From a WaPo article about whether or not Bush belongs among the ranks of America’s worst presidents comes this H. L. Mencken quote describing Warren G. Harding:
About the president’s mangling of the English language: "It reminds me of stale bean soup, of college yells, of dogs barking idiotically through endless nights. It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it . . . It is rumble and bumble. It is flap and doodle. It is balder and dash."
Every time I am forced to listen to George W. Bush speak, I can feel my I.Q. dropping. His speech is a kind of thought-killing force field that emanates his mouth. Watching him attempt to complete a sentence or to speak off the cuff is like watching a drunk carry a crate of broken glass across an icy street. He doesn’t so much speak English as mud-wrestle it.
Take this exchange from yesterday’s deeply creepy Matt Lauer interview:
Matt Lauer: And yet you admitted that there were these CIA secret facilities. OK?
President Bush: So what? Why is that not within the law?
Well, because it’s against the law. The law says you can’t do that. Ergo, it’s against the law.
Matt Lauer: The head of Amnesty International says secret sites are against international law.
President Bush: Well, we just disagree with him.
Oh, so it’s that simple, is it? So, I guess you won’t be in line with Amnesty saying it’s a violation of my human rights to have to listen to you talk, Governor Bush?
President Bush: Whatever we have done is legal.
Why, because you did it? I don’t think that’s necessarily going to stand up to the sniff-test of history. "If the President does it, it’s by definition legal." Are you sure you want to establish that precedent, Mr. Bush? Because (god willing) you will not be the President forever.
President Bush: It was within the law, that’s what I’m saying. We had lawyers look at it and say, "Mr. President, this is lawful." And that’s all I can tell ya.
Look, Sparky. Just because Harriet Miers glues a gold star and a happy face on a legal brief and writes, "LOOKS LEGAL 2 ME!!!! WATERBOARDING IS COOL!!!", that doesn’t make it legal. Just because John Yoo writes "A-OK" on something in big red letters before he goes stalking around his office pretending his laser pointer is a light-saber, that does NOT make it legal. We’re talking about matters of life and death here. Not to mention how we expect our own soldiers to be treated if they are captured by hostile forces in the future. By forsaking the internationally recognized standards of fair conduct in an armed conflict, the United States has opened a Pandora’s box that I feel certain we will be desperately trying to slam shut again for generations.
But never mind that right now. I want to focus in on what it is that makes this interview with Lauer so deeply squicky. Look at the crazy body language. Whose idea was it to shoot the two men standing at such close quarters? Look how invasive Bush is of Lauer’s personal space. Lauer counters with an open marker aimed at the President’s suit-jacket. There’s one moment where he waves it diagonally across Bush’s torso like, "Back OFF, buddy!"
The pen may be mightier than the sword at distances greater than four feet, but the uncapped Sharpie is mightier than the narcissist’s blazer every time. I like that technique. It will be something to try when I quit smoking. Thanks, Matt Lauer!
Watching this reminds me that not only is the Preznint a travesty as a statesman, he’s also a nightmare on an interpersonal level. An asshole. A bullying prick. How much longer is he going to be allowed to spit in the face of the Constitution and flout the will of the American people?
"You don’t know what you’re talking about," he says, "Bad, bad people want to come to your house and kill your whole family! Only I know what’s best. You don’t know what I know. You’re not qualified to make decisions about your own life. Submit to me. You will be very sorry if you don’t."
We are living under an authoritarian regime that’s run by a group of men who make Caesar’s Senate look like a meeting of the Campfire Girls. I don’t know about you but I think I’ve enjoyed about all of this bullshit that I can stand. Is it too much to ask that one day the United States will have a President who can properly pronounce the word "nuclear"? That alone will be worth seeing the end of the Bush government.
Related posts:
Spotlight
Fitz!
Kwatz!
TRex……
Jon Stewart right now…
Congrats to Jane and Christy who were in New York yesterday meeting with the last person elected as President of the U.S. Bill Clinton. Hope they gave him and his boss some good advice, especially about Iraq.
The truly fantastic element of BushSpeakII: The Idiot Son, is when he gets condescending:
Ya see,…
Look,…
Laura makes our toast in a bread toastin’ machine, what I like to call a toaster…..
Or perhaps my all time favorite
These people are trained to disassemble, that means they lie…..
I am so tired of the chimp who would be a man. he’s made 6 years seem like a century and i can’t wait till this is over so we can fugged aboutim. another great post trex. canada loves fdl too!!!!
Trex, I’m so way, way, way – way – with you on, SHUT UP. He has been on teevee all freakin’ week and has not said one new thing that we already haven’t heard a billion horrific times. Just. Shut. Up. We get that you’re an immoral inarticulate moron. Really. Shut. Up.
Myself, i’d like a tumbler of im-the-fuck-peach.
Howdy, TRex!
TRex — you are always smokin’ . . .
We are living under an authoritarian regime that’s run by a group of men who make Caesar’s Senate look like a meeting of the Campfire Girls.
Except when you defame Campfire Girls, by comparing them to these Frat Rat Gangsta wannabes — Campfire Girls in the White House would be like manna from heaven, right about now . . .
These fuckers are incompetent at everything, except ripping us off and screwing up everything they touch . . .
cameronga @ 7
Vive la Canada! By the by, we’re counting on you to dump your neocon ratfink PM fast and show us how it’s done.
Sharkbabe @ 9
Make mine a double. On the rocks. No, I’ll take it neat.
I think all the tv time for shrubya has been good… he never makes any more sense for one time to the next and people starting getting the idea about just how inappropriate he is..
yup, I think he should spend MUCH more time on tv!
Sharkbabe @ 9
Extra Mega Grande Plus.
When Brian Williams interviewed the Chimp on the anniversary of Katrina, Chimpy was all up in Brian’s personal space too. The Lauer looked weirder because it was shot with a wider angle lens. The Deciderator is an ass.
President Bush talks to Brian Williams
OldCoastie @ 14
I just don’t think my mind can stand it.
hell yeah.
Another great one, T.
I have had enough.
Gary Hart on The Daily Show to pimp his book.
EvilDrPuma @ 12
yeah his name is hitl woops i mean harper and he may be worse than chimpy, you can see the evil in his eyes. a guy named ken dryden, who hockey fans will remember, is running for the leadership of the liberals and he seems their best chance to get rid of this goon, celebrity and name recognition and all.
TRex -
if you mute the sound, it is still hard on your brain but it doesn’t affect your language center so much and you don’t make that sputtering sound when he’s talking…
Old Coastie, in theory……I’m even writhing at the thought of him being in the public eye AFTER he leaves office. I just hate the sight of him, the very thought of him. I want him to fly away to another galaxy far, far away. Forfreakinever.
Fooled ya once, fooled ya twice, ah fuck it!
Jim @ 6
LOL
When you make it funny like that, it’s not so damn creepy. Because that fake folksy crap just drives me up the wall.
after he’s out of office, I expect he’ll be in a small, small cell and we won’t ever have to listen to him again…
Trex,
You could leave the TV off for the next two years or so. He is just going to be repeating himself over and over and over……
After all, a brain cell is terrible think to waste.
meta @ 22
He’s going to a jail cell deep, deep in the Hague, where he will expire under mysterious circumstances just like Slobodan Milosevic.
Great post, TRex. But my brain hurts reading this stuff.
If English becomes the official language of the US, you can add Bushspeak to the list of high crimes and misdemeanors.
OldCoastie @ 26
damn, there’s something worth praying for every morning and night!!
2670 Americans dead, who knows how many Iraqis, 19945 wounded Americans, $400 billion gone, a destroyed country but at least Bush told us last night why it was worth it.
There you have it, we invaded Iraq because Saddam was a clear threat so clear a threat, in fact, that Bush didn’t bother to explain what the threat was.
anyone see *ucker Tarlson on Dancing on the Stars show? did he fall over or kick his partner?
Cadence
Bushie getcher jammies on
The Hague is where the winter’s long
You don’t have to scream and shout
Waterboarding there is out
Barbara Bush is up on FOX
Looks like the guy on the oatmeal box
One two three four….
…a peeance freeance secure Iraq…
OldCoastie @ 26
At worst, I figure he’ll retire to the ranch to clear brush all day and chase off journalists with a double-barreled shotgun and a wild look in his eyes.
Yes, the fake folksy crap – eechhh. It’s the head bobbing, hand sweeping, nonsense yakking that eventually and invariably becomes the angry raging defying chimpy-know-best routine, like he’s about to spit on you if you say one more word. He’s very, very creepy.
Moving up part of a deeply EPU’d comment from the Emptywheel thread . . . with my own emphasis added:
longtimelurker @ 253
As is the English language, too.
OldCoastie @ 32
earlier, someone said he was in last place — so his dancing ability reflects his reporting ability.
EvilDrPuma @
12
TRex @ 27
Ah, perchance to dream.
I would so very much work for that with every grain of determination I possess.
twolf1 @ 38
he doesn’t seem like he would be a picture of grace…
It’s still summer. How about fresh impeachment over vanilla ice cream?
Or impeachment melba?
Impeachment pie a la mode?
I’d even settle for canned impeachment.
God I love words like flapdoodle.
I am so sick of this dreadful ridiculous man and his insane wrecking crew that it’s driven me to the soothing therapy of lesbian kissing videos on YouTube.
It’s hard to imagine there was a time without the internets, innit?
OMG
I just read through, twice, the Katie Couric interview with the Nitwit looking for the quote:
“One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the War on Terror. I believe it as I told you Osama bin laden believes it…”
Well, it’s not in the transcript. So, I actually had to listen to Fucko and there it was, at 4:48 minutes in. He really does say this.
BUT IT’S NOT IN THE TRANSCRIPT. WHY THE HELL NOT?
OldCoastie @ 41
John Travolta at least understood that boogying in a bow tie would be a biiiiiig fashion mistake.
twolf1 @ 33
Oh, God, twolf1. Thank you. I’ve never understood that ref because I never heard that bit. Now I see. WTF was he saying??????? Oh, never mind. It totally doesn’t matter!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories…..9933.shtml
couric bushy transcript
Has anyone read Justin Franks book “Bush on the Couch”?
I read it when it came out the summer of 2004.. Dr Franks is an ex CIA Psych Doc who did profiles for the CIA for 10 years. Using the same process used by the CIA, Dr Franks evaluated Bush. I am a healthcare professional…. it scared the shit out of me!
TRex, You should get hazard duty pay when you have to listen to the chimp at WORK.
It appears he doesn’t understand English any better than he speaks it, being as he’s a bit unclear on the concept of illegal. How he managed to get into, never mind through, college without that much knowledge is beyond me.
I’m glad I don’t have a TV. I’d have to buy a case of Jameson’s instead of a bottle, just to deal with Shrub’s alleged speeches. (Almost out – but I’ve been working on that liter since ‘89.)
How about a nice padded cell at the Hague? That way he can’t hurt himself walking into any walls.
EvilDrPuma @ 44
oh! yer kidding me! he was dancing in the bow tie??!!??
TRex @ 27
He’s going to a jail cell deep, deep in the Hague, where he will expire under mysterious circumstances just like Slobodan Milosevic.
Oh please, oh please. I live for that day. I want to see him slavering and yowling in a glass box like the one they had the Nazi war criminals in. Throwing poop at his guards. Making signing statements with his own waste on the glass. Shouting “I’m the Preznit! I’m the Preznit! Lemmee outa here, see! Lemmee out, goddammit!”
Only we can’t hear him, ’cause the glass is mercifully soundproofed.
OldCoastie @ 41
Repugs don’t do “the arts”. Just like Jane saying you’ll never find a funny right-wing comic, you’ll probably never find a decent Repugnican dancer.
meta @ 45
I would imagine he was trying to say “peaceful, free and secure Iraq”. But how the F*@k do you get ‘peeance freeance’? Booze and coke maybe. I mean, I can understand macaca from mohawk… oh wait, no I cant. These guys are idiots!
Or one little slice of impeachment covered in a gallon of Cool Whip.
I pity English teachers the day after Bush is on television.
TRex:
When do we get the freaking candy and the pony?
Wouldn’t it be cool if they had to drag him out of a hole in the ground like Saddam, with a beard and wild hair, mumbling about his innocence, giving him an oral exam?
Darkblack? White courtesy phone, please.
