After a week like this, how can any American lump all politicians and both parties into the "they're all corrupt" bin? Let me just do a quick round-up of what the morally bankrupt party that controls the executive and legislative branches of our government has been up to lately. This is merely what has caught my attention, mind you, so feel free to keep the round-up going in the comments section.
We started out the week with the right-wing take-over of not only ABC, but of our nation's collective memory of the September 11th attacks, with Disney/ABC's "Path to 9/11." The project's right-wing roots were exposed as being part of David Horowitz's 2-year PR campaign to blame Bill Clinton for 9/11, and this propagandistic pic was sublimely timed to coincide with the Bush adminstration's airwaves onslaught this week to drive fear and confusion into the hearts of all Americans just weeks before the mid-term elections. Has any president ever gotten so much airtime in one week before?
From Michigan came the news that the College Republicans on the campus of the University of Michigan were planning to recruit some young souls with activities like "Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day" and "Fun with Guns." Now, the first one is racist and reprehensible enough, but "Fun with Guns" would have involved students taking aim at cardboard cutouts of Democratic leaders with BB guns. When DNC chair Howard Dean wrote to RNC chair Ken Mehlman this week about how disgusting these activities were, Mehlman tried to distance the RNC from the planned events in Michigan. But, the fact remains that GOP and RNC funds flow to College Republican programs around the country, and such events have been been carried out on other campuses. As the copy on the College Republican National Committee web site reads:
As the grassroots arm of the GOP, the College Republican National Committee organizes the votes, volunteers, and media that win close contests all across the country.
Way to organize, GOP! Racism and assasination training!
Yesterday we learned that a report first commissioned by the FCC while under the leadership of Republican Michael Powell, was later buried because it found that media consolidation has had a negative impact on local news. Can't let THAT get out! No surprise that Powell, now a private consultant, is today denying that he had anything to do with the report, but that's a common Republican trick. Deny you had anything to do with reports or facts, should they come to light. Report? What report?
Then, there's my favorite rhyme of the week: Ney, Delay and a Street Named K. Republican Congressman Bob Ney agreed today to plead guilty to federal criminal charges that he made false statements and conspired to commit fraud and violate federal lobbying laws. From CBS Marketwatch:
Ney, an Ohio Republican, became the first lawmaker to admit wrongdoing in the investigation surrounding the activities of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Associated Press reported. Ney faces up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department said prosecutors will recommend that he serve 27 months, the report said. Ney signed the plea agreement Wednesday, but it was not approved by the Justice Department or filed with the U.S. court until Friday.
Republicans and the media have tried to make the Delay-Abramoff scandal into a bi-partisan smear of both parties, but look around, America. Those being indicted are only Republicans.
And because Republicans can never get enough of cloaking their activities in secrets and lies, they have also been busy this week whipping up a new front group, called the Economic Freedom Fund. The folks at the Patriot Project are reporting:
Yesterday in her Patriot Project post Robert J. Perry is Back, Taylor Marsh wrote about Robert J. Perry plunking down $5 million (!) just to fund the Economic Freedom Fund (EFF). Perry – who has close ties to Karl Rove and Tom DeLay – was a prime funder of the notorious Swift Boat Vets for Freedom – the smear front-group that made claims including that John Kerry shot himself to get his medals – and now this one person is providing $5 million in funding for a national front group that is attempting to have an influence on the control of the Congress in this election.
Fear and confusion is the Republican way. Forget about actually trying to solve problems or to show support for American citizens. The Republican-controlled Congress voted yesterday to deny aid to sick 9/11 responders.
Yesterday, Republican Senators blocked Senator Clinton's proposal to fund almost 2 billion for medical treatment for sick 9/11 responders. As reported in NYC’s Daily News:
Senate leaders invoked parliamentary rules, saying Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) amendment to a measure funding port security was not "germane." – NY Daily News
Is there no end to the moral bankruptcy of Republicans? Their failed policies have led to an immoral war and thousands of lost lives. Waste and destruction, fear and confusion. Today we learn that because of the mess Bush started in Iraq, trenches will now be dug around Baghdad to "increase security."
