Via TPM Election Central, Eli Pariser of MoveOn.org says what needs to be said about today’s posturing in the U.S. Senate:
“No wonder public approval of Congress is tanking. They’re so out of touch with reality that they can find time to condemn an ad but they can’t do what most Americans want — vote to end this war.”
Democratic senator/presidential candidate Chris Dodd gets it right, too:
“It is a sad day in the Senate when we spend hours debating an ad while our young people are dying in Iraq. Now that the Senate has twice voted on this ad, it is time to move on and vote to end the war.”
(Kudos also to Markos, who knew the right response to this manufactured controversy from the moment it began.)
As Jane noted below, MoveOn.org has a petition you can sign if you want to help get the focus of Congress back where it belongs. Oh, if you want to chip in to help MoveOn send a thank-you gift to Sen. Mitch McConnell — or, more accurately, to the voters of his state — you’ll get a chance to do that right after you sign the petition.
Which is entirely appropriate, since the weak, blustering Republicans letting the bloodshed in Iraq go on while playing tough-guy against straw men (or newspaper ads) is exactly the kind of “betrayal of trust” that MoveOn.org is trying to bring to the public’s attention.
(MoveOn parody ad on the left from Don Asmussen’s “Bad Reporter” cartoon in the San Francisco Chronicle.)
Related posts:
- Hey, Harry Reid, Stop Protecting Democrats Who Want to Filibuster the Public Option
- Dear Congress: You Can Take a Vacation When You Get the Job Done
- DFA Won’t Pull Their Health Care Ads Attacking Mary Landrieu
- BREAKING: With 68 Votes, Sotomayor Approved as Associate Justice
- Interview With Barney Frank: Why He’s Switching His Vote on the Supplemental
Spotlight
Support this site!
Subscribe to the newsletter
Advertise on Firedoglake
Send
us your tips
Make us your homepage
About Firedoglake
Advanced search
SWOPA! PEACE!!!!
swopa!
out of iraq NOW!
MoveOn! RightOn.
Hold on just a minute!
The Senate — and Wesley Clark too, it would seem — are not condemning the ad itself so much as they are condemning the audacity of a group of citizens in actually speaking out.
Shame on the Senate. Shame on Wesley Clark.
losers. the democrat party is a bunch of losers.
And yes that IS how I’ll be referring to them from now on. That’s what you call someone who stabs his friends in the back: RAT.
Hey Swopa!
Are you freakin’ kidding me?
Bad Reporter rules! ;-)
Anyone need a contribution to run the “Dr. Zaius” ad in the NYT tomorrow?
I’m in.
brendancalling @ 5
We were never their friends, just their meal tickets.
Is it any wonder congress approval rating is 11%?
john in sacramento @ 7
TOO TRUE!! HOW I START MY MORNING!
Why am I being moderated now?
What’s amazing here is that everybody else has been called names or had their name mocked somehow. But a general??? NO, we cannot play with a general’s name!
If this is not a sign of fascism, I don’t know what is!
Hey you foulmouth femblogging antiwar lefty loons!
No more rebellious rhyming!
Only swiftboat pentameter allowed.
carry on.
Don’t waste your time moderating me
I won’t be here to interfere with your site any longer.
I hope MoveOn announces how much money from how many people has come in today.
james @ 9
Chuck Todd and Laura Ingraham are on Tweety right now. She’s talking all over Todd. He can’t get anything in at all. What a tool he is.
do-si-do @ 13
SPEW ALERT!!!
Warn us before you say stuff like that, ok? :)
Every. Single. Vote. against MoveOn.org (ad or otherwise) was a vote to display contempt for we, the people.
TheraP @ 12
I guess you missed the Honorable Senator Inhofe explaining to us that General Petraeus is “not just a normal person” !!!
We’re not worthy!
We’re not worthy!
Laura just blinked and Chris melted, again ; ) LOL
Wow completely missed the new post ;-). You’d think I was at work or something.
“MoveOn RightOn” — I like it!
Something that isn’t getting too much attention, but has me wondering:
Isn’t it interesting, that Rather is bringing a lawsuit against CBS now?
I can’t help thinking that Rather has the original documents on the Criminal-In-Chief going AWOL from TANG up his sleeve.
do-si-do @ 13
Pentagoner, surely? Not pentameter…
I cannot wait for the next fundraising letter I get.
I’m going to wipe my ass with it and send it back with a nasty brown skid, and a little note saying “I gave the donation I saved for you to MoveOn”.
Laura Doty @ 11
Archive ;-)
bg @ 14
Exactly, and then follow that with a big thanks to the Senate for keeping the issue front and center allowing for a nice gain in fundraising. Republicans hate losing the money game.
james @ 15
don’t leave! sometimes stuff gets caught in the moderation filter and it takes a few minutes before the mods release it.
N=1 @ 18
Absolutely.
Brisingamen @ 21
That would be *sweet*.
But on reading up I think the reason for the timing might be a tad more prosaic: Rather seems to be out of money. I dunno. I do wish him well with his lawsuit regardless. I thought that was a pretty dirty trick to dump him on that.
How did the repigs pull this one off? What is wrong with these Dems. They get snookered to turn on their best supporter! For example; I amongst Thousands of others worked for weeks on his compaign. I spent hundreds of hours of my time calling folks on behalf of Jim webbs election. These calls were all sponsored by….You guessed it! MOVEON.org. I was outraged He voted to CONDEMN MoveON! Talking about eating your own. I called his office and let em have it. You would think he would have to respect for the folks that helped get him his job to at least abstain! I reccomend everyone get on thephone and give webb a piece of your mind too.
james @ 15
james,
Please stick around.
