Patrick at MakingLight picks up a gem of a piece from Rick Perlstein that I had to share with everyone. From Patrick:
Superb political reporter and sometime blogger Rick Perlstein recently posted this:
Shortly before she died, my grandmother—one of the people, naturally, I loved the most in the world—broke my heart. Celia Perlstein, like most of our grandparents, didn’t get out much in her final years; in fact, for the last few years of her life, I’m not sure she got out of her old folks home at all. I don’t think she really wanted to. She was sure that beyond its threshold lay dragons: far-far-far leftists out to steal her Social Security; turbaned terrorists just itching to fly a jet into the First Wisconsin tower a few blocks to the south; quisling Democrats itching to help them do it; grandma-gutting criminal marauders just outside her door.
I’d look out of her eighth floor picture window, down at the scene she saw every day, half expecting to find that nightmare landscape before me. Nope: same as always, the brightly colored sailboats on Lake Michigan, kids and their parents feeding the ducks (Grandma used to take me to feed the ducks), happy, strolling Milwaukee couples—paradise. Where was she getting these fantasies?
One evening’s visit, all became clear. She gestured at the blaring TV set. The excruciating grandma-volume was even more excruciating than usual, because she was visiting with her best TV friend. She told me how much she adored Bill O’Reilly. My wife and I cringed. Watching our latter-day Joe McCarthy on TV every night, she had learned, late in life—for this development was entirely new—how to hate her fellow Americans. I almost cried, because one of the people she was learning how to hate was me.
What he said. Watch the video. Read the rest.
If “the arc of history bends toward justice,” it’s only because people got up off their behinds and started bending it for themselves. Moral progress isn’t something we can count on the rest of the world to take care of for us. If you want to live in a world in which multimillionaire perverts pile up ever-higher fortunes by encouraging Americans to hate and fear one another, simply do nothing. If you want a better world, start thinking about how to make this stuff stop.
Amen. I choose not to hate. And I get up every morning trying to find a way to make my world better — not just for me, but for my child and for everyone else that I love. Imagine what we could do if everyone stood up together and said “enough!” to the idiocy, the disrespect and the nastiness.
(With apologies to Patrick for the extended quote, but this was too perfect not to pass along the thought trail. Bravo. Adorable photo via (c)hris. And do check out this Falafel update from John at Americablog. Veddy interesting…)
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Christy!
new thread?
zedlet
Great post as usual.
Ain’t no time to hate
Barely time to wait
–Grateful Dead
This is fantastic! I can relate to so much of this.
Thank you for posting that.
I hate the actions of warmongers.
oddmommy @ 5
Whoa oh what I want to know is
where does the time go
(sorry, I had to finish)
I do my best. At least I can say that I only hate certain people for the things they do, not who they are, and if they stopped doing such harm to so many, I would certainly stop hating them.
But that’s just for people who have power and use it for ill ends. For the rank and file, even the rabid wingnuts, I may pity them, but I certainly don’t hate them.
What’re the odds of Gonzo resigning today?
Letter tardy or
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0731.html
When my children would say that they hate someone at school, or they hate asparagus, I would say to them, “Say I don’t care for Johnny, or I don’t care for asparagus. Hate war and injustice.”
Speaking of O’Reilly the pervert:
From Countdown last night:
Kathleen @ 7
Faux News and their ilk (CNN, MSNBC Local News channels) scare the hell out of old people and turn them into fearful warmongering republics.
I don’t hate the bastards I just want to beat the hell out of em…I must have played in 1,000 basketball games and 1,000 golf matches in my life- never hated the opposition- but sure as hell wanted to kick their asses.
Oh my,BillO’s head is gonna assplode. Heehee.
I don’t hate. But I do harbor contempt for all those”patriots”who seem to hate most of Americans. They have torn up families and neighborhoods with this bile,it’s enough.
SufiLizard @ 8
thanks….I would’ve, but I couldn’t remember what came next. :)
My mom spent last Christmas with FOX-watching relatives. She described it as “an alternate reality, where liberal is an actual cuss word.”
Kathleen @ 7
If you really want to Stop “hate”, it’s exactly this kind of thinking that needs to be at least verbally curbed. I came to this website during the Libby trial when the mainstream press (I believe the WSJ) pointed it out as a near real time and fairly accurate version of the facts of the trial as they unfolded. It was. Now, I came here as someone who supported Libby and I found out pretty quickly that my thinking was unwelcome. I try to stay on topic, and I’m not so pure to think “we can all just get along”, but I do think we’d all do better than trying to think of ways to jail members of the opposite party. While we may disagree with our goals, using the Sanction of the State to enforce your political belief is not exactly “liberal”, or “progressive” and it certainly isn’t Conservative.
rwcole @ 10
Sure would set up nicely for a recess appointment.
No letter, no Cheney http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0731.html
No Rumsfeld
oddmommy @ 5
I can tell your future
Just look what’s in your hand
BigMitch @ 12
Nah, I’d say it’s alright to hate asparagus…
Ohhhh Christy!
Thank you.
What a gift.
Amen indeed. ;->
“barely time ta wait”
Is Uncle John actually “John the Baptist”? Always thought so—-
Speaking of hate.. from the dept. of you can’t make this stuff up..
When love comes to my hometown… the voyeuristic haters will follow on motorcycles and carrying bibles.
Showdown at the Oh Gay! Corral: Holy Rollers VS. Wholly Homos at Basin Park
In protest I am thinking of making a little sign that says, Free lube jobs for visiting tight asses. and taking my grease gun.
anangryoldbroad @ 16
Hate the sin. Love the sinner.
Nah, I hate ‘em.
rwcole @ 10
Still zero. No matter how bad things get with Gonzo, they’d be worse for Bush without him. It’s terrible for Republicans generally, of course, but Bush doesn’t care about anyone but himself.
yellowsnapdragon @ 19
Chris Matthews predicted AG going down this week on Sunday. He said Muellers tesitmony “damning”
San Diego says ENOUGH:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/b…..083572254/
Big Time.
yellowsnapdragon @ 19
ding ding ding, I’m afraid we have a winner.
You know what I found most amazing? He ruined Christmas. The most wonderful of holidays where everyone is so loving and generous toward everyone else. And strangers are wishing each other ‘Happy Holidays’ (or whatever). And he managed to make that political. All of a sudden, the words you used meant more than the meaning. People were taking note of the wording on Christmas cards and getting angry if the wording wasn’t right rather than delighted that they were hearing from old friends. How did he do that?
Kathleen @ 28
I’d say the odds be fiftyone – forty nine. Gonzo quits. Appoint new sh*theal during recess.
