In the past week, I’ve been called an automaton and a rabid lamb by members of the establishment corporate media. Okay, sure, without at least one cup of coffee or tea in the morning, I can be a bit surly (ask Mr. ReddHedd), but "rabid lamb"? That has to be one of the all-time worst turns of phrase in political writing.
Speaking of bad turns of phrase and rabid, let’s take a tra la through some thoughts on the right side of the thought mines and see what we find, shall we:
– First, we have this lovely example of American sentiment which was printed in the Denver Post letters to the editor column on 6/26/06:
Why have those who have continually howled at our treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo met the recent kidnapping and sadistic and brutal murders of our two young soldiers with deafening silence? Where is your outrage now? Not only should we behead 100 prisoners in retaliation (complete with Web-posted snuff videos), but also the editors, commentators, college professors and left-wing congressmen who would suddenly break their silence to come out in support of these enemy jihadists. We need to stop listening to these sanctimonious hypocrites who apply the rules of war only to our side. Let us untie the hands of our troops and allow them to fight and win.
Now, I sure as hell understand being pissed off that our troops have been tied down by piss poor planning and bad orders and a Pentagon that is more interested in cost effective bottom lines than sending out adequate armor and numbers of troops on the ground for what they are asked to do. But printing a letter which calls for the murder of a large number of Islamic prisoners solely for retaliation purposes? And then moves on to editors and pundits who happen to disagree with this man’s point of view — THIS is appropriate American discourse to be printed in a newspaper? Crass, wrong and irresponsible. On so many levels. (E&P agrees.) (Hat tip to reader David.)
– Speaking of wrong on many levels, the latest from Malkin is appalling as well, as she encourages her right-wing jihadis to inflame their passions against that horrible enemy of the state…the NYTimes. (Where was David Brooks on that one, I ask you? Oh yeah, it’s ALL on the left…moron. *rolls eyes*) (Oh, and FYI, a lot of these appear to be poorly photoshopped Propoganda Remix Project posters. Hmmmmm…wonder if they know, yet?) (Hat tip to reader mkultramaroon.)
– And then there is this right-wing radio mouthpiece who is just rude. Flat out rude. And ill-informed. (And, btw, Bernie Ward cleans this guy’s rhetorical clock. Good on him!) (Hat tip to readers GSD and angie.)
I’m sure David Brooks and TNR will jump right on this. (Oh yeah. So not holding my breath.) But it is instructive to note that the worst of any side can be pulled out as an example at any time — but that if either publication had bothered to actually READ many of the blogs or writers that it has attempted to vilify over the last week or so, they might learn that citizens in this nation of ours — whether they are small name or big name bloggers or incredibly articulate and concerned folks who comment on them — all have a voice and something to say.
And, for the most part, the things that are said are quite on point, ask for accountability at all levels, and hope for a better future for our children and our nation. Can someone tell me what’s so rabid about that?
Related posts:
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
Fitz!
Go Fitz
Jack
you mean a “rabid lamb” that “unleashes venom”.
I’m not sure who should be more embarrassed, Brooks or his editors.
Oh, and ROOOOTZ!
Louis Pasteur! (who invented the rabies vaccine)
“…complete with Web-posted snuff videos….?” I’ve been reading lefty blogs for four years now. Never have I seen anything this sick posted on one.
I’m proud to be a venom-spitting member of the rabid lamb community (she said, not at all sheepishly).
I still stay we need T-shirts.
“You shouldn’t have come baaaaaaack.”
Whoa. I can’t believe a major American newspaper would actually print that hateful letter. Jeez, what has become of my country?
Of course, that should have been “say” rather than “stay.” The venom got in the way.
Do automatons have their own (very successful, BTW) blogs?
And to think that the Rocky Mountain News is wing nuttiest of the two Denver Dailies.
the rabid Jane Lambsters of the Left travel in squadrons, dripping venom …
Life is cheap everywhere but here…
oh wait, there are those poor folk on the Gulf Coast– their lives were/are cheap too.
Where in hades does this bloodlust come from? Sick and immoral.
Question–are any of these calls for the murder of editors/journalists/academics/liberal-strawman-du-jour actionable? I vaguely recall successful legal action against anti-abortion websites that called for violent action against certain health-care providers.
I’m beginning to be disturbed by the level of invective and its repetition–it begins to legitimize mob behaviors America (had) put past it. Things like lynch mobs, tarring and feathering (the real kind, not figurative), burning out neighbors you didn’t like, etc.
At the least, we should demonize those who use such language, in every reference to them. eg. “Anne Coulter, who has called for the murder of a supreme court justice, bloviated today on …”
I watched that Ward vs. Wingnut smackdown on Crooks and Liars. Ward totally PWNED that dude! I thought Wingnut was gonna have a “Scanners Moment”!
Actually RJRoss #8 I think they printed it because the letter speaks for itself–the guy is obviously an insane wingnut. And they’re out there, unfortunately.
EPU’d from previous thread
Ah the C&L thing with Bernie Ward was priceless.
The wingnut was trying to bluster and intimidate
but Bernie was having none of it.
Speaking of fascist propaganda right wing radio.
