Christy!

Hi! Er, where’s the cartoon gracing this post? ;)

I voted for number 4 today but all the cartoons were great!

There’s a cartoon? Sniff… no linky? Me luvs cartoons…

Hi Christy, thanks. Will we be seeing you in Austin next week?

I just got an email from Wexler where he claims Nancy might actually allow a hearing on Kucinich’s article of impeachment introduced today. Why is he trying to get my hopes up about her?

You can Digg this post HERE!

my understanding is that she really can’t stop it according to the procedures of the House. I’m not giving her credit for ANYTHING any more.

Don’t trust her as far as I can throw her.

Evening, Christy. Hugs to all chez Reddhead.

Some commenter over at Emptywheel’s page linked to a lawyer who thinks he can prosecute Bush for the murder of the more than 4000 service persons killed in Iraq. He is saying he could prosecute Bush in State court.

I want to know if there is anything to this theory?

Can this strategy be used for other Bush Admin crimes?

I’m just saying….

Oooh, I’m not on Wexler’s email list but I just got a disappointing email from my rep. Here’s part of it:

While I admit that this FISA agreement is not perfect, I voted for this legislation because it gives America’s intelligence community the tools it needs while upholding our country’s Constitutional values. Additionally, the compromise that came before the House presented an opportunity to vote on sensible and widely-supported legislation that transcended across party lines. The House-passed version of the FISA Amendments Act is also a vast improvement over the Senate-passed bill. It clarifies that FISA is the exclusive means for conducting domestic electronic surveillance and prohibits the Administration from any longer conducting unconstitutional surveillance of American citizens. The Administration is now required to obtain a warrant before surveilling Americans, including those abroad. This bill therefore ends the Executive’s power to illegally target Americans for surveillance while requiring FISA Court orders to be based on evidence of probable cause. H.R. 6304 also strengthens oversight of intelligence activities and directs the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency, and the Department of Defense to complete a comprehensive review of the President’s Surveillance Program.

This bill’s biggest improvement over the Senate bill pertains to the issue of whether to grant immunity to telecom companies that participated in the President’s warrantless surveillance activities. The Senate FISA version granted legal retroactive immunity to telecom companies involved in the Administration’s warrantless surveillance plan without any explanation of what charges or allegations these companies would be protected from. The Administration had been seeking blanket retroactive immunity in one fell swoop, but this agreement mandates accountability from the Administration by authorizing neutral federal district judges to decide lawsuits against telecom companies and determine whether immunity is justified on a case-by-case basis. As a result of this compromise, the Executive can no longer step in and assert the State Secrets Privilege to deny telecom companies and plaintiffs alike the opportunity to make their cases in front of a judge.

I wrote back (very politely) and told him his explanation was a huge disappointment. Too many omissions and half-truths. Told him this was an explanation for the ill-informed and that I do not fall in that category.

#6 was the one I voted for. For me it was head and shoulders above the rest.

Well, I suspect she along with Bush, Telcoms, and numerous others all witnessed immunity signed today. She may be freed up to allow pursuit of a myriad of other impeachable Bushco impeachable offenses.

But I am with Rev Deb, 100 percent.

I can’t wait to get this email from Arcuri in my mailbox..I will not be as polite as you were.

Seriously EPU’d a couple of threads below:

A message I sent to Sen. Obama today:

(Dear Sen. Obama)

As an Obama supporter, a [here I list my Obama campaign and Democratic Party credentials], I am deeply disappointed, saddened and bewildered by your vote for the very flawed so-called “compromise” on FISA.

In particular, I am disturbed by your vote for a bill that included the provision granting retroactive immunity to telecom companies that broke the law and violated Americans’ right to privacy by willingly assisting in the Bush Administration’s criminal program of wiretapping American citizens, with no demonstrated connection to terrorism, without warrants in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Senator Obama, whatever happened to accountability? Whatever happened to the rule of law? Whatever happened to Congressional oversight of the Executive Branch? What happened to your oath to uphold and defend the Constitution? Why did you and a number of other Democrats cave in to the White House on this odious piece of legislation? As a purported Constitutional scholar, how could you attack our Constitution in such a flagrant manner?