TRex -
yeah, but you might find a HILARIOUS right-wing dancer!
meta @ 58
I think he’d be hiding under all that brush he’s cleared.
cleter @
51
Oh, Clete. What a beautiful dream.
neurophius @
56
Patience, Grasshoppa.
Sharkbabe:
impeachment cobbler?
impeachment ice cream?
or impeachment brandy?
I think you might even be able to find impeachment wine.
We did frozen impeachment (sugar pack) when I was a kid. Works real well, tastes fresh, especially over that vanilla ice cream or on cereal for breakfast.
AZ Matt @
55
The press referred to “candidate Bush” (pre-selection) as The English Patient.
UptownNYChick @
59
…in the backyard sandbox at daddy’s Kennebunkport estate.
How’s everybody doing? I’ve been in “Dark Territory” for the last few days and been smoldering over the 9/11 shillathon movie.
How goes it in RI?
Oilfieldguy @ 64
Some Patients just simple can not be cured.
impeachment ale
Hi OFG, good to have you back.
Oilfieldguy @
66
Laffey’s conceded. Grover Norquist must be in mourning.
TRex @ 53
Latin dancing isn’t about “making” your hips move, it’s about “letting” them move. So maybe social conservatives can never achieve that.
Delete me if too much nesting, you won’t hurt my feeligs. *Sniff*
Hey OFG, how are you? Can we offer you a large tumbler of Imthefuckpeach Mint smoothie?
It’s Chafee.
al-Scooter @ 70
Maybe Grover will give Mayor Laffey a nice hot bath.
WOW! TRex rules! Thanks for explaining to me how I wake up stupid every time I’m forced to hear him… I’ve gotten to the place where I turn off the radio (NPR, is there anything else to listen to??) at the first word I hear.
I also want to share with TRex an e-mail I sent to Campaign@BarrowForCongress.com based on first, the ad I have seen repeatedly and, second their e-mail asking for my support:
“We (that would be Democrats, real, honest-to-God Yellow Dog Democrats like me) booted Max Burns out of Congress once. Why is it that y’all seem to be trying to sound just like him, or Karl Rove, in the last ad I saw??? “Death tax???” PLEASE. Try, just once, calling it the “Paris Hilton Welfare Tax.” (And no, the Republicans cannot find even one “family farm that was put out of business” by it. Just keep on bowing to their talking points…) Now on to the appalling debacle in Iraq that THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS think is going, at best, straight into the dumper and taking our brave young soldiers with it: He almost said it would be bad to “cut and run.” There are other options than what the Republicans say the “supporters of TERRA” have… STOP USING THEIR TALKING POINTS… PLEASE…
Rest assured, I will “touch the screen” for him. (Why the Democrats in this state are not screaming and howling about having to vote on these pieces of #$*#%@ defeats me… The idiot who brought them to us was kicked to the curb in her own primary….) Yeah. I’M PISSED. Feeding into BushCo’s talking points is NOT the way to bring out the vote, or win.
I have a WHOLE LOT LESS CONFIDENCE that Mr. Barrow will retain his seat, having seen his ad. Which does not make me at all happy about 2008. Maybe you’ll wake up and fight back when Rush Limbaugh is elected President…. Please forgive the rant, but consider where it comes from… a real, honest-to-God dripping fang Democrat.
Praying that he will win, I am, as ever,
Marion in Savannah”
(Except I told them my whole name and gave them my street address in case they want to firebomb my house…)
I hate to sound “needy,” but I would like to know if I’ve badly over-reacted somehow… I think I’m just being rational, but maybe I’ve been hanging out here with REAL Democrats for too long…
meta @ 72
That tumbler better be big enough to have tides and an undercurrent. I just vented big time over at my blog. One of them deals the “reputable” blogs frown on. Pure unadulterated vent screed.
OldCoastie @
21
OC, I tried that, but instead of the sputtering sound, I get the frothing that makes my housemate so nervous….
I read about the Dem bloggers meeting with the Big Dog on some other sites. I was happy enough for them, and glad that someone in the Establishment was listening to them. At first.
But then I saw a mention how most of the conversation was off-the-record. That really, really bothers me. I can’t say I fault Jane and Christy, cuz it was a great opportunity for them. But the one thing we have seen more clearly than ever these last 7 years is that we can’t trust the politicians (not even “our” guys like Clinton and Lieberman) and we can’t trust the press. Then the blogger (male) went on about what beautiful blue eyes Clinton had, and some more nonsensical hero worship. The kind of writing you can find in People or Time or the NYT. I can feel the vomit rising again just remembering it.
I would have hoped Jane would ask Clinton about why he stumped for Lieberman. If she did, we’ll probably never find out the answer. My worst fear is watching the blogs of the left get co-opted by the Establishment (maybe a new and updated anti-establishment Establishment). Selling out openness for acces, and becoming the new punditocracy telling us what to think based on inside information they can’t share…
I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but I really don’t like hearing about this off-the-record shit and I have a very bad feeling about that whole lunch and the direction it portends for liberal blogs.
oh yeah, beard – frothing is seriously bad!
The Inhofe Amendment 4064 to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act S. 2611 was passed by the Senate on May 18. It declared that English was the national language of the United States, that no one was entitled to services in other than English although these might be provided, and that as part of becoming a citizen immigrants had to show competence in English. Because of conflicts with the House which was sponsoring an even kookier bill, this year’s immigration legislation looks dead. This part of it will not be mourned.
TRex @ 73
Toss that image in with the Latin dancing, the lesbian kissing videos, and Chimpy mangling the English language from his new presidential library at
Texas A&MThe Hague and I’m going to have some interesting ride to dreamland tonight!Good night, all. My alarm clock is going to scream in about 5 hours… See you in the morning..
i smell concern
OldCoastie @ 50
Aw, hell, I wouldn’t know. I wouldn’t have been watching the show in the first place.
jussumbody @ 77
I think you’re overreacting and making ill-informed assumptions.
Haven’t we kicked you out of here before?
OFG, I will have to read that first thing in the morning when I have a refreshed mind.
We are sitting around playing kick the can with Duhbya’s brain. The little shreds that are left of it. Almost beyond venting. Praying for Presidential laryngitis.
al-Scooter @ 81
The tipoff for me is when Dubya says the word “a” as “ay” – it’s a dead giveaway that he’s reading and not absorbing what he’s saying.
Example: “This is ay time of war”
I just hate that.
OFG, Good to see you. This has been quite a week. Have you seen any of the Keith Olbermann shows? That should cheer you, if you haven’t. Go to http://www.crooksandliars.com and scroll til you find him. He’s been great.
OldCoastie @ 50
oh! yer kidding me! he was dancing in the bow tie??!!??
Well, let’s hope Tucker was dancing in more than just his bow tie. That is an image I do not want in my head.
Hugh @
30
So clear a threat you could see right through it him.
More than once, I have finger-jabbed control buttons on my stereo when he came on the radio so hard that functions on remote parts of the panel were triggered.
I’m in Mass right now and I just saw a public service ad from “Homeland Security” that was appalling. Three latchkey kids watching TV. One says – if you can’t pick us up what do we do? What’s the plan? Then a woman’s voice over says something to the effect – If there is a terrorist attack, does your family have a plan? Additional blather about this scary world and how vulnerable and threatened our loved ones are.
Clearly aimed at the “Security” Mothers who are leaving the Republican party in droves.
Has anyone ever seen this type of ad on the air any time in the past year? I guess it’s just a coincidence that the ad’s on the air 60 days before the Congressional election. I wonder – does the Dept of Homeland Security have a line item breaking out what funds are budgeted for Republican campaign ads?
I hope it happens sooner rather than later (like Jan 2007 with a Democratic majority in the House & Senate) – but I can’t wait for the day that the crimes of BushCo are uncovered and the extent of their corruption and fascist policies are revealed for all the world to see.
Shame. Shame. Shame.
Yes, I’ll have one Venti IM-the-fuck-PEACH Mint Smoothie, please.
Gives a whole new meaning to “the pause that refreshes,” no?
Hugh @ 89
oh! yer kidding me! he was dancing in the bow tie??!!??
Well, let’s hope Tucker was dancing in more than just his bow tie. That is an image I do not want in my head.
yeah – that would be extra scary… he’s got that pillsbury dough boy look…
Headed home.
Back in a bit.
Jussumbody @78:
Remember that movie “Sister Act” in the bar scene where one biker says to the other, “If this turns into a nuns’ bar, I’m outa here.”?
If this turns into a Clinton blog, I’m outa here. Luckily, the possibility seems remote.
O mighty powers that be, grant me this boon, that, ere the peach trees of TRex’s beautiful but somewhat backward* home state of Georgia ripen in their fullness next season, we shall be knee-deep in goddamned impeachment hearings. I want a) a really good peach season (the ones this year were nt all that great); and b)to be able to watch goddamned impeachment hearings while eating a really tasty bowl of sliced peaches. Is that too much to ask? Some good fruit and a little justice. That’s all I ask. S**t, I’d be willing to skip the fruit and just enjoy the justice. But I do like peaches.
*except for parts of Athens and some of Atlanta.
jussumbody @ 77
We’re conditioned to being left in the dark by the rethugs and want total transparency…but you know, if they were discussing strategy, the very last thing I’d want to do is let KKKarl in on what I have planned.
jussumbody @ 77,
Sorry,
I been so busy supplying America’s addiction, I was not aware the ladies of the lake got an audience with Big Dog.
I think thats pretty kewl. I trust them ladies implicitly, and am doubtful they would be corrupted. I look forward to the insights they provide, and perhaps this will help them
I have written a lot of fauning stuff about the ladies, but my main attraction to them is respect. I visited this site for two months before I learned of Jane’s day job. People around here can sense bullshit, and the ladies don’t play that way, or this blog would not be as big as it is.
OFG @ 98 is exactly right.
New Harold Meyerson editorial up at the WaPo
Not a bad editorial
TRex @ 84
I think you and the other “concern troll” police losers are overreacting. Am I overreacting when I say we can’t trust the NYT, or Time, or the WaPo?
To my knowledge I have not been kicked out before, but I won’t wait around for an invitation. I’ll be taking this blog off my favorites posthaste. And for the record, you’re all snark and no substance, Loser.
But how’s it doing when it’s reviewed by somebody you can’t fire, Mr. Preznit? You know — from a separate and co-equal branch of government — say, the judiciary?
You’ve whiffed so far in that ballpark, haven’t you?
{/smarter Matt Lauer}
cleter @ 96
I think that the Powers Above will hear thee and grant this boon. Impeachment will blosoom surely as the fair trees of your backward home state.
*except for parts of Athens and some of Atlanta
What up y’all. Drive-by on the way to bed.
Clusterfuck reminds me of being back in grade school, trapped in a class that is being dressed-down by the asshole wrestling coach substitute teacher, who covers his inability to teach by engaging in pointless, patronizing monologues.
Every time he starts a sentence with “Look, it’s very simple” or “People gotta understand” I want to snatch him bald-headed.
Kick the can with Bush’s brain?
If you took out his brain and put legs on it, it would take nine years for it to walk around a bee-bee.
He had an idea once, but it died of loneliness.
Four words: eighth-grade schoolyard bullies.
TRex @
27
Gratifying it is to know when traveling outside the country these evil shitheads will always be looking over their shoulder. You may change the laws of the U.S.(briefly) but you cannot change the laws of other countries.
I grew up with my dad as a salesman and having a few pops too many at times and a mother who was from france. So, even with this I find Shrub’s speaking a challenge.
TRex,
I think the snark stuff is pretty good. I can do quick jabs, but not the snarkathons you and others here engage in.
bob @ 106
They find someone they can whip and carry them around with them.
Poor Dubya. Born on third base and thinks he kicked a field goal.
And another politician who causes that oh-so-alarming frothing Loserman!
Joe, I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but, perhaps it’s because there’s just *so* much to criticize.
Idiot.
This comment is in response to the following paragraph of Christy’s posting of 8:30 this (8/12) morning. It’s a bit OT/EPU by now, but per Christy: “This is important.” And I couldn’t agree more.
First of all, I want to mention that WaPo’s R. Jeffery Smith, whose article is linked-to above has been right on top of this story for over a month now — see the bibliography at the end of this overly long comment. Second, I recommend Ray McGovern’s article The Torturer’s Apprentice for it’s moral and political clarity.