I stumbled across a short flash animation today
that was somewhat educational.
http://www.bushflash.com/14.html
This buzzflash bit is dated, but still very relevant.
I would love to see that bit running as a commercial
on every channel.
Oscarsmom @ 16 – I’ve never read the Denver Post. Are they just pointing out how insane some of their readers are?
fwiw, rabies is fairly widespread worldwide, except it isnt in Australia, the UK, Hawaii, Guam …
One of the two soldiers who were tortured and brually killed was from my area, and the largest newspaper here couldn’t pimp off his death enough. It seems the administration and its supporters are totally against showing flag-draped coffins–unless it serves some devious and shameless purpose of their own.
I think newspapers print letters such as the one highlighted in your piece for the same reasons Jerry Springer got such good ratings. The sad things is that newspapers across the nation print ilk like that.
David Brooks and his camp are scared of the progressive blogosphere because it actually accomplishes something, and that “something” is tearing down the right wing’s bread and butter. Smears and swiftboating are on the docket, but the Right isn’t too sure how to do that against bloggers since they don’t really grasp what the progressives are doing with the net roots movement. Freepers and their like, for the most part, don’t really discuss any issues or really accomplish anything except to smear and express their hate and contempt. Let’s not kid ourselves, a lot of that goes on in the progressive blogs aimed at corrupt scoundrals and the ill policy makers of the Bush admin. But the progressive blogs, at least in my mind, have goals beyond rhetoric.
*ilson, I left you another comment upstairs.
Baaa Baaa Baaa
(I’ll spare you the Whiffenpoof song, as I can’t sing anyways.)
I bet it is illegal to threaten to behead leftwing Congresscritters … too bad the FBI is too busy tracking down domestic terrorists to deal with fools that call for decapitating Congress…
We can expect an increase in eliminationist rhetoric from the wingnuts, as they realize the sun is setting on their minority rule. Pray no one actually gets hurt.
By the way, “Jane Lambsters of the Left” is fucking hilarious. Baa, bitches!
RJRoss–not sure, just that sometimes it’s something like, “Hey you’ve gotta see THIS one” (if you know what I mean).
Christy;
How you’ve kept your shit together, well, I just admire you very much.
Heh…”rabid lamb”…yeah, not a very memorable characterization. What’s it gonna do, snuggle you to death?
OT – I was just watching the local news, and they played the Joe-Bush morphing commercial. Wow, it looks a lot better on TV than on the PC. For some reason, the voice doesn’t sync up very well on my computer, but on the TV it’s almost as if George is actually mumbling Joe’s words!
The ad was played right before a story about the two candidates courting the AFL unions for the endorsement. It should come down tomorrow, but I’m not all that hopeful about it. Lieberman keeps harping about how he saved the sub base and 31,000 jobs.
Of course, we’ve lost a lot more jobs over his 3 terms due to some of the legislation he supported, but for some reason he doesn’t elabate about it.
Heh! I love this blog. Rabid, venomous lambs oh my!
OT- but seriously- are lambs/ sheep ovines vulnerable to rabies? I just can’t imagine that every newborn lamb is given a rabies shot. Oh, if only TRex was reading. He’d know the answer to that one with out having to look it up. *ilson too, I imagine. I mean, it would add an extra dimension to the stupidity of the imagine if it was scientifically wrong (right wingers not generally good on science).
It seems superfluous to say so, after so many examples – this latest one being only the most egregious – but the only possible interpretation of this kind of thinking is that there is a segment of American society that LIKES war and thinks the U.S. should be able to do whatever the hell it wants to other countries and the people who live there. There was a prominent neocon who once said (I’m paraphrasing), “Once every 10 years the U.S. needs to throw some crappy little country up against the wall just to show them who’s boss”.
This deep-seated xenophobia is a damning indictment of (among other things) this country’s educational system.
I’ve been on an island without internets for three weeks. When did we start having a problem with venomous lambs? In squadrons? Does that mean FLYING venomous lambs? I wouldn’t have come back if I had known the land had become infested with airborne poisonous adorable baby animal. Sweet Jeebus.
OT – but relating to Jane and Lamont and Alito below. Since Alito has been on the bench, we have a decision that if the 4th amendment is violated, the remedy does not have to be exclusion of the evidence. Another decision that if aggravating circumstances are required for the death penalty, but if aggravating and mitigating circumstances are equal, the jury is REQUIRED to apply the death penalty.
ANd but for the unusual alliance that seems to be coming from the Scalia corner on certain issues (note – SCALIA is the moderating influence – not the widely loved by Dems Roberts even) we would have also had a case that said if right to counsel of choice is denied, there would be no remedy unless you could PROVE they WOULD HAVE secured a different outcome.
Scalia, Thomas and Roberts – was it too much trouble for anyone to introduce them to the Bill of Rights at the cocktail party?
De-lurking to report that the lurking rabid lambs are ready to delurk, ma’am.
Christy:
We all need to push back. I’m new to this site, but know that it has helped me tremendously.
Last week a Republican had written a letter to my local PA paper about how disgusting Democrats and their Iraq withdrawal plan was. Clearly, the man had gotten his orders to start the pre-election smear campaign. All these guys write ridiculous propaganda under the pretext that they are ‘concerned citizens’. Somehow they all have the same talking points.