I still intend to vote for you for president, but whether I carry out that intention will depend on your conduct between now and the November election. I call on you to come out strongly in support of a thorough criminal investigation of the Bush Administration’s illegal warrantless wiretapping program against innocent Americans, such investigation to be commenced immediately upon your taking the oath of office as President of the United States in January 2009.

Please make a better effort to explain to your loyal supporters why you cast such a bad vote on FISA and retroactive immunity and what you will do as President to ensure that the Bush Administration and the criminal telecom companies that violated our right to privacy are brought to justice.

[Sincerely, neurophius]

as far as I can throw her.

might be fun (and cathartic?) to put that to the test.

j/k

Me too.

Hi Christy!

Chief Deputy to Scott Bloch resigned this afternoon. James Byrnes, who has an interesting backstory of his own.

The whole Office of Special Counsel – Bloch story is so hinky, probably significant.. Picked it up on NPR – the googles didn’t seem to have more. TPM turf.. hoping for more there.

Oh hell — half my post got eaten…hang on…

I’ve been filling the contemplate ___________ (blank). Navel was all my tired brain could come up with tonight. *g*

That hugs, Redd! Btw, hugs to you for all your tireless endeavors…! *g*

Ah, serialized posts now. I liked serials at the movies and in scifi mags when I was a kid. And the dreaded words when it was really getting good…to be continued. Awwwww.

Link to NPR article

My linkage skills leave much to be desired..

Oh, blessed composition outside WordPress in case there is an error. Sometimes, being anal retentive has its privileges. Everyone refresh the page, and all will be revealed…

Most of my response was trying to get him to withdraw his support for that bill encouraging a military blockade of Iran. I’m betting that he (like Wexler and Barney Frank) didn’t even read the damn thing before they added their names aa co-sponsors.
Or, at least it seems they didn’t know about that clause.

Hi Betsy — no, I can’t make it this year. With Mr. ReddHedd’s parents both having been in the hospital the last three weeks — and his dad still in the ICU, we are likely headed out to Phoenix again shortly. And there is only so much fundage to go around — let alone time and energy.

So, alas, I’ll only be there in spirit. I’m bummed. I’ve always heard that Austin is gorgeous and I’ve wanted to go for a long time. Maybe I’ll figure out a way to get there anyway in the next few years…

freakishly scary “[r]adical, reason-challenged, pro-homosexuals”

So many homophobic reich wing Christians, so few lions.

Btw, Maliki has a ‘firm’ timetable for our departure…

The withdrawal schedule should be

…linked to the turnover of security portfolio for all of the provinces of Iraq, and he added: “the operation will begin with the withdrawal of the American forces from Iraqi cities following the turnover of the security portfolio for all 18 of the Iraqi provinces, and following that there will be an assessment of the security situation every six months, to last between three and five years, and finally the definition of the final date for the American withdrawal.”

As I remarked…

Hmmm… The clock starts after All 18 provinces are turned over… Then, a security sitrep every six months thereafter, for 3-5 years…! Wow, I’m impressed with their determination to get us out…! Now, will the Iraqi Electorate buy all the posturing…? Time shall tell…

Don’t you want to wait on this until Stoller or Bowers can write a stunningly stupid post explaining how Obama just had to do this? Twice.

Seriously, I like the part about what happens between now and November being key to your vote.

I have no reason to believe that Obama is a person whom we can trust but I do believe that, sadly, most pols will respond to threats.

AHHHH… That F5 encourages me because it appears that Christy and I agree on great cartoons!

christy, thanks!

i liked #7 a lot, ’the facts are coming!!’ but it’s not really just a science one, so, didn’t vote for it. emailed the voting page out to people, it’s great….

and justin’s bush cartoon on his blog-a while back i said that donna brazile and duct tape would make a great combination, got moderated, looks like justin thought that duct tape was an ok idea, too.

