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(To see this and other lovely cartoons by Steve Sack in their full uncompressed glory, visit his page at www.cagle.com.)
Remember the constant media descriptions of Bill Clinton's "troubled" and "controversial" presidency? You'd never know that the man spent most of his time in office -- and all of his second term -- with a job approval rating that was at least 50% (and generally much higher).
To watch the evening broadcast or cable news nowadays, or to listen to drive-time radio news, you'd also never know that George W. Bush, Clinton's successor as resident of the White House, hasn't seen 50% ratings since the fall of 2004. Words like "troubled" and "controversial" just never seem to be applied to him by the mainstream press.
Meanwhile, the Democrats -- whose policy proposals are more popular with Americans than are Bush's -- are described with all manner of negative adjectives and modifiers, and the media gleefully aids and abets the Republicans in crafting bogus stories about Democrats like Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
This is why it's so gratifying to see that, after three solid weeks of nearly-nonstop slimestorming by the GOP/Media Complex, Speaker Pelosi's ratings have actually gone up. (Hat tip to Atrios.) We've also found that all BushCo's constant harping on Iraq has done is reinforce it with Americans (who do not like this war and occupation) that the Democrats are the ones trying to bring the troops home. Meanwhile, the war profiteer Republican congresscritters like Duke Cunningham and Rick Renzi are being caught, one by one -- Duke's good buddy John Doolittle's next in line for an orange jumpsuit, methinks (that is, if Renzi doesn't elbow in front of him in line).
Slowly and surely, justice is being served.
To quote Nelson Muntz: Ha-ha!
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PW!!
“Slowly and surely, justice is being served.” Well, it’s about damned time it was.
drip, drip, drip, deluge..
JUSTICE!
With any luck, Gary Miller, republican idiot from So Cal, will also appear on the R-Felon list too.
lucky log-on timing.
fwiw, I agree with your idea that Abu staying at Justice is fine. Just keep a close eye on the little bastard and haul his butt right back in front of that same Judiciary Committee every time another squirrely something-or-other pops up (and they will).
I like the idea of seeing Bush’s AG called on the carpet every month or two.
OK, here’s a brush with greatness. When I was in high school in Minneapolis, my mom & I lived about four blocks from Dinkytown, and had an extra room which we rented out for extra $$. Our boarder was none other than Steve Sack, the then-cartoonist for the U of M paper, the Minnesota Daily.
I imagine his sensibilities were in place by then, but spending two years in a house full o’liberals couldn’t have hurt…
I am comfortable with our Speaker.
EPU’ed
Renzi
Another little tidbit on that Renzi article:
Paul Charlton was rated #1 of all 93 of the USA’s in performance reviews, had a 91% increase in 2005 in immigration prosecutions BUT they dogged him for not seeking the death penalty for a murder case where there was No body and No murder weapon. Only evidence was witnesses who were gang members & drugers.
OldCoastie @ 4
You mean he of the real estate extortion racket? I’d be happy to see him frogmarched away…
Abu and BushCo: AAIIIEEEE!!! The light! It hurtz! It hurtz! AAIIEEEE!
From Speaker Gingrich, to Speaker Pelosi. ;0)!
I’d like to see a list of all of the counter measures they are taking to obstruct investigations, including but not limited to actions such as the RNC/WH conspiracy to cherry pick their communications before submitting anything (if ever) to Congress; and Gonzo’s self-investigation (per Whitehouse); and Gonzo’s attempted $7 billion settlement (which was rejected by the indians so far) with the Indians that could potentially block release of the 750,000 indian documents; things like that - but laid out in a coherent fashion.
The Mainstream Media & Pundits can’t deliver a message to the public anymore. They editorialize and carry GOP talking points but it doesn’t impact a majority of voters. That failure means something.
Oklahoma kiddo @
7
She’s not one of the two “Democrats” you despise? :)
This is how you deliver a message to the public:
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.....d-bay.html
Fuck the Media.
Mutant Poodle @
9
yup, that’s exactly the guy! I think he’d look lovely in orange, don’t you?
aztrias @ 13
It means that the democratization of information (witness this blog, among others) has loosened their grip on journalism.
The flip side is that it is possible to live in freeperville and have no clue at all.
Jane, please let’s push for an infusion of *cash* in anticipation of the collapse of BushCo.
We know it’s coming - and when America wakes-up - they are going to want the ’short course’ from a trusted source - FDL.
