Fitz!

Fitzarooni!

Oh, Matt, you were so damn close! Fitz!

Orwell is saying, “See, I told you.”

The country won’t be fixed by rewarding tepid riskless politicians with more money and votes. Most congresscritters are whores that work for corporations, but if they see money and votes go elsewhere, it forces them to change their pandering in order to get back to the money flow.

Every time the political system changed in America, a third party threatened the two-party machine and forced that change. I’m all for Democrats taking back the House, then the Senate, then the Presidency. But they still work for corporations. There are progressives out there running, there are progressives in Congress, and they’re not hard to spot. Vote for ‘em. It’s the path to change.

Geez, it really is 1984.

If the Dems don’t stand up to this and make something good and legal happen, in following the law as we know it - then the answer is - they too Brutus - are bought, sold and bribed.

Had enough?

You know, a freakin’ mandate to govern requires the candidate to disclose his policies BEFORE the election. Then he has the moral authority to execute his policies.

What the hell does the DLC plan on doing once they take office, rearrange the furniture?

Dems’s made fun of old man Bush’s “vision thing.” Et tu, Brutus?

Ah, me. Now once again, why was it supposed to be the smart move to wait until—let me see, as we’ve been getting closer to Nov. this year, I’ve been hearing more reasons to wait till ‘08, it seems. Why was that, again?

Re the moniker: A degree of relaxation is supposed to make tension easier to manage…

Time to take back the house…

Buzzflash is running a four alarmer:

US/NSA is sweeping-up information on TENS OF MILLIONS of Americans.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/w.....htm?csp=34

-GSD

Aeon

Great minds, huh?

EPU’d
Way way back in Dec. or Jan. Harry Reid stopped business in the Senate. We cheered. He got attention. NOTHING happened as a result of what he did. The gesture was supposed to jump start Pat Roberts and the investigation of 9/11 Phase 2 IIRC.

The more the dems sit on their hands and not respond to these continued affronts to our democracy the more I’m beginning to believe that they want to maintain the status quo and destroy the country hand in hand with the republicrooks.

I hate thinking and feeling this way. Germany 1933.

Doubleplusungood.

suin said in response:
“RevDeb - I keep wondering what it would take to get the Dems to speak up … each scandal seems like the one to do it and then silence. I doubt the possibility of changing the Dem party but think that our work to do so will hopefully build an infrastructure that will either move the Dems off their butts or will give us a headstart on an alternative …

My fear is that it is too late. We have no time to build an infrastructure if we are living in a fascist state.

I’d love to stick around for the discussion but it is WAY past my bed time. Will check in again in the morning. Maybe it will have all been just a bad nightmare and I will wake up to a different reality. . . I wish.

They are playing a very dangerous game.

One wonders what will happen if the American people start to lose all faith in the legitimacy of the government.

I, for one, lost that faith when 100,000s were killed in Southeast Asia and not one American politician spent even a day in jail for the perpetuation of this crime. You think it’s criminal that no higher up has been charged in the Abu Ghraib torture case. How about the napalming of thousands of children in Vietnam? The carpet bombing of a neutral country (Cambodia)? etc.

Sooner or later these creeps will fall. Few will so richly deserve it.

We have no time to build an infrastructure if we are living in a fascist state.

Actually, we do. Sadly, much of it’s in Iraq right now.

What. Will. It. Take.

This is re last post:
See -this display is not this Pod fellow being naturally sexist. It’s his latest assignment from the GOP political marketing research unit. voters don’t like anyone much, but right now they like Hillary best, for some reason. Time to do a little sexist brand reinforcement job on ol’ H.C. Jess’ bidness.

Popularity
Voters don’t seem like anybody very much these days. Here are the ranked approval favorability scores of various national figures from the NYT poll (.pdf):
Hillary Clinton - 34%
John McCain - 31%
Al Gore - 28%
John Kerry - 26%

http://atrios.blogspot.com/200.....4281170362

This is just depressing the crap out of me. We’re going to need rioting in the streets to stop this rogue government, aren’t we? Like that would ever happen with the consumerism and comfort keeping everyone sedate. Does everyone still feel like the electronic vote stealing is still a fringe theory? This group won’t give up power easily.

I feel so frustrated! How can Americans of any party tolerate these people and even defend them? I just don’t get it. Benjamin Franklin was so right when he said that those who are willing to give up essential liberty for a little security deserve neither. And we aren’t even getting a little security out of the deal. Aaarrghhh…..

“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man I flipped that bastard off to his face.”

