Nice bird! (FITZ!!)

Good morning. Here in Minnesota, no one, not even the birds are out this a.m. Been raining for about 48 hours straight and no let up in sight. Shouldn’t complain too much, we have had our ’spring’ earlier this month and now we get the April rains. All things growing appreciate the rain, but my son’s 38th birthday party last night did not. Muddy kids and dog prints everywhere. Good food though and a little bit of healing of hearts along the way.

the media are burying the stinging by Steven Colbert – the Preznit’s disjointed schtick is getting the play.

Simply pitiful !

*ilson-
Did you really expect anything else?

Love da boids! Redd your Sunday non-legal blogging is as great as your regular stuff.

On a bummer note, gotta go to the VFW and play at a benefit for a family whose father was KIA in Iraq. Damn you to hell Bush.

Oh, and NAIL EM FITZ!

*ilson,

I think that at this point, even the President-focused reporting you describe makes the country think he is a tool.

When your numbers are that low, no one feels sorry for you if someone makes fun of you and you don’t like it. Remember Dana Garvey?

e said…
Byron York
National Review
C_SPAN today

did some digs toward Fitz
and the investigation ..ck it out

9:10 AM

do your analysis on this I would love to read it and also thank you for all you so to help one such as myself understand all the news.Also your wonderful stuff on our FITZ

GrandmaJ, sending you some sunshine and singin birdies from southern MD. See y’all later.

I wonder if listening to what Colbert said might not change how Bush speaks from now on.

C&L has the Colbert speech, also, it’s going out on C-Span at 12:30 Eastern.

The reason the MSM isn’t covering it is that he hammered them at least as badly as he hammered Bush. When I see that “new” WH Press Secretary Tony Snow is a guest on Pox’s Sunday gab-fest, I wonder if anybody really knows what satire is any more. They satirize themselves.

Your garden does sound lovely, and boy do I understand about the arthritis, having RA. I find it’s worth in the end.

If you’re into heirloom tomatoes check this site out,
http://www.heirloomtomatoplants.com/. I haven’t ordered plants from them yet, I just found this site this season. It’s just fascinating to me to see such a variety of tomatoes. I’m placing an order next week.

“There is no hope for liberals if they seek only to imitate conservatives, and no function either,”

John Kenneth Galbraith
1909-2006
RIP

Oh, and GrandmaJ – from V for Vendetta – “god is in the rain”

This is a struggle for control of the Reality Console.

They are giving Colbert’s routine the fart-in-church treatment.

We had a huge garden where I grew up in Western N.Y with six siblings (canning was a necessity!); thanks for the memories.

Goldfitz………….!

And don’t fogret host plants for butterflies. Any kind of milkweed for monarchs will draw them, and any member of the carrot family including parsley, fennel and queen anne’s lace will work for swallowtails.

Just be aware that the caterpillars will munch some the buds of the milkweed, and most of the leafy vegetation on the other plants I mentioned.

OT (I think, as I haven’t read anything yet) but I wanted to post this…
this related to last night’s C-SPAN coverage of Colbert skewering the press corps and preznit….Today these are the C-SPAN
“headlines” about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner:

· Bush Warns of ‘More Days of Sacrifice’ (AP)

· Bush Lampoons Self at Press Corps Dinner (AP)

· Bush skewers self at correspondents’ dinner (Reuters)

C-SPAN is non-partisan?

in passing CBS Sunday Morning notes Empire State Bldg turns 75 tommorow. Tallest bldg until WTC. 911 makes it tallest again. Then the ‘Revenge of WTC’ going up at ‘Ground Zero’. The term ‘Ground Zero’ has been appropriated from Hiroshima. Reminds me, what did the Japanese do with their ‘Ground Zero’? Just askin’…

Now that I have read the comments, I see mine isn;t OT at all… I’m going to C&L to see the Colbert thing now.
Redd, GREAT BIRD PHOTO !!! It is brightening up a very stormy and gloomy Sunday morning. A good day to stay in and read. Too bad I don’t have the latest “Crashing the Gate” or “How Would a PATRIOT ACT?” I just ordered those yesterday. So I’ll have to read “Bush on the Couch” and “All the Shah’s Men? And probably get very confused…

fahrender 16 – nice one

ok, outta the shower and outta here

Colbert may have just invented Kamikaze Comedy.