Thanx to contributors like TRex, I was able to write a no-nonsense reply that pointed out we all support the troops, and at the end our troops deserve better than blatant propaganda. I won’t bore you with the details-
You and Jane and the rest of the group that blogs here are just terrific. To bring some humor to all of this, I feel like we’re from the movie “Bowfinger” – outsiders crashing the system….
Keep it up!
Valley Girl
Lambs can, in fact, get rabies. They cannot, however, fly in squadrons.
VG– I did read that lambs and other livestock are susceptible ( via skunks and bats, iirc) and one website I saw did talk about inoculations if there was a known risk of rabies in the area. Lambs do have sharp teeth that sometimes bother their mama’s udders, it is recommended that these be filed down if mama’s teats are a- hurtin. No record of lamb to human transmission that I could find.
JB at 31:
Well put…. I believe you’re quite right…
cleter – David Brooks did an attack piece on Markos and said that Markos would be sending out squadrons of rabid lambs to unleash their venomous attacks. That’s pretty close at least.
It’s been pretty much fun in quite a few earlier threads. So a) Kos rules all of blogoshpere and you must take thinking and speaking and typing orders from him, and b)you are a lamb, a rabid lamb, a venomous rabid lamb that can fly a plane – in a squadron.
Now you are caught up.
I answered the science questions last night about lambs and rabies. Lambs can get rabies, usually from skunks. Anything bigger with rabies would simply kill the poor wittle lambykins. Rabies is very rare amongst sheep so vaccination isnt usually recommended because of the cost.
Some 4-H Shows require lamb rabies vaccinations though as a precaution for public safety…imagine the horror if a rabid lamb bit a show visitor!
Thus us why WE FRIGGIN NEED A FREE PRESS
http://pageoneq.com/news/2006/dod_062606.html
———————————————-
On April 11th PageOneQ reported that the Pentagon had admitted to conducting surveillance of groups protesting the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy for gays and lesbians in the armed forces.
Mary
I can fly a plane? Sweet!
You have to admit… rabid lamb has a certain oxymoronic ring to it… no? What do you expect from oxygen starved morons anway?
Any updates on the Indy FireLambs rally tonite?
Mary 39, that sums it up nicely.
All right Bernie Ward! Every Democrat who goes on the air should have to watch that first. And take notes.
Wolfie is going to be interviewing Bill Keller of the NYTimes about news and freedom…
aint heard nuffin …
I would respond to this post, but Kos hasn’t told me what to think about it yet!
But Christy, please stop being so rabid!
hey catstaff:
I think you can get a t-shirt here Rabid Lamb Squadron.
And no, i’m not a member… yet.
more rabid sheep : http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickdavis/174739740/
Re: Mary #39
It’s pretty funny–in so many ways–that David Brooks is talking about the *liberal blogosphere* taking marching orders from their leader . . .
We can all write letters to the editor. We can say what we want (at least as of today). But the Denver Post did not have to publish the hatefilled missive. All L-T-E are screened for language, length, and sometimes edited for space; the Post was asleep on this one and printed inflammatory hate mail.
ilson at 51;
hillarious! that’s the t-shirt.
cleter, angie, *ilson (in order of response)!!!!
Thanks you all. I am impressed!!!! *ilson, sorry I missed that comment last night. I was on Matt O.’s thread, which at the end was a play by play of the Tester Burns debate.
Seems to me that Colin Powell warned people what was gonna happen to our guys as a result of Gitmo. Now that it’s happening, the country is crying foul. Don’t get me wrong, I mourn the loss of our guys, but it doesn’t surprise me.
I was wondering how to tell the difference between a venomous rabid lamb and a vampire lamb, so that I would know for sure who’s in my squadron.
Details seem sketchy.
Apologies if these links to talkingpointsmemo have been posted already. I just looked at the site and did not see them anyplace.
Larry Johnson on financial transactions reporting flap:
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/co…..bush_swift
(I am 100% sure I read a great deal about programs to track financial transactions to terrorists four years ago, with more detail as anything in the three new stories. No fuss then. Not sure why such a program would be a surprise to terrorist organizations. Seems to me only the lawlessness, inefficiency and meager results of Bush administration’s approach is news.)
Star Wars Trooper is Here, Live!
http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/co…..ially_kids
(I don’t think the text displayed is so bad, but the overall package is unsettling, if you take a look, and the connections and credentials of the sponsors detailed in the comments are more unsettling.)
As a patriotic concerned citizen I have question which may be unpatriotic to ask out loud with people listening, since it might give terrorists tools for victory… but OK, here goes:
If a US administrtation totally bungled three wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, and war on terror), one of which we didn’t need in the first place, would it be patriotic for the press to report it? I’m thinking on that one tonight.
Mary: vampire lambs don’t go out during the day.
The PBS Nightly News has a discussion of the NYT article on the US tracking of financial/banking data. They’ve invited one of the reporters, Eric Lichtblau, and he’s being forced to defend the NYT against demagogic attacks by Curt Weldon. Why isn’t his editor there? Our course, Weldon is mercilless, but Eric won’t take on Weldon, and he has to defend the Times. This segment started with Bush’s statement that the leak was outrageous. Weldon’s attack is that the NYT chose to do this for profit reasons, to sell papers, and Eric won’t respond to this.