Speaking of retroactively legalizing criminal behavior, I read earlier today that.. “CIA nominee Michael Hayden told a Democratic senator he may be open to changes in eavesdropping law to allow the Bush administration’s warrantless surveillance.” [link]

WTF? The guy who set up and ran an illegal program tells a lawmaker that maybe he’ll consider allowing the lawmaker to legalize it?

darkblack 20 — that is strangely cathartic ;)

Jane, check out the story in the link on # 11.

-GSD

Oh Jane.. are you going to join Tacitus’ and Malkin’s Online Integrity group?
I’m afraid that without anyone of stature or good morals, their site won’t get any visits. Won’t you please help?

Don’t worry about it. Dianne Feinstein says she’s cool with the NSA looking over us all.

And presidential aspirant H. Clinton says Bush is charming.

I think it’s about time you stop projecting your own frustrations on our President, Hamsher.

Sonoma — I think we should refer that to the Online Integrity Group. I’m sure they will handle it.

marky — curiously I never received an invitation. Must’ve been an oversight.

BTW marky did you read that second post by Retardo Montalban? It may be the funniest thing I’ve ever read.

I think public opinion is way out ahead of centrist Democrats. What that means for election I dunno if Dems stay in paralysis. Hope people are not so demoralized and cynical that they simply don’t vote against BushCo.

Approval rating dropping so fast pollkatz (Prof Theil) updating every other day now. Check it out. I say the DOJ cover-up + GSD #11 = 20s by end of next month. I don’t mean an outlier, I mean Preznit stuck in 20s. I bet on it. Dinner, or package of regional food delicacies sent to your home state. Any takers in Philly? I like tastycakes. But no scrapple.

http://www.pollkatz.homestead......age001.gif

And I think the DOJ thing must called what it is: The DOJ cover-up. It is a cover up of criminal or unconstitutional activity and Dems must call it for what it is. I hope FDL and other informed blogs do. No other term can be acceptable. Cover-up. Either there is flat out illegality (like spying on political enemies) or it is so gonzo big and out of control that no one could deny that it is unconstitutional.

Or… Cunningham? Fraud? Bribes Booze and Babes? Gone money. No there there!? That would be the killer, if any fool who took a look could see huge gaping holes of nothing and gone loot and no fricking national security benefit at all. Is that what BushCo is risking stuck in 20s for? I wanna know. There must be something there that would put him in the teens for this. That is my opinion.

Jane 27,
I read that post and savored it. 100% spot on.
I never understood why Tacky got any attention at all. He’s a horrible writer, a poor thinker and a very nasty man. I guess it’s just a case of the cream rising to the top, republican style.

and the other thing is that these sons of bitches are going on memorial break soon, with july 4th shortly afterward.

not to mention the fucking three day work week already in play.

Such stuff nightmares are made on…

How to sleep?

No wonder they can vacation, shop for shoes, fish and hunt while ignoring the people and the Constitution; we are the enemy and the target they are watching and controlling.

Or Bribes Booze Babes and Beefcake. I didn’t mean to be sexist. Sorry.

I’m waiting for the ‘libertarians’ (the ‘big government [unless we run it] is evil’ crowd) to weigh in.

You know — the ones who can’t tell Salma from Friedrich Hayek.

RevDeb - I agree that it is past time but I don’t know what else we do. Rioting in the streets is very appealing but it’s clear that with this crew, they will just shoot us and the Dems would still be quiet.

I’ve done massive nonviolent actions and worked with very serious civil disobedience and I participate in every take-it-to-the-streets event but I don’t see a way to bring about change. Since I work with corporations who are considering and sometimes undertaking major changes, I have some hope there (odd though that is for someone of my political bent) - corps are making progress on global warming for example and just ignoring the “we didn’t sign kyoto” stance. But to oust the fascists? I can’t see the move that works. And given the history of this generation of Dems, I don’t see them as a useful alternative - then again I’m in the midst of reading Fisk’s description of Iraq under the sanctions and that certainly chills me on any nostalgia for the dems in control(nicer for us but hellish for the people of the middle east).

So … do nothing, do something symbolic, build infrastructure? I don’t think any of it will *work* but building something maybe gives us tools to use when next there is an opportunity to create change.

I’ve come to see the Bush admin as rapists and the Dems as guys who stand around and watch … maybe mutter a little but they sure don’t jump in and stop it.

Perhaps we should call it a secretocracy. Mr Arar, the Canadian who was rendered to a coffin in syria for a year, he hasn’t been able to get an investigation or his day in court since it is all just too secret to have a trial over.