N=1 @ 17
{{{N=1}}}!!! WELCOME BACK!
Cozumel @ 21
Now she is PO’ed because Tweety asks her about Greenspan’s comments. LOL!!
brendancalling @ 5
senator feingold voted against condemning moveon. twice.
On MSNBC, Laura Ingraham is browbeating Tweety, and he’s putting up a pretty feeble response. I don’t think he wants her not to like him.
peanutbutter @ 22
Oh good one. How about combining both into one mouthwatering slur?
Pentagonian Pentameter
(((N=1)))
great to “see” you!
OT but generally related: Conyers is sending out email about the contempt of congress (Meirs et al). Dunno what to think or believe of it, but there’s reference here: Contempt of Congress; It’s About Time!
The real problem is our citizens are Betraying US.
We are responsible for our government
and way too many of us have shirked that responsibility, and with the flimsiest of excuses.
This is our Republic, it’s up to us to keep it…
new one – I hate this goddam, fucking
warSenate!Shorter Senate MoveOn Vote: “We need to fight them over here before we fight them over there.”
Brisingamen @ 21
He must have something concrete or he wouldn’t be doing this. He may have interdepartmental documents that show that they were trying to screw him to please the WH. If he has the actual AWOL documents somehow, that would be fantabulous.
Tweety has Laura Ingraham and Chuck Todd on, Laura needs to STFU! Chuck does a nice job of dissemblying the ludicrous antics behind the Senate’s censure of Moveon!!!
How long are we going to frame our troubles this way. The problem is not Republicans anymore, but rather their Democratic enablers. This horrible censure will only help the establishment further marginalize this organization. Illegal wiretapping. Torture. Habeas Corpus. Not dealing with any of these issues in a way that reflects the will of the people is quite pathetic.
Opposition party? Is that another one of those inside jokes, like “fair and balanced?”
GO MOVEON!! signed and contributed…. do not back down eli pariser and moveon – we must fight the power……….
Democrat Party???
CTuttle @ 42
I just can’t watch hardball anymore. Tweety’s a twit.
Ed*ard Teller @ 39
So that’s what’s wrong with me..
Did y’all just see the new MoveOn. ad on CNN?
Right back in their faces.
i think they’re being a bit touchy, i mean it’s not like we tasered him or anything.
Elliott @ 38
I think this is what Gary Hart was getting at, earlier, when people were pressing him on his thoughts about impeachment.
Gives me pause, if someone like him whom I do respect, says that’s why he doesn’t believe impeachment is the solution (besides, he quoted Dostoyevsky! swoon!) then it makes me think. Even if I don’t agree ;-)
This whole episode finally caused me to do what I’ve known I needed to do and that is to give MoveOn some money…
Made 2 calls to congress today… 1 to the House Judiciary Committe and another to Senator Feinstein about her MoveOn vote.
Feels great!
james @ 15
James –
I’m an old hand around here (even though I haven’t been able to post that much recently) and I’ve had my comments moderated at the weirdest times and for the weirdest reasons.
It wasn’t a PERSON who moderated, but the [sometimes annoying] moderation software in place to prevent the Lake from being over-run with trolls and spam and hate speech and the like.
Yes, I’m annoyed when a perfectly innocent comment gets snagged until the human (and usually overworked and unsung) moderator frees it from the queue.
But then I realize the benefit of having something less-than-perfect in place to keep this community going in such a positive manner.
BTW, it freaked me out the first couple of times, too.
AP – President Bush on Thursday refused to criticize a U.S. security company in Iraq accused in a shooting that left 11 civilians dead, saying investigators need to determine if the guards violated rules governing their operations.
this got EPU’d, but I thought you’d like to know this about Pete Stark:
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) will give his first-ever public remarks on becoming the first openly nontheistic member of US Congress. Stark, a senior member of the influential Ways & Means Committee, a strong advocate for religious liberty and church-state separation, and a veteran of the US Air Force, will deliver the 15th annual Alexander Lincoln memorial ‘Harvard Humanist of the Year’ lecture. September 20 at 7:30 p.m., Emerson Hall, Room 105.
James…stick around. We need your comments and thoughts.
* I just went downstairs and signed the petition.
My comment to Sen. Feinstein was that We are watching Every Vote. And, make no mistake, She should worry that the support she’s had in the past is going down, down, down.
demi @ 48
YES! Just saw it. 130,000 plus 30,000 minus 30,000 equals more of the same…GBush: A betrayal of trust.
Not One Step Back.
do-si-do @ 48
He’s been on a tear of late, unfortunately when Laura’s on or somebody wearing Aqua-velva, he disintegrates into a pile of mush!!!
peanutbutter @ 51
Oh I think impeachment is the ANSWER
the SOLUTION
demi @ 54
Indeed. We need a good candidate in 2012 to run against her.
I am disappointed that the Senate has voted to trash MoveOn, but not really surprised.
Does anyone know where to find a link to the roll call on the Cornyn amendment?
(I looked below but didn’t see one).
Why did Majority Leader Reid let this stupidity to the Senate floor for a vote, huh?
neurophius @ 35
Aren’t you sick to death of having emotional and psychological CHILDREN in charge of these major cable media circuses?