This is a branch the same discussions we’re having here — should we reply to the Denver Post/writer or ignore it? Should we respond to the David Brooks column or ignore it? Do you call out the wingnuts and fight back, or do you assume you’re in a rational discussion in which everyone plays by the same rules? The same debate everywhere. Only it’s not a debate; its slaughtering lambs, and it’s not funny. And PBS is just allowing this, even though they know the crony gang that runs CPB has tried ti emasculate their news and investigative programs.
How would a patriot act if he/she were confronted by a group bent on destroying the Bill of Rights?
All this talk of rabid lambs brings to mind fond memories of Wallace and Gromit . . .
http://tinyurl.com/ek249
and sunset is 917pm EDT in Indianapolis — scary!
Bwahaaaaaaaa, ilson 51, that is hilarious.
I want that tshirt too.
God damnit Sheeples – I want my country baaaaaaack !
Cynic at #56:
Many Army officers were concerned along with Powell. Even Republican bloggers like Andrew Sullivan have been on the case.
It’s all very, very tragic…
Rabid lambs can be held at bay with bunches of fresh rosemary. Vampire lambs require lots of garlic. If you cook ‘em with both, they’re delicious.
So here’s a question: RoveCo has clearly decided to go with the winning formula: turn the November elections into a referendum on who has got the biggest ballz.
I’d really like to see the Dems turn this around on them. It shouldn’t be too hard. But still, I don’t see them doing anything about it!!!! How can we get their attention?
Here’s a new one: the Iraq war IS going to be on the test, guys!
it’s down to 88ºF in Baghdad but it’s only 3am … lights and airconditioners are off – there’s no electricity…
wesgpc at 58:
If a US administrtation totally bungled three wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, and war on terror), one of which we didn’t need in the first place, would it be patriotic for the press to report it? I’m thinking on that one tonight.
If you’re a wingnut, no, since apparently they believe that maintaining the illusion of competence is more important than rooting out actual incompetence. (It doesn’t seem to occur to them that enemies probably already know if you’re not fighting them effectively, and don’t have to read about it in the NY Times.)
If you’re a resident of the real world, then the only way to stop a CYA administration from continuing to bungle wars is to expose them.
To quote from Mr. Gore’s MLK Day speech:
Boy, this is quite a coordinated letters-to-the-editor campaign the Righties have got going. Even Wired News has a letter posted criticizing them for their “decision to once again aid the enemy with inside information.”
Read the whole thing here– scroll down to “Secrecy Musn’t Crush Rule of Law.”
http://www.wired.com/news/cult…..n_index_14
Scarecrow at 60:
My husband always says, people can see who’s crazy and we should sit back. I don’t agree. If we let the lies be published and we don’t counter, they (the lies) become the truth.
Just look at how Kerry was ’swiftboated’. No more. TRex had an excellent post regarding this two days ago.
Moderator comment: I agree about the TRex post. Link: http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..-the-tape/
wesgpc – neither do I.
I wonder if I’m in the right squad?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Re: the financial tracking – it doesn’t really bother me that much (other than the continuing lack of real oversight) and it is at least somewhat rationally related to a real and obtainable goal. OTOH, it’s not a big secret that everyone, everywhere, for pretty much everything – follows the money. Then only news is how much info and how frequently SWIFT was handing over AND how it is that we can process all that info and STILL NOT FIND our missing 9 billion.
BTW – after Negroponte helped out with Santorum and Hoekstra’s “LOOKY LOOKY, WMDs” stunt, aren’t you all reassured that Negroponte’s pick is running CIA now? Yep, now that we know he has no regard for the law, Congress, the Constitution, and lying to COngress — we can add the info that he is hunky dory with trumped up WMD info.
So wonderful that so many Dems were happy to embrace him.
*ilson at 67
I think the power grid for the Capitol and the White House should be switched off whenever the power in Baghdad goes off. That might motivate Congress to do something. I don’t think Denny Hastert can operate well without air conditioning.
Also, every time a troop gets killed or wounded, Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush should get a sharp blast of electricity to the testicle.
DrewVSea at #69:
You got that one right. It is absolutely a coordinated effort. And it started big time in my local paper since Rove was not indicted…
The timing is not a coincidence.
On Hardball, both the Newseek, WaPo and Ron Suskind are strongly defending the NYT, claiming that the basic information was already known — they’d be surprised this was news to anyone, only the lack of accountability and the lack of success — same claim as Larry Johnson (thanks wesgpc for links) and that Bush’ and Cheney’s false anger are misleading the public about what this was about.
Hardball could have run this lead off story completely differently, but didn’t, and that’s important. Matthews suggest that the Bush officials are only angry that the American people were told what the bad guys already knew and had already figured out how to get around. Matthews did a great job.
I second the motion, cleter #72!!
Mary #57- omigod you are hilarious. Are you *actually* reporting from the tower? Trapped with TRex? Good grief. Even if you don’t want to do a lawyer post, have you considered doing a Late Nite humor? Bear in mind, I am speaking on my own behalf, not as a “person familiar with the case”, but geez, I think you have potential!!!! (sorry, I’ve been infected by the JLo !!!!!!! thing)
I can’t figure out how to link just one pic, but I love all 4 of these, esp the one with Kos at the podium.
flickr pics
*ilson, I left you another little note upstairs. Once you answer, I will mop up.
cleter- “to the testicle”? mwahaha!!!!!!!