=======

a cartoon guy link from my best friend’s daughter……
http://www.flickr.com/photos/apelad/

Freedom’s Watch is just another word for no one left to lube.

Oh Christy, we will miss you!

What’s catching my eye? That Roverboy didn’t show up because…he’s in Sweden. And not here. I’m hoping that a warrant is put out for him for the first moment he sets one of his pudgy toes into US soil.

And my best to your family.

I thought several of those cartoons were a hoot. Justin e-mailed me this morning and I got such a good laugh out of them. I thought everyone here would get a kick out of them, too…

hey ctuttle—check your flickr mail………

So, do you channel Punaise often? 707!!!

How embarrassing…. NPR link is in the original post….slinking off (

I know, I am so bummed. I was asked to do some fun stuff, too, and had to say no. SIGH But several folks from FDL will be there. And we have something very exciting planned for the FDL Caucus, so don’t miss it!

And we have some real southern hospitality scheduled for the visiting firepups.

I have an account…? I know I’m able to checkout FDL’s Flickr account, of which, I didn’t bookmark…! ;-)

“We’ll stand down when the Irakis stand up.” This sounds like the same ol’ shit. Polish a turd, it’s still a turd.

I will be missing in action as well this time around though the DH and will be there with bells on next year. Daughter the second is to be married in Scotland(she’s emigrated to the UK), so we are doing heavy family visits over there to make the whole trip. Yes, I realize this is a real sacrifice at this time but we are NOT(as Gramm claims)whiners and will do our duty with lip stiffened.

southern at 27–you highlighting pam’s pro-homosexual line made me think of something.

republican gay—promosexual…….

LOL Sunny — you’d be surprised how frequently I catch myself doing the same thing. I just have an edit function to play with here. *g*

‘ere

FDL Flickr

I liked 2, 6, & 11, with an honourable mention to 12. I voted for 2.

sorry about the OT, is important…..

http://www.flickr.com/groups_m…..tab=member

here it is ctuttle, click on your member name and that will take you there……

i’m gotta go soon, hit the wall……if you can’t sign in to your flickr, click on my name and send me one and let me know how to contact you, in the flickr email i gave my email.

On KO tonight Rachel reported that the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, Amnesty International, and about half a dozen other groups and individuals have already filed their lawsuit in Federal Court for an injunction and stay against the new FISA Amendment of 2008. Yay!

We really need to support them – it’s going to be a long and dirty fight.

Love that cartoon, Christy. Thanks.

We’re still stuck on 9 provinces ‘turned over’ of the 18… Al Anbar the Sunni stronghold was delayed for ‘weather’… Hasn’t been rescheduled for several weeks now… And Diala was ‘postponed’ as well… No reason given… All tho, it’s clearly apparent from all credible reporting that they ain’t got their sh*t together in either…! 8-(

I just have an edit function to play with here. *g*

Oh, now you’ve torn it! You have edit and the rest of us peons have lost it??!! Jealousy doesn’t even BEGIN to describe what I’m feeling right now! I understand that it takes up server yummies or whatever, but I will go to my grave missing “edit.” I realize that “preview is my friend,” but still…. [sob]

Actually I think that Stoller laid it out pretty well here. Obama is not a progressive, and not really a liberal. He’s a centrist. Those who thought— or hoped—otherwise have pretty much had their eyes opened. Lots of us saw this a while back but too many on the prog. community didn’t want to see it. We knew he would disappoint us. Repeatedly. We just didn’t know he’d do it so soon and trash his image along with the Constitution before he even got the nomination.

Neuro, you are far more polite than I ever could be. I’d sit shiva if I had stuck with Judaism.

Sorry, hon. But I do sympathy edits on occasion for folks who ask because I feel guilty. Does that make up for it?

