The PolitiChicks to the Rescue!

The PolitiChicks are here and are taking the world by storm! Apparently conservatives have not been allowed to speak their mind for the last 40 years (at least according to the hot blonde PolitiChick), but these spicy gals are here to change all that! Along with the previously mentioned hot blonde PolitiChick, you've got the hot brunette with a monotone voice PolitiChick, the hot black kinda serious PolitiChick, and last but not least, the Queen of Crazy PolitiChick, Victoria Jackson herself!

Your initial reaction upon viewing their first episode (after expressing your sincere appreciation for some truly lovely gams on full display), might be to assume that what you just watched was a brilliant piece of satire whose aim was to skewer those on the right who might charitably be called "batshit crazy." But, lamentably, you would be wrong. Think of this show as kinda like "The View," except with four Elizabeth Hasselbecks - on steroids!

Most of the first show was dedicated to pursuing a fact-free discussion of Islam. After Crazy Vicky sang her little song about how nasty Muslims are ("they like beheadings and pedophile weddings"), the group proceeded to throw around some pretty WTF statements about them (even though they insist that they really LOVE Muslims). Crazy Vicky was shocked to learn that Muslim butchers say "Allah Akbar" before they cut the meat. She scoffed when her liberal friend told her that she should check with Snopes.com, the well-respected arbiter of Internet sense and nonsense, about that idea, confidently telling everyone that Snopes.com is owned by the devil himself, George Soros, and therefore was not to be believed. (No, of course that's not true, but she probably read it in a forwarded email or on World Net Daily, and that's good enough for her.)

After monopolizing the first 10 minutes of the show, Crazy Vicky turned it over to the hot brunette for her take on the whole Muslim meat thing. Excited by her chance to say something truly important about this subject, she began...

"Well, you know what else they say that before, er, you know what else they, uh, when they say that what else they say that before they do..."

Perhaps not surprisingly, while a normal person might find it difficult to decipher such jibberish, Crazy Vicky immediately took her point...

"Before they KILL people!" she screamed excitedly.

"On planes, yeah!" exclaimed the hot brunette.

"On 9/11!" concluded Crazy Vicky.

So there you have it. Muslims say "God is Great" before they cut meat and kill people. That's really all you need to know. But wait, it gets worse. The hot brunette is in a tizzy because some universities have installed foot baths to accommodate their Muslim students - apparently she believes that Muslim feet should be as dirty as Christian feet. (And yet, we Christians can't have our Christmas trees, wails the hot blonde.) And Crazy Vicky is very confused about why liberals don't hate Muslims as much as she does - because liberals love gays, and Muslims want to kill gays. (It's probably best not to tell her that the Bible also talks about killing gays. It would just confuse her even more.)

But hey, here's something I didn't know - apparently it is now completely legal for Muslims in America to behead their wives - because of that whole Sharia law taking over our judicial system thing. But they probably shouldn't talk too much about that, or the rest of the country will be demanding that they be given the same right.

The fearsome foursome has one final bone to pick with Muslims before they move on to bashing gays. While they are willing to concede that "not all Muslims are terrorists," they are equally insistent that "all terrorists are Muslims!" Someone urgently needs to point these ladies to the Google machine, where they will quickly discover a rather long list of non-Muslim terrorists. They may also discover, along the way, that not all conservatives are morons, but all morons are conservatives.

Oh, lest I forget, Crazy Vicky makes a very observant point: Eric Holder and Janet Napolitano have "dead eyes," and she's pretty sure that they're both zombies and/or aliens. And to prove her point, she does dead-on impressions of both of them - although they oddly seem to be exactly the same.

Having spent so much time beating up Muslims, there is not much time left to take a swing at gay marriage, but the hot black serious one gives it her best shot. After quoting New York governor Andrew Cuomo's statement about needing to legalize gay marriage in all 50 states, and also the need to have anti-bullying laws, she incongruously asks the panel, "Are laws that define marriage as one man and one woman bullying laws?" Huh? She seems to have missed Cuomo's point by the proverbial country mile. Of course, anti-bullying laws are designed to protect gays (among others) from being bullied, but that whole concept appears to have gone right over her head. But what really worries the ladies is that pastors and priests are going to be forced to marry those icky people even if they don't like them. And yes, even photographers are at risk of being forced to take pictures of the hideous ceremonies against their will. Of course, none of that is true - the laws don't coerce anyone to take part in a ceremony against their will, but like I said, this show operates in a Fact-Free Zone.