Here are my notes on the matter as they’ve evolved over the last six weeks. I’ve tried to make them as clear and complete as possible, and have posted parts of them here several times — apologies for the repetition. This is very important stuff that I had always thought got settled at Nuremberg.
=========== Notes on Bush Scheming to Get Away with War Crimes ===========
On 2 August 2006, on CSPAN, I watched Alberto Gonzales, whose Office of Legal Counsel put forth the opinion that the Geneva Conventions are “quaint,” was squirming like a worm on a hook before the Senate Armed Services Committee: “It seems to us it is appropriate for Congress to consider whether or not to provide additional protections for those who’ve relied in good faith upon decisions made by their superiors.” Throughout the nation, principled Americans cringed, for with those words, the Attorney General of the United States of America sought to resurrect the just-following-orders defense that was so thoroughly discredited at Nuremberg. But Gonzales had bigger concerns on his mind.
Per Justice Kennedy’s concurrence in the Hamdan ruling: “By Act of Congress [the War Crimes Act of 1996] violations of Common Article 3 [CA3 of the Geneva Conventions] are considered ‘war crimes,’ punishable as federal offenses, when committed by or against United States nationals and military personnel.” And, war crimes are capital offenses whenever death results to the victim, as it has to three-dozen detainees in the Global War on Terror. And that the big problem, Bush sits atop an organization involvded in capital federal offenses. And, at Numemberg, a lawyer, Franz Schlegelberger, drew a life sentence for his participation in structuring war crimes and crimes against humanity. Gonzales had goog reason for his big concerns.
Last Wednesday, 9/6/06, the White House launched its desperate initiative to retroactively legalize war crimes going back to 9/11/01. That initiative is in the last ten pages of an 86-page bill entitled the “Military Commissions Act of 2006.” [16] The GOP intend to push a vote in the House on Monday 9/18 and in the Senate by the end of the month, though some GOP senators want to bypass committees and vote next week. [12] This can only be stopped by a filibuster, which will require prompt pressure on key senators.
This sinister initiative starts off on page 77 by relieving courts of jurisdiction for detainees and their causes of action:
The proposal finishes up on page 86 by making itself retroactive to 9/11/01:
Pages 78 through 85 gut the War Crimes Act and amend the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 via an incomprehensible assemblage of cut-and-paste directives. (Someone ought to do that editing and post the final resule.)
The War Crimes Act is a major link that binds the United States to people of conscience throughout the civilized world. It is our claim to membership. It is what puts the strength of law behind our feelings of disgust at what the Bush administration has perpetrated. It is how American can and will hold this administration accountable and bring them to justice. Former CIA agent and presidential daily briefer Ray McGovern has given voice to the revulsion felt by Americans of conscience at this White House effort. [10]
According to [17], “[The White House proposals] won mixed reviews in the Senate, where they are generally opposed by Democrats and a group of dissident Republicans. The proposals were deliberately omitted, for example, from competing legislation circulated last week by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John W. Warner (R-Va.), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) [a former POW] and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) [a former Judge Advocate].” Among other things, “[t]he two sides… differ over the terms of [an] ammendment to the U.S. War Crimes Act that would limit the exposure of CIA officials and other civilian personnel to prosecution for abusive treatment of detainees…” [18] Per Christy Hardin Smith at firedoglake.com: “If Democrats were waiting for the Three Stooges to have a spine for them in these negotiations, they bet on the wrong men.” (Ahmen!)
Also, there is another competing bill (S.3861) by Bill Frist. [15]
That’s all I have so far, but here is my ever-growing bibliography:
[1] “Is George Bush Guilty of War Crimes…and Who Cares?”
By David Wallechinsky, HuffingtonPost.com (09 August 2006)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…..26669.html
[Very good background]
[2] “Detainee Abuse Charges Feared, Shield Sought From ‘96 War Crimes Act,”
By R. Jeffrey Smith, The Washington Post (28 July 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080106B.shtml
[3] “Top Military Lawyers Oppose Plan for Special Courts”
By R. Jeffrey Smith, The Washington Post, (03 August 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/080306A.shtml
[4] “War Crimes Act Changes Would Reduce Threat Of Prosecution”
By R. Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post (09 August 2006)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01276.html
[5] “Retroactive War Crime Protection Proposed”
By Pete Yost, The Associated Press, (Wednesday, 09 August 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081006A.shtml
[6] “Amendments Sought in War Crimes Act”
From the Associated Press (10 August 2006)
http://www.latimes.com/news/pr…..-a_section
[7] “Rewriting the Geneva Conventions”
Editorial, The New York Times (14 August 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/081406P.shtml
[8] “Bush Aims to Kill War Crimes Act”
By Jeremy Brecher and Brendan Smith, The Nation (05 September 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090506B.shtml [Excellent]
[9] “Plan for Tribunals Would Hew to the First Series”
By Kate Zernike and Neil A. Lewis, The New York Times (07 September 2006)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/090806Z.shtml
[10] “The Torturer’s Apprentice”
By Ray McGovern, TomPaine.com (07 September 2006)
http://www.tompaine.com/articl…..entice.php
[a masterpiece]
[11] “Interrogation Methods Rejected by Military Win Bush’s Support”
By Adam Liptak, The New York Times (08 September 2006)
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09…..ref=slogin
[12] “Top Military Lawyers Dislike Tribunal Plan”
By Richard Simon, LA Times (08 September 2006)
http://www.latimes.com/news/na…..crosspromo
[13] “Bush Faces Republican Revolt Over Terror Trials”
By Suzanne Goldenberg, The Guardian UK (09 September 2006)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/…..63,00.html
[14] “The Rove Campaign”
By Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Dish blog, (10, September 2006)
http://time.blogs.com/daily_di…..ampai.html
[15] “A bill to facilitate bringing to justice terrorists and other unlawful enemy combatants through full and fair trials by military commissions, and for other purposes”
By Senator William H. Frist, U.S. Senate (08 September 2006)
http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bi…..09:S.3861:
[gotta watch those “other purposes”]
[16] “Military Commissions Act of 2006″
By the George W. Bush (06 September 2006)
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/…..ssions.pdf
[17] “Worried CIA Officers Buy Legal Insurance: Plans Fund Defense In Anti-Terror Cases”
By R. Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post Staff Writer (11 September 2006)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..286_pf.htm
[Smith has been all over this story from the beginning.]
[18] “White House Gains Concessions in Senate Measure on Tribunals”
By R. Jeffrey Smith, Washington Post Staff Writer, (September 12, 2006)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..rrer=email
Marion, my dear, hope you are still up to read this. Here — a *large* tumbler of Imthefuckpeach Mint smoothie to help you sleep. You have earned it.
It’s my great fear that we’ll knock ourselves out getting any Democrat who can brush his own teeth elected, then there will be no noticeable change. Except they’ll trash net neutrality.
Best not to think on such things. Here is a link to Granny D, who manages to look the worst in the eye and still be optimistic. I read it when my spirit needs refreshing.
G’night Marion, hugs.
I think that anything that promotes better understanding between Establishment politicians and progressive blogs is all to the good, especially how to recover from the Bush’s disastrous Presidency, although it would be fun to know too if Lieberman, Hillary, and the Path to 911 were discussed.
Oilfieldguy, you may want to back up a thread or three to 16 Words, as emptywheel gives us a chance to help out on her Libby book. Good stuff, all the way through – and folks are still dropping off comments!
Good to see you back here at the lake.
And I loved your rant!
beard5 @ 112
Damn, Joe. I can just see him kicking his feet, pounding his fists, his eyes welling up and botom lip quivering as he pushes it out in a pout.
What thin skin you have, Mr. Senator. I am sorry that people actually want to evaluate the job you’ve done.
Ugh. Watching the chimp with Matt Lauer on Countdown right now.
Last week, I came to a realization when watching the video of George Felix “Macaca” Allen Jr. mocking the gentleman from the Webb campaign to his face with racist taunts in front of a hostile crowd. My realization was that there is a distinct personality type on this Earth that everyone knows and has encountered in their lives, and it is called “asshole.” There is no better word for it; everyone knows exactly what it means.
Watching the chimp bullying the media in the person of Matt Lauer reminded me of that realization. Whatever else he is, whether he was president of the United States or emperor of the World or some drunk loser flipping burgers in a greasy spoon in Crawford, Texas, Bush would epitomize “the asshole.”
He makes our boy Felix look like an amateur.
I have one thing to say to fundamentalists. George Bush Junior proves God is also a recreationist.
squicky – I like
It’s also available in Arabic! lmao I bet it’s a best seller over there.
chicago tom – Nice catch. Did you e-mail them about their omission?
Interesting tidbit: Dean and Emmanuel have cut a deal…
http://hotlineblog.nationaljou…..st_65.html
Maybe the Dems can un-circle some of the firing squad and place the GOP downrange for the duration.
AZ Matt @ 103
Whoa, I’m not in Georgia. I’m in Florida, which is
not backward at alloh, crap. Forgot Katherine Harris. Never mind.Florida is just a dangly Georgia with more tropical weather systems. And mealier peaches. We can grow mangoes, though. They’re sort of peach like. And also good in smoothies.
Jeepers. I couldn’t watch that entire Lauer interview earlier today, the video kept hanging. But now I’ve watched it in its entirety, and WOW, you’re not kidding, TRex.
F*cking creepy, ominous and threatening body posture. Lauer actually looked scared throughout the interview, his eyebrows raised and eyewhites more exposed, actively using hand gestures including the pen to keep distance between them.
Poor Matt, for once I feel sorry for him. What a crappy position to be in, even for the amount of money he gets paid.
And that comparison video of Brian Williams isn’t a lot better, just less threatening, more encroaching. Yuck.
I watched both with the sound off; Bush is like nails on a chalkboard for me, makes my hackles stand up. Absolutely cannot stand listening to him. My kids know now to hit the Mute button right away or change the channel when they see him — although I’m going to have to coach the eight-year-old to stop shouting, LIAR!! when he sees him.
p.s. TRex, those Mauna Keas are lovely. Splurge a little. Just wish the rollerball was a twist-up mechanism instead of a cap-off like the fountain pen. Ah, feel better already thinking of fountain pens than dorkhead.
And there in a nutshell is the problem. Prince Myshkin doesn’t get that it’s not what he says, it’s what the courts and the congress say.
And, in a democracy, what the people say.
HotFlash @ 112
Hotflash, is that the Granny D that ran against Sen (*hack up a hairball*) Gregg?
TRex – deeply creepy. That is what it was indeed. I’ve tried to describe it (waiting for the chest butting to start – but deeply creepy captures the loony crazed vicious smile best.
So, I’ll just say chimpy is as detestable as they come. That goofy smile while Matt is asking about waterboarding…Again the shit-eating grin while saying, “We’re at war…”
and the constant defensiveness in his tone.At the very end, chimpy has the ‘crazy eyes’.
twolf1 @ 53
Trying to read a teleprompter when he’s sub-literate, perhaps? Or when the meds are wearing off. That’s what I always assumed.
I wonder what the Secret Service thought of all the body language stuff. I mean, if Bush gets in the space of someone like Matt Lauer, and Matt “encourages” Bush to step back – say with a gesture from a Sharpie – when do they start to get nervous?
HopeSAT!! Nice to see you!
And Mary at the same time, and OFG, and Sharkbabe, and wow, I think we have a snark-party-full-house going on!
jussomebody – amen and I am really relly impressed that Pach declined his invitation.
cleter @ 96
The early peaches weren’t that great because we had such a dry spring…. but those late June white peaches…. lordhavemercy, they were good. I have two gallon freezer bags out there in the freezer on the porch.
But, verily pray for a good peach year next year. The trees in my yard will be mature enough to bear fruit, and I am hoping to get a bunch of them…
al-Scooter @ 118
Good news, I hope, although it’s a sad world we live in when deals have to get cut to make sure the party chair and the guy with the congressional campaign wallet are on the same team.
Peterr, based on what I saw I’d have been more worried for Matt than Bush. Matt was clearly in a defensive posture.
Ooh, well, allow Mr. Lamont to retort!