BBC also sent him to Coventry.

He will become an unperson.

Brave, brave man.

One more thing! Wasn’t Mrs. Wilson Herself at the dinner?

Sharkbabe-
Yes Mr. and Mrs were there. You have to see the video of the speech. You will be cheered up for the rest of the day.

Colbert, Really

Watch as only/most of the laughs came from ladies and/or wifes, what a shame…

Harry-
The president was sitting facing the whole audience. If anyone was caught laughing, the pres saw them. And you know how vindictive he is.

When the Emperor of Japan gave the US the flowering cherries that became a Washington landmark, the American President in return gave Japan a gift of American dogwood trees. The climate of Japan closely resembles the climate of the Eastern Seaboard, and dogwoods thrive here. We have a white one and a pink one in our own yard. One street in downtown Okayama is lined with them.

The college where I teach has a bank of dogwoods lining a small pond. They have grown to a great size, and they stand on a little rise, so at this season they dominate the space.

As in WV, they are in full bloom right now; the cherries were late this year, and the wild azaleas were right on their heels. Just as the azaleas faded, the dogwoods have bloomed.

Yesterday and today were the first really warm days of the year. By this time last year I had already put all my sweaters and wool shirts away, but this year I’ve yet to wear short sleeves.

I put out my morning glories too early, and now I’ll have to plant them again.

Yes, the dogwoods and the goldfinches. My 90 yearold mother had to move in with us from Florida about six months ago. She was very homesick. When the baby goats were born, I brought them into the house for her to bottle feed. But, they grow too fast for that to last long. It was too cold for her to go outside and watch the babies learn the tricks of the trade. (This involves a lot of running, jumping and follow the leader.) The goldfinches and other birds have really lifted her spirits. The downside is we have so many finches that they go through nearly two pounds of thistle seed a day. They’re eating me out of house and home!

The upside is, even when the barbarians have crashed the gates, Spring and Nature have restorative powers. I guess I can afford the thistle seed after all.

CBS Sunday Morning w/profile on Ted Kennedy coming up next.

Redd, Thanks for the link to G.W.Miller collection. It is beautiful!
Elsye #7~ I saw Byron York doing a number on Fitz as well. I was on a 6foot ladder changing a ceiling light bulb and nearly dropped the bulb when I heard him. He mentioned that Libby’s attorneys wanted the “proof of damage done” by the outing of Plame, and then followed by saying that Fitz refused to provide it – as if Fitz was making everything up as he went along, and was interfering with the defense.

I’d add how I really felt about the message and the messenger, but I’d like to have a morning that is peaceful in my soul.

Love the goldfinch picture.

It’s very unusual to be actually serenaded by a female bird. Female cardinals will sing, but as far as I know other finch females very rarely do. Consider yourself privileged to have heard that. :>

I’m with you Redd; I love the Spring here in Seattle also. Try adding salvia – great purples and reds and wonderful attracters for both hummingbirds and butterflies. The Japanese maples and vine maples are going to town; I’m thinking of getting a green (got two different reds); they’re perfect for the small yard and look great against a fence of willow or bamboo. I’ve got some new purple liatris (again, magnets for both) interspersed with the salvia, and the day lillies are forming big clumps. Oh the color! Here’s to a good Sunday for us all.

Stephen Colbert BRAVO!

I have new respect for the man. He got in Bush’s face and said what millions of Americans are dying to say. Finally.

Been thinking about a Fitz video from maybe ‘04? He was part of a panel discussion debating the Patriot Act.
Someone on the panel, and iirc it was Fitz, referred to Watergate indictments by saying one had to be careful how and when to indict when you are bringing down top people in the government. Not anywhere close to an exact quote but the sense of it has lingered with me.

What happened to Colbert is the perfect metaphore for our media. Don’t like an uncomfortable truth? Ignore it. They have been taught well by Master Rove.

I just read a summary of Colbert’s speech and I got that giddy feeling all over again.

http://www.editorandpublisher……1002425363

Am taking this as an open thread. Hope its ok.