I will say, so that I don't get accused of being a complete negative nelly, that Crazy Vicky may be crazy, but she has spunk! (Although I kind of feel the same way that Lou Grant does when it comes to spunk.) On this PolitiChicks introductory video, she generously allows that she loves Muslims, gays, and even all those people who leave nasty comments on the Internet calling her "a fat, has-been loser." Because Jesus loves them, and she loves Jesus, so therefore, ipso facto, she loves them.

So there you go. The PolitiChicks are here to kick some liberal ass. I can't wait for the next episode! UPDATE: Episode 2 is here, in which the ladies go into full birther mode to expose the nefarious truth of Barack Obama's birth certificate!

(By the way, if they were on TV, they'd probably have a serious ratings problem. Among the over 2200 comments registered so far, you'd be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of positive ones, and the video has so far registered 162 Likes and 3,921 Dislikes.)

A Little Fact-Checking Goes a Long Way!

(VIDEO: Rachel Maddow explains about crazy people.)

Today's Right-Wing Meme of the Day goes something like this: Oh My God! Obama is going overseas and it's going to cost the taxpayers a gazillion dollars a day! Not only that, but we're sending the entire navy to protect him and half of Canada's navy, too!! OMG!! OMG!!

This latest nonsense began when the oh-so-lovely Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, aka The Queen of the Crazy Ladies, got on CNN and told a Paul Bunyon-esque tall tale to Anderson Cooper. She said that it would cost $200 million a day for Obama's trip. When Cooper challenged her on that comically large number, Bachmann defended herself by saying that the "the numbers have been coming out in the press."

Cooper: "And do you believe everything you read in the press?"
Bachmann: "Well, you're the press. Shouldn't I believe you?"
Cooper: "I'm not reporting that this trip is costing $200 million a day."

Of course, it took CNN about two seconds to do some fact-checking and determine that Michele Bachmann - true to form - was full of shit. But not before the story had spread to all the sleazy corners of right-wing world: Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, et al. confirming with each other that the story was, like, totally true.

Apparently the story had originated on some Indian website and was picked up by the very prestigious Drudge Report, which apparently was way too busy to find out if the story was actually, you know, true or not. Well, that was the cue for Right-Wing World to go straight into fake scandal mode - something they've become quite accomplished at - and start screaming hysterically that the world is coming to an end.

Well, of course the story wasn't true. For one thing, the government doesn't release the figures on presidential trips abroad for security reasons, so nobody knows how much money will be spent - certainly not some snake charmer in India. (A similar trip by President Clinton, however, cost about $50 million - for the whole trip, NOT per day).

The sane media needs to do a better job of policing these scoundrels and doing some serious fact-checking when they say stupid shit. Anderson Cooper often does a good job challenging his guests. He went straight after Bachmann as soon as she uttered her inanities. And of course Rachel Maddow, as always, does an excellent job exposing these frauds.

It's amazing to me that FOX News continues to perpetuate this fraudulent activity. Hasn't anyone told them that real journalists are supposed to check their stories before they publish or broadcast them? Don't politicians know that a little fact-checking goes a long way? It could actually save them from looking like a total ass the next day.

George Bush Crying on God's Shoulder

(Video from Balcony Films)

As George Bush's time in office winds down, he's found time to sit down and reflect on his tenure with author Robert Draper. The resulting book is called Dead Certain, the title an apparent reference to Bush's defiance and stubbornness in the face of harsh reality.

This attitude is reflected in his answer to a key question from the author, who asked the president what his main goal would be in his remaining time in office. If you were expecting him to say something reassuring, something like "I'm going to focus on finding a sensible way to wrap things up in Iraq so that our soldiers can come home to their families," you'll be disappointed. He declares that his main goal is “To get us in a position where the presidential candidates will be comfortable about sustaining a presence," and (he later added) "stay longer."