I’m sure Ned will adopt the words of one lifetime Democrat whose fedora you are not worthy to block, Schmuck: “I never give Joe hell, I just tell the truth and he thinks it’s hell. …”
Mary @ 123
Deeply creepy indeed. And yet, you can see Matt Lauer realize, damn, this guy’s an asshole. It makes the creepy experience almost worthwhile to get a sense that, at long last, the media seems to realize what a collossal asshole W is.
And can anyone explain why they were standing up? To highlight W’s weirdness?
cleter @ 119
Lucky you, I love mangos. I workedin Costa Rica as a Peace Corps Volunteer and ate many a mango. Ms. Harris I can do without, I don’t need hairballs.
I thought Bush looked terrified too – in the “come out swinging cuz they are on to you ” sense. Those “people who aren’t from America” don’t understand what 9/11 was like, so they don’t know why we have to beat cab drivers to death. If they were American – they’d understand.
BTW – how often did he take credit for protecting Matt’s family? Really – Matt should send him chocolates or somehing.
Mary, great catch, as per usual, on the emptywheel thread about Xerox Ben. That material imo fits really really well.
Lovely, TRex. One quibble with ya — Bush and Co., yea, even ol’ Shoot-em-in-the-face Cheney himself wouldn’t have lasted 5 minutes in Imperial Rome. Remember, those guys’ idea of entertainment was watching people being torn apart by tigers. We watch Donald Trump. But I agree, watching and/or listening to GWB is just torment. What he says, how he says it…ugh. Please, please, please — next time can we have a President with courage, a brain, AND a heart?
Harding, bah…More like Willard Fillmore with a clock set on permanent midnight…
meta @
57
I can dig it…But he’s got to run for it first…More sporting.
;>)
Cleter — good question, wondered that myself, why show Bush standing? Are they trying to show him as an action president — unable to sit like a G.I. Joe action figure? If that’s what they were aiming for they blew it in a big way.
Or was Bush wearing whatever device in the back of his jacket again, unable to sit down because of it?
Or were they trying to show that the man is not falling down drunk, but able to stand and talk at the same time?
Nothing seems to work here. Just plain creepy.
darkblack @ 138
HUZZAH DB! Thank you!
Mary @ 135
I thought he was pretty condescending to Lauer, like he thought he was the adult in the room.
JOHN C! I haven’t seen you for awhile – hope you’ve been doing somehing fun.
It does show how MSM doesn’t even try, doesn’t it? Marcy will be tops. I hope she saw Old Sow’s suggestion – I don’t know how you would do that – sell a CD with the book, but how cool would that be? Clickable links, access to Next Hurrah links and interactive timeline info etc.
Mary @ 135
That was the particularly crazy part–like no one had ever seen terrorism until 9/11. Um, dude–people knew what 9/11 was like all over the damned world. We were the only people who didn’t know what 9/11 was like, until 9/11.
Rayne @ 132
I would be nervous too if the folks wearing the earpieces and standing just out of the camera range were looking at me nervously and fingering the buttons on their jackets . . .
HopeSpringsATurtle @ 124
I’ve noticed it before, of course, but it was really striking on last night’s Daily Show clips of Bush’s “Five Stages of Grief” how often he grins when talking about really awful things. The man’s emotional responses are definitely creepy.
his handlers had to decide between the mood stabilizers and the ritalin, stabilizers won
ok, not so much
PJEvans (if you’re still here)
From an earlier thread -”I can e-mail you a list of fantasy/science fiction books that are recommended for kids. (It’s hard to find on-line, since the page that should have it has been rebuilt and is missing it. I pulled it from a page at another site. You can Google on lasfs “reading list” to find it.)”
Just wanted to thank you…..I didn’t read see your comment until I returned from the dentist. I would love to have a list if it isn’t too much trouble…..mary1258 at yahoo dot com
i love how wimp jr. tried the old “people outside of this country are saying that what we’re doing is wrong…” canard.
and lauer unfortunately didn’t correct him by saying, “with all due respect, sir, people inside this country are saying that what you’re doing is wrong.”
this isn’t just about international law…!
Redshift @ 145
There are some who say that his personality reflects this underlying condition:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N…..y_Disorder
We’re all on Flight 93 for the next 800 days, I fear.
beard5 @ 122
The same
darkblack @
138
Dude!
I think when he said “So what?!” was the moment Matt Lauer decided W was not just an asshole, bit a dangerous asshole. Has there ever been another incident of a President being so nasty to a reporter right there on TV?
I can’t listen to him, I have to repeat what he says (as if) in some kind of weird tones over and over with fuckhead and other expletives interspersed. He makes me totally nuts.
I have turned off my tv again, since the weekend with the ABC BS and all. Just turned it off. I can catch up on reading the New Yorker again.
So I have not seen any of the goofy-ness/scarey-ness with the interview. Thank goodness. I would have been over the edge with more of the 9-11 manipulation.
I would need a double frozen impeach mint thingy with salt. Or two.
al-Scooter @ 118
This was the best bit:
Talk about well-deserved snark!
Pluto has been downgraded to the status of a dwarf planet and been assigned the asteroid number 134340 by the Minor Planet Center (MPC). Can Mickey and Disney be far behind?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/s…..htm?csp=27
How Ironic of Joe to talk about attack campaigns, that is exactly how they described his first Senate run:
From the 8-08-2000 Hartford Courant:
and
HotFlash- also from prior thread-
“poormary, if your son’s a bit rebellious (or you are *g*) try a banned or challenged book from the American Library Association’s website. They have a place for young people to vote on their favourite banned or challenged book here, there’a a drop-down list — I laughed when I saw what was on it! And the last week of Sept is Banned Books Week, what timing!
Oops, I went looking for the linky can’t get through to their website. I hope it’s just busy before the big week.”
My son is not too rebellious, but I am. :)
Sounds like an opportunity for mischief. Thanks.
Peterr — hmm, I think if it had been a lesser anchor, maybe a state or local person, I’d buy that. But Matt’s been around long enough as a national anchor for a big program that he shouldn’t be twitchy about the SS in the room.
Matt adopts a pointedly closed posture at one point, crossing his arms across his chest; he modifies it with pointing the pen, as if to push Bush back with the tip of the pen. Wish I was brave enough to listen in at that point, because it sure looked like Matt detected some bullsh*t just before that. Matt also looks like he’s afraid that Bush will touch him; Bushy keeps waiving his open hands at and about Matt, think he actually does touch Matt’s forearm with his right hand at one point. Matt doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t look at all comfortable with these open hand gestures.
I would really like to know exactly what the press knows about Bush. More specifically, the press knew a LOT more about Gannon-Guckert. Was there something going on here with Lauer that was a subtext from other past events, including whateve happened with Gannon-Guckert and the White House gaggle?
darkblack, here’s a set of 12 for you for future inspiration:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_…..318041.stm
Got class in the morning. See you folks later.
Ditto, what cleter said. Actually, we have a statewide candidate coming in for a press conference and I have to be there as advance crew.
Outta’ here, have fun, FirePups!
Mary @ 142
Oooh aaah, on CD? in html? the whole thing? *searchable*???
-ck- @
11
I believe it’s called “The Bohemian Club”, although I’m not sure they’ve let Fuckwad become a member……
TRex you crack me up. I love your postings…, I’m a little late to the party, but want to give props for a great post and great pic too.
Embrace the nucular! It’s probably the least verbicidal thing Bush does. and comes from good “phonotactical motivation.” It makes him sound like a bozo, but less so than extemporaneous speech does, so on balance it’s really a net positive for him. Got that likeable down-home thing going on. Plus it’s in Webster’s and, most importantly, now it has its own entry in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucular:
(For the record, as a speech technologist, I think the above entry is nonsense. It’s pronounced nuu-clee-ur for a reason. The same logic as that above would have us pronounce it word stem nucleus as “nuu-kyu-lus.” Yeah, right. As in, “in-kyu-bus.” Phonotactical motivation, my ass. Linguistic neo-cons are inside the wire, repeat, inside the wire.)
I have to admit that I was also curious, and slightly troubled, by the fact that the conversation between Clinton and bloggers was ‘off-the-record.’ How does that do any good? It seems that to never agree to talk about what he said seems they are helping him with what the blogs are doing without asking him for something in return. But who knows. Time will tell of course. He is the DLC personified. And the DLC does not likes blogs.
I am still mad at him deciding that the Bush family were good friendship material.
HotFlash @
112
I hope the Democrats are prepared for the fact that we are going to be watching them just as closely as we watch the Republicans, maybe closer. The netroots aren’t just changing the way elections happen, we’re going to change the whole way these people operate. Transparency will be the new black.
Can I get a “Amen!”?
AAA fn’men!
Thanks Mary, yeah, I’m way behind on my threads.
Completely agree about OS’s suggestion.
I am doing very badly on the “fun” part. I promise to let you know when things improve.
poormary @ 157
Here’s the voting link from the ALA (I voted for James and the Giant Peach)
And here’s the list of the 100 most challenged books from 1990-2000
Just one more imfuckinpeach mints, and I gotta go.
YES! Oh, lovely. Let outrage be our salvation. More, more. You see, when we fight like we’re already dead, we win.
{{{{{{John}}}}}}
I hope the fun part gets here very soon. You deserve to have Karma overnight it.
Nite all.
beard5 @ 170
Oh! Hey, thanks beard5……I’ll go check it out.
impeachmints
p.s. TRex, those Mauna Keas are lovely. Splurge a little. Just wish the rollerball was a twist-up mechanism instead of a cap-off like the fountain pen. Ah, feel better already thinking of fountain pens than dorkhead.
I got the Mauna Kea fountain pen. It is GORGEOUS to look at, but it’s kind of a firehose, i.e., the ink fairly gushes out. I may take it to Dr. Nagahara in Atlanta when I go to have my Sailor Magellan modified into a fine point and have it modified slightly as well.
Kathleen Madigan has a great bit about Bush:
“Notice how Bush explains stuff to us by saying, ‘in other words…’ and its stuff that doesn’t need other words, except earlier in the day when they explained it to him, it did”
Bush: “You see people, Osama Bin Laden is somewhere hiding in a cave, in other words, he’s playin’ pee-a-boo”.
Old hot and tender Dennis Hastert did one hell of a botch job on the National Anthem.
You’d think a putz who reached the level of Speaker of the House would realize that is a bottom barrel requirement.
But I forget that with this privileged crowd they are working under the soft bigotry of low expectations.
As to Bush, he’s back to looking pinch faced and haggard again. Must have found the bottle of Goldschlager the twins left after summer break.
-GSD
poormary @ 147
The Golden Compass
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass
by Phillip Pullman
Yep. Very good that Christy and Jane were at the Big Dog par-tay.
‘Night.
Rayne @ 127
al-Scooter @ 80
Toss that image in with the Latin dancing, the lesbian kissing videos, and Chimpy mangling the English language from his new presidential library at
Texas A&MThe Hague and I’m going to have some interesting ride to dreamland tonight!¡Baila!;>)
Landmines at every turn!
T-Rex, great post, and thank you for the image you used. (’Tis most faboo!) Usually I catch your thread with the morning crew. (Insomnia combined with a HUGE calligraphy/illumination project, does nasty things to one’s sleep schedule)
When ever i get so frustrated with chimpy, to the point i want to put the remote through the tv screen, i visit this site. it’s been around for a while but it’s as useful today as it was six years ago.
use your mouse to thrash bush about
TRex RULES!
until the next asteroid hits, at least…
General Election all 50 States:
1 month, 24 days, 17 hours, 58 minutes, and 25 seconds
Great post, great big clawed one. Let’s chew ‘em up.
GrandmaJ @ 166
Guys, all “off the record” means is that you are speaking candidly and no one is interviewing anybody. It is a distinction that you HAVE to make when talking to journalists of any kind unless you want to see everything you said in print. For President Clinton to ask that the lunch be off the record means, “I want to talk to you as people, not reporters.” Having been an interviewer and an interviewee, I understand that you have to think and speak differently when you know you are being interviewed than when you aren’t.
Does that make sense?
Bush out of office in 859 days, 22 hours, 56 minutes, and 37,36,35,34..secs….. well unless someone gives him one of those impeachmints.
This is the truth!
The people who
votedstole the elections for this national disgrace should be ashamed and tried along with Bush for war crimes.TRex @
179
Thanks TRex…..I’m compiling a list for my 11yr old son who brought “Left Behind: The Kids” book home from school yesterday. It’s a long story…..but I felt the writing was below par along with some other “issues”.