I thought last year sometime Maliki said Iraq would be ready for the US to leave by June 2008. Or was that the year before and June 2007. I forget….

Larry Kudlow mentioned on CNBC that the WSJ was getting serious about asking for Bernanke’s resignation. Devoutly to be wished.

Gotta start somewhere.

Somebody on FDL, I’m sorry I don’t remember who, posted this link. It is a “must read” to understand what’s going on with “speculators”….:

http://www.businessweek.com/ma…..943080.htm

Oh, now you’ve just added to my load of existential guilt! A “sympathy edit?” May I die before I need one! It’s just that you ONLY see the silly little typo AFTER you’ve mashed “submit comment”!!!

Mahalo, I read your note! I don’t have a digital camera to upload pixs…! I am in the process of rectifying that tho…! ;-)

It’s like waiting for a powder keg to blow.

It was at least 2 FU’s ago, maybe more.

Standing up . . . standing down . . .

I swear…! And we created the mess…! 8-(

I’ve always known he was no progressive. His policies and HRC’s are almost identical and no one ever thought she was progressive so why would he be? His health care plan was to the right of hers. So I guess everyone believed that GOP talking point that he was more liberal than Ted Kennedy. Huh?

I also read an article a while back (sorry don’t even remember where to look for linky) but it said that you cannot push candidates to the left during the campaign, and only rarely during their term in office. I’d say we’re stuck with what we have – a slightly left-leaning centrist. No progressive. If you wanted progressive, everyone should have voted for the REAL progressive – Dennis Kucinich.

if you’re looking for a recommend, I’ve had really good luck with Canons.

So this is the same Marc Rich that Bill Clinton pardoned? Shite…

Wow. That C&L link with McSame and the birth control question is really disturbing, especially with the newspaper context added.

Why is that not all over the “news”?!?! (rhetorical question)

If Obama answered that way, his campaign would be over.

Christy- this food item caught my eye on google news, just before I opened FDL:

http://www.mercurynews.com/loc…..ci_9836596

~~Health warning widens to peppers
Raw jalapeños, serranos and cilantro, key ingredients in Mexican cooking, are now being linked along with tomatoes to the outbreak of salmonella that has sickened more than 1,000 people nationwide and forced grocers to pull produce from their shelves.~~

christy, sent the contest link all over and ’ahem’ ’mentioned’ that if it’s a tie to vote for #6……said no pressure.

ok, i’ve hit the wall, nite pups, good to be home, will take two more days to recover and catch up.
garden club was tonight, not a pretentious bunch, food and fun and lots of lilies and flowers in bloom in my friend’s yard…she hybridizes lilies…won the basket, i’m on a roll….

ctuttle, we’ll link up somehow…..take care.

Oh no, don’t misunderstand me — when people ASK for the edit, I’m happy to help. Good lord, I’m anal, but I’m not so anal — or laden with excess time — as to nitpick through other people’s comment typos… *g*

Aloha, dmac!

Thanks for those two blasts from the past, Christy. Powerful thoughts, even the second time around.

Now that I think about it, they’re even more powerful today, as things have only gotten worse since you posted them the first time.

Thanks for the reminders.

It made KO tonight with Rachel adding all kinds of very appropriate very snarky comments. But other than that, no.

Rachel had quite a discussion with one of her guests about why McCain gets away with all this crap while if Obama did it, well, you know the drill. He said he was ‘optimistic’ that after a while it would be more even coverage since some of his stuff was considered sort of cute the first couple of times but it is getting old and people are getting tired of it.

I’m not holding my breath.

Only 2 names left on the ballot by the time it got to me. And Dennis had no where to go. Look deeper into his record. He was anti-choice until right before he made the announcement he was running for pres. the first time. That doesn’t wash.

the kind of person we would want to support wouldn’t want to run for president. It’s a very ugly business.

Heh, a great Latino conspiracy…? ;-)

I voted for six.

Pretty sad contest.

Also sent it out to my list.