This news/post makes me incredibly sad. G’Night all. Tommorrow’s another day to keep plugging away I guess.

Libertarianism is a joke, empty barcalounger rhetoric. Not a single self-professed libertarian is willing to actually live up to their words. It’s nothing more than an excuse to wank with guns.

Depressing and typical is Barack Obama, who is said to have political capital and momentum, even believed by many to be on the principled side of Congressional Democrats.

Watch for his non-response and evasion of these and any further affronts to his institution, the U.S. Congress.

Libertarians are politically autistic.

Boosh looks familiar…hmmmm

http://star.walagata.com/w/lea-p/7081278.jpg

Obama has a lot in common with McCain, IMO.
He’s willing to sell any principle to get elected President at some point in the future. I couldn’t be more disappointed in him.

wesgpc - no fair bringing up tastycakes … damn! now I’ll be jonesing for butterscotch krimpets as well as for democracy!

and puppethead - not disagreeing but before I left NH, there was a lot of fuss about a group of libertarians who were moving to NH with a goal of taking over the state. Didn’t go over real well with the people of live free or die.

cover-up-ogopoly
cover-up-oilopoly
deep doo-doo
shit meets fan
Happy ending would be: GOP goes to Federalist and Whig-land in the sky. I hope the blowback and the revulsion is so bad that they have to change their name before they can come back. If Dems go on offense and force moderate GOPers on spot, I think it could happen. Watch pollkatz and we will see. (I have to connection to that blog but check it every day now. It is becoming compulsive).

The names are endless. Which aspect of it most important to emphasize. We need a name for each manifestation.

Depressing and typical is Barack Obama, who is said to have political capital and momentum, even believed by many to be on the principled side of Congressional Democrats.

dick durbin had a meeting with hayley today and was reassured that hayley understood his concerns and durbin feels sooooo much better now.

As a veteran, it fucking pisses me off to see that AWOL junkie in a uniform. He even has a fucking name tag on his flight jacket.

I don’t care if he’s the “Commander in Chief.” He’s still a civilian! Quit playing dress-up, you fucking moron.

Puppethead 27 — oh yeah.

So the DOJ/Abu Gonzales tried to get records from the NSA/Hayden in order to investigate Bush? Now, that is a clusterfuck.

How much more outrage does it take? Except for the few in Congress we regard, they are all now just phoning it in. And DiFi? You are a complete traitor.

siun #42: so, we’re on? You take my bet? Waddya want? I’m in for a sourdough loaf, or whatever. STuck in twenties by next month. Look at ol’ pollkatz. Dropping so fast you can’t even see the variation between polls. Like early 03 or fall 03, except in opposite direction. What will they do if that happens is what worries me. The Iran stunts are self-satire, only potentially deadly, it is like a bad Duck Dodgers episode of the 21st and 3/50 century.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/ne.....832.column

Scratch your head over a report on the 2004 general election in Miami-Dade from the county’s Election Reform Coalition (www.reformcoalition.org). Among a pile of puzzlements, it concludes that seven polling places had between 50 and 99 more voters than ballots and that four polling places had over 100 more voters than ballots. In addition, six polling places had between 52 and 100 more ballots than voters, and one polling place had 282 more ballots than voters.

ALSO, CHECK OUT: WWW.WHATREALLYHAPPENED.COM

I EPU’D THIS EARLIER: ap story

http://www.rawstory.com/showar.....NlYwN0bWE-

ot: Isn’t this convenient — why Buscho can’t investigate itself.

By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer Wed May 10, 7:49 PM ET

WASHINGTON - The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Justice Department’s Office of Professional Responsibility, or OPR, sent a fax to Rep. Maurice Hinchey (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., on Wednesday saying they were closing their inquiry because without clearance their lawyers cannot examine Justice lawyers’ role in the program.

“We have been unable to make any meaningful progress in our investigation because OPR has been denied security clearances for access to information about the NSA program,†OPR counsel H. Marshall Jarrett wrote to Hinchey. Hinchey’s office shared the letter with The Associated Press.

Jarrett wrote that beginning in January, his office has made a series of requests for the necessary clearances. Those requests were denied Tuesday.

“Without these clearances, we cannot investigate this matter and therefore have closed our investigation,†wrote Jarrett.

Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the terrorist surveillance program “has been subject to extensive oversight both in the executive branch and in Congress from the time of its inception.â€

Roehrkasse noted the OPR’s mission is not to investigate possible wrongdoing in other agencies, but to determine if Justice Department lawyers violated any ethical rules. He declined to comment when asked if the end of the inquiry meant the agency believed its lawyers had handled the wiretapping matter ethically.

Hinchey is one of many House Democrats who have been highly critical of the domestic eavesdropping program first revealed in December. He said lawmakers would push to find out who at the NSA denied the Justice Department lawyers security clearance.

“This administration thinks they can just violate any law they want, and they’ve created a culture of fear to try to get away with that. It’s up to us to stand up to them,†said Hinchey.

…somehow it is difficult to imagine anyone trying to take over NH…and who would want to with those winters?…what I want to know is how long can the legal eagles at the mansion keep the wolves from the door? Is there not a judge anywhere who could order Justice to produce this information? Who’s the top dog here?

Thank you Jane.

This one is near and dear to me. When the Patriot Act, with its changes to, among other things, FISA, was passed, part of the legislation passed by Congress included establisthing someone in the Inspector Generals office dedicated to Patriot Act violations.

When requests started to come out of Congress (Zoe ??? I think was the initiator) they asked for investigation as a Patriot Act violation - since no warrants were obtained. IG Fine said - mercy and my stars, we can’t have that guy investigate the AG and the President - even if they did violate the Patriot Act.

Similarly, there was a request that seemed to die made to the Pentagon’s IG - since NSA is in their budget. After finding that the Inspector General’s office, in general, and dedicated staff for Patriot Act violations in specific “lacked jurisdiction” to investigate lawbreaking issues regarding the PResident and AG, Fine said - oh, but here’s what we can do. We can refer this to the Office of Professional Responsiblity and they can tell everyone if the DOJ lawyers involved (remember - we have never been privy to the memos that concluded half a decade of multiple daily feonies was “necessary and proper”) might have violated their professional responsiblity (ethics) obligations. OK - I admit I openly scoffed.

They’ve made a big fool out of me. I was properly obligated to roll in spasms of guffaws on the floor rather than scoffing (pursuant to which both spasms and floor rolling are discouraged and guffaws are optional). So we get to - did you violate the Code of Professional Conduct - uh, dude, that’s like, ya know, C*L*A*S*S*I*F*I*E*D.

I do have to admit - the Pelosi story is even more likely to boggle and unboggled mind.

Did I mention that Classication would be a nice area for some Hayden questions - esp w/re: to classifying illegal activity and how that works?

Thanks again

wesgpc …the problem is that I’m in Chicago and there are no tastycakes! I also suspect they will now classify all polls!

but hey, I’m up for sourdough and I hear you can ship a frozen Chicago pizza from Giordano’s so I’ll play just for the heck of it. (why do I think I’m going to lose on this?)

Sing! Muse and tell of the man of many crimes, a man debt ridden, obtuse, the void is less empty, lies, and crises, a man happy to be bandied about by an idiot wind of his own making. A perpetual wasteland his garden path, nothing but an infamy of whores in the peoples house. Sing and show us, Muse! Show how from corrupt heights the hollow do fall. Sing! And send Winged Hermes when the deed is done.

Slightly OT — but that’s okay; I’ve been at war with the Bush dictatorship since December 2000, and I am burned out.

But I have not, and will not, quit — until these gangsters are permanently evicted.

Anyway — Steve Soto at TheLeftCoaster.com –

http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/007622.php

Behind The Recent Polls: Where Did All The Cultists Go?

Bad poll numbers in the abstract paint a partial picture of how bad things are for W and the vulnerable GOP incumbents this fall. Reading a story by a leading political writer that puts those numbers in a larger context and narrative indicate what may become the conventional wisdom among the Beltway stenographers this fall. We get such a narrative from the New York Times’ Adam Nagourney and Megan Thee this morning as he dissects the latest CBS News/New York Times poll out late yesterday, which had Bush at 31%. Bush’s approval ratings on his handling of foreign policy, the economy, and Iraq have fallen to new lows, all now below 30%. And continuing a trend in recent polls, according to the weighted sample in this poll, only 25% of the sample admitted to being a Republican, the lowest numbers in over seven years.

And that is another interesting dynamic from all these recent polls. You can read the falling poll numbers for Bush on a variety of issues, and we can debate the silly trolls who say that it doesn’t matter that Bush is toast because he isn’t on the ballot this fall even though this latest poll indicates that Bush is taking the GOP down with him. What strikes me from reading the recent polls is this: where are the Republicans?

siun: Oh… oh… oh… I want waffles from that place by the exchanges. Please please please please. Twenties by next month. Stuck. In Mud. I’ll win. I’ll send you a sourdough anyway. I want one o them waffles. what is the name of hat place, just south of the commodity exchanges?

