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Everyone who was surprised to learn that the Bush White House was playing politics with the Justice Department, please raise your hand. Anybody? OK! Anyone who would be astounded to learn that the Bush White House wasn't playing politics with Justice and every other arm of government, every bureau, department and committee, please raise your hands. That's better!
Monica Goodling, the vetting flunkie who screened applicants for jobs at Justice based on whether their nickers were blue or red, may lose her license to practice law. This represents a small loss considering her degree is from Regent University Law School (Motto: "Legally speaking, what would Jesus do?") Ms. Goodling may be the second Monica to polish something for the President but she is hardly the only sinner in this congregation. If someone doesn't haul Alberto Gonzales in front of a grand jury to explain how he perverted the Justice Department to curry favor with Karl Rove, then there is no God. (No offense, Ms. Goodling) .
To an American populace whose principal obsession is a new season of Wife Swap and Dancing with the Stars, none of this will make much of an impression. Stacking the Justice Department with God-fearing, right-thinking neocons will appear to be business-as-usual in government. Besides, what's wrong with lawyers of faith? Answer: Nothing, if they are also qualified attorneys. Evaluating applicants by checking pant legs for signs of excessive kneeling, (if not always praying), is not considered the best way to insure competent hiring.
Sadly, the selection process at Justice, aka "Law and Order - Political Intent", valued conservative credentials over professional ones. In other words, we don't much care where (or if) you went to Law School (those places are full of liberals anyway). We only care that you believe that George W. Bush is God and Karl Rove is his prophet. How would it be if the Army used this process to promote generals? Hey, do you think the President lets the Air Force pick pilots for Air Force One based on whether they contributed to Greenpeace?
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You probably didn't need to be reminded of the sorry state of "the best country in the world" but, as an indication of who we are, attend the case of Patrica and Milton Harper of Lake City, GA.
The Harper family was one of those incredibly lucky folks that received a brand new McMansion courtesy of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. For those of you who crave a more intellectual fare, say, Sponge Bob Square Pants; Extreme Makeover rebuilds "deserving" people's homes while they are away on a lovely vacation. The entire project is completed in seven days (kind of Biblical, ain't it?) including commercials. In the case of the Harpers, the house was a starter castle complete with turrets.
When the Harper clan returned from Disney World they were handed the keys to their villa along with enough cash to pay the taxes for 25 years. If you imagine that the Harpers proceeded to live happily ever after, you've been watching too much Sponge Bob.
Before the TV trucks were out of the driveway, the grateful Harpers were hot-footing it to the bank using the house to leverage a $455,000 loan to finance a construction business. Naturally, the venture folded and the house is now in foreclosure. I love this country!
These are the very sort of people that the Congress proposes to bail out of their mortgages. The same folks who shake their heads at welfare mothers and opine on how Americans don't take responsibility for their actions. They profess to be conservatives, demanding lower taxes and government off their backs; except, of course, when the government program will benefit them.
Recent polls reflect that 80% of Americans feel that the country is headed in the wrong direction. Blaming a spongehead like George W. Bush is too easy. "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves."
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
...or is Swift boating the only tactic Republicans have?
So we finally get to it. "Straight talk John McCain" is driving his bus straight for the gutter. McCain is showing the American people that high-road politics only works when it's working. The first time that your poll numbers begin to slip, the gloves come off and we move to character assassination. Forget about the issues that McCain swore would be the core of his campaign. Forget about policies and programs. Let's go right for the groin kick.
We expected better from McCain. After the dirty, disgraceful campaign that the Bushmen threw at McCain in 2000 in South Carolina you would have thought that he might have declined to follow suit. We should have known better. With a model like Karl Rove as Yoda (looks and all) the temptation to rabbit punch was just too great. With an innuendo worthy of Fox News, the McCain camp has shown how it really plans to capture the White House.
A new McCain TV ad states that Obama skipped a visit with wounded troops because the Pentagon wouldn't let him bring in the cameras. This is on top of the crack that Obama would gladly lose a war to win an election. Welcome to "McCain Unmasked".