And here’s the weird thing….Clinton pardoned him at the exact same time Phil Gramm slipped in the Enron loophole in the middle of the night….

We are surrounded by crooks.

I always give people room to ‘grow’. On the whole, though, he has stuck to his guns and done the right thing when it could have cost him everything – unlike most pols.

tuttle at 60–someone gave me an old one, have been playing with it, it’s fun……the new fdl flickr page is what made me get it out and post some pics…..send a note on how to contact you for when i find out the other info….otherwise i’ll just send another flickr note.

am way tired.
nite

I was just funning with you! I’ll say it again, because sometimes I think you and Jane don’t believe it, but this site is a life-changer. Folks like me stumble in because they’ve heard about some spy who was outed and find a community to educate, inform and entertain them. Lordy, girl, we love you!

the kind of person we would want to support wouldn’t want to run for president. It’s a very ugly business.

You can say that again. India would have made Gandhi king but he wanted no part of governing.

I just get sick of all the people who would line up behind a candidate (any one of the non-front-runners) and say – this guy represents everything I really want in a President (or whatever) but I’m not voting for him because he ‘can’t win’. Well, if you all would vote for him, maybe he would. But everyone is too chicken. Or in this case – the stakes are so friggin high that we (almost) have no other choice. Pfft!

We’ve always been surrounded by crooks. Teapot Dome, anyone? The key is finding more non-crooks to blend into the mix and keep a better eye on the rest.

dmac = pansy

Well… At some point you have to make some realistic choices. Just because I believe that “my candidate who is perfect” is the best choice for the country sometimes in a field of 9 or 10 my candidate isn’t going to win out in the end to be the nominee. I voted for “my candidate who was more perfect that what we have now” in the primary but I’m still a Democrat and I’ll still back my party’s candidate.

84 lol
bonger=spiderwort

(am really going to bed now)

OMG, there’s more. Don’t know how you keep up. Especially since you have a peanut type! Total admiration here.

Well, I’m NOT a Democrat – haven’t been one for over 20 years. I try to vote for the person who will be best for the country. And yes, this election I will be voting for Obama because the alternative is to horrible to even contemplate.

But back to my point. If we really want to change the way Washington operates, we have to be willing to really get out there and CHANGE the way we think about electing people. The entrenched powers that be will not vote in a new way of doing things. So if it takes forming an ACLU party or some such to get the job done – then so be it. We need an orator, an organizer, and a candidate who really is NOT beholden to corporations. Period. And then everyone needs to really support that person – not just say well, it’s a good idea but he/she can’t win so I won’t vote for them. Sometimes you have to vote for someone even if you are sure they won’t win – that’s how you send the message.

Unfortunately, for the last two GE cycles – it has been no choice – either Bush or the Dem. We lost the last round. We cannot afford to lose this one.

Can’t wait to hear the Obama reports about how he will work with the Iraqis after he sees “the commanders on the ground”tm.

Believe me when I say that the last few weeks, between the in-law hospitalization, Mr. ReddHedd having to be out of town with them for a while as a result, FISA, The Peanut…it’s been insane. I don’t know how I’ve been doing it either, to be honest. *g* Chocolate, anyone?

Oh good! I’ll behave properly.

Here ya go!

Chocolate, anyone?

Aaaah… the universal panacea!

Whew, I’m very concerned about that too…! I’m none to impressed with his apparent kow-towing to Aipac…! That shift to the center is spooky! However, he still seems to be committed to removing one brigade a month for 16 months…! 8-)

*stuffin chocolate into the tubes for CHS with not one bit for the nasty enn ess aaa peeping toms*

Did mine get lost in da toobz?

emm r “toobz”, missy

King Arthur’s hot fudge sauce—really really good:

Hot Fudge Sauce
This deep-dark fudge sauce is more suitable for discerning adults than kids, who probably won’t appreciate its bittersweet bent. Made with black cocoa, espresso powder, and unsweetened chocolate, it’s the perfect complement to rich, creamy vanilla ice cream.