For fuck’s sake, somebody might not like me. Boo frickin’ hoo. Grow the hell up, Tweety, sometime before you’re an old man in a rest home, eh?
selise @ 35
He’s the only Senator worth a damn in DC. A few are just tolerable.
I’ve been watching the Jena protests. Because of their protest, the kids are going to get bond hearings within 72 hours and the one that was already sentenced and whose case was thrown out will probably be released it seems. Now, it would be good to see them move along down to NOLA and take over downtown NOLA to get some action down there too. If only the antiwar movement could have gotten all day coverage and a “special”. I wish we were all together on these things.
Why are they putting up all the war bills just to see them shot down. All at once with just a little shrug…see we told you we cant get them passed.
Brisingamen @ 23
That would be interesting, wouldn’t it?
MOD note: Deleted by request.
RonD @ 57
MoveOn isn’t gonna back down. I hope they take it to Bush, the Republicans, and Reid and the other tools.
TSF@60
you think reid is a “stand up” kinda guy? i dont…another weasel in the woodpile imo
Margot @ 67
Rather on Larry King tonight
snowbird42 @ 64
Do they have another recess coming up soon?
CNN just showed a clip of HC calling Bush Darth Vader.
Ha!
On MSM.
I love it.
juslin @ 70
But it was unwise to bring anything to the Senate floor he knew would so divide his own caucus. Bad leadership, bad vote counting, bad, bad, bad.
Just got an e-mail from the Dems asking for money.
NO! No more until you represent me.
snowbird42 @ 70
Really? Hmm, guess I know what I’ll be watching when I’m packing to go home tonight…
Democrats. I am thinking it’s time to get back to the basics. And the basics do not include the fucking DLC.
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 69
This feels great. A quick return on the contributions many have made to MoveOn in the past several days.
peanutbutter @ 24
Oh, and BTW, how about some faux outrage about a President who calls 60 percent of his constituency traitors and unpatriotic because they don’t agree with him.
LS @ 64
Really good blog, with a picture of the the tree, plus video
http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.c…..39920.html
bushco goes on the attack and as usual dems roll over..back to referring to them as the democrat party…sickening…
Tweety, just said that Craig avoided his favorite stop over when he flew back to DC, Denver instead of Minn/StPaul!!! Officer Dave should request a transfer… ;-)
neurophius @ 62
Here ya go
OT but related: An interesting post by Representative Barbara Lee: Drawing the line in Congress: fully funded redeployment now
TeddySanFran @ 74
Reid really is a clueless bastard. He must have been a punching bag as a boxer.
Every picture tells a story.
http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ka.cfm?kaid=137
Profanity in the face of mendacity is no vice.
Civility in the face of atrocity is no virtue.
FUKMALL.
Don’t forget to send money to MoveOn. Already did? Send more.
demi @ 74
the Horror! the Horror!
If I was Petraeus…I would release this statement:
Something like this would be devastating.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 78
That’s why I belong to PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) pdamerica.org and katymine who is also here in AZ belongs to DFA (a similar organization devoted to taking back the party for the grassroots). The two groups have been working together here in AZ for quite some time now.
They have many projects in the fire, and each local group tries to have an impact where it counts at the local level, as well as state-wide, and then nationally. As far as I know DFA (Democracy for America — originally Howard Dean’s group) and PDA both have infrastructure in all 50 states.
Reid, Clinton and Pelosi. They’ll take care of us.
Another wow.
CNN story on San Diego Mayor Sanders who had said earlier that he was going to veto a move to approve gay marriage, did a 180. After a conversation with his lesbian daughter, he changed his mind.
I’m sure we’ll hear more about this great and uplifting story.
There’s always hope. Always.
Move on Add “More rhyming could hurt troops morale” Too funny!
———————————————-
Lots of reporting on the BBC and NPR about the Jena 6 marches.
The stroke of a pen.
One of Bush’s comments about the Jena 6 Marches
“All of us in America want there to be you know, fairness when it comes to justice”
Why do you think people are confused by the US justice system? What is the problem with a President who commutes the sentence of Lewis “Scooter” Libby who was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury in the investigation of the outing of a CIA undercover agent whose job was focused on National Security “with a stroke of a pen”.
And then 6 young black men are told by a Judge “I could ruin your lives with a stroke of a pen” These young men are/ were facing life in prison for “allegedly” beating up a young white man who was involved with hanging three nooses from a tree. Yet Libby was commuted by the President of the US for his crimes.
I just do not understand why people have
questions about our justice system.
james @ 12
If you feel this is unfair copy the moderated statement when it appears and send it to a media watch group
ok rond@87
wait for THAT statement!!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 87
lol, the DLC even has kaid (kool-aid) in the url.
demi @ 92
Howie had a story earlier about this, with video link link DWT here
You know, I just don’t understand. The Rethugs have made it very clear in so many words that they do not expect to let any issue that the Dems back go thru. Period! They have said repeatedly that there are to be no wins in the Dem column from now until the election. Bush, I’m sure, will play his part and act as if he’s trying very hard to be non-partisan, but the Dems just don’t seem to be coming to Jeebus. Poor abused President and his maladministration. Why aren’t these tactics crystal clear to Congress?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 92
Pass the ammunition.
Valley Girl @ 98
a man who values his family.
family is more than the nucular option
OT: but anybody know of a good progressive job list?
Yes Surge Serge, anything you say!
Gomer Pileuplicans.