Sad. While the Worst Of Joel Klein quote is certainly one of the stupidest things in print, it’s just a damn article.

The continued failure of Democrats to confront an administration that is unambiguous in its contempt for the rule of law and the Constitution - that’s appalling. We expect that from dittoheads. We accept that Bushits have it as a matter of policy. But why self-proclaimed members of the opposition would stick the tongues so far up that hole, I can’t imagine.

Maybe it’s time to consider something along the lines of a general strike? What’s the likelyhood of something like this gaining momentum?

The lack of action by Democrats, with the exception of a few like Feingold and Gore, is really depressing. How about a co-ordinated blog campaign to publicize the 10-point plan? How about getting Cindy Sheehan to run against Feinstein with Feinstein’s NSA/Bush support as a key issue?

Joe Klein - accomplice to tyranny.

-58-
When? What’s a reasonable time frame?

props to darkblack for the wicked photoshopping. one thing about it is disturbing, however: I vaguely recall that the kid’s picture is from an aryan white supremacist rally.

siun (#53) - hi!

are you actually wagering that Bush won’t fall into the twenties? where’s the fun in that?

Ho hum. Karl Rove has access to all of our phone records. I’m trying to be upset, but I can’t even pretend that I’m surprised.

The NSA vs DOJ story is also totally unsurprising. How it’s NOT obstruction of justice is totally beyond me, but then I didn’t think you could toss someone in jail for years on end without even charging them.

I agree with whoever it was that said that by the time this administration is through, we’re going to need a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to scrub the stain off of our country. And frankly, I’m not even sure that’ll be enough.

What GOP drinking songs are in vogue now?

Chickens are a roosten in,
Let’s sing Goddamm,
Shoeth drop and bribeth slop
And how the polls doth slam!
Sing: Goddamm.
Voters cuss and blameth us,
And we are in a jam!.
Diehard fibs’er turning livers
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, tis why I am,
Goddamm.
So ‘gainst the springtime calm
Sing Goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm
Sing Goddamm, sing Goddamm,
DAMM.

written by a crazed lost old disoriented fascist coot, long time whence ago

Last night I went to a campain event. It was the chance for those who wanted to be elected to the board of govenors at my daughter’s charter school, a Waldorf-themed school in Los Angeles Unified School District.

There were five people running for two positions. Every one of the candidates said something to the effect that every one else running would make a great member of the board, but then stated why they wanted to be on it and what they had to offer.

I am sick and tired of personality politics that are based on the adversarial winner-take-all, I am the greatest thing since sliced bread narcisist circus that plays out at every state and federal election.

Yes, I am aware that the offices of president, senator, house member require a great deal of skill and experience, but these school board candidates remembered one thing that many “bigger” politicians forget — their responsibility to the office. These school board candidates really want to make the school better, and while they might be depressed if they lose, they plan on working with the winners for the benefit of the school and the students.

Bush, Cheney, etc., and most Republicans and many Democrats appear to care more about their status, campain war chests, and power. They have forgotten who they serve and why — and the country is worse off for it.

Representatives are supposed to represent their districts and senators are supposed to represent their states.

Over time, a culture has evolved (aided by effecitve manouvering by the press and the parties) that glorifies the individual senator and congress person. When there is a vote in congress, no longer is it said “Californian’s vote no!” “Montanans vote yes!” It is always “56 to 38 in favor”, or “333 to 104 against.” The reporting does not suggest representation of the will of the people. If we would say “Kentucky’s 3rd district supports giving 2% of the people in thier district a ‘meaningful’ tax cut in order to help 833,000 millionaires in New York,” people in Kentuky’s 3rd would say “WTF? Are you representing us or them.” But when we say “John Doolittle voted ney, then we have broken the chain of representational government, and what we are left to say instead is “Well that is John Doolittle’s opinion, not mine.” Well, if John Doolittle is your representative, it is EFFECTIVELY your opinion on the matter because he voted arguably in the best way possible to represent your and your neighbor’s collective position. So the people in California’s 4th District should be collectively labled with the votes made by Doolittle for or against a given issue bill.

It seems to me that if the voters of a specific district are declared to have made the vote, and that the senator or representative merely cast the vote in the best interests of the citizens they represent.