This genuinely seems like a case of ‘build it, because they are coming.’ Let’s bulk-up the infrastructure and anticipate people like Marcy being able to support themselves full-time through FDL.
There’s a news-tsunami on the way that is going to take the blogosphere to the top of the list of ‘trusted sources.’
Let’s do like Wayne Gretzsky here, when he was asked “Why do you score so much more than everyone else?” His reply was, “I skate to where the puck is going to be.”
Let’s start skating!
I’m sending in $50, and passing the puck…
cleter @ 14
;0)
katymine @ 8
Busted! The House is going to have some questions for Abu G. soon, are they not?
Has Gonzales resigned yet?
I imagine he’s probably still in bed with the covers over his head.
Well, justice-like, anyway. Full justice would involve putting the criminals away, and deprogramming the aiders and abeters from being dividers.
These guys just don’t quit. They declared war on all non-Republicans, and they see no reason to stop now. This makes their continuing divisiveness so hard to forgive, if they were to ask, which they won’t.
cleter @ 21
Can he even recall what happened Thursday?
The babble babble babble of the MSM is just white noise to the average shlub. No one listens to them or to Bushit Co. anymore. The country was conned, and most people that voted Repub. know it . . . notice they’re not saying much now.
I had an eye opening experience last weekend to what “everyday” people talk about. I know I am different, I hang out here, Chair of my DFA group, voting member of state & county Democratic party.
So I went on a three day trip with two co-workers who are democrats, did neat things like helecopter trip over the Grand Canyon and a float trip down the Colorado river. BUT…..they only talked about “Dancing with the stars” and American Idol and General Hospital. I really thought my eyes would permanently be rolled back in my head with all that nonsense.
Well, quietly sitting in the backseat of the car on the ride back…. I was asked what I like to listen to…. without coming right out and saying Progressive Radio 24/7, I started out with BBC World, Cspan…. then Progressive Radio…… now take in to consideration that this was just days after hearing Scott Ritter telling me that it will be Bomb Iran open window until June and BushCo is bound and determined to make it happen.
I was told that I take life way too seriously!
OMG……
Frankly I was tired of the scandal plagued Clinton Administration. The popular and likeable George W. Bush has done much to restore dignity to the Whitehouse.
-GSD
http://www.doolittlefacts.org/ h/t Nate
GSD @ 26
He really has. For example, he has helped us all refine our definitions of real dignity into much sharper relief.
Nice, and thanks PW! This is one of those posts that helps me believe that all is not lost.
Vermont pushes bid to impeach Bush.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/V.....02007.html
Just sayin’.
cleter @ 21
And a large bottle of tequila.
“Alberto! Get out of bed! It’s almost noon!”
“No.”
“C’mon. It wasn’t that bad.”
“Yes it was. The New York Times called me incompetent.”
“Oh, the New York Times hates everybody.”
“I stink.”
“No you don’t!”
“Actually, I do. I forgot to go to the bathroom. I cannot recall where the toilet is. To the best of my recollection, I appear to have soiled myself–I mean soiling has been made. There is soiling.”
Mutant Poodle @
23
“Maybe Gonzales Won’t Recall His Painful Day on the Hill” (Washingtonpost.com, by Dana Milbank 4/20/07)
I would really like to know what exactly are Obama’s and Hillary’s solutions to the potential blow-up of the Middle East.
GSD @ 26
Bush is the kind of guy I’d like to hang out and have a beer with, and I think that’s important in an elected official.
EvilDrPuma @ 28
Ya, no more disgusting sexual activities.. oops, forgot about Mr Gannon. Well, at least no more disgusting heterosexual activities!! Goodness me!
I love that cartoon, PW. One of my favorites from this year.
It’s gratifying to realize that the American public are starting to reject the MSMs claims that the Democrats are disorganized and not getting anything done, and that the Bush admin is doing just dandy.
I just got this joke via email from a Republican friend who has been seeing the light for the past year. Enjoy!
GSD @ 26
I agree! And I got really tired of that dastardly Clinton exploiting the Oklahoma City bombing for political ends. What kind of monster exploits a terrorist tragedy for his own selfish political ends? I’m so glad Bush puts the country ahead of his party. He truly is a unificator, not a dividifier!
as I’ve been saying for months and the democrats MUST BE INFORMED of the following;
the more we critisize these morons in the administration THE HIGHER the politician’s approval rating
“A recent poll showed that ending the war is the top priority for New Hampshire voters when considering presidential candidates.”