Before you know it, rhymezone dot com will be shut down.
I’m probably in the minority but I don’t think the MoveOn Ad was very smart. The same points could have been made, just as dramatically without opening them selves up to the bullshit that is now flying their way.
Was there message right? YES
Is all the flack bullshit? YES
Was the ad a good investment in ending the war and electing progressives? I don’t think so.
Ann in AZ @ 96
But they are!
Oh. You mean to the Democratic contingent…
Oklahoma kiddo @ 92
where was the spew alert on that one?
demi…ygm.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 92
You know, “they’ll take care of us” puts me in mind of mafia lingo.
Mapes’ book about the Rather controversy gives CBS a black eye. Dan is not going gently into the good night, either.
Bustednuckles @ 100
I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would say about these times. I wonder if he would think it was time for a revolution(I think it was him that wrote about every so often people should change the government if it no longer represented them).
Oklahoma kiddo @ 92
signed – the Corporatocracy/Kleptocracy
Would a very kind mod please edit my address at 68?
Thanking you in advance.
That Thomas Jefferson was a real terrorist type. He talked about the “tree of liberty” needing to be watered with blood every now and again.
I read a disgusting article earlier about how the TSA types are keeping data on reading materials of international passengers (indefinitely keeping it in intelligence databases) on flights in and out of the US.
I wonder what happens if you carry copies of the Constitution on board the aircraft — are you labeled an upstart, a dangerous dissenting type?
If I were a visitor from another planet, didn’t know anything about U.S. politics, and looked at congress, I’d reach the conclusion there was 1 political party.
Then I’d look for the latest on O.J. and Britney.
Sally @ 110
I have always found it confusing and questionable that an “Independent Review” was conducted of Dan Rathers report. Yet why not set up an “Indepent Review” of Robert Novaks reporting that exposed Valerie Plames identity. Why no “independent review” of Bob Woodward went on national programs several times and undermined Patrick Fitzgeralds investigation of this outing.
Why such selective reviews of journalist?
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17871
I think Rather has something…I just hope that he spills it even if he gets the money.
from TPM:
But Eric Kleefeld’s got a great catch here: According to the latest Gallup poll, more Republicans approve of Congress’s performance than Democrats. Actually, by a pretty substantial amount. So while it’s not at all good news for elected Democrats, it’s pretty clearly even worse news for Republicans, since the real energy behind Congress’s unpopularity seems to stem from Democrats who don’t believe the Congress is being aggressive enough in standing up to President Bush.
Ann in AZ @ 97
Until then, we’ll be treated to more of this:
squish ‘em
Kathleen @ 115
CBS, as a subsidiary of Viacom and holder of FCC licenses, set up their “independent review” of Rather to cover their a**es and curry favor with the administration.
Novak and Woodward were reporting in the WaPo0. They were backing the play of the administration and there were no over-the-air broadcast licenses at stake.
Two different “news organizations” two different responses. Both despicable in their own ways.
TexBetsy @ 118
Maybe the dims are trying to lose 08 so they don’t have to own the fall-out from dubya.
realworld @ 105
is everyone aware of the nature of this monstrous occupation?
any thing that points and says
look look lies deathly risk
disease corruption
echo’s brought home in the horrified
memories and dreams(waking and sleeping)of your well beloved and supported troops
anything
political point scoring be damned
Here are a couple of rhymes:
Bella Pelosi or Fancy Lugosi
Airy Cede (I like that the best).
Apologies if I missed any other posts that already suggested this — but please contact DSCC.ORG and demand a REFUND of any contributions you gave them for Senate candidates last year or this year. I sent DSCC an email and will send them a first class letter demanding my refund. My email said I want my money back so I can give it ALL to MoveOn and that I won’t give DSCC another dime until the Senate repeals the obnoxious and unconstitutional GOP resolution attacking on MoveOn for exercising free speech. DSCC policy is usually to honor demands for refunds, just like DCCC’s policy. I don’t know any other way to get the message across. — Fractal
twȝk @ 100
Well, I don’t know if this is what you are looking for, but the MoveOn people have a page on their website looking for people like you!
Mods, so sorry. The requested edit/delete is at #69.
David F. Power @ 124
Use they power of the purse, they sure aren’t.
and a new definition of chutzpah:
Bush: Dems ‘putting poor children at risk’
from RawStory
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush challenged Democrats on Thursday to quickly renew a popular children’s health insurance program and accused them of ”putting poor children at risk so they can score political points in Washington.” The State Children’s Health Insurance Program is set to expire Sept. 30. Democrats are pushing for a $35 billion spending increase for SCHIP, and Bush has threatened to veto it. He has proposed a $5 billion increase.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin…..8L4V/bLXCQ
I switched to initals.
Anyway, DSCC stands for Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Sen. Chuck Schumer is still the chairman, and he voted against the GOP resolution attacking MoveOn, but we need to send the signal in the only way DSCC will understand. You can email DSCC at either or both of info@dscc.org or grassroots@dscc.org. Obviously, their web site gives phone and fax numbers, and their mailing address is probably the same as DNC headquarters at 4th and “C” Streets, S.E. in D.C.
For a good look at this “monstrous occupation” check out Michael Hirsh’s new column in Newsweek. Better than anything I’ve read on how we’re traumatizing an entire population, thanks to Bush’s pet thugs, Blackwater.