What's next, Republicans? A moat around DC?
Video of the leader only Republicans can adore, courtesy of raniday78.
Update: Senator Barbara Boxer is calling for an investigation into the buried FCC report mentioned above. Learn more from Free Press. You can see video of Boxer on Youtube.
Login Here
Share This
Spotlight
fitz! nix!
Go Blue!
Getting the zero at 36,000 feet in the air: priceless.
Jennifer, we are eager to see Marcy’s new book and happy to help with research and editing.
A toast to FDL Publishing!
We are planning on tattooing the Michigan college Republicans with “Rudy Sucks” signs and then dumping them in South Bend this weekend.
twisted: my father went to OSU and was in the Navy. We were taught from birth to say “beat Michigan” and “beat Army.”
Secretary Webb was amused to learn of the latter.
In fact I almost went to A squared twice, and have a cousin who is a prof there. So all is forgiven…almost.
I just can’t get enough of Bush v Gregory during this morning’s Pissy Presser.
Petulant Pissy Boy Bush, lamely and loudly playing the fear card at a kindergarten level.
_
A friend of mine who should know better once remarked that the Democrats weren’t that much different from the Republicans. So I pointed out the difference for him. “One is a political party,” I told him. “The other is a criminal conspiracy.”
It really is as simple as that.
Not being from Michigan, I actually disliked the Irish more than the Buckeyes. At least until I got in a bar fight in Columbus during M-OSU weekend my senior year. Was up in A Squared last weekend, it is still an awesome place.
Bobby is it up on Youtube yet?
btw, the FDL martini lounge is open. Cheers!
Jen!
A squared? Ann Arbor, egy? Er whut?
“What’s next, Republicans? A moat around DC?”
Geez, moats are for sissys! No fun unless we can fill ‘em up with oil and start ‘em on fire!
Karl “Got a light?” Rove
Roddy McCorley @ 7
Gambino Republicans says it all!
There already is a moat around DC, 495 aka the Beltway.
OT but…
Lawyer claims FCC ordered a report that showed media consolidation’s negative impact on news to be destroyed
NIXXXXX!!!!
Coke with lots of crushed ice for the big lizard coming up!
Twisted Martini @ 8
Dunno. I watched it off MSNBC’s website. Bush is losin’ it big-time. The audacity of anyone to question his tactics!
_
Jesus. What a week.
I’ll just go get a glass of chamgpagne. Anyone else?
bdu @ 11
By definition it’s not off topic if the poster talks about it!
I used to see the same derision and condescension from Bobby Knight. And the same slavish cult-like devotion from his minions. A bully who eventually fell on his ass. Let’s hope.
Hello BobbyG. Nice to see you again.
Thanks to those in the last thread who pointed me to the David Gregory thrashing. Shhhhh, Big Daddy’s going to need a quiet house tonight.
BobbyG @ 15
It’s not enough. I want him slurring, cursing, and losing his temper. Perhaps with a big white rock stuck in his nose, a la Neil in The Last Waltz. Live on tv.
They spent a fortune editing that out, you know.
Maybe he should try to give Helen Thomas a shoulder rub.
BobbyG @ 15
clip on youtube here
tommy yum @ 15
Thanks for the virtual hug [yesterday? this morning? damn this travel stuff].
Am off the hard stuff. A small glass of wine?
egregious @ 22
But of course, and you’re welcome. A soupcon of Sancerre.
Maybe he should try to give Helen Thomas a shoulder rub.
707!!!
Oh the visual!!!
Thanks for mentioning the mess here in Michigan, Jennifer.
A lot of people still have the impression this is a blue state; it’s not, having shifted purple and in some areas like Grand Rapids, brilliant red since the Reagan years.
And they’re nasty. NASTY. And brutishly stupid.
Think Pete Hoekstra. Thaddeus McCotter. Mike Rogers.
Far too many of the elected Repug reps also took monies from DeLay-Abramoff — which is really rather odd since we are one heckuva long way from Texas.