More seriously, I agree.
Grover’s gotten rabid, too?
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001003.php
Or is it McCain, since being delusional is one of the symptoms. Heck, maybe they both are.
IMHO, Mary could write the directions for programming a VCR and I would read it voraciously.
Mary, I work on saturday so didn’t get to do the relaxing Kitchen Round up I have nicknamed “Breakfast with Gret”, but I was so happy to see your recipe for Spoon Bread. My Kentucky grandmother made it for me and it is one of my favorite memories of her, served with sliced tomatoes, warm and fresh from the garden, sprinkled with salt, chopped parsley and just a tech of sugar. Good on ya.
Oscarsmom #61:
Thanks, that was worth a bookmark for later.
“Cheeeeeeese, Grommit!”
Washington DC didnt have air-conditioned offices til maybe 50 years ago — it is interesting to see the architectural details in older buildings that promoted airflow for natural cooling…Newt Gingrich laid off the 3 fulltime workers in 1995 whose sole job was to deliver buckets of ice to Congressional Offices…
#74: I will read transcirpt of Matthews, and hope you are right. What if he gets fed up and starts doing good? I would have to write him something nice for a change.
#60: I think Weldon is nuts. Hope he goes over that way.
VG – I’m humor impaired, but apparently I’m an “adequately rabid” although possibly inadequately venomous lamb.
BTW – Republicans finally found someone who is actually impacted by the Estate Tax.
Problem is — he’s all in favor of keeping it.
http://tinyurl.com/p54wf
Warren Buffet says he would hate to see the estate tax gutted – it’s a very equitable tax he says.
Betcha he’s a squadron leader. A little long in the tooth to be a lamb, but long teeth have certain attractions for your basic rabid venomous lamb.
Zennurse – it’s wonderful stuff on its own, but made by a grandmother it achieves a whole different level of wonderfulness IMO.
Bill Gates’ father is also actively in favor of maintaining the Estate Tax …
What a treat to see Bernie Ward’s sweet angelic face on TV again. What’s hysterical is, if you’re familar with Bernie, you know that he was barely even trying. He blew up the wingnut’s head with the most basic move in talk radio – “Answer the question!”
I sure hope he does more TV, cuz he’s got the biggest can of whupass you’ve ever seen.
wesgpc — Matthews was pressing Suskind very hard to state what Matthews reads as the conclusion of suskind’s book: that Bush and Cheney knowingly lied us into war — ie. that there wasn’t even a 1 % chance that the intelligence supported their view, and they knew it.
Next segment is Dems blasting the lack of a “plan” re Iraq, put together by David Shuster. Hardball in on the Admin’s case tonight. Looks like he’s trying to ensure Bush gets no more than a dead cat bounce. Hes been on Cheney’s case for a long time, but tonight he said Bush/Cheney together, over and over. Someone should watch NBC news tonight and see how they run the NYT article and the article on the “plan” to withdraw troops.
Man, that PS work at the Malkin was craptastic. One of my pet peeves (other than the expected contempt for slapdash digital hackery) is when imagineers just rip off an image and put some new text(without even thinking about the font used) on it… So 1996.
I don’t know about, or wish to marginalize anyone else but style and originality says a lot in this medium…And those posters, with their stilted recontextualising of PRP’s racket….Meh.
May a plague of rabid lambs infest their underwear drawer
;>)
Boy am I redfaced! Sorry,Bustednuckles has actually had his rabies shots.True story,while fishing at night,I snagged a bat out of mid-air with my spinner. It was so dark I couldn’t see what it was so I pulled the line close and grabbed…something warm and furry!It nicked me and off to the doc I went.No rabid lamb here.
Kinda related since lambs sometimes eat grass
You’ll never look at a lawnmower the same way ever again
I can’t fly with you folks. I’ve had rabies shots, too. Woke up in ‘Nam one morning and found a rat nibbling on my foot. So I had to get all the tummy shots. sounds worse than it is. But it means I’ll always be less rabid than the rest of the Jame Lambshers of the Left.
“cleter- “to the testicle”? mwahaha!!!!!!!
More seriously, I agree.”
VG & Cleter – I don’t know that it would work, you know.
You need enough there to get a good grip with the spring clip.
OfT but on the subject of what to do about things -
there’s this idea
http://dulyconsider.blogspot.c…..ional.html
Also, any Iraq War vet who runs into Colin Powell should be allowed to punch him in the crotch. Disabled vets who are unable to punch him on their own should be allowed to compel passers-by to crotch-punch Powell for them.
Cleter- I think we’ve got the same problem in dealing with Powell
Paul Rieckoff is on Harball, along with Nathan Fick. Different perspectives, but both making point that it’s hard to explain the mission or decide whether you’re winning. And we shouldn’t be leaving withdrawal to the next Administration. Current debate is “smoke” and we are weaking efforts against terrorism.
Karl Rove came to NH a few weeks ago and gave his marching orders. To the Repbulucan party–attack the Democrats as “cut and run” cowards.
