. When Iran fights back, firing missiles at oil tankers, the price of oil will skyrocket, and shortages will occur; bad for us, good for Bush’s cronies. More war brings more billion-dollar contracts to Halliburton and other military companies. Over 70 years ago Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “The only thing to fear is fear itself”. The Bush administration wants us to fear the “Islamo-fascists”. As long as we are kept in a state of fear, we will vote Republican in the upcoming election, that’s their Rove-ian strategy. Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert said the other day, "The Democratic plan would gingerly pamper the terrorists who plan to destroy innocent Americans' lives.” Be afraid. Be very afraid of our unitary executive government, and the mad man who wishes to be King.
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1945
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
IT'S OKAY TO SAY THE "F" WORD: "FRAUD"
We, the people are not stupid. We know that voters didn't stand in long lines for hours to vote for "more of the same". We voted for change. Bush thinks he has "political capital" now. Google "Ohio recount", "election fraud". The mainstream media isn't reporting this, get your news elsewhere. Try Salon.com, BBC News, CBC.ca, C-Span. Boycott mainstream media! Bush says he has a mandate, that's ridiculous! He couldn't get a man-date if he stood on Polk st. San Francisco wearing short-shorts.
We, the people are not stupid. We know that voters didn't stand in long lines for hours to vote for "more of the same". We voted for change. Bush thinks he has "political capital" now. Google "Ohio recount", "election fraud". The mainstream media isn't reporting this, get your news elsewhere. Try Salon.com, BBC News, CBC.ca, C-Span. Boycott mainstream media! Bush says he has a mandate, that's ridiculous! He couldn't get a man-date if he stood on Polk st. San Francisco wearing short-shorts.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
Sun Nov 14 2004
ColumnsBob FitrakisAnd so the sorting and discarding of Kerry votes beginsNovember 10, 2004Are the provisional ballots in Ohio being thrown out? A new rule for counting provisional ballots in Cuyahoga County, Ohio was implemented on Tuesday, November 9 at approximately 2:30 in the afternoon, according to election observer Victoria Lovegren. The new ruling in Cuyahoga County mandates that provisional ballots in yellow packets must be “Rejected” if there is no “date of birth” on the packet. The Free Press obtained copies of the original “Provisional Verification Procedure” from Cuyahoga County which stated “Date of birth is not mandatory and should not reject a provisional ballot.” The original procedure required the voter’s name, address and a signature that matched the signature in the county’s database. Lovegren described the clerks as “kind of disturbed” after the new ruling came down. She said that one of the clerks told her, “This is new. This just came down. They just changed it in the last thirty minutes.” According to Lovegren, 80 yellow-jacketed provisional ballots piled up in the hour and 45 minutes she observed. By Lovegren’s tally, three provisional ballots were rejected because the registered voters’ registration had been “cancelled.” The rest, she said, were being discarded because of no date of birth. In 2000, an estimated 9% of Ohio’s provisional ballots were rejected and not counted, according to Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell. Many election observers are predicting the number will be much higher this year due to directives from Blackwell’s office. An earlier analysis in the Free Press of the 155,428 unofficial provisional ballots recorded at the Secretary of State’s website found that a clear majority, 85,096, came from the 15 counties Kerry won. An additional 17,038 came from urban Hamilton County, home of Cincinnati, and Wood County, where Bush won with 53% and 53.5% respectively. Traditionally, Hamilton County’s provisional ballots are disproportionately cast in the African American majority wards of the central city and not in the affluent Republican-dominated suburbs. Thus, nearly two-thirds (65.7%), or 102,134, provisional ballots come from areas where the provisional ballots are likely to be pro-Kerry. The official county-by-county board of elections’ final tally will begin on Saturday, November 13, the 11th day after the election and be completed by the 15th day. Following this canvassing period, 11-15 days after the election, an automatic recount would ensue if the gap between Kerry and Bush narrowed to less than one quarter of one percent, an estimated 16-19,000 votes, depending on how many are actually counted. During the canvassing, Bush will no doubt lose 3,893 votes from the infamous ward 1B in Gahanna, Ohio where a “computer glitch” counted 4,258 votes for Bush from 638 voters. But it is unlikely that Kerry will draw within the needed automatic recount margin. At the end of the canvass, candidates including Kerry have five days to apply for a paid recount, according to election attorney Donald McTigue. McTigue served as U.S. representative Dennis Kucinich’s campaign treasurer during the Democratic presidential primaries. The