Asshole didn’t ruin MY Christmas!!
raven @ 21
If folks haven’t seen the Rolling Stone “Summer of Love” series it’s well worth reading. The stuff on Owsley and the Dead is worth the cover price.
This was the dawning of. . .
So very sad – old age should bring wisdom, and look at what hate brought this poor lady.
One of the things running around the tubz is what to do about the rural base of the Republican Party.
As a lifelong TarHeel redneck who attended fundamentalist church and school, I suggest two actions:
1. Continue to show the link between gooper economic policy and the lack of good jobs, with the associated impacts to retirement and healthcare.
2. Show the disconnect between gooper words and gooper deeds. I’d love to get in the ring with Coulter or Limbaugh, and answer their hate with quotes from the Good Book. I watched a black preacher do this to Coulter on a ’so late it was early’ show. Jesus, it was like pouring water on the wicked witch!
As a union grievance chair, one of the ways I built solidarity with the membership was to visibly make the company eat their words. It will work in this arena as well.
Say no to hate.
Say yes to scorn, ridicule and derision.
-GSD
P.S. Obama is givin’ momma a ride for her life.
Clinton and Obama tied in NH.
yellowsnapdragon @ 19
Have we gotten word yet whether Reid is leaving a skeleton crew?
hackworth @ 14
I intend to spend my old age outside. And then, when I can’t do that anymore. I’m going to crap myself in front of every Bogart movie ever made. And when I’m too senile for that…well, Ice Station Zebra, of course ;-) !
I like the concept of not hating, but I have a very, very hard time implementing it with respect to bush, cheney, and all of their ilk and enablers. They are the embodiment of evil.
You all know that Mike Stark went to his house? See DKos.
We find George W. Bush to be the perfect example of a reason not to hate. It is our belief that at the core, this man is consumed with hate. The president is the poster child of what not to be.
Don’t hate em- kick the shit out of em or–
“Don’t get mad- get EVEN”
rwcole @ 10
This is one day I think I’d enjoy being a fly-on-the-wall wherever those […] are lurking.
I don’t hate them. I don’t hate anyone.
But I don’t mind at all the thought of those particular people being acutely uncomfortable, by their own hand. It’s only fair.
Solai @ 31
I saw that at my shop with people. It was Billo. It was a simple theme – easily soundbyte-able people saw it, heard it and spread the propaganda.
This past weekend we had a family picnic in our backyard. Our niece from NYC was there with her fiance along with other members of our extended family and our three grandchildren. The weather was fine. It was truly peaceful. I thought, life doesn’t get better than this.
That evening I read last week’s “Nation” which had interviews with returned soldiers from Iraq. They told of breaking into Iraqi houses in the dead of night, rounding up the family, humiliating the father who could do nothing to protect his loved ones. The soldiers usually found nothing. Turns out every Iraqi family is entitled to have one AK whatever weapon. Two gets you arrested. I could say-there but for the grace of god go I.
The soldiers hated the night missions, but they kept doing them. They didn’t want to be separated from their unit and I guess they didn’t want to get court marshaled. I think there’s more traumatic stress syndrome from something like Iraq because it’s difficult for our soldiers to see themselves as other than abusers of innocent civilians.
It is well and good to not hate. That doesn’t stop what’s swirling around us. I have over the years kept my power as dry as the next guy’s, but that hasn’t worked anymore than online petitions to impeach Bush work. We should talk about what we can do that might work. I favor a general strike, but I’m open for anything.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 42
Strangely, his supporters held him up as the poster child of what a Christian ought to be. This is what has a non-Christian like me totally confused.
anangryoldbroad @ 16
Did you see TDS last night?
rwcole @ 42
That sums up my feelings quite well.
Ghostman
My father who was a very active Democrat in his younger years switched over to the dark side with Raygun.
In his final years his hearing was very bad. He would blast Rush from two radios everyday. It was very hard watching my father slip away to his death, thinking that his soul was absorbing this on it’s way out.
You think Clusterfuck would like to see impeachment hearings on Gonzo through the next few months? The impeachment charges could be broad- and the ability to claim “executive privelege” would be more limited- it could be a blood bath- it’s possible that Clusterfuck decided to fold em.
anne @ 38
Commenter jayt mentioned calling Reid’s office yesterday; no plans in place:
jayt @ 250
I talked to Reid’s office today. There is no plan to keep the Senate open nor to in any other way block recess appointments, according to his staff.
i say we need a channel on tv to offer an anti-dote to right-wing thought – progressives aren’t given the opportunity to fully express their views…wingers have christian tv stations, faux news, abc, now cnn and misnbc to get their views across…. no wonder americans believe winger hype….
Thanks Teddy ;)
BigMitch @ 47
I am a lapsed Catholic and it confuses the hell out of me as well. I’ll never understand how the church could tell the flock(in so many words obviously .. since they can’t openly endorse politicians) to vote for Bush. It’s part of the reason I refuse to go to church now. They made a pact with the devil.
IRT Christmas: One Bush supporter was absolutely incensed that the White House Card he got said ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’. He sent it back in protest. Is that not amazing? How easily are some people manipulated?
rwcole @ 24
hmm…I never thought of that, but I guess it fits with “by the river side” and the other lyrics.
Love that song. But my all time Dead favorite is “Ripple.”
My 82-year old mother-in-law is cool — and sharp as a tack. Although she does not discuss politics openly with me, she has hinted that she is a Democrat. When I compiled a cookbook for my local Democratic committee, she said she’d buy one, “to help the cause.” She claimed before the war that Bush was just looking for an excuse to attack Iraq, and was disgusted when Saddam Hussein was executed. She’s a very Southern lady and a devout Methodist — but she uses her head to discern the facts.
Home Depot has decide to end any and all advertising on Billo. One victory, many more to go.
It would be interesting to see who Clusterfuck could get to be AG under the circumstances. He’s got less than 18 months left to protect whoever he/she is- and he/she would be expected to break the law if necessary to protect Clusterfuck’s sorry ass- Harriet Miers?
If the next administration is dem- there could be a lot of REAL investigation by a new justice department – and it would be too later for Clusterfuck to pardon anyone.
juslin @ 53
Well it’s moving the opposite direction, seeing as Murdoch apears to have just purchased The Dow Jones & Company..
So the already conservative Wall Street Jones will now be gutted, and filled with Murdoch-Style republicans.
“The only way to find out how freedom works, is to work at it.”
BigMitch @ 46
Those people are not Christians in any true sense of the word — which they have bastardized and corrupted beyond recognition.