So apparently Bush will be spending his days figuring out ways to continue his disastrous war ad infinitum, even after he's safely (for the world) out of Washington, because he's "dead certain" that he's right about Iraq, and nobody is going to get him to change his mind. Furthermore, he assures us that he really believes it when he says that things are going to turn around in Iraq. "You can't fake it," he told the author.

But you needn't worry that the war and all those dead Americans are putting too much stress on the commander-in-chief. When the author noted that he had nobody's "shoulder to cry on," Bush told him, “Of course I do, I’ve got God’s shoulder to cry on, and I cry a lot," and added, "I’ll bet I’ve shed more tears than you can count as president.”

For a president who likes to pride himself on being a strong leader, it seems a bit odd to me that he would admit to being a big crybaby. Somehow, I have a hard time picturing Bush laying in bed at night sobbing into his pillow so he won't wake Laura. It's much easier for me, however, to imagine the mothers and fathers, wives, husbands, and children of all those soldiers who came home in flag-draped coffins crying for the loved ones they'll never see again, and I'm willing to bet that God is a lot more willing to lend his shoulder to them than to Bush.

Bush has always made a point of saying that he doesn't make decisions according to the polls, and of course on one level, he's right. A president can't base his decisions on whatever the latest polls say. But you'd think that when the American people express such strong disapproval of their leader and his policies, he'd at least want to take a moment to ponder the reasons for their anger and search for ways to factor public opinion into his frame of reference.

In a classic case of wishful thinking, Bush has been reduced to claiming that although everybody thinks he's a screw-up now, history will vindicate him and record that he was a clear-eyed leader who did what he thought was right and as a result saved the earth from extinction. To me, he's like the father whose kids hate him, but it doesn't really bother him because he's "dead certain" that his strict authoritarian parenting style is what's best for them, and dammit, they'll thank him for it when they get older.

Bush posits the simplistic notion that he's unpopular because "I made a decision to lead." He says, "One, it makes you unpopular...and two, it makes people accuse you of unilateral arrogance, and that may be true. But the fundamental question is, is the world better off as a result of your leadership?”

Well, at least he admits that he's arrogant. I guess that's something. And the question he poses is exactly the right one. Is the world better off as a result of George Bush's leadership? The American people (and the world) have rendered their verdict on that score with a resounding no, and they're "dead certain" of their answer.

The Senator's Excellent Toilet Adventure

(Video from Red State Update)

Well, whaddaya know? Another conservative Republican homophobe caught with his pants down in the men's room. But not to worry, Sen. Larry Craig assures us in a rather Nixonian moment, "I am not gay. I have never been gay." Oh, I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

Ah, I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning! This guy has spent his days voting against anything vaguely related to gay rights, while spending his nights looking for sex in bathroom stalls.

Of course, if he didn't have such a neanderthal view of sexuality, if he believed in letting people be who they are, without judgement, he wouldn't have to sneak around to get some action, and he wouldn't be watching his long career crashing down around him.

The Republican party has once again demonstrated that they are the party of "Do As I Say, Not As I Do."

Who's to Blame for Alberto Gonzales?

(Video from TPMtv)

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has finally been shown the door, following close on the heels of Karl Rove, and virtually no one has stepped forward to say, "Gee, that's too bad." In fact, perhaps his one redeeming feature was that he was finally able to unite Democrats and Republicans in their demands for his resignation. He joins a long list of failed Bushies who have left nothing in their wake but failure and deception.

Gonzales was the bumbling, lying clown that sat in front of congressional committees and told them that, gee whiz, he had no idea at all about pretty much anything that was happening around him. Apparently, he was just too darn busy doing crossword puzzles to pay attention to what was going on in his Justice Department.

What's that you say, someone fired a bunch of U.S. Attorneys because they weren't playing ball with the administration? Nope, I never heard anything about that. I harrassed a sick man in the hospital to get him to sign off on illegal wiretapping? Nah, I was just there to bring him a box of chocolates.