I have a post here I believe needs a wider audience than I have.

Thank you for your attention.

Colbert’s shtick was devastating. It made me–a card-carrying Bush hater–uncomfortable in how far it went. He whaled on the press as much as he did Bush–I’d give my eye-tooth for a tape which was focused on the press’s facial reactions, with Colbert OS!

What a nice way to start my Sunday.

Very OT ~
I have a garden question and there are so many garden people on FDL, I thought I’d ask here.

I saw the most unusual flower in the garden in my back courtyard. It is a tall plant, a single stem with leaves at the top forming an umbrella. Beneath the umbrella, are 4 bright orange bell-like flowers. The plant is about 4 -5 feet tall; I don’t remember seeing other leaves on the stem. We have several of these flowers and they are spectacular.

Any idea what this is? or where I should look?
Thanks, Leslie

Just a suggestion for Any Given Sunday in the future of the ‘Book Salon’: Barbara Ehreinreich.
——
In an otherwise urban setting, my third floor view is blessed by a ‘grassy knoll’. Literally. Along with a dozen or so trees scattered over a few acres. Earlier this am, around daybreak, the songs and chirps of the bird population was loud enough to penetrate both closed windows (chilly here ovenight) and my sleep. I’m no birder, so I have no clue what choir I was listening to, but the chuch doors were undoubtedly open.

OT…from CNET news

“It didn’t take long for the idea of forcing Internet providers to retain records of their users’ activities to gain traction in the U.S. Congress.

Last week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a Republican, gave a speech saying that data retention by Internet service providers is an “issue that must be addressed.” Child pornography investigations have been “hampered” because data may be routinely deleted, Gonzales warned.

Now, in a demonstration of bipartisan unity, a Democratic member of the Congressional Internet Caucus is preparing to introduce an amendment–perhaps during a U.S. House of Representatives floor vote next week–that would make such data deletion illegal.

Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette’s proposal (click for PDF) says that any Internet service that “enables users to access content” must permanently retain records that would permit police to identify each user. The records could not be discarded until at least one year after the user’s account was closed.”

Now some Dems are partnering with the Repubs to help take away our rights. Even an honest election might not prevent us from sliding into the sewer.

Here is the only article that I could fine that sorta … kinda … mentions what Colbert did last night.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/w…..nner_x.htm

The rest of the coverage is the “Ohhh, our dear leader is so funny” type.

So far I have only seen Charles Osgood cover any of Colbert– they played a short clip. Nada on Stephanopolous– only the impersonator and the deciderer.

Leslie-
It would help to ID your plant if we knew what part of the country you live in.

“permanently retain records that would permit police to identify each user”"??

Long time lurker here. Sorry if this is off thread.

—But keeping records to enable police to determine who bought a gun used to kill someone is unconstitutional?

Yet another example of the infinite capacity for certain people to fail to see the contradictions in their belief structure, such as it is.

I am a US ex pat living and working in Germany, and the view back home from here is truly scary. The folks over here remember their history, better than we do.

ABC this week on their sunday funnies played only Bush on Bush routine and completely ignored Colbert. CNN on their news segment played some Colbert clips this morning. Also, Howard Kurtz, to his credit, on his CNN “Reliable Sources” segment played a clip
of Colbert’s lines about Fox (Fox gives both sides of a story- President’s and the Vice president’s).

Local ABC channel (in DC) played extensive clips of Bush on Bush this morning, but no Colbert.

Samizdat video. Kamikaze comedy.

It is a mistake to suppress it. The incident would go away more quickly if Pravda Media gave it the Chandra Levy treatment. The silence will be louder than hype.

If Colbert gets canceled what will people do? Sign petitions? Write letters? Cancel their cable/satellite?

26 cathy says:

The president was sitting facing the whole audience. If anyone was caught laughing, the pres saw them. And you know how vindictive he is.

It goes deeper than that, 5 years before the fall of the iron curtain, mostly and only women in eastern europe would speak or tell the truth about the soviet regime.

As someone said last night, Colbert’s performance wasn’t for them (beltway insiders) it was for us, the American people, the real patriots that know our country is being flushed down the toilet.