What….Nothing about winning, victory, mission accomplished?
Obama hears tearful request.
-GSD
Oklahoma kiddo @ 34
Don’t cause it. Engage in sensible diplomacy, like Blair did with the captured British sailors recently. Little things like not invading countries that pose little to no direct threat to the US. Stuff like that.
Very interesting article from Dahlia Lithwick at Slate. She says that on second thought, Alberto Gonzales may have done an excellent job in his testimony… if you view it from the “unitary executive” standpoint. Highly recommended reading. Hmmm, maybe Alberto Gonzales was actually brilliant yesterday.
Bush is in the process of unifying Iraq with a new 3 mile long Bremer Wall and unifying the US and Mexico with the new Halliburton Regional Division Partition.
-GSD
On the news Tsunami @ #18. I think that the You-tube summaries by the FDL live bloggers at Libby’s trial were revolutionary, and that they point the way to a commercially viable alternative broadcast medium. Josh Marshall did one of his own last week — I don’t think he’s done one this week yet, though. The medium combines print, picture and voice, with the feedback capacity of a blog.
What makes it potentially viable is that in the you-tube section, which is about as long as most TV reports, you can insert a short commercial ad — say 5 to 10 seconds worth. That space should be worth plenty to advertisers, and the revenue could support a real news operation with reporters and editors.
I’m sure there’s someting deeply flawed in this business model, but it sure seems like a winner at first glance. The obvious candidates for the experiment are TPM, HuffPo and FDL.
Great post PW, as per usual. Here’s emptywheel on
Rick Renzi’s $4 Million Alfalfa Field
PeteCO @ 41
Pull out of Iraq?
…hockey, anyone?
When America wakes-up and wants to know ‘What really happened during these last 6 years?’ - They’ll be skating to the Lake!
The MSM’s willful blinder’s will prove to be our Treasure Trove - let’s score with the Truth.
The Lake needs your support! Please Donate Today!
retirin’ in five @ 2
I don’t want to be a wet towel, but there is the slight problem of the judicial firewall that the Republicans have constructed for themselves over the last several decades. Federal judges such as Laurence Silberman or David Sentelle are what one might refer to as results-oriented jurists.
And don’t get me started on certain members of the Supreme Court.
GSD @ 43
To paraphrase Saint Ronald of Reagan, “Mr Bush, tear down this wall!”
landofthefree @ 42
It’s obviously some new use of the word “brilliant’ with which I am not previously familiar.
katymine @ 25
Thank god you do.
aztrias @
13
Morning all. Doesn’t it just mean that the rebugs campaign to convince the masses that the media is biased and untrustworthy in the extreem has worked? The constant drumbeat that the media is liberal hasn’t just convinced the public of that, but has succeeded in convincing all of us that nothing the MSM says is worthwhile.
perris @ 39
to elaborate
hardly anyone even knew feingold until he punished cheney and his moronic policies on the TEEvee
webb…nobody knew what to expect untill he PUNISHED the administration and cheney for NOT having a clue
democrats have to get on board, the more the laugh in the face of these idiots and call them the morons they are the more they will be rewarded
Stuff like that.
PW, this is sort of off topic, except that, like the aspen trees, it’s all related at the root…Do you remember seeing anything about a publishing company run by a friend or family member of the bushista who published books to be used in the “Reading First” program? I remember SOME connection, but I can’t find it.
Lindy @ 55
Well, there’s Neil Bush’s Ignite Learning…
conniptionfit @ 52
You just might have a point. When the corporate owned media was at least semi-competent only a small per centage of the populace mis-trusted them. Now most ALL the populace mistrusts them.
I have a question why does the Democratic leadership continue to tolerate Joe LIEberman? Why hasn’t he been unmasked for the Republican in Democratic clothing that he is?
landofthefree @ 42
That is interesting. Hopefully the “Unitary Executive” will shortly run head on into the Reality Based Community.
landofthefree @
42
“congressional oversight over the executive branch is little more than empty theatre” (quote from article)
That maybe so but if Bush continues to have “full confidence” of Gonzales in light of this hearing it could be part of the evidence that could escalate into impeachment proceedings of Bush regarding high crimes and misdemeanors (which is open to interpretation) very quickly.
jayt @
5
Remember the rug
“Everything belonged to him–but that was a trifle. The thing to know was what he belonged to, how many powers of darkness claimed him for their own. That was the reflection that made you creepy all over. It was impossible–not good for one either–trying to imagine. He had taken a high seat amongst the devils of the land–I mean literally. You can’t understand–how could you?”
Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness 1899 Part 2, pg. 43
PeteCO @ 59
Be sure and excitedly tell all your conservative friends, relatives, and co-workers how excited you are by this Unitary Executive idea, and how you can’t wait until Hillary gets her hands on all that power!
That’ll stop it.
Seriously, it works like a charm. Their eyes get all big and panicky.
Mutant Poodle @ 56
That’s one :) Thank you.
Mutant Poodle @ 56
Which Babs Beautiful Mind said her Katrina contribution must be directed to….
OT
After thinking about my potential connection with one of the Board members of NARAL, Elizabeth Hager, I decided to write her an email. I’ll let you know if she responds.
PeteCO @ 35
That would be a beer from the fine brewing company of Adolf Coors, correct?
Lets see….. Just lately we have unsafe food, E.coli, Salmonella, poisoned pet food which could have contaminated the human food chain….
Woman have lost the right to a very safe and recommend medical procedure that is rarely performed and usually used to save her life…
It is OK for the Attorney General - THE top cop in the USA to lie to Congress…
Just serving the Pleasure of the President to fire US Attorneys who ARE investigating Repug corruption ….
The wingnut media attacks the victims of violence for being Girlie Men…
Anyone looked at what defines a Third World country with a military junta?
Are we there yet?
cleter @
21
But he is planning to attend the White House Correspondents dinner tonight. Question for all you pups: Are you going to watch tonight’s Rich Little extravaganza? Are you going to boycott it in honor of our beloved Colbert? Just wondering…
I was thinking more of a fine German beer. HitlerBrau, perhaps. Or Old Himmler Genuine Lager.
eCAHNomics @ 66:
Great letter. Let’s hope she listens and understands what you’re telling her. :})
Mae @ 69
In past years I’ve found the in-group-humor and too-close-for-comfort relations between govt & press too smarmy for my stomach. I watched Colbert only & will never watch anything else associated with this event.
Thanks dakine01.
Dear People:
You have an image of the character ‘Uriah Heep’, in David Copperfield, the unctuous, oily, accountant. Now, think of the performance of Alberto Gonzales before the Senate Committee, the similarity is astounding as they both had other agendas. The sad part is, one is fictional.
Mae @ 69
Will NOT be watching the dweebs with their safe comedian from the ’60s. But in my surfing and reading on the net, it is just possible that the WHCA will be pwned before the night is over. Now I do not watch “American Idol” (or any of the other so-called reality shows). But I do know enough to know who Sanjayah(sp?) is. He and his mother are supposed to be guests of People magazine at the dinner tonight. I’m sure there’s an appropriate metaphor on that fact but…
Uriah Heep at least spawned an ok band. But I doubt there will ever be a decent band called “Alberto and the Memory Holes.”
dakine01@-
Now look at what they’ve done to the trustworthiness of the DOJ. How will the general public view the DOJ in the next year, the next decade? Trust is a necessary thing for our system to work, but it’s also very delicate. I think, that of all the corruption that they’ve committed, this destruction of the public trust at the DOJ will be the hardest for me to forgive, and the hardest to restore.
The Problem for bush now IS the MSM. Voters are less apathetic now than they were when Bill was Prez. The voters are polarizing with 70% going our way and 30% for bush who by governing from the extreme right COUNTED on pulling in a bare majority of independents and moderates to get things passed has caused this polarzation. The MSM helped cause this by NOT REPORTING the news but instead by trying to MOLD and SHAPE public opinion. They pissed off the 70%ers who are sick of being lied to about EVERYTHING from the war to social security. The anger of the 70%er can be measured by the way the MSM is hurting the MSM is reporting lower reader/viewer numbers and lower profits for many years now. This DESPITE America fighting two wars now (bad news is suppose to sell papers). People are rejecting the MSM’s pro bush stand. In fact the problem might even be understated, how many people here by a paper for the one liberal columnist?
katymine @ 25
Dear Katymine, and I assume that your friends were quite educated, with college degrees and good jobs? Yes, this is what I run into, it does not boost my optimism.