His resignation comes just days after Bush re-iterated his support for Gonzales, saying "Why should he resign? He's done nothing wrong." Of course, when Bush talks about right and wrong, you have to remember that he apparently uses different definitions for those words than the rest of us.

Although it's easy to blame Gonzales (way too easy), it's Bush who is really at fault. Once again, he placed a person in a vital position of power in the U.S. government, not based on his ability, but based on his loyalty to him. It's his standard operating procedure. When selecting an Attorney General of the United States, the most important thing in the president's mind is to make sure that person will do his bidding, be his lap dog. Let's not worry about finding someone who is competent and capable, or about the equal administration of justice. Such quaint ideas, anyway.

So Gonzales will likely go down in the history books as one of the worst Attorney Generals ever, working for a president who will be remembered as one of the worst presidents ever. Not a very enviable legacy, and probably not what he had envisioned when he came to Washington with his best friend George nearly seven years ago.

There had been speculation that Bush was supporting Gonzales because he didn't want to have to go through a difficult confirmation process, which makes his apparent choice of Michael Chertoff to replace Gonzales a bit puzzling. Chertoff, after all, was the man in charge of Homeland Security two years ago when he allowed New Orleans, a major American city, to go under without even much of a fight.

But hey, heck of a job, Alberto!

From Quagmire to Cakewalk

An unlikely new star has emerged on YouTube. Dick Cheney's newly-uncovered video interview from 1994 has gotten over 600,000 views and has got everyone talking.

In this particular video, Cheney (who had been the Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War) is asked whether he thought that U.S. forces should have moved into Baghdad after Hussein's army had been defeated in 1991. His response was that we shouldn't have because "There wouldn't have been anybody else with us. There would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq." His concern was that once the US toppled Hussein's regime, "then what are you going to put in its place?...It's a quagmire if you go that far and try to take over Iraq." He demonstrated his concern for the troops by asking, "how many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth? Our judgment was, not very many, and I think we got it right."

Smart man, that Cheney fellow. So why was it that in 2002 and 2003 this very same man (and his minions) was telling the nation that an invasion of Iraq would be a "cakewalk" and that we would "be greeted as liberators." Neocons were quick to assure us that we needn't worry. The oil revenues would pay for the war, and we should be out of there in practically no time at all.

Of course, over the years, lots of people have questioned why Bush Sr. and his administration had not gone into Baghdad in 1991 to "finish the job." Bush, Cheney, Powell...they all had what I thought were pretty reasonable reasons for not doing exactly that.

So what was it that made Cheney flip-flop and decide that those reasons were no longer valid in 2003? Of course, the answer that he and his people always give is "9/11 changed everything." Well, maybe. It might have changed certain people's thinking about whether or not Iraq should be attacked. But how exactly did 9/11 change those predicted consequences that Cheney spoke of so eloquently in 1994? The answer is it didn't. Cheney was exactly right about the consequences he had predicted.

He was also a bit of a fortune-teller in 1991 when speaking at the Soref Symposium shortly after the war had ended. He told his audience, "If you are going to go to war, let's send the whole group; let's make certain that we've got a force of sufficient size, as we did when we went into Kuwait, so that we do not suffer any more casualties than are absolutely necessary."

So when the average American looks at Cheney's turnabout, what is he to conclude except that Cheney and the rest were so determined to invade Iraq that they deliberately deceived people about the consequences, and were in such a hurry that they didn't even make adequate plans for those very things they had predicted.

Protect Yourself With Magic Underwear

Mormons are finding themselves under more scrutiny than usual, in that they've got one of their own running for President. One of the more curious aspects of their faith that's come to light is the "magic underwear" or "temple garment," as the faithful would prefer to call it, worn by many Mormons. According to Wikipedia, "Adherents consider them to be sacred and may be offended by public discussion of the garments," so if you're an adherent, you should stop reading now.

The underwear is called "magic" by some because it is believed that they protect the wearer from evil and physical harm.