When we finally hit rock bottom as a nation, Stephen Colbert can hold his head high knowing that he didn’t sit idly by and do nothing when he had a platform to speak up. Who cares what the M$M and the punditocracy say about Colbert’s performance, they don’t report the truth on anything else why would they take kindly to the spanking they received to their faces.

It was perfect.

Good Morning Everyone,

Gorgeous Central Tx. morning, the warblers,buntings and grosbeaks are starting to arrive (a birder’s drag show from the front porch), migrating sandhills overhead, and whoah, a groove billed ani feeding with the grackles

our garden is in, lucky in that I share it with a girlfriend up the propery, a wonderful excuse to sit in the dirt and talk

Spiderweb,
am a huge fan of Michael T. Klare – recommended his Resource Wars for the FDL Book Salon, he was a guest in our hotel while I was reading it, interestingly enough, so were some Engineers from Big Water (English owned Co., can’t think of name right now) so I was privy to one hell of a happy hour discussion !

I disagree somewhat withh his premise about China – it pre supposes these murderous clowns are capable of planning, and something other than mere wet dreams of ‘Empire’ , but appreciate the link very much

Blank Kludge – The Japanese made an actual Peace Monument to their ground zero – believe initially it was a bell, and supplemented with Cranes

btw, that great post from Matt O., is he the community’s college student ?

and did y’all see Robert Greenwald and David Ehrenstein stopped by ?
have no stomach for the gab fests this morning, guess I’ll grab the binos and take the ol boy for a long walk

Watching Sen Lisa Murkowski on FTNation – she’s kinda scarey. She’s got Jennifer Wilbanks eyes – wide-set like Noron’s. Not a good mix.

the media today in their coverage are demonstrating well Steven Colbert’s points last night.

FTN — Sec. Rice says aftermath = ‘planned looting’: looked like ad hoc lawlessness to me; Scheiffer is pressing; intro was ‘reality based’…Rice is struggling.

Iran: lip service to diplomacy, then veiled hints at ‘a coalition of willing’…

Scheiffer forced her to ALMOST say, yeah, the idea of outlawing Anthem in Spanish is a load of crap; couched of cousrs, in ‘formulaing a comprehensive immigration policy’.
—–
Cantwell and Murkowsky up on gas prices.
Murk: supply/demand. wants ANWR drilling. short term…haha.
Cantwell: gouging. supports anti-gouge law. market hysteria = profiteering. “Protect consumers today.”
ANWR debunking. “Proud/excited about energy leaders, not laggards” — good line.

That goldfinch is a symbol of something mightier than any politics. Seriously. And it’s the loss of reverence and awe that’s got us where we are today, not anything talked about on any teevee shows run by hoodlums.

Thank you for running the picture.

The collective noun for Goldfinch is a ‘charm’ of Goldfinch. Tres apropos.

cwj51: I’m an ex-pat living in France and ‘the view back home from here is truly scary’ too. Hope you still vote in the USA, I do.

I often have the sinking feeling that most Americans do not realize the dangers facing the nation with Bush in the WH.

cathy #44 ~
Thanks for that, I’m in the chicago area. Actually, just across the street on the north side. and a block from the lake.

I ought to have thought to say that.

Rice on 3 shows, is that common? Plus the Mossad guy and Woolsey. Makes me nervous. Cancel the business trip to Chicago? If they start spinning about Iran and biochem weapons or radioactive stuff you’ll find me hiding under my blanket.

OMG, just saw in Christy’s post that MTP will feature Daniel Yergin (I’ll TiVo for that) Have read his history of Oil and it is now a well thumbed reference in our house – can not recommend the book enough. David McCullough says it’s his favorite modern history book

Gee, thanks Powell. Everyone is running away from this disaster …

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/200…..owell_iraq

“Powell Says He Urged More Troops For Iraq”

Scheiffer (or a producer) musta read Taylor Marsh on FDL last week. Anyone notice his guests were all women. Funny, I was tuned into content more than usual, so he got me.