OT, sorta:
Does anyone else in here wonder what the WSJ front page will look like a year from now?
how about having a contest for suggestions? ;->
oddmommy @ 40
I know it is not polite to hate. And so I say I hate the actions and outcomes, of sick individuals like Hilter, Bush, Cheney, Wolfowitz and other warmongers. One million Iraqi people have died, thousands have been injured, millions are now refugess. I hate the very sick results of their decisions and their actions. I do believe they are sick.
oddmommy @ 56
I’m partial to Sugar Magnolia.
“She can wade in a drop of dew”
Millineryman @ 50
My gramps was the opposite .. he saw through Ray-gun … he voted Democratic when he did vote .. he even saw through The Big Dog .. hell .. he was pissed at both RFK and HRC … why .. because he thought they were carpetbaggers .. I guess he was more pissed at fellow NY’ers for voting for them .. he was funny like that .. regardless of how much he was PO’ed by that .. he’d never vote for a Republican .. they’d couldn’t fool him
OT but related to topic of last thread:
Now we know what they’re looking for:
juslin @ 53
Definitely. This would be a huge help. How can it be done?
“The Dems must not recess. Give up one damn summer vacation for heaven’s sake. Americans that will die while they are on recess are sacrificing summers for eternity.”
This would do more for their campaign fund raising than they could ever imagine.
Biodun @ 67
I hate it when someone reminds me there is a topic! :)
OT, New Froomkin up
After working in med/psych for 30 years, I’ve come to understand that as people age their fears of being taken advantage of increase. Since Billo’s audience is pretty much geriatric, I believe he intentionally feeds into their suspicion & paranoia. That is his schtick.
juslin @ 53
It started with the false claim that the media were “liberal.” With that meme republicans were able to deny everything that Americans heard on the news. They came to believe their own lies. From there it was an easy step to set up their own countervaling network. Because the message of fear and hatred resonates in the reptile brain, it is very engaging, and they were very successful. Of course, they were helped by the repeal of the fairness doctrine.
What is to be the antidote? At a minimum we need to develop an equally compelling message that appeals to emotions. When the corporate media was a megaphone for the war machine in Viet Nam days, the left created stories that couldn’t be ignored: marches, moratoria, teach-ins, etc. It’s time.
rwcole @ 60
It’s why the Decider will not fire AGAG .. because AGAG is the firewall .. once he goes .. the floodgates open … and if you think Harriet Miers has a chance of becoming AG should AGAG go … there is no chance in hell .. Bush wouldn’t be able to appoint a company man .. that’s why AGAG stays
Ed Kunin @ 45
The word for the military legal procedure is “court martial.” Martial = military
The root word is “mars” for the God of War (Mars – Latin, Ares – Greek).
It’s the same story the crow told me
It’s the only one he know -
like the morning sun you come
and like the wind you go
Ain’t no time to hate,
barely time to wait
Wo-oah, what I want to know,
where does the time go?
I live in a silver mine
and I call it Beggar’s Tomb
I got me a violin
and I beg you call the tune
Anybody’s choice
I can hear your voice
Wo-oah what I want to know,
how does the song go?
Hate is not good for you. It also helps the other side, because that is what the opposition feeds on.
That said, confine and, if necessary, destroy evil.
BigMitch @ 74
Can we storm and takeover Rockefeller Center? I’d be all for staging a sit in .. in Brian Williams office .. or where ever
Redshift @ 28
Specter has likely worked out a deal with the WH to try and make the DOJ scandal just go away. If it continues then the Repunks will scream even louder that it’s just a witch hunt. The MSM being the obedient lap dogs they are will run with this for all it’s worth. Let impeachment move forward with or without Specter.
Hiya, pups! Posting from my friends Andy and Sandy’s place in the Cascade foothills.
Glad to see my Friend St. Ted making the news, though I wish they’d stop screwing around and get to the main course, though it might be better to draw the investigations of Stevens and Young out as long as possible, eh?
Next thing you know, FOX will show a picture of Sen. Stevens with a caption below it reading Sen. Ted Stevens (Dem) AK…
oddmommy @ 57
I’m listening to it right now.
Kathleen @ 64
Believing they are sick may be the only way to not hate them….for example, I don’t think it is unlikely that cheney suffers from some diagnosable paranoid disorder. Paging Kirk Murphy….
On the other hand, the line between “sick” and “evil” can be difficult to draw. I suppose you could say there is no evil…..but I’m not inclined to that view.
As Kurt Vonnegut sayeth,
“But if Christ hadn’t delivered the Sermon on the Moiunt, with its message of mercy and pity, I wouldn’t want to be a human being.
I’d just as soon be a rattlesnake.”
Diane @ 72
Not only their fears but the reality. My father-in-law, who just died, was a mark for every goddamn scam going. The one’s that really pissed me off we’re the ones that played on his being a WWII vet. Especially watch out for the DAV, true scumbags.
Diane @ 73
But it’s the Republicans that want to take away their Social Security .. or Medicaid
SufiLizard @ 31
That’s what I’m wondering, too. WHo the hell can he appoint? Harriet Myers? Chertoff? Who is left? Fran Fragos’s resume is too thin…. Nd he just gave her this new Nat’l Security Training Academy thingy to do.Miguel Estrada? Somebody currently on the federal bench?
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 55
What? You never saw Godfather? Sopranos?
Bar talking about jr’s “antics” as a kid?
I’ve met many many “non-religious” people who act more “Christian” than these people. The louder they proclaim their faith, the less I believe them. I watch what they do, and it speaks volumes.
you have to see this which think progress is reportingt right now
what can the nutzo’s possibly say to that?
EPU – link from Boston1775:
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003805.php
Go to the comments and follow the “mystery poster” anonymous postings – especially toward the end of the comments….O.M.G. It is long, detailed and complicated with back-up links, but it sure looks like Bushco is caught.
Elliott @ 81
Perlstein’s story reminds me, as soon as I get back from YKos, I have a jamming device to build.
My mother-in-law always listened to the local news-and-talk radio station, which was once really good. (It’s the one Willard Scott was on, back before he became a TV star.) She didn’t notice when it transformed into right-wing talk radio, because it was the station she’d always listened to.
She was quite liberal when Ms. Redshift was growing up (and still votes Democratic, as far as I know), but we’d come over for visits and she’d say “isn’t it terrible how…” and repeat some wingnut claptrap. And we’d say “uh, no, that isn’t terrible.” Or, “no, that isn’t actually happening; they’re making it up.” We’ve tried to explain what happened and get her to switch stations, but she wouldn’t (though I think she may have been listening to more variety recently, since it doesn’t seem to be happening as much.)