To the media–attack the left blogosphere.
Rover’s above all else missive to the party faithful was to stand behind Bush or else the Bush machine will attack you.
The “sheeple” on the right follow orders much better than the ‘rabid lambs’ on the left do.
-GSD
From Digby (
“When will America again have two national political parties?”
I honestly wish I could say 2006. There are some positive signs that a second party could emerge,
. . .
But let’s not kid outselves. A political party that announces “A New Direction” which scrupulously avoids Iraq, Katrina, and the fundamental issue of competence in government… That’s not a political party with national influence as a goal.
Digby leaves out finding the missing money. As a starter, I think they should give the missing 9 Billion a name, like Waldo (I’ve known plenty of things worth less that didn’t have a name).
Billdo?
Fred?
It makes it easier to put up fliers.
WWRVLD?
cleter — Powell may be the only Administration figure who had enough original integrity to punish himself for his own lack of honor when it counted. He knows he blew it. It’s all the shameless ones that offend me the most.
Kalina at 35 — to be compared, in any way, to the genius that was the Bowfinger script is one of the best compliments that anyone has ever given me. Thank you.
Melanie Morgan and Al Sharpton on Hardball re NYT story. Melanie says Alberto should arrest Keller for treason. Sharpton says US Constitution is not suspended in times of war.
Mary says: VG – I’m humor impaired…
Mary, I think you need a little “reality check” on that one.
VG #103:
If you want a second opinion, you could try asking the remains of that troll she took down last week. That is, if the debris field’s cooled enough to get within bullhorn distance.
darkblack at 90 — I know. They were so hacked together with string — it’s one of the reasons that I posted a link. If you are going to do something, don’t just half-ass it. Especially if you are just stealing someone else’s work anyway…asshats.
Sharpton says we can’t trust an Administration that outted Valerie PLame. Morgan’s head explodes, says that who story was just lies. Wow. There are indeed evil parallel universes.
Ba Ram Ewe, Ba Ram Ewe, To Your Breed, Your Fleece, Your Clan Be True !
hey!, jut got home after cleanin’ Kos’ house and running his errands all day (yeah I know, next time I’ll get the maytag bleu cheese), and I come home to find someone left their troll out right where I could trip over it ?!?!?
‘zup Firedogs ! so sorry I missed Jane’s check in
Haven’t checked prior threads just yet, did SCOTUS issue any other rulings today?
It gets better or worse, can’t decide which, scarecrow– watched it earlier. She’s insane.
The new Wolcott, fine on its own merits, will take you to TBogg…OMFG!
al-Scooter, oh yeah, I forgot that!!! Brilliant!!! Troll house cookies.
Actually, I think it’s Mary who needs to get a second opinion. She just said she is “humor impaired”. I say she needs a “reality check” on that one.
That poor, dumbf**k Coloradan heard that we were rejoicing over the death of those soldiers from Rush Limbaugh. Rush (and his ilk) are the problem, but I don’t know what the answer is. They are Father Coughlin and Sen. Joseph McCarthy multiplied. They just lie and spread the most vile calumny about those of us whose actually beliefs are really not that far from that poor idiot’s.
Nope, cbl– still waiting for Hamdan and the EPA C02 thingy…
Re tracking international financial transactions, the powers that be have been trying to do this for many years. In the past it was justified because of the War On Drugs. Scary! Boo!
Now it is justified because of the War On Terror. Boo! Scary!
If that doesn’t work they will just shift to the War On Whatever It Is Now. Sca..never mind.
Information about all international banking transactions => POWER and CONTROL.
ummm… Rev. Sharpton : Congress hasnt declared “War” either despite the cherished desires of some …
There aren’t squadrons of rabid lambs on the right. There are wings, divisions and corps.
A Coulter who spouts anti-muslim venom, gets put on the front page, but a Moore who links Bush to the Saudis, gets marginalized.
An O’Reilly, who shouts down and insults people who dispute him gets promoted (even as he’s pinned as a sleazy pervert), but a Donahue, who seeks dialogue with his guests gets taken off the air.
A Doug Feith, Daniel Pipes or David Brooks who either creates or mouths fictions about how much we can and are doing to promote democracy in the Middle East, gets a cushy academic sinecure, but a Juan Cole who tells the truth about our “progress” there can’t get a gig he deserves.
A Michael Savage, Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Ann Coulter (again), Mike Reagan can spout hatred and lies about gays, but a paper that prints information about illegal Pentagon surveillance of groups critical of “don’t ask, don’t tell) gets a subpoena.
A dailykos spokesperson with a million readers is allowed to be marginalized on network panels by a powerline or lgf shill with 10,000 readers.
and on and on…………
Thanks Angie !
al-Scooter @ 109
LMAO!
cbl
SCOTUS ruled that Bush dissolving the Senate and declaring martial law was in fact Constitutional. Apparently, part of the Constitution was written in lemon juice and is only visible when held up to a special light in the West Wing. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away!! Fear will keep the systems in line!
Oh, here:
http://jameswolcott.com/archiv….._wrath.php
You’ll feel better. Then click on the TBogg link after swallowing anything you might be eating or drinking.
scarecrow at 60 How would a patriot act if he/she were confronted by a group bent on destroying the Bill of Rights?