The incidents give an indication of the kind of Repugs we will be dealing with inside 5 to 10 years. Nastier than their predecessors, don’t you think?
um…er…but what is Sancerre?
Twisted Martini says:
September 15th, 2006 at 1:44 pm
And you know where Knight ended up, don’t you?
Texas.
David Gregory is to Fuckwad as Dan Rather was to Nixon.
The torch has passed…….
egregious –
Sancerre = tres delicieux
[Nuts. Wordpress doesn’t like accent grave ou accent aigu.]
egregious @ 26
Sancerre:
bdu, now that I’ve read what you linked to, I can’t see why you claimed it was OT . . . sounds severely ON topic to me.
As is this, though someone may already have posted it:
DeLay’s lawyer is fussing, of course, but since an all-Repub appellate panel went along with the prosecutor . . .
Thanks Rayne! Beat me to it.
Egregious, you’ve got mail.
Rayne, yes, it’s much more like organized crime and racketeering now. No fooling around with these guys. It will take decades to sweep it out.
tommy yum @ 15
Yes, please.
So, Bush is gonna decide how to interprete Article 3 of Geneva, ‘eh? That it will henceforth be defined as set forth in American law (in a manner that absolves us of any liability for torture).
American soldiers, take note: your Commander in Chief has just decided that your safety in captivity is not important to him.
_
Just updated the post with Senator Boxer’s call for an investigation into the “deep-sixing” of the FCC report I mentioned up top, and there’s video of her on YouTube.
The Nefarious Leslie @ 34
Here ya go. Chin Chin!
Rayne @ 30
Gotta culture-up this joint a little someday, Rayne, soon’s we’re on top of saving civilization!
Best Bushism is the newest, Katie couric interview:
the hardest thing i have to do is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.
Jenn,
You haven’t heard any of the “both parties are corrupt” crap, have you? I mean, publicly?
He would HOPE that some other country would interpret the Geneva Convention the same as we do?
Hope isn’t good enough for our people serving in the military or the CIA.
Please someone give him some Haldol and just…give us all a break.
Thanks very much, Jen. I was just looking for the vid. Have to keep our eyes on Babs.
Michigan was not the only one to plan a “Catch an illegal immigrant day” - College Republicans at Penn State and University of North Texas, and elsewhere did as well. This was not just one small club of racists doing something on their own. This was an organized national effort.
twolf1 — thanks for that YouTube link.
I think. I’m so damned HOT right now I could whip this laptop across the room.
What a nasty, NASTY, intensely stupid and arrogant man is George Bush.
RUDE. I want to slap him into next week for his ill-mannered snottiness. The media is supposed to be neutral, yet he gives them every damned reason not to be. Ditto the American public.
And ditto for every American service person, active or otherwise, and their families. I cannot imagine how active duty folks and families must feel after watching Bush spew like he did, with an abject lack of compassion for what could happen to troops captured by hostiles…
What an utter and complete embarrassment he is; 2008 cannot get here fast enough.
Jesus’ General has pics up of the nasty jr minions from Michigan and their”fight club”.Words truly fail me.In order to be that rotten so young you have to be spoonfed the nastiness from a young age.
I really hope I live to see the day where this virulent brand of”conservatism”is ridiculed,marginalized and sent packing.If it’s not,I fear it will just go underground,regroup and come back more ugly than it is now(and that’s saying something,yipes).
We’re going to have to watch all these youngsters over the coming years,they multiply like fleas.Losing an election or two ain’t enough for them to go away.
A moat around DC?
I usually don’t believe in prescience, but I have to wonder if someone wasn’t channeling that very occurence when this was drawn:
Halliburton & King George
You know the last bit in Scarface when Tony Montana is losing it big, big time? I thought of that today when I watched dubya.
Just saw an awesome MoveOn ad on CNN.
Compare and contrast arrogant asshole bullies…
Which one is worse?