Whoa. The Age of Irresponsibility
TexBetsy @ 128
Hello. TexBetsy.
lahoma
Thanks, peanutbutter. My link kept hiccuping.
dakine01 @ 120
I think this “independent review” decision should be made outside of the particular news organization.
The folks involved with the review
Sumner Redstone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumner_Redstone
Leslie Moonvies
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumner_Redstone
I forget the other folks involved with this review but many believed it was a set up.
Here is Jonah Goldberg celebrating Rathers demise
http://findarticles.com/p/arti….._n13675416
do-si-do @ 125
The fellowship one?
peanutbutter @ 131
Excellent! All of this fake Moveon crappola is probably just a Repub way to overshadow the Blackwater “problem” that is paralyzing their dear surge.
ok turdblossom is STILL running t’ings in the WH….all repug TPs – stay on moveon til further notice… even weasely dems feeding into turdblossom’s BS
nimble agile
lithe and spry
if your truth telling
makes them cry
then so be it.
they should not lie.
a little ditty for
Cindy
Eli Pariser on MSNBC now
dalloway @ 130
OK. Whoa again. Synchronicity strikes! Had no idea you were posting that just as I ran across that link and posted it.
Heh.
Yeah, Shuster is subbing for F*cker!!! Eli of Moveon is on!!!
Re MoveOn:
Don’t know how many here witnessed the anti-war demonstrations on the 1960s.
They were noisy and disrespectful…of government and the military.
Sometimes they spawned violence.
But in the end, they helped, by focusing the public, to end the war.
MoveOn’s Petraeus ad was mild, IMO.
Could someone PLEASE get Senator Lieberman on his medication hopefully it would be at least as strong as pax*l. His speech in the senate makes you just want to throw stuff at the TV.
Hi Lahoma. How’s your school year going?
Oklahoma kiddo @ 55
But he had the time today to bash MoveOn…
Kathleen @ 133
Well, since Sumner Redstone OWNS Viacom and Les Moonves is President of CBS, then that shows how un-independent the “independent review” was. Although IIRC, they got Dick Thornburgh to head it for appearances sake.
CTuttle @ 141
Eli didn’t back down either!!
Hmmmmm….Do ya think that CBS/Viacom falls into the category of companies “allegedly” assisting the government in fighting the GWOT after 9/11 (by protecting the reputation of the Commander-in-Chief) and will therefore be immune from lawsuits from people like Rather??? Is the condemnation of Moveon for threatening the reputation of a “commander” by Congress…related? Will they go after the NYT?
fighting back:
‘A small price?’
from Think Progress by Faiz
Americans United for Change launched this ad today, criticizing Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) recent remarks that the U.S. troop casualties would be a “small price to pay” to stay in Iraq over the long-term. Watch the ad:
twȝk @ 133
Uh, yeah, FWIW…don’t know if it pays.
peanutbutter @ 131
he’s testifying tomorrow
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 146
Shuster needs to ask the questions that allow Eli to state his case.
Eli made a great point. The DC establishment is PO’ed at us. He told Schuster!!
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 152
US being …..?
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 152
Yeah, well, we are “the Boss”, and the “Boss” is getting ready to demote them, cut their salaries, and probably fire them. They should be worried, not smug.
eli said the beltway crowd is upset but not the regular folk.. i’m paraphrasing his words – keep it up …eli
TexBetsy @ 153
All us DFH’s. By the way, don’t you notice how no one in the media is bringing up Boxer’s resolution?
TexBetsy @ 153
DFH’s, actually the netroots, and the American People didn’t buy the Dog and Pony show, as the Polls proved…!!!
do-si-do @ 149
I think that is a great opportunity but I’m not qualified.
LS @ 136
Big Hank (Waxman) has ‘invited’ the boss of Blackwater in for a little chat. It may get interesting.
Shuster: Eli, you can’t argue with the numbers, but I still think a lot of people in this town believe it was a political mistake.
Pariser: Well, that’s right — in Washington.
Shuster: That’s true –
Pariser: And we’re an outsider group. We represent people all over the country.
Shuster: That’s true. You’re a very powerful outsider group. I think I just read that last cycle you contributed twice as much money as the NRA. . . .
P J Evans @ 159
Yes, yes, yes…I’m running for my popcorn resupply. SOB’s I hope they get nailed so bad. Jeremy Scahill is testifying also.
MOVEON has really really busted chops – ohhhhhhh its delicious
TexBetsy @ 143
Better than kiddo’s. But the principal likes me. He loves kiddo too. But kiddo needles him.
OT–
Hey, Firepups, it’s still CONSTITUTION WEEK. Still time to do something!
Here’s my contribution (C/o dept of shameless self-promotion): an op-ed piece in one of Honolulu’s major newspapers:
Follow the Constitution: Initiate impeachment
Actually, what I hope to promote in this article is our poor, tattered Constitution, and what I’m trying to do is get our congress critters to take their oath of office seriously!
Bob in HI
LindaR @ 160
TWICE AS MUCH MONEY AS THE NRA?!?!
Wooohoooo!!!!
You go, Eli! ‘Bout frickin’ time we had an outfit with some clout. Give ‘em all an ulcer, Eli!
Oklahoma kiddo @ 163
No way! OKK needling someone in authority? For real? LOL
ulp schuster has drunk repug KOOLAID…..
“Erik Prince”…shudder, just his name alone sounds like something from a horror movie…he needs to be subpoena’d though, not just asked to come in – he must be “made” to come in, and bring in all of his documentation about his “rules of engagement” and orders from above.
bobschacht @ 164
w00t, congrats and good job!