Fucking A, no one is even mentioning Colbert. Man, these people are really whipped. I’m hoping we’ll see some stills somewhere on the nets of Bush and Laura looking shocked and awed.
It’s a sad day in America when Scalia is the loosest guy in a room full of media.

Here we go…

http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..42_pf.html

Added for spice…

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=natio…..p;hn=32593

Put a little Iran and Russia in the pot and “voila” you have WWIII.

egregious #58 ~

Don’t cancel your trip to Chicago. We have a lovely city and safe, too. Shoot me an e-mail if you’re coming. We can talk about our children’s weddings. Your daughter, my son. It is a whirlwind of doings and plannings, and excitement. Never had a real wedding in this family before.

maybe it’s coz Scalia was the only guy in the room with ‘tenure’ ?

Leslie-
My guess based on the info given Fritillaria imperialis

Is Condi Rice supposed to be a diplomat?

re: Scheiffer. HE took pains to make the point in his closing comment. “LOOK we just had an ALL WOMEM guest show? Whoodathunk?”

Rice on 3 shows, is that common? Plus the Mossad guy and Woolsey. Makes me nervous.

blitzer’s been pimping war with iran for months — cnn desperately needs ratings and all that shock and awe tends to pull in the viewers. hence, the huge push of a disinformation campaign — something cnn has perfected.

and woolsey has more war profiteering to engage.

Jon Arason # 55

An Exhaltation of Larks was one of our kids favorites – spawning an on going family game – a list of birders, a balance of accountants, etc., so are we a post of bloggers?, a bloviation of bloggers ?

Plan B for leveraging Fitzo de Mayo to get to phase 2.
Following the Libby indictment a lot got done real fast. The senate shutdown, Murtha and the great dump the Rump hump hunt ( snark, snark )
So’s I’m figuring a lot could get done post screwing that Rover pooch in Mayo.
Such as lighting out after Mr American Gothic himself, Pat Robert’s. If he want’s to keep stalling then we oughta tar n’ feather the son-of-a-Bush doncha reckon?
Eyes on the prize and all that. The repukelican’s sure start spewin’ green pea soup and their heads start rotatin’ when that subject of phase 2 get’s mentioned don’t they.
Wouldn’t hurt to keep askin’ Chimpster and the Slug for their copies of the transcripts they got from their little chat with Fitziller either now would it?
Plan A is …?

Leslie 30–proof of damage done, the real damage in their eyes was their plan to sneak VX into Iraq got thwarted by Brewster-Jennings [oh, look! see! WMD.]

cathy #66 ~
Thank you. That’s it! They are so striking and almost regal – at least in this garden of jonquil and tulip. There is a flowering bush or miniature tree in the center, but it hasn’t begun to flower, so I’ll check back when it does.

Get the full, high-resolution video of Stephen Colbert absolutely skewering Bush:

here

sonate 41 –

Diana DeGette is my Representative, and I can’t stand her. I’ve thought about calling her a bump on a log, but that would be an insult to bumpy logs. But this — introducing legislation to enable the BushCo Big Brother Police State — is a whole other matter.

DeGette Must GO!!!

*ilson – excellent point. And oh so true.

Leslie-

Fritillaria? imperialis grows +/- 4ft. on a single stem…

Goldfinch in my yard this morning.

Tantrum ahead:

Yesterday, I marched down Broadway with at least 100,000 other people, protesting the war we’re in (which has made us less safe), the war we’re about to start (which will make us exponentially less safe), and our leaders, who would have been run out on a rail years ago had our democracy been functional.

The particular sign I carried read, “Shame on Chuck & Hillary–Still Backing the War.”

The New York Times, routinely but infuriatingly, couldn’t be bothered to cover the march itself, relegating the job to a perfunctory AP report. But they did devote (with full devotion) space today to Chuck (a “hard-charging Democrat,” don’t you know) and Hillary (deploying “tactical bipartisanship”). (Caution: prophylactic antiemesis advisable before viewing Hillary photo.)

If this had been the Salute to Israel parade, you can bet the Times would have been there, for fear of being branded anti-Semites and/or self-hating Jews by virtue of uncoverage.