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup (4 ounces) half and half or light cream
3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1 1/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder*, black cocoa preferred
1 teaspoon espresso powder
dash of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla

*Use either Dutch-process or natural cocoa; our black cocoa makes a sauce that’s ultra-dark and delicious.

In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the chocolate, stirring till smooth. Stir in the half and half or cream. Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt, and stir this mixture into the chocolate. (Whisking the cocoa with the other ingredients prevents it from forming lumps in the sauce.)

Stirring constantly, bring the mixture just to a boil, and remove it from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Cool the sauce to room temperature, then store it in the refrigerator. To serve, reheat over low heat, or in the microwave.
Yield: 12 ounces, about 1 1/2 cups sauce.

talk about yummy!

Heh, ya have to encode it, eh, Suz? ;-)

Ok. Here’s chocolate for everyone else.

Okay, gang, I hate to be a wuss…but I need my beauty sleep. We have a fantastic book salon scheduled special for tomorrow afternoon with David Iglesias, one of the USAttys who got asked to resign because they wouldn’t politicize their prosecutions to suit Rove and others — at 3 pm ET/noon PT. Please be there. It promises to be a great conversation…

Aloha, Christy! Sleep well!

chs = NOT pansy

;~P (not sucking up or anything)

sleep well, christy. i am so looking forward to that book salon – i may even set my alarm clock and get up before the crack of noon!

ian has late nite upstairs

Sleep well Christy. If ya can sleep after all them sweets.

Wexler? Not thinking about much other than who would be willing to take the heat. He seems willing. Don’t know much about him…

thanks for the reminder. And sleep well. It’s a cooler night tonight than it’s been—at least here, hopefully where you’re at too.

sweet (chocolate) dreams.

We have a fantastic book salon scheduled special for tomorrow afternoon with David Iglesias…

Way.To.Go!

I put this up earlier but David Petraeus was confrimed as CENTCOM commander today 95-2. Neither McCain nor Obama were present to vote. Only Byrd (D-WV) and Harkin (D-IA) voted against. Odierno became head of forces in Iraq on a vote of 96-1 with only Harkin voting against.

This happened one day after FISA. I think the Democrats are trying to send us a message.

okay, I think I figured out this fklr FDL group thingy

http://www.flickr.com/groups/776591@N20/?added=1

LQQK!

This deep-dark fudge sauce is more suitable for discerning adults than kids, who probably won’t appreciate its bittersweet bent.

That sounds like an adult trying to justify why he/she is going to keep the whole batch for him/herself.

*g*

Now where’s my espresso powder? Don’t tell me I’m out . . .

Sweet dreams Christy. Your efforts on the FISA dealie were yeoman class..

Yeah, they’re gonna all vote with the Rethugs from now on.

don’t know enough about him either. Paul Wellstones are one in a million. Bernie Sanders is right on just about everything as is Barney Frank, but they wouldn’t have a prayer in a general election, or possibly even a primary.

We will just continue to be battered spouses and come back for more, I guess.

it’s just as good without the espresso. But the black cocoa powder is the best!

Christy, it’s youth. I look back at taking 18 units per semester and working 30 hours per week and marvel at what I did. You go far beyond that!

My girls are both working their tails off, wish I could get them to read YOU more than occasionally…

could that be “FU” to the base by any chance? Sound like it to me.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..l-meeting/

Link to C&L story about McCain dissing a bunch of disabled people wanting to know why he won’t support the Community Choice Act. He’s so cool – doesn’t even explain why he’s against it.

http://www.ncil.org/news/communitychoiceact.html

(HRC was/is a co-sponsor of this legislation in the Senate)

With all the stock they own in the war industry they can’t wait to light up Iran. As long as they’re living above the salt they couldn’t care less.

I’m going to see this gets well-known at a local nursing home I visit.

You are right about all that..pretty and interesting and friendly. Come anytime.