I need to look up the design, but I can build a small battery-powered jammer for that frequency. If the station doesn’t come in, she’ll switch, and without the propaganda, I’m pretty sure the right-wing memes will fade. I hate to be sneaky about it, but it’s for a good cause.
Hate is corrosive.
raven @ 65
Brings tears to my eyes…
Things were not good in Vietnam
Sometimes when the cuckoo’s crying
When the moon is halfway down
Sometimes when the night is dying
I take me out and I wander round
I wander round
Re Ed at 46 and the soldiers on those night raids: I’m still not at the point where I believe martial law is even a remote possibility, but are these soldiers representative of the members of our military who some here are so certain would refuse to obey an (unlawful) order to implement martial law?
Americans don’t have a monoploy on virtue. All the more reason we have to retire, for all time, these war criminals in the Republican party and there imperialistic ways. Let’s never again put our nation in a position where our soldiers may be used as storm troopers allegedly in the cause of “protecting our liberty.”
Bluetoe @ 59
he and the other fascists are gonna think twice about smearing the sites that represent the majority of Americans for sure
AG Gonzales is the finger in the dike holding back a wall of shit.
-GSD
Bay State Librul @ 84
It seems like The Rat(Ratzinger .. as in Pope Benedict) forgot it ever took place. Heck, the whole Catholic heirarchy seems to have forgotten.
Bombshell:
Gonzo – The Decider has directed me not to show up for impeachment or any further hearings. /s
*caution* Do not look into Arlens Spectercle.
Ed*ard Teller @ 81
707
Ed*ard Teller @ 80
What’s up with the cases of wine the FBI is interested in?
If George Bush had any integrity, he would appoint Sandra Day O’Connor as special prosecutor to give the DOJ back their world,
stolen by this pathetic, lawless, wretched
administration…
nomolos @ 93
I only had their 1st 2 records while I was there. . .”Death Don’t Have No Mercy” on Live Dead comes to mind.
Christy!
Good morning! Thanks for the great post against hate. I worry about that on FDL, too: too much hate directed at Bush, Cheney, Rove and Gonzales. We should hate what they do, when appropriate, but we shouldn’t hate them. In scholarship, that’s called an “ad hominem” attack– attacking the person rather than the deed. Bill O’Reilly wins if we become mirror images of him.
Bob in HI
raven @ 91
lol! gotta drink the Ripple!
Bay State Librul @ 84
Rattlesnake’s do not kill or strike for oil while pretending to look for WMD’s , they kill to eat or you are just getting to close for comfort. They will give you plenty of warning to get out of the way. I have run into several during many years of hiking out west.
LS @ 90
Rather lengthy for a comment, but instead of having to search for {blank}, as that poster ’signed’ him- or herself, here are the posts:
Http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003805.php
Posted by: mo2
Date: July 27, 2007 8:11 PM
Thanks. BTW: The “wall” argument [ in re FISA “needed reforms” ] falls apart: DSP combined the CIA and FBI info _before_ 9-11, making “the wall” irrelevant. It’s not a real problem then, now; and the “solution” is a red herring.
Posted by:
Date: July 27, 2007 9:49 PM
Posted by: mo2
Date: July 27, 2007 7:08 PM
My question is:
mo2″ How do we know October 2001 was the beginning of the illegal spying program?”
Excellent point: We don’t; allegations are that the _illegal_ surveillance started _before_ Sept 2001.
————-
mo2: “Given that Bush/Rice were warned about al quaeda before Bush was sworn in in 2001, why is it thought that they did absolutely nothing before October 2001?”
Good point again.
mo2:” Because they say so is not good enough.”
Right. Getting warmer.
————-
mo2: Could it be that they did do something, but that something was illegal?
You are correct.
mo2: “And they feel it is better to be called do-nothings than criminals?”
Also, they like the idea people are focusing on the wrong surveillance, wrong time period: The confusion menas they can blame Congress for “not asking teh right questions.”
mo2: “Can somebody please provide the link to the testimony that says the TSP started on October 1, 2001?”
Someone said that, you’re correct; but TSP isn’t necessarily what’s being talked about.
- – - – -
THe point is: If the GOP will not convice Gonzalez for lying, then Gonzalez needs to explain why his comments are _true_:
- What programs could exist under both the inconsenst statementes of Gonzalez; and also the disparity between what Gonzalez and Mueller are saying.
The GOP Senators canot have it both ways: Sayhing, “AG is telling the truth; but not having any information to support _that_ conclusion.
Posted by:
Date: July 27, 2007 9:54 PM
Posted by: mo2
Date: July 27, 2007 7:50 PM
The problem they have: Not only were they doign illegal things _before_ Sept 2001; those illegal things did _not_ work.
There’s no basis for the President to say, “We need to do more of this illegal stuff” as it didn’t work before Sept 2001; rather, what’s needed is the opposite: “Given we tried ilegal things, and _that_ didn’t work, who has some other ideas?”
They can’t ask _that_ question because they’ll admit:
1. They screwed up
2. They have no clue
3. They’re not able to hire someone to help them out
The only option they have is to pretend the problem is one thing; and then solve that “new problem” in a way that appears to solve it. Forget the fact that the problem they may be “sovling” is illusory. They may have defined the program in terms of what _appears_ to be a solveable problem.
IN other words, if they’ve realized that they can’t win, they[’ll [a] redefine the enemy in terms of what Congress can be led to believe is a credilbe threat; and [b] redefine the solution in terms of not solvinga real problem, but in terms of what appers to solve what they’ve created the impression is the problem.
Problems, solutions, reality, and the illusion may or may not be matching: This may explain why things are not appearing all that straightforward: They’re still tring to figure out how they’re in power despite their stupidity.
Posted by:
Date: July 27, 2007 9:59 PM
“Terrorist Surveillance Program” is just a later incarnation of the “Total Information Awareness” program that supposedly was scrapped, due to it’s blatantly illegal domestic data collection activities. Warrant? Who needs a warrant when building a data-base on all U.S. citizens and covering everything that can be uncovered about all U.S. citizens?
This TIA program was the one BushCo instituted in early 2001 before the 9/11 attacks, as they started converting the federal government into the 2nd edition of the Nixon administration.
After 9/11, the Bush administration essentially just dropped the name TIA (voila, it disappeared), and replaced the name TIA with their “Terrorist Surveillance Program” designation, while keeping intact all the illegal, warrantless surveillance and data collection processes that BushCo had established with all the “lap dog” telecommunications companies in the U.S..
This is why the “lap dog” telecommunication companies are trying to get legislation passed to make them immune from lawsuits filed by patriotic U.S. citizens who are defending their constitutional rights, defending their right to privacy and their right to be free from illegal searches and seizures.