T-Rex: Great post, I’ve just been lurking tonight but keep up the great work. You can not believe the contempt the rest of the world has for chimpy. When the folks here hear my accent they ask hopefully, “are you Canadian?”
When I tell them, “no, I’m a yank” I get this look of pity then some comment about W. It really is sad.
G’night pups.
jmba @ 164
No, thank you. And you’re welcome to come laugh at me any time you like.
There were some things said “on the record” (according to MyDD) and I am sure we will all be enlightened at some point. I would love to have been a fly on that wall, but certainly and so glad that Christy and Jane could be there to experience the uber politician.
Meanwhike, DKos diarist paddykraska linked to this Adweek story about American Airlines considering pulling all their ads booked on ABC:
http://www.adweek.com/aw/natio…..1003121056
For those of you who might not be aware, Adweek is the bible of the U.S. ad biz, and this article isn’t going to make agencies any happier with ABC. Advertising has enough volatility as an enterprise without media screwing around with dubious editorial content. An unforced error like this bonehead stunt will have media buyers thinking twice about the advisability of booking time with ABC and will have competiors’ sales forces smelling Mickey’s blood in the water. And all because of a blogger.
ok…sleepytime…ive beeb burning it at both ends which is why this virus is hanging on… loved the post trex….night all.
poormary @ 157
Hi poormary, good to see you.
OK, got the link, it’s American Library Association’s Banned Books List. Lots of neat stuff about what books are challenged and who does it, and a ton of info on how librarians should deal with it. Those librarians are *huge* on the first amendment. They’re out of “I read Banned Books” buttons, but they still have Tshirts.
So, that’s Banned Books Week, Sept 23 to 30, and Sept 17 is Talk Like A Pirate Day, so I’m practicing my haar.
beard5 @ 183
OMG!! You do illuminated manuscripts?!
Coolest.
Thing.
Ever.
Do you have samples of your work on the web that we can see?
I have a piece of 16th century sheet music in Latin from a Spanish monastery framed and hanging on my wall. It’s beautiful. I’ve never managed to get the Latin translated all the way to my satisfaction.
TRex – yes it makes some sense, and thanks hugely for making the distinction between “interview” and “off-the-record”. surely when someone sits down for a ‘conversation’ and not a ‘recorded’ interview, it is more casual and not one where a recording device is on the table. surely not. Is that then an “off-the-record” conversaton?
But regardless of the steepness of my current learning curve, good for them (and Clinton although I am still leery of his motives — sorry) and it only enhances the recognition of Jane and Christy’s hard work to make this a grand place.
The Bush Death Toll.
Wisconsin soldier dies in suicide bombing.
A 52 year old woman who was worried about her training readiness has been killed in Aghanistan.
Bush and Rumsfeld and Cheney a Fucking disgrace.
-GSD
TRex @ 167
AaaaaaaaaaaMEN!
Oh heavens yes. “Nucular” makes my skin crawl. He knows better, but deliberately tries to be a regular guy by sounding like an ignorant boob. Either that or he is an ignorant boob. Which is worse? Dunno.
surely when someone sits down for a ‘conversation’ and not a ‘recorded’ interview, it is more casual and not one where a recording device is on the table. surely not. Is that then an “off-the-record” conversaton?
Exactly. But journos have been known to not use recording devices and just quote chunks of conversation, hence the need to declare a casual conversation “off the record”.
If you have any doubts about how malevolent the cretins running the show in America are, read this:
Crash test dummies Nation.
-GSD
Bedtime for the twin of the 60 foot snarkasaurus…
just as I was typing that, there was a a terrible screech from the back yard. To the uninitiated, it would have sounded a lot like a dinosaur. I know that it means that the screech owl is back. He’s been having a big time this past week eating all the meeses to pieces in the back yard.
Night, all. I will be falling asleep to the sound of my dogs barking at the screech owl. Much better than listening to the idiot Boy King.
Patrick @ 203
Tapes of Yoko Ono’s primal scream therapy sessions are better than listening to Bush talk.
HotFlash @
195
I’ll make my own button!! Our school librarian is really nice. I’m going to the school on Friday to help the kiddo pick out some books from the ones everyone has suggested. I’m sure some of them are on the AR list.
……you mean we’re not supposed to act like pirates every day? (Flying Spagetti Monster)
meta @ 159
You really want to see him in a spider hole, don’t you, Meta?
:)
But you see, there are many legal ways to get what one needs.
Remember, It’s his job to entertain you, man…But there’s always a ‘period of adjustment’…
;>)
twolf1 @ 184
707!!!
Oh, it just can’t be healthy, how much I’m enjoying this. I think I’ve scared the housemate again with my laughing I need to pull this link up next time he’s on)
TRex, you’re tyranosaurically terrific tout le temps, but this is one of your very best — Menckenesque in its magnificence and its scathing brilliance.
P.S. It is smart and funny, too.
Mud-wrestling the English language. Probably the best line of the day. :)
It’s gonna take about one more year for the vast majority of the public to be happy to see the Beavis and Butt-Head government finally gone, one way or another. It’s gonna be something to hear 200 million people, all at once, breathe a sigh of actual emotional and physical relief.
GrandmaJ @ 197
Yeah, “off the record” just means that they can’t quote him, not it’s secret or that they can’t talk about what he said. I think it also reinforces that he was talking to them in a two-way manner as political operatives and organizers, not in a one-way manner as a public talking to citizen-journalists.
GSD @ 202
Oh my god. I do not believe that this person said this out loud in a place where other people could hear him:
poormary @ 189
Mary, the “Left Behinds” are terrible writing, I received one from an acquaintance; and, my critique brain came out of hiding, and wanted a red pen.
Madeline L’engle is always good reading. For Fantasy look for anything by Caroline Stevermer, she’s a true gem. More modern kind of horror-ish, look for Cherie Priest. Good writing and she has a great livejournal. Also look for Pat Wrede, she is one of the best craftsmen of fiction out there. And, better yet, she can explain what she does. Not young adult, but David Weber has good strong female characters. His politics is a bit to the right, but it’s an intelligent end of the spectrum, not wingnut.
But do, do look for Caroline Stevermer…oh, and Garth Nix, the Abhorsen series is worth the money.
The candidate I have been supporting is in a nail bitting primary…. this is the current results!
The winner will face off the “Less Tainted” Shaddock…
Herb Paine is one of the Fighting Dems…
Hi Ed*ard Teller
poormary…if you are still here, I left a comment for you at 48 on the 16 Words thread.
poormary @ 147
Hi, Mary! I sent you some book suggestions, too.
poormary @ 205
Oh we can act like ‘em anytime.
TRex @ 196
This is my most recent piece. An award for someone who deeply deserved it. (It’s a Byzantine header and the base is modified to show the award. The text is Roman Rustic Capitals, a hell of a lot of fun to do.)
I’m also doing the Psalms, all 150 of them, heaven help me. This is one of the pages, but without the illumination. Keep in mind the text is about an eighth of an inch tall.
The current project is Celtic, based on the book of Kells, as it too is for a specific person.
Next post will get links to an Italian style that I like greatly.
Muchas gracias, radlib and montag! Ooooh, your approval is like sweet nectar to me!! Yes, yeeeeeesssss!!!!
“Nucular” is like a special privilege, in a mindset and administration based upon special privilege. Somewhere early on Bush was struggling to say the word properly, and was given a pass by handlers who carefully weighed the pros and cons, and decided to go with the con. It fits in perfectly with the unearned elitism and free passes marking every step of Bush’s life.
I also have an undying hatred of the word “homeland”. My country is not and has never been a homeland. It is not a fatherland or a motherland either, although parts of it can be called the heartland. It is the land of the free and the home of the brave, not some distant cousin born in european concepts of a country. Homeland is a small concept from small minds.
beard5 @ 217
Magnificent work, beard5.
HotFlash @
199
Aaaaay men! shouted and sung. we’re gonna watch ‘em and hold ‘em accountable and throw THEM out if they even act like they’re weasel on us.
beard5 @
212
Thank you for the suggestions. He picked it up because the cover graphics caught his eye. I usually encourage him to read anything he wants because he doesn’t really like to read at all. (much rather be playing the guitar for hours at a time) Unfortunately the books he reads have to be on an approved Accelerated Reading list so he can be tested on them. 5th graders have to have a minimum of 100 points by the end of the year based on level of difficulty and test scores. He’s an excellent reader and a straight A student. He just doesn’t care much for reading. Hopefully that will change!!
Wow, beardy! Just…wow.
You’re very talented!! You should make your own font and sell it.
I have never been able to do calligraphy. It’s hard enough work for me to write neatly in my own handwriting. I briefly experimented with shodo, the Japanese brush calligraphy, but I wasn’t very good at that, either.
jarotra @ 219
Jartora Here! Here! Homeland is simply not an American concept. Civilian Defense, National Security (though that’s already taken) Almost anything would have been better.
NZ Expat @ 214
Thanks!! I’ll go check it out.
Hotflash, these are some seriously bad actors. We need to flush em down the drain fast.
-GSD
Redshift @ 215
Thanks Redshift….appreciate it.
darkblack @ 220
Thank you oh illustrious illustrator DarkBlack.
And for T-Rex, the promised favored styles…
A 1500’s “M”
And An Italian “H”
If I could figure out how to link to the whole photobucket, I would.
Peterr @
126
Any time Bush’s head is on his shoulders, if they’re really paying attention. He mostly could be stopped—and clearly he’s the one with the aggresssive body language, not Lauer—without the visitor having to lay him out, unless he lurched forward with a headbutt. It looked to me as though he might have done just that. Were I Lauer, I’d want at least another foot separation somehow, even if I had actually to step back a couple of times to maintain it.
Just sent an email to you too.
Mainly I wanted to encourage you to consider a combination of reading aloud and silent reading as a way to both encourage stories and help the whole process a long. We’ve got such a strange attitude about reading aloud, when that was a prominent form of family entertainment 150 years ago.
Otherwise, can he find any biographies of Jimi Hendrix or Bob Marley or any other musicians that intersect his passion.
My dream job would be that of a “connector” – I want to connect people to books, people to people, people to ideas that are near their interest.
HotFlash @ 216
Now where did I put that eye patch……..
I wondered what the effect would have been if Matt Lauer had stepped back. Would that have made the bullying even more clear?
TRex @ 223
Ah, there are two tricks that *no one* teaches new calligraphers. (I learned due to stuborness, and I couldn’t afford the ink at the time) 1. use Gouache (Opaque watercolor) applied to the pen with a brush. Dilute it so that it’s like heavy cream. Gouache behaves *very* different from ink, there’s a different kind of surface tension so you don’t get as much blobbing.
2. Start very slow. Even on page 30 of the psalms, it still takes 4 minutes to write 5 words. At the beginning it was more like 5 minutes for 3 words. An ink catridge pen can’t be used that slowly.
oh, and a 3rd tip, don’t start with copier paper, use calligraphy paper, it’s not too expensive and it doesn’t have the nasty ink running problems that copier paper does.
NZ Expat @ 230
I’ll go check my email…
Interestingly enough, they are also requiring the students to read an assignment out loud and then discuss it with their parents. Yesterday’s was a story about Wilma Rudolph (one of my personal heroes when I was his age) That was a nice surprise.
Thanks
Gosh I love this site. Golly I love all these comments. We are a blessed community. The top of the pyramid is crumbling. We’ll all be there to clean up, like good first responders.
prostragedragon @ 229
Actors and TV types don’t move around. They are stuck where the lights and camera are pointing. After all these years in front of a camera it wouldn’t occur to him to move unless the director told him to.
NZ Expat @ 232
My boyfriend is a TV Engineer and has worked in the industry for 25yrs and has done NBA games either before or after the Bush Bamabozzal events. I addressed several of the quirky things in last nights late night post but Bush does not allow people within a specified distance. What they do is place the camera such that it looks like they are close but they aren’t. When he is speaking and they crowd is standing they cannot be within 10-15 ft of him but when you see these events they look like they could touch him. It is illusion.
I have not seen all of the Lauer video but what I find amazing how it does show the bullying behavior even if he was the designated number of feet away.
beard5 @ 224
Yes, exactly! “Homeland” is a concept they use to justify protecting physical territory (”land”) by sacrificing everything else that makes this country what it is.