You know, I bet Superman was a Mormon. It must have been his magic underwear that caused bullets and falling rocks to bounce right off him. If the Mormons were smart, they'd make them available to everyone. Imagine the price that people would be willing to pay to make themselves invincible in this age of terrorism. The Mormons would make a fortune.

Karl Rove: Gone But Not Forgotten

(Video from Campaign for America's Future)

Karl Rove, George Bush's right-hand man and a really, really bad rapper, has announced his resignation "to spend more time with his family." It's amazing to me that politicians still think that people buy that bullshit excuse when they're shown the door. It's on a level with "the dog ate my homework." Please. Have a little respect for our intelligence.

Rove says he was not forced out, but you have to wonder about the timing. Why would a man who has been at Bush's side for 14 years suddenly leave with just months left before Bush's term comes to an end?

As Ol' Turd Blossom rides into the sunset, let's review his legacy. Although he is regarded by some as a political genius, you wouldn't know it by the mess he's created and left for others to clean up. Rove used to talk about establishing a "permanent Republican majority," but his party now has him to thank for a failed presidency, a calamity in Iraq, the loss of Congress, and possibly the loss of power in Washington for a generation or more. So he may turn out to be right about a "permanent majority," just the wrong party.

This is the man who was at the center of the Valerie Plame affair - a sordid episode in which a CIA agent was outed as revenge for her husband's expose of Bush's lies about Iraq. His standard operating procedure when it came to winning elections was to employ dirty tricks at every opportunity. It was apparently easier than trying to win by campaigning on your candidate's strengths.

He once famously said in a 2005 speech, "Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war. Liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers." Typiclal Rovespeak - demonize your opponents even if it means making stuff up.

But his deceitfulness is finally catching up with him. He is the subject of multiple investigations having to do with various forms of illegal acts and other skullduggery, from the possible violation of the Hatch Act for politically-motivated presentations to government agencies to the politically-motivated firings of U.S. Attorneys.

He may think that by resigning, he'll take himself out of the line of fire, but I think he'll be dissappointed in that regard. Now that he's no longer a member of the executive branch, he may find himself stripped of certain protections and more vulnerable to investigators.

So long, Karl. Don't the the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

The Debating Game

(Video from NBC/Tonight Show)

As the 2008 Presidential campaign starts to heat up, people are beginning to look forward to next year's debates between the 2 major candidates.

But before those take place, it may be instructive to look back to the 2004 debates between Bush and Kerry. Some truly innovative techniques were demonstrated in those debates, and it would behoove any potential candidates to study them closely.

Stu Bykofsky Is a Sick Bastard

(Video from FOX News)

The right-wing warmongers have finally shown their true colors, just in case there was any doubt.

Stu Bykofsky, a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, has recently written an article that is so stunning to read that you think he must be engaging in some sick form of satire. But no such luck. He's apparently serious.

His thesis is that, since America is so divided, what it really needs is another massive terrorist attack to bring it back together. He believes that the way to get people to unite in the fight against terror is to suffer and die in another attack. That way we'll know who are enemy is. Here are some excerpts...

"One month from The Anniversary, I'm thinking another 9/11 would help America."

"America's fabric is pulling apart like a cheap sweater. What would sew us back together? Another 9/11 attack."

"The Golden Gate Bridge. Mount Rushmore. Chicago's Wrigley Field. The Philadelphia subway system. The U.S. is a target-rich environment for al Qaeda."

"If it is to be, then let it be. It will take another attack on the homeland to quell the chattering of chipmunks and to restore America's righteous rage and singular purpose to prevail."

Presumably Stu is not advocating an attack on himself or his family or his friends. As long as it's thousands of other poor souls, though, what the hell, it's apparently worth the price.

I'll give him credit for one thing, though. He asks the right question in regard to his own words:

"What kind of a sick bastard would write such a thing?"

Exactly.

By the way, take note of the way FOX News handles this guy with kid gloves, trying to put the best possible spin on his words, and then try to imagine how they would react if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama had said the same thing.

My prediction for Stu: This is going to blow up in his face, and he'll be looking for another job within a week.