TIA was being developed as a giant intelligence and surveillance vacuum cleaner, sucking up everything on American citizens that it could, while totally bypassing the FISA court.
BushCo dumped the name, but kept the program (as TSP), still totally bypassing the FISA court. This is what BushCo is trying to hide. This is what even spooked some lifelong Republicans in the Justice Department. They recognized a program that was just as illegal as anyone Richard Nixon had set up, an illegal domestic data collection program that had it’s inception before the 9/11 attacks.
Posted by: The Oracle
Adie @ 88
It is funny you talk about “The Godfather”. All three movies were on the TV this weekend, on AMC. I know all about that. Who Johnny Fontaine was supposed to represent(Sinatra). About the pope being murdered(I can believe it). They are more concerned about the power they wield. Yet that power is waning, not growing stronger, no matter how many people show up for a papal visit.
raven @ 103
This is too bloody maudlin.
I want some of Teddy’s wine
Bay State Librul @ 103
Why O’Connor? She helped Bush gain power. She voted to install him as President.
Actually, I have no problem hating the people in this administration that have taken it upon themselves to destroy another nation and weaken our own.
I can control myself with reason.
Bluetoe @ 58
Even better, they’re claiming that they don’t advertise on “programs that express strong opinions or political views,” leaving them wide open if they try to shift the advertising to other Fox shows.
LS @ 99
Biodun @ 102
G-men like wine.
So, Bush has the rightwing blogs over last week for a little handrelease and this week the multi-media push to show the Glorious and Great Surge of Brave General Petraeus is working materializes.
We of course will be hearing brave exposes in another year about how many insiders knew that there was a propaganda camapaign being pushed by Karl Rove, but they were unable to speak out at the time.
It’s frigging Groundog Day in America.
-GSD
Bay State Librul @ 103
When pigs fly, when hell freezes over, …………..
Elliott @ 105
Had to let it all go many moons ago. I went to a Wharf Rats gig at a Dead show in Charlotte right before Jerry Died. Now I see things in real black and white!
Kathleen @ 70
I agree completely: too bad the Dems cannot see this.
Wine can be worth $1,000 per bottle- $12,000 per case- and it’s “liquid”..
100 cases of wine in the cellar could be worth a hell of a lot more than the cash found in the congressman’s freezer…the question would be “where did the wine come from- and how much is there”?
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 110
True enough, but her report would be given weight by both parties, although she might be labelled a “runaway prosecutor.”
rwcole @ 50
It’s possible, but I don’t think it buys him much. The perjury may be specific to Gonzo, but the investigations are into actions of the DoJ itself. Any recess-appointed AG who fails to investigate will quickly be in hot water himself. Since either one is a delaying tactic, I think Bush would rather dare them to impeach him than back down in any way.
Biodun @ 102
Corruption investigators photgraph wine during raid on Sen. Stevens’ home.
WASHINGTON — Federal agents searching the Alaska home of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens appeared particularly interested in cases of wine stored in the senator’s house, an attorney briefed on the raid said.
These may have been a gift. Particularly intersted – Hey guys, no drinking on the job!
nomolos @ 109
Some people think the name of the band is maudlin as well!
From TPM “blank” commenter:
“That is the trap that Congress has laid. By funding these “non-US government entities”, what Congress has created are entities which can _observe_ whether the President is or is not overseeing his auditors; and how competent the audits are.
Don’t miss the point: Congress is allowed to set up dummy entities not to waste money, but to create _bait_ that the President is _required_ to engage, target, and put under surveillance. The Presidents’ problem is that he doesn’t know which of the companies are real; or which ones are bait that are direct reporting units to the Congressional staffers.
Anything that the bait detects is then back challenged to Congress: Has the team from the President’s office attempted to do something inappropriate; have the audit rules been followed; or have there been unusual interactions suggesting that the President and RNC have attempted to deploy “people not related to the President”.
The problem: Once Congress creates this dummy entity, from that point on, all interactions with that entity are from a specific _time_. Congress can then use the President’s efforts to interact — directly or indirectly — and test:
A. What are the President’s method to share information about the upcoming target;
B. Who is coordinating;
C. And are the President’s personnel able to professional respond to unusual situations.
These are part of the _designed_ problems the President is forced to confront. Then, going backwards from the audit, we can examine
1. Which data fields did the President’s auditors use, access, and adjust when _preparing_ for the audit;
2. Which records _only related to this dummy audit_ were created; and how were those records updated; and how was the information sent/transmitted/stored
3. Once we let this data sit for a while, and then create the impression that there ha has been illegal activity, what effort do legal counsel, the President, DOJ staff, and others make to destroy that audit data that was _only_ connected to that bogus entity.
This is what has happened with the President right now. He and his auditors have been set up; the records that they’ve destroyed were based on discrete communications on specific dates and times. Before that information was received, the records were fine; after the data was received, the records were destroyed.
SO we can pinpoint:
1. What the President, DoJ Staff, legal counsel, OVP, EOP, and others were told; how they were told; and the means that the records were stored;
2. The time that the triggering event occurred;
3. Then trace the record holes — knowing that a credible search would trigger responses related to the known target.
Once those known targets are missing, then we broaden the line of inquiry:
A. When did legal counsel review the information, procedures, and conduct an audit;
B. Who last had access;
C. Who had the responsibility to establish this baseline.
It can’t be changed. Either its there; or its not. The President’s problem is he doesn’t know which of the data sets have been planted; and that doesn’t matter: There are known holes that were once linked with information that outside personnel put there _knowing_ they would be removed.”
“If George Bush had any integrity”
I stopped reading right there.
Bob Schacht @ 105
An ad hominum is an attack aimed at the man, not at his argument. It is usually an attack on a characteristic of the man unrelated to his argument.
There comes a point beyond which it is impossible to say, “I love George W. Bush, but I hate what he does, namely, lying, cheating, stealing, murdering, and hating me. At some point those things define who he is.
By the same token, to excuse his conduct because of a personality disorder, or because of poor upbringing, is to give him a free pass.
Add another refusal to the fire
Rumsfeld apparently refuses to testify at hearing on death of Pat Tillman
Yep. I’m really interested in that wine. I suspect it’s dry red wine, preferably from Chile…
Bay State Librul @ 103
Um, no. She threw the election for him, remember? As far as I’m concerned, she’s beyond redemption, and I sure as hell wouldn’t be willing to risk having her as an “impartial” special prosecutor here.