Kitty cats say I should go to bed, and if they say it, I gotta. Nite, all.
Me too. Thanks everyone. Nite.
all right, I know I probably shouldn’t be amused by *ucker Tarlson on Dancing with the Stars, but here was one little bit of an article on MSNBC:
apparently, he did not even have the courage to make an effort and completely humiliated himself…
OldCoastie @ 241
oh! but there’s MORE! in a different article (sorry, I’m too tired to link) in MSNBC:
So did I really hear it correctly? John Stewart’s clip of the Chimp saying:
“The terrorist attack brought us to our knees…but not in the way the terrorists intended.”
Someone…anyone…please tell me my ears deceive me. No speechwriter worth a plug nickel would use anything like those words in a speech.
Okay, well, a tiny black kitty with orange eyes has wandered out of the rain and up on my porch. Teeny little thing and just the purrin’-est, wiggly-est, affection starved little angel.
I put out a dish of food and a towel for the little tyke to sleep on. More than that I cannot do tonight. Juan and Gus would never forgive me.
I can NOT adopt another cat. More than two cats and no boyfriend equals TRex is a Crazy Cat Person.
Awfully cute little baby, though, all defenseless out there in rain.
RBG – I think that’s what he said… but ya know, I don’t listen too carefully to chimpy – makes my head hurt…
Did everyone see this iTunes/Disney news yet?
I wonder if the Path to 9/11 will be free.
careful, TRex… kitties are designed to have pretty eyes…!
TRex @ 245
Trex! Twos hardly nothin’. I’ve got eight, and in my single days I had as many as 13.
OldCoastie @ 241
No humina humina for Tuckie…Back to his lonely tweenage cubicle, littered with sticky lad mags and takeout cartons of dubious provenance…
;>)
TRex @ 245
Not Crazy Cat Person….Big-Hearted Therapod!
RBG @ 244
Must have cut the line immediately after that, referring to praying. But, nevertheless, that rather awkward construction does rather suggest an unintended punchline, doesn’t it? :)
Bush is obviously feeling the absence of Gerson’s unctuous, slithery prose.
Just arrived and wonder if anyone can provide a link to the Matt/Chimp segment. I’m not sure I understand the point of their conversation…was Bush being interviewed for 9/11?
darkblack @ 250
FABulous, darkblack…! and apparently, he DID don the bow tie for tonight’s performance…!
darkblack @ 250
707!!! Oh, Brilliant!!
spiderpaws @ 253
yes, it was a 9/11 interview here.
darkblack @
250
My god, darkblack. I believe you have reached Tuckerdammerung!
night everyone!
So…here’s the full quote from the official WH transcript:
“The attacks were meant to bring us to our knees, and they did, but not in the way the terrorists intended.”
If he was trying to make a reference to prayer, this former choirboy sure went an entirely different direction.
When it comes to the Chimp, all i have to say is
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP
HotFlash @ 211
Oh I’m so fucking glad he did!
[Field holler] Don’t hold back, y’all! And don’t keep any secrets!
No closet sociopaths, psychopaths, or folk who want to lead us down the garden path! Been restraining any urges to go on national TV, before Congress, to the UN General Assembly with racial slurs and dreams of pogroms?
Belch them up, soon! What with global warming, who’ll notice the extra sulfur?
If there’s one thing we don’t need at this point, it’s surprises! We need to know! We need to know everything!!
apparently tinfoil will reflect the microwaves…
TRex @
245
Yes, and needing YOUR protection. You need that kitty, or at least, to find a home for it.
RBG @ 259
The next line is (as quoted by Froomkin today):
“Americans united in prayer, came to the aid of neighbors in need, and resolved that our enemies would not have the last word.”
Cheers.
HeirofPatriots @ 247
I wonder if the Path to 9/11 will be free.
The plan and ads was to offer PT9/11 for free, but I heard on AAR last night that Apple has recinded that offer. Can’t find anything yet other than what was on the John Elliot’s show last evening.
http://www.variety.com/article…..=h&p=0
OldCoastie @ 254
Women sense Tuckie’s foularded power…But they deny him their essence.
Fortunately, the grain alcohol and grape Fanta dulls the pain
;>)
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 263
Grumble.
We’ll see if s/he’s still out there in the morning. (Damn thing was so squirmy I couldn’t ever determine a gender.)
Dang, I liked Stewart’s version much better.
How could you leave a kitten out in the rain? What kind of person are you?
Gonna have to re-think my opinion of FDL if people who are cool with leaving defenseless kittens out in the rain at night are contributors.
double post, sorry
Actors and TV types don’t move around. They are stuck where the lights and camera are pointing. After all these years in front of a camera it wouldn’t occur to him to move unless the director told him to.
Hadn’t thought of that, HotFlash, being not too much of either. Then I really hope the SS are on their toes around him. Unless there’s a really good reason for standing, he and his interviewer should be put in chairs with some space and perhaps a table—maybe like the one that kept Chancellor Merkel from swinging around and breaking his hold, or at least a tea table.
TRex @ 257
And the jabot-clad Viking Maidens go, “Doot, da doot, doot da doot da doot…”
;>)
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 269
My first obligation is to my two inside kitties. Gus is 18 and not in the best of health. Introducing a new animal to his environment is probably not best done abruptly in the middle of the night.
Also, this newcomer is doubtless carrying a massive cargo of fleas, and could be infected with FIV or feline leukemia. I fixed the little critter a bed out there and left a dish of food and a dish of water. The rest will have to wait until we have been to the vet.
Pleeeeeeease don’t make me feel any guiltier than I already do.
OldCoastie @ 262
Some frequencies; it amplifies others. Not that I would know anything about that from YKos or anything…
I’d click the link, but I can’t watch that son-of-a-bitch. I’ll have a stroke.
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 269
Lived 19 yrs in Oregon where it rains 300 days a year. Let me tell you, cats spent the night outside.
And I agree TRex, you have to think of the health of your own kitties. I would not take a strange dog in who could injury my 12 yr old baby.
Okay, guys. I am taking my cold heartless kitten-abandoning ass to bed.
Good night.
T-Rex, no need to feel guilty, you’ve done more than most would do already.
Here have a chocolate martini, in thanks for tonight’s thread.
(Yes, made right, Vanilla Vodka, Godiva Dark, a splash of Chambord (or Grand Marnier) shaken with ice, and served with a chocolate ganache filled bing cherry on the side)
Nite nite TRex… see ya tomorrow
Sleep well Mighty Saurian!
And on that note, my eyes have gone wobbly from the tiny painted knotwork over here. It’s bedtime for beards.
beard5 @ 278
ACK!
Just a soda and lime if that’s okay. I don’t drink anymore and even when I did, I was a vodka tonic kind of drinker.
Back when I was a pothead, however, that drink probably would have REALLY appealed to me. Hell, anything with sugar in it appealed to me when I was stoned.
Hard to argue with your points…I donno, I think I’d at least put a cat carrier (I have three) out on the porch with the door open so the kitty could have some shelter form the rain.
I’m a real pushover for cats of just about every age. One of mine even likes my guitar when it’s up loud.
One Soda and Lime on the way through the intertoobz (that’s what the drinkholder on the computer tower is for, right?)
Guitar Playing Bastard @ 282
It’s a very deep porch. He’s well out of the rain. I made a little bed behind the porch swing. That’s actually where Gus goes and lays down when he wants to sun himself in the afternoon.
Okay, really, good night!
So, Jane and Christy went to NYC for a wedding, eh?
;>)
old coastie… thanks for the link. It seemed to me Bush wanted to stand up to Lauer in a manly fashion and show who is the boss with his family protection racket. And the thrust was, don’t ask me why or how, just shut your journalistic yap and accept that I, the king and boss of the world, make the decisions about whether we torture and I WON’T BE QUESTIONED as I am the KING…back away now Matt-y boy as I am head goon (and crazy too!)
Re the Lauer/Bush if you want to call it an interview video. Where are the real stand up guys and gals in our capitol (the ones we sent there) and why haven’t they said: Enough with this nut case running our country, it’s time for a Coup!!!!! Do It!
TRex…I do a lot of rescue and have enough experience to say what you did is enough for one day. You done good.
It’s awfully quiet in here.
Old Coastie (#243):
“bringing up the rear was…” how appropriate,
spiderpaws @
288
I have a feeling Bootsy is really convincing them one at a time of late, as he seems to be getting less and less regulated while the insulation around him is getting thinner.
By the way, when I suggested that someone in Matt Lauer’s position might step back from an agressor, by no means do I mean step down. Rather, I mean strengthen the signal to the guards in the room, who should already have picked up Lauer’s hand gestures, and who furthermore should have been alerted by the St. Petersburg debacle to their charge’s contact issues. I don’t know what SS doctrine actually is, but would assume that having the President get aggressively physical with a guest would be as much to be avoided as the reverse—dignity of the office and all.
Of course, it’s a net plus for as many people as possible to see how unsuitable he is.
prostragedragon @ 291
Reminds me of the recently-released batch of Nixon tapes wherein Kissinger was advising others to keep Nixon off the telephone because he was drunk.
I’m sure there’s an ongoing, administration-to-administration set of policies to maintain protocol. And I’m equally sure that Junior’s lack of recognition of boundaries strains that protocol at times.
If I were Karl Rove, I’d be particularly worried about his highness losing it under pressure, and the thoughts of investigations and the partial awakening of a somnolent press could cause plenty of pressure. My guess is that after this brief flurry of speeches and interviews in the effort to politicize 9/11, the only people to be granted his presence are going to be Republican fundraisers.
Cheers.
darkblack @
286
db ! yer bein’ naughty agin!
You should try living in Georgia. All you ever see are cars with George W bumper stickers. Try living in a state where everyone thinks this is a great president. If it wasn’t for sites like this I would go nuts.
Bonnie @
295
bonnie,
you’re probably not still there but, i used to live in north louisiana (the part that’s more like mississippi than south louisiana). that was 35 years ago. it was stifling, but then it was possible to joke around more about politics. i would hate to live there now with all of the subsequent polarization nation wide……..
I know someone who knows someone who knew him at Yale. The word on him is that he was the most arrogant human being the guy had ever come across. And considering that Yale is not known for shrinking wallflower egos…
Second story about him – from the same source – was that Bush organised a “send out our laundry” scheme – rather than just do it in the washing machines there in the dorm basement. Everybody on the floor was supposed to ante up. The source of this tale told Bush that he wasn’t interested. He’d handle his own laundry in his own way thank you very much. Bush apparently got right in his face. Raged. Face empurpled. Don’t you dare cross me, that sort of thing. Was very threatening. “I’ll get you”.
Draw your own conclusions. Mine is that he’s an off-the-charts nasty little git who’s always had his own way, is used to it, doesn’t give a shit about what anybody else says or thinks or feels, will not brook – he wouldn’t of course use that word – being said no to.
OS,
you’re usually up by now. got the coffee on?
another bright, sunshiny day here in dresden…..
hi, A. Hachem. there was a great thread yesterday about Fuckwad. rwcole and cleter were off the meter. hilarious. if you didn’t catch it go take a peek.
Mornin’.
Or here, good afternoon. Just saw the 9/11 Keith Olbermann video. My God*—at last someone is speaking the truth.
*I am a religious person and only use this phrase under extreme circumstances.
Good morning FDL! I’ve got Sumatran brewing right now, and pecan cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven (they’re store bought, but pretty yummy)
Morning Far, Egregious and A. Now I’m up. These chillier mornings (43 this AM), it’s so pleasant to lie around a little before getting up. And yes,(raises coffee mug) cheers to y’all and best wishes for peace and blessings all around our planet!!
Egee, how’re the kids today?
OS, it is getting colder now, isn’t it? Pooh. I’m not quite ready to fire up the wood stove yet.
Morning Beard, the morning schedule is different now that I put in a fire first thing!! Also the evening…our big old drafty house fairly close to the shore gets damp and cool easily, and there was quite the breeze yesterday. LOL The weather folk said that today will be the final day of cooler weather and that now we’ll have a few days /nights in a slightly higher range. Hmmph! The writing is on the wall for autumn chills and plenty of fires!!
Morning all. It’s a rainy day in Georgia. Bonnie where in GA do you live? I’m in North Fulton County, home of Tom Price, yuk.