Mrs. K8 @ 165
pylonthi facteria.
Bill Press just called dems a bunch of wimps for caving on MoveOn. Wow.
Basically saying what we’ve all been shouting out on this board.
P J Evans @ 159
excitement
Did anybody catch the name of the pundit-type on Schuster now who told the truth and said anybody (Dem.) who voted to condemn MoveOn made a stupid mistake caving in?
I like to hear truth on my teevee every now and again, and would love to know the name of the person who uttered it.
Thanks in advance!
LS @ 161
it’s a reason to wake up in the morning *g*
do-si-do @ 172
And Schuster and Buchanan were laughing at him. I wish Press would have brought up the Boxer Resolution!!!!
juslin @ 167
What? Why, what did he say? Remember, he gets his paycheck from GE.
bobschacht @ 165
Bob, take a gander at this…
http://www.boomantribune.com/s…..1176/30114
Mrs. K8 @ 173
Was it Bill Press?
Mrs. K8 @ 174
Bill Press. I believe he has a show on AAR(Air America Radio).
OT: LieberDoll Katrina Swett drops out of New Hampshire Senate primary, endorses Shaheen.
LOL!!!
Thanks, May, I needed that laugh. And I will tuck that diagnostic name away for use on another rainy day…
juslin @ 167
what leads you to say that?
I think the point of this segment was Bush got another 7 day pass by keeping the moveon ad distraction alive vs. discussing the ME f-up.
But I want to hear what your concerns are…
Polls reporting that Bush at all time low.
71% negative
29% positive
Congress even lower
89% negative
11% positive
They just do not seem to care.
I swear first party on the Impeachment bus first starts pulling themselves out of the hole.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
Mrs. K8 @ 174
Bill Press…
may @ 167
which Eli is this? Our Eli? Someone else?
ls@174
schuster has joined the outcry against the moveon ad – said it was a big mistake or words to that effect…
Thanks, all, for telling me it was Bill Press. I will keep an eye out for this guy to see if truth-telling is his habit, or if it was just an anomaly.
Since he was talking about backing down being so stupid, I would like to think the fact that Buchanan and Schuster (wtf???) laughing at him will not make him forswear the truth in future.
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 175
Yes, me too. But he did get in that Bush never apologized for swiftboat ads and cheney never apologized for…another one I don’t remember (vs. daschle?)
I think they were laughing that Press said out loud that goopers would never back down over something like this. They laughed because it’s so obviously true.
TexBetsy @ 179
What is the sound of one Turdblossom laughing?
Jesus, a liberal that can string together three sentences, he’s great!
peanutbutter –
Eli Pariser, head of MoveOn, who was just on the Tweety Show (with Schuster as substitute host) and who fills my inbox with fiery emails to MoveOn members.
Go Eli!!
{And “go Eli” to our own beloved Eli — I love him, too!)
schuster also had eli on earlier and said the ad was a mistake…and kinda gave eli a bit of grief – hope there’s a transcript for you to read .. i was taken aback i must say
TheraP @ 13
983318″>Elliott @ 175
So Waxman is going to call the the President of Blackwater? This is the best that the “opposition” party can muster? To think that a thoroughly corrupted system can be “reformed” is becoming more naive with each passing day.
Mrs. K8 @ 192
Minor edit, Ma’am, it’s on Tucker not HardBall!
Mrs. K8 @ 190
Actually shuster is subbing on the Tuckery show.
juslin @ 192
Thanks. I missed the very first part and hope I get to see it later. Only caught the bit with buchanan and press.
If there was a Democratic President with an out of control war based on lies, and he had a General whose name was Petraeus and that General was carrying water for the CIC,…that ad would have happened from a Repub group, along with much worse….years ago.
LS @ 198
How many IF’s is that?
By the folks, Keith has a SC on tap!!!
Kathleen @ 183
71% plus 29 % equals 100%
there is only 1 party
that’s why we’ve got the situation we have
Wonder when Olbermann will be back.
Bluetoe @ 193
You can eat an elephant, one bite at a time.
Thanks, Bluetoe, for highlighting TheraP’s comment earlier. I somehow missed it, and it’s an important point.
It makes our evolution into a big fat Banana Republic all the more evident.
In fact, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t weep if I saw Woody Allen’s movie “Bananas” right about now.
All those military uniforms, chests laden with tons of medals, the swagger in the step, the fascist saluting and glorification of all things military….I had once thought if was a COMEDY.
CTuttle @ 200
We get keith today? Yee haw!
Whatever happenned to Kucinich being cut out of the debates
selise @ 28
I’ll echo the ‘don’t leave’ request, James. I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate your comments and have found NONE of them to be objectionable.
When it comes down that we can’t be critical of a blog, while posting on it, then the blog has become as isolated from us as the 1% looting our country and stealing our lives.
So far, FDL has done very well with respect to accepting criticism from folks, and I value that.
James, comment at will, PLEASE, and thicken the skin a bit as to perceived personal recriminations.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 201
Ad just said tonite.
Oklahoma kiddo @ 202
Today…YEE-HAW!!! With a SC on tap!!!
Having said what I did for James, let me ALSO say, today’s threads are as spot on as I could possibly want from a progressive minded blog group.
Thank you one and all for your threads and for ensuring that we ALL know the difference between insanity, and reality.