Grew up in the Grand Rapids area, Spring Lake to be exact, yikes! White bread, christian right, followers. My family and best friend are still there and I don’t know how they do it. My friend says he could only run for office if he added a “van” to his last name. A-squared is as liberal as anywhere in MI and yet…(see above). Still, beat the Irish, I hate them!
tommy yum @ 40
Thank you, kind sir.
lotus @
32
Ah, it was force of habit when giving a link, and I hadn’t completely read the post before sending the comment. Now that you mention it, it’s very much on topic!
TRex @ 34
(1) Thanks!
(2) Now let’s see if I can retrieve email from 36,000 feet :) It’s up here in the ether somewhere…
egregious @ 26
Sancerre is a region in the Loire valley. Noted for a semi-dry, fresh, fruity white with vegetable flavors from Sauvignon Blanc grapes and a light and fruity red from Pinot Noir.
If you want a really good white may I suggest a Chablis Premier Cru from Burgundy. Dry, gravelly with chalky overtones from the flinty limestone soil they are light, crisp, fruity, and floral. with a steely edge and controlled but delightful fruit, no oak, Chardonnay grapes.
If you go with a red from Pinot Noir grapes to me the only choice is a Cote d’Or Burgundy. There are so many great ones pointless to list them. Unless you want me to.
tommy yum @
42
This is the kind of thing that gets me steamed.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Poli.....id=1487942
Sure, it’s from January, but, yes, I still hear people who don’t pay attention to politics saying, “Oh, they’re all corrupt. What difference does it make?”
Margot @ 43
Nooooo! We hope other countries interpret the Geneva Conventions as originally written!
oh and btw…’ere…
angie @ 48
Was this it?
Mary @ 48:
I do love The Far Side. Gary Larson may not be prescient, but he has a highly developed sense of the absurd that is entirely appropriate to our present circumstances.
BobbyG @ 38
Bobby - it’s their safety OUT of captivity too. If they aren’t in America, with its Cheney inspired, DOJ memorialized concept of torture — they can be picke up and charged as war criminals or even as just plain old criminals. By regular countries - that still follow the law.
Morris Sheppard @ 52
I’m partial to Puligny/Montrachet. My wallet wishes I weren’t!
Round of champagne on Tommy coming up!
twolf1 @ 58
That’s the one.
The Nefarious Leslie @ 61
Well then NefLes, my little progressive pot of foliage, p’raps you’ll also enjoy this?
rat bastahd @ 57
*sniffing*
Hmmmmm… over here?
What amazed me was that nobody asked the follow-up: So we have been able to live for 60 years, under threat of nuclear attack from Russia and all of a sudden you need a clarification on this?”
What an utter and complete embarrassment he is; 2008 cannot get here fast enough.
I really don’t think he’s going to make it that far. His back is clearly against the wall, hence all the hissing and flapping like a goose.
Off to the farmer’s market with the kids, need some veggies for the weekend (zuchini gratin? or maybe some acorn squash gnocchi? hmm…) and some apples (mmm…apple crisp!).
Maybe I’ll swing by the wine shoppe, too, all this talk of white wines has made me thirsty. How about a nice Cakebread Cellars Sauvignon Blanc? or maybe I’ll just help the Aussies with their over-abundance of wine, drink some unoaked chardonnay from Oz.
Bon appetit, FirePups!
I liked Imman’s concept for a commercial below threads too.
Hugh- re: Ford. Interestingly, when one of the channels did a cutaway from the Bush press conf (apparently they said they would go back to it if anything important came up?) it was soon after Bushwas talking about how he’s made the economy great and people will be voting Republican bc the economy is great and they don’t want Halliburton to have to pay taxes yada yada
Apparently the immediate “cut to” story as they came back was the Ford layoffs.
Dr. Bong @ 64
Name changed to FDL Martini Lounge and Hash Bar
Twisted Martini @ 2:11 pm (#65)
Sometimes I think our news people are mutant hamsters - how else to explain their short attention spans? Most of the folks who work in the White House press corps are old enough to remember when there was a Soviet Union. Many are old enough to remember the “duck and cover” drills.