One can hardly blame a politican as weak and oblivious as McCain from trying virtually any tactic to get someone, anyone, to listen to him. His stump speeches are a blessing for insomniacs. His smile makes him look like Clutch Cargo. His voting record is so fractured that one wonders if he believes in anything. (That includes support for the troops. He opposed the latest GI Bill.) He has supported every piece-of-crap legislation that GWB sponsored and yet he can barely bring himself to speak his name. He has straddled so many issues that his campaign is giving wide-stance lessons to Larry Craig. (ba-dum-bum!)
The primary trait that McCain shares with George the Lessor is that neither one of them can get anyone in the press to cover them. Not just because the media is afflicted with Obama-mania. The reason that NBC, ABC, CBS, and everyone else with a microphone is following Obama is because he's news. He's interesting. Covering Bush and McCain is like committing television suicide. It's like C-SPAN without the pithy dialogue. Who wants to watch some geezer in a Navy baseball hat give a boring speech? I'd rather watch Abraham Simpson (Homer's father) sleep in front of a TV.
Do not expect the Obama people to respond in kind. They didn't do it with Hillary and it's doubtful they will do it with McCain. You won't see a TV ad about McCain's misspent youth (he spent several years attempting to set the indoor drinking record) or his overlapping marriages. You won't hear about his involvement with Charles Keating (McCain accepted more money from Keating than any of the others.) The Obama campaign will continue to paint John McCain as a war hero (I guess getting shot down and captured makes you a hero simply out of touch with the 21st century). Actually, McCain's ignorance of technology puts him out of touch with the latter half of the 20th century also.
When the campaign began to take shape in the late spring, it had all the earmarks of a classy contest with the Marquess of Queensbury rules to be observed at all times. Alas, it was not to be! Although McCain is only trailing by a few points he has already begun eye-gouging and biting. The sad part is that, even with the character assassination and nasty rhetoric, McCain is still the single most boring hack since Cal Coolidge. Maybe John should try a headdress?
We expected better from McCain. After the dirty, disgraceful campaign that the Bushmen threw at McCain in 2000 in South Carolina you would have thought that he might have declined to follow suit. We should have known better. With a model like Karl Rove as Yoda (looks and all) the temptation to rabbit punch was just too great. With an innuendo worthy of Fox News, the McCain camp has shown how it really plans to capture the White House.
A new McCain TV ad states that Obama skipped a visit with wounded troops because the Pentagon wouldn't let him bring in the cameras. This is on top of the crack that Obama would gladly lose a war to win an election. Welcome to "McCain Unmasked".
One can hardly blame a politican as weak and oblivious as McCain from trying virtually any tactic to get someone, anyone, to listen to him. His stump speeches are a blessing for insomniacs. His smile makes him look like Clutch Cargo. His voting record is so fractured that one wonders if he believes in anything. (That includes support for the troops. He opposed the latest GI Bill.) He has supported every piece-of-crap legislation that GWB sponsored and yet he can barely bring himself to speak his name. He has straddled so many issues that his campaign is giving wide-stance lessons to Larry Craig. (ba-dum-bum!)
The primary trait that McCain shares with George the Lessor is that neither one of them can get anyone in the press to cover them. Not just because the media is afflicted with Obama-mania. The reason that NBC, ABC, CBS, and everyone else with a microphone is following Obama is because he's news. He's interesting. Covering Bush and McCain is like committing television suicide. It's like C-SPAN without the pithy dialogue. Who wants to watch some geezer in a Navy baseball hat give a boring speech? I'd rather watch Abraham Simpson (Homer's father) sleep in front of a TV.
Do not expect the Obama people to respond in kind. They didn't do it with Hillary and it's doubtful they will do it with McCain. You won't see a TV ad about McCain's misspent youth (he spent several years attempting to set the indoor drinking record) or his overlapping marriages. You won't hear about his involvement with Charles Keating (McCain accepted more money from Keating than any of the others.) The Obama campaign will continue to paint John McCain as a war hero (I guess getting shot down and captured makes you a hero simply out of touch with the 21st century). Actually, McCain's ignorance of technology puts him out of touch with the latter half of the 20th century also.
When the campaign began to take shape in the late spring, it had all the earmarks of a classy contest with the Marquess of Queensbury rules to be observed at all times. Alas, it was not to be! Although McCain is only trailing by a few points he has already begun eye-gouging and biting. The sad part is that, even with the character assassination and nasty rhetoric, McCain is still the single most boring hack since Cal Coolidge. Maybe John should try a headdress?