Bush vs. the Zombies

One of the lesser-covered stories in recent days is George Bush's new campaign against zombies. Apparently zombies are everywhere and are threatening the homeland. Thank God the prez is hot on their trail.

If you've ever had your brain eaten by a zombie, you know what a nuisance they can be. So I say spare no expense to rid the world of them. Send in the marines, send in the special forces, send in Condeleeza Rice. Do whatever you have to do.

God Bless You, Sir!

Obama Girl Smackdown!

(Video from Barely Political)

Ever since Obama Girl made a big splash with her song, I Got a Crush on Obama, there's been a run on hot babes professing their love for their favorite candidate. Now it's Mitt Romney's turn with not one, but three (hey, he is a Mormon, after all) head-turners ready to fight for their man.

In this video, we don't actually meet the Rommey Girls, but they throw down the gauntlet with a vicious attack ad on Obama Girl. This is getting ugly, folks!

Stay tuned for more fun. You can't go wrong when you start mixing sex and politics!

Dick Cheney: Lounge Lizard

(Video from Harry Shearer)

I don't know about you, but I often imagine how America would be so much better off today if only Dick Cheney had become a lounge singer instead of a politician. Now, the wonderful Harry Shearer has brought my fantasy to life.

Join Dick somewhere in an undisclosed piano bar as he croons his way into your heart with a touching love ballad about a man named Scooter (aka Cheney's Cheney). Your life may never be the same after watching Dick's poignant rendition of what is sure to become a classic.

And if, after viewing this, you find yourself having nightmares, I can give you the number of a very competent shrink.

No End in Sight

No End in Sight is a devastating expose of the blunders that have led to the disaster in Iraq. It won the Special Jury Prize in the Documentary category at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and will open in selected locations across the US starting July 27th.

We've all heard about the terrible mistakes in judgement that were made by Bush and Company, but this film has apparently succeeded in connecting the dots to give a crystal-clear picture of the chain of events that led us to where we are today.

When asked what he hoped his film would do for America, director Charles Ferguson replied...

I hope that it will help Americans understand that we must never go to war casually, and that reconstructing a nation after conquering it is just as important as defeating its army. Wars are sometimes necessary, but war is not a game, and the war is not over when the opposing army surrenders.

Ferguson remarked that he was astonished that "nobody else appeared to be making a film about American policy in Iraq." Let's hope it's not the last. This is a story that needs to be told, a story that needs to be understood and a story that needs to be used as a lesson for future generations.

Nuts in the Gallery

Rajan Zed is a Hindu chaplain who was invited to open the Senate with a prayer a few days ago, the first time for such an invitation to be extended to a Hindu chaplain. It was a notable occasion and reflected the fact that America is a religiously diverse nation.

But, predictably, it brought all the nuts out of the woodwork, screaming that America is a Christian nation and this is an insult to true Christians everywhere, blah, blah, blah...

Three of these nuts made their way to the Senate gallery, where they disrupted the prayer with a competing prayer of their own,"Lord Jesus, forgive us Father for allowing the prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight." They were arrested and led away. Buh-bye...

The group doing the loudest screaming was the American Family Association, who had been warning their followers for days that a shocking event was going to happen and they had to do something to save the nation from ruin. They were quoted as saying...

"It represents an official stamp by the government on paganism, a move which may draw God's anger according to biblical example."

So if anything really bad happens in the US, for instance, a tornado or an earthquake, you can go ahead and blame it on Senator Harry Reid. He was the guy that invited Mr. Zed to say his evil prayer.

But Mr. Zed need not worry. According to Buddy Smith, an AFA spokesman, Christians everywhere should "pray for the chaplain's salvation." I've racked my brain to try to think of a more condescending statement, but haven't found it yet.

These images of people shouting down a Hindu holy man (in the United States Senate, for crying out loud), are broadcast around the world, and we wonder why America is held in such low regard in much of the world.

Is Rudy Giuliani Really the Hero of 9/11?