Rayne @
25
My mother is from Michigan. But Detroit. I’ve met some folks from Grand Rapids. Your description is spot-on.
Thesaurus Rex @ 67
I know, but “President Cheney”…eeek.
Tommy? I feel like a Manhattan. Are you up to it?
egregious @ 72
He’s going to jail.
I think we are going to see something unprecedented in the next year. Call it a hunch.
“President Cheney” may be the best thing that’s keeping impeachment at bay.
What??? Moats surrounding Baghdad?
They could fill it full of sharks with laser beams on their heads or they could use the (big movie announcers voice) Robotic Frisbees of Death buwahahahahahaw
Gilliard says the same thing, he’s taking the under. The collapse of the military in Iraq is the most obvious thing. Helicopers on the roof of the embassy?
Needed some lightness after this past week, hope noone takes offense! I see I’m not alone.
Anyways, while we all believe the Pres. is losing it, his base is eating this shit up. They don’t care what he actually says, or how wrong he is, just so long as he’s “resolute and firm.” His poll #’s continue to inch upward as do his #’s on fighting terrorism. Where the fuck are the Dems? His ugly mug is going to be a staple on the tube for the next 53 days, which Dem is going to step forward and counter each and every bogus talking point with a valid one? I saw Pelosi on Cspan yesterday and she ain’t cutting it. Neither my wife nor I were impressed with her answers or her demeanor. This is serious, and everyday this week I see the GOP winning the PR battle. We need Russ or someone to step it up and cut through the idiocy of not only our current leadership but the idiots who buy into the fear fear fear. I seriously need to step away for awhile. /rant off.
Twisted Martini @ 66
Yeah - well, let’s try this one. Mr. President, if “degrading and humiliating” is so vague - would you like to define just who is an “enemy combatant” under your legislation? An American citizen who contributes to a Muslim charity? A 12 yo Lebanese child, if their parent is a member of Hizbollah? Someone who agrees with Al-Qaeda that American is “the great Satan” and has had dinner with OBL, but has never participated in any terrorism act or planning?
Someone who contributes to Quakers and PETA?
We gotcher VAGUE.
And Mr. President, what is it about waterboarding that makes you feel it is not torture? COuld you demonstrate?
And Mr. President, is “hostage” a vague term as well and can you discuss family members, including children, that you have authorized be held?
And Mr. President - what if you do all these things to someone who it turns out was just a German citizen who had a name that “sounds like” a terrorists name? Is it still “legal” to use all those techniques on a kidnapped foreign national who has nothing to do with terrorism?
Mr. President - are you now saying that stripping civilians and stacking them in pyramids isn’t humiliating and degrading?
Mr. President - how is your inabiity to understand degradation and humiliation of Arab and Muslim detainees going to be winning you hearts & minds?
Then there is the biggie.
Mr. President, if some of our “professionals” might be deemed to have committed war crimes UNLESS the Geneva Conventions are disregarded — who is RESPONSIBLE.
Does Halliburton have the contract for the moats?
Jacqrat @ 73
Funny, you look like the Jersey Turnpike.
*g*
This oughta be good . . .
Raw Story: Fox, CNN cover Cuba’s Bush ‘vampire’ billboards: Developing…
You can see the MSM trying to stop the republican bleeding in so many big ways - but also in a million smarmy little ways.
For instance: CNN earlier did a piece on Bob Ney and his guilty plea - they talked about his ties to Abramoff, his crimes, his probable sentence, his apology, all kinds of stuff - except for one thing - they never mentioned that he is A REPUBLICAN!
Just one more thing the MSM is CONSCIOUSLY doing to make it look like it’s a BIPARTISAN SCANDAL - which is always good for rethugs.
john in sacramento @ 2:19 pm (#77)
I can’t be the only person who thinks that letting little flying bombs hunt targets on their own is a really bad idea. Why doesn’t the air force get that? Oh, wait, they don’t work on the ground …
Anyway, on the subject of what to put in the moats, we’ve also had suggestions for laser-equipped sea bass and IUD-packin’ alligators. Somewhere in there, I’m sure, is a workable idea.