Oh that the 1% would develop a reality based on the other 99%.
ahhhhhhh a bit of sunshine… KO returns tonight and…. with a TREAT… his special comment!! oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
juslin @ 193
He’s asking questions, that’s what make it an interview.
dakine –
Thanks for the correction! Tuckery Fuckery is more than I can take, so I’m glad he’s not on anybody’s screen today.
OK Kiddo –
Olbermann is back tonight — and with a SPECIAL COMMENT, aimed at the Deciderer’s stupid presser today.
Why is it a mistake to express the truth?
IrishJim @ 27
Actually, Mike has an interesting idea…
Keep in mind MoveOn really gets active during elections. They’re just keeping their skills sharp right now….warming up if you will. This couldn’t have happened at a better time, and I can only imagine how much money they’ll be taking in over the next couple of weeks.
Once election time really heats up next year, they’re going to be more influential than ever. This is fantastic for the Congressional races especially!
Hillary’s comment about Darth Vader was excellent!!
i might be a buddhist
when i try to pursue truth, i turn inward
don’t really care, in this pursuit, what KO, Tweety, Shuster, Britney, shrub have to say
Mrs. K8 @ 211
Ain’t life good. This boy and a certain girl I know will be watching.
CTuttle — just noticed your own Tuckery correction. Thanks to you, too! I like it when y’all keep me on my toes (in spite of my new diagnosis – Morton’s neuroma, boo hoo).
LS @ 203
that’s a lot of bites
raven@207
asking questions is one thing…attacking the guest….hmmm not so much imo
What’s an SC on tap?
selise @ 35
CA split, Feinstein The Facist voted for, Boxer against.
God help Feinstein if she ever runs for public officec again, the progressives of SF and CA will hound her to an early X*n*x Addiction.
Grrrrrr . . . .
ccmask @ 221
olbermann special comment
How does giving the troops 15 months in, 15 months out, cause a more precipitous drawdown??? What am I missing?? They serve 15 months and are replaced with someone else serving 15 months. What is the problem?
special comment ccmask
Will someone please put a cork in Buchanon’s mouth for me?
larue @ 209
Elliott @ 220
70% is a lot of people
It’s the unrelenting nausea that gets ya.
ccmask @ 220
Olberman will have a Special Comment on his show tonight.
juslin @ 226
Thanks juslin!!
One of the things I don’t understand is this…Democrats repeatedly pull their punches, keep their powder dry, and refuse to ENGAGE, seemingly in the hope that Republicans will be nice to them. News flash-all those horrible things Republicans say? They’re going to say them anyway, so you Democrats may as well DO THE RIGHT THING!!!
Don’t they know that?
ccmask @ 224
Give him a binky.
ccmask @ 222
A nice cold one.
TexBetsy @ 224
I thought it was some tasty beer.
LS @ 224
They don’t want to tell the public that they don’t have the troops necessary to rotate. Another strike against family values..
ccmask @ 226
Paging Senator Wide Stance.
Mrs. K8 @ 228
keep chewin’ kid!
On Tucker the banner crawler says: “DEM MEASURE TO PULL OUT U.S. TROOPS FROM IRAQ DEFEATED.”
I thought it should read: “GOP DEFEATS MEASURE TO TREAT TROOPS FAIRLY.”
Guess that’s why they get the big bucks, and I am ridiculed as a guy in his bathrobe in his mother’s basement.
ccmask @ 224
Oh yes!
I once had a really fascist boss (briefly! couldn’t wait to quit!) who made me put Buchanan’s column in the organization’s newsletter.
Barf. I made him nervous, though, when I mentioned copyright infringement. He went back to quoting him in little (elephant) bites. Bastid.
Today is the day for Soros to step up and put some cold hard cash in MoveOn’s coffers.
bonkers @ 235
*g* LOL
We have militias – Blackwater, Caci, Triple Canopy
We have war lords – Eric Pince.
We are no better than those we hate.
may @ 235
Pepto Bismol — don’t leave home without it!
bonkers @ 235
You owe me a new keyboard.
Don’t you see that this is now a well worn Republican strategy: change the talking point to the messenger’s character and avoid the actual response to the allegation. Remember, how they screamed how inappropriate that Joseph Wilson was sent by his wife to Niger, as if it would really make a difference to the information in his report and the fact that the report was suppressed.
bonkers@232
ROTFLMAO!!! you nailed that!
LS @ 225
Not enough troops to do that.
BTW…dollar at a record low…US and Canadian dollar trading at 1-to-1, for the first time since 1976.
Nothing to see here, keep moving.
Did Wide Stance vote today? If he did that is just crazy!! You can’t knock a betraying general but you can set up a booth in the airport bathroom!
SanderO @ 240
They, they…our rulers, not “we”.
Mrs. K8 @ 220
Ouch, sounds painful! At least it’s not as painful as the foot in mouth extractions the 22 Dem Senators must under go…!!!
GeorgeSimian @ 246
And it worked so well. I know I, for one, upon learning that Joe Wilson was married to a sexy super spy who sent him on secret missions said to myself, “He must be a pussy.”
New Thread
I got the zed
suckers
You know what I hate the most about these cable claptrap shows?
The thing that started during St. Ronald’s reign — “pundits” who no longer actually discuss policy and the implications of policy.
They discuss “perception.” The “impressions” pols make, and if they are manipulating the public successfully. This is what’s known as following the “horse race.” Utterly useless, and they know it.