(Video from the International Association of Fire Fighters)

When 19 terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center in New York City, mayor Rudy Giuliani was all over the TV, looking to all the world like a man in charge, a man coming to the rescue of his beloved city.

Now Giuliani wants to be president and actually has a decent chance to grab the Republican nomination, if for no other reason than that the rest of the field is just plain pathetic. He's basing his campaign on his supposedly heroic efforts on that day.

But the International Association of Fire Fighters has a different story to tell about Rudy. This short film documents his failures on that terrible day. Did 121 firefighters lose their lives needlessly? Why did those 121 firefighters remain in the doomed North Tower after being ordered out? Whose fault was it? Who is the real Rudy Giuliani?

The Road Home

(Video from Mad Mustard/"All Those Lies" by Glenn Frey)

The New York Times has declared, in an unequivocal editorial titled The Road Home, that...

"It is time for the United States to leave Iraq, without any more delay than the Pentagon needs to organize an orderly exit."

The newspaper of record has joined only a handful of other papers to call for a complete pullout. In a stinging rebuke to the Bush administration, they state...

"Continuing to sacrifice the lives and limbs of American soldiers is wrong. The war is sapping the strength of the nation’s alliances and its military forces. It is a dangerous diversion from the life-and-death struggle against terrorists. It is an increasing burden on American taxpayers, and it is a betrayal of a world that needs the wise application of American power and principles."

The editorial goes on to note that opposition to the war is no longer a Democratic/Republican or left/right issue. That is certainly becoming evident, as more and more people from all walks of life realize the folly of continuing down the path that Bush has laid out.

Bush stands, for all practical purposes, alone and isolated. Perhaps The Decider will decide to start listening to the people. But don't hold your breath.

Musical Interlude: Merle Haggard

Not only has Bush lost the support of many key Republicans in Congress, he's lost the support of the original Okie from Muskogee, Merle Haggard. The country singer who railed against hippies nearly 40 years ago has trained his sights on Bush and his Iraq policy:

"Let's got out of Iraq, get back on the track, and rebuild America first."

This song is called America First.

Be Afraid! Be Very Afraid!

(Video from Maury Povich)

Franklin Roosevelt said...

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.

A lot of Americans have forgotten these wise words. But you can't really blame them, what with Bush and Co. constantly using fearmongering as a tool to try to keep people in line. Their not-so-subtle message is...

"Terrorists are everywhere. They're gonna get you (and your little dog, too)." The ONLY way you can save yourself is to support the Iraq war and vote Republican come election day. If you don't, you are unpatriotic and not a true American.

Their constant mantra is "9/11, 9/11, 9/11," a shameful exploitation of that national tragedy that is an insult to the memory of the victims and their families. The national press doesn't help matters by reporting every potential threat as if it's the end of the world.

Are there terrorists out there who want to harm us? Of course there are. We see the latest evidence of that in the botched attempts to attack London and Glasgow. But is it too much to ask that we intelligently go about assessing the threat so that we can come up with sound and logical strategies to combat it rather than trying to scare the bejesus out of everyone?

After all, if we spend all our time cowering and hiding under the bed, the terrorists have accomplished what they set out to do.

The Paranoid Conservative Mind

(Video from Lewis Black/The Daily Show)

I swear, conservatives have got to be the most paranoid people on earth. They see liberal bias everywhere...PBS, CBS, TIME, Newsweek, The New York Times, and now Wikipedia and YouTube. How do they know liberal bias when they see it? Easy. If the facts don't fit their whacked out view of the world, it's liberal bias!

When faced with an unpleasant fact from one of these evil media sources, instead of considering the merits of the story, they dismiss it as "liberal bias" and therefore unworthy of consideration. Then they run to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, or Ann Coulter to get the "truth."

They live in their own world, a fantasy world where George Bush is the greatest president who ever lived and Dick Cheney is the grandfather they always wished they could have. A world where America can do no wrong, and if you don't agree, then you obviously hate America and should leave the country immediately.

Maybe one day they'll come to realize that the world is not black and white. It's made up of many colors. If they would only take off their rose-colored glasses, maybe they'd see it more clearly.