So, shame on the Times, predictably. But also, shame on the dwindling roster of true progressive national Democratic politicians who were nonetheless too embarrassed to be seen with Cindy Sheehan, Jesse Jackson, and Susan Sarandon (plus the rest of the 100,000); unlike Schumer, we’re the true “hard-charging” Democrats (apart from the principled libertarians and independents in the crowd).

And also, frankly, shame on the liberal blogosphere, which has still barely mentioned the demonstrations. The 100,000 marchers are getting the same embarrassed silence here, at Kos, Americablog, and elsewhere that Stephen Colbert got from the Washington press corps.

If this fight is to be won, it’s going to take the caustic witticisms we all love, plus actions like the Roots Project, plus hard dollars, but also, increasingly, feet on the street. In greater numbers, at shorter intervals, at higher decibel levels. Until our views are as un-ignorable as the weather.

Cathy 66

Fine minds think alike! Unfortunately…I live so far out in the back of beyond, the dial-up is r-e-a-l slow!

Dairy Maid ~
I am in awe of all the FDL gardeners. Thank you for that info. Have you ever seen it in person? It is stately and really quite breath taking.
I googled it and found photos at :
http://davesgarden.com/pf/showimage/3934/

OT, but Greg Palast hs a new book — Armed Madhouse:

There are five sections:

THE NETWORK: The World as a Company Town. The weird and frightening facts about the tidal flow of international currency — the real story of China’s rise and the death of Detroit. Plus a report from the future on the assassination of Hugo Chavez — and explain why it had to be done.

THE CON: Kerry Won — but two million of his votes were never counted. They can’t take away your Social Security until they take away your vote. In the 2008 race, four million ballots will go missing. Here’s how it will be done.

THE FEAR: Who’s Afraid of Osama Wolf? Turning Ground Zero into a Profit Center. Why does Southold, New York, have machine guns on SUVs at the casino ferry? Investigations of health insurance and suicide bombings — in other words, the fun chapter.

THE FLOW: Trillion Dollar Babies. If you thought George Bush had a secret plan to seize Iraq’s oil — you’re wrong. He had TWO plans, and Armed Madhouse has both of them.

THE CLASS WAR: I go deeper into George Bush’s crude system of educational terror (”No Child’s Behind Left”), Ken Lay’s REAL crimes for which he won’t be tried and the story of New Orleans you won’t get on Fox Schnews. Here you’ll get some complex economics and a free ticket to the circus — and the core issue of the book: the war of the movers and shakers against the moved and shaken.

To pre-order Armed Madhouse now visit:
http://www.gregpalast.com/arme…..order.html

To find out about the Armed Madhouse Tour visit:
http://www.gregpalast.com/arme…..ities.html

ralphbon– thank you! I saw a picture that was just awesome of the protest; I found it on whatreallyhappened. Sad no coverage. How can it be?

here’s the pic.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenew…..YK711D.htm

Blank Kludge 61–ya I did notice a lot more women. Of course three of them are Rice, does that really count? Let’s see if it sticks next week.

Speaking of upsurge, anybody got a link for that site that monitors government use of “a recent upsurge of violence”?

Leslie 81-

I’m a zone 3 gardener, so I’ve had to learn the hard way (many $$$ wasted) what will and will not live in my space. I have some Fritillaria species, but the imperialis didn’t survive the moles and the cold one winter, and I haven’t re-planted.

Seven turkeys outside my window…

Leslie 64–congratulations! Marrying a son off is simplicity itself. You show up with shoes on and say how wonderful everything is.

Am not cancelling my trip. Gotta keep doing the right stuff even when other people don’t. Maybe especially when other people don’t.

Oh, thank God. For a moment I thought Fritillaria imperialis was another crony or scandal or FDL nickname that I’d missed.

Dairy Maid 84 ~

better having seven turkeys outside your window than the many turkeys we have in this administration……

ralphbon,

The “established” bloggers on the left, like the ones you list, are on the record as believing that street demonstrations are archaic and ineffective, even counterproductive. So you likely won’t be seeing any glowing reports on their sites; tho if they can find a way to diss the action, I’m sure they will.