BigMitch @ 114
He’s a wine aficionado, as is his wife Catherine. So
is, uh, WAS Veco CEO Bill Allen, who will soon be a raisin, brown sugar and bread crust collector if he wants to keep drinking where he’s headed. Probably comparing Veco wine purchases to Stevens’s inventory. We’re talking really expensive bottles in the $1,000-plus range, most likely.A few days after Perlstein (one of my big faves!) ran this post, a commenter left a note, which he later reprinted. She told about her children who had been turned against her by Fox, Billo and friends. They have completely cut her out of their lives.
Very sad that some people apparently can no longer think for themselves.
cancer_cures @ 121
oh doggone it. I’m a wine lover. Is NOTHING sacred to these vile people?
Some seniors get sucked into sending money they can’t spare to televangelists also. Is there some kind of commonality to seniors addicted to Fox & tv God hucksters?
It must be galling to Billo & rest of Fox News that most of their viewers are senior citizens, iirc.
He’s a wine aficionado, as is his wife Catherine. So
is, uh, WAS Veco CEO Bill Allen, who will soon be a raisin, brown sugar and bread crust collector if he wants to keep drinking where he’s headed. Probably comparing Veco wine purchases to Stevens’s inventory. We’re talking really expensive bottles in the $1,000-plus range, most likely.What’s the word?
Thunderbird
What’s the price?
Forty twice
oddmommy @ 132
Maybe he has millions in cash, stuffed into the bottles.
raven @ 117
It’s amazing to find out that the world doesn’t really revolve around alcohol after all.
It’s true older people are more fearful. My 76yr old mother (who’s actually very youthful) keeps misplacing things and then convinces herself that they were stolen. Worthless things that nobody would want. Why would anyone steal that, I ask. Well, she doesn’t know but it was either the paper boy or the repairman or the meter reader…..
Then we find the lost article. Not good enough. All those people are still out to rob her. We just haven’t caught them yet.
Death Don’t Have No Mercy. . .In This Land
Stormin version
LS @ 90
‘
wow, that is great stuff
it took me a while to find the “mystery” poster
those are the posts with no mane so if you do a controll=f and type in “mystery” you’re not gonna get what you’re looking for, you just have to search for his (her) posts
that is terrific stuff there
“cash in the bottles”
Well 100 cases of wine worth $1,000 per bottle is worth a cool $1.2 mill. No need for cash.
Solai @ 137
Hmmm. Possible early dementia symptom.
Mommybrain @ 131
I have no parents or siblings anymore because of a really toxic combination of FOX”news”,GOP lies and fundamentalist megachurch religion.My children are my parents’ only grandkids,it’s been over 4 yrs since we’ve spoken. I also lost my last real friend,a couple of years back over the same things. My youngest is autistic,my family believes he is punishment to me for being so”evil”. Ack,don’t get me started.
It’s terribly difficult for me not to hate the right wing for this.
I loved Chile one February because of the three W’s: Women, wine, and the weather…
Solai @ 32
Republicans have felt compelled to inject political acrimony even into domains where people want some kind of a respite, where they want to preserve some kind of communal enjoyment. They’ve escalated their fight for psches and spleens in inverse proportion to the popularity of their increasingly kleptocratic and plutocratic economic project. So, for example — I have never made the effort to hear or see Rush Limbaugh, except by unfortunate accident, yet a couple of years back I couldn’t avoid him dredging up the dismal subject of race in opining about Donovan McNabb. It’s a very conscious attempt to fracture the country irreparably on its psychic fault lines, to follow Pat Buchanan’s Nixon-era exhortation (per digby): “Let’s break the country in two; we’ll get the bigger half”.
The thing is, they won’t get the bigger half. And I already hate them back too much to stop. I’ve severed one lifelong friendship and left certain gatherings of extending family lecturing and recriminating stridently, and I don’t regret it: instead of glossing over such fundamental agreement as mere differences of political opinion, it’s important to let Republicans know that there is a price to be paid — an ugly, up-front, personal one — for being an accomplice to gargantuan crimes and trafficking in the dirty, disreputable ideology peddled by murderers and thieves.
But I’m kind of a bilious character to begin with.
Frank Probst @ 129
Said very similar words on the Diane Rehm show yesterday as Norman Ornstein and the other quest said that Sandra O’Connor would be a good candidate for this position, that “by appointing her that this would restore faith in our Justice System”.
How can we forget that it was Sandra Day O’Connor and the rest of the partisan Supreme Court Votes in 2000 that selected the Bush administration for us. We were witness to a Judicial Coup! Her appointment would not restore any faith in our justice system for me, in fact just the opposite.
Elliott @ 135
It sure as hell was for me (amazing)! Ever read Pete Hamill’s “A Drinking Life”? He hits it on the head when he says, “Not drinking doesn’t make life any easier, you just live it with more lucidity”. The first concert I saw sober was Neil Young with Booker T and the M.G.’s. I couldn’t believe how much I like it!
so, the list of no-shows grows:
Miers, Rumsfeld, unlikely to see Rove or the other guy….
Gonzo is not going to testify anymore? Did I miss anyone?
Wow.
perris @ 139
Read those post yesterday…made me wonder Is this mystery poster another “deepthroat”?
fear makes one hate – its the reason we have so much strife in the world – its easy to manipulate people by playing on their fears – thus paving the way for us to give up liberties.. we have some very scary folks in power now – not chimpy but those actually running the country
Kathleen @ 148
the depth of knowledge is stunning…this is really incredible reading guys, go there and spend some time
OldCoastie @ 147
I believe the “gonzo is not going to testify anymore” was a joke. At least I hope it was.
just driving by to thank Christy and the gang for commenting on the continuing downward spiral of Alaska Rethugs. Looks like the FBI knows where to look when searching for the tips of icebergs…
off to enjoy this beautiful Cascade Mountain weather in the soon-to-be-Blue Washington US Congressional District Number 8.
ironranger @ 132
Back in the early ’80s, some friends of mine got summer jobs working for an outfit called, iirc, the Fund for a Conservative Majority. They were just doing office work, but they got to listen all day to Republican telemarketers calling up senior citizens and saying “Ronald Reagan urgently needs your support ($) for…” followed by the name of some issue which had in fact been voted on months ago.
My friends quit en masse after a few weeks. They were just college kids in need of a summer job, but they couldn’t stand to be associated with that. I believe the group later got in some legal trouble, since they were basically scamming people out of their Social Security checks.
raven @ 117
Hey raven,
That Friday night show in Charlotte in ‘95 right before Jerry died was my one and only Dead show.
OT: Rice/Gates trip described “a rare joint show of diplomatic force”. I’d call it “babysitting”.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20037146/
at JTA
Olmert, Abbas in secret talks
Israel’s prime minister and the Palestinian Authority president opened secret talks on a final-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, Arab media reported.