I am reaching at straws here, but it seems that if elected leaders paid attention to their constituent’s interests on each piece of legislation, and if we as a society would say that regardless of what the vote was about, it was cast in the best interests of the people who lived in a given state or district, those people might start believing it. Then they might take an interest in whethter the people elected were really representing thier interests. Then they might start asking, “Was that vote really in my best interest?”

For my daughter’s school board, I know most of the parents care, but only 20% will really monitor the candidates eventually elected and hold them accountable. But all of the parents know that these candidates are working for interests of thier constituents, and will be held accountable on that basis.

I am greatful because last night at the meeting, I saw the seeds of American Democracy, and it was a beutiful thing.

I’m not in that first-to-Fitz race, but if I were,
here’s mine:

Quick, Henry, the Fitz!

(Even I am not old enough for that piece of
Dr. Seuss-iana, a 17 year running joke-ad of his;
see http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dsads/index.shtml )

It’s back to the ol ‘Incompetence or Arrogance ? ‘ condundrum -

if they had stonewalled DOJ just another week and a half - this would not have made the Hayden hearings (yeah, I can hear that great patriot Saxby Chambiss now)

so does their timing reflect the institutionalized incompetence or were they well aware and knew they didn’t have to give a shit any more ?

and I didn’t even know about the Pelosi deal - probably a result of my recent self imposed ‘breathers’ - not even sure I wanna open the link just yet

I have that ugly sinking feeling — the desperation of the criminal Bush Dictatorship, crashing into the unwilling democratic and republican sentiments of the American people.

We have reached a breaking point — and it will only get worse from here . . .

Must really p’o General Clark to see W. sashaying around dressed in U.S.Army unform.

So what’s it going to be for the October surprise? The Golden Gate Bridge, the BART tube in San Francisco, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, or an attack on the NY subway system. Dems don’t care. They’re part of it. Oh, I know, the Senate chambers get bombed. Anyone remember the Reichstag fire? Hope I’m wrong.

It is sad. I really wonder if it is over for this nation.

-GSD

ck @ 55-

Where are they? Maybe they are starting to think — maybe, just maybe — this whole thing is getting ugly, as Jane suggested in the post title.

I think we may see increasing numbers of R-critters starting to express serious concerns in the next few weeks. If that happens GWB might lash out. And then we may get a very fast impeachment of both Cheney and Bush.

Or, we may just end up 6 months from now wishing for the good old days when there was a law we believed GWB couldn’t violate and that total surveillance was only electronic.

Another bet. I am very very cheap, so remember if I talk big, well, OK, I say, why would BushCo risk this? I think there has got to be an ultimate lose-lose here by any DOJ investigation. Cause I do believe deep in my liberal Xtian heart that Bush is risking hard core twenties time here. Must be risking twenties to avoid teens. What would that be? No human rights, no national security. Cunningham, Wilkes, Jerry Lewis, Wade, missing money. Fraud. Give up your rights to make these rich crooks richer. Remember the stories about the FBI being run ragged by hundreds, thousands of false leads. Boondoogle. BS vapor ware. missing money. Bribes Booze Babes and Beefcake. Who’s on? I talk big but I am penny-ante at heart. I am such a cheap gambler, but hey, I’ll spring for a candy bar, Ghirardelli mint square, See’s marshmint, who know what! It’s on the table. Whoo-ha, I am going all out.

Sometimes the news is so strange the last few months. I get kind of giddy. Probably from head shaking in disbelief. Will calm down now.

A third bet: every single one of CA GOP House delegation a crook. A sad bet since I believe in regional loyalty, and every one of them would be sad for my great state of California, but I think it’s true. But… when it all falls out, everyone a crook and several more involved in some kind of even more unbelievable money stealing involved in this.

GSD #11

Don’t scare the shit out of me like that! It is irresponsible.

BTW, do you think the CEOs of the phone companies have been briefed or given security clearances to even know that the NSA is on their premises conducting “top-secret” operations? If not, would that be a violation of the 4th and 5th Amendments? Not to mention the 1st and the 9th?