recount would be held within five days, and gives any candidate who applies, Kerry or others, the right to physically inspect the polling place materials including 92,672 ballots that failed to record a vote for President. Under Ohio law, like Florida law in 2000, the recount can include these ballots, many of them punch cards with the notorious “hanging chads” and optically scanned ballots where marks may have gone slightly astray but a vote for president is clearly evident. Overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day and late absentees just prior to the election also remain to be counted. During a recount, candidates may also inspect authorizations to vote, to make sure that the machine tallies are in line with the actual votes cast. They also may examine voter registration forms to argue for improperly rejected provisional ballots. Local boards of elections may amend election results if obvious mistakes are pointed out. It will cost $10 per precinct in Ohio, or an estimated $120,000, to recount the whole state. The official tallies are due at the Secretary of State’s Office by December 1. The Secretary of State must certify the election under Ohio law by December 3. U.S. representative Dennis Kucinich complained in an article on CommonDreams.org that “Dirty tricks occurred across the state, including phony letters from Boards of Elections telling people that their registrations through some Democratic activist groups were invalid and that Kerry voters were to report on Wednesday because of massive voter turnout.” The Free Press, in its November 7 article “None dare call it voter suppression or fraud,” pointed to possible voting anomalies in Miami County, Ohio where nearly 19,000 new ballots appear to have been added after 100% of the precincts had reported. The additional votes were at virtually the exact same ratio as earlier Bush votes, 65.8% for earlier votes and 65.77% for the latter. Kerry’s vote percentage was identical, despite the nearly 19,000 new votes at 33.92%. Roger Kearney of Rhombus Technologies, Ltd. told the Free Press, “The report you saw the following morning at 9 a.m. was probably either the 60 or 80 percent report.” Kearney’s company is the reporting company for vote results for Miami County; he claims that the problem was not with his reporting and that the additional 19,000 votes came before 100% of the precincts were in. As for the statistical anomaly that showed virtually identical ratios after the final 20-40% of the vote came in, Kearney offered no explanation and said he merely reports the results given to him. Miami County reports its votes in 20 percent blocks instead of a continuous running tally. “I watch as Steve Quillen, the Board Director, put floppy disks that he had taken from the tabulating computer and put them into the reporting computer. He did this at about 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of the count ... I looked at each of these reports. When the final one came out about midnight, we copied the report file onto my floppy disk. I came home and immediately posted it to the website. The page is still on our website exactly as it was shortly after midnight ... No one had access to this computer but me.” Kearney told the Free Press that the software used at the Miami County Board of Elections for counting the votes is from Elections Systems & Software (ES&S). The strong Republican ties of ES&S are well established in the public record. (See for example, “Diebold’s political machine” at motherjones.com). Such statistical anomalies may be examined if Kerry has the courage to demand a recount, or if other candidates who have legal standing to request a recount are curious. McTigue told a gathering of suburban Democrats that Kerry may recount eight counties of interest, and other candidates may recount the rest of Ohio. Unless the opportunity is seized, more than 100,000 votes will likely go uncounted, and statistical anomalies and “computer glitches” will remain unexamined. --Bob Fitrakis is a Professor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Columbus State Community College. He has a Ph.D in Political Science and a J.D. from The Ohio State University Law School. He is the author of seven books, an investigative reporter, and Editor of the Columbus Free Press (freepress.org). He has won ten major investigative journalism awards including Best Coverage of Politics in Ohio from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists. He served as an international election observer in the 1994 presidential elections in El Salvador and was the co-author and editor of the report to the United Nations. He served as legal advisor for eight polling locations on Columbus' Near East Side for the Election Protection Coalition.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Boycott The Media Blackout
by Lindyntn at 11:55PM (CST) on November 8, 2004 Permanent Link
This is an email now circulating the internet, requesting that everyone boycott the mainstream media. Since they have effectively put a blackout on any coverage of the immense scale of voter fraud, we need to let them know that they are, in effect, enabling the establishment of a police state, and we will NOT endorse their efforts in any way.