OS, I hear that, with the plenty of fires. And I’ve got the supplies in. Including the fixings for some darned good chicken stock, and turkey stock (I bone the stuff myself and freeze the bits and pieces for stockmaking) There’s nothing like a woodstove for cooking up stock right.
G’morning, all. How’s ever’body? Anybody see Anne around yesterday? Time to issue a BOLO?
Very happy to see you, egy, and your updates on Boris and the baby (especially that the baby got to go home). How’s Boris today? I hated hearing that he’ll lose even part of a foot, but I bet your presence will help spur him on to another comeback.
Did y’all notice radlib1’s drop-in at 209? First time I’ve seen him in months. Drat that I wasn’t here when he was, because I’ve been hankering to request his views on the current behavior of his old college roomie (none other than Joe Lieberman).
Also been frustrated to keep missing NZ Expat, whom I keep trying to refer to Carl Hiaasen’s website. Well, NZE, since it disappeared entirely last time I tried, now I’ll just suggest that you Google our Carl.
I know you join me in salivatin’ for Christy’s first post of the day . . .
Beard, we usually only fire up the cookstove in the dead of winter. The rest of the time our parrot cage sits on it–smart bird, she won’t live anywhere else but the kitchen so she doesn’t miss any particularly good tidbits of food!! But it IS the best for cooking soups, for sure, and at our house, it also heats up the whole north side of the house.
Robert Dreyfuss in RS: “The Phony War”
http://www.rollingstone.com/ne…..n_terror/1
Morning All:
There is just nothing like that first sip of coffee. Mmmmmmmm
The Daytona Beach paper had such a good editorial on Sunday, I’ve been meaning to share it with y’all ever since. Here’s most of it:
Robert Pape: What We’ve Learned About Suicide Terrorism Since 9/11
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6679
Far, your contribution to 16 words is wonderful. I know what you mean about FDL being oxygen…sometimes one can suffocate even in the presence of beautiful clean air!!
Good morning! I hope my sewing machine hasn’t died on me! My husband’s busy trying to save it now, so I thought I’d come chat.
Beard, I could use a little shot of whiskey in that coffee, pleeeeeeease.
Other trouble: I never received my overseas NY ballot! And I didn’t get it in 2004, either. The Bd of Elections is blaming the postman. But I think that’s quite odd that it could happen twice in a row.
It sounds nice and cozy up in Maine.
Try turning your sewing machine off and then back on.
Goog morning pups! Chilly here in Beantown (46 — but it is supposed to get to 73.) Waiting for the coffee to finish percolatin’.
Hi, Florida Mom. Unfortunately, that didn’t work. It’s an old, inexpensive hand-me-down from my mother-in-law, and I might have just pushed it to its limits.
My husband thinks he can fix it, though.
Morning Pfifferling! I know when my sewing machine decides to go wonky, it’s almost always because threads have gotten jammed up in the bobbin area (and no, I can’t see them easily, it takes a flashlight and tweezers to get them out, oh and mustn’t forget the most important tool, mass quantities of truly foul language)
Pfiffer–good day to you. Hoping your machine is working by now, or that you have a good local repair person. (One of the blessings I have here)
I wonder how many others did not get absentee ballots the country over.
Chaffee took RI, Ellison in MN (muslim!), Hillary beat Tasini;( ……..
Beard, flashlight, tweezers and massive quantities….LOL
Morning Imm……
And by the way, where are those great snaps of Christy and Jane with the Big Dawg? I saw them briefly yesterday and then life took over…..
Pfifferling @ 313
I hope he can. I inherited my grandmother’s sewing machine and I display it like a museum piece and run my Sears special into the ground. What are you making? My girls start their first sewing project this week. One is making a purse and the other a vintage dress for her American Girl doll.
Old Sow, I looked up your website yesterday and, wow, what beautiful fabric you have.
Beard, I left a comment for you and Waccamaw a couple of days ago. I’m going to try to figure out how to copy it over here!
FloridaMom, too. So many sewers on the morning thread!
I’m doing this coat Vogue 1476
Good morning to you, *ilson. Back in my usual fix at 307 and 310, so I’ll appreciate your help again. Thanks.
Morning all, since the grief induced insomnia is preventing any sleeping being done in my bed I thought I would check in and say hi to the morning crew.
Oh wow! That’a beautiful. What does your fabric look like? Oh and I wouldn’t call me a sewer. I’d call me a pretend sewer. I have had moments of glory followed by complete and utter disaster. Do you have a favorite brand of thread? Or a certain blend I should use?
Hopefully this is the link from the other day, Beard
Link
Good morning FFToobz. Sorry to hear about the grief, the best I can do is offer some great internet coffee, and a sympathetic ear.
Have to dash and get my family out the door. Will catch up later.
I just heard that the Dems are calling for equal time on the networks because Bush’s speech that he gave on 9/11 was a political speech.
Fini! Haven’t seen you in days, boyo. I’m sorry you’re grieving and sorry I don’t know the cause, but it’s good to have you back at whatever hour.
FloridaMom, I’m just a beginner, so no moments of glory here, yet. This pattern is my biggest challenge so far.
I’m just doing a muslin now, so it’s not the nice fabric yet. I’m hoping to do it up in a black wool jersey, or a patterned woven wool. But I’m just hoping that I won’t look like I’m wearing a blanket!
UN calls on NATO to destroy opium poppy crops
http://news.monstersandcritics…..m_industry
I think this is a terrible idea. How does anyone expect the Afghan people to live if their cash crop is destroyed by other people’s wars? All else in their country has been destroyed. Many nations are so busy contributing to the war effort that no aid will come to help the people there. Destroying the crop only destroys more Afghan lives!!! Let the countries with drug addiction problems solve their social problems and rehabilitate addicts and let all of us help Afghanistan develop an economy that doesn’t need to grow poppies to feed, clothe and house its people.
So sorry FiniToobz.
beard5 @ 323
Not much of a coffee drinker, but if you have any internets Earl Grey I’ll take some :)
I appreciate the offer though. My family and I could use some prayers/good energy/keeping us in your thoughts from the great people of FDL right now as we deal with my mother’s impending passing. She has been battling with brain and lung cancer and the hospice nurses are keeping her comfortably numb right now. She is expected to pass very shortly.
Needless to say I am not sleeping much the last few days. Theres more on my personal blog if you click my name.
Oh, Pfiffer, that will look fantastic in the wool jersey. The drape should be about perfect for it.
I used a loose woven wool that needed extra body to keep it from stretching out of shape, so I dyed the muslin test-run to match and used that as an interlining
Old Sow, someone wrote an interesting op-ed in the NYT a while ago, explaining how much more sense it would make to let them keep the crop. I’ll see if I can find it.
tommy yum @
247
I *always* have Earl Grey here, it’s a staple.
for the future, in a box white cake, replace the water with Earl Grey, it’s a revelation, really.
And I’m so very sorry to hear about the cause of the insomnia.
OS (#309):
thanks OS. i couldn’t have been more sincere.
if anyone hasn’t been to
Whiskey Bar today and read billmon, it’s great. and the photo after the review of the Mike Judge film “Idiocracy” is truly hilarious. it looks like the moguls are trying to do to this film what they tried to do to “Brazil”. Someone was saying yesterday about Matt Lauer “finding his testicles” and it’s too bad the suits in Hollywood don’t know their missing theirs. i’m not a big fan of Matt’s but i think it might be interesting to invite him over to FDL to talk about his experience interviewing both Fuckwad and the Satanic Anne in such a brief span of time.
Peace to you and your mom, Fini. She’ll hear you telling her you love her, and it’ll mean everything to you both.
Venezuela locks in UN Security Council seat
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20…..0912222058
So will this bring about the end of the UN? Hope that it’s giving a few sleepless nights to certain people in DC.
beard5 @
333
Thank you. She took a turn for the worse just after we moved at the end of August and so I haven’t been around lately in comments here. I’ve missed you guys lately, FDL has a great community.
And whats this about the white cake? Like a white cake mix, use Earl Grey instead of water? Please elaborate, I will be doing some baking the next few days, I may try this.
FFT…blessings for your family in this difficult time. ……
“How much longer is he going to be allowed to spit in the face of the Constitution and flout the will of the American people?”
Not much longer. Just until we impeach him.
Take heart, TRex!
FloridaMom, I know you’ve gone, but I just saw your question about thread. I use Mettler Metrosene or Amman (which is made by the same company and is easier for me to get here in Munich).
Old Sow @ 337
Thank you OS, I appreciate that.
yeah, billmon….. http://billmon.org/ his usual good perspective……
OS, I can’t find the op-ed I was looking for, perhaps it wasn’t the NYT? My memory’s not what it used to be….
Beard5, thanks for the Earl Grey / cake tip!
I use Duncan Hines White cake mix for those rare occasions when I desire white cake (often for muffins with strange fillings) and one morning I thought, hey, tea is basically flavored water….and a nifty muffin was born.
If you need a fancier style of muffin to occupy your mind go to Chockylit’s Blog She is an inspiration
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 320
Condolences Fini. it’s never easy…….
fahrender @ 344
Thank you fahr, this has been extraordinarily difficult for me to deal with. I’m basically losing two people, my mother and my best friend.
Fahrender, have you ever had an overseas ballot not arrive? No ballot two elections in a row now for me.
FiniFiniToobz, what kind of baking will you be doing?
It’s 6:38 am Wednesday in the Texas Hill Country and I am waaaaay late to this party, but I just read TRex’s post and have to chime in to say, AMEN, BROTHER!
TRex, you rock.
Pfifferling @ 346
Not sure yet, I am intrigued by the white cake muffins/ Earl Grey idea. Whenever I grieve I bake things as a way to keep my mind busy to help process the grief. Plus I like to experiment while baking.
Any secret family recipes for sweet things you’d like to share? Also, I am on the lookout for diabetic friendly recipes using Splenda.
I don’t have any special family recipes, unfortunately, but I love Rose Levy Beranbaum’s brownie recipe. They’re very bitter and just a little bite is enough. Yum. I also have a recipe for lemon bars somewhere. They’re tasty, too.
Let me know if you’d like the recipes.
Fini FiniTOOBZ!, such a tough time. Big hugs.
Pfifferling @ 349
I collect brownie recipes like some people collect stamps, by all means do share those. Lemon bars are always good and I lost my recipe card for those so if you have a recipe that spares me from buying the boxed ones that would be great. I don’t care for the corporate food dessert boxes. I like making things from scratch like Mom and my grandma used to make.
Fini, I just remembered that I had some cookies in Brussels recently that had actual Earl Grey leaves in it. They were delicious. It was just a basic butter cookie, I think, with the leaves mixed in.
op99 @ 350
{{{{{{{{op99}}}}}}} thank you. I’m glad I poked my head in here this morning, you guys are so awesome.
Fini, I’ll get typing! If I’m too slow and the conversation moves on to the next thread, check back in here, OK?
OT.LOL……..And, now that I look at comments above, there are some hilarious ones, following on T’Rex’s usual snark!!
Pfifferling @ 352
MMMMMM…now that sounds interesting. I need to visit my local tea shop to replenish my supply of the EG. It looks like I’m gonna be doing some experimenting with a few different ideas.
Pfifferling @ 354
Will do, thanks! Or if you want to send them to me in email i can be found at finifinito at gmail dot com.
Bravo and thank you, *ilson!
Fini, left you a message at your blog, dear.
alittlemusicalityplease, I’d have you to know that your 9/11 story heavily wowed my email list (sent several to Wiki after the VLA too)!
There’s a very droll column in the London Times this morning (with cartoon to match), on how Chimpy’s Poodle is faring these days. Here’s a taste:
In full here, mumf mumf mumf.
beard5 @
333
In a box chocolate cake, replace the water with Kahlua. Undercook slightly.
BTW-I’m sorry too.
RLB Brownies
Ingredients:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 oz butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 lg eggs, room temp
1/2tsp vanilla
1/4 c flour
pinch salt
2 oz pecans (1/2 c)
Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line bottm of 8-inch pan with wax paper and butter / flour it, knocking out the excess flour.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl that’s sitting over a pot of hot water, stirring often. Remove it from the heat when it’s smooth and let it sit for about 10 minutes, till just warm.
Mix in the sugar and then the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. I just use a fork.