GODDAMMIT!!! WHO THE FUCK DOES BUSH THINK HE IS? JESUS WITH A GUN?

wesgpc - uh oh … waffles near the cbot? I work right near there so I will go on a waffle search (sheesh, great waffles … near by … and none of my new colleagues told me!?)

stuck in the 20s … you’re on

and Punaise dear! I’ve been so busy Ykos-ing that I hardly get to FDL but the organizing team is awesome and the work is such fun … I haven’t gotten to use my PR stuff in a while and I’m loving it!

will I lose this bet … well, prolly but I never understand betting pools and such so this seems like a good learning experience! and wesgpc promised to send sourdough!)

cbl #68: see TPM quote DOJ officials saying Cunningham won’t talk, even in jail. DOJ official says that will delay but not stop investigation -it will break soon and it will be big. That’s what he said. Check out TPM. They could not wait and preferred to hand it over to the Hayden guy, a real pro who can stonewall, say nothing and not answer with skill dash and elan. That will look way bad at hearings, and media will have to cover, making it worse. So what they are covering must be V. bad political news. All I can think of is reduced civil rights + no addtional national security value = lots stolen money and mind boggling incompetence a ten your old could see in a minute (=lose+lose+lose).

Personally, I have had THE FUCK enough.

Seriously, between the refusal to tell the Minority Leader which Critters have been briefed and when, and now shutting down the DoJ looksee into whether DoJ lawyers violated their own professional ethics because the lookee-lawyers aren’t cleared to look…. !

We are through the looking-glass, completely.

V, anyone? Game on.

ccmask

I was damn close! 1 freakin’ minute behind!

What I don’t understand is how anyone can believe this is going to correct itself by electing some Democrats.

The only thing that will eventually force a change upon America is when the regime, the society itself, collapses.

May I poll the straight people on here? The general consensus among the gay community on Mary Cheney is, the be charitable, somewhat negative. What do straight people think of her?

you can’t rock a boat that has sunk to the bottom of the harbor.

centrist Dems, non-rockers of a ship of state that has sprung a gazillion leaks, re the latest scandal(s):
“OK, then, this is the next to the last to the penultimate straw! Enough is starting almost to be enough. We’re just not going to put with this for more than a year or two - three, tops! Mark my words, we will not back down…much…well OK, a bit more, but we’re really starting to think about expressing a mild disapproval.”

74 wesgpc says:

why would BushCo risk this? I think there has got to be an ultimate lose-lose here by any DOJ investigation. [I do believe] that Bush is risking hard core twenties time here.

The cost of a DOJ investigation is worse than bad PR. They are criminals and they know it, so covering up the crime is the only option available . . .

can we use the ‘C’ word now?

cesspool.
this administration is an absolute cesspool.

Bush thinks he is Hitler with a crucifix.

Frank - Mary Cheney is a bitch and a disgrace to the gay community. Remember how gracefully Ron Reagan separated himself from his father’s crap … while Mary rolls in it.

Bailiff, whack his pee-pee.

-GSD

Mary Cheney is as foul and greedy and mean as both of her rotten parents.

-GSD

This nation is an authoritarian state. Repeat that over and over again.

The nerve of Deadeye Dick Cheney to lecture Putin.

If Hubris Sonic is around - that was genius.

well, time for some sleep … wesgpc - I’ll start the waffle hunt in the am! and if I find a tastycake source, I’ll buy double!

g’nite all! I’m going to dream of tandytakes!

GSD 86 - heh. what’s that from again? Laugh-in?

siun - good on ya for your YKos work….we miss you (temporarily)

frank probst at 81–
one straight person’s opinion on mary cheney:
deceptive, hypocritical.

wesgpc @ 77,

saw the TPM article this morning, I, too was stunned by the prosecutor’s candor, but my next thought is let’s see the visitor and phone logs (not that he didn’t sell his silence before he went in.) It should be big, remember reading about it at Kos - Sherlock Google was dancing around suspicions that several of the Wilkes/Wade shell companies were mere money laundering ops for GOP coffers - I know, that is waaay to much to hope for, but considering the players involved, I am sure there are plenty of big fat crumbs for the prosectuors to follow - even without the Dukester

Mary Cheney is GOoPer political operative — she is no more gay than her dad is a Democrat . . .

No, we’re just at “Dic” right now.

Pun,

I believe Cheech and Chong.

-GSD

Any new news on that tiny little “when the hell is Rove gonna be indicted” story? Nothing really new since the VandeHei story…I guess since there were no reports of the grand jury meeting today or of Fitzgerald appearances, there won’t be indictments Friday. Fitzmas on the 19th, I guess.

siun says:
May 10th, 2006 at 10:42 pm
Frank - Mary Cheney is a bitch and a disgrace to the gay community. Remember how gracefully Ron Reagan separated himself from his father’s crap … while Mary rolls in it.
———————————————————-
In the gay world, that’s the feeling at one end of the spectrum. Unfortunately for Mary, those are her defenders. On the other side of the debate are those that feel that, considering the recent publication of the Gospel of Judas, Ms Cheney deserves to replace Judas Iscariot in Dante’s ninth circle of hell.