What do you mean IF? It’s happening.
The boat has capsized people. Start swimming.
Chris Baker must have missed Conrad Burns vs Ned Lamont in debate yesterday.
Burns tied 9/11, al qaida, Saddam, crystal meth, porous borders, Ray Nagin and all liberals into some vast cabal – all within the same sentence.
I don’t know who Morgan is, but it is kind of Twilight Zone when Al gives the best analysis of what happens to the Constitution in times of war that I have heard in a long time.
>>>>>>>>>
Squadron: TEN-Shun! The general has spoken.
McCaffrey that is.
Via Rawstory: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2….._0626.html
Rumsfeld is apparently “increasingly irrelevant” (I’m not sure what Kos says though)
McCaffery: I don’t see how we can continue losing, you know, essentially a battalion of soldiers and Marines — killed and wounded — a month. 130,000 troops deployed in Iraq and there are 20,000 in Afghanistan. The Army and Marine Corps can not sustain this level of deployment. So, politics aside, I think from a military perspective, we are going to be forced to draw down which ought to work if the Iraqi security forces and Maliki’s(sp?) political system can then pick up internal security
If RUMSFLED is “increasingly irrelevant”, are the words of diminuition left in the English language to describe the role they have left for Bush?
CHS @ 104:
‘Lesser artists borrow, great artists steal.’ – Igor Stravinsky
;>)
It’s always an interesting exercise to assimilate another’s style…But the artist is under no pressure to display the results publically.
Or maybe they are…Where are all the ‘brilliant neocon photoshoppers’, anyway?
‘Don’t forget the sunscreen’
Christy — There’s too much undirected energy here. We need to organize a lamb attack, attack, ATTACK!!! Squadrons attacking from all sides. Can we have a thread to propose targets, tactics?
The Administration is in full attack mode over the NYT article. Bush speaks out. Cheney speaks out. Congressional Republicans follow, along with Secretary Snow. In the final analysis, they’re attacking the right of the press to report the Administration’s wrongdoing, and the question is, what more can we do about it?
now all we need to emulate ancient Rome in its decline and fall is to institute Christianity as the State Religion …
*ilson at 124
Or we could get involved in a poorly-thought out conflict with Persia, like the emperors Constantius and Julian did. That works good, too.
darkblack: there’s currently on TV a commercial about a busy security firm that uses a stolen version of the Fair theme from Petrushka …
considering Stravinsky used I$ for a monogram …
Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world ….
new post from Jane.
And Mary, please get that “reality check”.
VG – I just read Wolcott and I think he fixed my impairment. ;)
al-Scooter 105: VG #103:If you want a second opinion, you could try asking the remains of that troll she took down last week. That is, if the debris field’s cooled enough to get within bullhorn distance.
Wine spew.
OT – Anyone out there who can help on this:
A squadron of Raptors (F-22s) has recently been deployed (temps?) to Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. When they return to base from the north, they fly over my house. At that time they are decelerating rapidly and losing a lot of altitude. At about 300 to 250 knots, a series of wails come out of the plane or engine. The wails last about a second and go down in frequency. Are some kind of ducts or afterburner deflectors being deployed inside the rear of the exhaust, or is that some flap being opened?
Lockheed’s web page is no help.
A squadron of wailing raptors seems to be a better metaphor than a squadron of rabid, venomous sheep, eh?
Snooping Bank Records -
I distinctly remember there being some AQ Big Fish caught within the first few months after 9/11 More importantly, I remember Ashcroft flogging the Patriot Act claiming this very program is how they tracked his ass – so now Heller should be in jail ?!?
My husband thinks one of the perks of their using the bank scans is to shake down donors a la ‘We know about the chippy ya got stashed in Boca’, etc. I don’t think they’re that smart
Oh, and btw, Barry “War On Drugs” McCaffrey can kiss this patriot’s ass -
god knows how much he’s made talking it up – as if it were legitimate, as if it were ‘winnable’, standing on their gd warroom maps as the carnage continued
Christie,
If you’re still here …
Dave Neiwert has a great piece from a year ago The Hunting of Liberals
darkblack 122 -
arf!
glad my tea cooled off enough to prevent nostril burns…
We need to get hold of Rep. John Jacob’s campaign and let them know it isn’t “the devil” out to get him, it is rabid, satanic squadrons of venomous lambs:
“SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Republican congressional hopeful John Jacob believes the devil is impeding his efforts to unseat five-term Rep. Chris Cannon.
“There’s another force that wants to keep us from going to Washington, D.C.,” Jacob told The Salt Lake Tribune. “It’s the devil is what it is. I don’t want you to print that, but it feels like that’s what it is.”"
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=324262
Lovely cheese!
*ilson46201…In the opening Shrove-Tide fair scene?…Igor stole some of that from Emile Spencer.
$$$travin$$$ky, ba-beh.
;>)
Michelle Malkin can be sufficiently criticized as evil without slurring mentally ill people:
And speaking on behalf of bipolar/ manic-depressives everywhere, which I can do since it’s June and I’m in mania, leave the mental illness out of it.
You can simply describe her as evil, with a dark and bitter soul.