The London-based Al-Hayat newspaper reported Tuesday that in a meeting two weeks ago, Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas agreed to start negotiating such issues as the future of Jerusalem, final borders and the right of return for Palestinian refugees. The report said the two leaders agreed to set up a secret channel for discussions.
BigMitch @ 151
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the “breakthrough”
they are cornered rats right now, their only defense is to become more brazen…that’s all they have left
Fear and loathing usually go hand in hand, and is often at the base of racism…
Elliott @ 136
I dunno.
“Beer is both the cause of and the solution to most of life’s problems.”
Homer Simpson
LS 90 & 124
behindthefall 108
OMG. I went over to look, & it was 20 min. before I started breathing again!
Dare we hope?
Thank you guys for link! Incredible stuff!
Diplomatic ban lifted
07/31/2007
Israel has lifted its ban on diplomatic ties between Israeli diplomats abroad and their Palestinian counterparts.
Ha’aretz reported Tuesday that Israel’s Foreign Ministry published new guidelines last week allowing such meetings. Israeli officials had been banned from holding talks with Palestinian diplomats ever since the establishment of the Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority.
The change resulted from Hamas’ dismissal from the Palestinian Authority following the Islamic group’s violent takeover of the Gaza Strip last month. The new regulations are in line with the Israeli Foreign Ministry’s policy of widening ties with officials from Fatah, which now controls the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority has 107 diplomatic offices around the world.
Millineryman @ 50
Anger helps you live longer. Anger at nonexistant external threats is easier than reconciling yourself to dying.
Nearly 20,000 U.S. troops based in the United States will begin departing for Iraq in December as part of the regular rotation of combat forces there, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.
These Army and Marine Corps units are not related to the buildup of American troops announced by President Bush in January, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
Adie @ 160
I’m hoping christy and all of the legal genouses here at the lake make it a point to examine those posts
This post reminded me of this one which I think is a very powerful message… Slightly long, but very well worth the read (it does connect back into politics after the first two lengthy quotes).
GordonM @ 161
That’s very insightful considering my father and his relationship with death. Thanks for sharing that.
The FBI is onto something:
Then there is this comment at TPM:
ot, for some comedy relief, see Milbank’s account of yesterday’s meeting between king george and the new British PM. It’s a hoot.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/…..01597.html
Apparently Bush has shoved Specter’s nose in shit once again.
-GSD
Biodun @ 157
On the upside, it is frequently a good start to a title. Ahhhh….memories of Hunter S. And, earlier, someone quoted Vonnegut, Molly Ivins…there are so many good voices gone recently. I guess that is why FDL is such a fine place to read. It fills a void.
oddmommy @ 62
So true, which is why I like to quote the Bible to break the hypnosis with which they seem to keep so many people spellbound.
Throw out a verse like:
“Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.”
Jeremiah 14:13-15
And maybe it will work like those funky Ray Bans from the movie They Live! (sorry that’s my second reference to that movie today).
Appropos to the Right Wing’s allegations of a War on Christmas, I wrote this 12/09/05:
In 1898, publisher William Randolph Hurst sent Fredric Remington to Cuba to cover the Spanish-American War as an artist/correspondent. According to legend, when Remington complained there wasn’t any war, Hurst cabled him, “You furnish the pictures, I’ll furnish the war.” Hurst wanted a war not because he had some principled geopolitical philosophy. He wanted to sell media. It’s only business.
Bill O’Reilley wants to sell media, too, and if it requires a war, he’ll furnish it. In this case, he has declared that there is a war against Christmas in America. If you think that Christmas is in jeopardy, not only have you drawn the wrong conclusion, but you’re too deluded to draw your own bath. There can hardly be imagined anything as secure as the place of Christmas in the hearts of Americans.
To the extent that there is a problem, it is entirely a creation of some right wing nuts. These folks will say or do anything for money. That is why they are whores. If it means driving a wedge between Christians and non-Christians, hey, don’t take it personal. It’’s only business.
But what if ……
What if there really were a war against Christmas? Who would be on the other side? The number one example of the war on Christmas that is given by O’’Reilley and others is that greeters in Macy’s say, “Happy Holidays”” instead of a less inclusive salutation. At the start of the 20th Century, Macy’s was owned by Nathan Strauss, the famous Jewish philanthropist. Since then, the owners of Macy’s have made a lot of money catering to Christmas shoppers.
Look, I am all in favor of making fun of right wing stupidity, and taking an idea to absurd extremes is a time-tested technique of comedy. But we are dealing here with absurd extremists, and that’s nothing to laugh about. In the past, Non-Christians suffered greivously on account of false accusations that they have undermined Christian institutions, which accusations were made on the far right.
And what are the putative enemies of Christmas allegedly seeking to replace it with? The imagined enemies of Christmas can’t be imagined to propose no substitute for Christmas, because Christmas is too good for business. Christmas couldn’t be replaced by Kwansa because people who celebrate Kwansa also celebrate Christmas, and probably at a higher rate than any group of Americans of their size or larger. So, I am thinking that what the imagined enemies of Christmas must want is to instill Chanukah in the hearts and minds of Americans, and this is what scares the b’jeezus out of Bill O’Reilly.
It should scare them, too. Chanukah celebrates religious freedom. It is the story of the few who chafed under the repressive measures of the many, and how they rose up and defeated the most powerful Army ever to have appeared on earth. That kind of story could be bad for business, if your business is being a right wing demagogue.
So, what I propose is that if you ever see one of these right wingnut fear mongers, you wish him a Happy Chanukah. He’ll probably recognize you as a guerrilla in the War on Christmas, and lob a hand-grenade at you. That’s how they celebrates the birth of the Prince of Peace.
Just smile at this lunatic and feel free. Free to …
… tell ‘em Big Mitch sent ya!
OldCoastie @ 147
So, maybe this is it? Calling Congress’s bluff?
FOrcing them to send the Sgt. of Arms out to arrest? Contempt trial in th well of the respective chamber?
Jeezuss H. Hockeystick!
Well, we are about to see some history get made. Or not, if the Dems back down.
raven @ 134
For some corrupt Congressmen it’s the antiques and yachts. For others, the wine.
For all, it appears, the loot comes with a new home.
Snow: Letter on Gonzales Testimony Coming Later
By Paul Kiel – July 31, 2007, 1:18 PM
Here’s a little more information on that mysterious letter from the administration expected by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA).
After a classified briefing on the NSA’s wiretapping program yesterday, Specter said that he expected a letter on the subject by noon today — the letter, supposedly, would help explain the attorney general’s questionable testimony on the program. Specter, however, indicated nothing as to what he expected the letter to say.