As a gay man, I have to say that it’s hard for me to be objective on this issue. I’m wondering if straight people see her the same way, or if they see her as some Shakespearean heroine torn between her family and her identity, or rather as a vapid lesbian Paris Hilton, or if they just don’t care about her at all. Straight people, your thoughts?

Cheech and Chong’s “Big Bamboo” album, which came with a huge rolling paper.

As always, a wild-ass guess…

Listen for Chirac. He might be the canary. Though smooth as silk, the message will be: “George, set the gun down and step away.”

jane: i didn’t want this to be left in the Zone so i’m posting in this thread now.

i have been a FDL reader and poster since last october. i don’t look for a person’s gender when i read. i look for ideas and good writing. you and christy and pach (male or female, never thought about it) and many, many others are expressive and thought provoking. i come to FDL with an expectation that it will be authoritative and original. it is, almost without fail. i hold no other blog in higher esteem.
you and redd should’ve been on the guy’s list. so what? how many great writers have been stiffed until they weren’t any more?

when i first started reading digby i assumed it was a guy. the name, the graphic, it was an assumption. when somebody hinted that digby was female it fucked with my mind. not seriously, but i started reading it differently. finally it came to me. when i read i hear “voice”. i hear a guy or a woman. i’m not sure what this means and i really don’t care.
my favorite book in all the world is “the museum of unconditional surrender” by dubravka ugresic. a good writer is a good writer, and a good book etc. and shall be evermore. mahalo.
p.s. i hate you. i’ve become an FDL junkie and it’s taking over my life! help!

darkblack 20-

I used that for this post. Hope you approve.

http://incomprehensibledemoral.....pying.html

Frank Probst 81

Mary Cheney is worthy of the French epithet “collabo”, short for collaborateur (i.e. WWII, Vichy, etc.) collaboratrice in her case. The overt ones were hounded, shamed and villified at the end of the war. Others just crept back into the fabric of society.

forgot to add one more thing before I join all the other firepups in dreamland -
QWEST ! Yeay QWEST! that should be the story - Corporation turns down upfront, contractual, and future contractual revenue because it wasn’t right or ethical - my god kids, we all have days where we don’t know what is more damaging - GWB or Corp. America - so if this story plays out as now reported, they are getting a big fat love letter and a LTE in HQ hometown.

‘night doggies

Nevin,

If I recall there was a period of radio silence before the Libby indictment…this may be the calm before the storm.

Also another observation.

Prior to the Libby indictment were the rumors of “22 files” perhaps, 22 different people under investigation or ready for indictment.

We just witnessed the release of the Abramoff visits..although we know the 2 visit rap is bullshit….there was also a story about 200 visits.

Seems that the scumbagocracy that is running the media manipulation game for Bush floats out very high and damning numbers so that when the real stats come out they are allowed to minimize charges. “See only 2 visits, not 200 hundred visits”.

All games all the time.

They are sick and deviant and they are running the ship of state into the shoals and they could give a shit less.

It is sickening how pathological this nation has become.

-GSD

GSD, Suzanne - thanks for filling in that blank spot in my cultural literacy!

Frank Probst: my straight perspective is that what these people are like, the roles they play as on a personal level are kind of irrelevant to me compared to their public morality in their official roles. Maybe because I am straight white guy (always been in the majority from certain perspective) I may be insensitive to issues of how a person represents or reflects some group they may be deemed to be from. I don’t care if Mary Cheney is really gay or not, she does not represent gay people or lesbians, or women or blondes or whites or brats of rich folk nor nothing in particular. I am nominalist in that way. I don’t think of her or her parents or Bush nor non of them in a personal way. I have met enough and worked with enough very powerful and privileged people to sense that… there tends to some pathology there, IMHO. But that is all I think about it.

I fixed the song, and will go to sleep and hopefully not wake up with my head still boggling. Mind numbing sh*t coming down.

Gooper Drinking Song for the Mid 0-zone of New Millenium.

Chickens are a roosten in,
Let’s sing Goddamm,
Shoeth drop and bribeth slop
And how the polls doth slam!
Sing: Goddamm.
Voters cuss and blameth us,
And we are in a jam!.
Diehard fibs’er turning livers
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, tis why I am,
Goddamm.
So ‘gainst the jailcell’s calm
Sing Goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm
Sing Goddamm, sing Goddamm,
DAMM.