Mental illness => sympathy.
Evil public speaker => villify/deport.
See? Easy.
———egregious, posted at TBogg
Mary 121 -
“If RUMSFELD is “increasingly irrelevant”, are the words of diminuition left in the English language to describe the role they have left for Bush?”
picoconseqential?
good on ‘ya, egregious!
The trapped coyote begins gnawing at its leg…
scarecrow @ 123, I agree
As with the rove and taxpayer money question earlier today, what type of coordinated effort can we mobilize to ask the question and GET the answer ?
egregious @ 113,
IIRC, didn’t Clinton institute tracking int’l money to crack down on the druggies?
And, IIRC, Bush quickly rescinded it – too many of his buddies offshoring money.
(From the letter to the editor):
It’s been tried before. The writer, having apparently failed utterly to remember history, is begging to repeat it:
When Heydrich was assassinated in June of 1942, [Karl Hermann] Frank was once again passed over for promotion when Kurt Daluege became the new Reich Protector. Daluege and Frank were instrumental in initiating the destruction of the Czech villages of Lidice and Le%u017Eky in order to get revenge on the Czech populace for Heydrich’s death.
. . .
After surrendering to the American army in Pilsen on May 9, 1945, Frank was extradited to a People’s Court in Prague and tried between March and April of 1946. After being convicted of war crimes and the obliteration of Lidice, Frank was sentenced to death and hanged in the courtyard of the Pankrac prison in Prague before 5,000 onlookers on May 22, 1946.
(Wikipedia: Karl Hermann Frank)
The wingnutry is seriously addicted to projection. Whatever they don’t like to admit to in themselves, is exactly what they turn around and accuse the rest of us of. Dear wingnuts, whenever you point your index finger at us, don’t fail to notice where the other three are pointing.
“Rabid” — would that be anything like John Bolton, Bill O’reilly and Ann Coulter? “Lambs” — as GSD at 98 points out: The “sheeple” on the right follow orders much better than the ‘rabid lambs’ on the left do.
~ Impeach King George and Prince Dick! ~
You’re all angry Arabs now. Really.
This kind of frame reminds me of how any Arab (no matter how moderate) gets framed whenever h/she tries to talk about Israel/Palestine. Hell, I’m a Christian Arab married to a Jew, my grandmother was killed by Palestinian militiamen during the civil war, but when I talk about Israel and the Palestinians with the most factual and measured arguments possible, people still dismiss me as — just another angry Arab.
I personally thought the whole Kos thing was gonna blow over and soon, but now I’m starting to wonder. THe virulence and broad nature of the attacks can only mean that the folks in power are very scared. THey’re trying to frame all the lefty bloggers and the netroots as wackos. I believe the nature of the internet will make this task difficult to impossible, but you never know.
My fingers are crossed for it all to dissipate in the cloud of useless futility in which it was conceived. Meanwhile, let the netroots flower.
Leila A. at 146: …the folks in power are very scared. They’re trying to frame all the lefty bloggers and the netroots as wackos.
But also revealing themselves in the process. I say let’s keep turning the lights on them — both generally, as you just did, and specifically, as Christy does back in the original post.
Talk about rabid; did you see Curt Wheldon on the Newshour re the NYT last night?
ck @ 11:
actually, both the RMN and the DP are now owned by the same company…as are nearly ALL colorado papers. There is no ‘wingnuttiest’ anymore…its ALLL the same, each paper just has a different editor, that’s the only thing that changes the content.
TO all:
PLEASE…do not make this about ‘coloradoans’…we have NOT all drank the koolaid…this is 1 GUY in Littleton, where they HAVE drank the koolaid, but that’s FAR from me…
-hiding on the west slope
I have read expressions of clear sorrow on “lefty” blogs about our two poor tortured men, but the wingnut wants “outrage.” Only “outrage” will do.
Well there is outrage and has been for a long time now. There was outrage at Gitmo and the abuses of national and international law that it represents. There was outrage at Abu Garib and the horror of our men and women engaging in the sanctioned torture of Iraqi prisoners. And now there must be sorrow at the inevitable consequences borne by two of our soldiers.
I have also seen outrage expressed by “lefty” posters towards those who tortured our men. I, for one, don’t let them off the hook. They have destroyed their own humanity by their acts. Nothing can justify them, period.
The “liberals” and progressives have displayed plenty of outrage, and have directed it in good and correct measure at every deserving target. We simply decline to committ the outrage of howling for the blood of the innocent.
Speaking of Denver, did anyone catch Colbert last week interviewing Diana DeGette? The woman seemed dumb as a rock.
Don’t forget the NATIONAL BOYCOTT/STRIKE!click here
I think rabid lambs refers to turning on the venom when your leader does.Sorta’ fits…cause the Kossaks sure do get mad if somebody has a different opinion or questions them. Why take that upon yourself just because you like them? You think independently because of who you are. We are all different. The anglo saxons have tried to wipe out culture for a very long time. The Irish had their language banned..their musical instruments taken. The Indians were told to worship one God…dress a different way and teach their children in the white man’s school. The french catholics coming into the US from Canada to work were told to speak english …the kkk was burning crosses all over. The more things change the more they stay the same.Diversity is the fun of life.