Stir in the flour and salt until JUST blended. Then add the pecans, if using.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake 20-25 mins (NOTE: in my oven, they’re done after 15-20 mins so watch closely.)
They’re ready when a toothpick inserted an inch from the edge of the pan comes out with a moist crumb, but the center will still seem wet.
Makes 16 brownies.
GSD at 202………now that’s chilling…unfortunately not out of character…
YEA!! FiniFiniT
I have been swamped and haven’t been able top play here at the lake much, but I do read everything I can and just again wanted to thank you for your contributions to “The Spin I’m In.” At the end of the week, it is always so timely and healing — Thanks!!
Good morning all.
I am very sorry for your pain, Fini– it surely seems that you and your Mom are very close so it must be especially hard. Hugs.
Fini, I think my sewing machine is ready for me to try out now, so I have to go. I will come back and post the lemon bars recipe in a little while, in case there’s anyone else out there that would like to try them. So do check back for it.
(((((((((Fini)))))))
Old Sow @
327
Amen, Old Sow!!!
wrt to Venezuela and their seat– I say hurrah!
mornin’ all. overcast here, makes me want to go back to bed.
Thank you all for your kindnesses. I appreciate you all so much. Thank you immanentize for your appreciation. I love working with Donita on The Spin I’m In each week. She is such a great musician and music lover, her taste in music impeccable and her style is just awesome. It is an honor to work with her on that.
BTW, is anyone else on Firefox having trouble with browser crashing here this morning? I think one of the blog ads is freaking out Firefox.
Fini, one more thing: here’s a link to the EG cookie manufacturer. They have a picture of it on their site, so you can get an idea of how many leaves they put in. Dandoy
Folks, hit f5 a batch of messages just popped out :)
Pfifferling @ 371
MMMM I so love Dandoy. I’m gonna have to get a batch of these.
Mornin’ All,
as of 10 minutes ago, per Josh, Donna Edwards has a lead of 200 votes
Fini – so sorry to hear of your loss, prayers for comfort and rest coming your way
Lotus! You were here all along! I have to go try my machine now (all cross your fingers, please), so I will catch you all later.
Angie, the military solution to every problem is SO old-fashioned and corrupt and basically pointless. But the farmers are a great target, right?, and they won’t fight back, and they’re easy to find. What a waste of compassion, UN, why don’t you go after the distributors if you want to go after someone? Otherwise, with regard to this issue, STFU!!!
Fini, we’ve missed you. Sending you large waves of FDL love. Take good care of yourself. We need you.
Old Sow @ 376
Hate to sound sexist here, but I feel we are living out but one more tiresome and dangerous iteration of the “strong” man mythology. Resorting to war is a failure.
Oh heaven help us:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01594.html
New Post!
Pfiff – fingers XXXX’d for the machine. Got your note. How’s the muslin coming…..try-on time near? Blk wool jersey sounds yum – patterned fabric on design like yours can be harder to predict.
Beard5 – after my own heart on masses of *#@*!!! when encountering recalcitrant machinery.
Oh Lotus, hi…
Geez, the news of all the dead each day in Iraq is disgusting. Iraq is coming apart. A friend once said that there were great similarities in the astrological chart of Iraq and Bush…as goes Iraq, so goes “Brush”, eh? Maybe Whore-hey WON’T finish out his term afterall.
Meta, no sh*t Sherlock.
One thing that struck me about the interview, besides Bush’s invasion of Lauer’s space in a blatantly bullying way, was how he kept invoking Lauer’s family. Don’t you see, he seems to ask, I am only trying to save your family. If you disagree with me, you don’t love your family, you want them dead.
Also, his job is not to protect the people at all costs. As I recall his job is to protect and defend the frigging Constitution. He is doing a horrible job.
“Don’t you see,” he says, “We have to destroy the Constitution in order to save our country. It is simple, just like me.”
I wonder if we will ever get him out of office.
cbl @ 374
Thank you cbl. I am starting to finally get sleepy now that the Tylenol PM seems to be kicking in. And on that note, I am gonna try to regain the lost sleeptime from last night this morning.
Talk to you all soon, and please keep the positive energy and prayers coming our way for my family. For anyone who wishes to keep updated on whats happening, I have been updating people via my blog which is linked from my name right there.
I have Austin Evers from Emboldened helping Donita with the Spin I’m In column this week so check back on Friday as usual for that. I will return as soon as I can and I will poke my head into the comments more as opportunity permits.
Hi, Pfiff — yep, the Queen of Tape Delay, dat’s me, especially when I’m up-&-about before *ilson.
Earl Grey cookies sho’ sound fine to me, so thanks to you and beardy for sowing that seed in our minds!
Old Sow @
385
I was being coy! These guys have ruined the world.
Old Sow and meta– the Afghan people are suffering from unrelenting poverty and the only thing some of them have is poppy. Nobody tried to help them recover and re- establish the crops that were destroyed during the Soviet invasion and now the landscape is littered with mines and cluster munitions so that even if they try to cultivate poppy– they run the risk of death or dismemberment. ;( Years of war, drought and the attrition of able bodied people have taken an enormous toll on that country. I would bet that the average Afghan does not directly benefit from poppy, but those that can should be able to subsist on something. Goodness knows, we and the international community (with the exception of some NGO’s) have done far, far too little. It’s shameful.
Fini FiniTOOBZ! @ 356
FFT, I’ve had this brownie recipe since 1976. It’s the best. They’re called Depression Brownies and are guaranteed to cheer you up — and they’re a snap to make.
Here goes:
DEPRESSION BROWNIES
–Pre-heat oven to 325F.
–Lightly butter a round baking tin (I use an 8″ cake pan and cut the finished brownies in wedges).
–Melt together in the top of a double boiler 1 stick of sweet unsalted butter and 2 squares or 2 oz. of bittersweet chocolate (I ALWAYS add a bit more chocolate).
–Remove the butter-chocolate mixture from heat and beat in 1 C. sugar (or the appropriate amount of Splenda substitute); beat sugar-butter well so brownies aren’t grainy.
–Then beat in 1/2 C. sifted flour, followed by 2 eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla (again, I always splash in a little extra vanilla; Mexican vanilla is my favorite.
–Add 1 C. of chopped walnuts or pecans and mix well.
–Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.
If you try them, let me know what you think.
Enjoy!
Fini
I am so sorry. I don’t know if this helps, but my father died of lung cancer when I was 19.
He was in terrible pain at the end. After his funeral, we all went back to my Grandpa’s house and did two things:
We talked about how glad we were that he was finally free from his suffering.
And we each ahd to tell our favvorite story or describe our favorite thing about him. I heard stories about my father that I had never heard before. Many of them were very funny. We laughed. We enjoyed his life even after it was over.
Maybe lookng at it that way, will help make it a little easier for you. She never dies so long as she lives in your heart.
They are worse than just incompetent. I can have some pity for folks whose brain capacity is less than mine. The problem with these guys is that they are also evil. They use religion as a shield as they fill their pockets using the strategies of a giant corporation. They BELIEVE in what they do. That’s the scary part. And for the love of god, I do not see much difference between them and the terrorist. When you list the number dead, please explain to me why it’s okay that we killed these people??
meta @ 386
I know, meta, guess the “nss” came across wrong. They have ruined the world. Period.
Sad to say, I only had time to read the first half of these great comments before leaving this little drive-by comment:
When I saw the Bush/Lauer video the first thing I thought was, geez, I’ve seen that body language before, it was someplace specific, where was it?
Oh yeah…in a local taproom. It’s the body language of every ornery drunk. Poking the finger in the other guy’s chest. Yup, Bush is a mean drunk, alright.
And he thinks all of us are his “kids” who he gets to abuse with his violent anger. Too bad for him most of the nation has now awakened, as though the country has gone through some necessary Alanon sessions.
Let’s just hope that when he “hits bottom” he doesn’t take the rest of the world with him.
Waccamaw, it works! My husband’s a genius. It works better than it ever has, like a new machine! I’m so relieved. I should be able to finish the muslin today. Will let you know how it turns out.
FINI, you bet. Lots of positive energy coming your way. Here’s the recipe I promised.
Alittlemusicalityplease, will have to try your recipe!
Catch up with you all later.
Lemon Bars
Base:
10 TBs butter (5 oz), softened
2 Tbs powdered sugar
2 Tbs gran. sugar
1 1/4 c flour (6.25 oz)
Lemon Curd:
4 lg yolks
3/4 c sugar (5.25 oz)
3 oz lemon juice (~2 1/2 lg lemons)
4 Tbs butter (2 oz)
pinch salt
2 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbs powdered sugar
8 x 8″ pan, bottom and two sides lined with foil
BASE: Whisk sugars together. Cream butter with sugars till light and fluffy. Mix in flour till incorporated. Oven 325 degrees. Put dough in pan and prick. Bake 30 -40 minutes till edges lightly brown and top is pale golden.
CURD: beat egg yolks and sugar, stir in lemon juice, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, ~6 mins, till thickened (coats spoon). Stir in zest.
When the shortbread’s baked, decrease oven temp to 300 degrees, pour curd on top and bake about 10 mins.
Cool completely in pan. Refrig for about 30 mins to set curd. Lift out of pan, and then cut into thirds, then in half the other way, then each half in thirds (hope that makes sense).
Store in an airtight container at room temp for about 3 days or in the fridge / freezer.
Oh Fini!
I just caught sight of your post.
My heart and prayers go out to your mom, your whole family, and with great affection, to you.
May her passing be peaceful, with her loved ones around her. And may you be held lovingly in God’s hand throughout all your pain.
Golly, Pfiff, I may just hafta do the lemon curd, get me a big ol’ spoon, and just make off with that part all by itself (though no doubt the shortbread only helps matters).
Oooooooo.
Fini, what Mrs. K8 said.
Excellent! Captures what most thought when they watch it and more.
Well, I guess that rules out Homer Simpson. Too bad, because he is eminently more qualified than this maroon.
It’s the first thing I looked at. Bush was using his body to try and intimidate Lauer, waving arms around, corralling him with his hands, boxing him in, keeping him back. I think it really pissed Bush off that Lauer was a) taller, and b) not intimidated. They were boxing with gesticulation. It is only in my dreams that Bush is stripped of his office and then taken out back to get the shit kicked out of him. Enough sublimation, big talker. Let’s get down to it.
Luv that, Nezua — mm-HMMM!
FFToobz, so sorry for this sad time for you.
TRex, you’re on too late for me, but I always catch up in the morning.
You’re killin’ me with these posts. Another great one.
OldCoastie @ 25
Bush is a small cell carcinoma. a cancer on society.
with apologies to all w cancer or who lost a dear one.
[back to zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]
i know i’m really late to this thread but i nearly spit out my lunch laughing at this post.
effin’ hilarious. i’m passing it around now.
thank you for brightening my otherwise cloudy day.
One of the sadest parts of his speaking is his radio addresses which he apparently thinks there is no need to pre-read them.
They essentially sound like he is a 3rd grader reading a text for the first time. “See Jack ro..run. Run, Jack, Run. Jail…Jill is cool.”
Toss in the pathetic Shakespear/WWII language that his speech writers either mock him with or think sounds so cool – and it just make a person cry.
The idea of standing so close and jabbing his finger at Matt L (And in the grand office) was to intimidate him, but surprisingly it did not work. Bush really looked the fool.
The fall back tactic was that it was just weird and threw him off a bit. But Matt L. did not even flush, sweat, or back off all that much (for him).
I saw it and you are right on – it was just weird. I wish Matt L had called him with more facts on the fact that it was illegal.
Maybe Bush would have said what he thought. “See, it won’t be illegal in the future…see.” Since his sad ass non-conservative neo-conservatives flout the rule of law and oversight (and if allowed will grant immunity, and retro-active legalization of breaking constitutional law.
Last trailing comment. Matt L apparently threw him a life vest at the begining by asking about his families safetly, which of course Bush just used over and over. He is obviously a 1 – 3 index card talking-head.
“See, Turd Blossom told me to just stick to one or two points see, no matter the question. See, you hit one of my bullet points…I am the protector…decider…whatever..hehe hehe hee. Won’t get fooled again. Stay the course see.”
I gotta say, while Bush-whacking may be old hat, this is some fine, primo-quality bash you got here.
Nicely done.