Meta 85-

Good one. It does have a certain ring to it, though, doesn’t it… ;>)

New thread from Christy

egregious 86 ~
That’s what I thought, too. But it isn’t the way this one has turned out – so far… But it is a blessing and we are all pretty excited. I spent the entirety of yesterday shopping for the showers, etc. Last Saturday we spent the day making the invitations…it is a really hands on thing, but I think it makes it really special. Plus, it’s bringing the families much closer. The bride’s mother and I even went to the last anti-war march together.
I may get her to FDL post-wedding. I am glad that your wedding went well. I kept up on your reporting. (I think my daughter is next – and soon)

anon(#60):

powell does have a bunch to answer for, however, he did have three very astute observations about iraq which he shared with bush:

1. he did tell bush that a lot moretroops were needed. this was shinseki’s view and that of several other pentagon officers as well.
2. he said to bush that if we invaded iraq and “broke it” we would own it.
3. finally, and maybe the thing with the biggest irony for bush, powell told him that if he went into iraq it would “suck all of the oxygen out of the rest of your (bush’s) agenda”. fewer more prophetic things were said by anyone about the iraq war. and bush can never admit this, he just has to live with it.

you may imagine that powell’s advice will stay in bush’s memory and he will always rue the fact that he chose cheney and rumsfeld’s arrogant and disasterous “plan”.

despite his flaws, powell has class, and he has proven to be far wiser than cheney, rumsfeld and wolfowitz put together

concerned&worried –

Hope you are getting on OK in Frankreich!

Yes I always vote, if you can say that someone who was living in Florida and went to the polls in 2000 “voted”.

But seriously, I have not missed voting in an election in 20 years, don’t plan to start now.

Not long after I got here last summer some German colleagues sounded me out on my politics. They were shocked, and I mean shocked, to meet a patriotic American who believed that our country was headed in the wrong direction and that the people in the White House were little more than gangsters. The spin that they had been getting, from the MSM, was that Bushco had the support of the American people. A “fact” I might add, that puzzled and disappointed them. In spite of our warts, they had always looked at us as an example of what a democratic society could and should be. The Republican win in 2004 changed the way that the Germans I know look at America in a very fundamental way. They could understand that the cabal could lie and spin us into the Iraq war, what surprised and disappointed them was that the American people validated the fraud at the polls.

They always thought that we were smarter than that.

Meta 85~
That was good. I’d a thought that, too. There are just too many acronyms, pseudonyms, and nicknames to keep track of. Just like flowers and birds…..

ralphbon, thank you so much for your first-hand account and for your passion. I’m with you. Taking it to the streets is an incredibly empowering experience and I only hope that over time demonstratons against this obscene war will occur with more frequency. FWIW, I will be in the streets in SF tomorrow in support of all those who have faced enormous sacrifice to contribute to this nation’s economic and cultural well-being. There are many business owners in the City who are supporting the boycott, closing their shops for the day at great financial loss, and some have even agreed to give their workers a day’s pay in appreciation of their loyalty to their employers.

Also, a belated thanks to, I think it was Oilfieldguy? I sent his link to Blunt’s No Bravery out and it brought every single recipient to tears.

Looks like I picked the right time to visit the east coast for once. Dogwoods and some fruit trees in bloom, and the relatives I’m staying with have a bird feeder that’s attracting lots of goldfinches. And, the weather’s great.

Must be time for something awful to happen …

94, I couldn’t agree more; we’ve so much to do to regain our principles and world standing.

Why the hell is everyone letting the GOP get away with saying that a windfall profits tax didn’t work in the past so end of discussion? Isn’t this “pre 9-11″ thinking? Meet the Press was surreal today with a bunch of oild industry apologists and Durbin looking like Alice in Wonderland. I say soak the rich.

Wow, Christy, vinca and lantana are annuals where you live! They are as invasive as weeds here in so cal if you don’t contain them. The ridge that shelters our house is covered in lanatana and the dogs stink of it after chasing gophers and bears away. I personally don’t like the smell. I love the vinca flowers but the plants smother all the native vegetation and are almost impossible to clear out once established.

Watch all 3 videos featuring Colbert x Bush.

first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..=t&f=b

second:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..=t&f=b

last:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..=t&f=b