Monday, July 21, 2008
...or do we all just want to take a nap and wake up on Jan 21st?
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In a move that should surprise no one, the Environmental Protection Agency has devalued human life. The statistical value placed on a generic human life by the EPA and several other agencies, is used to determined whether a particular program can be cost-justified. The old figure was $8.04 million for each John or Jane Doe. The Bush EPA, in a move clearly designed to halt the rising cost of everything, has lowered your worth to $7.22 million. Frankly, I'm gratified it's still that high.
Considering the cavalier way in which this administration has: wasted human resources (4,000 dead in Iraq), slept through the suffering of Katrina (Is anyone still living in those trailers?), squandered natural resources(drilling is the answer to everything), ignored the warnings on climate change (no, it shouldn't be voluntary!) we already have a pretty clear picture of Little George's view on the value of humans.
This then is the ultimate symbolic gesture of what your government thinks of you. Your needs have been ignored, your safely neglected, your concerns discounted and now, your value reduced. The patterns of this administration could hardly have led anywhere else.
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The number of Mexican-born immigrants who have become U.S. citizens grew from 84,000 in 2006 to 122,000 in '07. Apparently, these people have determined that the only way to get rid of the Bush crowd is to become citizens and throw them out. You know your administration is a failure when even the immigrants want you replaced.
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Anyone who has the slightest interest in seeing Barak Obama win the White House in November should stop interviewing Jesse Jackson, now. The man has "Bill Clinton-itis". Every time he speaks, he distracts the Obama campaign who must immediately explain "What the Rev. Jackson meant was..."
Jesse, if you want to help elect the first black American to become the leader of the free world, become a mime. Resist the temptation to attach your name to this campaign. I promise that if Obama is elected, he will make you ambassador to Jamaica, or the Vatican, or someplace.
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Who needs Amy Winehouse? Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, 61, has reportedly abandoned his wife of 23 years and barricaded himself in his Irish home with an 18 year old Russian cocktail waitress. Any additional facts would be superfluous. Long live rock n' roll!
By the way, has anyone out there over 40 ever heard Amy Winehouse actually sing anything? (members of various correctional facilities excepted.)
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In a move that should surprise no one, the Environmental Protection Agency has devalued human life. The statistical value placed on a generic human life by the EPA and several other agencies, is used to determined whether a particular program can be cost-justified. The old figure was $8.04 million for each John or Jane Doe. The Bush EPA, in a move clearly designed to halt the rising cost of everything, has lowered your worth to $7.22 million. Frankly, I'm gratified it's still that high.
Considering the cavalier way in which this administration has: wasted human resources (4,000 dead in Iraq), slept through the suffering of Katrina (Is anyone still living in those trailers?), squandered natural resources(drilling is the answer to everything), ignored the warnings on climate change (no, it shouldn't be voluntary!) we already have a pretty clear picture of Little George's view on the value of humans.
This then is the ultimate symbolic gesture of what your government thinks of you. Your needs have been ignored, your safely neglected, your concerns discounted and now, your value reduced. The patterns of this administration could hardly have led anywhere else.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Item
The number of Mexican-born immigrants who have become U.S. citizens grew from 84,000 in 2006 to 122,000 in '07. Apparently, these people have determined that the only way to get rid of the Bush crowd is to become citizens and throw them out. You know your administration is a failure when even the immigrants want you replaced.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Anyone who has the slightest interest in seeing Barak Obama win the White House in November should stop interviewing Jesse Jackson, now. The man has "Bill Clinton-itis". Every time he speaks, he distracts the Obama campaign who must immediately explain "What the Rev. Jackson meant was..."
Jesse, if you want to help elect the first black American to become the leader of the free world, become a mime. Resist the temptation to attach your name to this campaign. I promise that if Obama is elected, he will make you ambassador to Jamaica, or the Vatican, or someplace.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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Who needs Amy Winehouse? Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, 61, has reportedly abandoned his wife of 23 years and barricaded himself in his Irish home with an 18 year old Russian cocktail waitress. Any additional facts would be superfluous. Long live rock n' roll!
By the way, has anyone out there over 40 ever heard Amy Winehouse actually sing anything? (members of various correctional facilities excepted.)
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