Use the email addies below, contact every one of them, fill their inbox to overflowing telling them that you will no longer go to their websites or watch their programs, that you are boycotting their silent endorsement of the violation of our rights by them not investigating, exposing, and continually reporting on these criminal acts. They are, in fact, accessories after the fact, helping to cover up what has happened by refusing to even report on it.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MEDIA OUTLETS , PLEASE CUT AND PASTE , YOU CAN USE OUR LETTER , EDIT IT , OR WRITE YOUR OWN , BUT PLEASE WRITE !!
ftn@cbsnews.com), (evening@cbsnews.com), (hardball@msnbc.com), (nightly@nbc.com), (MTP@NBC.com), (today@nbc.com), (niteline@abc.com), (NETAUDR@abc.com), (wnn@abcnews.com) (letters@msnbc.com), (2020@abc.com), (am@cnn.com), (cnn@cnn.com), (Colmes@foxnews.com), (Evening@cbsnews.com), (imus@msnbc.com), (Jack.Cafferty@turner.com), (jconason@observer.com), (wolf@cnn.com), (Joe@msnbc.com), (LarryKingLive@turner.com), (Lateedition@cnn.com), (letters@charleskrauthammer.com), (liberties@nytimes.com), (LouDobbs@cnn.com), (Nightly@nbc.com), (Norville@msnbc.com), (PeterJennings@abcnews.com), (Public@nytimes.com), (sidney_blumenthal@yahoo.com), (Ted.Koppel@abc.com), (Today@nbc.com)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dear Media,
I am a member of several large internet groups who are appalled at the the theft of our election through voter fraud.
It has come to our attention that there is a lock down in the media of any reporting of the voter fraud that took place on Nov. 2, 2004.
If you will not report the news, and I believe the theft of a presidential election in America can be considered news, we will not support your enabling a police state. We will begin the largest grassroots boycott of your shows and your sponsors through the internet.
Your complicity in the hijacking of our Constitutional rights is is an affront to responsible journalism, our Constitution and all Americans.
Sincerely,
A Concerned American For Democracy and Fair Elections Print Article
-->
by Lindyntn at 11:55PM (CST) on November 8, 2004 Permanent Link
This is an email now circulating the internet, requesting that everyone boycott the mainstream media. Since they have effectively put a blackout on any coverage of the immense scale of voter fraud, we need to let them know that they are, in effect, enabling the establishment of a police state, and we will NOT endorse their efforts in any way.
Use the email addies below, contact every one of them, fill their inbox to overflowing telling them that you will no longer go to their websites or watch their programs, that you are boycotting their silent endorsement of the violation of our rights by them not investigating, exposing, and continually reporting on these criminal acts. They are, in fact, accessories after the fact, helping to cover up what has happened by refusing to even report on it.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MEDIA OUTLETS , PLEASE CUT AND PASTE , YOU CAN USE OUR LETTER , EDIT IT , OR WRITE YOUR OWN , BUT PLEASE WRITE !!
ftn@cbsnews.com), (evening@cbsnews.com), (hardball@msnbc.com), (nightly@nbc.com), (MTP@NBC.com), (today@nbc.com), (niteline@abc.com), (NETAUDR@abc.com), (wnn@abcnews.com) (letters@msnbc.com), (2020@abc.com), (am@cnn.com), (cnn@cnn.com), (Colmes@foxnews.com), (Evening@cbsnews.com), (imus@msnbc.com), (Jack.Cafferty@turner.com), (jconason@observer.com), (wolf@cnn.com), (Joe@msnbc.com), (LarryKingLive@turner.com), (Lateedition@cnn.com), (letters@charleskrauthammer.com), (liberties@nytimes.com), (LouDobbs@cnn.com), (Nightly@nbc.com), (Norville@msnbc.com), (PeterJennings@abcnews.com), (Public@nytimes.com), (sidney_blumenthal@yahoo.com), (Ted.Koppel@abc.com), (Today@nbc.com)
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Dear Media,
I am a member of several large internet groups who are appalled at the the theft of our election through voter fraud.
It has come to our attention that there is a lock down in the media of any reporting of the voter fraud that took place on Nov. 2, 2004.
If you will not report the news, and I believe the theft of a presidential election in America can be considered news, we will not support your enabling a police state. We will begin the largest grassroots boycott of your shows and your sponsors through the internet.
Your complicity in the hijacking of our Constitutional rights is is an affront to responsible journalism, our Constitution and all Americans.
Sincerely,
A Concerned American For Democracy and Fair Elections Print Article
-->
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