This has been going on for decades, but it’s worse than ever. What, are they ALL members of Operation Mockingbird?
ccmask @ 242
We are all Soros now.
The Democratic party is now dead to me, just as the Republican party has been for a good long while now.
My fury has reached its limit. How many times do I have to put up with being ignored, insulted and used by the Democratic party? However many times that is, I’ve reached my limit. The Webb amendment and the MoveOn condemnation are the last straws.
Good going, Democratic “leadership”, you’ve just lost the support of another of those nonexistent independents.
Don’t expect any more of my money, and the only Dems who will get my vote are those who don’t habitually toe the Democratic Party’s line. Good bye, and good luck.
Justin Raimando
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=11638
“As I have been saying for months – or is that years? – our real war aims have nothing to do with stability, democracy, or finding “weapons of mass destruction” that never existed in any case. Our goal has always been to plunge the o plunge the Arab and Muslim nations of the Middle East into chaos, the better to move in, take control, and ensure the two main objectives of our foreign policy: access to oil, and security for a Greater Israel. A stable Iraq makes achieving these two goals more unlikely, while the U.S. occupation of Iraq – extended into the indefinite future – gives us many more options, including the option to extend the war beyond Iraq’s borders – which has been our real goal all along.”
Justin Raimando and Paul Craig Roberts sure are on the same page US/Israel and Hegemony
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08132007.html
CTuttle –
Painful? Oh, yeah, and how. But you are right — I certainly have no trouble sleeping on account of my CONSCIENCE in matters of war and peace and democracy.
Now if my feet will just let me alone….
:-)
Good to see you and chat with you again. I’ve been away too long.
New thread.
http://www.firedoglake.com/200…..n/#respond
TeddySanFran @ 257
lol
CTuttle @ 177
Thanks for the tip. See my response.
Bob in HI
bg @ 16
I second that. I sent my donation before I began reading the comments on this post.
Jane,
First you proclaim the realpolitische advantages of ignoring the tone of the moveon ad to “‘pivot’ (spin/yaw/bank/pitch/roll) and attack” on the moveon ad as a reacharound to your political proxy attack structure.. then the cheerleaders feign outrage when your utter lack of realpolitisches understanding explodes in your face as a gapingly vast majority of senators are forced to maneuver to the wrong side of an argument. Yes, the majority was wrong today, but in the realpolitische sense that is utterly beside the point, no?
Will you now stay principled and on the right side of the argument and utterly negate the supposed realpolitische advantages of unquestioning fealty to your attack group? Or has your pragmatic exercise exposed itself for the Quixotic endeavor that it is? Will you recognize the scale of your grand political miscalculation? Take the blinders off already. The complete and total political backfire has taken place, despite all the bluster and dissimulating from all the folks here that “know better.”
The merits or lack thereof of the moveon ad are politically COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT. The ad sank the democratic party into the worst kind of political jeopardy and today’s vote proves it. On balance, given today’s vote, was it still a good thing for advancing the progressive cause now that it has put 3/4 of all senators on record affirming Petraeus’ “loyalty?”
Tragic.. I’m sitting here Europe where the most conservative parties are to the left of the democrats watching you pushup pump rookies absolutely hamstring yourselves with the very worst of newbie mistakes. You can impugn the loyalty of a uniformed military man all you want, and rightfully so, but you can’t expect political gain from doing so, which is exactly what you all were expecting. Echo chamber indeed.
do-si-do @ 20
In a Democratic society the most freedom is to the common citizen.
As you are elected or enter the military you are MORE restricted due to limitations of that particular service.
Some people just think all the medals somehow make them more important. It doesn’t. It means you’ve been in honorable servitude.
Of course, we don’t want to slander all military men or politicians, but we can if we want — they’re our employees, not the other way around.
The move on ad didn’t succeed in ending the war in Iraq- it DID give goopers somethin else to fixate on beside the pigeon shit all over their suit lapels..
Big fuckin deal–
Bottom line is- we’ve got chicken shit goopers who know damned well that the war and the deaths are pointless but they don’t have the balls to vote against the worst president in history- so instead the rail on about how immoral it is to call a general who allows his troops to die for political purposes an asshole..
Shame on you you shameless goopers.
I’m sick of the attacks on Pelosi and Reid..They’ve brought the war to the floor of congress again and again- but there aren’t enough votes to end the fucker…What’re they fuckin supposed to do- INVENT the votes?
I’d prefer to see the attacks against Boosh and the goopers.
Seems to me I remember that the “Betrayus” originated from the troops. MoveOn sure didn’t make that up, its been around for awhile now!!
I don’t know what in hell Congress is doing bringing something as petty and silly as “Betrayus” to the floor for a VOTE!!! WTF is that about???!?!?
That’s protected under the Constitution and since it is what the troops are calling him, well, this “morale” bullshit is just that. Cripes, they’re not children off at summer camp or football camp …. they’re soldiers and Congress is sworn to defend the Constitution NOT pander to the bush crime family!!!
What the hell are they doing?
rwcole @ 268
No, they don’t have enough votes to override a veto BUT bush’s veto pen should be out of ink by now! That’s what they were sent there for. They can read the lies they were told just as well as we can and they can DO better with this run up to war. They should NOT be giving one once of energy to bipartisanshit! OR to the “terr terr fear fear” lies that have been exposed. Chickenshits they are! Every last one of them.
It would be wonderful to hear that MoveOn’s contributions are swelling due to this; I sent my $50 in yesterday.