Thesaurus Rex @ 81
*rim shot*
john in sacramento @
76
Oh. And they could bring Oddjob out of retirement
Jacqrat @ 84
I’LL BE HERE ALL WEEK!!
Try the veal…
Jacqrat @ 84
You kids are making me thirsty. Is 2:30 too early to start drinking heavily? ;-)
Thesaurus Rex @ 74
All my egregious antennae are up, but I don’t know why. It’ll be interesting. Am going with Hope here, buckled up for the wild ride.
It does seem like the Democrats strategy to let the thugs defeat themselves is in full effect. The bad thing is that if we win, they’ll think it is a winning strategy.
Now they could be pushing back on a local basis & I’m just not aware of it. Nationally, their strategy blows.
egregious @ 72
My favorite bumper sticker, ergo, is “Impeach Cheney First.”
But I agree with TRex on this. There is no way to get around that this Administration has been have been operating illegally on a whole lot of fronts and once hearings begin next February that a lot of shit will hit the fan. The Congressional elections are all about W and he knows it.
Mary made a grat point above re: the illegality versus international law of violating the Geneva conventions no matter what the congress does remedially with our laws.
Gregory’s very simple and specific question to W was regarding the ability of accused to confront their accuser and Chimp answered clearly that he hopes others adopt the same policy that he is proposing. He should be suspended by genitalia for that alone!
2:30? No m’am, what’ll ya have? May I suggest an Absolutly Screwed, in honor of Fredo’s temper tantrum?
HERE’S what the White House press corpse should be asking:
Mary @ 79
No way they’d want DC to be their defensive position. If they did that, they’d be manning the ramparts with all of us here at their backs, and I doubt that’d turn out well for them.
Somewhere in Texas is more likely; Waco, maybe? *g*
You kids are making me thirsty. Is 2:30 too early to start drinking heavily? ;-)
Hey, it’s 5:00 somewhere…
Jennifer Nix @ 87
Absolutely not. Besides, it’s 5:30 here.
Sally @ 75
Heh, just like we used to call Dan Quayle GHW Bush’s “insurance policy.” Fortunately, the Vice President doesn’t have to be impeached, he can just be indicted, as long as it’s done first.
IUD-packin’ alligators
Better yet, IED-packin’ alligators!
***Just a reminder before everyone sets weekend plans in stone***
Jim Webb vs. Macaca on MTP Sunday
What do ya’ll think Webb needs to accomplish and how do you think he’ll do?
P J Evans @ 97
As I noted in the previous thread, that distinction could be considered important …
Unless I missed it, no one has mentioned that basically Dubya threatened the US in the presser today–if you don’t do it my way, he said, I’ll just shut the CIA interrogation down and then (implication) you’ll be sorry when some terrorist we might have caught if you only did things exactly like I want blows up your town. To which I say WTF!!!!!!!! Isn’t it possible to question suspects legally????? What is the matter with this guy, it’s always all or nothing, black or white. One of his jobs is supposed to be to uphold the Constitution.
Thesaurus Rex @
95
All right. Drink poured. Only had ginger ale and rum…I believe that’s a Dark and Stormy.
everhopeful @ 2:35 pm (#98) - I think if he leaves people with the impression that Allen has enabled the Iraq War and left the troops to fend for themselves, which is basically true, he’ll have scored an important point with VA voters. The eastern part of Virginia is very closely aligned with the military - there are several major army and navy bases there.
everhopeful– He needs to tell the truth just like he has all along and let macaca wallow in his own moat or ditch or whatever it is he that he has already dug for himself. He could also bring up the fact that the closest Allen came to fighting for this country was acting and dressing up like a Confederate general and that he himself is a decorated Vietnam vet and former Secretary of the Navy.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2003/ALLP......allen.jpg
Beel @ 99
You got it exactly. “Gimme my way or die at the hands of terrists.”