Must read by Scott Horton. Apparently someone in W administration studied how Carl Schmitt in Weimar Republic subverted prosecutors first on the road to a totalitarian state.
http://www.harpers.org/archive.....070420xovi
cleter @ 76
I just had a thought of some lines from a Thorogood song:
“It wasn’t ME!
No, no ,no, it wasn’t ME!
It must have been some other sucker
No, no, no it wasn’t me!
TCI at 77. Newspapers are for local news only and the sportspage for eating evening meal while reading. Again primarily, local stuff. I come to FDL to find out what the hell’s going on. And I’m rarely disappointed, considering all the smart folks that hang here. Kudos to all who do the heavy lifing here to keep me informed.
conniptionfit @ 77
Agreed. The husband of a cousin is a lawyer in DoJ. He’s not in any of the politicized offices but it still has to have an impact everywhere in the dept.
mulligatawny @ 79
Tell them about TRex and Late Night at FDL: “There’s this humorous political blogger I read in the evenings. If you think Simon from American Idol is something, let me introduce you to TRex . . .”
Snail-reading this morning and it’s interesting what info can be gleaned way down deep in print articles such as this one about the Qwest executive conviction…
Nacchio was convicted for insider trading activities in the spring of 2001. Pre 9/11. Was all the super-secret spy-on-everybody NSA stuff already in the works?
cleter @ 21
Cruel to make such a small weasel a human (?) shield for the whole crime family.
conniptionfit @ 66
But of course! No nancy-boy micro-brew for this manly man!
PS at 85. “Nacchio was convicted for insider trading activities in the spring of 2001. Pre 9/11. Was all the super-secret spy-on-everybody NSA stuff already in the works?” Call me paranoid but I’ve never doubted that Bush was involved in political spying from the get-go of his admin.
eCAHNomics @ 80
ABSOLUTELY A MUST READ. Many thanks for the link. It is a succinct and clear articulation of the evil a politicized justice system can cause.
Even if you were to attribute a benign motive to Rove for politicizing the DOJ–which I don’t–once the capacity for a political administration of justice exists, the temptation to use it would be overwhelming, particularly for this administration.
GSD @ 26
You can relive the Clinton scandals in 5 minutes on C-SPAN2
OT, It’s been an awful week. My wife’s entire family are Virginia Tech Grads and her sister teaches there. This morning we have to let the real Raven, our beloved cocker spaniel go. He fought cancer for over two years and it finally got him.
There are several pics on our Flickr site Raven
cleter @ 75
It’s an awesome name for a band, though.
The chimperor was brought to us by the folks at the MSM media - this AWOL fraudster was represented as a “uniter,” recovered alcoholic that was guided by faith. He was represented as being maticulously honest and full of integrity.
The lies didn’t stop then - the 2000 election was stolen, the administration enabled 9/11 to happen and then exploited it to enact their neocon agenda, and the war crimes and crimes against humanity in Iraq were justified by lies that the MSM dutifully “catapulted.”
We were repeatedly told that the American public would want to have a beer with an obnoxious alcoholic cocaine-addict - A BLATANT LIE.
The administration has gutted the US Constitution, committed treason; is stealing BILLIONS AND BILLIONS from federal treasury; destroyed one of America’s most historic cities (NOLA); and is doing what it can to eliminate free, fair, open, and verifiable elections.
And you want to complain about the MSM’s hypocracy refering to Clinton’s terms as “troubled?”
Look at the bigger picture - connect the dots. The problem is much bigger - the lying liars that own the MSM are taking their cues from the same cabal that fraudulently propelled the chimperor into the white house.
If anything is obvious, it should be that the administration is not capable of directing the HUGE degree of propaganda in the media. We need to be talking about the folks BEHIND the criminality, not the shills that do the dirty work or the morons they parade in front of the cameras.
While the points in this post are all valid and legitimate - the dialog tends to avoid an honest, open dialog about the source of these problems. Just replacing the lying liars with more lying liars will not do anything positive.
there are two kinds of people in the world those who know about and try and change the world for good or evil and those who just live their lives and work. Now most parents want their kids to be happy, I’m willing to bet most parents after wishing for happy kids want THEIR kids to belong to the first group
MSM-lazy, complicit, compliant and compromised. Pumpkin head pundits, paid shills, elitist stenographers, rich celebrity bobble heads. A pox on America’s answer to Pravda, the MSM.
raven @ 91
Oh my dear. I’m so sorry.
(((((((((raven and family)))))))))
Prairie Sunshine @
85