In today’s White House press briefing, Tony Snow provided precious little information. He only said that the letter, which will come from the Justice Department, is still forthcoming, probably in the next several hours. He would say nothing about the letter’s contents except that it will answer a number of questions that Specter had about Gonzales’ testimony.
So we continue to wait.
JF @ 153
That’s great! It was smokey as hell. Amazing that they tore the joint down. The sound was way better than the OMNI but not near as good as the Fox in St Louis where I saw them in 73!
johnSwifty @ 169:
Fear and loathing… I actually got that from Freud’s Totem and Taboo. He said those two emotions are often directed at Others: races, nationalities, and so on; any peoples different from “us.”
emptywheel @ 173
the graybar motel
Pretty interesting that the letter to Specter is comin from justice and not the White House- Clusterfuck refusin ta lie fer his pet rat?
Americablog is reporting that Home Depot is getting out of ads for Bill’O. Linkypoo!
BigMitch @ 171
Ha! That is exactly what my strategy has been. In fact, whenever a stranger (who has no idea what my religion is or isn’t) wishes me a Merry Christmas, I respond with either Happy Chanukha or (just as subversively) Happy Solstice. I don’t do this with people I know, or to my Jewish friends and family who wish me a Merry Christmas.
If ya knew who the contractor was likely to be on the no where bridge- you’d know who probably sent the wine.
Any word yet if the White House has responded to Specter’s demands from yesterday?
Remember Iglesias testifying tomorrow
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/073007R.shtml
Resignation before then or just more explanations.
Redshift: It’s no wonder the ultra right repubs & extreme religious kooks teamed up. The money is better working together.
Odd how I never seem to hear these “good” christians warning about reaping what you sow.
finifinito @ 183
No response. Chimpy McHaggis F-U.
-GSD
Wonder if anyone has had a chat with General Ashcroft? Did he get his ass kicked out of Washington for not bending over with enough frequency? He may be pissed.
Uh guys, I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble but,
How the hell are you gonna do this famous comparison looking for the holes, when the WH has refused to turn over a complete set of anything?
Not fo r nuthin’ but when I was a prosecutor doing white collar cases, we did these kinds of forensic accounting investigations all the time.
It works well, if you raid the target’s home or office and seize their records.
It works well if you issue a GJ subpeona b/c any missing records are on the target’s head (in other words count against him).
But when the target is in the otherwise unlikely position of simply refusing to give a complete set of his records (or in Deadeye’s case any reocrds at all) How are you going to do the comparison?
Also, anonymous poster mixes apples and oranges using the standards applied under the Sarbanes- Oxley act for certifications done outside law firms hired bythe sudit and compliance committees of publicly traded companies, with standards set by administrative rule within the government.
I assure you that the President can overrule an administrative rule set by his own underling, and you don’t need John Yoo for that.
Maybe Gonzo wants to wait until everyone goes home to clean out his desk—he’s got some swell pictures of Bush in there and an unread copy of the constitution.
In 1993 George Coates put on a show in San Francisco then at Spoleto called Box Conspiracy: An Interactive Sho about the 5,000 channel future of TV.
It pointed out that, from the point of view of a TV channel, the worst thing that can possibly happen is that you go outside. You can’t be watching the channel (or any other) if you’re outside. So the imperative for any TV channel is to convince the viewers that outside is so scary that the only thing to do is to hunker down at home and watch TV.
Coates understood 14 years ago that scary stuff on TV is built into the basic economics of TV in a way that’s impossible to eradicate.
new thread from Jane upstairs
Woodhall Hollow @ 167
There are actually books with specs and pricing that the construction industry uses. You can cost out a job like that almost down to the penny (I started as a construciton lawyer)
ironranger @ 185
yes. and does anyone remember the story of Sodom and Gomorrah? God would save it from total annihilation if he found but ten ######## people among the sinners.
I couldn’t help but think of ######### dying during our fight against “Evil”.
Perris @139
Thanks so much for highlighting the link to TPM’s mystery poster. My head is spinning from reading his/her comments. Hope Josh & Co. have some crackerjack people on all of this. Would love to hear Emptywheel’s take.
Jane (nyc) @ 194
I hope so too. It would be a fine thing to have a resident legal eagle confirm or deny some of those ramblings. Is it all an elaborate fantasy laid out by someone with too much imagination and time on his hands; or, is it an insider who’s conscience has finally gotten the better of him and what we see is the logjam bursting. Either way, the nearly stream of consciousness is difficult to wade through and FDL resident councel has proven to be invaluable in those regards.
looseheadprop @ 192
Talk about a nightmare inspection!!
johnSwifty @ 195
See looseheadprop @ 188
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 109
Heh. Not really so funny, and I’m not so sure they’re not being shown at this particular time because they are so, ahem, apropos of the times in which we’re stuck at the moment. That’s why I mentioned them. and, yeah, I’m also aware of the real-life former models for the characters. Is it chilly in here, or is it just me? ;->
Will Rove say cut Gonzales loose?
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._0731.html
Still want to see if there is a frog in Rove’s chair on Thursday
looseheadprop @ 188
pant pant, um, thanks for the yank on the leash lhp. seriously. your calm clear voice is one of the main reasons i visit the Lake daily.
Kathleen @ 199
mebbe a firecracker anyway…
rwcole @ 10
Nil to nothing, and Nil just left town.
The same can be said of my parents and brothers. They hate (people like) me.
I’m just sick and tired of visiting my family, of being told that only wingers can speak their views, of being insulted on a casual basis.
So I visit my family less and less.
And Vibrator Boy O’Reilly is just one of the many culpable parties.
So much good food for thought Christy.
It takes a lot of time and energy to hate….
Why is it so many will waste their lives indulging in futile activities?…..
Amen…I’ve gone through the same thing with my parents. They are basically good people, college educated and religious – but naive. My dad (now retired) apparently keeps Fox News on all day – and has become brainwashed. It’s so sad to see how they have learned to hate – yes, people like me.
It has, however, given me a lot of insight into Germany in the 1930’s…which just reinforces the idea that we need to learn how to combat this kind of propaganda.
What Christy said.
I have neither the time nor the energy to waste on hate. I’d much rather spend my time trying to make the world a better place for all of us.
I cannot imagine how bitter O’Reilly, Malkin, and others of their ilk are going to be by the time they’re ready to have their children take care of them. The last thing I want to be, and be remembered as, is a bitter old man.
And the picture is just too adorable. Where’d that furry critter get that squeaky toy?
Im glad I dont have to see the world with a candy coating just to feel like Im part of something.